Chapter 136: The Japanese: This Is Nothing Short of Sending Us to Our Deaths!

Seeing Lieutenant General Ando's unwavering resolve, Lieutenant General Koyuan could only fall into silence. A look of disappointment and deep concern crossed his face, yet he felt utterly helpless.

Upon hearing the final orders from Lieutenant General Ando, all the officers responded in unison, shouting, "Yes, General! We guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

Although he had been assigned the containment task, Lieutenant General Koyuan felt an unexpected sense of relief in his heart; he even believed this had averted a potential disaster. He was deeply convinced that had the 2nd Division launched a frontal assault against the 19th Division, it would have suffered a crushing blow—one that might not only have tarnished the division's formidable reputation but could have even led to a total rout.

When morning came and the Japanese army launched their fierce offensive, Ando moved the artillery units originally belonging to the 5th Division to the front lines. This caused Lieutenant General Koyuan’s brow to furrow, his expression darkening with complexity. He realized this was a deliberate decision by Ando, intended to prevent the 5th Division from seizing control of the battle, and served as a subtle retaliation for Koyuan’s opposition the previous day.

Koyuan’s dissatisfaction was evident, yet he understood that under the current circumstances, Ando, as the commander, held the ultimate decision-making power. Despite being equal in rank, the reality of the power structure forced him to endure this unequal treatment. A look of resignation washed over him; the internal struggle and resentment were indescribable, but left with no other choice, he could only bear it in silence.

At seven in the morning, when the Japanese army began their bombardment, the artillery positions of the 2nd and 5th Artillery Regiments became the focus of the battlefield. They had deployed a total of twenty 105mm light howitzers and thirty 75mm field and mountain guns, striving to break through the defensive lines with intense fire support.

However, what the Japanese had not anticipated was that even with such a formidable concentration of artillery, they would struggle to overwhelm the 19th Division in the ensuing duel. The 19th Division and its supporting mixed brigade artillery units had deployed a total of forty 105mm light howitzers and one hundred and thirty 75mm mountain guns, far surpassing the Japanese in both quantity and quality. The number of 105mm howitzers, in particular, was nearly double that of the Japanese, causing the latter to suffer heavy losses rather than gaining any advantage.

After a mere ten minutes of shelling, multiple Japanese howitzer positions were destroyed one by one. Lieutenant General Ando’s face grew gloomier with each report. After losing nearly twenty howitzers, he was forced to order a ceasefire in a fit of rage, his eyes flickering with frustration and anger. For Ando, this was not just a tactical failure, but a direct challenge to his military command capabilities.

When Lieutenant General Nanlou received the order to advance, the tension in his facial muscles and the deep lines on his face revealed his profound anxiety regarding what was to come. As an experienced general, he knew clearly that launching an infantry assault without achieving artillery superiority would lead to catastrophic consequences. Despite his extreme reluctance, he issued the attack order with a twitching lip, his gaze filled with pity and helplessness for the fate of his soldiers.

Meanwhile, the artillerymen of the 19th Division, having successfully suppressed the Japanese guns, wore expressions of grim determination. They did not cease fire, but instead shifted their aim to inflict lethal damage on the enemy infantry. Every shell landed with unerring precision among the dense ranks of the Japanese, causing massive casualties.

On the battlefield, a small unit commander from the 4th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Division, his face smeared with blood and mud, shouted with a mix of fury and despair: "A bunch of useless fools! To fail to gain artillery superiority against these weak Chengyun-faction troops!" His eyes were filled with resentment toward the high command, "They are just sending us to our deaths!"

Immediately, a battalion commander reprimanded him severely, his tone filled with pressure: "Enough! Stop complaining and lead your troops forward at once!" His face was ashen, his eyes flashing with unquestionable authority. "If I find you slacking here again, I will have you commit seppuku immediately!"

Facing his superior's warning, the small unit commander, though filled with resentment, suppressed his fear and anger, responding loudly, "Yes, sir!" He drew his command sword, a flash of despair in his eyes, and led his unit in a charge toward the front lines of the 19th Division. However, before they had run far, they were pulverized by a barrage of 105mm shells, vanishing instantly into the smoke and dust of the battlefield.

Amidst the hail of bullets, the Japanese infantry continued to charge recklessly, ignoring the sight of their comrades falling one after another. Observing the scene through his binoculars, Lieutenant General Nanlou witnessed his soldiers being mowed down like grass. His brow furrowed, his eyes flashed with pain and resentment, and his mouth twitched slightly, revealing his inner turmoil.

"Damn you, Ando. Sacrificing soldiers recklessly just for your own personal promotion," he cursed under his breath, his tone heavy with dissatisfaction and rage. His gaze, deep and intense as he spoke to himself, seemed to say: "Launching an assault without sufficient artillery support is pure suicide!"

Having learned of the 19th Division's formidable combat strength from other units, he was even more convinced of the absurdity of this offensive. Their soldiers were highly trained, well-equipped, and possessed an iron will. When Nanlou realized that even mobilizing two artillery units had failed to effectively suppress the 19th Division, an expression of surprise and disappointment crossed his face.

Watching the shells arc across the sky, he could not help but feel a twinge of envy and regret: "If we had the support of a heavy artillery brigade, we would have captured the 19th Division's lines long ago!" But this remained a dream he could never realize. His longing for a heavy artillery brigade made his voice low and heavy with regret, as such units were precious resources in the Japanese army, nearly impossible to obtain easily. Especially in the Chengyun region, due to the lack of large, fortified strongholds, the deployment of a heavy artillery brigade had not even been considered.

He smiled bitterly and shook his head, his eyes revealing a profound helplessness regarding the situation: "With their low mobility and high operational costs, heavy artillery brigades are more like luxuries of war than pawns we can deploy at will."

At present, the 14th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Division, which included the elite 15th and 29th Regiments, was pressing the full-scale assault.