Chapter 85

"Pick up the pace! You must build the pontoon bridge before the main force takes the Chinese positions, so they can cross!" Standing on the riverbank, Yamaguchi watched the Imperial soldiers enter the water in orderly rows, one after another. Behind them, the Japanese engineering squad was scrambling to deploy the materials needed for the bridge. Yamaguchi stared at the churning river; in the distance, the sounds of artillery fire from the front lines continued unabated. The setbacks on the front had made the Japanese officer exceptionally anxious. He wanted nothing more than to finish the bridge quickly so he could push forward and rejoin the fighting. "Commander! It’s bad! The Chinese have defensive positions set up on the opposite bank!"