Bright Sword: Iron Will 24

A weak voice came from the trenches. The new recruits inside swallowed hard, exchanging silent glances. Even the leadership of the Nationalist government held a pessimistic view of this war, let alone these green recruits seeing their first battle.

The deputy regimental commander patted the dust off his sleeve:

“We will!”

“We will definitely win!”

“Japan, a small country, wants to swallow our vast nation whole—it’s a fool’s dream!”

“Remember this: We Chinese cannot be killed, cannot be annihilated!”

“The regimental commander is gone; I’ll take over command. If I die, the battalion commander takes over; if the battalion commander dies, the company commander takes over…”

“If we all die, then it’s your turn.”

“As long as the will to fight to the death continues, the little Japanese cannot win!”

“Clean up, prepare for battle!”

The Japanese air squadron retreated.

Two hours later.

Three battalions under the 21st Infantry Regiment arrived at Tuanchengkou frontline.

The battle for the trenches began.

Temporary First Division command post.

Zhao Fangyuan rushed in, his expression hurried: “Commander, the Japanese have launched an attack!”

Wang Feng rested his hands on the table: “I know.”

“Notify all units, immediately enter defensive positions.”

“If any gaps appear in the lines, fill them immediately.”

“We absolutely cannot expose any weaknesses to the Japanese.”

Although the 17th Army under Gao Guizi suffered heavy casualties, a dying camel is still bigger than a horse; the width of the friendly forces’ positions was twice that of the Temporary First Division. Naturally, they absorbed the majority of the Japanese offensive force.

Currently, a full battalion of Japanese troops stood directly before the Temporary First Division.

This wasn’t the strategically important Tianzhen, nor the meticulously prepared mountain ambush of before. The Japanese could deploy their forces and launch a large-scale attack without constraint.

The two armies clashed head-on, bayonet against bayonet.

Given the Japanese army’s current combat capabilities, defending against a battalion’s attack would require, conservatively, a division’s strength to feel secure. Therefore, the Temporary First Division was under immense pressure.

Intense gunfire erupted from the front lines. Wang Feng switched his view to the overview interface.

Many believe the Japanese attack method is simply a three-pronged approach: artillery bombardment, infantry assault, followed by more bombardment and assaults. That’s the theory.

But the practice is very different.

Generally, the Japanese divide their forces into three parts during an attack.

A feint attack on the main battlefield, using direct fire or grenade launchers to prioritize the elimination of enemy fire points, preparing for subsequent assaults.

Simultaneously, they send troops to secretly flank the enemy, with this force acting as the main attacking force.

Another force is deployed in the enemy’s possible retreat routes to lay an ambush, turning an orderly retreat into a complete rout. Thus, the rumors of a few dozen Japanese soldiers chasing hundreds or thousands are not unfounded.

If they encounter stubborn resistance, where the defenders fight to the death and refuse to retreat, this force will temporarily change its operational intent, launching a pincer attack from the rear flank.

Wang Feng had made thorough preparations for this. Kong Zhiyong’s reserve force was deployed behind the lines, ready to respond to any sudden appearance of Japanese troops.

Bang!

70mm Japanese infantry shells began to fall on their own positions. Having just endured a large-scale air raid, the defensive fortifications were now shaky, seemingly on the verge of a major collapse.

Through the three-dimensional combat map, Wang Feng clearly saw that the Japanese were slowly approaching the New First Regiment’s position in a wedge formation. The Japanese troops on both flanks were crouching low, using terrain, weeds, trees, and other obstacles for cover. These obstacles could block the vision of the defenders, but they couldn’t hide from Wang Feng’s eyes.

Having fought numerous battles, Zhang Hu had a good grasp of the patterns of Japanese infantry attacks and had pre-allocated some troops for defense. But it was far from enough.

A hint of worry flashed across Wang Feng’s brow. B板垣征四郎 (Ban’gǎn Zhēngsìláng) was too hasty. He committed three companies to the attack in the first wave.

“Notify the Second Regiment to provide mutual support to the First Regiment’s flank!”

“The Japanese are very likely to launch a major attack from there!”

Zhao Fangyuan nodded and quickly ordered the signalman to send the message. The division command post was situated on a high ground, offering an unobstructed view of the two regiments below. There was no need for further doubt.

“Commander, should we send the reserve troops up to support…”

Zhao Fangyuan lowered his binoculars, somewhat concerned about the situation at the front lines. Many of the First Regiment’s fire points had been destroyed by the Japanese feint attack, and gaps had appeared in certain sections of the front line.

Wang Feng shook his head: “The reserves cannot be moved.”

“At least not yet!”

His assessment of the situation far surpassed Zhao Fangyuan’s. Facing a full-scale attack by an infantry battalion, being short of troops was normal. It was just the beginning of the battle—they absolutely could not lose their composure.

With that thought, Wang Feng turned and picked up the phone.

“Hello! Zhang Hu!”

“Commander!”

The sound of continuous explosions from the other end of the phone drowned out the intense gunfire.

“Commander, we can still hold them!”

Zhang Hu’s voice was strained. If his voice had been any softer, Wang Feng might not have been able to hear him.

“Immediately reinforce the weak points in the lines. Three hours before the start of the battle, there were no reserve troops that could support you!”

“Understood?”

Zhang Hu replied without hesitation: “Understood, Commander!”

“We stand or fall with the position!”

Bang!

An explosion echoed, and the voice on the other end abruptly cut off. A Japanese shell must have severed the phone line.

Wang Feng turned his head: “Tell the communications unit to restore communications immediately!”

“Even if they have to use body conduction, they must reconnect the phone line to the front!”

“Otherwise, I’ll beat them to a pulp!”

After receiving the order, the messenger ran towards the communications unit.

The battlefield at the front was horrifying. As the feint attack force closed in, the Japanese soldiers’ individual combat skills were on full display. Grenade launchers hit their targets almost every time; each shot took out a machine gun position. Whether it was a light or heavy machine gun, the soldier had barely squeezed off a few rounds before they were subjected to attack from at least three Japanese grenade launchers. This was one of the Japanese infantry tactics: to strike at a specific point in the enemy’s position, expanding their advantage from point to area.

While the Japanese infantry tactics were an old World War One variant, they still constituted a dimensional strike on the Asian battlefield. The marksmanship of the average Japanese soldier was superb. If a friendly soldier exposed even a small part of their body, they were hit by a bullet.

“Order the mortar and infantry artillery batteries to concentrate superior firepower and drive the Japanese attacking force back!”

“Don’t let them get within 150 meters of the position!”

(End of Chapter)

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