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

On the southern slope of the second peak, swarms of Japanese soldiers surged forward, and the soldiers fought back with all their might, bringing the battle to a fever pitch.

Inside the main bunker, machine gunners were firing fiercely, each burst finding its mark. Within their field of vision, corpses lay piled upon piles—their handiwork.

The observer shouted loudly:

"Two demolition experts are approaching from the ten o'clock position!"

The light machine gunner on the flank quickly located the Japanese soldiers, and two demolition experts had already quietly crept up, each of them strapped with explosives.

The machine gunner fired two bursts of fire in quick succession, killing the demolition expert on the ground.

The observer exclaimed in admiration:

"Well done! There's a grenade launcher at 1 o'clock, 400 meters away!"

The main gunner adjusted the machine gun's firing angle and fired a burst at the Japanese grenade launcher group 400 meters away. The long tongues of fire went straight for the Japanese and accurately hit the target, killing three and seriously wounding one.

Inside the trench on the left flank of the bunker, Captain Tang Peijian was undergoing training. He was a key member transferred from the training brigade and was assisting the second company commander.

At first, he didn't understand. In the training corps, they were the promoters of the new tactics for the whole army. It was indeed a bit difficult for them to be students in the guerrilla detachment.

He had participated in the Battle of Shanghai and was acutely aware of the fighting strength of the 9th Division. Even the Training Corps, which was strong, could only fight the Japanese to a 1:1 ratio at best. But when he joined the guerrilla detachment, it was like a knife scraping its own bottom—his eyes were opened.

The attacking Japanese force numbered several hundred, while the guerrilla detachment only deployed two companies, totaling five or six hundred including the artillery company providing support. The Japanese had several artillery pieces and a dozen heavy machine guns to support them. The second company commander, confident in his superiority, ordered his riflemen to close in before firing.

"A bunch of lunatics, they're utterly ignorant and arrogant!"

A kilometer away, several Type 92 heavy machine guns provided suppressive fire, bullets whizzing over the heads of the defenders, but no one paid any attention, remaining as steady as a rock.

The defending troops' machine guns were also providing long-range suppression, and the charging Japanese soldiers kept falling from the guns. The other Japanese soldiers just pretended not to see it, which is why they are considered one of the elite troops.

The Japanese skirmishers were getting closer and closer, so close that their mustaches were clearly visible. Tang Peijian anxiously glanced at Company Commander Gao Yuan, who calmly blew his whistle.

The entire company unleashed its light firepower at once, firing volleys of bullets precisely at the Japanese soldiers, taking down a large number of them with surprisingly good results.

The Japanese offensive was abruptly halted, as if the pause button had been forcibly pressed, and casualties increased significantly.

Those Japanese soldiers who hadn't been hit lay down and spontaneously returned fire. Machine guns and grenade launchers were set up, and the tactics were very familiar.

Tang Peijian raised the Mauser pistol in his hand and fired several shots. As a graduate of the first team of the ninth class of the Whampoa Military Academy, he was very confident in his marksmanship.

He tried to shoot the machine gunner, but his two shots were not enough; the Mauser C96 was really not suitable for long-range shooting.

Just as he shook his head in regret, the machine gun suddenly stopped firing; it was a sniper who had fired.

Tang Peijian glanced enviously at the sniper's gun, which even had a scope, more extravagant than the Training Corps' gun. No wonder he could easily kill his target.

"boom!"

A 60mm mortar shell hit the grenade launcher group at an estimated distance of over 1,000 meters, which shocked Tang Peijian once again.

The tactics of the Second Company squads, and the coordination of long, medium, and short-range firepower, were textbook examples of how they effectively contained the Japanese.

Several hundred Japanese soldiers were relentlessly attacked by two companies, with the exchange ratio exceeding three to one. He was shocked by his own judgment.

At the foot of the mountain, the Japanese heavy machine guns, infantry guns, and mountain guns continued to fire, but the heavy firepower of the Second Battalion was not idle either, with the artillery company firing two or three rounds at the Japanese every now and then.

They didn't engage in many fires, but rather struck and ran. Their precision was high, and each raid yielded results, either destroying a heavy machine gun or covering an artillery position. By using a few artillery pieces, they contained the Japanese heavy firepower, resulting in a back-and-forth battle.

Tang Peijian finally put aside his arrogance and began to learn humbly. However, after settling down, he discovered that the guerrilla detachment was better than the training brigade in terms of position setting, firepower configuration, squad tactics, and coordination between companies and platoons. They were superior in every aspect.

The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the details. The more he understood, the higher his evaluation of the guerrilla detachment became. Now he no longer doubted the commander's decision and humbly learned from the friendly forces.

Inside the command post of the 35th Infantry Regiment, Colonel Fujii's mood was even more complicated. His face darkened as he spoke:

"Zhao Yunwen's troops are even more troublesome than before!"

Anxi Tuo was also a senior staff officer who came from the mainland. He was a recent graduate of the Army University and was arrogant. His understanding was still based on the classroom at the Army University. The peripheral operations also confirmed some of his understanding, but everything changed at Zijin Mountain.

Could it be because of Zhao Yunwen?

He casually asked a very naive question:

Is Zhao Yunwen very capable?

Colonel Fujii wasn't angry; instead, he said in an icy tone:

"Use your eyes to see for yourself, Anxi-kun. The Chinese army is divided into two categories, with Zhao Yunwen's troops belonging to one category."

"Commander-in-Chief—"

Major Anzai swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. In fact, what he had seen and heard in the past two days confirmed what the regimental commander had said: Zhao Yunwen was definitely the most special one in the Chinese army.

In the peripheral battles, he saw the 9th Division fight the 74th Army and the German-trained 36th Division. Although they could be called elite, they were completely different from the defenders of Tiger Cave.

The two fell into a brief silence, their eyes fixed on the battlefield, where four infantry companies were pinned down on the hillside, unable to exert their strength.

Major Anzai witnessed the entire grenade launcher squad being wiped out with just one shot, so precise it was like a gunshot.

By the time our rapid-fire artillery retaliated, the enemy had already moved away.

An officer had just stepped forward to boost morale when a bullet struck him squarely in the chest, killing him instantly. This had a significant impact on morale.

The heavy machine guns inside the bunker fired with great accuracy and force; any Japanese soldier on the hillside who looked up could be hit.

Even heavy machine guns and infantry guns a kilometer away weren't safe; 75mm mountain gun shells landing on the bunker were like a tickle...

"Commander, withdraw the warriors. We need to call in heavy artillery support!"

"Anzai-kun, don't count on heavy artillery. The Fujii Regiment can only rely on themselves!"

News of the heavy damage suffered by the 9th Mountain Artillery Regiment has been kept under wraps. Major Anzai's rank is not high enough to know, as too many people would gossip and affect morale.

At the Second Peak Guerrilla Detachment Command Post, Zhao Yunwen was closely monitoring the battle situation, occasionally making some "micro-management" adjustments. There was no other way; with such a small force, they couldn't afford to lose any more troops.

Xie Polu leaned closer and said:

"The southern defense line has been temporarily stabilized. Several hundred Japanese soldiers were blocked in front of the mountainside positions and could not advance an inch. They also showed no intention of sending reinforcements and seemed somewhat content with the status quo."

The frontal offensive remained fierce, and the isolated battalion was under immense pressure.

Zhao Yunwen said calmly:

"It's only the afternoon of the second day, not the time for reinforcements. Trust the brothers of the isolated battalion. We'll send a battalion from the 3rd Regiment to replace them after dark."

Xie Polu felt more confident now. There were still three hours until dark, and the isolated army camp would have no problem holding out.

"Commander, it seems the Japanese have changed their commander. Their offensive is extremely fierce, like mad dogs biting indiscriminately."

Zhao Yunwen had already noticed, but he didn't care. Instead, he said in a relaxed tone:

"It would be best to take on all four infantry regiments of the 9th Division; those beasts don't deserve to live!"

Before the main position, the offensive of the 7th Regiment had reached its peak, with three infantry battalions launching a continuous assault on the Tiger Cave position from multiple directions.

Shangguan Zhibiao threw everyone into the battle, including battalion staff and wounded soldiers who could still pick up guns. The fighting was extremely fierce, with the corpses of the Japanese soldiers covering the hillside and the trenches of the defending troops being blown beyond recognition.

The three main bunkers opened fire at full capacity, attracting the majority of heavy firepower. The newly arrived second and third companies also suffered nearly half casualties.

Yang Guai's company also rejoined the battle, and he personally took up a machine gun and fired. Xiao Hubei was wounded and sent away.

"Baka yarou, warriors! The honor of the Kanazawa United Team rests on this battle! Thrust, give it your all!"

Major Kenji Fukushima, with a sanitary napkin tied around his head, charged ahead, brandishing his military sword. The Japanese soldiers were playing the samurai game again.