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

After consulting with Yoshizumi Ryosuke, the Japanese still used poison gas. In an instant, yellowish-green poison gas rose, spread, and permeated the position.

At the platoon and squad leaders' shouts, the soldiers of the First Battalion turned their backs to the wind and quickly took out the gas masks they carried and put them on. These were standard equipment for the guerrilla detachment. As a time traveler, Zhao Yunwen naturally did not forget to equip the troops with gas masks and carry out corresponding training in gas and biological protection.

The Japanese love doing this kind of thing, but because Shanghai is such a sensitive place with so much international pressure, they are very cautious when using it.

At Tiger Cave, the guerrilla detachment pushed the Ninth Division to the brink, and they did not hesitate to use poison gas.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Regiment reacted quickly enough, but a small number of them were still infected. Fortunately, the amount they inhaled was not large, and they only lost their combat effectiveness.

A dozen minutes later, the entire position was shrouded in poison gas, filled with smoke and a deathly stillness, which made Colonel Kengo Suzuki nod repeatedly:

"Yosh, special bullets are still the best. Since we can't break through the strong fortress, let's eliminate the people inside."

"Nakata-kun, judging by the time, most of the Chinese on Tiger Cave should be dead by now. Let the warriors go up and collect the corpses!"

Major Nakata gave a "hey" and left to take orders. Not long after, thousands of zombie monsters with "big noses" slowly crept towards the Tiger Cave position.

Gas masks severely restricted the Japanese soldiers' movements, making them look like sitting ducks.

Major Hayato Koizumi had no such awareness; he was full of confidence in the poison gas bombs produced by the Empire, and the attack was merely a formality.

Although the Japanese soldiers had formed a standard attack formation, no one took the defenders seriously anymore. They went up to collect the dead and finish off the wounded, as no one could survive in such a dense layer of poison gas.

Major Koizumi didn't miss this rare opportunity to show off, personally leading the team, holding his military sword high at the front, looking very cool.

The horde of zombies slowly advanced, creating a sense of oppression. Before long, they entered the defending forces' firing range, but there was no response from the position.

Major Nakata was overjoyed, all his last lingering concerns vanished, and he immediately ordered the speed to be increased, as he was eager to capture the defending troops' positions.

Two hundred meters... one hundred meters... fifty meters!

The Japanese advance was as smooth as strolling through the streets. The defending troops' positions were right in front of them. Major Nakata slashed his sword in mid-air, leading the Japanese to make their final bayonet strike.

"Tap tap tap..."

A long tongue of fire shot out from the bunker, instantly igniting the entire position. A group of soldiers wearing "big noses" opened fire on the zombie monster, clearing it out like trash.

Major Nakata was lucky enough to escape the first wave of bullets, but he was also the most unfortunate, having to witness the cruelest reality firsthand.

They didn't come to collect the bodies, they came to their deaths!

The defending forces continued to unleash their firepower with undiminished intensity, even greater lethality. As a result, the Japanese infantry were completely exposed to the intense firepower, suffering heavy casualties.

Major Nakata was horrified to discover that the garrison was also wearing gas masks and on high alert. Their behavior was more like a group of clowns putting on a show, and they were easily shot dead by the garrison.

"Baka yarou, we've been tricked! Those Chinese are so cunning!"

Because the two sides were very close, the defenders' hit rate increased significantly, especially with machine guns, which could wipe out large areas in one go.

The stunned Japanese soldiers did not give up, but charged forward yelling, trying to break through the defenders' firepower.

The soldiers of the First Battalion had never fought such an easy battle before; all they had to do was keep firing bullets and knock the Japanese soldiers to the ground.

The battle turned into a one-sided massacre. In a short time, the Japanese suffered more than half casualties, and the last fifty meters became a path to death.

Major Nakata finally realized what was happening, and no longer caring about saving face, ordered a retreat.

His legs were more honest than his mouth; as soon as he gave the order, he took off running for his life, faster than a rabbit.

The remaining Japanese soldiers followed suit, fleeing in a panic, pushing and shoving each other. Some even stabbed their comrades who blocked their way. When it comes to escaping for their lives, any method is justified.

The Japanese troops' attempt to steal a chicken backfired, and the poison gas proved ineffective. They had no choice but to return to their original strategy. After this battle, the 7th Regiment had lost its offensive capabilities.

Yoshizumi Ryosuke made a last-minute change of command, sending the 19th Infantry Regiment, which had the best remaining combat strength, to attack the front, the 35th Infantry Regiment to flank the south, and the 36th Infantry Regiment to attack the north from both sides.

This time, the Japanese were much more pragmatic. They were no longer in a hurry to achieve quick results, but instead relied on their numerical superiority to chip away at the enemy's strength little by little.

Under the attack of the Japanese from three sides, the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Regiment was under some strain. Qin Qingwu sent the 2nd Battalion to assist in the defense of the north, which stabilized the front line.

The two sides fought fiercely until nightfall, suffering casualties on both sides. Fortunately, the pre-set goal of holding out for three days had been achieved.

To alleviate the defensive pressure, the Third Regiment was ordered to abandon the dilapidated position at Tiger Cave and retreat to the Second Peak.

Without the suppression of Tiger Cave, the Japanese could bypass the second peak and launch a strong attack on the third peak, but their flanks would always be exposed to the guerrilla forces, and their supplies could be cut off at any time.

After the guerrilla detachment retreated to the second peak, its forces were more concentrated, and the defensive pressure was greatly reduced. Zhao Yunwen then passed the choice to Yoshizumi Ryosuke.

The following morning, the Japanese launched another attack, only to find that the garrison at Tiger Cave had already retreated. The 19th Infantry Regiment easily occupied Tiger Cave, which allowed Hidezo to save face in front of Yoshizumi Ryosuke.

Hitomi Hidezo did not rush to launch a new attack. Instead, he reported the victory to the division headquarters and proposed leaving a portion of his forces to contain the second peak while the main force bypassed it and launched a leapfrog attack on the first peak. His reasoning was as follows:

"After the Battle of Tiger Cave, most of the main force of the guerrilla detachment was annihilated, and the remnants retreated to Xiaomaofeng, which no longer poses a threat to our flank. The Imperial Army can bypass Xiaomaofeng and attack the enemy's main peak, Zhongshan Mausoleum and Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum line in the depths, and advance the main force to the walls of Nanjing as soon as possible."

Ren Jianxiu's plan was very tempting, and several old Japanese soldiers were very interested in it and agreed. They did not want to face the troublesome guerrilla detachment anymore and would rather fight the training brigade.

Chief of Staff Colonel Hiroshi Nakagawa said with concern:

"Commander, gentlemen, the Chinese have clearly abandoned Tiger Cave on their own initiative. As long as the guerrilla detachment at Xiaomaofeng is still there, the Imperial Army's flank will remain exposed to their attacks."

"I don't think so now, but once the main force gets bogged down in a quagmire of fighting deep inland, Xiaomaofeng will become the biggest variable; the risk is too great. Don't forget, the Training Corps has nearly 30,000 troops, its status is no less than the Imperial Guard Division, the First Division of China!"

Now everyone was in a dilemma. It was too risky, a cardinal sin in warfare. Yoshizumi Ryosuke was caught in a predicament.

Major General Jing Shuxuan, commander of the 18th Infantry Brigade, stepped forward and said:

"Then let's attack Xiaomaofeng with all our might for another day. Even if we can't take it, we can at least deplete Zhao Yunwen's strength to the maximum extent and reduce their threat to the Imperial Army's flank. Jinling City is right in front of us, so we won't be short of one more day."

Major General Jing Shu's plan was undoubtedly the safest. Hitoshi Hidezo, having just captured Tiger Cave, was full of confidence and stepped forward first, saying:

"I agree with General's suggestion. The guerrilla detachment has at most two or three thousand remnants left. The 19th Regiment is willing to continue the frontal assault and capture Xiaomaofeng before nightfall!"

Other veteran Japanese soldiers volunteered for the mission, and Yoshizumi Ryosuke, his spirits also lifted, immediately made the decision:

"Then let's continue our three-pronged attack on Xiaomaofeng and annihilate Zhao Yunwen's forces!"

All the Japanese soldiers stood up in unison, shouting slogans that shook the heavens. They then resumed their attack, raining shells down on the defending troops' positions.

Seeing that the Ninth Division had indeed come to attack, Zhao Yunwen said with an air of dominance:

"Then let them come at us! Tell the brothers to fight back head-on and let the Ninth Division pay with their lives!"