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

Nakano Eiji led more than 100 Japanese soldiers to the scene following the sound of gunfire. They were ordered to mop up the remaining Japanese soldiers in the city and not to take prisoners.

Once these Japanese soldiers entered the city, they lost all restraint. At first, they only hunted down soldiers, but then the killings spread to civilians. They raped, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities, constantly pushing the boundaries of morality, and eventually became a pack of beasts.

At this time, there were still tens of thousands of defeated soldiers in the city, so Nakano Eiji dared not be careless and rushed to reinforce them.

The Japanese soldiers advanced in two columns along the straight alley, and soon they entered the ambush area of ​​the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment.

Gun barrels emerged from the doors and windows on both sides, and grenades were thrown from the roof. The Japanese soldiers were caught off guard and suffered forty or fifty casualties in an instant.

Captain Nakano screamed in terror:

"Enemy attack!"

The remaining Japanese soldiers hurriedly returned fire, inflicting casualties on the Second Battalion, but were still being suppressed overall.

More and more ambushers rushed out from the side alleys and joined the extermination of the Japanese soldiers. The once empty streets were now filled with deadly gun barrels.

The Japanese soldiers scattered in all directions, only to be ambushed in every direction; there was no way out.

The magic of street fighting became apparent. In open field conditions, a company could hold off several times the number of Nationalist troops, but in street fighting and melee, the disadvantages of both sides in terms of combat strength and heavy equipment were infinitely leveled out. Rifles and grenades were easier to use, and pistols and submachine guns were even better.

The Second Battalion, with its strategic advantage and superior numbers, gained the upper hand in the melee, routing the Japanese troops and forcing them to flee in terror.

When Captain Nakano retreated into the side alley, he was left with only a dozen or so Japanese soldiers; the rest had all been scattered.

Pursuers were closing in from both sides, leaving them with no way out.

The Japanese soldiers, driven by their desperate situation, were driven by their bestial instincts. They charged at the ambush on the left flank with their rifles in hand, yelling that they wanted to fight with bayonets.

The platoon leader, holding a Mauser pistol, fired a burst at the Japanese soldiers. His gun was fitted with a wooden stock, allowing him to fire it from the shoulder like a carbine, greatly improving accuracy. He took down two of them with seven or eight bullets.

The others also opened fire on the Japanese with their Type 24 rifles; no one thought of fighting the Japanese with bayonets.

Captain Nakano was a seventh-dan swordsman, but unfortunately he was shot to death before he could even use his skills. The pursuers behind him were also firing, and more than a dozen Japanese soldiers were all taken down. Only one of the ambush soldiers was slightly wounded.

The fighting in the streets and alleys continued, but the gunfire became increasingly sparse. Most of the Japanese soldiers were annihilated by the Second Battalion, with only twenty or thirty remnants escaping in the chaos.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion quickly cleaned up the battlefield. Their favorite item was the Japanese melon grenade. Other equipment could only be stored in the empty house for the time being, as carrying extra "burden" would make it inconvenient to fight.

By this time, the city was in complete chaos. The Japanese troops who had entered the southern part of the city first were surrounded and annihilated by three regiments of the guerrilla detachment. Most of them were killed or wounded, and the remaining troops retreated from the city in disarray.

The brothers of the Sixth, Third, and Second Regiments also suffered many casualties, but they rescued many stragglers and, in addition, mobilized young men on the spot to join the battle, so their numbers increased rather than decreased, and the strength of the three regiments increased to varying degrees.

Having tasted success, the three regiments trusted Zhao Yunwen even more and searched the entire city for the fleeing soldiers, since they had plenty of captured Japanese weapons anyway.

After 10 a.m., the Japanese high command finally realized what was happening, but it didn't attract much attention from them.

At the headquarters of the 47th Infantry Regiment, Colonel Hasegawa angrily cursed:

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! You were actually driven out by a bunch of routs! You've completely disgraced the Kumamoto Division."

The Japanese soldiers lowered their heads and remained silent. They were the first to enter the southern part of the city, entering through Zhonghua Gate and Shuixi Gate. They burned and looted along the route from Zhonghua Gate to Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River. However, they encountered a large number of defeated soldiers in the streets and alleys around Jiankang Road and Taiping South Road.

The two vanguard battalions were driven out with most of their men killed or wounded. How could this not infuriate Colonel Hasegawa? It is no exaggeration to say that the 47th Regiment did not suffer such heavy casualties during the siege.

Senior staff officer Seiichi Kameda said, forcing himself to speak:

"There were still tens of thousands of defeated soldiers in the city. The two large groups that entered the city were too scattered, which is why the defeated soldiers beat the old master to death with their fists."

Although defeated soldiers lack fighting spirit, even ants can kill an elephant if they are numerous enough; therefore, they must be treated with caution.

Colonel Hasegawa knew that getting angry wouldn't solve the problem, so he snorted coldly:

"These damned routs must be wiped out. Does Mr. Kameda have a good plan?"

Major Kameda, referring to the map of the city, said:

"The southern city mainly includes the area inside and outside Zhonghua Gate and both banks of the Qinhuai River, which is the core of old Nanjing during the Ming and Qing dynasties."

The main streets include Zhonghua Road running north-south, from Zhonghua Gate to Neiqiao; Jiankang Road running east-west, from Sanshan Street to Dazhong Bridge; Taiping South Road, from Confucius Temple to Xinjiekou; and other bustling commercial streets.

Shengzhou Road, between Shuixi Gate and Zhonghua Gate, is a major thoroughfare in the western part of the city. Other streets include Gongyuan Street and Sanshan Street, as well as the main streets Daban Lane, Ma Lane, Dingpan Lane, and Chengtuo Lane, all located on both sides of Shengzhou Road.

Changle Road, Junshi Lane, Gutong Lane, Dayoufang Lane, and Xiaoyoufang Lane inside Zhonghua Gate, as well as Liuye Street, Xinqiao, and Diaoyutai along the Qinhuai River, are all very famous.

The southern part of the city is characterized by its dense streets and alleys, stone-paved roads, and numerous old Ming and Qing dynasty houses, courtyards, and shantytowns, making it ideal for hiding defeated soldiers.

To eliminate them, we must first advance along the main road running north-south, with three battalions advancing side by side to cut them into four pieces so that they cannot support each other.

Then, advance along the east-west direction, encircle and annihilate them in sections, defeat them one by one, and all the Chinese can be wiped out.

The Japanese soldiers nodded repeatedly in agreement. He was indeed a professional staff officer. Colonel Hasegawa immediately gave the final decision:

"Alright, that's settled then. The Third Battalion will advance along the main street, while the First and Second Battalions will cut off the flanks. Don't rush into the east-west streets and alleys yet. After completing the first phase of tactical cut-off, then proceed to the east and west flanks to carry out a cleanup operation, killing every Chinese person you see!"

The Japanese soldiers shouted "Yes, sir!" and left. This was good news; they had been itching to get started. The southern part of the city was full of bustling streets and wealthy merchants. Robbing just one of their houses would be enough to support the parents of a miner for a lifetime. As for the defeated soldiers, they didn't care about them at all.

At Xiaguan Wharf, crowds thronged, with refugees of soldiers and civilians piled up like a herd of wildebeest in Africa.

There are hardly any ferries on the river, and even if there are, you have to spend a fortune to get a spot. I wonder who came up with this clever idea.

Before the battle, Tang Mengxiao ordered the ferries in the city to be sunk in the river, making it seem like a do-or-die situation. However, each of the gods had their own way of doing things, and secretly hid many boats to save their lives, such as Yu Liangzhen.

He was Chiang Kai-shek's nephew, and his connections were incredibly powerful. Fortunately, he was better than others and managed to rescue Wang Yaowu's 51st Division from the brink of disaster. The 58th Division, on the other hand, suffered a terrible fate, almost being wiped out.

The ferry did not dock; instead, it announced its price from afar, offering only thirty seats to the highest bidder.

Everyone went crazy, throwing all their savings at the risk of their lives, and a single boat ticket was sold for an astronomical price.

People kept spending their savings to board the ferry, but the number of spots dwindled and the price kept rising. Those wealthy merchants who had been waiting on the sidelines could no longer hold back.

Humanity cannot withstand the test of life and death. Some people climbed directly onto the ferry, only to have their hands chopped off by soldiers on board.

If someone put their left hand on the boat, they would cut off their left hand; if they climbed up with their right hand, they would cut off their right hand; if they still couldn't stop them, they would cut off their heads. In a short time, many people sank to the bottom of the river, and their blood stained the water red.

Behind the refugees, billowing dust rose, and the rhythmic sound of running footsteps startled everyone, who screamed in alarm.

"Oh no! The Japanese devils are attacking!"

"Boss, please take me with you. I'm the only son left in the Liu family."

"Give me the money, twenty large yellow croakers!"

"No money? If you have no money, why are you even here? You're just making fun of me!"

The ship's foreman gave a cold shout:

"Why are you wasting your breath talking to a poor wretch? Let's go, the Japanese are coming!"

More and more soldiers and civilians rushed onto the boat, and countless people were crushed to death in the ensuing chaos. The riverbank became a living hell.