Chapter 119: If We Must Die, Let Us Die on the Front Line!

An enraged Akiyama Yoshimitsu threw all the remaining forces of his 6th Brigade into the fray, sending battalion after battalion charging toward the defenders' positions.

"Banzai!"

Under the command of their battalion commander, a unit of Japanese soldiers leveled their rifles and, hunched over, charged toward the front lines. Ono Ichiro, who had been struggling to hold his ground, heard the battle cries from behind. He looked back to see at least an entire battalion rushing forward, shouting as they advanced. His face lit up with joy.

"Yosh! Imperial reinforcements have arrived! Warriors, our Imperial reinforcements are here!" Ono Ichiro danced with excitement, waving his command sword repeatedly. Heaven knows what kind of dire straits his battalion had been in. Under the fierce firepower of the Chinese army, they had been unable to counterattack, or even dare to poke their heads up. They could only hide passively behind their bunkers, frozen in fear that a single movement would draw the concentrated fire of the Chinese forces. They were being beaten without any ability to fight back.

In such a situation, Ono Ichiro had been suffocated by frustration. Now that reinforcements had finally arrived, his battalion might finally get some relief. However, as he looked around, he realized that very few of his men had survived; compared to before the attack, their ranks were dreadfully thin.

The newly arrived Japanese battalion charged forward, full of confidence, thinking they could break through the defenders' blockade. But the moment they set up their machine guns, they were met with a violent counterattack from the defenders.

"Rat-tat-tat..."

Over a dozen Maxim heavy machine guns raged across the trenches, pouring a relentless hail of bullets onto the Japanese. Under such intense fire, the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine guns and light machine guns could barely even open fire. Every time they tried to shoot, they would immediately draw a barrage of mortar fire and machine gun sweeps. Under these conditions, the Japanese were simply unable to hold their ground. Before long, the battalion had suffered heavy losses and was pinned down, unable to even lift their heads.

Watching this, Ono Ichiro’s heart sank. He had a premonition that this battalion would not be able to retreat either. The facts proved him right; no sooner had they arrived, looking arrogant, than reality slapped them hard in the face. After losing about two hundred men in the first exchange, the battalion obediently pressed themselves into the dirt, not daring to show their faces.

"Ha! That feels damn good! You little devils, I bet you never expected to see a day like this!" A machine gunner, operating a Maxim, unleashed a long, trailing belt of ammunition, spraying the Japanese with wild, focused fire. Spent shell casings flew through the air, quickly piling up into a heap around the gun. This unparalleled sense of suppression gave the soldiers a great sense of achievement.

News of the failure reached Akiyama Yoshimitsu’s ears. He could not fathom how the battalion he had just sent in could be calling for help so quickly. Could the Chinese firepower really be that fierce? Akiyama was skeptical, but he summoned a soldier to question him about the situation on the battlefield in detail. Only then did Akiyama understand the reason.

"So the Chinese have so many machine guns and small-caliber mortars. No wonder they can suppress the Empire’s firepower!" Akiyama pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said to the reporting soldier, "Pass on my orders: have all units press forward. Do not just focus on attacking one point. Choose multiple attack nodes and strike from all sides so the Chinese cannot defend everywhere!"

"At the same time, bring out all the mortars and grenade launchers in the brigade. Aim them at the Chinese machine guns and firing points. As soon as you see them firing, open fire immediately and take them out!" Akiyama snarled, "I don't believe that a single brigade of mine cannot take one small position!"

Akiyama was truly furious this time. As a commander of the Great Japanese Empire, he couldn't even take a position held by a single Chinese regiment. If his repeated failures were exposed, what would happen to the reputation of his 6th Brigade? What about his own face? If he couldn't take it cleanly and quickly, he and his 6th Brigade would become the laughingstock of the Empire. This was something he could not tolerate.

"Hai!"

Once Akiyama’s orders were issued, the entire 6th Brigade sprang into action. The remaining soldiers, led by their respective officers, charged toward the front lines. The three remaining infantry battalions, plus an artillery battalion, all launched their assault. The artillery positioned themselves about a thousand meters from the defenders, establishing a defensive perimeter to provide fire support, while the three infantry battalions split into three prongs, forming skirmish lines as they rushed the position.

"Banzai!"

A battalion commander drew his sword, pointed it toward the front, and shouted with fanatical intensity.

"Banzai!"

The Japanese soldiers, shouting their slogans and leveling their rifles, charged under the command of their officers. The combined assault of three battalions brought forth a truly formidable level of firepower. The pressure on the defenders' positions spiked instantly. Despite the soldiers' fierce return fire, they could no longer suppress the enemy, and their own casualties began to mount rapidly.

The south city position held by the defenders only needed to face the enemy directly in front of them; if the Japanese tried to attack from the flanks, they would inevitably be struck by the defenders stationed within the city. Therefore, the range for a Japanese offensive was narrow. The two battalions from the previous attacks had been trapped in the middle, unable to advance or retreat, stuck in an awkward position where they dared not even show their heads. Now, thanks to the diversion of the other three battalions, Ono Ichiro’s men could finally move, but his battalion had suffered such heavy losses that only two hundred men remained, rendering them ineffective. To avoid the total annihilation of Ono Ichiro’s battalion, the 35th Regiment Commander, Fujii Suekichi, ordered them to withdraw.

"Banzai!"

The other battalions continued their assault. The Japanese soldiers moved in groups of three, coordinating their fire and putting immense pressure on the defenders. Casualties were rising sharply. At this rate, the defenders could not hold back the Japanese offensive; it wouldn't be long before the south city position fell.

"We can't go on like this!" Fang Xiaodong watched the front line, his heart heavy with anxiety as the battalion he had stationed there suffered mounting losses under the Japanese assault.

"Regiment Commander, Battalion Commander Zheng is almost at his breaking point. He requests reinforcements!" A soldier ran over, panting heavily.

"Where would I get reinforcements? I’ve already committed all three of my battalions! Where am I supposed to find more?" Fang Xiaodong snapped, his frustration boiling over.

Hearing this, the soldier stomped his foot and turned to leave, but Fang Xiaodong called him back: "Wait!"

"Take the last pistol platoon in the regiment and bring them to support Battalion Commander Zheng! Tell Zheng Laoshi: without my orders, he is absolutely forbidden from retreating. Even if he dies, he must die on the front line!"