A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Commander-in-Chief of the 101st Brigade, Masaburo Sato, committed the entire 101st and 149th Regiments to the attack.

Each of the two regiments organized a squadron of suicide squads. These fanatics had unsightly white bandages wrapped around their heads, resembling menstrual belts, and were as excited and crazy as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Several hundred Japanese suicide squad members stripped off their shirts, grabbed rifles with bayonets fixed, and charged at the forefront of the attacking column, howling wildly as they faced the dense hail of bullets from our army.

That ferocious and terrifying expression, that sinister and vicious gaze, that roar from his throat like a wild beast—all of these intensely stimulated the nerves of any opponent.

Some of the sergeants didn't have those ferocious expressions on their faces, or even any expressions at all, nor did they have the terrifying roars of wild beasts, but they gave off a more terrifying and colder feeling.

They take pleasure in killing, practice assassination on living people, and have survived numerous brutal hand-to-hand combats. They disregard all life, including their own; they are bloodthirsty demons, whether it is the blood of their enemies or their own.

What's most terrifying are their eyes. They aren't human eyes, nor are they the eyes of wild beasts, because the eyes of both humans and wild beasts are at least alive, possessing emotions—whether ferocious, sinister, or vicious—they are at least a form of "emotion." Their eyes, however, are dead, only a cold, deathly gray, devoid of any emotion or life, as if their souls had already perished!

Anyone who is looked at by these terrifying eyes will feel a chill that seeps into their bones, feel extremely uncomfortable, and experience a suffocating, palpitation, and nausea.

Some opponents with weak fighting spirit often lose the courage and will to resist once such a suicide squad charge breaks through their lines.

"Attention! The Japanese suicide squad is coming!" The company and platoon leaders were boosting morale. "Brothers, we can't let the enemy succeed! We must hold the position to the death! We will defend our homeland to the death!"

On the training corps' position, some new recruits, facing such a scene for the first time, also felt nervous and fearful. The recruits breathed heavily, trying to calm their heartbeats; they knew that this battle would be incredibly brutal.

The battle-hardened veterans remained calm and encouraged the new recruits: "What's there to be nervous about? Don't be afraid of anything! No matter how fierce they are, they still only have a neck, a head, two arms, and two legs! No matter how powerful they are, one bullet will take them down! If you can't stand their appearance, just shoot them in the head and you'll have peace of mind!"

The veterans strapped a grenade, tied with rope, to their chests—they called it a "glorious grenade," saving it for their final moments. Their resolute, disdainful eyes and their expressions of facing death unequivocally told their opponents: Come on, who's afraid of who! At worst, we'll all die together!

The new recruits were all inspired, and their tension and fear vanished, replaced only by a desire for battle and confidence in victory, which boosted their morale.

Led by the suicide squad, the fanatical Japanese soldiers charged forward, howling as they trampled over the corpses of their comrades. Although they were swept down in droves by our fire, they still managed to get close enough to throw grenades at each other.

The Japanese infantry guns and rapid-fire cannons dared not fire any more, and our mortars desperately intercepted wave after wave of Japanese attacking forces in the open field.

Within a deadly distance of less than fifty meters, the Japanese suicide squad launched a second reckless charge.

Our soldiers were not intimidated by the enemy's suicide squad's momentum, and they did not back down. Relying on their strong positions, they held their ground and fought a fierce battle with the enemy.

The battlefield was filled with smoke, sparks flew, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The Japanese army suffered heavy losses against the iron will and the impregnable Great Wall of our army. In close combat, the Japanese bolt-action rifles suffered heavy losses, and every step forward came at a bloody price, yet they were unable to break through. They were twice repelled by our army's powerful automatic firepower and hand grenades.

The Japanese company commander, who was leading the suicide squad charge, was shouting something. Under the strict supervision of the officers, the Japanese soldiers used the terrain to engage in a melee with our troops. Many Japanese soldiers who could not find any cover simply piled up the bodies of their comrades to use as cover, and set up grenade launchers and machine guns to fire wildly.

Both sides threw grenades and hand grenades at each other, a dense cloud of them flying through the air and constantly landing on the other side's position. Some exploded in mid-air, some were picked up by the enemy and thrown back, and some exploded in the hands of the enemy before they could be thrown back, bursting into a cloud of blood mist with a "boom," sending limbs and severed bodies flying.

Shrapnel flew everywhere in the trenches. The Japanese grenade launchers and grenades caused heavy casualties to our army. Our soldiers were constantly being hit in the fierce firefights. Medics were rushing around the position to rescue and move the wounded. They were often hit by flying shrapnel and fell to the ground while running around.

All four battalions of the 3rd Training Regiment had been deployed. The battalion commanders, holding MP28 submachine guns, opened fire on the advancing Japanese troops, shouting, "Brothers, hold on! Hold on! Kill them!"

Driven to the brink of despair, the Japanese army, relying on its superior numbers and disregarding casualties, launched a series of frenzied attacks, putting the defensive line in grave danger!

Once, twice, thrice, until finally exhausted.

Song Hongfei astutely judged from the shorter and sparser heavy artillery fire of the Japanese army in this round compared to the previous ones that the Japanese attack was nearing its end, and decided to organize the reserve force to launch a counterattack. He then contacted the headquarters and requested that troops be sent to support the counterattack.

Commander Gui Shuaizhen, sensing the critical situation from the intense gunfire, asked, "What's the situation on the position? Can we hold out?"

Song Hongfei replied, "Fighting is no problem! My regiment is prepared for a counterattack, but we're out of troops."

Commander Gui replied without hesitation: "I will send the reserve sergeant battalion to support you! The artillery battalion of the brigade will provide artillery support upon your signal!"

A reserve battalion of the 3rd Regiment, positioned on the right flank, advanced and launched a fierce counterattack from the flank of the Japanese attack echelon, with gunfire and grenade explosions filling the air.

The Japanese troops, who were launching a frenzied attack, were stunned by the sudden flank fire and immediately fell into chaos, their momentum halting. Commander Haruo Kano of the 101st Regiment, who was directing the left-wing attack, had to detach a portion of his forces to fight off the fierce counterattack coming from the flank.

At that very moment, our left flank was also filled with the sound of gunfire. The sergeant battalion that came to reinforce the 3rd Regiment arrived and bravely and decisively broke in to launch an attack on the Japanese right flank.

The arrival of this fresh force, the sergeant battalion, seemed to be the final straw that broke the back of the already exhausted Japanese army, changing the course of the battlefield.

The sharp sound of shells whistling through the air came whistling in, but this time they were our own shells!

The artillery battalion of the Training Corps used the "multi-point, same-direction" artillery tactic of single and double guns to fire at a rapid rate of 25 rounds per minute, which heavily covered the Japanese attack formation in the open field. The sound of explosions rose and fell and the smoke rose up and annihilated the Japanese troops!

As soon as the rapid and fierce artillery bombardment ceased, the morale of our soldiers on the front line soared, and they erupted in thunderous battle cries, leaping from their trenches to launch a counterattack.

General-purpose machine gunners, mounted on bipods, accompanied the infantry charge. The fierce and mobile support fire continuously suppressed the enemy, silencing Japanese machine guns one after another. The intense fire reaped the lives of Japanese soldiers in droves.

Our infantry units deployed into squad-level attack formations, penetrating and flanking the Japanese troops. Officers and combat veterans unleashed a barrage of fire from their MP28 submachine guns and Mauser fire-propelled guns at the enemy.

The narrow road meets the brave to win!

Our army's fighting will overwhelmed the Japanese army's so-called Bushido spirit!

The few remaining Japanese suicide squads fought desperately, but they could not withstand the fierce close-combat assault of our army. Our soldiers charged forward while throwing grenades, and the dense gunfire and grenade explosions mingled together, completely engulfing the stubbornly resisting Japanese suicide squads.

Our army's powerful automatic firepower terrified the Japanese soldiers and completely shattered their fighting spirit.

The Japanese troops were routed and could no longer hold out; their formation collapsed. The demoralized Japanese soldiers turned and fled, dragging their follow-up echelons with them as they scrambled to escape in a panic.

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

Even the furious waving of his command sword by the 2nd Battalion Commander Uno Jojiro could not stop the retreating Japanese soldiers. His twisted expression was extremely ferocious. Without hesitation, he pulled out his Mauser pistol and killed several retreating Japanese soldiers, but he still could not stop the fleeing crowd. More soldiers bypassed him and sped away from both sides.

Uno Jojiro, who stood against the tide, was very conspicuous among the fleeing soldiers. Our general-purpose machine gunner immediately adjusted his gun and opened fire. Uno was hit by several bullets, and his waving sword fell limply to the ground, where he died.

Amidst the chaos, the Japanese army lost all fighting spirit and ultimately collapsed completely.

Our army is pursuing them across the entire front!

Shozaburo Sato, the commander of the 101st Brigade who was directing the attack, witnessed everything from his rear command post using a high-powered artillery scope. Enraged, he called the two regimental commanders at the front and ordered them to stop the retreat, organize a defense on the spot, and launch a counterattack!

Commander Haruo Kano of the 101st Regiment and Commander Tatsuhiko Tsuda of the 149th Regiment were quite helpless and powerless. It was already a miracle that Amaterasu Omikami could gather the soldiers who were losing their fighting spirit and were fleeing in all directions to organize a defense. How could they talk about counterattacking?

On the defensive line that the Japanese army had painstakingly organized, officers cursed and whipped soldiers with their scabbards. The soldiers screamed in agony, but the Japanese soldiers, whose will had already collapsed, would rather be beaten to death by their officers than have the courage to launch another counterattack against the National Army.

Sato Seizaburo himself also felt a sense of powerlessness. The listless and dejected soldiers in the artillery's telescope made him feel unbelievable but he had to accept the reality that the once invincible Imperial soldiers were so frightened that they fell to the ground and trembled as soon as the Chinese army fired a shot.

Are our soldiers still capable of fighting? How can the Huaxia Army still be fighting? Are they all made of iron?

"The enemy's automatic firepower is too strong." 101st Regiment Commander Haruo Kano stood in the command post, stunned by what he saw through his binoculars.

Within his field of vision, spanning over a thousand meters in width and more than 400 meters in depth, lay layers upon layers of corpses left behind by two regiments of the Locust Army, along with discarded weapons everywhere.

The Chinese army's formidable fighting power and its heroic, tenacious, and indomitable fighting spirit far exceeded his expectations, leaving him feeling suffocated and powerless.

After capturing two lines of defense, Haruo Kano moved the regimental command post forward to the "tank graveyard" in front of the stone bridge. He used the tank wreckage that had not yet been towed away to build a sturdy ring of protection, and the Type 89 medium tank, which was more than 2 meters tall, also became the best high vantage point in this open plain.

But what Kano Haruo never expected was that his command post had already been observed by our forward troops. Our troops noticed that many of the Japanese soldiers frequently entering and leaving the area were carrying command swords, and that there were also personnel who would climb onto tank turrets from time to time to observe through binoculars, leading us to conclude that it was the location of a Japanese command post.

After the troops at the front reported the situation to Song Hongfei, he personally went to the observation post on the main position and carefully observed it with the artillery scope.

"It's a command post!" Several plans quickly raced through Song Hongfei's mind. "At a distance of over 1000 meters, the firing parameters of the 'tank trap' here were precisely determined during the battle a few days ago. A single strike might just catch a big fish!"

Song Hongfei commanded the 3rd Regiment's infantry artillery company and mortar company to carefully prepare an artillery strike plan.

Just as the Japanese army was in continuous defeat and the personnel in the command post ran out to observe the battle situation, our army's six infantry guns and six mortars suddenly concentrated their fire and fired rapidly from multiple points in the same direction!

A barrage of shells roared in, once again precisely covering this tank graveyard. Flying shrapnel formed dense ricochets on the armored steel plates, leaving no blind spots!

As Haruo Kano anxiously observed the battle ahead, several shells suddenly landed within 10 meters of him in all directions. Kano's face, chest, abdomen, and back were instantly blown to pieces, leaving him lifeless.

This artillery barrage nearly wiped out the entire 101st Infantry Regiment headquarters. In addition to the regimental commander, Colonel Haruo Kano, more than 10 people were killed, including staff officer Major Yasuno, adjutant Captain Kazutomo, second lieutenant Naritomi of the regimental communications unit, lieutenant Suzuki, medic of the Yoshikawa Battalion, non-commissioned officers, and messengers. In addition, 6 members of the 101st Division communications unit, which was on a liaison mission there, were also killed or wounded.

"Press forward with all forces! Seize the opportunity and press your advantage!"

Song Hongfei commanded the 3rd Training Regiment to pursue the fleeing Japanese troops and successfully recaptured the lost guard positions. They only retreated to their guard positions after being blocked by artillery fire from the rear of the Japanese army in front of the forward positions.

The two sides faced off.

"This shelling was clearly an organized and purposeful concentrated fire by the Chinese army. They pre-determined the location of the command post and used multiple infantry guns and mortars to mark it in advance and simultaneously cover it, giving our army no chance to react."

Brigade Commander Shozaburo Sato and Division Commander Masayoshi Ito both received reports that the 101st Regiment headquarters had been attacked by artillery fire, and stood there stunned for a long time.

In the previous attacks and the counterattacks by the Chinese army, one of the three battalion commanders of the 101st Regiment was killed and another was wounded. The 2nd Infantry Battalion Commander, Uno Jojiro, was killed on the battlefield, and the 3rd Battalion Commander, Kawasaki Shuichi, was seriously wounded. The casualties among officers below the battalion and company level were even more severe.

After this battle, the entire 101st Regiment was decimated and rendered virtually defunct.

The attack by the 149th Regiment was repelled, and the casualties were heavy.

Meanwhile, the attacks by the 103rd and 157th Regiments of the 102nd Brigade on Xujialong and Tianduoli on the west side were also repelled, with heavy casualties. The Yoshikawa Battalion of the 103rd Regiment, as the main force of the assault, failed to break through after a long attack. In desperation, Battalion Commander Major Yoshikawa led the charge and disappeared into the barrage of bullets.

Ito Masayoshi's heart sank. The suicide charge he had hoped for not only failed to break through the Chinese army, but was also completely crushed by the powerful automatic weapons, making the already low morale even lower and more scattered. The Chinese army used its tenacious will and powerful combat strength to crush the invincible Bushido spirit of the Imperial Army.

Masayoshi Ito, his face pale, muttered to himself, "Can the soldiers of the 101st Division still fight?"

Masayoshi Ito felt helpless. Even though he was determined to fight on for the sake of "the honor of the military flag," the feedback from the various regiments was disheartening. His division was simply too exhausted to fight, or rather, the casualties were so high that they were unacceptable and it was difficult to continue fighting.

The arrogant Japanese army learned what an impregnable fortress truly was, and their self-righteousness was utterly crushed before the steel Great Wall of our army.