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

The outcome of the air battle shocked the North China Area Army. Terauchi Hisaichi's first reaction was to cover up the news from leaking out. This was a critical moment in the war against China, and the country could not withstand such a major negative news.

Terauchi Hisaichi had only been in office for a short time, and this incident would undoubtedly become a stain on his record, going beyond the event itself.

"Baka yarou! The mysterious aircraft swarm has reappeared! Is there truly a supernatural force protecting China? No wonder China has survived for thousands of years!"

General Terauchi took a deep breath. He was horrified by his own absurd idea. If there really was divine protection, what was the point of fighting this battle?

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Even if there truly are gods in this world, it should be Amaterasu who brings blessings; all the gods and Buddhas in China are no match for Amaterasu!"

Terauchi Hisaichi immediately dismissed his absurd idea; Amaterasu simply did not exist, and it was all made up to fool the public.

Major General Naosaburo Okabe, the chief of staff and a staunch atheist, saw that the commander was questioning the meaning of life and took over the conversation, saying:

"Commander, China must still have some unknown air power. After all, it is an ancient empire with a long history and its foundation is still intact."

I suspect that a third country intervened, and the number of aircraft was definitely exaggerated by the incompetent Colonel Ishihara. Their performance was superior to the Imperial Army's Type 96 bomber.

This is easy to understand. Western technology was far ahead of the East, and once the Zero fighter was mass-produced, they could overtake it.

"Yoshi! Okabe-kun, your concerns are not without merit. China is so vast that it is not difficult to hide dozens of advanced fighter jets."

In your opinion, who is secretly sowing discord within the empire?

"Commander, the Third Reich has always had deep military cooperation with China, but the Treaty of Versailles has restricted their development in the air force."

I suspect it's a new fighter jet they're developing, and they're using the Chinese battlefield to gather real-world combat data and accumulate combat experience.

Naosaburo Okabe's concerns were not unfounded. The cooperation between the Third Reich and China in the field of army was an open secret, and the German-equipped divisions were a product of this cooperation.

Who can guarantee that they don't have secret collaborations in the Air Force?

Terauchi Hisaichi automatically filled in the blanks about the cooperation in his mind, and the thought was terrifying. This was no longer a matter of a battle, but involved national strategy and a power struggle between major nations.

"Okabe-kun, the Empire is forging an alliance with the Third Reich. This is a matter of great importance, and you should not speak rashly without evidence."

To obtain evidence, the first step is to locate the airport; the intelligence agencies will spare no expense in doing so!

This matter involves a third country and requires caution. We must suppress it for now and keep it confidential. I will report this to General Headquarters; this is no longer something the Army Group can handle alone.

"Hey, Commander, what about the Doihara Division?"

Terauchi Hisaichi was already irritated, and upon hearing this, he flew into a rage and coldly shouted:

"Does Doihara-kun think he can't fight without the help of aerial warriors? We must not rashly deploy air power before identifying the mysterious aircraft group!"

It's no wonder Terauchi Hisaichi was so cautious. The North China Area Army only had a little over two hundred fighter planes. If they lost eighty-four in one battle, who could afford that?

Naosaburo Okabe dared not say more; he could only help his friend Kenji Doihara this far, and he couldn't risk getting himself involved as well.

The Nationalist government had also heard the rumors, but when they were reported to Boss Dai, they didn't take them seriously. He knew better than anyone the resources of the Chinese Air Force; it was just a Japanese conspiracy, and he wouldn't fall for it.

North of Lanfeng City, the 2nd Infantry Regiment's offensive finally broke through. The defending troops, who had been very strong in the battle for the city's perimeter, suddenly collapsed and retreated into the city.

The Japanese soldiers were overjoyed and chased the fleeing troops into the city. Regimental Commander Yokoyama Shizuo finally smiled, and his senior staff officer excitedly remarked:

"The Chinese finally couldn't hold on any longer. Lanfeng City fell, and the encirclement of the Yudong Corps was torn open. The main force of the division could easily jump out of the encirclement and join forces with the 16th Division."

This was a crucial battle that determined the outcome, and the greatest credit undoubtedly belongs to the regimental commander.

Flattery will get you everywhere, but it won't stop you from doing well. If you're successful in life but no one praises you, it's like wearing fine clothes in the dark.

Yokoyama Shizuo said smugly:

"Well, it's really not easy for the Chinese to hold on until now. I have to admit that the 107th Division is very capable, but that's all."

Send reinforcements to the city to expand the gains, quickly annihilate the remaining enemy forces, and take control of the entire city.

Send a telegram to the division commander to report the victory—

"Tap tap tap..."

"Boom!"

Colonel Yokoyama's expression changed drastically. There was a lot of commotion in the city, and he was worried that something had changed. His heart was in his throat.

The senior staff officer comforted him, saying:

"There are still many defeated Chinese soldiers in the city, so it is normal for gunfire to break out. Give the warriors some more time, and we will be able to wipe out the remaining soldiers and completely control the city."

Shizuo Yokoyama could only console himself by saying:

"Alright, the Imperial Army has already entered the city, so there shouldn't be any major problems. Let's wait a bit longer and not send out any good news yet."

At the 107th Division headquarters, Zhao Yunwen, Lu Ping, Xie Polu, and others reunited, their focus still on the battle within Lanfeng City.

Xie Polu spoke first:

"Commander, with the 647th Regiment deliberately holding back, the main force of the 2nd Infantry Regiment has entered the city. The two sides are evenly matched and are engaged in fierce fighting in the city."

We have just received a battle report from the Corps Headquarters that the 16th Division has captured Qixian County and may move north to attack Lanfeng at any time.

We have at most two days left. To avoid fighting on two fronts, it would be best to eliminate or severely damage the Second Regiment before nightfall tomorrow.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Lupin then added:

"We also need to decide the outcome in the Yangguji direction. Even if we only defeat the Sakai Detachment, we can free up our resources to deal with the 16th Division."

Qiu the Madman directly volunteered for the battle:

"Commander, there are three infantry regiments in the Yangguji direction. Defeating the Sakai Detachment shouldn't be a problem. I'm willing to lead the 323rd Brigade to support the 647th Regiment and annihilate the 2nd Regiment that has broken into Lanfeng City!"

Seeing that morale was high, Zhao Yunwen had an idea in mind and said directly:

"The 647th Regiment inside Lanfeng City is sufficient to handle the situation. I have decided to attack the Second Regiment Headquarters in the north of the city first, which will be carried out by the Cavalry Regiment, the 645th Regiment of the 323rd Brigade, and the First Mountain Artillery Battalion, under the unified command of Brigade Commander Qiu."

After dark, they crossed the railway line west of Lanfeng, outflanked the 2nd Infantry Regiment headquarters, launched their attack at dawn, and ended the battle before 7:00 AM. The 646th Regiment then moved west to guard the perimeter.

Xie Polu interjected:

"Commander's plan is brilliant. As long as we annihilate the 2nd Regiment headquarters in the north of the city, the morale of the Japanese troops in the city will inevitably waver. At that time, the 645th Regiment will enter the city and attack from both sides, and we will surely be able to eliminate the enemy in the city."

Everyone else seconded the proposal, and the battle plan was finalized. Qiu Fengzi once again seized the important task, and his mouth was so wide with joy that it stretched to the back of his head.

Zhao Yunwen kept Qiu Fengzi behind to give him a private instruction and gave him a very accurate map of the surrounding Japanese troop deployment, with clear coordinates, making it easy to find the location of the 2nd Regiment headquarters.

This was practically an open-book exam; the credit was practically given away for free. Qiu Fengzi happily accepted the order and left.

At 3 p.m., the outflanking force moved toward the railway line, with the reconnaissance company of the 323rd Brigade responsible for clearing obstacles and concealing tactical intentions as much as possible.

When Qiu Fengzi's detachment arrived near the railway line, it was still dark. The Japanese and puppet spies along the way had been eliminated by the reconnaissance company using cold weapons, so they did not disturb the Japanese.

After dark, under the cover of darkness, Qiu Fengzi's detachment secretly crossed the Longhai Railway and headed straight for the headquarters of the 2nd Regiment, which was more than ten miles north of the city.

At 2 a.m., in Liuji, the lights were still flashing inside the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, and Colonel Yokoyama was wide awake.

The situation slipped out of his control once again. He had thought that once he entered the city, he would be able to wipe out the remaining enemy forces, but to his surprise, after most of the day had passed, the sounds of gunfire and cannons in the city not only did not stop, but intensified.

Senior staff officer Major Yasui said with concern:

"Commander, I suspect that the Chinese deliberately let the Imperial Army into the city and then wore them down with street fighting."

Even a fool could see that Colonel Yokoyama was simply unwilling to face reality, which led to the current predicament.

Colonel Yokoyama snorted coldly:

"Let's skip the hindsight talk and get to the solution!"