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

At the Fifth War Zone Headquarters, Xu Yanmou came over with cheerful steps to report:

"Duke De, General Zhao has called to say that the guerrilla column has completed its mission of blocking the enemy and has successfully withdrawn from Hutou Mountain. The Laigu Detachment, which suffered heavy losses, did not pursue them."

Li Delin couldn't hide his joy and said with a smile:

"General Zhao is reliable. I really envy Commander Chang now. Whampoa is full of talented people. It is said that Zhao Yunwen was the least noticeable among the hundreds of students in the first class."

Xu Yanmou said with a disdainful look:

"Is that possible? Many famous generals are just seeking fame and fortune. General Zhao is more about hiding his true abilities. His abilities are absolutely top-notch. Some people have already put him on par with famous generals such as Hu Shoushan, Gui Yongqing, and Yu Liangzhen."

Li Delin sneered and said nothing more, implying that they were not worthy.

Fortunately, Li Delin's emotional intelligence wasn't that low; instead, he changed the subject:

"Yanmou, the Laigu Detachment will soon find that Hutoushan is deserted. In order to get revenge, they will march south in large strides and enter the defense zone of the 22nd Army Group."

Although the Sichuan Army had 20,000 troops, their equipment was outdated, making it difficult for them to stop the Lai Gu Detachment.

A telegram was sent to General Sun Lianzhong at Taierzhuang, instructing him to expedite the repair of fortifications and prepare for a fierce battle.

"Telegram to General Zhao: Send a unit to support the operation in Tengxian, and have the main force prepare to cut off the 10th Division's rear."

After the guerrilla column had inflicted heavy losses on the Lai Gu Detachment, he was no longer satisfied with just this one table of guests; he wanted to lure the Lai Wu Brigade of the 10th Division over as well.

A few days later, the menacing Sakamoto squad arrived at Tangtou, only to find nothing, not even a shadow of a man. Sakamoto was furious and decided to raid the mountains.

Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Kitahara quickly tried to dissuade him:

"General, the guerrilla column was able to annihilate an Imperial Army reinforced battalion, which is quite a force."

They were familiar with the terrain. If the Imperial Army went into the mountains to sweep through, it would be unsafe to have too few people, but if they had too many, supplying the mountains would be a big problem.

The most urgent task is to capture Linyi City and open the passage to attack Pengcheng.

Sakamoto Jun fell silent, and Nagano Yuichiro, commander of the 11th Infantry Regiment, stepped forward and said:

"I agree with Kitahara-kun's suggestion. The Chinese are good at launching surprise attacks. They dare not engage in a decisive battle with the main force of the Imperial Army. The abandonment of Tangtou is proof of this."

Lunan is too vast. If the Chinese are determined to avoid war, it will be difficult to find them in a short time. It would be better to attack Linyi as planned; perhaps we can lure them out.

Sakamoto Jun's mind raced; it was indeed a good idea. Before he could speak, Katano Teiichi of the 21st Infantry Regiment stepped forward and said:

"General, wouldn't it be too risky to launch a full-scale attack on Linyi before the guerrilla column is eliminated? What if Zhao Yunwen's troops suddenly attack while the two sides are locked in fierce fighting? How should we deal with that?"

Colonel Kaoru Takeda, commander of the 5th Field Artillery Regiment, said with a disdainful expression:

"There's only one local force, the 40th Army, in Linyi. How long can they hold out if the Imperial Army bombards them?"

Kaoru Takeda had the confidence to be arrogant. The 5th Field Artillery Regiment alone had 48 howitzers of 75mm or larger, plus a mountain artillery company and anti-aircraft gun crews. With such fierce firepower, the medieval brick and stone walls of Linyi City could not withstand more than a few shots.

Lieutenant Colonel Kitahara quickly added:

"We can leave one regiment on guard; four infantry battalions (one battalion from the 42nd Regiment) are enough to take Linyi City!"

Major General Jun Sakamoto finally made up his mind and coldly shouted:

"The 11th Infantry Regiment will remain in Tangtou to maintain order, while the main force will continue south to attack Linyi City!"

At the temporary command post of the 2nd Brigade, Zhao Yunwen and Qiu Fengzi were discussing the upcoming Battle of Linyi. Qiu Fengzi was not optimistic about the 40th Army, as he was very familiar with the situation of the Northwest Army.

"Commander Pang's Third Army Corps, nominally a corps, is in reality only a division, comprising the 39th and 106th Divisions. The 106th Division is under the jurisdiction of the Beiping Military Branch and has already broken away from control. In other words, the main fighting force of the Third Army Corps consists of only the 39th Division. Including the directly subordinate units of the army headquarters, the total strength is 1.3 men, with only 4 mountain guns. How can they possibly stop the Sakamoto Detachment, which has dozens of heavy artillery pieces?"

Everyone agreed. There was one more thing that Qiu Fengzi didn't mention: the Third Army Corps belonged to the Northwest Army, a mixed force with low combat strength, and the Central Army had always looked down on them.

Zhao Yunwen didn't think so. He had the ability to see the truth. The Third Army Corps fought very tenaciously in Linyi. There were really few divisions in the Central Army that could compare to the 39th Division.

Moreover, the Third Army Corps was well-equipped, with 60 mortars, 600 light machine guns, 60 heavy machine guns, 200 grenade launchers, 900 pistols, 8000 rifles, and a cavalry company with 300 warhorses. This strength was no less than that of an entire army corps.

The reason for creating such a large division was mainly because Chiang Kai-shek refused to provide the necessary personnel, so the Northwest Army had no choice but to force it in. Just like the guerrilla columns, there were policies from above and countermeasures from below.

These things, of course, could not be said; he only said:

"War is not a simple arithmetic problem. There is no doubt about the fighting spirit of the Northwest Army. Not everyone is as spineless as Han Fuqu."

Commander Pang not only deployed heavy troops in Xiangongzhuang in the east of the city and Zhugecheng in the north, but also made preparations to defend the city and fight street battles.

Linyi City has a complete ancient brick city wall, which is high and thick, and is surrounded by a moat.

In the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, the earthen city was rebuilt into a brick city. It was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. The city had a circumference of about 9 li and was commonly known as Yizhou City, which was called Jiuli Jiu.

The city wall was about 10 meters high and 6-8 meters thick, with a moat outside that was about 2 zhang wide and deep enough to allow people to pass through. There were four city gates with gate towers and barbicans: Zhenhai Gate to the east, near the Yi River; Zhanmeng Gate to the west; Wanghuai Gate to the south; and Zongdai Gate to the north.

Even if the Japanese had heavy artillery, enough to collapse a 10-meter-high, 6-meter-thick city wall, the ruins would still hold them off.

In another timeline, the first major victory at Linyi was reported by the Japanese themselves, with over 6 casualties and over 1600 killed in action. The defending forces suffered 6 casualties, mainly from General Zhang's 59th Army. The Third Army Corps did not suffer many casualties. How many Central Army units could have fought so well?

Xie Polu interjected:

"In that case, the Battle of Linyi is still a possibility. Our guerrilla column can also lend a hand from the perimeter. If we can find the right opportunity to take out the Japanese artillery, that would be even better."

Zhao Yunwen said confidently:

"Of course, our artillery battalion isn't just for show, and our cavalry regiment has also had their share of blood!"

The cavalry regiment of the guerrilla column was entirely inherited from the training corps. The battles fought on Zijin Mountain were positional defenses, so the cavalry regiments had virtually no use.

After the guerrilla column was incorporated, it was equipped with a large number of submachine guns, pistols, mortars, and Browning medium machine guns, transforming it into a rapid reaction force, a sharp sword in Zhao Yunwen's hands. Once on the North China Plain, the cavalry regiment played a much more significant role.

The crowd was filled with excitement, and even Qiu the Madman changed his mind, loudly volunteering for the battle:

"How could such a grand event be complete without my Second Brigade? This humble officer also wishes to go and meet the arrogant Itagaki Division!"

Zhao Yunwen shook his head and said:

"I have other plans for the Second Brigade. The next target of the Laigu Detachment is Tengxian. Although the 22nd Army has 2 men, its equipment and combat power are not as good as the Third Army Corps. We need to help out and continue to hold back the 10th Division."

Just as Zhao Yunwen finished speaking, the communications officer rushed in and loudly reported:

"Urgent telegram from headquarters!"