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

At the Wild Boar Ridge Japanese defensive position, the Ishii Battalion finally could not withstand the continuous attack of the 2nd Regiment and abandoned the forward position, retreating to the main position.

This was also the last line of defense at Wild Boar Ridge. Major Ishii felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart. The Second Regiment was making preparations for the general offensive in an orderly manner. The storm was brewing.

Lieutenant Utsunomiya Shunta leaned over and said:

"Ishii-kun, the Chinese are launching a full-scale attack. Our warriors have suffered nearly half their casualties. Is it really necessary to continue fighting?"

Major Ishii was already in a dilemma, and Utsunomiya's words hit a nerve, causing him to angrily retort:

"You idiot! You're not a true warrior! Do you think my Steel Army would be intimidated by a Chinese?"

"Ishii-kun, this is just a worthless little hill. If the Chinese want it, they can just give it to them. Why risk the entire brigade for it!"

Major Ishii fell into a brief silence. He wanted to retort forcefully, but lacked the confidence. If the reinforcements lost were included, the 21st Infantry Regiment had lost nearly a battalion for the sake of a small place like Wild Boar Ridge, making it utterly worthless.

Just as Major Ishii was preparing to accept reality, the communications officer came to report:

"Urgent message from the Regimental Commander!"

Major Ishii eagerly snatched the telegram, skimmed through it, and then carefully read its contents. The gloom on his face vanished, replaced by a sickly flush.

Captain Utsunomiya's heart skipped a beat; he had a premonition that this was not a good sign.

"Lord Utsunomiya, the 5th Cavalry Regiment is about to arrive at Tangtou. The regimental commander has a brilliant plan to use an infantry battalion in conjunction with the cavalry to lure and annihilate the Chinese cavalry. He has ordered my unit to hold out for one more day."

Ishii was clearly a bit carried away, only seeing the potential gains and ignoring the biggest risk, Utsunomiya Hitoshi soberly remarked:

"Ishii-kun, what can we use to hold out for another day? The regimental commander's plan is ingenious, but once the Chinese capture Wild Boar Ridge, the bait will be gone. What will we use to lure our prey?"

Utsunomiya deliberately emphasized the word "bait," as if to remind Major Ishii that they were, at best, bait.

"Utsunomiya-kun, my mind is made up. A true warrior fears no challenge, all for the Holy War!"

Go tell the warriors, the time has come to serve the Empire! Wild Boar Ridge is our final resting place, we will not yield an inch—Your Majesty, the Heavenly Locust!"

"madman!"

Captain Utsunomiya made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction, but he still carried out the order without question, joining everyone in keeping Ishii's poor face from going crazy.

With the roar of artillery, the Second Regiment's general offensive began. Shells whistled down, smoke filled the air, and the entire hilltop was covered in artillery fire. Trench sections were destroyed one after another, and those frenzied soldiers instantly became cannon fodder, some without even a complete corpse left.

As soon as the artillery fire spread, hundreds of Chinese soldiers surged forward from the artillery positions, forming a vast, overwhelming mass that put immense pressure on the Japanese.

Major Ishii, his eyes bloodshot, roared hoarsely:

"Thrust, thud!"

Type 92 heavy machine guns, Type 99 light machine guns, and Type 38 rifles—all kinds of light and heavy weapons opened fire on the attacking troops. People were constantly hit and fell, and immediately others took their place, one after another.

The heavy firepower of the Second Regiment was not idle either. M2 mortars followed behind the infantry to protect them, and the Japanese machine guns would be covered after only a few bursts.

Those well-hidden bunkers won't be able to roam freely for long. They'll be dealt with by infantry artillery and rockets. If one shot isn't enough, several will be fired until they're destroyed.

The Second Regiment's offensive was too fierce, with one tactic after another. The bazooka rocket launchers terrified Major Ishii, who screamed in horror:

"What is this thing! Is it a man-portable anti-tank gun? Where did the Chinese get such advanced assault weapons!"

Captain Utsunomiya, being somewhat knowledgeable, said in a deep voice:

"The M2 mortar, M1919 Browning machine gun, M1918 automatic rifle, and Springfield rifle are all 'American weapons,' so they must have been imported from the United States."

"Baka yarou! Is the US trying to interfere in the war between the Empire and the Chinese? They will definitely pay the price for their actions! The Empire will not tolerate it!"

Utsunomiya chose to remain silent; these were not his concerns, his priority was survival.

On the left flank, the assault platoon had just taken out a firing point, and the soldiers excitedly climbed up from the earthen slope and continued their charge.

They were still in groups of three, and if there weren't enough, someone would immediately fill in. The total number of combat teams in the platoon was decreasing, but their attacks remained sharp, overwhelming the Japanese soldiers and forcing them to fire wildly to stop them.

Yin An's entourage has changed twice. As the leading assault team, they have suffered the most casualties, and it is a miracle that they have survived until now.

The two sides had closed the distance to the point where they could hear each other's faces clearly. To prevent them from getting closer, the Japanese soldiers kept throwing grenades down, which were incredibly lethal.

Yin An and his men looked up at the sky, unable to throw grenades up there, and could only charge forward through a hail of bullets.

Yin An was holding a submachine gun, which was very powerful, so he was mainly responsible for covering his teammates' breakthroughs.

When a Japanese soldier stuck out half his body to throw a grenade, Yin An instinctively fired a burst of bullets, knocking the soldier to the ground and dropping the grenade into the trench.

boom!

The dull blast took down two Japanese soldiers in the trench, killing three birds with one stone.

Yin An showed no joy. The team members on the left took the opportunity to dart forward more than ten meters and hide their bodies behind the protruding rocks.

A burst of machine gun fire swept in, sending pebbles flying and clanging against the steel helmets, forcing the team members to bury their heads firmly in the mud.

Yin An fired another long burst, then mustered his strength and dashed out, scrambling and rolling into a crater on the right flank. Several bullets were practically chasing his body, but thankfully none hit him.

Yin An rolled over and lay flat in the crater, panting heavily. He had just narrowly escaped death several times, but the Yin family line had been saved.

To cover the last team member's advance, he casually pulled a long-handled grenade from his waist. It was a German-made grenade with astonishing destructive power, produced by the system.

Yin Anchong and Wang Feng made a hand gesture, then gathered all his strength and threw the grenade. He deliberately delayed for three seconds to avoid it rolling down and exploding on himself.

The grenade exploded before it even hit the ground, sending shrapnel flying. The Japanese soldiers instinctively ducked into the trench, and Wang Feng seized the opportunity to rush forward more than twenty meters, reaching the front of Yin An.

The inverted triangle formation transformed into a wedge formation, with Wang Feng at the front. The three of them didn't rush to continue their breakthrough but instead stopped to cover the advance of the groups on both flanks. They weren't fighting alone but rather the entire class and platoon advancing as a whole, cooperating with each other and pushing forward little by little.

During this process, people were shot and fell from time to time, and someone would immediately take their place. The wounded brothers would also be rescued by others at the risk of their lives. No matter how hopeless it was, they had to try.

The assault platoon wasn't fighting alone; they were supported by a large amount of heavy firepower behind them, suppressing the Japanese. Machine gun bullets were rained down on the Japanese positions like they were free, and anyone who peeked out was likely to be killed instantly.

The battalion's support firepower, the 20mm mortars, rained down bullets on the Japanese troops, forcing them to keep their heads down. The defensive space of the Ishii Battalion was gradually compressed, and they had reached a point where they had nowhere left to retreat.

Just as the soldiers were preparing to launch their final charge, the order to retreat came from the rear.

Yin An slammed his fist on the ground. Although he was unwilling, he still fired two bursts of fire to cover the retreat of his two team members.

The artillery and heavy machine guns behind them also increased their firepower to cover the infantry's retreat.

The Japanese soldiers also tried to take advantage of the chaos, but the Second Regiment's suppressive fire was too strong. Those Japanese soldiers who wanted to gamble lost their lives, and the rest obediently huddled in the trenches, watching the attacking troops retreat calmly, leaving not a single corpse behind.

"Baka yarou!"

Ishii, frustrated, blurted out a vulgar curse. Utsunomiya secretly rejoiced that he had escaped another disaster. He didn't know what had happened, but guessed it was related to reinforcements.

The retired battalion commander was somewhat unwilling; they were just one step away from victory.

The chief of staff patted him on the shoulder and said:

"We received a report from the brigade headquarters that the Japanese have sent reinforcements, including a large number of cavalry. This is a real target, and we can't let them take the bait."

The second battalion commander's expression softened somewhat. Luo Wen ignored him; military orders were absolute. He slowly turned his gaze northward...