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

At Baoniugu, the breakout attempt of the 39th Infantry Regiment ended in failure once again. In addition to losing men and troops, their space was also greatly reduced.

Colonel Numata's face was terribly gloomy. He hadn't expected that the mantis would stalk the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Originally, he was supposed to surround the 3rd Battalion of the 646th Regiment, but instead, he received one bad news after another.

First, the Kamei Battalion, which was carrying out a flanking maneuver, was ambushed by the main force of the 646th Regiment. After suffering heavy losses, it retreated to the front, and its left flank was threatened.

Colonel Numata could only spare two reserve companies, plus the remnants of Kamei's battalion, to hold them off, while Hashimoto's battalion continued its attack on the Third Battalion. Several attacks failed, resulting in heavy casualties.

Just as Colonel Numata was having second thoughts, the main force of the 648th Regiment arrived and swept away the enemy on the outer perimeter with lightning speed. They appeared from the right flank and behind the Japanese troops, surrounding Numata's regiment on three sides. To the west was Baoniugu, defended by the 3rd Battalion.

Colonel Numata then realized he had been tricked and committed all his reserves to break through to the west in an attempt to capture Baoniugu, but all attempts ended in failure.

Major Takizawa said in a deep voice:

"Commander, it is almost impossible to break through from the front. Baoniugu is a strategically important location. If the Imperial Army breaks through to the west, the Chinese on the north and south flanks will come to its aid and take the opportunity to tighten the encirclement. If the fighting continues, the Imperial Army will lose its last space to survive."

"Takizawa-kun, what do you think we should do?"

"Commander, cease the attack on Baoniugu. Leave a unit to guard the north and south, and make every effort to break through to the east."

Although there were also Chinese people to the east, the terrain sloped from west to east, giving the Imperial Army a commanding position for a breakout and greatly increasing their chances of success.

Colonel Numata had considered this plan, but it would require abandoning a large amount of supplies and howitzers, and the troops that would be cut off from the rear would be severely injured, if not killed.

Numata fell silent, hesitating, unable to make a decision.

At the 646th Regiment command post, Qiu Fengzi received Zhao Yunwen's order for a general offensive and, waving his fist, said:

"Fighting alongside the division commander is exhilarating. Two regiments dared to encircle and annihilate a main Japanese regiment. Other units wouldn't even dare to dream of it, let alone just launch an attack."

We are destined to make history today!

Chief of Staff Ma Weilong couldn't believe it either. He had originally wanted to leave the 107th Division, but with the unit's upgrade, he went from being a regimental commander to a brigade chief of staff, which greatly reduced his real power. It was inevitable that he would be unhappy.

But there were no ready-made regimental commanders waiting for him in other units, and besides, there were several units that could compare to the 107th Division. After weighing the options carefully, he decided to stay.

Now it seems the previous decision was absolutely right, picking up where Qiu Fengzi left off:

"There were only two regiments in the direction of Taierzhuang. The 31st and 27th Divisions were being suppressed and attacked. My 107th Division launched a counterattack from two directions simultaneously. The division commander is truly a genius!"

Qiu Fengzi nodded emphatically. In chaotic times, everyone wants to follow the strong; choosing a side is more important than ability. He raised his voice and said:

"Chief of Staff, immediately send a telegram to Brigade Commander Wang: launch a simultaneous artillery barrage on the Japanese in fifteen minutes, and initiate a general offensive!"

At the Japanese field command, Colonel Numata finally made up his mind, withdrew the Hashimoto Battalion, redeployed his troops, and prepared to break out to the east.

The Japanese soldiers' subtle movements were quickly discovered by the scouts of the 107th Division. Qiu Fengzi glanced at his pocket watch and coldly shouted at Ma Weilan:

Let's begin!

Mawilan pointed his flare gun at the sky and fired three shots, instantly igniting the battlefield.

The artillery groups of the 646th and 648th Regiments opened fire on the Japanese troops inside the encirclement from both flanks, creating a terrifying crossfire that blasted the newly assembled Japanese troops to pieces.

Colonel Numata's expression changed drastically when he heard the sound of shells piercing the air, and Major Takizawa urged him to break out quickly, otherwise it would be too late.

Shells rained down, and the Japanese soldiers huddled together suffered heavy casualties and their morale plummeted.

Colonel Numata hastily issued the order to break out, and they all rushed eastward.

The resounding bugle calls rang out from both flanks, and the soldiers of the 646th and 648th Regiments charged down like an overwhelming tide, their battle cries shaking the heavens.

Wang Guohua did not attempt to forcefully block the Japanese on the eastern front. At this time, the fleeing soldiers were like a herd of wildebeest in their desperate attempt to escape, and could not be stopped without several times the number of troops.

The Numata Regiment still had two thousand men, and their breakout from the high ground was incredibly powerful.

Wang Guohua cleared the way, and the 648th Regiment, in coordination with the 646th Regiment on the left flank, peeled away the skin of the Japanese soldiers layer by layer, finally chasing them down and killing them. The cost was minimal.

Because there was hope of survival to the east, everyone rushed eastward to escape, pushing and trampling each other. Some even secretly drew their knives, and no one was willing to stop to defend against the attacks from both flanks.

When an army is defeated, it collapses like a mountain; when disaster strikes, everyone flees for their lives. Human nature cannot withstand the test, and neither could the Japanese soldiers.

Colonel Numata initially deployed troops to intercept them on both flanks, but their manpower and firepower were overwhelmed by the 107th Division, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The Japanese soldiers were quickly scattered without even a ripple, and the defeated Japanese soldiers joined the fleeing "wildflower herd".

The soldiers of the 107th Division were like a pride of lions hunting, constantly pouncing on the lone wildebeest from both flanks, thus beginning a grand feast.

During their escape, the Japanese soldiers lost all their burdens; some even lost their shoes, leaving behind a trail of corpses.

The battle was no longer in doubt, and the 648th Regiment called off the pursuit. They had a new mission, and the task of cleaning up the mess was left to the 646th Regiment.

At 3 a.m., a burst of gunfire erupted outside the western city of Yixian County. The Japanese company stationed on the western outskirts was subjected to a fierce attack and suffered heavy losses.

The isolated battalion had been hiding in a ravine two miles away. After receiving Zhao Yunwen's order, they launched a decisive attack, breaking through the Japanese defenses with lightning speed and advancing directly towards the western city, shocking Major General Seya.

"Baka yarou, where did these Chinese come from? How many of them are there?"

The chief of staff of the Setani Detachment quickly replied:

"It's not clear yet, but the firepower is very strong. Judging from the noise, there are several cannons and a large number of machine guns. It's at least a regiment, and an elite German-equipped regiment at that!"

I suspect it was Zhao Yunwen's troops?

Major General Seya screamed in terror:

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Weren't they besieging the Numata Regiment at Baoniugu? Could it be that Numata-kun has been defeated?"

Major General Seya was horrified by his own idea; it involved an entire regiment. He quickly rejected the idea in his mind.

The chief of staff shook his head and said:

"It can't be them. Even if a winner is decided, there won't be enough time. It's more likely that it's a detachment of their forces hiding in the nearby mountains."

Major General Seya took a deep breath and said:

"That explains it. Yixian is the main force's retreat route and a transit point for supplies. We must hold it!"

The enemy situation is currently unclear. We order our warriors to hold the city walls and not to attack, lest they fall into an ambush.

Immediately send a telegram to Numata-kun, ordering him to abandon the attack on Baoniugu and instead focus all his efforts on advancing towards the county seat—”

The communications officer rushed in, his voice trembling, and reported:

"General, it's terrible! The Numata Regiment has been besieged by tens of thousands of elite Chinese troops and has been routed. The force has suffered heavy casualties, and the remnants are retreating eastward—"

Major General Seya slammed the teacup in his hand to the ground and cursed angrily:

"You idiots, you're all useless, a bunch of useless trash!"

"A disgrace to the empire!"

Major General Seya suffered a series of blows. Just two hours earlier, he had received a call from the front lines at Taierzhuang, informing him that tens of thousands of troops had suddenly emerged from the northeast and launched a fierce attack from the rear.

The defending troops in the city then launched a counterattack. The 63rd Regiment broke through the encirclement before the main force of the 20th Army Corps arrived, and together with the remnants of the 10th Regiment, retreated towards Yixian. Tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers pursued them relentlessly, and the two main regiments suffered heavy losses.

Now, the last mobile force, the 39th Infantry Regiment, has also been severely damaged. Major General Seya has no hope of turning the tide. The best outcome is to break out of the encirclement. The disastrous defeat in the Battle of Taierzhuang is a foregone conclusion.

"What should we do?"

Major General Seya had lost his composure, and the chief of staff, forcing himself to speak, said:

"Now we can only wait, wait for the main force to return to Yixian!"

The area around Taierzhuang was in complete chaos. Only Zhao Yunwen had a clear understanding of the battlefield situation thanks to the mini-map. He issued military orders from the 323rd Brigade headquarters, remotely commanding his troops to encircle and annihilate the Japanese.

"Send a telegram to headquarters: The remnants of the Seya Detachment are fleeing towards Yixian under the cover of darkness. The main force of the 648th Regiment will launch an attack on Yixian County at 6:00 AM, capture the county seat, and block the main force of the Seya Detachment's escape route north. Request that troops be dispatched to pursue them northward!"