Chapter 59: Su Changqing Meets Zhou Weiguo, The Bloody Battle at Hongkou-Guerra de Resistência: Estrela de Huangpu, Subjugando Li Yunlong no Início(As coisas mudaram, e as pessoas também não são mais as mesmas.)

Su Changqing looked in the direction of the voice, and who could that person be if not Zhou Weiguo from the Snow Leopard?

Zhou Weiguo was originally named Zhou Wen, a native of Shanghai, who later joined the military and changed his name to Zhou Weiguo.

He was fluent in German and Japanese, possessed a calm, pragmatic, and resolute personality, was quick-witted, skilled in organization, and had swift reflexes.

Zhou Wen was originally a carefree young man from a wealthy family, but fueled by burning patriotism, he shot and killed a Japanese man during the War of Resistance to protect his first love, Chen Yi, which led to him changing his name to Zhou Weiguo.

After joining the military, he progressed from the Kuomintang's Central Military Academy to graduate from the Berlin Military Academy in the German Empire, and later returned to China to participate in the Battle of Songhu.

Following the defeat at the Battle of Songhu, he took part in the Defense of the Capital.

He was a young military commander with exceptionally brilliant military talent.

Su Changqing had been dispatched to the German-equipped 87th Division to serve as a military staff advisor.

This was at the earnest request of Wang Xuezhang, the commander of the 87th Division. According to the original plans of the Old Man, Su Changqing was supposed to hold a certain position within the military staff conferences.

Acting as an intermediary for communication between the two parties.

At the same time, the Old Man also wanted to use this opportunity to properly win over and co-opt Su Changqing.

The Old Man still harbored quite a few grievances toward Su Changqing.

Of course, alongside those grievances, there was even greater anticipation.

However, Boss Dai's several hints to Su Changqing had all been ignored by him.

The face-saving Old Man naturally would not personally step forward to say much more.

At this juncture, the commander of the German-equipped 87th Division and Su Changqing's senior from the first cohort of Whampoa, Wang Xuezhang, offered a suggestion, which the Old Man readily accepted.

The German-equipped divisions were currently at the ceiling of the Republic of China's combat effectiveness, and Commander Wang believed that having Su Changqing accompany the German-equipped division in fighting the Japanese would not only fully utilize Su Changqing's talents, but also quietly persuade him in a manner that he would not find particularly objectionable.

Commander Wang's words hit the exact spot in the Old Man's heart.

This was the reason why Su Changqing appeared in the German-equipped 87th Division and became a staff advisor to the 87th Division.

Looking at the man before him—formerly a wealthy scion, now the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 522nd Regiment of the German-equipped 87th Division—Zhou Weiguo.

Su Changqing took a step forward. "You are Zhou Weiguo, the graduate of the Berlin Military Academy?"

"I often hear your Division Commander Wang mention you. You truly are a man of outstanding talent."

Hearing Su Changqing's voice, Zhou Weiguo turned around.

Upon seeing clearly who had come, Zhou Weiguo snapped to attention with a sharp salute toward Su Changqing.

"Zhou Weiguo, Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 522nd Regiment, German-equipped 87th Division."

"Saluting General Su!"

"A man's renown precedes him, just as a tree's shadow precedes it."

Su Changqing's reputation was immense, and the battles he had commanded were worthy of being recorded in textbooks at the Central Military Academy.

Therefore, at the very first sight of Su Changqing, Zhou Weiguo delivered a standard military salute to him.

"Not bad!"

"Right now, the 522nd Regiment of the 87th Division is responsible for defending the Hongkou and Yangshupu positions in Shanghai."

"We are facing the offensive from the Japanese 5th Mixed Brigade. Zhou Weiguo, the 3rd Battalion under your command is a sharp dagger, and I hope you can lead the 3rd Battalion..."

"...to achieve certain victories."

"Yes!"

...

The Hongkou and Yangshupu positions in Shanghai.

Under the mobilization of Matsui Iwane, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Expeditionary Army in Shanghai,

the notorious 5th Mixed Brigade of the Japanese Army advanced rapidly toward the Hongkou and Yangshupu areas of Shanghai.

The Japanese were determined to capture the Hongkou and Yangshupu positions in Shanghai at all costs.

"Yoshi!"

"I heard that this position is a strongly fortified stronghold built with all their might by the Chinese using a German-equipped division—the absolute strongest force of the Chinese."

"Today,"

"I want to see for myself whether the Chinese German-equipped division is truly strong, or if the prowess of the Imperial Japanese Army is superior."

"Pass down the order!"

"Bombard the Hongkou and Yangshupu positions in Shanghai, and take Shanghai!"

"Do as you please with the Chinese soldiers here, and execute the Chinese prisoners at will."

"Brave warriors of the Empire, the opportunity to fight for the Great Japanese Empire and for His Majesty the Emperor has arrived."

"Charge!"

Following the order given by Inoue Muraki, commander of the Japanese 5th Mixed Brigade,

fierce artillery fire from the Japanese smashed viciously toward the positions of the German-equipped 87th Division.

"Boom!"

"Boom!!"

Raindrops of artillery fire slammed savagely into the positions held by the German-equipped 87th Division.

Although the Japanese artillery attacks could not compare to the firepower of Western powers, to the army of the Republic of China, the pressure was immense!

After all, the artillery firepower of the Republic of China compared to that of the Japanese devils still had far too great a gap.

Even with the German-equipped division's excellent equipment and formidable combat effectiveness, facing the offensive of the Japanese elite troops, they could only manage a casualty exchange ratio of 1:1.

Su Changqing put down the binoculars in his hand and said with deep emotion: "The Japanese devils boast of having the number one army in East Asia."

"Yet their tactics and doctrines are still far too backward."

"Artillery bombardment, followed by infantry charge after the bombardment."

"Yet strangely, it is precisely these simple and brutal tactics that often yield the best results."

That was only because the Japanese devils possessed superior artillery fire; if the artillery levels of both sides were equal, Su Changqing guaranteed he would beat those Japanese devils so hard even their own parents wouldn't recognize them.

"Changqing!"

"It's still you who has a way. This 'cat-ear cave' defensive fortification didn't look like much, yet it has miraculous effects against the Japanese artillery bombardment."

The so-called cat-ear cave was actually referred to as a cliff niche.

It was a shallow cave constructed on the inner walls of redoubts, trenches, and communication trenches for personnel concealment and the storage of ammunition and supplies.

Such as personnel cliff niches, machine gun cliff niches, and ammunition cliff niches, generally accommodating one to two people.

This type of defensive fortification was characterized by simple construction, facilitating rapid personnel concealment and entry into combat.

Its cross-section was usually arched.

To enhance its protective performance, one or two bends were typically made after tunneling to a certain depth.

For cliff niches constructed in ordinary soil, the thickness of the natural protective layer on top should not be less than 0.7 meters.

The cross-sections of ammunition and supply cliff niches could be arched, square, or rectangular.

Cliff niches constructed in soft soil areas could be reinforced with wooden boards, bamboo strips, corrugated steel, and the like.

To prevent water ingress, the bottom of the cliff niche had to be higher than the trench bottom or equipped with a water-blocking ridge at the entrance.

Protective baffles could be installed at the exits to reduce damage from shock waves and shrapnel to personnel and supplies inside the cliff niche.

This defensive fortification had been gradually figured out by Chinese soldiers during the War of Resistance when facing Japanese artillery bombardments.

Later on, it was even applied in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, as well as the Southern Border War.

Therefore, when facing the Japanese artillery bombardment, the cat-ear caves in the 87th Division's positions played a miraculous role.

"When facing enemy artillery bombardment, there are three solutions."

"One of them is the cat-ear cave, and the second is hand-to-hand combat."

"As for the final method, it is the counter-assault."

"To destroy the enemy's artillery forces."

Saying this, Su Changqing looked toward his old senior.

"Senior!"

"I heard that Zhou Weiguo, commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 522nd Regiment, is a top-tier talent who graduated from the Berlin Military Academy."

"Counter-assault is a mandatory course for graduates of the Berlin Military Academy."

"I think the card in Senior's hand is ready to be played."