175: All-out attack to achieve the objective

August 16th, 1:00 AM.

In the Zhabei Frontline Headquarters, the telephone suddenly rang.

General Zhang Zhizhong grabbed the phone; from the receiver came the final decision from Nanjing: the resumption of the offensive was approved!

At the same time, he received a report.

The most elite Central Training Corps of the National Revolutionary Army and Song Xilian's 36th Division have arrived in Shanghai as ordered.

Zhang Zhizhong put down the phone and took a deep breath.

His gaze fell once more on the operational plan Lu Fan had submitted in advance.

The plan detailed the predicted enemy troop distribution and firepower configuration in each area.

It even marked the optimal assault routes and infantry-tank coordination nodes; its precision was as if he possessed foresight.

He straightened his back, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the headquarters, and spoke with a solemn expression: "Fellow colleagues, the moment for the decisive battle has arrived."

"Return to your units immediately. Scrapping the original plans, we are switching to a full-scale offensive. Everyone push forward and fight it out with the japanese."

"Yes!"

In an instant, the generals saluted in unison, as hyped as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Despite knowing the upcoming battle would be incredibly dangerous, they turned and left resolutely to execute the orders.

"A god... he is truly a god!" Zhang Zhizhong couldn't help but marvel in a low voice again.

This Boss Lu's insight into both the battlefield and the political situation was simply incredible to him.

At this moment, he was filled with unprecedented confidence in the battle that had already been launched.

3:00 AM, the deepest part of the night.

With Zhang Zhizhong's command, the entire Shanghai force suddenly awoke like a sleeping giant.

"Open fire!"

Boom! Boom!

The artillery deployed in the rear and at various positions were the first to roar.

Thousands of shells, trailing scorching flames, tore through the pitch-black night sky.

They slammed into the japanese-controlled areas of Hongkou District and Yangshupu like a rainstorm.

Deafening explosions resounded continuously, turning the japanese forward positions and various bunkers into a sea of fire.

A full-scale assault where it was either you die or I perish had officially begun.

The moment the artillery fire extended, in Zhabei, the roar of engines shook the earth.

Lu Fan's Security Team charged into the battlefield like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

Twenty type 80 main battle tanks accelerated to full speed, advancing in a wedge formation at the forefront.

The 105mm main guns continuously spat tongues of fire, destroying and crushing any japanese fire points or simple fortifications along the way.

Following closely behind were four hundred Security Team Members infantrymen, armed to the teeth.

They were not on foot; instead, every man was riding a military off-road motorcycle.

type 85 submachine guns or qjy-201 general purpose machine guns were mounted on both sides of the bikes.

Like ancient cavalry, they relied on the cover of the tanks to move rapidly, sweep, and outflank with high mobility.

This beyond-the-era 'motorized infantry-tank coordination' tactic displayed destructive power on the battlefield.

The tanks were responsible for the frontal assault, drawing as much enemy fire as possible while suppressing them.

The motorized infantry, relying on speed, mobility, and powerful automatic fire...

...cleared out enemy infantry in the tanks' blind spots, completely dismantling the japanese attempts to deploy defense lines using barricades and houses.

Finally, the Friendly Forces infantry followed up to perform the final sweep of the battlefield.

After this set of procedures, not a single japanese could escape from the defense line.

It had to be a total annihilation.

Lu Fan's troops were like a steel torrent, a rolling wave charging toward the japanese defense zone with incomparable momentum.

They were invincible, sweeping through in almost a straight line, forcefully tearing the entire occupied area apart.

The japanese defensive works and troops along the way were swept away like yellow leaves in an autumn wind.

Lu Fan's unit used the most violent method to create excellent tactical opportunities for the other Friendly Forces.

The 87th Division, 88th Division, 36th Division, and the Central Training Corps under Zhang Zhizhong's command took the opportunity to launch a fierce attack.

Although they didn't have advanced equipment like the Security Team, they all held the resolve to sacrifice themselves for the country.

The assault teams charged forward without fear of death.

Suddenly, they discovered that the submachine guns in their hands were truly fierce, and the bulletproof vests on their bodies really could stop bullets.

As the assault teams broke into the defense zone, the japanese fell into chaos, and their defense lines wavered in many places.

The main force followed up with a full-line advance; the japanese forward positions could no longer hold, and large numbers of japanese were wiped out.

For a time, reports of victory kept coming from the battlefield; they recovered a large amount of lost territory in one fell swoop and pushed the frontline aggressively toward the Huangpu River.

As the fighting continued, the focus of the war once again converged near the japanese Marine Corps Naval Headquarters building.

The officers and soldiers of the 88th Division engaged in a brutal tug-of-war and urban combat with the 1st Battalion of the japanese Marine Corps entrenched there.

They fought house by house, blood flowing like a river, and the offensive was momentarily stalled.

Upon learning of this, Lu Fan immediately ordered: "Tank squad, continue the frontal assault to tear through the defense line."

"Motorized Infantry 1st and 2nd Companies, follow me to flank from the right and support our brothers in the 88th Division!"

The motorized infantry of the Security Team demonstrated terrifying battlefield mobility.

They utilized the corridors opened by the tanks and the city streets to bypass the main battlefield at lightning speed.

They suddenly appeared on the flank and rear of the Naval Headquarters battlefield.

"Fire!" Lu Fan commanded.

The machine guns and submachine guns on hundreds of off-road motorcycles opened fire simultaneously.

The dense rain of bullets was like a sudden storm, pinning the japanese down so they couldn't even lift their heads.

With the japanese fully suppressed, the Security Team had their hands free to use Rocket Artillerys.

In an instant, the scales of the battlefield tipped.

The 2nd Battalion of the japanese Marine Corps was beaten into a sorry state, their formation falling into total disarray.

The soldiers of the 88th Division seized the opportunity to charge the japanese directly, mowing down the exposed enemy in swathes.

The battle became one-sided; the 2nd Battalion of the japanese Marine Corps was quickly divided, surrounded, and annihilated.

Their battalion Commander, Kanayama Goro, was accurately shot and killed in the chaos.

That military flag representing the honor of the Marine Corps was also captured by the Security Team Members.

With the collapse of this strongpoint, the japanese resistance in the entire Yang-Hongkou area completely disintegrated.

By dawn, after several hours of bloody fighting at any cost...

...under the lead of Lu Fan's Security Team as the tip of the spear and the desperate efforts of all soldiers...

...the remnants of the japanese forces entrenched in Hongkou, Yangpu, and other districts were finally compressed and driven into the narrow strip along the Huangpu River.

However, one had to admire the military discipline of the japanese; even after being routed this far, the Foot Basin did not surrender.

Instead, they relied on the artillery protection of the massive fleet anchored on the river to construct a final line of defense.

The giant guns of the 'Izumo' and other vessels roared continuously, slamming heavy shells into the troops attempting to approach.

The numerous japanese ships used their high-powered naval guns to forge a wall of fire for the Foot Basin on land.

General Zhang Zhizhong stood at the forward command post, his face solemn but his expression exceptionally determined.

No matter what today, he was going to devour all of these little japanese.