Tiger Troops: The 74th Army of the Kuomintang Anti-Japanese Ace

Chapter 34 Put the word "death" on your head (Battle of Henan, Hunan, Guangxi and the defense of Hengyang) (3)
The reasons are very complicated. One of them may be that Chiang Kai-shek believes that there is a fundamental difference in nature between fleeing against orders and surrendering in defeat.After the end of World War II, Chiang Kai-shek met with Wainwright, the American general who had surrendered to the Japanese army in Chongqing. He said: "Soldiers, fighting until they run out of ammunition and food, can temporarily surrender and lay down their weapons. There is an old saying in China: 'Victory or defeat is the key to success. Soldiers who put down their arms should be treated kindly."

Chiang Kai-shek did not say this in front of foreigners, he did the same when dealing with Pang Bingxun's defection to the enemy.On the second day after Japan surrendered, Pang Bingxun received a telegram from Chiang Kai-shek: "Return to the team immediately and participate in the surrender operation!"

In order to conquer Hengyang, the Japanese army paid a great price.After seeing the Tenth Army raising the white flag, Yong Shanyong immediately pulled out a brigade to go to Jiwo Mountain to rescue the [-]nd, [-]th and [-]rd regiments that had been beaten into a shapeless form.

During the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese general Umezawa Doji commanded the reserve force to defend Benxi Lake. During this period, he asked the commander-in-chief Dashanyan for reinforcements, but he was not agreed.Mei Ze had no choice but to block the attack desperately.Dashan took advantage of this opportunity to launch an attack, and finally forced the Russian army to retreat in an all-round way. Mei Ze became famous because of this, and was regarded as "Mei Ze like a flower".

Toda, the captain of the [-]nd, [-]th Regiment, believed that his contribution in the Battle of Hengyang could be compared with that of Umezawa, and he also gave a high hat to the commander of the army who seemed extremely heartless at first, saying that Yokoyama was considering The mood when he wanted to reinforce him was similar to how Dashan treated Umezawa back then.

Since the battle of Changde, the Chinese air force has surpassed the Japanese army, but at the same time, a considerable number of ground troops lack the overall concept and tenacious fighting will.In the process of being ordered to clear the siege, some of them preserved their strength, some retreated at will, some refused to save them, and some put on a show. As a result, the defensive troops were isolated and exhausted. To break out, those who are unlucky can only wait to be annihilated or defeated and surrender.

In the list of troops that should be blamed, the "Tiger Force" should not be included.Although it failed to rescue Hengyang, the performance and efforts of the 74th Army, especially the 58th Division, were still recognized. The commander of the 58th Division, Zhang Lingfu, was awarded the Baoding Medal. The former 74th Army generals who received this honor were Yu Chengwan and Li Tianxia.

big appetite
After the fall of Hengyang, in order to prevent the Japanese army from advancing westward along the railway, the Chinese army built a frontal defense line of the Xianggui Railway in the Hongqiao area west of Hengyang.On this line of defense, Shi Zhongcheng's No.70 Fourth Army was deployed in Shaoyang (formerly known as Baoqing). After arriving in Shaoyang, the Seventh Division under it immediately decided to build fortifications and actively carried out repairs.

The No.11 Army of the Japanese Army also made a large number of supplements to its soldiers and weapons, but there was still a large shortage. For example, the No.40 Division originally had twelve mountain cannons, but now only six are available.Despite this, Yokoyama has no intention of suspending the battle.He mainly considered that the Chinese reinforcements in Hengyang still maintained a strategic offensive posture and had actually formed a U-shaped encirclement against the Japanese army.If they are not wiped out in time, these troops will not only take the opportunity to recapture Hengyang, but also cut off the Japanese army's rear communication line from both sides of the Xiangjiang River.If this is the case, it is bound to pose a great threat to the No.11 Army.

Heng Shanyong decided to continue launching the Battle of Hongqiao in order to surround and annihilate the Chinese troops gathered at Hongqiao.Regarding his idea, the "China Dispatch Army" expressed opposition from the very beginning, on the grounds that the No. 11 Army's vitality was severely injured in the Battle of Hengyang, and the combat effectiveness of each unit had not yet fully recovered, so it was not suitable for continuous combat. Under such circumstances, front-line supplies are also difficult to keep up with.

One of the greatest difficulties the Japanese army faced in the Battle of Changheng and even in the entire "Operation No. [-]" was the long supply line, which had to be consolidated from time to time.The Chinese army also discovered that every time the Japanese frontline troops advanced about [-] kilometers, they had to stay for a few days to wait for the logistics troops to send supplies.

The concerns of the "Chinese Dispatch Army" are not unreasonable, but just like during the Changde Battle, Yokoyama and his staff selectively ignored the instructions of their superiors. On August 8, after completing the adjustment, replenishment and rest of the troops, the No. 29 Army of the Japanese Army issued an order to attack Hongqiao.

On the same day, the No. 11 Army of the Japanese Army sent a telegram to the headquarters of the "China Expeditionary Army", reporting the deployment of the Hongqiao Battle first and then the deployment, and stating that they would break through the Hongqiao combat area and officially enter the Hunan-Guangxi battle. Phase one.

The Hunan-Guangxi battle is the "Operation No. [-]", except for the Battle of Central Henan and the last stage of the Battle of Changheng - the Battle of Guiliu, the first phase of the plan is to directly capture Lingling and Shaoyang.However, according to the original plan of the "China Dispatch Army", the operation will take at least half a month to start.The command was shocked that the subordinates had now advanced the campaign by so long without their consent.

Lieutenant General Hou Gongchun, the Chief of Staff, personally sent a telegram to the No.11 Army, arguing that even if the Battle of Hongqiao was to be launched, it should be regarded as the preparation for the Battle of Guiliu, not the start, so the attack on Lingling and Shaoyang should be postponed.

The Nanjing telegram caused controversy within the No.11 Army Command of the Japanese Army.Even Yokoyama himself hesitated this time, because the telegram made it very clear that if he insists on going his own way and encounters logistical difficulties, the headquarters can only be the shopkeeper-"No. 11 Army must first rely on itself to advance rear".

In the headquarters, the only person who sang against the Nanjing headquarters was the senior staff officer Takeji Shimanuki.Shimanuki was the main maker of the Japanese battle plan for the Changheng Battle. He insisted on mission first, emphasizing that the Battle of Hongqiao had already begun, and where the battle would go in the future would depend on the enemy's situation.

The change in the battle situation finally allowed Shimanuki to win the debate. On August 8, just two days after the No.31 Army launched its offensive, the Chinese army in front of Hongqiao was completely shaken.Under such circumstances, although the "Chinese Dispatch Army" still had complaints about the Hongqiao Battle, they had to acquiesce.

Heng Shanyong had a lot of appetite for launching the Hongqiao Battle. At first, he wanted to achieve a breakthrough from the northwest of Hongqiao, and divide and encircle and wipe out all the Chinese corps without leaving one.The Chinese did not expect that the No. 11 Army of the Japanese Army could assemble so many troops and launch a battle without stopping. However, the problem finally came from the No. 11 Army itself: due to the hasty start and lack of necessary strategic deception, the various troops They all marched towards Hongqiao in a siege posture, which was tantamount to calling the police to the Chinese army in advance, telling them to retreat quickly.

The scheduled encirclement and annihilation battle turned into a pursuit battle, and Shimanuki stomped his feet in anxiety. He wrote in his diary: "The enemy's retreat may be due to our army's attempt to expose it."

The Japanese army was eager to expand its achievements, and the frontline battle situation intensified as a result.In a panic, many Chinese troops were retreating instead of retreating. Among them, the No. 70 Ninth Army was even attacked by the cavalry of the No. 40 Division of the Japanese Army. The commander of the No. [-] Division Wang Jiaben was unfortunately killed.

The 74th Army guarding Shaoyang is the key target that Yokoyama wants to annihilate.As of August 8, the 31st Division, 51th Division and the vanguard of the No. 58th Division of the Japanese Army had been fighting fiercely for two days, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. On September 40, the main force of the No.9 Division of the Japanese Army arrived one after another, and the offensive became more violent.At the critical juncture, the 1st Division was transferred to other directions to block the Japanese army advancing westward, and only the 40th Division remained on the defensive position east of Shaoyang.

Judging from the situation at the time, the longer the 58th Division's fierce battle with the enemy is delayed, the greater the danger, but if it turns around and withdraws, it may suffer greater losses. The strategy formulated by the 74th Army was to use the 58th Division to use the preset positions one after another to block. While consuming Japanese troops, it bought time for the 57th Division to complete the defense of Shaoyang City.

On September 9, the Japanese army captured Lingling, but the No.6 Division had not been able to break through the periphery of Shaoyang. Later, the division was transferred to the Guiliu battlefield, and the Japanese No.40 Seventh Division attacked instead.

On September 9, the 11th Division completed its defensive deployment. The 57th Division, with more than half of its casualties, left a small force to delay the enemy's advance, and the main force withdrew to the west of Shaoyang.

At this time, the Japanese army had focused its attack on the Gui and Liu areas. On September 9, the No. 14 Japanese army captured Quanzhou, Guangxi.While the commander of the army, Yong Shanyong, felt complacent, he also felt that he had to eliminate the hidden dangers in his rear—Shaoyang, guarded by the No.11 Fourth Army, was located in the northwest of Hengyang, and it was always a serious threat to Hengyang and the Hunan-Guangxi Railway.

Isamu Yokoyama issued an order to the 30th Division, requesting support for the No.[-] Seventh Division of the Japanese Army, which was the main attack.The division was then ordered to occupy the river bank near the southwest of Shaoyang, and then detour to the west and northwest of Shaoyang in an attempt to cut off the defenders' retreat to the northwest.

If Shaoyang is besieged on all sides, the defenders will encounter the same mistakes in the Changde and Hengyang defense battles, that is, they will not be able to withdraw even if they cannot defend.Therefore, Wang Yaowu transferred back to the 51st Division. The division was ordered to build a small stronghold west of Shaoyang together with the 58th Regiment of the 57th and [-]th Divisions to prevent the Japanese [-]th Division from encircling Shaoyang.

Under such strict vigilance, the Japanese army could only break through Shaoyang City from the east.

every inch of land
On September 9, the No. 15 Seventh Division of the Japanese Army arrived at the bank of the Zijiang River in the northeast of Shaoyang.

The 57st Regiment of the [-]th Division was responsible for defending Shaoyang City, which was the main force in the defense of Changde.The head of the regiment, Du Ding, survived the catastrophe and was recognized as a brave and skilled general.In addition, a military artillery company was also left behind to guard Shaoyang.

The defense of Shaoyang was not only a defense, but also a defense. Its characteristic was that the troops available for defense were limited and could not be deployed at will. Facing a vast watery area, it was difficult to use tactics such as attacking, containment, and feinting. Multi-directional attacks can be carried out from the water.

This is a disadvantage. The advantage of the 57th Division is that since the Battle of Wuhan, the main battlefield of the Chinese and Japanese armies has never left the rivers, lakes and ponds.In the case of landing battles on the water, under normal circumstances, the Japanese side forced the crossing and the Chinese side attacked. The Chinese army has therefore accumulated rich experience in anti-landing warfare.

As long as the Japanese army is active on the water, the first-line defense force can send an observer to visually measure the distance between the enemy and ourselves, so as to provide a basis for commanding shooting.

Usually when the Japanese army enters within a distance of 500 meters, the artillery battery will start shooting.At the same time, in order to prevent the Japanese army from bombarding one's own forward positions and reduce unnecessary losses, it is best for the first-line infantry to temporarily retreat to the pre-constructed second-line positions in squads.When the observers observe that the Japanese army has advanced to around 400 meters, they will jump to the front to fight.

The favorable timing for the infantry to shoot should be when the Japanese army dives directly into the water and directly attacks the blocking position. The cross-fire network formed at this time will cause the greatest damage to the Japanese army.Even if one of the blocking positions is breached, don't panic too much. If the defenders on both sides of the breakthrough can be commanded properly, they can immediately block the follow-up enemies with firepower.

During the landing and anti-landing battles, the bank of the Zijiang River was filled with fierce gunshots and shouts of killing all day long.The forced crossing of the Japanese army was repeatedly repelled, and the defenders sank seven motorboats and killed more than 400 Japanese soldiers.After more than a week of fierce fighting, the Japanese army was able to land in the east of Shaoyang City, and then captured the security positions in the east and south of the city.

Every highland outside the east gate was fully utilized by the [-]st Regiment to build several dotted strongholds, each of which supported independently and supported each other, and weakened the enemy's vital strength by means of consumption and stagnation. .

Seeing that the attack was blocked, the Japanese army began to fire incendiary bombs and poison gas bombs. More than a dozen places inside and outside the city were ignited by the fire. The whole city was full of flames and poisonous gas.Shaoyang is an ancient city with a history of more than 2000 years. In an instant, like Changde and Hengyang, it changed from a complete and prosperous town to a devastated and unbearable rubble field.

As of September 9th, the 27st Regiment had killed or injured more than 600 people, and the second battalion suffered even more casualties.

As the night darkened, the defenders outside the city began to withdraw into the city in an orderly manner.The 30th Regiment of the No. [-] Seventh Division of the Japanese Army found that there was silence in the defensive positions outside the city. The Chinese army has abandoned the city.

After fighting for so many days without being able to capture Shaoyang, the head of the division was almost out of anger.As soon as he received this report, without further investigation and verification, he sent a report to Isamu Yokoyama: "Baoqing (Shaoyang) was occupied on the evening of the 27th."

At the moment, the [-]th Regiment and the [-]th Regiment of the Japanese Army marched into the city from the east gate in a grand manner, but what they did not expect was that the [-]st Regiment did not leave at all, but occupied a new defensive position After that, an ambush circle was set up in the city on the spot.

In terms of purely annihilating the enemy, street fighting is more advantageous than surface annihilating, because the Japanese army's artillery superiority is bound to be limited to a certain extent.At the same time, the street combat experience of Chinese commanders like Du Ding is no less than that of anti-landing warfare.

Street fighting emphasizes that every inch of land must be fought for.Every house, every alley, and every street must be controlled as a defense zone.The firepower configuration is also very particular, not a balanced distribution, but a multi-level configuration based on the height, strength, and front-to-back relationship of the building, so as to make the fire net three-dimensional.

In this equipment, heavy machine guns should be arranged at the lowest point, and special shooters, that is, snipers, can be placed in positions that do not attract the attention of the enemy, and within the effective range that the shooters can control, they can sneer at Japanese officers, observation points, and signal soldiers. , to disrupt its chain of command.

The Japanese army who entered the ambush circle was caught off guard and was killed and injured in a large number in the street fighting. The telegram sent by the division headquarters to Isamu Yokoyama became a big joke.

The No.30 Seventh Division of the Japanese Army could only return to the starting point and continue the siege. On the night of September 9, the South Gate was breached by the Japanese army, and more than 28 people broke into it in one night. The Chinese officers and soldiers guarding the South Gate immediately fought hand-to-hand with the Japanese army. Most of them perished with the enemy in the battle.

With more and more Japanese troops in the city, the street fighting became more intense.On the front, there are enemies among the enemies, and there are enemies among us, interspersed with each other, and each fights for itself.At this time, the telephone line was cut off, and the command was inconvenient. Soldiers on both sides fought and fought house by house. Close-range firepower, hand-to-hand combat, and grenade warfare dominated the entire battlefield.Although the [-]st Regiment suffered heavy casualties, they still steadfastly guarded some strongholds in the city, refusing to give up a single room or a single wall.

On September 9, the battle was already heating up.The next day, the deputy head of the 30st Regiment fought desperately with the Japanese army with grenades. Even the artillery company, which had run out of shells, was formed into a commando to launch a counterattack against the enemy.

In the early morning of October 10, there was only one corner of the defenders' position left, and they could no longer hold on.Du Ding, head of the 2st Regiment, led 150 remnants of the remnant to break through the encirclement in separate routes, one way out of the west gate and the other way out of the southeast gate. Both routes were able to successfully protrude out of the city and join the main force.

After the Battle of Shaoyang, Yongshan Yong transferred the No.30 Seventh Division to the south to attack Guilin, and the Shaoyang area was guarded by the Japanese 12th Division.By December 10, Guilin and Liuzhou fell successively, and the mainland communication line was completely opened up. "Operation No. [-]", that is, the battle of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi, came to an end.

After entering the autumn of 1944, the situation of the international anti-fascist war has tended to improve significantly.But against such a big background, the Chinese army suffered an extremely disastrous defeat. Among the participating troops, 50.00% to [-]% of the regular troops were completely defeated, and the combat effectiveness of the remaining troops became weaker and weaker. Lost confidence for this.

This is the most desperate period of time on the frontal anti-Japanese battlefield.At an army meeting, Chiang Kai-shek said with great pain: "I am 58 years old this year, and this year is the greatest humiliation I have suffered in my life when I reflect on myself!"

(End of this chapter)