Chapter Fifty-Two: Lowering the Flag and Stopping the Drums

  Offense and defense are the balance of spear and shield, which is better or worse depends on the situation. Defending from a high position and relying on the terrain to gain an advantage can break the balance and counterbalance the enemy. Although the 137th regiment did not occupy a strategic location, it still had some advantages in defense. The devils launched wave after wave of attacks against the 137th regiment's defensive line, but all were in vain.

  The charge has been going on for four hours, and the temperature at noon is much higher than in the morning. Although the temperature is not high, the air on the battlefield is filled with scorching factors, and the bloody smell of blood floats in the air. The horses on both sides became even more frantic under the stimulation of the bloody smell.

  Koza Takehiro saw that the charging soldiers were already exhausted, all their sharpness had been worn away by repeated unsuccessful charges, and their blades were easily broken. Although he had a strong faith in his own troops, at this moment he was also very conflicted. Continuing to consume like this was not a solution, whether to continue the charge or temporarily stop, Koza Takehiro's mind was torn apart.

  At this time, Xu Zhiwei was also drenched in sweat, if he was still spirited and ambitious at the beginning, but now he was exhausted and unable to continue. This was absolutely a hard-hitting consumption, with casualties on both sides rising sharply. Xu Zhiwei had never been as frightened as today, only because he had never thought that his limbs would leave him so quickly.

  Four companies have been exhausted, and the casualties of nearly 800 people made Ozawa's head start to ache. Even though many personnel were consumed by the large number of landmines laid out at the beginning, such a large casualty figure was unacceptable to Ozawa, who had always been smooth sailing.

  After a long internal struggle, Koide Takeo finally ordered the cessation of the attack. The people on both sides let out a sigh of relief. Xu Zhiyuan also stopped being tough and let out a long breath. However, before he could relax for long, the casualty report showed 738 deaths and 36 injuries, which made him unable to relax again. Xu Zhiyuan gazed at the retreating Japanese soldiers in front of him, his teeth clenched in hatred. He had thought that with the geographical advantage, he would be able to defeat the enemy easily, but he never expected that the initial contact battle would cost nearly a third of his troops. As ammunition was consumed, it was impossible to guarantee the same level of firepower in the later stages. Xu Zhiyuan wondered how he could defend against the enemy's crazy attacks then, and for the first time, he felt so uncertain.

  He halted the attack, and stopped his advance. Kawahara Tōhei could not suppress his indignation, and with the most vicious language he humiliated all the generals from the highest to the lowest. The humiliation was minor; some of the generals were even severely struck on the head and face by Kawahara's sword, and no one dared to dodge. Those who were hit had their heads and faces covered in blood, yet they did not dare utter a word of protest, after all it was they who had failed to attack effectively.

  Koizumi Takehira vented his anger and scolded the officers to leave. He immediately sent a telegram to Fujiwara and Katsuta, requesting them to change their original strategy from containment to fierce attack, putting immense pressure on the defending 259th Brigade. This time, Koizumi Takehira no longer cared about his pride and requested that the division dispatch an artillery battalion to him. The firepower of nine 75mm mountain guns and three 75mm cannons was more than enough to tear apart the front line. Although he would inevitably be ridiculed by his colleagues in the military department later, Koizumi Takehira no longer considered it too much for victory. He was no longer impatient, knowing that the supplies of the 259th Brigade were definitely inferior to those of his own brigade. As long as they held out until the arrival of reinforcements and artillery fire, they could easily take down the front line.

  After a morning of frantic attacks, the Japanese army suddenly changed its face and not only did not see any signs of continued attack, but also began to lay barbed wire in front of their positions at a slow pace. Xu Zhiwei scratched his head and couldn't understand what the little devils were up to, but Xu Zhiwei, who was already somewhat nervous, could accept this stalemate for now.

  Just a moment ago, the two sides that were killing each other in the dark have somehow become peaceful and are now gazing at each other from both banks of the gravel beach. However, the blood-stained gravel beach is telling people that this is a powder keg that will explode at any moment, rather than a peaceful stalemate.

  The hours of the afternoon were spent in a tense atmosphere, although the enemy soldiers opposite did not show any signs of attacking, but none of the 137th regiment's warriors dared to be careless. The soldiers on duty in the trenches changed shifts every two hours to ensure that the front-line personnel were as fierce and majestic as tigers.

  Before sunset, You Fei and Jiang Zhuang finally arrived at Pishan Beach with a group of people.

  The news of You Fei's arrival quickly spread throughout the 137th Regiment. The regimental commander had arrived, and naturally all the brothers in the 137th Regiment were filled with excitement. They temporarily forgot the pain of losing their comrades that morning, and their fighting spirit rose again. This was because You Fei had once told them - the 137th Regiment was the iron core of the 259th Brigade, the sharp point of the 259th Brigade's military power. Having received such high praise from You Fei, the 137th Regiment naturally hoped to show off their bravery and combat strength in front of him, worthy of his praise.

  Yu Fei looked up and gazed into the distance, although the soldiers were all in high spirits, but from the pockmarked surroundings that had been bombed out, it was clear that the 137th Regiment had previously clashed with the devils in a fierce battle.

  Xu Zhiwei recounted the details of the battle between the two sides that morning to You Fei, who furrowed his brow more and more as he listened. After hearing the report, You Fei angrily shouted: "Damn it! How can the little devil's cannon have so many shells!" Although they had previously received reports from Wang Lie about the abnormal number of shells used by the Japanese army, You Fei couldn't help but complain at this time.

  Xu Zhiwei was frightened by the shells that were falling like raindrops in the morning, and when he heard You Fei's complaint, Xu Zhiwei just remained silent.

  "You're familiar with the 9th Infantry Brigade of the 10th Division, 7th Group Army of the Imperial Japanese Army, aren't you, Xu Zhiwei?"

  Xu Zhiwei was taken aback, then burst into a rage: "That 9th Regiment at the mouth of the Wusong River, damn it, what a coincidence! It turns out that this group of killers..."

  You Fei's eyes were blazing with fire, his gaze towards the enemy camp was fierce and crazy. After a long time, he finally withdrew his gaze and said: "This is also the intelligence that Wang Lie passed back to me, otherwise I really didn't know that this time it was our old acquaintance who came. I don't know how Wang Lie and the others are doing now, I hope everything is okay." You Fei looked up at the sky, with such heavy casualties from the first contact, he wondered if the defense of the position was correct. At this moment, You Fei had a slight doubt about his previous decision, but it was too late now, and all he could do was to withstand the enemy's attack firmly. You Fei let out a deep sigh...