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

The two sides fought fiercely until nightfall. The Japanese 35th Regiment reinforced its troops, and the charges from the front and left flank were all met with heavy casualties, but they were unable to break through the defensive line.

Colonel Fujii had only one complete infantry battalion left. The entire rapid-fire artillery company was reassigned to the front line of the assault, leaving only the mountain artillery company to occasionally bombard the rear of Dachang with a few rounds of artillery fire to cover the infantry advance.

The Sixth Brigade was divided into two forces: the main force, the 35th Regiment, was to fight to the death at Gejiapailou, while the brigade headquarters was stationed several kilometers away and guarded by the rebuilt Seventh Regiment.

This unit managed to gather the defeated soldiers and add all the replacement soldiers, barely managing to assemble three battalions with a total of over two thousand men. Most of the elite veterans were lost, and the combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. What was once one of the elite units in the division was now only able to guard the brigade headquarters.

Akiyama Yoshiyuki gave the order to the death, leaving Fujii in a difficult position. He gritted his teeth and sent two more squadrons to reinforce the central route.

A senior staff officer earnestly advised, "Commander, leaving only two infantry companies is far too weak! We must heed the example of the 7th Regiment!"

"You idiot! How can I be like that piece of trash, Kazuo Isao? He's disgraced the entire martial arts guild!" Fujii shouted angrily.

The staff officer, having been rebuffed, snorted and retreated. With the Japanese reinforcements arriving, a night battle was inevitable, and the defending troops retaliated by escalating their own attacks, determined to fight the 35th Regiment to the death.

Under the cover of night, the two sides fought fiercely, their shouts and gunfire echoing through the night sky. Casualty numbers continued to rise, and both sides were fired up. Two battalions of the Security Regiment held off two Japanese battalions, their forces evenly matched, and neither side could gain the upper hand in the back-and-forth fighting.

The fierce battle raged until midnight. The Japanese troops fought desperately to break through the flank of the defending troops, and the First Battalion scattered and fled into the darkness. The flank of the Third Battalion, stationed at Hulizhai, was instantly exposed. The Japanese troops, who had outmaneuvered the enemy, were overjoyed and abandoned their pursuit of the First Battalion and the artillery battalion, rushing straight for the flank and rear of the Third Battalion.

The Third Battalion, caught in a pincer attack, immediately vacated Hulizhai to avoid total annihilation, retreating to the last line of defense at Gejiapailou. The Japanese finally broke through, their morale soaring, and they advanced rapidly to the entrance of Dachang Town. The commanding officer, his face contorted with rage, roared, "Warriors, charge into Dachang! Break discipline! Kill all the Chinese! Thrust, thrust!"

"Itaiya!"

"Martial Arts Troupe, sir!"

The Japanese soldiers surged into the streets like mad tigers, in groups of three or five, carrying gleaming bayonets, kicking open the tightly closed wooden doors of the people, and a frenzy of burning, killing, and looting instantly began.

Inside the 35th Regiment headquarters, a senior staff officer burst in excitedly with news of victory: "Regimental Commander, our brave warriors have broken through Huli Residence and stormed into Dachang Main Street! The Chinese have suffered a complete rout, with the remnants cowering around Gejia Archway, putting up a stubborn resistance!"

Fujii clenched his fist, his heart finally settling down – he had gone all in this time, and if he didn't make a breakthrough, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to Akiyama Yoshiyuki.

"Yosh! Report the victory to the General immediately!"

The staff officer hesitated.

"Sir, the situation is not stable yet. Should we wait a little longer?"

"What are you waiting for? The position has been breached. Do you think the Chinese can come back to life?" Fujii had already lost his patience.

As soon as he finished speaking, intermittent gunfire came from the direction of Oba. The staff officer's expression changed drastically, but Fujii tried to remain calm and shouted, "What's the panic? It's just sporadic resistance, which means they've become a scattered force!" The premature report of victory was ultimately suppressed.

At 2 a.m., the streets and alleys of Dachang had become a battlefield. The Second Battalion of the Security Regiment and hundreds of Japanese soldiers engaged in a fierce battle, fighting house to house. Gunshots and shouts of fighting rose and fell, and everywhere was a battlefield.

The gunfire acted like a magnet, attracting more Japanese soldiers to pour in. The Fourth Battalion immediately joined the battle, fighting alongside the Second Battalion to hold off the Japanese. The fighting in the direction of Gejia Archway was equally fierce. Zhao Yunwen only had the tattered 109th Regiment left, his last reserve force, which he would not easily commit unless absolutely necessary.

The defending troops were extremely familiar with the terrain of Dachang. They formed groups of three and several formations, and with only a small force, they were able to withstand the charge of dozens of Japanese soldiers. In the street fighting, they acted according to the situation, taking advantage of any opportunity and retreating while fighting when there was no advantage, luring the Japanese soldiers to ambush points and then surrounding and annihilating them.

In contrast, the Japanese soldiers became blind once they entered the streets, rushing towards wherever there was gunfire. Their squads lost contact and fought independently, easily falling into traps set by the defenders if they were not careful.

The 7th Platoon had just ambushed and killed five lone Japanese soldiers in the alley when a burst of gunfire erupted in the distance; a large group of Japanese soldiers was closing in. The 7th Platoon leader, with only six men by his side, immediately gave a low shout:

"One group will lead the way, the second group will cover the rear, luring the Japanese deep into enemy territory. Our brothers will take care of them!"

Although he didn't know the exact location of his allies, he had absolute trust in his comrades. After saying this, he picked up his submachine gun and fired two bursts in the direction of the Japanese, deliberately revealing his position as bait.

As expected, the Japanese soldiers reacted immediately, charging forward with a roar. The soldiers of the Seventh Platoon fought and retreated, skillfully maneuvering against the Japanese. In the process, they unexpectedly knocked down one of the Japanese soldiers, which completely enraged them.

Lieutenant Nakata, who was leading the team, saw that the defending troops numbered only a few, while his side had 17 men. In street fighting at this time, seven or eight people could easily move around, and 17 men was an absolute advantage. He immediately ordered a full-scale pursuit.

Upon reaching the ambush point previously held by the Seventh Platoon, Nakata saw only the cold corpses of his comrades. Enraged, his beard trembled, and he roared, ordering a relentless pursuit to tear the defending troops to pieces. The Seventh Platoon ran and fired along the alley, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the Japanese. One group led the way, while another covered the rear, keeping the Japanese completely at their mercy.

Nakata, relying on his superior numbers, relentlessly pursued and attacked, unaware that the intermittent gunfire had already attracted the ambush of lurking soldiers.

The fifth platoon leader, with his entire squad, was on standby in the nearby streets and alleys. Hearing gunfire mixed with Japanese and American weaponry approaching from deep within the enemy lines, he immediately guessed that friendly forces were luring the enemy into a trap and excitedly shouted, "Brothers, we're in trouble! Set up an ambush!"

He quickly deployed his forces in a V-formation on the street, with Browning automatic rifles positioned in the center and snipers lying prone, aiming at the alley entrance; six men lay in ambush on each of the left and right flanks, with two submachine guns as the main firepower. This configuration gave him a significant advantage in narrow street fighting.

Experienced veterans can distinguish weapons by the sound of gunfire alone. The 7th Platoon accurately lured the enemy along the alley and quickly led all 17 Japanese soldiers into the ambush.

It was already dawn, and figures could be clearly seen within a few meters. Just as the Japanese soldiers chased the Seventh Platoon into the ambush, the doors on both sides were suddenly kicked open, and two assault riflemen rushed out and fired wildly at the backs of the Japanese soldiers. The dense bullets instantly felled most of them.

The MP-38's terrifying firepower left the remaining Japanese soldiers helpless, forcing them to flee in panic. The other ambushers then rushed out to finish them off, and within minutes, all seventeen Japanese soldiers were annihilated, with none surviving.

After the battle ended, the Ninth Platoon split into two groups to guard the left and right, while the rest quickly cleaned up the battlefield, taking only weapons and ammunition, and finishing off any remaining Japanese soldiers who were still alive.

In this small-scale mobile ambush, the 7th and 9th platoons, through their tacit cooperation, annihilated 17 enemy soldiers. Only one soldier from the 7th platoon was killed in the pursuit, and the 9th platoon suffered no casualties throughout the entire operation—they didn't even give the Japanese a chance to fire back.

Although the street fighting in Dachang Town was sporadic, the results were astonishing. The Japanese troops, unprepared for street fighting and unfamiliar with the terrain, were completely overwhelmed by the specially trained and better-equipped defenders, suffering heavy casualties.

Although Zhao Yunwen had the advantage of a "mini-map" for predicting the battle situation, he never rashly intervened. He completely trusted his men—the security regiment had already undergone special training in street fighting, and their squad equipment was superior to that of the Japanese. In addition, they were fighting on their home ground and were familiar with the terrain. With their strategic thinking, they naturally had the upper hand.

The fierce battle raged until dawn, and the main force of the 35th Regiment was completely pinned down in the center of the field, unable to advance or retreat, and suffering heavy casualties. The best time for a counterattack had arrived.

The communications staff officer rushed over, his expression grave, and reported: "Commander-in-Chief, the First Battalion and the Artillery Battalion have secretly outflanked the Sixth Brigade headquarters as planned. Commander Lu requests permission to launch an offensive immediately."

Zhao Yunwen glanced at his watch, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and gave a stern command:

"The counterattack is scheduled for 5 a.m.! Commander Lu will lead his troops to crush the Japanese brigade headquarters with the fiercest firepower and the fastest speed! After crushing them, immediately return to cut off all the retreat routes of the 35th Regiment and do not let a single Japanese soldier escape."