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

Qin Qingwu's arrival with the Eighth Regiment was perfectly timed, striking at the Achilles' heel of the 33rd Infantry Regiment.

The Japanese were attacking Fugui Mountain with all their might, leaving their own defenses at their weakest. Wang Guohua, with his keen battlefield instincts, chose to bombard the enemy's "brain."

The regiment's artillery company and the 2nd Battalion together had more than a dozen artillery pieces. They opened fire outside the Japanese garrison's perimeter, accurately hitting the 33rd Regiment's weak point.

After just a dozen or so rounds of artillery fire, the 33rd Regiment headquarters suffered a fatal blow, its command system was paralyzed, and the escort battalion was also thrown into disarray, which in turn affected the morale of both sides in the battle at Fugui Mountain.

As the resounding bugle call echoed through the forests on the flank, Luo Yufeng roared excitedly:

"Brothers, reinforcements have arrived! Kill the Japanese devils!"

The morale of Luo's troops, who were struggling to hold on, soared, and they fought with increasing ferocity. On the other hand, the morale of the Japanese troops wavered, their combat effectiveness declined sharply, and their minds were no longer on hand-to-hand combat.

At this critical moment, the artillery group of the Eighth Regiment turned around, pointing the guns at the Japanese soldiers on Fugui Mountain, specifically targeting their mid-to-rear sections to avoid friendly fire.

Two battalions of infantry charged toward the 33rd Regiment's command post. More than a thousand elite soldiers faced two or three hundred Japanese remnants, who were decimated by the bombs. The 8th Regiment routed them with a single charge and advanced straight toward Colonel Noda's field tent.

The senior staff officer shouted with a mournful face:

"Commander, let's run!"

The shouts of battle grew closer, and Colonel Kengo Noda, covered in dust and grime, fled for his life. He hadn't gone far when he remembered the deadly matter and roared:

"Where's the military flag? Where did it go?!"

"Baka yarou, hurry up and find the military flag!"

"Boom boom boom..."

A barrage of 60mm mortar shells rained down from the sky, landing outside the command post. Most of the Japanese soldiers around Noda Kengo were killed or wounded, and his senior staff officer was also killed.

The mountains and fields were filled with fleeing soldiers. The Eighth Regiment was advancing like a whirlwind, and the vanguard was already upon them. If they didn't run now, it would be too late.

There was no time left to retrieve the flag, and Colonel Noda had no one he could rely on; everyone was fleeing for their lives, so who cared about him?

The Second Battalion had already arrived. Colonel Noda gritted his teeth, turned around and ran, faster than the soldiers. He didn't want to be the first regimental commander to be captured.

As for the military flag, it was beyond his control; he could only pray that the flag-guarding squad could destroy it.

Under the siege of the Eighth Regiment, the headquarters of the Thirty-Third Regiment suffered heavy losses, and the guard battalion was defeated, with most of its soldiers killed or wounded.

The artillery positions, supply company, and machine gun company were all scattered and destroyed, with equipment and supplies left behind as spoils of war for the Eighth Regiment.

It wasn't time to reap the rewards yet. They left a company to guard the spoils, while the main force turned and headed towards the Japanese troops at Fugui Mountain.

At this point, the morale of the Japanese troops had collapsed, and they were at a loss for what to do. Some wanted to take Luo Ying's position in one fell swoop, while others wanted to return to the command post. The situation was chaotic.

The main force of the Eighth Regiment arrived, splitting into several groups, like sharp swords piercing the back of the Japanese, becoming the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The attacking Japanese soldiers were blocked in front and stabbed in the back by the Eighth Regiment. Their formation completely collapsed and they scattered and fled.

Luo Ying also pressed his advantage, joining forces with the Eighth Regiment to launch a pincer attack from both sides, and together they routed the Japanese soldiers, who fled in terror.

The battle was no longer in doubt. The guerrilla detachment pressed their advantage and slaughtered the Japanese soldiers, leaving corpses strewn across the field. The 33rd Regiment suffered heavy losses, with fewer than a thousand escaping with their lives.

Because the surrounding area was full of Japanese soldiers, the soldiers did not dare to pursue them too far. They stopped while they were ahead and quickly cleaned up the battlefield.

The Eighth Regiment and Luo's Battalion successfully joined forces. Luo Yufeng excitedly shook Qin Qingwu's hand to express his gratitude, which was rare in the Nationalist army. Luo Yufeng had not even expected any reinforcements to come and was already prepared to die.

Qin Qingwu quickly said:

"Commander Luo, you're too kind. We're comrades-in-arms, and I'll do my best to provide support."

Chief of Staff Qiu had already given instructions that the entire Second Supplementary Battalion should be handed over to you. These are all veteran soldiers reorganized by Commander Zhao in Xiaguan, which will be just right to restore the strength of Luo's battalion.

In addition, we also captured several artillery pieces during this counterattack. We will leave you with four Type 4 infantry guns and rapid-fire guns. We will replenish your supplies of grenades and machine guns as soon as possible, as they will be useful for defending the hilltop.

I took the remaining equipment and supplies. The commander was still gathering the routed soldiers, and there was a significant shortage of equipment.

Luo Yufeng stated:

"I have no objection; I'll follow Commander Wang's arrangements."

He had barely finished speaking when Li Musheng, the battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Regiment, came rushing over excitedly, his voice preceding his arrival:

"Commander, good news! The brothers found the Japanese army flag while cleaning up the battlefield!"

After saying this, he handed the general's flag to Qin Qingwu. Qin Qingwu was overjoyed and, after carefully checking it, said:

"That's right, this is the regimental flag of the 33rd Infantry Regiment. It is of great significance and must be reported to the commander as soon as possible."

Were the casualties among our brothers high?

Li Musheng said in a relaxed tone:

"Not much. In total, we found more than 1300 Japanese corpses, seized 4 mountain guns, 3 rapid-fire guns, 5 Type 92 infantry guns, 37 grenade launchers, more than 1100 rifles and pistols, a certain amount of ammunition and supplies, two radios, and more than 300 mules and horses."

Qin Qingwu nodded and said:

"Leave behind two rapid-fire cannons, two Type 92 infantry guns, and all the Type 92 heavy machine guns. Keep grenades and machine gun ammunition in Luo's camp. Take the rest away by mules."

Qin Qingwu turned to Luo Yufeng and said:

"Quickly arrange for someone to collect the equipment and supplies. The Type 92 heavy machine gun, grenade launcher, and Type 91 light machine gun are good for defending the hilltop."

Luo Yufeng said gratefully:

"Commander Qin, I won't stand on ceremony. The entire battalion only has one Maxim gun left, and the Czech-made ones are also severely worn out. With this equipment and reinforcements, I'm confident I can hold Fugui Mountain!"

Qin Qingwu reiterated:

"Mount Fugui is the brothers' retreat route; you must hold it. I have military duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

After seeing Qin Qingwu off, Luo Yufeng quickly reorganized the troops, cramming all 493 veterans from the Second Supplementary Battalion into the First Battalion, increasing the number of combat-ready soldiers in the battalion to 716, in addition to 52 seriously wounded soldiers.

The heavy machine gun company's strength increased dramatically, with nine Type 92 heavy machine guns and one Maxim gun. The artillery platoon was temporarily upgraded to a company, and the number of artillery pieces increased to six. 27 grenade launchers were distributed, nine to each infantry company, and a light machine gun was provided on average for every ten men, resulting in a significant increase in firepower.

The veterans of the Second Supplementary Battalion came from the 74th Army, the 87th Division, the Second Army Corps, and other units. They were all elites of the Central Army. Their addition greatly increased the proportion of veterans in Luo's Battalion, and their combat effectiveness was significantly improved.

Because of the large number of men, he added a supplementary company. Relying on the strong fortifications in the mountains, they could easily hold off an entire Japanese regiment, since the defending side had the advantage.

After Luo Ying was reorganized, he quickly repaired the fortifications and waited for the Japanese to counterattack.

The battle was not large in scale; the Eighth Regiment and Luo's Battalion together eliminated only 1300 Japanese soldiers. However, its impact on the Sixteenth Division was like a bolt from the blue.

Nakajima Kesago was so shocked he was practically spitting fire, and so angry he trembled all over, roaring:

"Useless trash, why don't you just die!"

"You bastard! You've ruined decades of honor for the 16th Division!"

Nakajima Kesago wished he could chop Colonel Noda to pieces with one stroke, but the 16th Division could not afford to lose a regimental commander. He could only pray that the regimental flag would be destroyed in the war.

In Xiaguan, Zhao Yunwen was working overtime to reorganize the routed soldiers. The casualties in the street fighting were heavy, and hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers were about to enter the city. He didn't have much time left.

After the equipment and rations were retrieved from the armory, the shortage of guns and ammunition was no longer a problem, and with enough food, morale was greatly boosted.

No matter how eloquent the words, nothing beats a full meal. If everyone could eat two meals a day, they would be more loyal and willing to follow orders.

Even wealthy landlords like Zhao Yunwen, who provide three full meals a day, are worried that the defeated soldiers will abandon them. In those days, even landlords and rich people dare not eat three full meals a day!

Just as Zhao Yunwen was enthusiastically organizing the troops, Wang Guohua, the commander of the 7th Regiment, rushed over to report:

"Commander, this is fantastic news!"