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

At the headquarters of the 63rd Infantry Regiment, Colonel Fukuei's previous composure was gone. First, the vanguard Yamamoto Battalion suffered heavy casualties after being met with strong resistance.

Subsequently, the other two battalions also suffered setbacks in their attacks, reporting the same problem. He finally realized the seriousness of the situation and said in a deep voice:

"The Chinese have built a strong fortification complex in the west of the city, which shows that they were prepared in advance. It will be difficult to break through the defense line without heavy firepower."

Senior staff officer Major Nakata immediately suggested:

"Commander, withdraw the warriors first, destroy the Chinese bunkers with the regimental artillery before advancing."

Colonel Fu Rong listened to advice and ordered the entire infantry group to retreat 300 meters to disengage.

The shelling then began. The 63rd Regiment's mountain artillery company had entered the city, with a total of four 75mm mountain guns, which were being advanced along the main street by mules and horses, and could provide fire support for the infantry groups.

The Japanese artillery was highly mobile and, when used in conjunction with infantry attacks, posed a significant threat to the defending forces' fortifications.

Shells rained down, and the 651st Regiment's fortifications were quickly covered by Japanese artillery fire. However, they underestimated the strength of these bunkers; unless the tops were hit directly, they were of little use.

Hitting a bunker with a diameter of only about two meters from several kilometers away is quite difficult, so although the Japanese soldiers saw a spectacular explosion, their actual results were limited.

Commander Wang did not allow the Japanese artillery to be arrogant for long. The artillery company's counterattack arrived in time, quickly silencing the Japanese cannons and destroying a mountain gun.

With six guns against four, and a counter-offensive, the 651st Regiment gained an advantage in the artillery battle and then withdrew, and the Japanese did not launch a new infantry offensive.

At the 10th Division headquarters, Lieutenant General Isogai received a telegram requesting reinforcements from the Fukuei Regiment. The frontline attack was not going well, which greatly angered the old Japanese soldier Isogai, who cursed them as useless.

Colonel Tsutsumi, to his friend's rescue, said:

"Judging from the feedback from the front lines, the Chinese seem to have left a backup plan in Xicheng. Zhao Yunwen is indeed a difficult opponent."

After hearing this, Lieutenant General Isogai's face darkened further, and he let out a cold snort:

"I don't want to hear these discouraging things from you right now. How should I respond?"

Di Bujiagui didn't have a better solution either; he had tried all the tactics he could think of before, so he could only say:

"Commander, there is no shortcut but to launch a full-scale attack. We cannot give up. We must have faith in our warriors."

This is the last strength of the Tiger Army. Destroying it will mean victory. For the holy war, our warriors are fearless!

After hearing this, Lieutenant General Isogai no longer hesitated and issued strict orders to each regiment:

"At all costs, tear down the defenses and annihilate all the Chinese!"

Lieutenant General Isogai's strict orders quickly reached Colonel Tomie, leaving them with no way out but to launch a full-scale attack.

Colonel Fu Rong's gaze hardened, and he coldly gave the order:

"Nakata-kun, tell the warriors that the time has come to serve His Majesty!"

I will send a rapid-fire artillery squadron to support them. The warriors of the Empire will not be intimidated by a few small bunkers. I await their victory report!

The Japanese troops, as if possessed, suddenly intensified their offensive on the 651st Regiment's defensive line.

Large numbers of suicide squad members, strapped with explosives, charged toward the defending troops' lines under the cover of light and heavy fire.

Flames continued to spew from the defenders' bunkers, knocking the Japanese soldiers to the ground one by one. The riflemen hiding behind the rubble also opened fire on the Japanese, targeting the suicide squad members.

As the Japanese soldiers charged forward, wave after wave fell, leaving the ground littered with corpses and wounded. Not a single daredevil could get close to the bunker.

Major Yamamoto's eyes were practically spitting fire as his warriors were being slaughtered and the bunkers were still firing.

There are too many. Even if rapid-fire cannons and infantry guns can destroy a few, it won't help, as the defending forces also have infantry guns and mountain guns.

Larger caliber artillery is not very effective in urban warfare. The 10th Division headquarters still has more than 30 artillery pieces, but they are all deployed outside the city and have a low hit rate.

The defenders' bunkers were well-hidden, some even hidden in piles of rubble;

It was no more than a meter high and about 1.5 meters in diameter. The top layer was covered with a lot of rubble, plus a concrete top cover of several tens of centimeters. Even a 75mm cannon could not penetrate it.

These bunkers became the Japanese soldiers' nightmare. Protected by a large number of riflemen, the Japanese soldiers could not get close at all and were firmly blocked in the open area.

Time passed slowly, and darkness gradually fell. After more than ten hours of fierce fighting, Yamamoto's battalion suffered heavy casualties and had to halt its offensive.

The other two battalions of the Fukuei Joint Force also suffered heavy casualties. Major Nakata reported in a deep voice:

"The entire regiment suffered more than 800 casualties, including 672 killed in action and more than 180 seriously wounded. Five Chinese bunkers were destroyed, and it is estimated that more than 100 Chinese were killed or wounded."

The exchange ratio was 8 to 1, and that was based on his own calculations. Colonel Fu Rong was on the verge of exploding, cursing:

"Damn it, are these still warriors of the Empire? If we keep fighting like this, even if the entire regiment dies, we still won't be able to break through the Chinese defenses."

Major Nakata had no choice but to think of another way:

"Commander, the biggest problem now is that the warriors can't get close to the bunker. The rapid-fire cannons aren't powerful enough, and the Chinese also have artillery. We can only hope for a detonation."

"It'll be easier after dark. We can organize a suicide squad to sneak up quietly at night and blow it up."

Colonel Fu Rong's expression finally softened, and he added:

"First, use a feint attack to draw fire and expose the bunker's location, then have the suicide squad blow it up under the cover of darkness!"

Major Nakata agreed, slung his sword over his shoulder, and strode away. Colonel Fukuei's eyelids kept twitching, and he was still uncertain about the situation.

At midnight, the Tiger Legion headquarters was still brightly lit, and battle reports continued to pour in from within the city. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle without any suspense, which was exactly what Zhao Yunwen wanted to see.

Xie Polu rushed in from the secret telegram room; his voice preceded his arrival:

"The Japanese suddenly launched an attack from the direction of the 651st Regiment, making a great commotion."

Lupin quickly approached and said in a deep voice:

"The Japanese are trying to take advantage of the darkness to fish in troubled waters. The 651st Regiment is facing the 63rd Infantry Regiment and is having a hard time. Should we send them reinforcements?"

Zhao Yunwen shook his head and said:

"Since they haven't asked the military for help, it means they can still hold on. So let's not use the reserves for now and use them where they're most needed."

The Tiger Legion has two regiments as its open reserves. If needed, the directly subordinate guard regiment and supply regiment can also be deployed to the battlefield. The cavalry regiment is not suitable for urban warfare.

Seeing that Zhao Yunwen had already rejected sending reinforcements, Xie Polu compromised and said:

"The 651st Regiment is still a newly formed unit, and this is their first time shouldering such a heavy responsibility. I'm still worried about them. Should we allocate more flares to them to prevent the Japanese from taking advantage of the situation at night?"

This time, Zhao Yunwen did not reject the proposal but adopted Xie Polu's suggestion and agreed to send 500 flares to the 651st Regiment.

With these flares, we can easily last for several nights.

At the 651st Regiment's position, the Japanese offensive was coming wave after wave, and the battle had reached a fever pitch.

The defending troops fought with ease, relying on the defensive line built by the bunkers. The Japanese used continuous attacks to cover the suicide squads' sneak attacks. Although they suffered heavy casualties, they also destroyed two firing points.

Zuo Long continuously ordered his men to fire flares into the air, illuminating the position as brightly as daytime, leaving the Japanese soldiers nowhere to hide and greatly increasing the hit rate.