While the Chinese supreme commander is still thinking about what to do and is undecided, the commander of the Japanese 11th Army, Yokoyama Isamu, is also having a hard time, and is also in a dilemma of being stretched thin.
In the original strategic plan, Hengyang was used as bait to invite the main force of China's 9th Theater to fight. As a battle-level commander, his consideration was naturally justified. This was also his violation of the Japanese Army Base Camp's plan to launch a battle.
The reason why the strategic purpose and original intention of 'Operation No. 1' is still approved.
As a result, the resistance of the enemy forces in Hengyang was unexpectedly tenacious. This surprised Yokoyama Isamu and Shimanuki Takeshi. The battle for Hengyang started for more than half a month, and it has been proved that Hengyang is not a soft persimmon but a hard walnut. If you want to eat them, at least
I had to lose half of my teeth, and now two of my big teeth have been broken.
The unprecedented solid fortifications in the south of Hengyang City are simply disgusting. Almost all positions are preceded by man-made cliffs. The Japanese infantry continued to attack for more than ten days without coming up with any good solution, unless the 150-caliber heavy artillery was brought in.
Only by blowing down the cliff and leveling the mountain top can a gap be opened.
At the same time, the advanced fighters and bombers of the Chinese and American air forces pose a fatal threat to the Japanese ground forces. The Army Aviation seems to have given up after losing dozens of fighter planes in a row. This means that the ground forces will be at the mercy of China and the United States for a long time.
The air force was in a state of complete suppression.
Of course, there are solutions to both of these points. No matter how strong the Hengyang fortifications are and how tenacious the defenders are, they can only continue to invest troops and mobilize heavy artillery. Anyway, the main imagined Chinese force is nowhere to be seen; as for the air threat, the ground threat
The troops should dig deep trenches and dig more holes, hide during the day, and fight at night! There are always more solutions than difficulties.
At this point, Easterners are more optimistic than Westerners and will always give themselves comforting psychological hints.
The biggest headache for Yokoyama Isamu now is the 11th Army's biggest weakness at present---logistics supplies!
During the Tanzhou battle in the first phase of the Hunan-Guangxi campaign, Hengshan Yong adopted the tactics of "fighting steadily, building as we advance". After capturing Tanzhou, he changed his strategy to "rapid advancement" with more troops and more speed.
When the Japanese soldiers set out, they only carried 10 days of rations. They did not carry supplies, ammunition or food with them. In principle, they ordered all ministries to "requisition food on site". As a result, after the fall of Tanzhou, the Chinese people along the way either fled to the mountains or further south.
, I brought almost all the food I could take away.
The Japanese army is about to advance towards the surrounding areas of Hengyang again. How about asking for food? I originally expected the logistics troops to keep up with them to supply the army, but I didn't expect that the Chinese and American fighter planes are also good at harassing people. Whenever I find out
The convoys and trains basically swooped down without any care.
In particular, the Flying Tigers, headquartered in Kuncheng, were very cunning. They did not frequently appear over Hengyang, but they hovered over Dongting Lake for a long time, which was the most important logistical transfer point for the Japanese army after the highway was interrupted.
The Japanese army transported huge logistical supplies from the Yangtze River to Dongting Lake by ship, then entered the Xiangjiang River from Dongting Lake, and finally arrived around Hengyang. As a result, the cunning Flying Tigers smelled this and specifically attacked the large transport ships on Dongting Lake.
Ships in inland rivers generally lack anti-aircraft weapons, and the water depth of the Xiangjiang River is not deep enough for light destroyers to enter. Facing planes flying up and down, relying on only a few limited 20mm or 25mm anti-aircraft guns is like Cao Pi's wife.
Entering the vegetable garden---Zhen Ji pulling vegetables!
The casualties of the logistics troops were once even more tragic than those of the Hengyang front line.
People died and the ship capsized, so naturally there was less food shipped.
The 11th Army alone has more than 70,000 troops surrounding Hengyang. In addition, more than 130,000 main troops have been deployed hundreds of miles outside Hengyang. The 200,000-strong army must consume at least 100,000 kilograms a day.
Rice, not counting other supplies such as salt, sugar, tea, etc.
"A man is as good as iron rice. If he doesn't eat even one meal, he will starve!" The saying of the Chinese ancestors is so right. Every time I receive a message from each division about the shortage of rations, Isamu Yokoyama has already gone bald.
A layer of oily sweat broke out on his forehead involuntarily.
Fortunately, troops like the 116th Division and the 68th Division, which were fighting fiercely on the front line, still had at least three days of food reserves. Otherwise, Hengshan Yong would have been embarrassed to see Lieutenant General Yan Yongwang, the top commander outside Hengyang City.
Faced with this situation, the Japanese China Expeditionary Forces Command had no choice but to transfer a railway division from the Kwantung Army 10 days ago to speed up the maintenance of the Changheng-Hengzhou Railway and erect anti-aircraft batteries along the way.
But this obviously cannot immediately alleviate the logistics crisis currently faced by the 11th Army. At this point, Commander Xue predicted before the war: With the loss of air supremacy, the Japanese army's logistics will become extremely fragile and
Difficulties, if they encounter strong resistance again in Hengyang, they will never hold on for long.
After all, Commander Xue is considered a famous general in the entire Chinese war zone. Otherwise, even if he suffered the defeat of Tanzhou, the Military Commission officer would not dismiss him even after making strategic arrangements.
, and became indecisive again because of his stubbornness.
There are still two brushes at least.
However, this famous general ignored the current difficulties his opponent was facing in his military career. Commander Tian Junliu of the Chinese Expeditionary Force was about to leave his post. In the entire Chinese theater, there were only three or four people who were qualified to replace him. Japan's North China
General Okamura Koji, the commander of the front army, Lieutenant General Matsui Tairo, the chief of staff of the dispatched army, and Lieutenant General Susumu Fujita, the commander of the 13th Army, are Yokoyama Isamu's three major competitors.
In Yokoyama Isamu's calculations, Okamura Koji was already an army general, and he was naturally ranked ahead of him. The possibility of taking over as commander of the dispatched army was higher than 90%. However, Okamura Koji was promoted and became the commander of the North China Front.
Isn't the position of official now vacant?
The commander of the front army is half a rank higher than the commander of the direct army like him. Only by becoming the commander of the front army can he, a veteran army lieutenant general, be promoted to army general. Otherwise, he may have to stay in the position of lieutenant general for the rest of his life.
It's stuck.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! And he wants to sit on the throne of the commander of the front army. The Battle of Hunan and Guangxi is his last chance. If he wins and achieves the strategic purpose of the base camp, he will be the commander of the front army.
His position is appropriate. If he fails, it would be appropriate for him to return to the island to retire.
Therefore, the Battle of Hengyang can be regarded as the most important battle in Hengshan Yong's military career. How could Hengshan Yong, who was full of dreams of an army general, give up so easily?
But not giving up is one thing, and the difficulty of logistical supply at this time is another. At this time, Yokoyama was in a dilemma and had to weigh the consequences of continuing the attack. He also had to request Tian Junliu, the commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, to suspend
For the all-out attack on Hengyang, after the Japanese army repaired their logistics lines, the heavy artillery troops were mobilized, and the Army Aviation regained strength, they would then restart the all-out attack on Hengyang City.
At this time, the main force of the Chinese side still stayed in place and did not gather in large numbers towards Hengyang, which also gave the Japanese army, which was under huge logistical pressure, a chance to breathe. While the Japanese army continued to surround Hengyang, it mobilized troops to repair roads and railways and restore traffic, only to open up roads for automobiles.
There are two divisions with 40,000 people who can pass the road.
A rare opportunity for China to solve Hengyang's difficulties slipped away quietly due to Commander Xue's stubbornness and indecision, making the Battle of Hengyang destined to leave a mark in the history of Chinese and foreign wars.
It’s just that the ink and color used are all red, scarlet!
From June 19, the Battle of Hengyang entered a stalemate stage as the Japanese army took the initiative to pause, but this does not mean that the Chinese and Japanese armies were looking at each other, you eat your food and I catch my fish.
Nowadays, no one is rich. The Japanese army, which is short of food, is eyeing fish in ponds and rivers. Although there is no shortage of food in Hengyang City for the time being, Fang Xianjue has realized that it is better to rely on oneself than to ask for help. For the sake of the long term, life
They had to start digging and searching, and the Chinese officers and soldiers who had reduced supplies naturally also took a fancy to the fish.
As a result, the two sides continued to have small-scale conflicts between the wars, but the tactical purpose was just to compete for the fish in the pond.
Both sides have sent out a large number of lookout posts. If they find that the other party dares to secretly fish in the ponds within sight, it is easy to say that the Japanese army will use grenade launchers and long-range cold guns to attack the Chinese soldiers who want to eat meat.
The Chinese side used mortars and light machine guns to hunt down the 'fish thieves'.
In the future, those who secretly catch fish during the fishing ban period will be aggrieved after being caught and detained. If you know that their Japanese thieves predecessors are basically greeted by a round of fire in this era, you must feel lucky that they live in peace.
Era?
Don't underestimate this kind of small-scale conflict. Sometimes you only lose two or three soldiers, but you can't stop it. This position has a long defense line!
On the most exaggerated day, the Japanese army deployed 20 infantry squads, and 109 infantrymen were killed, not counting the wounded; the Chinese side used 16 infantry platoons, consuming more than 900 mortar shells, more than 14,000 bullets, and 68 soldiers were killed.
Dozens of people were seriously injured.
Zhou Qingxiang, the commander of the 3rd Division in charge of defending the west of the city, saw the ten fresh fishes delivered to the division headquarters and a series of ammunition consumption and casualty figures. He became furious on the spot and scolded the two main commanders under his command.
In the view of the lieutenant general and commander, there are fish here and there, which are clearly the corpses of his brothers. Who can eat them?
But he also understands that this is not a matter of motivation, this is war. The two warring parties must use everything available to prevent the other party from obtaining resources, weaken the opponent while strengthening themselves, even if it is heartbreaking consumption, it must be pulled
The opponent consumes them together.
Sacrifice is daily!
However, even though he knew it was the same thing, he still couldn't hide the sadness in his heart. The more than 100 kilograms of fish that had cost dozens of people's lives were all sent to the headquarters by Zhou Qingxiang, commander of the 3rd Division.
He himself rushed to the front line personally and decided to take advantage of the Japanese army's negligence and launch a night attack on the Japanese.
As the saying goes, it is disrespectful to come back without reciprocating. During this period, the Japanese army used the darkness to frequently launch raids on the Chinese defenders' defense lines.
The most dangerous incident was three days ago. In the early hours of the morning, more than 70 Japanese soldiers from the Shimo detachment quietly came over to the Yilaimiaoqian Street position where the Japanese army once launched the Fire Bull Formation, and broke in without anyone noticing.
Inside a private house on Yi Laimiao Qian Street.
It turned out that the officers and soldiers on guard had not rested for a week. After days of fierce fighting, the officers and soldiers were exhausted and fell asleep unknowingly.
The Japanese may not have expected to encounter such a situation. They even thought that the Chinese themselves had suffered heavy casualties and had long ago abandoned the position they had been attacking for more than 13 days. Therefore, they built fortifications in the houses they entered.
Stabilize the defense and then plan to further expand the position.
As a result, a defender soldier who got up early in the morning and planned to switch defenses happened to bump into a Japanese infantryman who was tiptoeing forward. Because it was dark, the two sides almost found each other at a distance of less than two meters.
The two soldiers were almost scared to the point of peeing. Judging from the fact that both sides instinctively raised their guns and fired without hitting each other, it was a state of mind that was overly frightened.
However, the "bang bang" gunshots alerted the soldiers on both sides, and a brutal close-range offensive and defensive battle took place in this position.
Because the distance is too close, neither China nor Japan can use mortars and grenades. Basically, they rely on rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns to shoot at each other, and throw grenades and grenades at each other. The level of blood and flesh flying is not weaker than that of the two armies.
Large-scale engagement with large-caliber artillery.
The commander of the 1st Battalion of the 7th Regiment of the 3rd Division was 600 meters away from this position. He immediately led an infantry company to reinforce the place, and led his men to start a house-to-house battle with the Japanese army. Finally, at 11 a.m. that day, they broke into
The 70 Japanese soldiers in this position were all wiped out and more than half of the more than 130 Japanese soldiers who came for subsequent support were killed.
Unfortunately, the major battalion commander was accompanied by two guards and was discovered by a Japanese sharpshooter hiding in a paddy field. A shot was fired into his ribs. The bullet penetrated the main artery and he died on the spot.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Exchanging a capable major battalion commander for more than 130 Japanese soldiers is not a good deal at all. The mature and prudent General Zhou has always kept this account in mind.
It finally broke out at this moment today.
On the night when the fierce battle for fish in the pond broke out, the Army Lieutenant General was personally in charge. Lieutenant Deng Xingming, the platoon leader of the 1st Platoon of the 1st Battalion, 1st Company of the 7th Regiment, took the initiative to ask for orders. This sharp knife platoon took the initiative to sign up.
25 people formed a death squad, each carrying a submachine gun, 6 magazines and 8 grenades. With the slogan of revenge at the expense of the battalion commander, they also entered the Japanese position at about 2 o'clock in the morning.
While the Japanese soldiers were sleeping soundly, they pulled out grenades and suddenly threw them over, and then started a sudden burst with a submachine gun.
It was also a dark night with low winds. Although the moon and stars were bright, the line of sight was still unclear. The Japanese army failed to fire flares in a hurry. The two sides fired at each other without seeing me or you.
The Chinese side has a small number of personnel and strong short-range firepower, which is of course much more advantageous in such chaotic moments.
Moreover, the purpose of their trip was only to harvest human lives, and they had no ambition to sneak attack the Japanese army to occupy the position. They turned around and ran away after "beating, smashing and killing".
As a result, miraculously, only 6 of the 25 people suffered gunshot wounds. With the help of their comrades, they all returned successfully, and no one was killed.
The Japanese army almost made Major General Shima mad and fought for a long time. Not a single corpse of a Chinese soldier was left on the position, but it was full of imperial infantry.
26 people died on the spot, and more than 40 people were injured by shrapnel and bullets. It was a complete defeat.
The top commander on this position, a Japanese Army Lieutenant, was ordered by the angry Japanese Army Major General to perform a disembowelment to apologize.
One more person is added to the death list!
During the period when there was no war outside Hengyang City, it was naturally not just a fight for fish, but also a fight for supplies dropped from the air.
However, this time, instead of the Four Troops trying their best to compete for the supplies dropped by the Japanese army, it became the Japanese fighting for the supplies dropped by the Chinese Air Force.
It turned out that after half a month of continuous fierce fighting with the Japanese army, the man who asked Fang Xianjue to lead the army to hold on for another 10 days could not possibly want the horses to run away and not eat grass, so he asked Fang Xianjue what he wanted.
Fang Xianjue was not stupid this time. After half a month of fierce fighting, 40% of the grenades and 30% of the bullets in the city were used. The most scarce thing was rations. Due to the extra 50,000 reserve troops, they had already been used up.
The food supply dropped by 60%, so we requested support for various types of food.
At this time, the Japanese army had surrounded Hengyang for 20 miles like an iron barrel. Let alone transporting food in, it was difficult for even a few people to sneak in. The only way was to drop from the air.
Now that the words had been spoken, although it was somewhat difficult, he could not break his promise. So, starting from June 23, the first large-scale airdrop in Chinese military history began.
And this change of status has only occurred in the past three years since the last time the Four Lines Regiment used various tricks to snatch the Japanese airdrop supplies at Shipai. Things in the world are changing so fast.
