Wang Zhong had no idea that he had blown up the military department's cauldron, causing a huge psychological shock to the enemy.
He was focused on the imminent close combat happening across the river with the naval forces.
The navy's inland gunboat, seeing so many tanks approaching, promptly retreated back to the harbor for cover.
The machine gun positions on the eastern bank opened fire, with tracer bullets flying over the enemy tanks and falling beyond them.
The enemy infantry was already hindered by the mortar fire, and now encountering the overhead shooting, they were completely obscured.
Yet the naval infantry didn't rush forward but lay prone on the breakwater, waiting for the tanks to come closer.
When the enemy tanks advanced to within less than ten meters from the riverbank, the first group of naval infantry jumped up, lunging forward to a distance where they could throw Molotov cocktails.