Chapter 133: The Little Devils' Tank Deployment!

The Japanese tank squadron had withdrawn along with the main force following their failed offensive and was now resting in place. Nearby, two Japanese officers were engaged in a hushed conversation.

"Asakusa-kun, will this move of ours cause Colonel Wakizaka to hold a grudge against us? After all, we are the tank unit. By refusing to lead the charge and forcing the infantry to take the front, it feels a bit..." the officer, who appeared to be a Sergeant Major, said with hesitation to the officer before him.

Hearing this, the man in the Major’s uniform—Asakusa Taitaro, the commander of the tank squadron—wore a sneer. "Matsuno-kun, you are still too young."

"We are a tank squadron. Even though Wakizaka Jiro is a regimental commander, he has no authority over us. Even if he tried to force his will, do you think our Brigade Commander would remain silent?" Asakusa glanced toward the infantry’s position in the distance and lowered his voice. "This offensive against Dingyuan is, to put it bluntly, Wakizaka Jiro’s mess. He made a vow before the Commander of the 9th Division to capture the position within a day. Having failed due to his own incompetence, he now needs our assistance."

"The higher-ups had no choice but to send us. Wakizaka Jiro has quite the scheme—he wants our tank squadron to lead the charge while his infantry follows behind to claim the credit. Where in the world does such a good deal exist?" Asakusa remarked with disdain.

Asakusa continued, "That is why I refused to deploy the tanks. I want to force Wakizaka Jiro to come to me. When I negotiate with him, our tank squadron will ensure we get a share of the credit for capturing Dingyuan, no matter what."

Upon hearing this, Matsuno’s expression shifted to one of sudden realization. With a look of admiration, he said, "The Squadron Commander is wise! This way, we can secure a portion of the glory. Truly brilliant!"

Asakusa laughed at the flattery. "Matsuno-kun, things on the battlefield are not as simple as you think. Only by observing and learning can one survive long, and only by thinking and acting can one climb higher. Since our rank is currently low, we must leverage influence to advance—we are using the prestige of our Tank Brigade Commander to intimidate Wakizaka Jiro."

"Take this instance, for example. If we weren't an armored unit and he an infantryman with different chains of command, he would have no power over us. If we had simply followed orders and captured Dingyuan, the credit would have gone entirely to Wakizaka. But now, because of our Brigade Commander, Wakizaka dares not bully us. That is why we have the leverage to claim our share. Do you understand?" Asakusa looked at Matsuno with profound meaning.

"Thank you for your guidance, Squadron Commander. I will take your words to heart!" Matsuno, realizing that Asakusa was mentoring him, bowed in gratitude.

"Yoshi, I am glad you understand my intentions," Asakusa said, nodding with satisfaction.

As they spoke, a soldier ran over and shouted, "Commander, Colonel Wakizaka requests your presence!"

Matsuno and Asakusa exchanged a glance. A relaxed, triumphant look appeared on Asakusa’s face. "See? Wakizaka Jiro can no longer sit still."

Straightening his uniform and clutching his command sword, Asakusa nodded haughtily. "Lead the way!"

...

"Banzai!"

A battalion commander drew his sword, pointed it toward the front, and roared the order. Nearly a thousand Japanese soldiers responded in unison, their deafening shouts echoing through the air as if to pierce the clouds. The display of force was enough to make anyone tremble.

Soon, the thousand troops, led by their officers, charged rapidly toward the city walls. Leading the infantry were six tanks, arranged in a line to spearhead the assault. The reinforcing tank squadron consisted of twelve armored vehicles; six were deployed at the South Gate, which remained the primary target, while the others were distributed to the East and West gates as support.

"Vroom, vroom..."

Amidst the thunderous roar, the six tanks crawled toward the city in a line, with the Japanese soldiers following closely behind, their spirits bolstered. Although their previous failure had dealt a blow to morale, the presence of the Empire's "invincible" tanks had restored their fervor. They marched with heads held high, as if fearing nothing.

In the minds of the Japanese soldiers, their tanks were always invincible on the battlefield. When fighting against the Republic of China, the appearance of their tanks was considered the herald of an inevitable victory.

Although these Japanese tanks weighed only three to five tons—hardly even light tanks, and at best, mere "tin cans"—they posed a grave threat. At the time, the Chinese forces were poorly equipped; they possessed few artillery pieces and even fewer anti-tank weapons. To deal with an armored vehicle, soldiers often had to resort to explosive satchels or bundles of grenades. This usually came at a horrific cost, and even then, destroying a single tank was an arduous task.

Consequently, in the early stages of the War of Resistance, whenever Japanese tanks appeared, the defenders were often forced into a panicked retreat. It was a deeply frustrating reality.

Now, as the six tanks roared forward, the psychological pressure on the defenders was immense. When the machines finally loomed before them, the soldiers were stunned.

"Damn it! It's the enemy's tanks!" Huzi, commander of the 2nd Regiment of the Independent Brigade, saw the scene and his expression changed drastically. He knew they were in trouble.

Up until now, the defenders of Dingyuan could have easily held their ground against infantry alone. But with the introduction of tanks, the situation had become dire. Although the Independent Brigade was relatively well-equipped, their resources were finite. In terms of raw firepower, they were evenly matched with the Japanese, but they lacked anti-tank weaponry.

Huzi immediately signaled a soldier nearby. "Quick, report to the Brigade Commander! Tell him the Japanese have deployed their tank unit!"

The soldier nodded and bolted away without a moment’s hesitation.

"I hope the Brigade Commander has a way to deal with those iron monsters," Huzi thought to himself, watching the soldier disappear into the distance.