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

Chapter 9 What kind of person is a warrior (Lanfeng battle Wanjialing victory) (4)
The captain saw with his own eyes that more than a hundred people died in the battle, and he saw the tenacious spirit of sacrifice and the ability of the Chinese soldiers to endure hardships and stand hard work, which made him almost collapsed.If it is to defend his own motherland, of course he should have no hesitation, but if he invades other countries, he really can't find the value of dying for it.

The family portrait was taken during the Cherry Blossom Festival, and the captain said that he would cry when he saw this photo, "When the cherry blossoms bloom next year, will my child be an orphan, my wife will be a widow, and my gray-haired old mother will not know what to do?" Do you know where his children are?"

When Ateli took over the diary from Li Hanhun, its owner had already died on the battlefield.

Li Hanhun had read the diary, and he was also very touched by the death of this young Japanese: "War is war. I am a general, and he is a captain in the enemy army. We killed him, but he was essentially Not the enemy, so my conscience is disturbed by it at the moment."

There are still many people like captains in the Japanese army. They don't want to engage in war, but they are surrounded by an inescapable force, so they can only bite the bullet and kill people to die.In this case, it is impossible for them not to resist or be negative psychologically.

In addition, the Japanese army's attack power showed a downward curve, and there were other more complicated reasons. One of the most important ones was that after previous confrontations, the veterans who invaded China suffered a lot, and many recruits were bound to be recruited and new divisions would join the battle.Both the [-]st Division and the [-]th Division are ad hoc divisions, or newly organized divisions, and their combat effectiveness is far inferior to that of the established divisions.The biggest difference between the two is that there are fewer active-duty soldiers in the Ad Hoc Division.Taking the infantry regiment as an example, only the regiment leader, regiment adjutant and battalion captain are active. The squadron leader and below are all reserve or reserve soldiers who have participated in social work for many years.

This kind of division must undergo certain pre-war training to meet the needs. However, due to the tense battle, the [-]th Division was hurriedly sent to the Central China battlefield as soon as it was formed.Neiji Okamura believes: "(Like the use of the [-]th Division), it is somewhat inappropriate to send people who have worked in society for several years or even more than ten years directly to the front line."

The 1st Division was a different situation.This division was not made hastily, but it was disabled in advance in the Battle of Songhu, and more than [-] soldiers were lost.Most of the current soldiers are supplementary soldiers from the bustling area of ​​Tokyo, and most of them are middle-aged married. Although they are all military-trained reservists, their military discipline is very bad.

Okamura sees this very clearly, "an army with strict military discipline is an elite army." It can be inferred from this standard that neither the [-]st Division nor the [-]th Division can match the elite.

Those Chinese veterans who participated in the Battle of Taierzhuang can measure the opponent's weight as long as they stretch out their hands-the Japanese army usually bombards with artillery for several hours before attacking, and then enters the infantry attack. Behavior when attacking.

After the shelling on the Nanxun line, the Japanese army always dispatched two or three soldiers first. These soldiers would climb to a distance of 30 meters in front of the Chinese position and try to throw grenades into the trenches.If the Chinese soldiers in the trenches showed weakness, the Japanese troops would rush up, and if the Chinese soldiers fought back, they would immediately become timid and retreat as soon as they fought.

Hand-to-hand combat was originally the strength of the Japanese army, but the recruits who had just entered the battlefield often lacked enough courage and experience to fight bayonets. Strong Chinese troops, such as the 74th Army and the Cantonese Army, will take the initiative to launch hand-to-hand combat in order to repel the enemy when their weapons are at a disadvantage.

In the end, the only thing left to embolden the Japanese army is the aircraft and artillery. However, in mountain warfare, the use of aircraft and artillery will be greatly limited.In the words of the veterans: "When we climbed the mountain, it was not easy for them to do it (referring to bombing with planes and cannons)."

Regardless of the 20th Division or the [-]st Division, the two weaker divisions were weak and unable to make breakthroughs from the front. As a result, there was a period of silence for more than [-] days on the Nanxun Line.It was during this precious time that the Chinese army was rested and replenished, and it also accumulated the necessary strength for the upcoming duel.

Quality is more important than quantity
It is better not to be able to steal.The fact that they were close at hand, yet untouchable, made the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army really itchy.Just when they were thinking hard about a good plan to break the formation, an opportunity that was usually not easy to detect appeared.

Due to the emergency on the front line of the Ruiwu Highway (Ruichang to Wuning), the First Corps transferred part of its troops to this area.After the adjustment, the troops between Nanxun Road and Ruiwu Road became weaker, and there were correspondingly large gaps in the defensive deployment.The No. 11 Army Command of the Japanese Army in Jiujiang obtained this important information through aircraft reconnaissance.

If there is a gap, you can drill through it. On September 9, the No. 20 Army of the Japanese Army ordered the 11th Division to avoid the frontal position of the "Wushimen Line" and carry out a surprise attack from the side along this gap.The Japanese estimated that if all went well, this move would be able to kill two birds with one stone. It could catch the Nanxun defense line by surprise, encircle more than 20 divisions of the Chinese army, and relieve the Japanese army from being blocked on Ruiwu Road.

On September 9, the 26th Division of the Japanese Army left less than 2000 troops in the original position, and the main force marched towards the Wutailing line where there was a gap.In order to meet the needs of the mountain surprise attack, all the attacking troops are lightly equipped: each rifle is only equipped with [-] rounds of ammunition and two grenades, which will be used throughout the whole process in the future; Mountain artillery and mortars; food fodder and luggage are also carried by each squadron themselves, and the rations carried can only be used for six days.

With such a light outfit, the speed of the march was greatly accelerated.On the same day, the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army easily broke into Wutai Ridge, and quickly advanced to the depth of the "Wushimen Line" in two ways.

On September 9, the vanguard of the 27th Division of the Japanese Army was discovered and intercepted by the first part of the Cantonese Army on the left side of the defense line.

The temporary retreat doesn't matter, the important thing is that the Japanese [-]th Division's "surprise attack" has lost the word "odd", and the Chinese army has the possibility of counterattack.

Previously, the First Corps had reduced the first-line garrison troops and increased the second-line control troops.These control forces are concentrated near De'an, and they are the main mobile forces that Xue Yue can control and dispatch, and the 74th Army is among them.

After the Battle of Minshan, Chiang Kai-shek personally called to transfer the 74th Army to Changsha for rest.Xue Yue replied: "I can't transfer it down."

Chiang Kai-shek called again: "The 74th Army suffered heavy casualties in Minshan, so it should be lowered and supplemented."

Xue Yue also replied again: "All the armies in northern Jiangxi have been fighting longer than the commanders of the 74th Army, and their casualties are greater than those of the 74th Army. None of the armies have adjusted their supplements. Please delay the adjustment of the 74th Army."

The 74th Army was eventually left in De'an.Xue Yue’s reasons for not being able to transfer the 74th Army to Chiang Kai-shek were all obvious reasons. What he didn’t want to say was that once the 74th Army was absent from the battlefield in northern Jiangxi, it would be like cutting off its arm.

I don't know whether it is a legacy of the past warlord era, or it is influenced by the unique national conditions and human conditions. The Chinese military, especially the troops of the Kuomintang system, are the most particular about factional hilltops, and the generals are more willing to control and command the troops they are used to.When someone receives an order to assume the command responsibility of a certain aspect, the first thing he thinks of is to transfer the troops he has led before.

Xue Yue belonged to the Cantonese army, so he would naturally feel comfortable commanding the Cantonese army. Correspondingly, there were a large number of Cantonese troops in the First Corps.However, none of these can dispel Xue Yue's emphasis on the 74th Army as the central army. It was the Battle of Minshan that greatly reflected the value of the 74th Army on the battlefield.

From a military point of view, it is not always better to have more troops in battle. The key still depends on the battlefield conditions. Sometimes it needs to focus on weight, and sometimes it needs to focus on quality.For example, on the plains like the Lanfeng battlefield, it is more suitable for large corps to fight, while the northern Jiangxi mainly fights mountain warfare.

In this case, quality is more important than quantity. Whether a main force is of high level or not has enough attack power often directly determines the success or failure of a battle.In a very simple sentence, if any of the armies in northern Jiangxi were sent up at that time, even the Cantonese army, they might not be able to take Minshan from the mouth of the Japanese.

Knowing the pros and cons of the process, Xue Yue resolutely refused to let go of the 74th Army, even if it was Lao Jiang's face.

To be a handsome person, the necessary stubbornness is very important, otherwise what can be used to destroy others now?
After gaining insight into the Japanese army's intentions, Xue Yue decisively decided to turn passive into active, and transferred the 74th Army from De'an to the front to fight.At this time, the 9th Division of the Japanese Army had fled to Wanjialing, trying to take advantage of the situation and go south after breaking through the defense line of the Cantonese Army. On the afternoon of September 30, the 58th Regiment of the [-]th Division arrived at Wanjialing in the rain and immediately attacked the Japanese army.

Although restricted by traffic conditions and movement after the rain, the 74th Army could only launch one regiment first, but the same regiment had a completely different effect in mountain warfare.If it is a weak regiment, not only can it not be counted on to defeat the enemy, on the contrary, it may also be defeated by the enemy. At this time, the follow-up troops have not had time to deploy, and the front and rear troops trample on each other, and the result is that the road is blocked. Follow-up troops cannot step forward to join the battle.

If it was a regiment sent by the 74th Army, although it may not guarantee that the Japanese army will be defeated, it can at least contain the opponent.Even if they take a step back and are really unable to resist the enemy, with the military quality and strict battlefield discipline of the 74th Army, this regiment will not collapse. probability.

The performance of the 500th Regiment is a perfect verification of this conclusion.Fighting until the end of the day, the regiment wiped out more than [-] Japanese troops who had broken into the Guangdong Army's position, and established a foothold in Wanjialing.

The opening is always the most vigorous time, the Japanese soldiers who just rushed up are all like wolves and tigers, and one of them can fight you several times.During the fierce battle, the two battalion commanders of the [-]th Regiment both failed.

So far, Xue Yue has a clear understanding of the changing trend of the entire battle situation.In the overall defensive battle, launching a counterattack against the aggressive enemy and using superior forces to fight a beautiful encirclement and annihilation battle is almost the dream of every Chinese commander. However, due to the strong mobility of the Japanese army and erratic actions, the defenders were withdrawn Difficulties, so even if you encounter such a good opportunity, you often have to miss it in person.

Missed the battle of Lanfeng, Wanjialing must not be missed again.Xue Yue issued a transfer order without hesitation, ordering the main forces of the three lines of Dexing (from De'an to Xingzi), Nanxun, and Ruiwu to gather in Wanjialing and encircle and suppress the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army.

Xue Yue's decision is crucial.Commentators believe that if he hadn't seen through the enemy's situation and quickly seized the opportunity, he would probably be counted by the enemy. Once the [-]th Division of the Japanese Army broke into the back of the Nanxun Line, "there would be no battle to fight at all, and there would be no Wanjialing victory".

The stage is set, folks, copy guys.

wooden sign with helmet

One year after the Wanjialing Battle, a division commander named Tang Yongliang was ordered to lead his troops to fight guerrillas behind the enemy in Lushan.Because of the inconvenient transportation in Wanjialing, many people in the society did not know about this place and the battle at that time, and it was already behind enemy lines, so it was not easy for ordinary people to come and find out even if they were interested.Tang Yongliang had never participated in the Battle of Wanjialing, so of course he was also interested, so he decided to take a camera and make a field visit to the battlefield.

"My fellow, how far is it from Wanjialing?"

"What, you mean Wanjialing? I don't know!"

Tang Yongliang was very confused. Why did the local people say they didn't know about the three words "Wanjialing" clearly marked on the map, and such an earth-shattering war broke out?
No one to guide, but Tang Yongliang has his own way.Dead people and horses keep appearing along the way, so just follow the place where there are many bones, and you will definitely find them.

Passing through a bamboo forest, and then through a pine forest, a rolling hilly area looms in front of you.This hill is about 300 meters high. From a distance, there are many wooden signs on the top of the hill, and it is impossible to count how many columns there are.

There is a thatched cottage at the foot of the mountain, and Tang Yongliang and his party walk up to it.Sitting in the thatched courtyard was a 70-year-old man who claimed to be from Guangshui, Hubei.He told Tang Yongliang that this place is Wanjialing.

"Last autumn, tens of thousands of Japanese devils were beaten to death here, and the devils still ate in my hut."

Tang Yongliang asked him where the devils died the most, and the answer he got was: "The southeast has the most deaths."

In Eastern cultural traditions, dead people are unlucky, let alone so many dead.Obviously, the people along the way are deliberately avoiding "Wanjialing", so why is the old man in front of him not only not afraid, but still living here?

After talking, I learned that the old man was also a hero when he was young, and had participated in the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of [-]-[-].It turned out to be an old anti-Japanese soldier!Tang Yongliang noticed that while the old man was talking to them, he was still making a felt hat with scissors, and the material used to make the felt hat was actually a Japanese military blanket.

Under the guidance of the old man, Tang Yongliang set foot on the mountain path of Wanjialing.Finally, I can get close to this famous hill.Walking to the half slope, white wooden signs in twos and threes popped up one after another; at the top, all the wooden signs that can be seen down the mountain are shockingly before your eyes.The tallest big wooden sign reads: "The Monument of the Dead Soldiers of the Imperial Army".Once again, it is "the place where the Kitagawa team of the Segawa Army fought hard."Except for these two wooden cards, which are considered collective, the rest are individual wooden cards of Japanese officers and soldiers.

Tang Yongliang and his party did not intend to vilify or despise the dead. On the contrary, as soldiers, they had reason to show some kind of respect to all the brave men who fought to the death on the battlefield, even if they were opposing enemies.There were many rusty steel helmets on the ground. Tang Yongliang and the others picked up dozens of them and put them on the wooden plaque one by one.

Neiji Okamura said, "War is war, and generals love generals."As early as during the Anti-Japanese War on the Great Wall, the Japanese Infantry Regiment was moved by the heroic spirit of the Chinese soldiers. They solemnly buried the remains of the war dead and set up the tombstone "Tomb of Chinese Soldiers".Afterwards, when a brigade commander of the Chinese army visited Japan, he did not avoid suspicion and expressed his gratitude to the Japanese army unit that built the monument.

In Okamura's view, only those who have the samurai morality that can move the enemy can be called a true brave man, and the burial of the remains of these brave men is the education that military commanders should have since ancient times.

On the battlefield in northern Jiangxi, the upbringing and moral spirit of Chinese warriors also impressed Okamura.There was a Japanese army captain who led more than ten soldiers into the Chinese position, but they were all killed by the Chinese artillery.The Chinese side believed that the dozen or so Japanese officers and soldiers had indeed shown extraordinary bravery in battle, so they were properly buried and, as an exception, they did not confiscate swords and other equipment.In this regard, Okamura said he felt "unimaginable admiration."

The wooden sign with the helmet on is like a fungus after the rain.On the top of Wanjialing, there are more bullet casings and bayonet sheaths than steel helmets.Tang Yongliang picked up a memorable bayonet scabbard from it, with more than a dozen bullet holes pierced through it.

How fierce that lost war must have been!

Corpses everywhere
On October 1938, 10, Wanjialing.The follow-up troops of the 1th Division of the Japanese Army continued to surge up. The Japanese army concentrated the mountain artillery of two squadrons and fired continuously at the 58th Regiment of the [-]th Division.

After surviving the rain of bullets, the [-]th Regiment fought back with an eye for an eye.On the southern highlands of Wanjialing, the two armies launched a fierce battle for positions.After many rounds of rushing back and forth, both sides suffered heavy casualties. Since entering Wanjialing, the [-]th Regiment has killed or injured more than [-] people.

(End of this chapter)