The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

The atmosphere in the 212th Division headquarters was relaxed and cheerful. It was hard to imagine that this was a unit that was being besieged by the Japanese on three fronts.

Previously, although the powerful firepower of the 212th Division's troops in training had shocked the commanders, it was just an exercise after all.

Now, the results of actual combat have undoubtedly given them an even deeper shock.

The senior officers of the 212th Division, including the commander of the 2nd Regiment Qi Quan, the commander of the 3rd Regiment Bai Minghui, the commander of the artillery regiment "Guoshan Pao", and the chief of staff Tan Zhijie, were all extremely surprised at the smooth progress of the attack.

They witnessed with their own eyes that the Fuso army, which had been so invincible on the battlefield of Qian Kingdom, was so vulnerable under the powerful firepower suppression of the 212th Division.

The defense line of the once invincible Fuso elite infantry regiment was now like paper, completely destroyed by the artillery and tanks of the 212th Division.

These veterans, who all had extensive experience in fighting the Japanese, only then realized that the combat effectiveness of the 212th Division was so strong.

"It's at least as powerful as the three previous divisions, and even surpasses them in firepower."

Bai Minghui came to a conclusion after a brief comparison.

Because Division Commander Zhang Chi set an example by not withholding pay, exploiting soldiers, or even providing empty salaries, he even paid for additional soldiers out of his own pocket. As a result, the 212th Division not only had powerful firepower, but also had soldiers with a much stronger fighting spirit than the average Nationalist Army unit.

Qi Quan was also secretly amazed in his heart, and even couldn't believe what he saw.

"Is this still the devil we once fought against?"

Once upon a time, when he had just joined the army, his troops were always at a disadvantage when facing the Fuso army, and were forced to retreat step by step by the powerful firepower and oppressive attacks of the devils.

And now, his regiment defeated the Japs with ease.

Thinking of this, Qi Quan felt very complicated.

If there had been so many cannons, tanks, planes, sophisticated automatic weapons, and sufficient supplies, would the Japanese have dared not to invade?

Wouldn't it be unnecessary to pay so much bloodshed and sacrifice?

At this time, Chief of Staff Tan Zhijie woke up Zhang Chi who was catching up on his sleep and said with a beaming face:

"My dear commander, this Sato Mikichiro has become desperate and has begun to ask for help."

Zhang Chi was leaning on a chair and taking a nap. Hearing this, he opened his eyes slightly and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

He yawned, waved his hand, and said nonchalantly:

"Good, this shows that he has completely lost confidence in holding the high ground! And rightly so, the small Sansan Hill is not Mount Suribachi, and Sato Mikichiro is not Kuribachi Tadamichi. The lethality of our artillery fire is there."

Although Zhang Chi's voice was soft, it carried a certain determination to win.

Mikichiro's plain text telegram not only exposed his weakness, but also made Zhang Chi realize that he was in a desperate situation.

He turned and looked at Qi Quan: "Is the 2nd Regiment ready for the general attack?"

Qi Quan, who had specially taken a jeep to rush back to the division headquarters, immediately stepped forward, stood at attention and saluted, his eyes gleaming:

"Yes, Commander. The 2nd Regiment has made all preparations and is only waiting for your order."

Zhang Chi nodded, his words concise and powerful: "Then let's launch a general offensive, destroy the 146th Regiment, and allow the troops to gain more experience in offensive warfare."

With just a few words, the 146th Regiment trapped on the heights was sentenced to death.

As soon as Qi Quan left, Bai Minghui immediately came forward.

At this time, Hao Yi's 1st Regiment was blocking a regiment of the Japanese 18th Division. The guerrillas and new recruits were in the Kumenling Mountains, using the permanent fortifications that had been built in the mountains to block the two regiments of the 33rd Division advancing eastward.

Only his 3rd Infantry Regiment was sitting idle as the general reserve, so he anxiously asked:

"Division Commander, what about our 3rd Regiment? We can't just give all the credit to the 1st and 2nd Regiments. Our 3rd Regiment needs to have some meat to eat, right?"

"Okay, this is the ruthlessness I want." Zhang Chi kept the 3rd Regiment by his side because he was afraid that the 1st Regiment and the Tank Battalion would not be able to handle the 146th Regiment.

Now that the countdown to the demise of the 146th Regiment has begun, the second phase of the anti-three-way operation can naturally be carried out.

Zhang Chi, who owned a large number of speedboats and cement ships, had better mobility than the Japanese and therefore took the initiative on the battlefield.

"I order the 3rd Regiment to work with the boat unit to conduct a large-scale detour and cooperate with the 1st Regiment to encircle and annihilate the Takamoto Takuma Regiment of the 18th Division!"

-------

On the other side, on Hill 33.

Colonel Sato Mikichiro's body shook violently, and his eyes looked extremely empty under the cover of blood and smoke.

He pushed away the staff major who was lying on top of him and using his body to protect him, and climbed out of the collapsed trench with his head covered. What he saw before him was a hell on earth.

2 团的三个步兵营已经将整个三三高地团团包围，12辆M4A3（105）和24辆茶壶M8自行火炮围绕着高地不断倾泻炮火，整个三三高地已经没有了正斜面与反斜面之分。

Colonel Mikichiro wiped the blood from his eyes and looked up. The shells kept blooming bloody flowers on the high ground.

The entire 146th Regiment gathered on a small piece of high ground. Those Japanese soldiers, who he once regarded as the elite of Fuso, now fell in the mud and flames, with blood splattered everywhere and screams in pain.

There were broken bodies of Japanese soldiers everywhere. Mikichiro drew his sword and kept cursing, but it was of no avail.

His troops should have been invincible, and they once galloped across the land of Qian Kingdom, invincible.

But now, they were like a group of trapped beasts, unable to fight back against the enemy's firepower.

At this moment, a Japanese signalman stumbled over, covered in dust, and risked his life to deliver a telegram. Mikichiro trembled and opened the telegram, and saw that it was a reply from Terauchi Juichi.

"If we hold on for three days, there's a solution? Hahahahaha!"

Mikichiro looked at the cold call back, bewildered for a moment, then burst into laughter. The laughter seemed extremely strange amid the explosion, as if he had lost his mind.

He grabbed the signalman by the collar, shook him vigorously, and shouted:

"Three days? In three hours, you and I will be reduced to ashes by enemy fire. Not even our souls will be found! Do you know that?"

He roughly shook off the signalman, turned around and roared:

"All the artillery is gone, what can I use to hold on?!"

He gritted his teeth, veins bulged on his forehead, and a mixture of anger and helplessness filled his expression.

"Where are the flying squadrons? Why haven't they come yet?!"

Mikichiro screamed uncontrollably, as if the flying troops were his last straw. His hope was in air support, but those planes loaded with bombs did not appear.

Qi Quan certainly didn't know that Sato Mikichiro was on the high ground COSing the hysterical Emperor Chongzhen on the day the capital was broken. He just coldly gave the order for the entire group to attack.

Although the infantrymen under Zhang Chi had not yet learned the three-three system, under the training of Instructor White Eagle, they still spread out the offensive line very much and launched a charge on the high ground under the cover of tanks, machine guns and mortars.

"Big Head, do you see that Japanese soldier whining with that saber? There's a long pole behind him. I think it's the radio antenna of the Japanese headquarters. Can you give him a shot?"

The commander of the mortar company directly under the 2nd Regiment pointed at Sato Mikichiro and asked about the most skilled artillery crew leader under his command.

"Okay, Captain, just watch."

Big Head set up the White Eagle M1 81mm mortar airlifted by Stevenson, and after a slight aim, he fired three precise and rapid shots, sending the radio group of the 146th Regiment into the sky.

As for Sato Mikichiro?

The mortar company commander thought he was just a lunatic with shell shock and not worth wasting his shells.