Chapter 267: Battle of Yueyang (Part 1)

May 29, th War Zone, Miluo.

Xue Yue, to better command the Yueyang counterattack, placed his headquarters in Miluo, right beside Miluo.

It is precisely because these rivers provide protection that Xue Yue could command multiple Battle of Changsha defenses.

"What on earth is Li Yutang doing, he hasn't even broken through the Little Devil's First Defensive Line!"

At 12:13 PM, the battle had been raging for six hours, yet the front had not achieved any breakthrough.

Before Xue Yue finished speaking, the air in the operations room suddenly grew still.

On the huge map of northern Xiang hanging on the wall, Yueyang was circled in glaring red—there the Japanese Army's 3rd Division, 5th Brigade, 6th Regiment, about six thousand strong, had entrenched a solid stronghold using the city walls and the waters of Dongting Lake.

Xue Yue had also issued a military order before daring to plan an attack on Yueyang, but now look—I've given you all the artillery of the 10th Army, and you still make it like this.

If the counterattack is delayed, once the Japanese Army reinforcements from the Linxiang direction move south, the 10th Army will be beset on all sides.

"Give me Li Yutang's 10th Army!" Xue Yue slapped the tabletop, making the teacup jump, "Ask him whether this battle can be fought at all! If it can't, I'll replace him!"

A rapid call came over the telephone line. A moment later, Li Yutang's voice was steady yet hoarse: "Sir, we can fight! Sir, give the 10th Army a little time; the enemy is stockpiling supplies inside Yueyang City and has seized the dock, ready to reinforce by water at any moment. Give me one day, and I will definitely capture Yueyang for you."

"I have ordered the 26th Army to advance to the Taolin line," Xue Yue's tone softened slightly, yet remained as sharp as a blade, "Their only mission is to pin the enemy at Linxiang, allowing no soldier to move south to aid Yueyang. You just keep pressing forward!"

"Understood!" Li Yutang paused, lowering his voice, "I have ordered the Reserve 10th Division to take the left flank, the 3rd Division to attack from the center, and the 190th Division to take the right; we will launch a night raid at midnight. But... Commander, the artillery is not yet fully in place; without fire suppression, a direct assault on the city walls will incur heavy casualties."

Xue Yue stared at the open area on the west side of Yueyang City on the map, the only corridor for a breakthrough, yet also where the Japanese Army's machine‑gun fire net is densest.

North of Yueyang lies the Yangtze River, and mountains rise to the east.

After a few seconds of silence, Xue Yue suddenly turned to his adjutant and said, "Transfer the war‑zone‑direct Artillery Regiment to him, all guns over 75 mm, and push them to the high ground north of Xinshidu. Tell them they must capture Yueyang for me!"

Xue Yue, this is a total gamble; this is all the resources we have, and we can't ask for more.

He picked up the microphone again, his voice low and thunderous: "Li Yutang, I give you thirty hours. Capture Yueyang Railway Station before dawn, and push into the city center by noon the next day. If you can't..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the four bold characters "Scorched‑Earth Resistance" on the wall, "then let the waters of the Miluo River wash away our name."

The call was hung up.

Above Changsha!

William's Ghost Battalion, after completing a supply run to the Third War Zone that morning, did not rest a moment before launching aircraft again toward Yueyang.

"Ghost No. 2 calling command, altitude 3,000, all normal, over."

"Received, Ghost No. 2. Maintain formation. We are approaching the target area; get ready to dance with the devil, over."

In the cockpit, William gently nudged the control stick, feeling the powerful roar of the P‑38 "Lightning" beneath him. Through the bullet‑proof glass he looked down at the rolling mountains below, a sea of green. The twenty‑four "Lightning" aircraft formed a massive formation, like a flock of migrating steel birds casting swift shadows across the sky.

"God, I love this plane!" William muttered under his breath, a grin tugging at his mouth.

Meanwhile, in Changsha, the th War Zone commander's headquarters.

The atmosphere in front of the operations map had frozen to the point of ice. Xue Yue's eyes were blood‑red, staring intently at the red mark on Yueyang on the map, as if trying to burn through it with his gaze.

Beep—, a distinctive radio crackled, bearing the Independent Regiment's insignia.

"Hello, this is the 'Ghost' Battalion, please provide an accurate target; our unit has been ordered to assist," — indeed, it was William who arrived.

The sudden beep of the radio made the listening intelligence officer realize something was amiss, and he immediately passed the crucial information to Xue Yue.

Xue Yue clenched his fist and shouted, "Alright! Finally, it's here!"

Since Wuhan fell, these vital towns like Yueyang have fallen into Little Devil hands; after three futile Battle of Changsha attempts, the Japanese Army has been reinforcing the defensive works in these areas.

Consequently, even without air cover, the Japanese Army can rely on the fortifications to resist the 10th Army's assault.

Chief of Staff Wu Yizhi's voice trembled slightly: "Sir, Major William's aerial formation has arrived over Yueyang!"

There's no choice; Jiang Anguo is only a colonel right now, and he can't also make William a colonel.

"Good!" Xue Yue thrust his hand forward as if cutting through all hesitation and waiting. He grabbed the phone and roared into the microphone with all his might:

"Take Li Yutang! Order the 10th Army to launch a full‑scale attack! No waiting for night— I want to see the 10th Army storm into Yueyang right now, pour all your artillery into Yueyang City! Tell the brothers, the planes in the sky are ours; after they bomb, it will be our turn to speak with Bayonets! Charge!"

Outside Yueyang City, the Japanese Army's 6th Regiment position.

Colonel Fujii Yoji, commander of the regiment, held a telescope, anxiously scanning the outskirts. The 10th Army's artillery preparation had begun; the ground trembled, and the air was thick with smoke and the scent of death. Yet Fujii Yoji was unruffled; at the heart of his position were six 105 mm heavy guns from the division, the very firepower that gave him the confidence to die defending Yueyang.

At the same time, he had already reported the situation here to the commander of the 11th Group Army in Wuhan, A Naganuma.

"Nani!"

No, A Naganuma is still in Nanchang, gathering the main forces of the 11th Group Army to attack the Zhejiang‑Jiangxi area.

When he heard Yueyang was under attack, A Naganuma immediately ordered his troops to halt the southward advance, and directed the Japanese forces at Xianing and Linxiang to converge on the 6th Regiment at Yueyang.

"Report, Sir! Enemy artillery is extending, infantry is charging!"

Fujii Yoji lowered his telescope and sneered, "Just in time. Order the heavy‑artillery batteries to shred the 10th Army's assault formation!"

The moment his words ended, a piercing howl, as if it could tear eardrums, rang down from the sky.

That wasn't the sound of artillery!

Fujii Yoji snapped his head upward and saw several black specks diving from the clouds at astonishing speed, their wings flashing with a cold, death‑like gleam.

"Enemy aircraft! Enemy aircraft!" the Japanese troops on the position shouted in terror.

In William's cockpit, the sight locked steadily onto the massive 105 mm heavy gun below. He could see the gunners scrambling in panic, fleeing in all directions.