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

Major General Sasaki painfully discovered that the defending forces' firepower was as fierce as ever. The Japanese troops' massed charge was met with a barrage of fire from hundreds of light and heavy rifles, a terrifying display of firepower.

The Japanese soldiers fell one after another after being shot. This was a tough nut to crack. After suffering hundreds of casualties, they finally came to their senses and obediently lay on the ground, admitting defeat.

Nakajima Kesago's face was so gloomy it could drip water. He had originally wanted to watch the warriors turn the tide, but instead he was pinned to the ground and slapped in the face.

The guerrilla detachment was as ruthless as ever. Caochang Chen leaned closer and said:

"Guerrilla detachments should not be viewed as ordinary Chinese troops; their strength is no less than that of the Empire's top-tier divisions."

Nakajima Kesago, unusually, did not refute, and after a moment of contemplation, said:

"Grassland-kun, please feel free to speak your mind."

"Mr. Nakajima, the Kyoto Division's warriors have shed enough blood in Jurong. Nanjing is just around the corner. The Ninth Division has already sent troops to flank Jurong. It's only a matter of time before the guerrilla detachment retreats."

The Kyoto Division wants to gain a share of the spoils in Jinling City, but the prerequisite is strength; it's not worthwhile to waste all its troops here.

Major General Kusaba's words were veiled, but Nakajima Kesago understood them. Although he was somewhat embarrassed, he still said:

"Alright, inform Sasaki-kun to capture the warriors, halt the attack, and await reinforcements from the 9th Division."

This order was difficult to give, but Nakajima Kesago heeded Major General Kusaba's advice and decided not to launch a full-scale attack on the First Regiment's position.

They weren't afraid of the guerrilla forces, but rather that a ceasefire was more cost-effective.

When Sasaki received the order to stop the attack, he breathed a sigh of relief, decisively halted the offensive, and retreated like a receding tide.

Chief of Staff Lin Zheng asked, puzzled:

"Commander, what are the Japanese up to? A half-hearted attempt?"

Zhang Yi smiled slightly and said:

"Look at the corpses on the ground. The Japanese are just arrogant, not stupid. If this continues, Nakajima Keishago will be a division commander without any troops!"

Lin Zheng suddenly realized, and said with a hint of sarcasm:

"It's really rare to see those little devils back down. It's just a bit of a shame, the brothers didn't get to kill them all!"

Zhang Yi also wanted to kill more Japanese soldiers, but Nakajima didn't give them the chance, so he could only accept it.

After the 16th Division withdrew, it did not cause any more trouble, and the 1st Regiment was also unable to retaliate, resulting in a standoff between the two sides.

Time passed slowly, and before they knew it, the sun was setting. The Japanese still showed no sign of launching an attack.

At dusk, Zhao Yunwen led the main force to Tangshan and joined up with the Third Regiment.

Lu Ping spread out a map and introduced it to Zhao Yunwen:

"Tangshan Town is only 15 to 20 kilometers away from the city wall. It is located on the southeast side of Zijin Mountain and serves as a barrier for Zijin Mountain. The area has many gullies, hills, and caves, which are conducive to the construction of field fortifications and concealment."

The 83rd Army was responsible for the area from Fengniu Mountain to Longtan (Baijingtai), while my unit was responsible for guarding Yangshan, Kongshan, and the Tangshan town area, forming a line with the 83rd Army. If we lost this line, the Japanese would be at the city gates in a day at most.

Zhao Yunwen had been trying to prolong the outer defenses as much as possible to cover the government's westward relocation, but unfortunately, the outer defense line was 80 to 90 kilometers long, and the Japanese army of 200,000 was launching a fierce attack, making it difficult to hold out for a long time.

Zhao Yunwen remembered that the 16th Division had committed massacres in Tangshan Town, including many village massacres, and immediately said to Lu Ping:

"Tangshan Town cannot be held for more than a few days. Immediately send people to evacuate the villagers and let them take their food and go as far as they can. If they really don't want to leave, they can disperse and go into the mountains and forests."

The town was indefensible, so it was defended by the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Regiment. The defenses were set up in stages, and the Japanese were lured to Yangshan and Kongshan. The regiment's reconnaissance company stayed in the mountains and forests to annihilate small groups of Japanese soldiers searching the mountains and protect the people.

The Third Regiment guarded the outer Yangshan Mountain, while the Second Regiment guarded the main peak, Kongshan Mountain. The artillery battalion and command post were both located on Kongshan Mountain, to serve as a reserve force after the First Regiment withdrew…

Zhao Yunwen officially took over command and adjusted the troop deployment, guarding the left flank and forming a pincer movement with the Guangdong army on the right flank. This was the last line of defense outside Nanjing.

The Third Regiment has been busy since they arrived in Tangshan. Following Zhao Yunwen's instructions, they built tunnel fortifications similar to those at Shangganling in Yangshan and Kongshan, relying on the numerous limestone caves, just waiting for the Japanese to come and fight them to the death.

The day passed quickly. After completing their blocking mission, the regiment abandoned Jurong and successfully withdrew to Tangshan with almost no casualties, which made Zhao Yunwen very happy.

The regiment was ordered to retreat to the rear of Kongshan and build defensive fortifications on the spot. If Tangshan fell, they would stay behind to block the Japanese and cover the main force of the guerrilla detachment to retreat to Zijin Mountain.

The walls of Nanjing could not be defended. Zhao Yunwen did not intend to fight the Japanese at the city walls. The guerrilla detachment of several thousand men could not withstand the attrition.

He would proactively retreat into the city to engage the Japanese in street fighting, while leaving a regiment outside the city to approach. In other words, after the main force retreated into Zijin Mountain, the regiment would disperse and hide in the forests of Tangshan to wage guerrilla warfare against the Japanese.

He repeatedly instructed Zhang Yi:

"The Japanese are focused on Nanjing and have no time to search the mountains. I'm leaving the Schneider artillery battery to you. Whether the main force can break out of the city depends entirely on you."

In addition, the reconnaissance battalion has also been placed under the command of the First Regiment. Will you have any difficulties cooperating with each other to eliminate the small groups of Japanese soldiers harassing the area?

Zhang Yi nodded emphatically and said:

"No problem. There are more than a dozen mountains of varying sizes around here, stretching for dozens of miles. It's not difficult to hide two or three thousand people, especially with a reconnaissance battalion to cooperate in the operation."

Zhao Yunwen added:

"The wounded and the field hospital will also be handed over to you. We can't take care of them during urban warfare, so they need to be settled in advance. Xiao Jianyun will be in charge of their safety."

Zhang Yi gladly accepted the order and left. Zhao Yunwen made this arrangement with multiple considerations, in addition to supporting the main force's breakout, it was also to leave enough seeds for the guerrilla detachment.

The street fighting in Nanjing was extremely dangerous. He didn't know how many men would be left after the battle. With a regiment, a field hospital, a reconnaissance battalion, and a Schneider artillery company still around, at least 40% of their strength could be preserved.

Next, he was about to settle scores with the Japanese. Just as the deployment was completed, Lu Ping rushed over to report:

"Commander, the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Regiment has already engaged the Japanese in the town. The higher command has reported that the 16th Division and the 9th Division are attacking Tangshan in several directions. The 83rd Army has also engaged the Japanese."

Zhao Yunwen's face remained calm; this was all expected. In another timeline, the Tangshan defense line only had the 66th and 83rd Armies. Now, the guerrilla detachment had replaced the 66th Army, which, as a reserve force, had more troops and was relatively easier to defeat.

Zhao Yunwen was very pragmatic. Even with the system's support, he couldn't win the Battle of Jinling. The guerrilla detachment could hold the line, but the other troops couldn't.

He had only one intention: to kill as many Japanese soldiers as possible. Little by little, these soldiers were all veterans of top-tier divisions. Later, when the Japanese army expanded, any one of them could become a squad leader.

Killing a thousand of them means a thousand squad leaders; this is a worthwhile deal!

Thinking of this, his fighting spirit surged again, and he shouted coldly:

"Send electricity to the Second and Third Regiments, prepare for battle!"