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

The Japanese soldiers fled in panic to the other side of the river, jostling each other. The bridge was too narrow, so they had to jump into the river and wade across.

The brothers from the Second and Third Battalions seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, taking down dozens more Japanese soldiers.

Major Fujii barely managed to escape the encirclement from the bridge, only to be met with a hail of bullets, cutting off his last escape route.

With obstacles ahead and pursuers behind, the Fujii Battalion found itself in a desperate situation with no way out.

At this point, only a little over 100 soldiers remained, their morale was low, and they were surrounded by the Chinese, with no chance of survival.

Major Fujii brandished his sword and yelled:

"Warriors, we must learn from the war god Nogi, and fight to the death to survive."

The time has come to serve His Majesty the Heavenly Locust! Thrust, thrust!

The remaining Japanese soldiers followed suit:

"Your Majesty, Tian Locust, Banzai!"

"Holy War - Itaru!"

The First Battalion responded by unleashing full firepower, using light and heavy machine guns, rifles, and submachine guns to fiercely fire at the Japanese.

The Japanese soldiers fell like autumn leaves swept away by the wind, and in a short time, the ground was covered with corpses.

Seeing that the Japanese soldiers were almost all dead, Zhang Yi raised his arm and shouted:

"Brothers, charge! Kill the Japanese devils!"

The brothers of the First Battalion surged towards the Japanese like a tidal wave, overwhelming the last remaining soldiers, and then finished them off according to procedure.

Whether wounded or feigning death, they were all finished off. Due to the scarcity of supplies, many Japanese soldiers' corpses were riddled with holes, and none escaped unscathed.

Next came the cleanup of the battlefield. Guns, ammunition, combat gear, and even military uniforms and shoes were all stripped off, leaving only a disgusting loincloth.

The Japanese flanking force was completely annihilated, Chief of Staff Lu Ping excitedly reported:

"Commander, we killed 507 Japanese soldiers of the rank of major and below, and took no prisoners."

They seized 382 rifles and pistols, 27 grenade launchers, one radio, 30 mules and horses, and a quantity of ammunition and supplies.

Zhao Yunwen was very happy after hearing this and praised it highly:

"Brothers, you did a great job in this battle. Each of you will be rewarded with five dollars."

Report this to your superiors immediately and request commendation for the brothers.

"We'll have an extra meal tonight—two cans of luncheon meat for everyone!"

After hearing this, everyone cheered in unison. Luncheon meat was their favorite, and it cost 5 yuan!

Young Master Zhao was known for his extravagance; five silver dollars was roughly equivalent to the monthly salary of a soldier in the Central Army.

Even now, German-equipped divisions are receiving national crisis pay; their military salaries have been halved, but they are still being paid in legal tender.

At the headquarters of the 18th Army, an important military deployment meeting was underway. Everyone looked serious, and the atmosphere was very tense.

Army Commander Luo Youqing said in a deep voice:

"Since Luodian has been lost, we must take it back. We absolutely cannot let the Japanese gain a foothold!"

Who is willing to take on this important task?

11th Division Commander Peng Shan suddenly stood up and said:

"Commander, since Luodian was lost to the 11th Division, we should take it back."

Li Shusen, commander of the 67th Division, also stood up and said:

"The 11th Division has been fighting the Japanese for several days, suffering nearly half its casualties. It urgently needs rest and reorganization. Let our 67th Division handle it!"

The commanders of the 14th and 98th Divisions also volunteered for battle, which made Luo Youqing's expression improve; at least the morale of the 18th Army remained intact.

"Gentlemen, the military headquarters has just received a report of victory! The 2nd Security Regiment of Jiangsu Province ambushed the Japanese troops who had outflanked us near Pengjiaqiao, annihilating all 507 enemy soldiers!"

After hearing this, everyone looked at each other in dismay. Several teachers were quite shocked, as they were all top students among the first batch of graduates. Now, they were being outshone by Zhao Yunwen, who was considered a good-for-nothing. Their faces burned with embarrassment.

Li Shusen, who was also Zhao Yunwen's squad leader in the second team, couldn't bear the embarrassment and said firmly:

"Commander, you can entrust the counterattack to our 67th Division!"

I hereby pledge that I will recapture the Luodian position before dawn.

"Success or death!"

"Let's fight a fierce battle," Luo Youqing said, seeing Li Shusen's strong determination. He immediately made the decision.

"Very good, I'll leave it to your 67th Division."

"Forget about the pledge of military orders, and I won't ask you to die for your cause. Before dawn, you must not only recapture the lost positions, but also minimize casualties as much as possible."

Sending the 67th Division to Luoyouqing was a well-considered decision. The 11th Division had already been crippled, and the 98th Division was tasked with defending the Baoshan line.

The 14th Division is a reserve force; the battle ahead is long, and we can't reveal all our cards at the beginning.

The 67th Division had previously assisted in the defense of Luodian. Although they suffered casualties, they were not significant. They were familiar with the battlefield, so sending them there was just right.

The counterattack was thus decided, and Luo Youqing immediately adjourned the meeting, while Li Shusen returned to the division headquarters to prepare.

The security regiment had previously recaptured Yuepu, which is now under the control of the 98th Division. Subsequently, they dispatched Yao Ziqing's battalion to defend Baoshan.

The two sides' battle lines are now intertwined, their forces locked in a fierce struggle, where a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

The 18th Army, with over 3 men, had a slight advantage in troop strength compared to the 11th Division, which also had 3 men. However, the Japanese had powerful naval and air firepower, putting them at a disadvantage and forcing them into a very passive position.

Luodian, 12th Regiment Command Post

It was late at night, and Colonel Fukutaro Nishiyama was studying the battle situation, with Senior Staff Officer Kumaji Shinohara by his side.

"Shinohara-kun, in your opinion, after losing Luodian, what should the Chinese focus their defenses on next?"

Colonel Nishiyama was clearly undecided. The previous regimental headquarters had been destroyed by the security regiment, and the regimental commander and staff had all been replaced. This was considered the greatest humiliation by the 12th Regiment.

Major Shinohara pretended to ponder for a moment and then said:

"Commander, Luodian is a strategic stronghold in the northwest of Shanghai. If the Chinese lose Luodian, their morale will surely be thrown into chaos."

The 98th Division along the Yuepu-Baoshan line became isolated and faced the risk of being encircled and annihilated. It would most likely retreat northward.

The main force of the 18th Army will defend Jiading to the west and retreat to Dachang to the east.

Dachang is crucial to the Ninth Army's retreat; the next key battleground for both sides will undoubtedly be Dachang!

Colonel Nishiyama was about to say that great minds think alike when he heard the sound of artillery shells piercing the air. His expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in alarm:

"Enemy attack!"

"Boom boom boom..."

Major Shinohara was so frightened that he leaped towards Colonel Nishiyama. The 12th Infantry Regiment could not afford to lose a second regimental commander.

Outside the command post, the 18th Army launched a counterattack against Luodian, concentrating all its light and heavy artillery and initiating a fierce bombardment of the Luodian positions.

Shells rained down, shattering the Japanese troops' hastily reconstructed positions.

Before the Japanese could turn around, thousands of soldiers from the 67th Division launched an attack from multiple directions, using the darkness as their best camouflage.

The Japanese unleashed their full firepower, sweeping away rank after rank of attacking troops, but it could not stop their advance.

At the critical moment, Division Commander Li Shusen personally led the charge, and officers at all levels fought bravely, with many falling on the way.

The entire 12th Regiment was also fighting desperately, and both sides suffered heavy casualties after several hours of fierce fighting.

Li Shusen suffered a serious hand injury, the commander of the 201st Brigade was shot and killed, and more than 30% of the battalion and company officers were killed in action.

The 12th Regiment ultimately failed to withstand the fierce attack of the 67th Division and was driven out of the position, leaving hundreds of corpses behind.

The 67th Division suffered over two thousand casualties, but recaptured the position before dawn, infuriating Lieutenant General Yamamuro Munetake, who cursed them loudly:

"You idiots, a bunch of useless trash!"

"Tell that bastard Xishan that we must take Luodian back."