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

On the front lines, the Japanese launched a full-scale attack from the outset, bombarding the newly repaired positions in turn, leaving them unrecognizable in an instant. Many soldiers were buried alive in the collapsed trenches; grabbing a handful of soil, one could squeeze blood from their fingertips. The cruelty of war was laid bare before our eyes.

Tan Heyi, commander of the 1021st Regiment, shook off the dust covering his body and stared solemnly at the approaching Japanese tanks. He dared not think too deeply about how many of his brothers would be left on the position after the artillery fire. The Japanese were advancing fiercely, with several tanks leading the way and hundreds of infantrymen following closely behind, their advance pressing directly at the position.

The 511th Brigade was the main force of the entire division, with each battalion equipped with two Hotchkiss 13.2mm dual-purpose machine guns. Zhao Yunwen had long said that this thing was extremely effective against tanks, and today was the perfect opportunity to test its power against the Japanese's small tanks. This machine gun had a ground-firing range of over 3000 meters and had demonstrated its might in the Battle of Xiangjiang. Now, it was the Japanese invaders' turn to experience its power.

The Japanese advanced extremely quickly, entering machine gun range in an instant. The dark muzzles of their guns had already locked onto their targets. Machine gunner Yang Fan's palms were clenched with cold sweat. Without the battalion commander's order, he could only stare intently at the approaching iron tortoise, his fingertips on the trigger, ready to fire.

Before setting off, the regimental commander granted seven days' leave to the unmarried soldiers. The clan chief arranged marriages for young men like Yang Fan, providing each household with a subsidy of 50 silver dollars and promising that if they killed five Japanese soldiers, their family would be given a separate page in the clan genealogy. Yang Fan, from a poor family, whose older brother was still a bachelor at thirty, finally got to marry Hehua with those 50 silver dollars. In the seven days before leaving home, he locked himself in his room and desperately tried to conceive. His family even slaughtered three old hens, a delicacy they hadn't tasted in ten years. Hehua gave him a pair of hand-embroidered shoes, the twin lotus blossoms on the surface vivid and lifelike. During the three thousand-mile march, he wore out several pairs of straw sandals, but he couldn't bear to wear them, keeping them close to his heart day and night, as if they still held the warmth of his wife's body.

"beat!"

At his command, Yang Fan pulled the trigger without hesitation. A burst of bullets swept across the tank like the Grim Reaper's scythe, instantly penetrating the 6mm frontal armor and tearing the Japanese soldiers inside to shreds! The tank collapsed on the spot, and Yang Fan's heart finally settled down—his superior hadn't lied; this guy was really good at killing Japanese!

He immediately turned his gun and unleashed a fierce barrage on the Japanese infantry. Hotchkiss's firepower was unstoppable; rows of Japanese soldiers fell to the ground, many instantly obliterated. Yang Fan's eyes were bloodshot with rage, the corpses of Japanese soldiers piled up beneath his feet, and two tanks were blown to pieces in succession. This was a feeling of exhilaration he had never experienced before.

"boom!"

A Type 92 infantry shell exploded to the side and in front, and several shrapnel fragments pierced Yang Fan's body. One of them pierced through the embroidered shoe on his chest, and blood instantly stained the twin lotus flowers crimson.

"Damn you!"

As his vision blurred, Yang Fan seemed to see lotus flowers from his hometown, holding his chubby son, waiting for him at the village entrance...

"Brother Fan!"

The assistant gunner, his face covered in blood, lunged at the machine gun position, roaring as he pulled the trigger. A burst of gunfire erupted once more, and a large number of the charging Japanese soldiers were mowed down!

Shells rained down, and men fell one after another on the position. Tan Heyi's eyes blazed with fury. These were the soldiers he had brought from his hometown, and behind each of them was a family eagerly awaiting their return.

"Fuck your mother! Fire! Blow these sons of bitches to death!"

The regimental mortar company roared in response, its shells precisely striking the Japanese machine gun and artillery positions. The anger of the Chinese soldiers burned fiercely in the air above the position.

The commander of the Japanese 65th Regiment was completely dumbfounded. Several tanks had been destroyed, and the infantry couldn't even reach the edge of the position. The defending troops before him were completely different from the Chinese army he remembered! The 5th Division was a Class A standing division, rebuilt after the Battle of Shanghai. Eager to make a name for themselves, they volunteered to reinforce Dachang. They immediately launched a battalion-level attack with tank squads, but unexpectedly lost five tanks in a short time. Frustrated, he roared, "Baka! What kind of anti-tank weapons are those Chinese using?!"

"Commander, it's a French Hotchkiss 13.2mm heavy machine gun, capable of easily penetrating the armor of a Type 94 tank!" Senior Staff Officer Nishizono Kenji quickly replied. "While this gun is powerful, it weighs a hefty 375 kilograms, resulting in extremely poor mobility. Infantry guns can accurately suppress it!"

The two commanders' expressions softened slightly, and they sternly ordered: "Infantry artillery squad, lock onto the target! Destroy it at all costs! Order the troops to retreat. With these things around, a massed charge is suicide!"

The Japanese attack was finally repelled, but Tan Heyi couldn't smile—the 1021st Regiment had paid a heavy price for this battle, suffering heavy losses on both sides. The whistle blew urgently, and the soldiers quickly took cover in the artillery bunkers. The next second, Japanese shells rained down, the entire division's artillery was mobilized, and the position was engulfed in thick smoke and flames. Countless more brothers perished there.

Inside the 21st Army Group headquarters, Zhao Yunwen listened to the artillery fire from the front lines, his expression grave: "Commander, this artillery barrage is at least 30 75mm mortars. The brothers at the front can't hold out any longer! We can't let the Japanese run rampant. We need to use 150mm heavy artillery and let them taste the bitterness of being bombed!"

Although Liao Lei was distressed by the cost of the expensive heavy artillery, he valued the lives of his soldiers even more. He immediately made the decision: "Do as General Zhao says! The direct artillery regiment, fire 12 rounds in rapid succession, then immediately move out!"

"Fire! Bomb them!"

At a command, several 150mm heavy cannons slowly raised their muzzles, the dark muzzles pointing directly at the Japanese positions. The vengeful artillery fire was about to roar!

[Add to bookshelf for follow-up updates] Heavy artillery unleashed to bombard the Japanese invaders, and the frontline positions launch a desperate counterattack! Watch as Zhao Yunwen uses heavy firepower to counterattack and take on the Japanese 13th Division's artillery group head-on!