PS: The second update arrives, asking for subscriptions, monthly passes and recommended tickets!

The 5th Brigade of the Imperial Chinese Army has more than 6,000 people, 6 infantry battalions and an artillery battalion, plus troops directly under the brigade headquarters. However, at the time of the crossing of the river, the artillery battalion and the units directly under the brigade remained on the south bank of the Yangtze River, and the first wave of operations was launched by six infantry battalions.

Under the heavy artillery fire, most of the Qing army's coastal fortifications have been destroyed, and the 35th Infantry Division of the Qing army has also suffered heavy losses. At this time, it is the best time to cross the river. More than 4,000 elite troops, in landing craft and small fishing boats, set off from the south bank of the Yangtze River and quickly rowed to the north of the Yangtze River. Landing craft are larger than small fishing boats, so the 5th Brigade has set up heavy machine guns and mortars on these landing craft so that it can launch a counterattack in the event of an attack without being able to fight back at all. At the time of landing operations, it was originally a time when crimes were easy to attack, and the landing troops at this time were often powerless to fight back. You can only survive this round of attacks, and wait until you land on the shore to launch a counterattack.

The 5th Brigade is an infantry brigade, not a Marine Corps, and has not been subjected to specialized landing operations. Fortunately, this is the Yangtze River, not the sea. Otherwise, these landlubbers will have to pay more casualties if they want to land.

The 35th Infantry Division of the Qing Army was taken by surprise, and when the division commander, Major General Bao Qibao, learned that the troops of the Chinese Empire had begun to land, he hurriedly ordered the troops on the front line to enter the position to block the landing of the troops of the Chinese Empire. However, the 2nd Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division, which was originally deployed on the front line, had already suffered heavy losses in the previous shelling, and the rest of the people were also in shock. There was no time to attack. Coupled with the fact that the artillery of the 35th Infantry Division had already been destroyed, they simply could not launch a favorable counterattack against the troops of the Chinese Empire who had crossed the river.

The 5th Brigade that crossed the river was not attacked by the Qing army until it was less than 300 meters away from the river bank. Thousands of Qing troops were on the beach on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Rifles were fired at the officers and men of the 5th Brigade who crossed the river. This kind of firepower does not pose any threat to them at all.

"Dada! Rumble! Rumble! "Heavy machine guns and mortars mounted on the landing craft opened fire. Dense bullets and shells fell on the beach, and the Qing soldiers who were blown up turned on their backs, and many Qing soldiers were knocked to the ground or torn to pieces by the shells. This frightened the surviving Qing soldiers, and they dragged their guns and ran to the position. No longer dare to stop the landing of the Imperial Army. No matter how much the low-ranking officers of the Qing army drove away, those Qing soldiers hid in the bombed trenches overseas, and did not dare to fight again.

9 a.m. The first landing craft rushed to the beach on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and the 5th Brigade of the Imperial Chinese Army successfully landed on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Subsequently, more and more landing craft and fishing boats landed on the north bank of the Yangtze River. In this landing operation, the losses incurred by the Imperial Army were very small. Only a handful of people were injured. Killed. Only one small boat capsized in the middle of the river, and a squad of soldiers on it was missing, and it was not known if it would survive the surging river.

The imperial soldiers who rushed to the beach on the north bank of the Yangtze River jumped off the landing craft and fishing boats and ran to the shore, where they needed to build a beachhead and then gradually break through the Qing army's position. Only then were the rest of the 5th Army of the Imperial Army able to transport them by large ships. To defeat the 9th Army of the Qing Army. The capture of Hankow and Hanyang was obviously not something that could be achieved by the 5th Infantry Brigade alone.

"Smack!" Crisp gunfire rang out on the banks of the Yangtze River in Hankow. Several Imperial soldiers, who had just jumped from the fishing boat, were knocked to the ground. Blood flowed from his body, and then the fine white sand on the river beach. Their comrades-in-arms did not have time to pay attention to them. They need to launch a counterattack to avenge their fallen comrades.

"Dada!" A heavy machine gun was lowered and began to strafe the positions of the Qing troops. Several Qing soldiers who were firing their guns were shot dead on the spot. Some Qing troops also noticed the strong fire of the heavy machine guns and fired at this place one after another. Dense bullets hit the shield of the heavy machine gun and rang out.

"Boom!" A mortar shell flew into the trench of the Qing army, and several Qing soldiers were blown up, and after landing, they were obviously lifeless. Although the Qing army had fortifications to rely on, in terms of firepower, they were completely at a disadvantage, and they were completely pressed and beaten by the imperial army.

"General Liu, the 5th Brigade has successfully landed and is building a beachhead. With their attack power, it would not be a problem at all to defeat the Qing army stationed there. Soon, the 23rd Infantry Brigade will be able to cross the river! Major General Zhao Mingfu, commander of the 5th Army, said with a smile. Although he expected that it would be easy to cross the river and land on the battlefield, the Qing army's combat effectiveness was too weak to pose any threat to the imperial army. However, the invasion crossed the Yangtze River lightly, and the losses paid were also staggeringly small, which was still beyond his expectations.

"Hmmm! It seems that the Qing army is even weaker than we think. Major General Liu Zhongming said.

"Yes, General Liu, the Qing army is not vulnerable at all. But if the Russians dare to intervene, we have to make them look good. Major General Zhao Mingfu said. Fighting with the Qing army is completely like the Chinese fighting the Chinese, and even if they win, there is no glory. To defeat foreigners on the battlefield, that is the real credit. Many generals who had never fought with foreigners were very much looking forward to the future war with the Russians.

"Russians? I guess we'll meet them soon! Major General Liu Zhongming said. However, although the Russians are famous in Europe, Major General Liu Zhongming is not too worried. One thing is very crucial, and that is that Russia's industrial strength is too weak. At a time when countries all over the world are equipping breech guns as standard rifles, the Russian army is changing its outfit very slowly, and a large part of the troops are still equipped with old-fashioned breech guns. If these Russian troops who entered China to fight were also Russian troops who had not changed their clothes, then this battle would have been much easier.

On the north bank of the Yangtze River, fierce battles continued. After the landing of the 5th Brigade of the Imperial Army, it began to gradually attack the Qing army's defensive line. The positions of the Qing army were almost destroyed in the previous bombardment, and the defense was greatly reduced. After encountering the fierce attack of the Imperial Army, it was difficult for them to resist. The 35th Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Qing Army originally had more than 3,000 people. However, they lost a lot of money in the previous shelling, and the remaining people, after being hit hard by the Imperial Army, were difficult to stop the attack of the Imperial Army. The commander of the Qing army constantly asked for reinforcements from the division headquarters.

At the division headquarters of the 35th Infantry Division of the Qing Army, Major General and Division Commander Bao Qibao anxiously paced back and forth. The order of the army commander Rong Yucai has arrived, requiring the 35th Division to defend to the death and resist the Chinese Empire. Follow-up reinforcements will arrive soon. However, Bao Qibao has no bottom in his heart. The attack of the Chinese Empire was too fierce, and the artillery of the 35th Division was wiped out at the beginning. Their shells, as if they didn't want money, kept fighting, which caused great casualties to the 35th Division. Some subsequent military operations simply could not be carried out normally.

"Division commander, Regiment Commander Wang asked for reinforcements, and they were attacked by thousands of rebels. The firepower of those rebels is very strong, and the 2nd Regiment has suffered heavy losses, and it is almost impossible to resist! A junior officer said to Bao Qibao.

"Sue the third king, you must resist the attack of the rebels. I'll send him reinforcements right away! "Bao Qibao had no choice but to send the 1st Regiment* as a reserve. Now is not the time to preserve his strength, and if the defense line is breached, he will be dealt with by military law.

"Heavy machine guns and mortars cover, the first squad charged me, and the second squad detoured. The third class acts as a reserve! "An Imperial Army second lieutenant, hiding behind a large rock on the river beach, gives orders.

"Dada! Rumble! A Type 44 heavy machine gun spewed flames and fired a dense stream of bullets at the Qing positions in front. Mortars were also firing at maximum rate of fire, hitting the Qing troops hiding in the trenches with shells. The dozens of Qing soldiers guarding this section of the trench were beaten and could not hold their heads up, so they could only hide in the trenches.

Then at this opportunity, the soldiers of the two squads of the Imperial Army jumped up from the river beach and quickly rushed towards the position of the Qing army, like tigers descending from the mountain.

Several soldiers were knocked to the ground during the charge, but many more managed to approach less than thirty meters from the Qing army's position.

"Grenades!" A sergeant squad leader shouted.

Several grenades flew accurately into the trenches of the Qing army.

"Boom! Rumble! "The Qing troops in the trenches suffered heavy casualties.

The Imperial Army also took the opportunity to rush through the last distance and storm into the trenches.

"Smack!" A squad leader's pistol kept firing, knocking several Qing soldiers to the ground. The rest of the soldiers also quickly fired the bullets from their rifles, and then began to fight with the Qing troops in the trenches.

Although the Imperial Army did not attach importance to white-knuckle warfare, it never relaxed its training in this area. In addition, the food of the imperial soldiers was much better than that of the Qing army, and compared to the thin Qing soldiers, the imperial soldiers were undoubtedly more robust. This gives the Imperial soldiers a great advantage in fighting with a hand-to-head battle.

In the face of the strong imperial soldiers, the Qing army was defeated and retreated, and some of the Qing troops who were frightened ran away, and if they couldn't escape, they simply threw away the weapons in their hands and knelt down to the imperial soldiers to beg for mercy.

As the Qing army's defense line was constantly breached. The 5th Brigade of the Imperial Army defeated the 2nd Regiment of the 35th Division of the Qing Army and the 1st Regiment that arrived later in a little more than an hour, seized the frontline positions of the Qing army, and drove the Qing army back to the city of Hankou. (To be continued......)