Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

In this battle, the Nanjing Headquarters also invested heavily, and even sent the first and only armored unit of the Chinese army that had just been formed to the battlefield to cooperate with the infantry to launch an assault!

The roar of tanks cut through the sky, a torrent of steel rolled through the streets, and the infantry followed closely behind and launched a charge.

At this moment, there are no more concerns about concessions, no more shackles of diplomacy, only the will to fight to the death!

The Japanese defense line at Huishan Wharf was crumbling under the fierce artillery fire and armored impact. A bloody battle that would determine the fate of Shanghai had entered its most brutal stage.

Bloody Dawn: The Fierce Battle of the Fourth General Offensive

On August 1937, 8, at dawn, the smoke of war on the Shanghai battlefield had not yet dissipated, but the clarion call for the fourth general offensive had already been sounded.

The soldiers of the 36th Division launched another charge in the face of the Japanese army's hail of bullets.

But the Japanese stronghold was as solid as an anvil, and the firepower points on both sides were intertwined into a death cross network.

The few tanks in the 36th Division became the only hope for a breakthrough.

The tanks roared towards the enemy positions, their tracks rolling over rubble and their artillery fire bombarding the Japanese bunkers.

However, due to the lack of systematic training in infantry-tank coordination, there was a fatal disconnect between the tank units and the infantry. The tanks rushed forward, tearing open the Japanese defense line, but the infantry could not follow up in time because of the fast speed of the tanks and the complex terrain.

As a result, the tanks that rushed into the enemy's position became sitting ducks.

Japanese infantry guns, machine guns, and grenades rained down on the uncovered steel behemoth, sending smoke billowing in. By the time the infantry finally managed to push through the hail of bullets, the Japanese had already reorganized their defenses and recaptured their positions.

"Retreat! Tanks, retreat! Reorganize the charge!" The tank commander gritted his teeth and gave the order. He knew that tanks could not occupy the position and still relied on the infantry, and they had to cover the infantry.

However, the Japanese had learned their lesson from the first charge.

When the Chinese tanks launched another attack, the Japanese army had already pulled in anti-tank guns and was ready for battle.

The shells whizzed in, accurately hitting the tanks' weak flanks and rears. Flames exploded, armor was torn, and one tank after another was paralyzed on the battlefield.

The last tank slowly stopped in the hail of bullets. The commander leaned half of his body out of the hatch, trying to observe the enemy situation, but was instantly hit by a bullet, and blood stained the medal on his chest red.

He struggled to get up, but fell heavily back into the cabin.

At this point, all the tanks deployed by the Chinese army in this battle were lost.

The 216th Regiment, supporting the tanks, also fought with all their might, charging under a hail of bullets, attempting to bridge the gap in coordination between tanks and infantry.

However, the Japanese army's firepower was too fierce and the fortifications were extremely tricky. By the time the soldiers of the 216th Regiment rushed to the front of the position, the Japanese army had already launched a counterattack relying on bunkers and sandbag fortifications.

"Damn it! Follow me!" Hu Jiaji, the commander of the 216th Regiment, roared, grabbed a battle axe, threw off his military cap, and went into battle bare-chested.

Like an enraged lion, he charged forward, facing the hail of Japanese bullets. Shocked by his commander's madness, the soldiers followed him, shouting and stepping on the corpses of their comrades as they continued their charge.

However, the Japanese machine guns were merciless, their bullets reaping the lives of the attackers like sickles. . . .

. . . . . . .

At this moment, inside the Naval Headquarters, Vice Admiral Hasegawa Kiyoshi's temples were throbbing.

The explosions outside the window made the glass buzz. Thick smoke rolled in from the street corner, shrouding the entire building in a gray shadow of death.

"idiot!"

He punched the battle map, causing the tea in the cup to spill out.

What on earth were those military bosses thinking? Wasn't the lesson from Tianjin enough?

The Garrison Command was nearly wiped out, and now it was Shanghai's turn! Using the same tactics and underestimating the enemy, the Chinese were like sharks smelling blood, eager to tear their own naval headquarters apart.

"Commander!" Chief of Staff Rokuzo Sugiyama's voice was obviously trembling.

This naval officer, who usually has a slicked-back hair and pays attention to his military appearance, now has his collar soaked with sweat and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses are bloodshot.

He had just returned from the observation post, his boots stained with broken bricks and blood. "The Chinese attack was too fierce! Our casualties... the casualties are rising sharply..."

Hasegawa Kiyoshi turned around suddenly and saw a tongue of fire gushing out from the corner of the street outside the window, followed by a series of explosions.

Just then, the heavy oak door of the office was banged open.

Marine Colonel Matsuda stumbled in, his military cap dropped somewhere, his blond hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.

There was a dark red stain on the front of his military uniform, and his right hand was still in the posture of pushing the door. He was frozen in place as if his soul had been taken away.

"Matsuda!" Hasegawa Kiyoshi shouted sharply, "Pay attention to your military demeanor!"

"Hai!" Matsuda mechanically stood at attention and saluted, but his voice was hoarse. "Commander... most of the outer strongholds have been lost... The 11th Squadron was completely wiped out... The Chinese... The Chinese are clearing the barricades..."

The office suddenly fell silent.

In the distance, there was a roar as a building collapsed, shaking the chandelier back and forth. Sugiyama Rokuzo's pen clattered to the ground, and the ink spread across the battle map.

Hasegawa Kiyoshi took a deep breath and tried to straighten his back.

He walked to the window and saw Japanese soldiers' bodies lying all over the street below, and several destroyed armored vehicles were burning.

A soldier covered in blood was crawling towards the headquarters with a broken leg, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.

"Order all civilian personnel to take up arms." The lieutenant general's voice was surprisingly calm, "Move up the canned food stored in the basement to serve as sandbags.

Sugiyama-kun, contact the Third Fleet immediately, we need main gun support."

"But sir..." Colonel Matsuda suddenly interrupted, his voice filled with barely concealed fear: "The main gun is extremely powerful. If it misses..."

Before he could finish his words, a deafening explosion was heard from behind the headquarters.

The entire building shook violently, and dust fell from the ceiling.

Hasegawa Kiyoshi held the windowsill steadily, his nails leaving several crescent-shaped white marks on the wood.

"We can't care about that anymore. If we don't use our naval guns to stop the Chinese attack, we won't be able to hold out for much longer!"

As he spoke, Hasegawa Kiyoshi turned to look at Chief of Staff Sugiyama Rokuzo and asked, "How long will it take for the reinforcements to arrive?"

"Two divisions...it will take at least two days..." Sugiyama Rokuzo's voice was almost inaudible.

Outside the window, the shouts of the Chinese army charging could be clearly heard.

Kiyoshi Hasegawa looked at the fire that was getting closer and closer downstairs, and suddenly remembered the contemptuous smiles of those senior officials at the military meeting.

They said that the Chinese army was just a mob. Now, he smelled the smell of blood mixed in the thick smoke. The price of this mistake was probably much heavier than they imagined.