Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

The guerrilla detachment remained inactive, never engaging the Japanese artillery in a direct confrontation. The artillery battalion's presence was like a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, making the Japanese hesitant to fire, and most of their shells were fired aimlessly into empty space, more like a desperate venting of their frustration.

This time, the Japanese invaders finally changed their tactics, no longer launching a chaotic attack across the entire front, but instead targeting key areas—feigning an attack on the west city to tie down their forces, while concentrating their main force to attack the south city from both sides, engaging in a brutal battle for the ruins with the Second Battalion, and surprisingly forming a force advantage of six times that of the defending troops in some areas.

Zhao Yunwen saw through the Japanese intentions at a glance and immediately ordered his troops in a deep voice: "Chief of Staff Xie, order the Second Battalion to consolidate its defensive line, abandon most of the streets and alleys, and hold the core position to the death!"

"Send a message to the isolated army camp: guard the west city strictly; they have no need to interfere in the battle of the south city!"

"Order the artillery battalion to prepare for a saturation bombardment as soon as the Japanese occupy most of the southern city! Don't be stingy with shells, bombard them relentlessly! At the same time, be on high alert for counterattacks from the Japanese artillery groups, limiting rapid fire to twelve to sixteen rounds, and immediately withdraw after firing!"

Orders were swiftly issued, and the guerrilla detachment continued to feign weakness, luring the enemy deeper and deeper, waiting only for the moment to close the net and reap their manpower with thunderous artillery fire. Since joining the Battle of Shanghai, Zhao Yunwen's strategy had never wavered: regardless of the gain or loss of a single city or place, to annihilate the Japanese invaders' manpower by all means and to continuously bleed the Japanese first-class divisions dry.

Although the Japanese claimed to be able to mobilize up to seven million people, the number of active duty, reserve, and core reserve personnel who were actually capable of fighting was only about two million; among them, the most elite active duty and reserve personnel numbered only one million. Once most of them were depleted, their overall combat strength would plummet.

In the Battle of Nancheng, the Japanese 101st Regiment deployed almost its entire force, and the 149th Regiment also sent a battalion to flank them. More than 3,000 Japanese soldiers besieged the 2nd Battalion of 600 men, a stark disparity in strength. Although the 2nd Battalion had been reinforced twice, it never engaged the Japanese in a direct confrontation. Instead, it launched a series of attacks, establishing layers of defenses, and retreated in large strides to the foot of the city wall, where it held its last core position, 600 meters wide and 500 meters deep.

Despite facing numerous obstacles, the Japanese advance was quite rapid, advancing one kilometer northward in half a day with minimal casualties. However, after lunch, when the Japanese launched another offensive, they encountered unprecedentedly fierce resistance from the defending troops—the soldiers of the Second Battalion fought for every inch of ground, a stark contrast to their previous "retreat."

Iizuka Kunigoro, who was already preparing to celebrate, flew into a rage when his offensive was suddenly thwarted: "You bastards! A bunch of useless trash! The last Chinese position is as thin as paper, and my two thousand Imperial warriors can't even take a step! This is a disgrace to the Empire!"

Major Sakamoto, steeling himself, stepped forward to persuade them: "Commander, the Chinese are fighting like cornered beasts. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. A stalemate is normal. They're just putting up a brave fight; their spirits will eventually reach their limit! The Imperial Army can use a rotation strategy, sending three battalions to attack in turn, giving our warriors some time. We will surely break through this formation before nightfall!"

Iizuka Kunigoro's expression softened slightly, and he snorted coldly, "My patience is limited! Tell them I'll give them another half day—whether it's a war of attrition or a group assault, they must annihilate all the Chinese in the southern part of the city before nightfall!"

"Hey!" Major Sakamoto bowed and accepted the order, giving the various battalions a chance to catch their breath. The 149th Regiment's flanking maneuver had long been ineffective, as their attention was entirely focused on the west side of the city; the Japanese troops in the north were also tied down by our forces, and the 101st Regiment in the south was essentially fighting alone.

The battalion commanders of the 101st Regiment were already fired up. After discussion, they decided on a strategy of rotation warfare—to reduce casualties and allow the soldiers to take turns resting. With a front of 600 meters, it would be too dense for three battalions to advance at the same time; one battalion leading the main attack would be just right.

The Japanese First Battalion launched the first attack, with hundreds of men spreading out in skirmish lines and advancing simultaneously from both flanks, with individual soldiers only two or three meters apart, and multiple echelons alternating their charges. However, the soldiers of the Second Battalion relied on the ruins scattered everywhere to fight back desperately, their firepower and fighting spirit so fierce that even the arrogant Japanese were impressed.

The Second Battalion's defense was meticulously planned, with a seamless combination of long, medium, and short-range firepower: submachine guns for close-range strangulation, sniper rifles for precise point-and-shoot kills, 60mm mortars for indirect fire coverage, and M1919 machine guns for suppressive fire, supplemented by a large number of bolt-action rifles, grenades, and M1918 automatic rifles, forming an impenetrable three-dimensional defensive network.

The Japanese army's numerical advantage was completely useless in this small area of ​​ruins. If the Japanese dared to advance in a concentrated manner, the artillery company's four 20mm mortars and two infantry guns would become their death warrants. The 60mm mortars accompanied the infantry company's movement and could be carried by a single person, specifically targeting Japanese machine gun positions; the Browning medium machine guns had formidable firepower, enough to suppress any group charge. The Japanese could only be forced to spread out in skirmish lines and slowly wear down the enemy with lives.

When it was the Third Battalion's turn to attack, the battalion commander stubbornly refused to believe the odds and insisted on ordering a charge—over three hundred Japanese soldiers, rifles in hand, charged in a swarm, seemingly menacing, but in reality, they were walking into a trap. The Second Battalion Commander, seeing this, sneered and shouted, "Fight them to the death!"

Eleven medium machine guns from three companies roared simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of four thousand rounds per minute, forming an impenetrable wall of fire. The Japanese soldiers had nowhere to hide and fell in droves, their limbs and blood staining the ruins and streets. In a short time, the Third Battalion had lost over 30% of its men. The surviving Japanese soldiers, terrified, scrambled back to their starting positions. The battalion commander stood frozen, his face filled with disbelief.

Having learned a painful lesson from the Third Battalion, the Japanese army curbed its arrogance in the second round of their rotational warfare. No one dared to use human wave tactics anymore, and they could only advance at a snail's pace, slowly wearing down the Second Battalion. By 5 p.m., the Japanese had spent half a day compressing the Second Battalion's position by only 200 meters, but had suffered more than 500 casualties, most of which were lost by the Third Battalion.

As darkness fell, the Japanese soldiers, seeing that their attack was unsuccessful, had no choice but to halt their offensive and switch to a defensive posture. The surviving Japanese soldiers collapsed to the ground, pulled out the rice balls they carried with them, and wolfed them down—in this blood-soaked battlefield, being alive enough to eat dinner was already a stroke of luck.

Meanwhile, in the northern part of the city, the artillery positions were already poised for battle. A dozen 75mm mountain guns, having shed their camouflage, revealed their menacing fangs; their dark muzzles pointed directly at the city walls. Crates of shells lay piled on the ground, the muzzles reflecting the setting sun, exuding a menacing aura. Battalion Commander Liu Meisheng stared coldly southward, then suddenly raised his arm and roared: "Twelve rounds of rapid fire—fire!"

On Ma'anshan Mountain, Zhao Yunwen leaned against his cover, patiently awaiting the unfolding drama. Beside him, Xie Polu's gaze shone like stars—leading his isolated battalion to join Zhao Yunwen was the best decision of his life. Back in the 88th Division, his most glorious moment was the desperate defense of Sihang Warehouse, a feat that astonished everyone, only to be abandoned and forgotten. Now, fighting the Japanese alongside Zhao Yunwen, he felt true vengeance and exhilaration!

"Boom boom boom—!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, the mountain guns roared across the heavens and earth, and dense shells rained down on the Japanese positions in the south of the city.

"Old Xie, look! It's started! Haha, those Japanese devils are getting blown to bits!"

Zhao Yunwen couldn't hide his excitement and shouted "Bravo!" He even blurted out a new phrase, completely losing his usual composure. For him, seeing the Japanese soldiers torn apart by artillery fire was the most exhilarating thing, like watching an extremely satisfying and cathartic drama.

Xie Polu also raised his binoculars with great interest. Through the lens, he saw dozens of Japanese soldiers being torn to pieces by artillery shells. Some of them still had unfinished rice balls clutched tightly to their severed arms. This was the Japanese invaders' "last supper".

Blood mingled with smoke, limbs flew alongside rubble—this extreme revenge was exhilarating to watch. He finally understood that the commander wasn't just indulging in a twisted sense of humor, but rather enjoying the thrill of blood for blood. At this moment, Xie Polu also completely fell in love with this feeling, sharing the same thoughts and hatred as Zhao Yunwen!

On the southern front, the Japanese troops were decimated by the sudden artillery barrage, their bodies strewn across the battlefield, their cries of agony deafening. The Second Battalion Commander's long-awaited moment for a counterattack had finally arrived! He would seize the opportunity presented by the Japanese disarray to retake the position in one fell swoop!

"Bugler! Sound the charge!"

"Everyone fix bayonets—kill the Japanese devils!"

The resounding bugle call pierced the thick smoke of battle, drowning out the artillery fire and cries of agony, soaring straight to the heavens. The soldiers of the Second Battalion, who had been pinned down and beaten for an entire day, now rose to their feet, bayonets fixed, and charged towards the fleeing Japanese like tigers descending a mountain. Bayonets gleamed like a forest, their cold light flashing, shouts of battle echoing through the streets, their momentum overwhelming!

The counterattack in the Kunshan street fighting has reached its climax! A fierce life-or-death struggle with bayonets drawn is unfolding tragically amidst the ruins of the southern city. The end of the Japanese invaders has arrived!

Tomorrow, the Kunshan arc will conclude with three chapters! Zhao Yunwen will lead his team to a new map, where an even more thrilling battle against the Japanese pirates is about to begin! Add it to your bookshelf so you don't get lost, and stay tuned for more exciting battles!