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

The Japanese soldiers still had an infantry gun and three Type 92 heavy machine guns. After the two old Japanese soldiers tacitly agreed on a fishing plan, they released the bait.

Three Type 92 heavy machine guns swept the barricades from three directions, bullets raining down, hitting the sandbags with a thud, and people were hit and fell from time to time.

Erlian's eyes blazed with fury as he roared:

"Where's the mortar? Get the hell out of here, you son of a bitch!"

The signalman quickly relayed the order, and before long, the first volley of shells flew over. Luckily, the first volley hit its target, destroying a heavy machine gun and killing several machine gun crew members, giving the Japanese a taste of their own medicine.

The Japanese infantry artillery observers quickly calculated the approximate location of the mortar group, rapidly adjusted the firing parameters, and waited for the defending mortars to fire.

The second volley of mortar shells arrived as scheduled, only a dozen seconds later—a speed the Japanese soldiers couldn't react to at all.

It wasn't until the third round of fire that the Japanese determined the exact coordinates. Then they fine-tuned the parameters, aimed, and fired—all in one smooth motion.

Captain Nagai excitedly pumped his fist. He knew from his instincts that he had it. From locking onto the target to firing, it would only take a dozen seconds at most. It was impossible for the artillery group to have such a fast relocation speed.

Captain Yoshino said smugly:

"The Chinese have made a great blunder this time. Although the Imperial Army lost two heavy machine guns, they managed to destroy the Chinese artillery. The Imperial Army made a huge profit from this deal."

Captain Nagai thought so too, but after this exchange, the Japanese had very little heavy firepower left, and they would have to rely on light machine guns and rifles to carry the load.

Without the control of the mortar group, the Japanese launched another mass assault, continuously attacking the defending troops' lines.

The second platoon and the fire support platoon together only numbered seventy or eighty men, while the Japanese had two or three hundred. The disparity in troop strength was enormous, and they could only compensate with firepower.

Despite the risk of being shelled, the four medium machine guns of the second and third platoons kept firing at the Japanese soldiers. Some of the gun barrels were red-hot, but they were reluctant to change positions, worried that the Japanese would take the opportunity to rush up.

"boom!"

The Japanese infantry artillery, which was hidden, successfully launched a surprise attack. The firepower platoon lost a medium machine gun and a machine gun crew member, with two dead and three wounded, only one of whom was lightly wounded.

The second company commander slammed his fist heavily on the sandbag in anger, his eyes blazing with hatred. He had memorized the Japanese infantry guns and was confident that the mortar unit would take care of them.

Those who commit many evil deeds will surely perish. Just after the Japanese fired their second shell, the mortar detachment fired shells that soared into the sky and landed in the enemy lines before the Japanese could retreat.

Captain Nagai was stunned, unable to believe that the Chinese artillerymen were so skilled. What he found most unacceptable was being thoroughly humiliated by the second platoon of artillery; their reaction speed was simply too fast.

Not only did they escape a fatal blow from the Japanese, but they also lost their own infantry guns in the process. In China, this would be called "trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead," and they would be laughed at.

Captain Yoshino said in a deep voice:

"Nagai-kun, the Chinese use small-caliber mortars, which are extremely mobile, comparable to grenade launchers, but with a longer range, higher power, and higher accuracy, making them very difficult to deal with."

Without infantry artillery, a frontal assault would result in too many casualties. Captain Yoshino once again proposed a flanking maneuver, arguing that:

"We had too few troops before, which allowed the Chinese to take advantage. Now that we are prepared on the eastern front, we can outflank them from the western front this time. We can't expect the western front to be able to hold off an attack by a hundred Imperial Army soldiers as well."

Captain Nagai had no other choice but to try, so he sent Yoshino with a hundred or so men to break through the defenses.

After the previous fierce battles, the Japanese troops were severely understaffed. A hundred or so men were already the fighting strength of an infantry company, and they could normally break through the defenses of a Chinese battalion.

This plan was originally proposed by Captain Yoshino, so he was full of confidence and led his men on a large flanking maneuver on the western front, intending to get behind the barricades and attack from both sides. However, he was still blocked by three platoons.

The three platoons were no match for the Japanese, but they were familiar with the terrain and set up defenses in layers among the streets and houses, launching attacks and retreating as quickly as possible, making the Yoshino Company move as slowly as a tortoise.

The intense gunfire also attracted reinforcements from the 648th Regiment, and the number of troops on both sides increased as the fighting progressed, gradually escalating into a melee involving thousands of people.

We were intertwined, neither of us could gain the upper hand, and the fighting turned into a chaotic mess – that's what street fighting is all about.

No matter how well organized they were before, they would eventually get mixed up and fight each other, turning the battles from battalion and company level to squad and platoon level, or even group and individual battles.

Artillery will gradually become less effective, especially infantry guns, mountain guns, and howitzers. On the contrary, small-caliber mortars and grenade launchers can still be used, but their power will be greatly reduced.

By dawn, the entire northern part of the city was filled with chaotic gunfire and artillery fire. Both commanders had lost control of their troops, and the only thing they could do was to keep sending reinforcements in.

Bet whatever chips you have, and then just shrug and wait for the result.

Wang Guohua not only bet the entire 648th Regiment on the battle, but also committed the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 647th Regiment to the fight, leaving him with only the 3rd Battalion and two artillery companies.

The artillery company could only be a spectator in the melee, and the only real reserve force was the Third Battalion. Of course, when all else failed, the brothers in the artillery company could still fight with their rifles.

The entire brigade still has over a thousand reserves, including five infantry battalions.

The Japanese had gone all in when the city fell, leaving only a battered infantry battalion to guard the city. They did not commit their artillery or supply troops, leaving more than 1300 men.

Zhao Yunwen couldn't get involved in the street fighting in Yicheng either. Although he had a minimap, the radio was only equipped up to the battalion level, and the battalion commander and company/platoon leaders had long lost contact, so Zhao Yunwen couldn't micromanage.

"Commander, the 10th Division only has the 10th Infantry Regiment left, and there aren't many cards left to play."

The offensive of the 63rd Infantry Regiment on the western front has clearly weakened, and the cavalry regiment can only watch from the sidelines. Most of the two regiments of the 322nd Brigade have been committed to the battle, leaving only two infantry battalions and a cavalry regiment.

Should we send the 323rd Brigade forward for a counter-offensive, to break through the Japanese attack on the western front first?

Xie Polu proposed a new battle plan, and Qiu Fengzi was full of anticipation. This was just an infantry regiment, and even if they were just coordinating, they could still have a good meal. He was just waiting for Zhao Yunwen to nod his head.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Yunwen said:

"Wait a little longer. The Japanese still have the 10th Regiment, the Supply Regiment, and the Engineer Regiment. They still have cards to play. It's not the best time to counterattack yet."

The 10th Division is closest to Taierzhuang and Pengcheng. If we don't completely cripple them, the rearguard battles will be difficult to fight. We need to consider the overall situation.

Linyi City hasn't fallen yet, we still have time!

Qiu Fengzi could only suppress his restless heart. They were the general reserve force for the campaign. The county town and the western front both needed the 323rd Brigade to cover the rear. He could only remain unchanged in the face of all changes.

In Yicheng, after a day of street fighting, the faces of the two old Japanese soldiers, Nagano and Fujita, were as black as charcoal. Fujita was the first to give in and suggested to Colonel Nagano:

"The Fifth Division has already entered Linyi City, and the Chinese garrison is on the verge of collapse. The Isogai Division absolutely cannot lose to them."

The city is at a stalemate, and our warriors have suffered heavy casualties. To break this deadlock, we need a massive reinforcement. Let's request tactical guidance from the division commander; we need at least three thousand more men!

Colonel Fujita had clearly planned ahead. He would draw an infantry battalion from the 10th Regiment, with the supply and engineer regiments contributing two thousand men as reinforcements. Three thousand men were exactly what Lieutenant General Isogai could muster. As for the 63rd Regiment, they were only a detachment, and five thousand men would suffice.

Colonel Nagano knew this was the key to winning the street fighting at Yicheng. After only a brief hesitation, he made up his mind and said firmly:

"Fujita-kun, let's sign the telegram requesting assistance together!"