Chapter 220: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 220: Still Have to Rely on the Navy

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Lv Muzhi had barely finished speaking when the vanguard forces of Ying Sen Xiao's unit clashed with the Youth Army.

The Youth Army soldiers fired flare after flare into the night sky, illuminating the sneaking little devils.

Behind the trench and bunker firing ports, the muzzles of the MG34 General Purpose Machine Guns and M2 Heavy Machine Guns quickly adjusted direction; the gunners of the 37mm Anti-tank Guns and 20mm Autocannons sought targets, aiming at the Japanese tanks revealed under the flare glow.

"Fire!"

With that order, the Youth Army's counterattack firepower erupted instantly.

Dense hails of bullets and precise artillery fire smashed into the Japanese attack columns.

The two Japanese tanks at the very front were almost simultaneously hit by multiple 37mm AP Shells; their thin armor was easily torn open, fire erupted inside, and they stalled in place as scrap iron.

The following infantry immediately exposed themselves to the defenders' scorching machine gun fire, falling in droves.

However, Ying Sen Xiao had gone all out this time, and the following Japanese troops still surged forward howling under their officers' supervision.

"Charge onto the Youth Army's position under cover of night! Kill the chicken to scare the monkey! ~"

At this moment, Lv Muzhi, observing from the rear, gave Chu Yunfei an order: "Courtesy demands reciprocity. The little devils sent us their specialty, so we must return the favor. Order the artillery to aim at the densest area of the Japanese attack formation, and fire a mix of Mustard Gas Shells and High-explosive Shells!"

"Yes! Connect me to the Artillery Position, mix the gas shells and high-explosive shells together, and give the little devils a mixed doubles match!"

The order was swiftly executed, and the Youth Army's Mortar Group let out a different, dull howl than before.

Gas shells mixed among the high-explosive shells exploded in succession above and behind the Japanese assault formation.

Though the pale yellow smoke was hard to see clearly at night, the gas with its pungent garlic smell spread rapidly with the night wind.

Japanese soldiers charging headlong suddenly smelled this strange odor, and many turned pale instantly.

Some experienced veterans immediately shouted:

"Gas! It's special shells!"

"The Chinese army also has gas shells!"

"Yare yare, could it be mustard gas? Yamamoto Battalion was injured by this kind of gas!"

The panic caused by the gas shells spread faster than bullets, and the momentum of the charge stalled.

Many frantically reached for gas masks, hoping the gas masks would bring them some psychological comfort.

At the same time, all firepower on the Youth Army position opened up fully.

Machine gun tongues spat fire, forming a crossfire network; anti-tank guns and autocannons focused on Japanese armor units and positions trying to set up heavy firepower; larger caliber mortars and mountain gun positions in the rear continued to cover Japanese follow-up echelons and possible assembly areas.

Ying Sen Xiao, in the rear command post, saw through binoculars his troops struggling and falling amid poison gas, artillery fire, and dense bullets, and his heart sank to the bottom of the valley.

A Type 89 Medium Tank attempting to outflank was hit consecutively by incoming 20mm autocannon fire, its ammunition detonated, and its turret was blown off.

This was completely unlike what Division Commander Fujita Susumu and the Chief of Staff had envisioned!

The enemy's firepower did not weaken in the slightest, and the battlefield situation remained unchanged.

If anything had to be said, it was that the Third Division's morale was worse day by day!

"Colonel Excellency, the frontline troops simply cannot open a breakthrough! Our losses are too great!" a Squadron Leader stepped forward to report!

Ying Sen Xiao, knowing when to retreat, decided to preserve his strength: "Retreat! Alternate covering retreat!"

Continuing the strong attack would only lead his regiment to follow in Yamamoto Battalion's footsteps.

The Japanese night raid, after leaving behind hundreds of corpses, several tank wrecks, and many wounded, retreated in disgrace.

Most terrifying of all, some Japanese soldiers injured by gas shells would still suffer greatly even after returning.

Before the Youth Army position, only burning steel, spreading faint poison smoke, and the painful cries of Japanese wounded remained.

In the Youth Army Command, a Regimental Adjutant came to report: "Report to the commanders, the enemy suffered heavy losses, and their offensive has been completely crushed by us!"

Lv Muzhi clenched his fist and said happily: "Good! Play the music!"

The Japanese tune titled "Hometown" began playing again, mixed with sporadic gunfire and the crackling of burning flames.

The remnants of Ying Sen Xiao's unit walked dejectedly on the road back to their division to the tune of this hometown song.

Early the next morning, Division Commander Fujita Susumu rubbed his sore eyes; he had not slept all night!

Ying Sen Xiao's unit suffered heavy losses; thinking back now, Fujita Susumu felt he had been too hot-headed then, making such an irrational decision in anger, adding a considerable loss to himself.

In the main camp of the Third Division, that little tune was still playing, and Lv Muzhi's loudspeaker showed no sign of stopping.

Commander Matsui Iwane heard that the offensive against Suzhou City had achieved nothing, and was very troubled. He had committed the forces of the Third, 13th, and 16th Divisions to launch a fierce attack on the Wufu Line fortifications around Suzhou, yet failed to open any gap.

Among them, Fujita Susumu's Third Division, facing Chu Yunfei's position head-on, suffered especially heavy losses.

General Matsui Iwane and Lieutenant General Asahiko came to inspect Fujita Susumu's headquarters, and as soon as they arrived, they heard Lv Muzhi's loudspeaker playing music from over ten kilometers away.

"What? Lv Muzhi opposite is actually playing this kind of music; this is simply killing hearts!" Shanghai Expeditionary Army Commander Lieutenant General Asahiko cursed.

Central China Expeditionary Army Commander General Matsui Iwane saw that the Third Division's soldiers had low morale and understood that the plan to capture Suzhou was temporarily unworkable.

Without a word, he again took the senior officers to inspect the field hospital; the field hospital was even more horrifying, leaving old devil Matsui Iwane seeing black before his eyes.

Little devils tortured by mustard gas into unrecognizable shapes lay in bed; many little devils' wounds were inflamed and festering, staring blankly at the inspecting Japanese senior officers.

"What's going on? How could it become like this?!" Commander Matsui Iwane said with dissatisfaction.

Division Commander Fujita Susumu stepped forward to explain: "Commander Excellency, the rate of troop casualties is somewhat fast; currently our medicine supply cannot keep up, especially for those soldiers injured by mustard gas, who actually have no cure and will leave severe aftereffects, unable to fight in the future."

Lieutenant General Asahiko sighed: "It seems our Suzhou offensive has failed!

Let the 13th and 16th Divisions also stop attacking; Lv Muzhi is too well prepared. We will wait until the Navy's minesweeping operation ends, then rely on naval gunfire cover, and have our Army slowly advance along the Yangtze River shore!"