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

As the bazookas destroyed one firing point after another, the 644th Regiment's offensive route was reopened, and the soldiers rose from the ground and surged toward the 11th Infantry Regiment's position like a tidal wave.

The Japanese were still fighting desperately, but their firepower was insufficient to stop the advance of the 644th Regiment.

The 644th Regiment's long-range firepower relentlessly rained down bullets on the Japanese, with mortars and infantry guns accompanying the infantry's advance. Many of their tactics were identical to those used by the Japanese against other Nationalist troops, using magic to defeat magic.

Colonel Yuichiro Nagano's last reserve force pushed forward, but it was still unable to stop the attacking troops from getting closer, and casualties were rising sharply.

On the left flank, the Ninth Company of the Third Battalion made the first breakthrough, which was also the weakest point of the Japanese forces.

As the soldiers of the Ninth Company surged into the position, the remaining Japanese soldiers charged out with bayonets at the ready, their eyes gleaming with a beastly light, extremely fierce, ready to fight the Ninth Company to the death.

The Ninth Company was led by submachine gun and automatic riflemen, providing intense firepower. Snipers carried out precise shooting from 300 meters away, while 60mm mortars and Browning medium machine guns were positioned at high points about 1,000 meters away for long-range suppression. Further away, there were mountain guns and infantry guns, with a proper combination of long, medium and short-range firepower.

Before the Japanese soldiers could even thrust their bayonets at them, the automatic fire groups would unleash a fierce barrage of fire on them. They needed to aim carefully, relying on their instincts.

A single submachine gun was enough to suppress half a squad of Japanese soldiers, sweeping away a large number of them. Even the best assassins couldn't withstand a few bullets, and the Japanese soldiers fell one after another.

The Japanese soldiers were also firing, but the Type 38 rifle was too long, and the bullets had great penetrating power. At close range, it was easier to penetrate the target. Its lethality was far inferior to that of the submachine gun, let alone the Springfield rifle.

In the melee, the Japanese suffered heavy losses. On average, three Japanese soldiers could not be exchanged for one soldier from the 644th Regiment. In a short time, half a company of Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded, while the Ninth Company only suffered more than twenty casualties.

The breakthrough by the left wing triggered a chain reaction. More and more Japanese soldiers began to give up and turned to flee for their lives. The news spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and eventually spread to many other areas.

The renowned "Steel Army" main force regiment was utterly routed by the 644th Regiment in a frontal assault. Nagano Yuichiro, filled with shame, attempted suicide by cutting his own skin, but his sword was taken back by a senior staff officer. Nagano Yuichiro cried out in anguish:

"How am I supposed to face the Division Commander after this? The reputation of the Itagaki Division cannot be ruined in my hands!"

The senior staff officer coldly shouted:

"Commander, the Chinese have no martial ethics. They use human wave tactics, attacking my position with ten times the number of troops. It's an unfair victory, so it's not shameful for us to withdraw. We can win again next time."

Colonel Nagano was just putting on an act; he couldn't bear to commit suicide, and he was only one step away from becoming a general.

Fortunately, the senior staff officer was perceptive and won him over, continuing to feign compliance:

"Even if we face ten times our number of Chinese, the warriors of the Itagaki Division will not be afraid!"

"Commander, the Chinese are still reinforcing their troops, more than twenty times their original number. We should retreat immediately. The 5th Division cannot afford to lose a regimental commander."

The Kunisaki Brigade had already lost a regimental commander and destroyed its regimental flag in previous battles. The 11th Infantry Regiment dared not follow in their footsteps. This responsibility was too heavy for even Itagaki Seishiro, let alone Kunisaki Noboru.

Colonel Nagano was still hesitating when the senior staff officer waved his hand, and several officers from the regimental headquarters grabbed him and ran, fearing that he would be captured alive by the 644th Regiment.

With the withdrawal of the regimental headquarters, the collapse of the 11th Infantry Regiment was irreversible; it was a matter of who could escape the fastest.

The 644th Regiment's morale soared, and their momentum was unstoppable. They relentlessly pursued and attacked the Japanese, leaving behind countless corpses and rivers of blood, causing the Japanese army to be routed.

They fought their way into the enemy's deep positions, but Battalion Commander Luo Wen, fearing his troops would be subjected to heavy Japanese fire, ordered a halt to the pursuit and a defensive posture.

As expected, Kunisaki Noboru, enraged, issued an order for indiscriminate shelling, causing considerable casualties among the soldiers of the 644th Regiment. However, this was merely an act of venting his anger and could not change the overall situation.

In order to reduce casualties, the 644th Regiment withdrew more than 300 meters and built field fortifications in favorable terrain, forming a standoff with the Japanese troops in the core position, which put great pressure on the Kunisaki Brigade.

Yishui, Fifth Division Headquarters

Seishiro Itagaki completely abandoned his airs as a renowned general and transformed into a shrew, launching into a tirade:

"Damn it! Kunisaki Noboru, that piece of trash, has completely disgraced the Itagaki Division. A brigade was defeated by a Chinese division in a defensive battle; nobody would believe it!"

"A disgrace to the empire! How did he even become a general?! His abilities are barely enough for a colonel!"

"I now seriously doubt his personal abilities. My Itagaki Division has no such useless person."

Chief of Staff Colonel Takeshi Sakurada, bracing himself, defended Noboru Kunisaki, saying:

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, Zhao Yunwen's 107th Division is no ordinary unit. I have already reported this to you before. The 107th Division should be assessed as a first-class division in terms of combat strength. I have verified their organization; they have at least 2 men and are equipped with a large number of heavy artillery pieces, all German-made and Soviet-made. Their combat strength is astonishing."

This time, they concentrated tens of thousands of troops to attack the 11th Infantry Regiment. They came prepared. It's understandable that Kunisaki-kun would voluntarily abandon less important forward positions to reduce casualties. As long as the main positions are held, Tangtou's safety will be guaranteed.

Sakurada Takeshi described the defeat as a voluntary surrender, and his little thoughts naturally did not escape the notice of Itagaki Seishiro, but he just did not want to point it out, because it would be a loss of face for the entire division.

Now that the die is cast, there's nothing to be done but give up. Cursing won't solve anything, so all I can do is snort coldly.

"Zhao Yunwen's tactical intention is clearly to contain the Imperial Army's southward advance. It seems General Li Delin has already sensed something. We absolutely cannot allow them to succeed in their plot to encircle and annihilate the Setani Detachment. The Empire cannot afford such a heavy loss. Do you have any good strategies?"

Sakurada Takeshi didn't have any good ideas either. You can't cook without rice. The strength of both sides was what it was, and the battle had reached this point, so the outcome was clear.

Of course, as the chief of staff, he couldn't say he was powerless, otherwise his term would be over. After a moment of contemplation, he said:

"Your Excellency, the 107th Division is not strong enough to break through Tangtou. We only need to leave the 9th Brigade to deal with Zhao Yunwen, and the Sakamoto Detachment can go south to relieve the siege of Taierzhuang, although it is somewhat risky."

Another option is to request tactical guidance from the Commander-in-Chief and send another division as reinforcements; defeating the Chinese would be a piece of cake.

Itagaki Seishiro had already thought of both of these options; he didn't need to consider the second one—he couldn't afford to lose face like that.

Now they had no choice but to take a risk. Fortunately, he was a well-known gambler in the Japanese army, known as "the courage of the Japanese devils." In his opinion, the Sakamoto Detachment was enough to make them invincible.

A few months ago, he swept through North China with the Sakamoto Detachment, becoming famous overnight. It is said that in China, people turn pale at the mention of the Itagaki Division, and it can stop children from crying.

Having thought this through, he seemed to have made up his mind, straightened his posture, and said:

"Sakura Takeshi, send a telegram to Sakamoto, instructing him to decide independently when to advance south, bypass Linyi City, attack Taierzhuang, and reinforce the Setani Detachment. Kunisaki Brigade will remain in Tangtou to ensure the rear is secure."

Colonel Sakurada snorted and left, his face darkening once more. He let out a cold snort.

"Zhao Yunwen, I admit you're a good fighter and worthy of being my opponent, but the other Chinese are all trash. You'll be worn down by them sooner or later, and I'll be waiting for that day!"

In the 323rd Brigade headquarters, Zhao Yunwen sneezed several times for no apparent reason and couldn't help but curse:

"Which bastard is after me? Is he never going to stop?!"

Xie Polu happened to overhear this and jokingly said:

"Who else could it be? It's most likely Kunisaki Noboru or Itagaki Seishiro. Zhang Yi's offensive in Tangtou has made great progress, compressing the Japanese into the core position and killing or wounding over a thousand Japanese soldiers, while our side suffered over four hundred casualties."

If necessary, Zhang Yi and his men could easily take Tangtou, but the cost would be enormous.

Zhao Yunwen waved his hand and said:

"No rush. If we capture Tangtou now, the Sakamoto Detachment won't be able to head south. If we miss a table of guests, Commander Li won't be happy."

By the way, what's the situation in Yixian? Any new updates?