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

South of the headquarters building, the ambush positions of the security regiment lay dormant. This was an important defensive node on the outskirts of the Japanese army's core area of ​​Hongkou, where the 2nd Battalion and the 6th Battalion were stationed, along with the Hankou Marine Corps, the Izumo Marine Corps, and other units, with a total strength of more than 1,400 men.

The 2nd Battalion and the Izumo Marines huddled at Huitong Wharf, with their backs to the Huangpu River, relying on the naval gun support of the Japanese fleet to hold off wave after wave of fierce attacks from the 262nd Brigade of the 88th Division. The officers and soldiers of the 262nd Brigade fought bravely and disregarded casualties, but they were still unable to break through this tough nut, and the casualties of the troops continued to rise.

After several hours of bloody fighting, the 262nd Brigade did not come away empty-handed: it successively captured strongholds such as Sanliu Park, Japanese Cemetery, and Baoshan Glass Factory, killing more than 200 enemy soldiers in total; the remaining Japanese soldiers broke out in panic, but without exception they ran into the trap set by the security regiment and were all wiped out.

Adding to the fact that the 12th Company had been completely wiped out at Bazhiqiao, the Japanese 3rd Battalion, with over 8 men, was almost entirely destroyed—this was the most brilliant victory for the Chinese army since its proactive attack on August 13, far surpassing the achievements of another time and space.

Meanwhile, the 264th Brigade of the 88th Division was besieging strategic points such as the Patriotic Girls' School and Chizhi University. The area was occupied by the 1st and 4th Battalions of the Japanese Army, with strong fortifications and fierce firepower, and the fighting was extremely fierce. The 87th Division was launching a fierce attack on strongholds such as Shanghai University, Gongda Cotton Mill, and Yinxiang Port Town from another direction. The entire Hongkou area had long been engulfed in flames.

Among the various Japanese forces, the 6th Battalion, consisting of over four hundred men, was the first to successfully break through the encirclement, making them a formidable fighting force. Their successful breakout was due to two main factors: firstly, the Japanese had gained complete air superiority after dawn, with their aircraft relentlessly bombing and strafing, tearing open the gap in the enemy lines;

Secondly, Sun Yuanlang's command had major flaws—he placed too much emphasis on conquering cities and territories, and did not pay enough attention to annihilating the Japanese army's manpower. He even adopted a tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open, intentionally or unintentionally leaving an escape route for the Japanese.

Taking advantage of this opening, the Japanese 6th Battalion, under air cover, broke out of the encirclement almost without paying a price, heading straight for the headquarters building, attempting to consolidate its forces and hold out for reinforcements. However, they never imagined that the Japanese situation at this moment was far worse than in another timeline:

The Ninth Army's sudden attack caught them off guard. The 3rd Battalion was almost wiped out, and the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Battalions were divided and surrounded, fighting independently. If they could not regroup in time, they would be wiped out one by one sooner or later. Their supposedly safe retreat route had already been firmly locked by Zhao Yunwen.

The security regiment laid out a meticulously designed inverted figure-eight ambush formation: the second battalion ambushed on the left and the third battalion concealed on the right, forming a goose-feather shape to quietly lie in ambush. The "figure-eight" shape was directly facing the direction of the Japanese army's retreat, like an open tiger's mouth, just waiting for the prey to come to the door.

All battalion-level units were equipped with radios, ensuring uninterrupted communication; the reconnaissance company conducted continuous close-range reconnaissance, transmitting real-time information on the movements of the Japanese army—every move and retreat route of the 6th Battalion was under Zhao Yunwen's control, leaving no secrets whatsoever. He personally commanded this battle.

The more than 400 Japanese soldiers were by no means a small force. The security regiment concentrated two main infantry battalions plus its own units, totaling more than 2,300 men, forming a force advantage of more than five times. They laid a tight net and were determined to win!

It's better to break one finger than to injure all ten. Zhao Yunwen knew that after this battle, the security regiment would make a name for itself and could no longer remain low-key. Since they couldn't hide anymore, they should fight with might and momentum, using a decisive and exhilarating battle to make everyone dare not underestimate this Jiangsu Provincial Security Regiment!

On the main road south of Zhangjiagang, the Japanese 6th Battalion advanced in three columns. The troops were divided into four echelons, with each company forming one echelon. The battalion headquarters, commanded by Major Kitano Shosetsu, was located in the second echelon, making it particularly conspicuous.

Upon reaching an open area, Kitano Shoyuki suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as a strong sense of danger suddenly struck him: the streets on both sides were eerily quiet, without the sound of any ordinary people, only the whistling of the wind blowing through the alleys, as if countless eyes were hidden in the shadows, staring intently at them.

"Oh no! An ambush!"

Kitano Akira's expression changed drastically, and she roared sharply, "Stop advancing! Seize the high ground on both sides!"

A sharp whistle pierced the sky, and the Japanese troops came to a hasty halt, instantly descending into chaos. The soldiers frantically searched for cover, but it was too late!

Three red signal flares suddenly shot into the sky, drawing blinding arcs across the heavens. Kitano Akiyuki's eyes were instantly filled with fear; his worst fears had come true!

"Da da da—!"

"Boom boom boom—!"

A sudden burst of intense gunfire erupted, and countless tongues of fire spewed from the streets and windows of buildings on both sides. Light and heavy machine guns on the rooftops formed a crossfire network, and a dense barrage of bullets rained down on the main road, completely engulfing the Japanese troops in a deathly barrage!

Rows of Japanese soldiers were swept down, screams echoing everywhere. Blood flowed through the cracks in the street, quickly forming trickles that stained the entire road red.

Long before the Japanese army arrived, the security regiment officers and soldiers had already quietly moved into the nearby streets, using houses, walls, and rooftops for cover and patiently waiting for the right opportunity. When the gunfire broke out, the people in the city closed their doors and windows and hid inside their houses, leaving the entire street deserted, which created perfect conditions for the ambush.

The two battalions were dispersed and concealed in squads, with their firepower deployed in a clear hierarchy. The Japanese troops, hastily retreating and only focused on escaping back to their headquarters, had no idea that a large force was hidden in the streets and alleys. They were caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties instantly. Grenades were constantly being thrown from the rooftops and windows on both sides, and the explosions were continuous. The Japanese soldiers were blown up and over half of them were killed or wounded in the blink of an eye.

Driven by their officers, the remaining soldiers frantically tried to break through to the side streets and alleys, only to run headlong into a hail of bullets from the ambush troops. Every alley and every corner was teeming with security regiment soldiers, working in groups of three, cooperating with each other, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, and relentlessly pinning the Japanese army down in the middle of the main road, leaving them unable to advance or retreat!

As soon as the battle began, the ambushers rushed out, and gun barrels of revenge filled the air from all directions. With an overwhelming numerical advantage of more than five times, the security regiment's firepower completely overwhelmed the enemy. In a short time, the streets were littered with the corpses of Japanese soldiers, a horrific scene.

"Baka yarou! Where did all these Chinese people come from?!"

Their attempts to break out were repeatedly thwarted, and their forces were reduced by more than half. Kitano Shoyuki, like a stray dog, was trapped in a desperate situation, howling in despair. Company Commander Captain Miyamoto, pale-faced and dejected, said:

"Commander, this is a conspiracy! The Chinese deliberately let us break through. If we had known, we should never have left our fortified positions!"

"Baka! Retreat to the original base immediately!"

Kitano Shoyuki's hysteria:

"You stay behind to cover us!"

Rank matters, and even though Miyamoto was filled with resentment, he had no choice but to obey orders, leading his remaining troops in a desperate resistance, drawing enemy fire, and covering Kitano's breakout. At this point, the Japanese army's flanks and front were both dead ends; only retreating offered a sliver of hope.

Kitano Shosetsu disregarded the lives of his men and personally led more than thirty of his trusted men in a frantic turn and ran, only to crash into the ambush of the 5th Company of the 2nd Battalion—this company's mission was to secure the bottom of the trap and not let a single Japanese soldier escape!

From the very beginning, Zhao Yunwen had no intention of letting any Japanese soldier escape. With a five-fold numerical advantage, his goal was to annihilate the enemy completely, leaving no one alive!

The thirty-odd Japanese soldiers had barely appeared when they were met with fierce fire from the 5th Company's machine gun position, with most of them killed or wounded instantly, leaving only a dozen or so barely clinging to life. Kitano Shōsetsu knew he was in a desperate situation with no way out, so he immediately ordered his men to lay down their weapons and surrender. In his view, he was a noble member of the Imperial Navy, and surrendering in a desperate situation was not a disgrace. Besides, he had heard from his predecessors that the Chinese army treated prisoners of war well.

The deputy company commander of the 5th Company was greatly surprised to see that the Japanese had actually surrendered. He immediately turned to Company Commander Qin Hongtao and asked, "Company Commander, the Japanese have surrendered. Should we arrest them?"

Qin Hongtao's face was icy cold, his eyes filled with rage, and he shouted sharply:

"Arresting them is a waste of food? Just wipe them out!"

"Yes, sir! Open fire!"

The deputy platoon leader roared excitedly, and a barrage of gunfire erupted like popping beans. Kitano Akie's eyes were filled with resentment and disbelief. In her final moments, only one thought remained in her mind: The Chinese are ruthless!

With the last Japanese soldier killed in the encirclement, the 439 men of the Japanese 6th Battalion were completely annihilated by the security regiment, with no survivors!

The ambush was extremely brief and sudden; the Japanese fleet and air force had no time to react, and were unaware that a annihilation battle had taken place. This allowed the security regiment to calmly clear the battlefield. The officers and soldiers quickly gathered the Japanese corpses and photographed them for record-keeping—this was an unparalleled achievement in wiping out an entire Japanese battalion, irrefutable evidence that no one could claim!

Zhao Yunwen had previously kept a low profile and remained patient, unwilling to get involved in the civil war and sacrifice his brothers in vain; but now it is a war to resist foreign aggression and defend the country. Even if he doesn’t care about the credit, the brothers of the security regiment who fought bloody battles deserve the honor and recognition they deserve!

The battlefield was quickly cleared, and Chief of Staff Lu Ping, beaming with excitement, rushed to Zhao Yunwen and reported loudly:

"Commander! Battle over! The Japanese 6th Battalion has been completely annihilated. 439 officers and soldiers below the rank of major were killed, and two infantry guns, more than 300 rifles and pistols were captured. Ammunition and supplies are piled up like mountains, and a detailed count cannot be made yet! What's the next step?"

Zhao Yunwen, observing the victory before him, remained calm and ordered in a deep voice: "Immediately send a telegram to Division Commander Sun reporting the victory. The main force shall continue to disperse and remain concealed, awaiting further orders. Furthermore, on the list of captured ammunition and supplies, replace all instances of 'amount' with 'amount'. Submachine guns shall be directly replenished to each company to enhance the troops' combat effectiveness!"

With over 400 enemy soldiers killed in a single battle, Zhao Yunwen could no longer afford to keep a low profile and would inevitably attract the attention of various forces.

Since we can't hide it anymore, let's just show our strength in a high-profile manner!

Let everyone see the true strength of the security regiment—only by being strong enough can we avoid being easily swallowed up by other forces, and only then can we kill more Japanese devils and protect more territory on the Shanghai battlefield!