Chapter 129: The Japanese Forces' Hidden Ace

"Order: The 36th Infantry Regiment is to launch an immediate assault on Dingyuan County. You must capture the city and annihilate the Chinese troops within one day, or face military justice!" A Japanese officer relayed the command from Lieutenant General Ryosuke Yoshika. He then turned to Jiro Wakisaka and added, "Colonel Wakisaka, please do not fail the expectations of the Divisional Commander!"

"Hai! I will certainly comply with the Divisional Commander's orders. However... however, Dingyuan is garrisoned by a Chinese division and a brigade. To capture it within a single day with only my regiment, I fear I lack the necessary strength!" Wakisaka replied, his face filled with hesitation.

"Colonel Wakisaka, there is no need to worry about that. The Divisional Commander has already committed the entire strength of the 9th Division to this operation. Furthermore, he has requested air support from Command, and an additional tank company is currently speeding toward this location. With these, Colonel, can you still not take Dingyuan?" the officer said with a light chuckle.

Upon hearing this, Wakisaka’s troubled expression instantly shifted into one of wild joy. "Nani? The Divisional Commander has requested air support and dispatched a tank company? Haha, with their assistance, let alone one day, I could flatten Dingyuan in half a day!"

He continued, "Please be sure to convey to the General that the 36th Regiment will definitely capture Dingyuan within a day. When the time comes, I will surely capture Chen Qingzhi of the Chinese Independent Brigade and bring him to the General for judgment!"

Buoyed by the prospect of air and armored reinforcements, Wakisaka spoke with absolute certainty, as if the victory were already in his grasp. Trusting in the empire's warplanes and tanks, he became unusually arrogant, going so far as to boast that he would seize the city within twenty-four hours. It must be said that at this moment, Wakisaka was blinded by his own conceit.

Seeing this, the officer looked satisfied. He nodded and said, "Yoshi! In that case, I shall report back to the Divisional Commander and have him await the good news from your regiment at headquarters."

After seeing the officer off, Wakisaka felt full of confidence, a look of excitement and frenzy on his face. "Yoshi, it seems even the Sun Goddess is favoring me today! Taking Dingyuan will surely be a great achievement. I wasn't certain before, but with the help of the Empire's planes and tanks, this attack is a sure success!"

"If this succeeds, my promotion to Brigade Commander will certainly be finalized!"

At the thought of this, Wakisaka could not help but let out a long cry to vent the joy in his heart. Still, he retained a shred of reason, knowing this was not the time for celebration. He hurriedly mobilized his troops to prepare for the assault. Though he was making preparations, his impatient demeanor showed that he was entirely focused on the vision of himself as a Brigade Commander, rather than the tactical realities of the attack.

In Wakisaka’s mind, with the reinforcement of the empire's invincible planes and tanks, could the Chinese possibly resist? Thinking this, he grew impatient as he watched his troops organizing. It was, after all, just a small county seat held by Chinese forces; with air and armor support, why go to such trouble?

Driven by his desperate desire for promotion, Wakisaka waved his hand and shouted, "Quickly! Command the troops to attack at once!"

"Banzai!" A detachment of Japanese soldiers, led by their battalion commander, began their advance toward Dingyuan. As he watched them leave, Wakisaka wore a look of triumph, imagining his future promotion. However, what he failed to notice was that his troops lacked their usual spirit. They were listless, devoid of any real drive.

Military strategy dictates that the first drum provides courage, the second brings weariness, and the third leads to exhaustion. The Japanese 9th Division, having suffered multiple failed offensives, had seen their morale and will to fight plummet to rock bottom. The result of a forced attack under such conditions was predictable.

Under the battalion commander's prodding, the Japanese soldiers pushed forward, only to be met by a powerful counterattack from the 135th Division guarding the city. Fierce fighting erupted at the city walls; the sound of gunfire was incessant, and shouts of battle echoed across the landscape.

Although their morale had waned, the Japanese were not to be trifled with. They inflicted significant casualties on the defenders, though they paid a heavy price themselves. As the battle dragged on, Japanese losses mounted. Wakisaka, who had boasted of taking the city in a day, found that after half a day of fighting, he had made no progress and had suffered heavy losses instead.

Facing this, Wakisaka flew into a rage. In his command post, he exploded. "Baka! A bunch of idiots! So many men and you haven't even taken a Chinese city? What use is the Empire for you!"

A Japanese officer standing before him bowed his head, repeatedly saying "Hai," taking the verbal lashing like a scolded child. He did not dare to move, nor even wipe the saliva from his face.

After venting, Wakisaka calmed down slightly, though his face remained dark. "Where are the Empire's tanks and planes? Where have they arrived? Why haven't they come to reinforce us yet?"

Hearing this, an officer behind him quickly replied, "Colonel, a bomber squadron has already taken off from Nanjing. The 17th Tank Company is also on its way. They just sent word that they are less than fifty miles away and should arrive in about an hour to join the operation!"

"Yoshi!" Wakisaka nodded, his expression softening, though he spoke firmly. "Then we wait. As soon as the tanks and planes arrive, launch a fierce assault. We shall take Dingyuan in one fell swoop with this coordinated air-ground strike!"

He added in a low voice, "This battle is the one that will make the 36th Regiment famous. If we can capture Dingyuan cleanly, we will surely gain the favor of the Divisional Commander... The previous Brigade Commander, Yoshiaki Akiyama of the 6th Brigade, failed, and the General must be very dissatisfied with him... This is our chance. Do you understand?"

The officer’s eyes gleamed with understanding. He bowed his head and whispered, "I understand, Colonel! Rest assured, with the help of the tanks and planes, we will certainly take Dingyuan quickly. When that time comes, Colonel—oh, no, I mean General—please look after me!"