A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Inspired by Brigade Commander Liang and Regiment Commander Wang leading their troops in a valiant counterattack with bayonets at the ready, the soldiers of the 154th Division were greatly encouraged. Shouting and with the reinforcements, they launched a counterattack, crashing into the Japanese army like surging waves!

The two giant waves collided violently with each other in an instant, without any pause, without any fancy moves, and there was no time to dodge. They could only be swept along by the waves and crash into each other!

Whether it hit or not.

The other party charged in as well, then thrust!

Whether it hit or not.

A狰狞 face, bloodshot eyes, surging veins—the sounds of gunfire on the battlefield seemed to cease instantly, leaving only one thought in his mind: Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!

This is a contest of soldiers' fighting spirit, courage, willpower, and fearlessness in the face of death.

My ears were filled with all sorts of terrifying sounds: horrifying roars bursting from throats, the screams of those being stabbed and dying, the deafening shouts of battle, like the roars of bloodthirsty beasts fighting to the death, or like the howls of demons in hell.

There is another terrifying sound that sends chills down your spine instantly—the sound of a bayonet piercing human bones.

Two of the most fearless Eastern peoples are engaged in the most primitive, bloody, and brutal life-or-death struggle. Both sides, blinded by rage, refuse to back down, and the lives of soldiers are being rapidly consumed.

The mortar crew of the 154th Division roared as they frantically loaded and fired, while the mortar support fire from the three regiments of the Training Corps also provided maximum combat rate of fire for interception.

Before the war, the Training Corps was reinforced with an 82mm mortar company for each regiment. At this time, it had to provide firepower for its own defensive positions and provide artillery support for the 154th Division. The gunners fired at high speed, so much so that even the mortar barrels that rarely overheated were overheated.

The 154th Division and the Training Corps finally joined forces to stop the Japanese army's subsequent attack echelons from breaching the defensive line.

Our army's spirit of unity and fearless fighting will ultimately triumphed over the frenzied and brutal Japanese invaders.

In a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. The Japanese army was overwhelmed by the momentum of our army and was forced to retreat.

"Bastard! Coward! Don't back down!"

Commander Yamamoto Chuichi of the 19th Regiment wildly swung his sword, hacking and slashing, but still could not stop the Japanese soldiers who were retreating in panic like a tide.

"The Chinese army is too tenacious..." Colonel Hitomi Hidezo, the regimental commander, murmured, unable to utter a word.

They had already broken through to the front lines of the Huaxia Army four times in a row, and each time they were repelled by the Huaxia Army's bayonet-wielding counterattacks.

Hitoshi was shocked by the fearless will of the Chinese soldiers. Their tenacious, even insane, will to live and die, their fighting spirit of risking being stabbed to death, sent chills down his spine.

Hitomi Hidezo noticed that the fighting spirit of his regiment's soldiers seemed to have been completely exhausted by the bloody and brutal hand-to-hand combat. In their empty and dazed eyes, there was a trace of retreat and fear.

He didn't even dare to think about whether his regiment could ever engage in such a brutal bayonet charge again.

The entire battlefield was covered with countless corpses of soldiers from both sides.

The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the blood that had just been boiling had now seeped deep into the ground, leaving behind a dark red color that was extremely unsettling.

The Japanese soldiers died in the most dense cluster in front of the Training Corps' position. The Japanese soldiers did not even manage to break into the front line of the Training Corps before being driven back by the powerful automatic weapons fire, leaving behind a mess of corpses that stretched all the way to the attack positions they relied on for cover.

The Japanese troops lay prone at their starting positions, exchanging fire with our troops. Infantry guns and grenade launchers inflicted heavy casualties on our forces, with soldiers constantly being hit in the fierce exchanges. Medics rushed back and forth in the trenches, amidst flying shrapnel and blood, rescuing the wounded. Often, while dragging the wounded, they themselves were hit and fell to the ground.

The sharp whistling sound of shells rose again.

The furious 9th Division Commander, Yoshizumi Ryosuke, turned ashen-faced. In his eyes, the nameless ditch where the 3rd Training Corps had set up its defensive line with powerful automatic weapons was a chasm that was constantly swallowing the lives of Imperial soldiers.

Yoshizumi Ryosuke forced himself to calm down for a moment and decided to launch a frontal assault to contain the enemy. He sent tank units to guide the infantry attack, break through the stone bridge over the unnamed ditch, tear open a breach, and then break through the Qujiaqiao defense line of the 3rd Regiment of the Training Corps.

The Japanese army launched a counterattack.

More than ten Japanese Type 89 tanks roared towards our positions from the Caijiazai fortified position, forming the spearhead of the attack formation after a large arc bend, and then turned towards the stone bridge.

"All vehicles are free to fire upon spotting a suspicious target!"

Captain Kojiro Nishizumi, the tank company commander, was always cautious. He had learned from the previous experience of the Morimoto Company and Hyakutake Company suffering heavy losses due to a flank ambush.

The Type 89 tank's machine gun blazed furiously, making it difficult for our soldiers to raise their heads.

Fifty-sevenmm tank gun shells were bombarding all the fortifications that were considered to be the firing points of our infantry guns, anti-tank guns, and heavy machine guns.

"It's finally here." Song Hongfei saw all of this through his binoculars and thought to himself.

He gave the order: "Tell the anti-tank artillery company to take cover and wait for orders. Do not fire until the Japanese troops have crossed the bridge and entered the traps!"

Then Song Hongfei called the commander-in-chief, Gui Shuaizhen: "Commander-in-chief, the Japanese tanks have been deployed and are advancing towards Shitouqiao."

Gui Shuaizhen said, "Your regiment is conducting anti-tank operations according to the established plan."

Song Hongfei replied, "Yes! The anti-tank artillery company has taken up its positions."

Gui Shuaizhen then asked, "The 1st Regiment on the left flank, the 2nd Regiment in the rear, and the artillery company directly under the brigade have all been deployed. Has your regiment's artillery company been deployed?"

Song Hongfei replied, "It's all arranged already, and we're currently in hiding, waiting for orders."

"Very good, proceed according to the original plan!" Gui Shuaizhen said, "Check carefully for any oversights, and do not overlook anything! Pay close attention to the movements of the Japanese army, and report to me immediately if there is any situation."

Song Hongfei replied, "Yes! I understand!"

Gui Shuaizhen put down the phone, thought about it carefully, and said to Chief of Staff Qiu Yu'an: "Tell all regiments and directly subordinate artillery companies to take cover and protect themselves, not to expose themselves and let the enemy see their weaknesses, and not to be damaged by enemy artillery fire. At the same time, they should also be prepared for battle. Once the 3rd Regiment's anti-tank operation is successful, they may open fire at any time."

Qiu Yu'an replied, "Yes! I will pass it on immediately."

Yan Xiru, the anti-tank gun company commander of the 3rd Regiment, couldn't contain his excitement and said to the gunners, "All guns, take cover! Do not fire without my order!"

All six Austrian-made "Berlu" 47mm anti-tank guns of the company were already concealed in the covered fortifications on the flanks of the second line, more than 400 meters away, and were set up with crossfire.

The anti-tank gunners were itching for action. They had been engaged in combat for most of the day, while they had been hiding and waiting for orders. They couldn't wait any longer.

Captain Kojiro Nishizumi, the tank company commander, led his entire company of 15 tanks in a fierce and impressive display of force, bombarding and strafing all suspicious targets.

"Mortar fire covers the enemy tank formation!"

"Heavy machine guns, fire on the infantry behind them! Keep the infantry out of the line of fire!"

Song Hongfei issued orders to separate the Japanese tanks, infantry, and engineers so that they could not coordinate their operations.

Japanese tanks became the primary targets of our 82mm mortars. Shells rained down and exploded around the vehicles, scattering shrapnel, but the Type 89 tanks remained completely unaffected.

Our Type 24 heavy machine guns fired at long range, and the dense rain of bullets clanged as they hit the armor plates, but for the tank armor, it was just like a tickle.

Tank Company Commander Nishizumi Kojiro said smugly, "Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or an ant trying to shake a tree!"

However, he soon discovered that the Japanese infantry following behind the tanks had been blown up and had all fled far away!

"Baka! These cowardly infantrymen aren't following!" Nishizumi Kojiro cursed.

The Japanese army's tank technology was outdated, and they lacked communication means such as radios. The level of coordination between infantry and tanks was extremely low, and their formations quickly became sparse.

Enraged, Nishizumi Kojiro had no choice but to send a light armored vehicle, which was specifically responsible for communications, back to contact the infantry. Lieutenant Shinagawa Yoshinobu, the communications officer, had no choice but to jump off the vehicle amidst a hail of bullets and run back, angrily shouting for the infantry to follow.

But at this moment, the infantrymen were well aware that the enemy's artillery fire was clearly aimed at the tank formation. Only by staying away from this concentrated fire target could they be safe. Who would be so stupid as to jump into a fire pit?

Shinagawa Yoshinobu shouted for a long time, but the infantrymen pretended to be deaf and dumb, dawdling and refusing to move forward, instead hiding further and further away.

"Bagaya road!"

Kojiro Nishizumi was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

The Japanese tanks marched like fire-breathing hedgehogs to the stone bridge, where the trenches at the bridgehead had already been blasted flat by engineers.

The stone bridge is sturdy enough to allow tanks weighing over 10 tons to pass without any problem, but only one vehicle at a time can cross at a time.

Kojiro Nishizumi ordered the communications armored vehicle to signal with flags: "Each vehicle maintains a 5-meter distance and proceeds quickly!"

The lead vehicle of the advance team smashed through the obstacles on the bridge and roared across the stone bridge.

The Chinese army's mortar and heavy machine gun fire seemed to intensify, firing fiercely at the formation preparing to cross the bridge.

Kojiro Nishizumi roared and ordered, "Don't stop! Charge forward! After crossing the bridge, each squad will deploy in a 'T' formation and attack the enemy's deep defensive lines!"

Sergeant Kenji Koizumi, the lead vehicle commander of the advance team, charged ahead with murderous intent, revving the engine and speeding for dozens of meters. The driver, Miyagawa, slammed on the brakes: "Anti-tank trench!"

With a loud crash, the train conductor, Kenji Koizumi, was caught off guard and nearly broke his forehead as he lunged forward.

Fortunately, Miyagawa pulled back in time, and half of his track had already been lifted into the air and landed on the anti-tank ditch.

"Don't stop, go around it!" Kenji Koizumi shouted.

He didn't have time to get angry; he quickly peered through the narrow observation slit to check the situation.

But as Miyagawa drove the tank, weaving left and right, he was horrified to find deep and wide anti-tank trenches on both sides. Even after managing to maneuver around one of them, he was met with despair to discover that another layer awaited him ahead!

"idiot!"

Kenji Koizumi cursed, saying that without a radio, he had no way to inform other crews about the situation in the anti-tank trench.

Japanese tanks charged forward rapidly, one after another, their tracks kicking up clouds of dust. The vehicles behind could no longer see what was happening, only noticing that the vehicles in front were pulling apart to the left and right, and assumed they were forming an attack formation.

Some vehicles, due to limited visibility, suddenly plunged into the anti-tank ditch. The drivers cursed and slammed on the gas pedal, but the engines, belching black smoke, roared for a long time and still couldn't climb out.

"Mortar fire! Drive them all into the circle!" Song Hongfei roared.

The last few cars were stuck on the stone bridge, surrounded by other vehicles, unable to move forward or backward.

Song Hongfei roared and ordered, "Anti-tank guns, fire!"

"First, destroy the chariots on the stone bridge, leaving them with no way to retreat!"