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

In Luodian, under the blazing sun, Zhao Yunwen was leading a group of officers on an inspection of the defense zone.

After a week of tireless work by tens of thousands of people, Luodian's defense system was in place, and all the villagers in the town were evacuated.

It looks unremarkable on the surface, but it has a lot to offer inside.

The surface positions were meant to be seen by the Japanese and to draw their fire, while underground lay a dense network of tunnels, as dense as an anthill.

Because Luodian is located on the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River, with an average elevation of only 2 to 4 meters, the soil is loose and prone to collapse, water seepage, and subsidence. Therefore, the tunnels dug by the security force were reinforced with sleepers, and a lot of manpower was spent on drainage alone.

The main tunnel was located below the street, above which were numerous houses, which served as a buffer against artillery fire and could also be used for street fighting in critical moments.

The surrounding tunnels were mainly used to hide troops. The town covers an area of ​​44 square kilometers. No matter how many shells the Japanese had, they could not possibly cover such a large area.

Luodian is located in the northwest of Shanghai, bordering Jiading to the west and Taicang, Jiangsu Province to the north. It is a strategic location at the intersection of two provinces and three places, and has always been a battleground for military strategists.

As early as the "January 1.28 Incident", the two sides fought a major battle in Luodian, leaving behind a large number of trenches, which saved the Second Security Regiment a lot of effort in building field fortifications.

After taking a tour, Zhao Yunwen was very satisfied; this was much better than before the battle in the other timeline began.

In another timeline, the Nationalist army was ill-prepared to defend Luodian. The town had only one security battalion, which was easily captured by the Japanese in a surprise attack. It was later recaptured by the 11th Division.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate at Luodian for more than 40 days, losing and recapturing the city six times. The battle was so fierce that blood flowed like rivers and corpses littered the ground, earning it the nickname "meat grinder."

Now that the security regiment had been dispatched, Zhao Yunwen would not allow Luodian to be easily taken over by the Japanese.

The defense system was built not only for the security regiments but also as a lifeline for other Nationalist troops. With this network of tunnels and fortifications, the Japanese would definitely pay a heavier price.

As Zhao Yunwen inspected the area, he explained various defensive tactics to everyone. The regimental communications staff officer rushed over to report:

"Commander, we just received a report from the higher command that the 88th Division launched a general attack on the headquarters building last night. After several hours of fierce fighting, they broke through the Japanese defense line at 7:00 this morning and annihilated more than a thousand Japanese soldiers, including Major General Ōkawa."

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and Chief of Staff Lu Ping excitedly announced:

"The tortoise shell of the headquarters building has finally been smashed, avoiding the predicament of fighting on two fronts, making the subsequent battles much easier."

Zhao Yunwen was not so optimistic, and shook his head, saying:

"Brothers, regardless of whether the headquarters building is breached or not, the Japanese will not withdraw their troops. Reinforcements have arrived at Wusongkou, and the arrow is on the bowstring and must be released."

The Nationalist army has achieved its operational objectives in the first phase, which is certainly something to celebrate. However, this is only at the tactical level; strategically, the initiative still lies with the Japanese.

What came before was just an appetizer; the real test was the anti-landing campaign that followed.

Shanghai has a long coastline with countless suitable landing points, making it difficult to defend against. Wusongkou and Chuanshakou are the top choices.

After the headquarters building is breached, the pressure on the Luodian area will be even greater.

"Boom boom boom..."

"Boom boom boom..."

The booming sound of cannons came from the direction of the coastline. Everyone's expression changed drastically, and Lupin screamed in terror:

"It's the direction of Wusongkou and Chuanshakou; the Japanese have indeed begun landing!"

Zhao Yunwen coldly shouted:

"Don't panic, we'll deal with whatever comes our way."

"The garrison at Chuanshakou consists of only one company, which won't hold out for long. The Japanese's primary target is Luodian; prepare for battle."

"After the Japanese land, they will definitely send out a vanguard to raid Luodian. The battalion on the outer perimeter will feign defeat and clear the main road, retreating to the flanks to let them in."

The Second and Third Battalions are lying in ambush on both sides of the street. I'm going to close the door and beat the dog!

Everyone immediately understood Zhao Yunwen's tactical intention: to take advantage of the Japanese army's unstable foothold, use their numerical superiority to wipe out the Japanese vanguard, and win a decisive battle to boost morale.

Battalion Commander Zhang Yi said excitedly:

"Captain, I know what to do! I'll definitely get them all sorted out!"

After Zhang Yi finished speaking, he turned and left with several company commanders, while Zhao Yunwen and the others continued to discuss the ambush plan.

Zhao Yunwen, referring to the troop deployment map, said:

"Brothers, according to intelligence, the Japanese reinforcements are mainly the 3rd and 11th Divisions, both of which are top-class standing divisions with formidable combat power."

The Japanese devils have never given up their desire to destroy us. They have been preparing for this war for decades, and any soldier they could pick could be a squad leader or platoon leader.

"When fighting them, we must be on high alert and keep our bodies well hidden. If we show our heads, we might be killed instantly. The machine gunners must change positions after firing three bursts, and the snipers must keep an eye on the Japanese grenade launcher operators..."

Zhao Yunwen also started micromanaging like the principal, meticulously planning the deployment of every machine gun, creating a giant net for the Japanese in the town, intending to ambush the Japanese vanguard.

Just as Zhao Yunwen had predicted, the Japanese landing went very smoothly. Although the defending troops fought bravely, the disparity in troop strength and firepower between the two sides was too great, and even a few coastal defense companies were no match for the Japanese.

After the 11th Division landed at Chuanshakou, the vanguard battalion headed straight for Yuepu and Luodian without waiting for other troops, equipment and supplies to land.

The Japanese invasion caught the Nationalist government off guard. Although they were mentally prepared, they did not expect it to happen so quickly.

The Nationalist government leadership had almost no concept of amphibious warfare. The enemy had already landed, while the main force of the 15th Army Group was still assembling and would take at least two more days to reach Luodian.

Without the security regiment, Luodian would have been easily captured by the Japanese vanguard, and Yuepu Town would have only one garrison battalion.

With just one charge, Takagi's battalion routed the garrison, and the remnants fled towards Luodian.

Major Ryoichi Takagi shouted excitedly:

"The Chinese are no match for you, warriors—thrust and charge!"

On the outskirts of Luodian, the Second Company Commander Luo Wen had received news that the Japanese vanguard was only two miles away.

Deputy Company Commander Tian Yong asked for instructions:

"Company commander, the Japanese are driving their routed soldiers over. Should we clear the road now?"

Rowan shook his head and said:

"There are only a few dozen Japanese soldiers chasing ahead. We can't let them get too comfortable, otherwise we'll only catch small fry."

Tian Yong said excitedly:

"You mean you want to fight without restraint?"

Rowan said with a firm expression:

"That's right, we should hold them off with all our might and wait for the main Japanese force to arrive before we collapse."

Drive the routed soldiers of Yuepu to the flanks; someone will gather them back. We absolutely cannot let them muddy the waters.

Tian Yong thought it made sense. If the defeated soldiers were allowed to rush into the ambush zone, they might only be able to catch the small fry at the front.

Just as the two had reached an agreement, sporadic gunfire came from ahead; the Japanese soldiers were chasing their retreating troops.

Rowan shouted excitedly:

"Prepare for battle!"

Before long, the routed soldiers appeared in front of the lines. If they were not stopped, the defenses would be breached. The Japanese had a sinister intention.

Rowan coldly gave the order:

"Fire!"

Several light machine guns fired a burst of fire into the sky, attempting to scare away the fleeing soldiers.

The routed soldiers ignored them completely and continued charging forward regardless.

The Second Company had exhausted all their efforts and could only lower their guns and fire at the fleeing soldiers, instantly taking down more than a dozen men.

"Brothers, those who don't want to die, escape to the sides!"

The soldiers of the Second Company fired their guns and shouted loudly, and this time it finally worked.

The routed soldiers suddenly realized their mistake and ran to both sides cursing. Those who weren't thinking straight were killed by the Second Company's guns.

The battlefield is ruthless!

"Baka yarou, there's a Chinese person here!"

"Warriors, charge!"

The pursuing Japanese soldiers charged menacingly toward the Second Company's position. Luo Wen coldly shouted:

"Beat him to death!"