You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a Tiger tank?

Lin Feng, in his capacity as commander of the 33rd Army Corps, also served as acting bamboo mat bearer in Shandong Province.

Once the letter of appointment was issued, the entire situation in Jiaodong changed completely.

Today, the 33rd Army Corps has grown extremely large.

Eight infantry divisions, one armored brigade, one engineer brigade, plus one heavy artillery division.

Among them, there are as many as five pure German-equipped divisions, which are mainly composed of system soldiers.

The legion's combat strength increased rapidly.

After eliminating the Fifth Division, Lin Feng boldly adopted a strategy of dividing his forces to advance.

The two divisions of the newly formed Eighth Army served as the vanguard, tasked with quickly crossing a series of rivers, including the Jiaolai River, the Wei River, and the Dan River, and advancing towards the Yellow River.

The First Guerrilla Division remained in the rear to defend various county towns in Jiaodong.

The Second Guerrilla Division broke into smaller units and went into the mountain valleys to wipe out various bandits and outlaws.

The Third Guerrilla Division was at the forefront, keeping watch on the main Japanese forces heading towards the provincial capital.

The independent division remained stationed in Jiawang County to ensure coal supply. Simultaneously, it assisted the engineering corps in dismantling previously deployed industrial equipment in Jiawang and quickly loading it onto trucks for transport to Qingcheng Port.

The 112th Division rotated into a rest and recuperation phase. Veteran soldiers led new recruits, training the 8,000 young men recruited beforehand, and also went to the fields to help the people restore agricultural production.

The newly formed 16th Division then made a large-scale flanking maneuver, deploying defenses in the mountainous areas around Menglianggu and Baodugu to prevent the Japanese from launching a surprise attack from the south.

A vast net has been laid out across the land of Qilu.

The night wind blew through the reeds on both banks of the Wei River, creating a rustling sound.

The newly formed 107th Division of the Eighth Army was preparing to launch an attack on the railway bridge across the Wei River on the Jiaoji Railway.

The one in charge of the main attack was Xu Fei, the lieutenant colonel deputy commander of the first regiment.

Xu Fei leaned against a section of dilapidated earthen wall, looking down to examine the MP-40 submachine gun in his hand.

The gun was cold to the touch, with a few specks of mud on the barrel.

This veteran, a graduate of the 12th class of the Whampoa Military Academy's infantry department, was an unremarkable man, yet he was a hero who captured Japanese Major General Sakamoto Jun and seized the regimental flag.

For such a great achievement, Lin Feng promoted Xu Fei from captain to lieutenant colonel and personally awarded him a medal.

"Coo coo—coo coo coo—"

In the darkness, the sound of three short and one long bird call came from the woods ahead.

"Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger." The guard next to him whispered the code.

"The pagoda suppresses the river demon."

A dozen or so figures, covered in camouflage netting and muddy, emerged from the woods.

The reconnaissance platoon leader, crouching low, quickly ran behind the earthen wall.

"Commander, we've figured it out."

The reconnaissance platoon leader, panting heavily, wiped the mud off his face.

Mud and sweat mixed together, leaving black marks on his face.

"The Japanese garrison consisted of about one and a half companies, roughly three hundred men."

The terrain is very unfavorable; it's easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Xu Fei nodded.

For this attack, Xu Fei only brought one infantry battalion from the First Regiment.

The regimental commander led another battalion upstream under cover of darkness, intending to find a shallow place to cross the river and launch a flanking attack.

In the distance, the railway bridge was reduced to a blurry black outline in the night.

This bridge is extremely important.

The Jiaoji Railway connects Qingcheng Port and the provincial capital.

To capture the important town of Weifang ahead, the railway bridge must be taken intact.

Otherwise, the subsequent armored brigades and heavy artillery units would not be able to cross the wide Wei River at all.

Xu Fei led his men back to a dilapidated temple at the rear.

The guard lit a windproof lantern and used a rubber raincoat to shield the light.

The dim light illuminated the dusty ground.

Xu Fei spread out a military map on the ground.

The reconnaissance platoon leader took out a red and blue pencil and quickly marked the locations of the Japanese firing points and machine gun bunkers on the map.

"There are two reinforced concrete machine gun bunkers on each side of the bridgehead."

The reconnaissance platoon leader pointed to the markings on the map.

The pencil drew several overlapping circles on the paper.

"There are also sandbag piles on the bridge surface."

Two Type 92 infantry guns were positioned on the high ground on the opposite bank.

It was all crossfire; the Japanese were very cautious, and there might even be some fortifications I hadn't seen.

Xu Fei stared at the map, his brows furrowed into a knot.

The Japanese defenses were very sophisticated.

There were no covers on the bridge, and if the infantry tried to charge across, they would suffer heavy losses under the crossfire of machine guns.

"Should we call for air support?" the battalion commander next to him asked.

Xu Fei shook his head.

"Stukas can only bomb the Japanese positions on the other side of the bridge."

The Japanese fortifications on the bridge couldn't be taken down by plane.

The aerial bombs were so powerful that if they were dropped even slightly off-target, they could blow up the bridge.

Even if we manage to capture the bridge, the engineers will still have to spend several days repairing it.

Our orders from above are to advance quickly; we cannot afford to delay here.

Xu Fei took stock of his assets.

For this assault, the division headquarters only provided two Sd.Kfz.222 four-wheeled light armored vehicles.

The bridge surface was narrow, and the armored vehicle had no room to maneuver.

The Japanese Type 92 infantry gun and mountain gun could turn this thinly armored vehicle into scrap metal with a single direct shot.

The situation has reached a stalemate.

The dilapidated temple was filled with a strong smell of tobacco and sweat.

Xu Fei threw the half-smoked cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his military boot.

"We didn't have armored vehicles or tanks, but we still fought wars in the past, didn't we?"

Xu Fei raised his head and glanced at the company commanders around him.

"During the Battle of Shanghai, we dared to charge forward even with rifles in hand, braving the enemy's naval guns."

We now have submachine guns and mortars, and heavy artillery support from the rear.

How could they not fight a war?

We have to fight.

In war, one cannot be afraid of death.

If we can't take this bridge, where will our First Regiment put our faces?

Several company commanders straightened their backs and gripped their weapons tightly.

"I command."

Xu Fei pointed to the map and issued the battle plan.

"At dawn tomorrow, the Second Company will be the main force in the attack."

The machine gun company pushed all the mortars and heavy machine guns to the shore to provide fire support.

The first and third companies served as reserves, ready to be deployed at any time.

The mortars were equipped with smoke grenades, which were then mixed with high-explosive shells.

"Blindfold the Japanese artillerymen."

Xu Fei turned to look at the radio operator in the corner.

"Immediately contact the regimental headquarters and call for air support tomorrow to bomb the Japanese positions on the other side of the river to flatten them."

Also, ask the division headquarters.

When will Brigade Commander Zhao's armored units arrive?

"Yes, sir!" The radio operator immediately put on his headset and began cranking the generator.

The night wind grew colder.

Xu Fei walked out of the dilapidated temple and looked at the railway bridge in the darkness in the distance.

The air was filled with the fishy smell of river water and the earthy smell of soil.

Xu Fei took a deep breath, his fingers unconsciously fiddling with the Yunhui Medal hanging on his chest.

Tomorrow, this place will become a meat grinder again.

Countless wives of the Great Xia Dynasty will lose their husbands, and sons will lose their fathers.

But Xu Fei knew that sacrifices were never in vain.

Only by driving out the Japanese invaders can the Great Xia nation have hope!

Several hours later, a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the horizon.

The morning mist enveloped the surface of the Weihe River, creating a vast expanse of white.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from inside the dilapidated temple.

The radio operator ran out, drenched in sweat, clutching a telegram in his hand, barely able to catch his breath.

"Commander, urgent telegram from division headquarters!"

Xu Fei turned around, took the telegram, glanced at it, and immediately frowned.

"Division headquarters orders the cancellation of the Dawn Assault Plan. The entire battalion is to take cover and cease attacking."

Upon hearing this, the second company commander, who was preparing to lead his team in a charge, stamped his feet in frustration.

"Commander, the brothers have already opened the grenade launchers, why did you suddenly stop firing? If we wait any longer, the morning fog will dissipate, and we'll become sitting ducks for the Japanese machine guns."

The radio operator swallowed hard and quickly added to the report:

"The division headquarters said in the telegram that the commander personally ordered the transfer of a friendly heavy armored unit to support us."

We expect to arrive at the position by noon today.

The division headquarters ordered us to conserve our strength and launch a general offensive at noon in coordination with the heavy armored units.

Heavy armored units?

Xu Fei touched the prickly stubble on his chin, a thought rising in his mind.

He had seen the Panzer III tank of Zhao Dashan's First Honorary Brigade. That iron turtle was indeed formidable, with thick skin, strong armor, and powerful firepower.

However, the divisional telegram specifically emphasized the words "heavy armor".

How heavy is it?