What made Chiang Kai-shek most incredible was that at the Luoyang combat meeting, the two commanders of the Eighth Route Army, Zhu De and Peng Dehuai, proposed that the troops in the first theater should strengthen river defense, actively carry out offensive operations against the 14th Division, and strictly guard against the 14th Division of Kenji Doihara.
Cross the river and go south to attack the Longhai Railway. In Xuzhou, Liu Yimin even clearly judged the general area where the 14th Division might cross the river eastward. In the end, he was afraid of what he was afraid of. Kenji Doihara's 14th Division was still divided.
Two roads crossed the river and went south.
On May 15, just when Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Xuzhou garrison to retreat across the board, a group of Japanese cavalry from the Sakai detachment of the 14th Division of Dofeihara suddenly rushed into Neihuangji and near Pheasant Gang and blew up the Longhai Railway. Then, the front line
The alarms continued. According to intelligence from all directions, the Military Commission has determined that after the Doihara 14th Division crossed the river, the troops were actually divided into three groups. The Sakai detachment, Toshima Fuotaro's right column and the main force of the division led by Doihara Kenji were like three detachments.
The arrow points to the Longhai Railway section east of Lanfeng.
At this point, Chiang Kai-shek finally understood that the Japanese army really wanted to use Xuzhou for fishing. If Liu Yimin hadn't reminded him to follow his original idea and mobilize the army to fight the Japanese army in Xuzhou, he would have fallen into the trap of the Japanese army.
Although there are still a large number of troops fighting fiercely with the Japanese troops around Xuzhou, the troops originally planned to be transferred to Xuzhou have not been transferred after all. Strategically speaking, our army is more proactive.
Fortunately, Chiang Kai-shek was secretly frightened. This Tufei was indeed a China expert, and he was extremely ruthless when he took action. He wanted to completely cut off the Longhai Road and block our army's retreat in Xuzhou. His intentions were extremely sinister. Niang Xipi, Xuzhou
On the front, the Japanese army to the south is all a group of several divisions attacking and advancing. I can't do anything to you. These 14th divisions are, at best, making a deep detour, and at worst, they are in danger alone. Since you dare to send them away.
If you come to your door, I will tell you whether you will come back or not.
After Chiang Kai-shek made up his mind, he held a combat meeting at the Chief of the First War Zone in Zhengzhou to deploy the Lanfeng Battle. He decided to appoint the commander of the First War Zone Cheng Qian as the commander-in-chief and Xue Yue as the former enemy commander-in-chief to mobilize the army to encircle and annihilate the 14th Dofeiyuan Division.
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This is what Chiang Kai-shek said to Cheng Qian, Xue Yue and the commanders of the troops in the First Theater: "Doihara Kenji graduated from the Japanese Army University and is the first of the three major Chinese experts in the Japanese army. It is better to say that he is a general.
He is a spy, a politician, and a conspirator. The reason our country is what it is today is all thanks to him. He planned the September 18th Incident, he planned the North China Incident, and he also planned Puyi to the Northeast to establish the Puppet Manchukuo.
He planned it. It can be said that for the people of our country, this official is a mortal enemy. He must be captured and punished in order to pay tribute to the compatriots who died."
At that time, there was little information and the Anti-Japanese War had reached this level. Many generals of the national army did not know the various units of the Japanese army and their leading generals. For executioners like Doihara, many people did not know the evil he had done. On the contrary, because Doihara was in
He has been in China for a long time and speaks much better Mandarin than the average Chinese. Moreover, this big-headed, short-legged guy is very resourceful. Not only does he make promises to the traitors, but he also basically fails to treat other Chinese officials and generals he wants to win over.
Having kept his word, even famous anti-Japanese generals such as Ma Zhanshan and Fu Zuoyi believed that Dofeihara was trustworthy and could be handed over. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek told Dofeihara's crimes. The officers in the room were filled with righteous indignation and wanted to kill Dofeihara immediately.
He was arrested and left to the discretion of the chairman of the committee.
Xue Yue chased behind the Red Army on the Long March and suffered a lot from Liu Yimin. Later, the strange troops invaded Qinghai and Gansu and saved a little face. However, Xue Yue gradually thought about it clearly. Liu Yimin was afraid that he had not really thought about it at all.
Put him to death because Liu Yimin stated several times that he was willing to fight side by side with him on the anti-Japanese battlefield. Later, with the peace talks between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Chiang Kai-shek sent additional troops to garrison Qinghai and Gansu. Ma Bufang's power also slowly recovered, and Xue Yue
The troops were transferred back, reorganized, and joined the anti-Japanese battlefield. Now, seeing Liu Yimin defending Taiyuan, seizing Tianjin, making great military exploits, and gaining a huge reputation, Xue Yue's competitive spirit arose again, and he devoted himself to
I want to fight a big battle that can overwhelm Liu Yimin. Now that's it. Just when I was about to sleep, someone sent me a pillow. The old devil Doihara took the initiative to send it to my door. If I let this guy run away again, the word "Xue Yue" will be repeated.
Written!
The generals' enthusiasm for war has been mobilized, and the troops are basically in place. Ordinarily, with the strength of our army in eastern Henan, we should be able to encircle and annihilate Dofeiyuan, but things are not that simple. The 14th Division of Dofeiyuan was not originally intended to fight for war.
A mechanized force like the Fifth Division, but in order to compete with the Second Army for credit, Lieutenant General Xiangyue Qingji of the First Army set the goal of the 14th Division to capture the historical city of Kaifeng, the capital of Henan Province. For this reason, Xiangyue
Qingsi strengthened the three field heavy artillery regiments of the First Army's First Field Heavy Artillery Brigade and the Second Field Heavy Artillery Brigade to the Fourteenth Division, and also transferred the First Army's Fourteenth Brigade of Baggage and Boat Regiments to the Fourteenth Division.
The bridge engineer unit, an armored vehicle brigade, and the anti-aircraft artillery brigade were all temporarily strengthened to the Fourteenth Division. Together with the original field artillery regiment of the Fourteenth Division, it can be said that the Fourteenth Division has four first-class
The division's artillery firepower was mechanized. Although the national army was fighting the 14th Division, in fact it was basically fighting the heavy firepower unit of the Second Army behind the 14th Division. In this way, Doihara implemented
Mobile warfare is easy to succeed. The Japanese army is a mechanized force with extremely powerful firepower and aircraft cover in the sky. They can fight when they want and leave when they want. The Chinese army cannot catch up or stop them. The 14th Division has become a giant.
The mad cows were released from the slaughter and rampaged across the plains of eastern Henan.
On May 16, Li Zongren issued an order for the troops in Xuzhou to retreat. On the 18th, Lieutenant General Kenji Doihara led the main force of the 14th Division to the Neihuang, Yejigang, and Chuzhuangzhai areas to meet with the Sakai detachment.
The right column led by Toshima Botaro arrived near Yifeng. At this point, the Doihara Division had arrived at the predetermined area, cut off the Longhai Railway, and completed its initial plan.
At dawn on May 19, the Japanese Thirteenth Division launched a general attack on the Woniushan position of Zhang Zizhong's 59th Army, which was serving as rear cover.
Under the cover of fierce artillery fire, the Woniushan position was finally captured. The enemy immediately crossed the flat wilderness and rushed towards Xuzhou City. They launched a sudden artillery fire attack and explosive blasting on the west wall of Xuzhou City, tearing a hole. Liu Ruming, our army guarding Xuzhou City, was
Fierce hand-to-hand battles began with the Japanese troops on both sides of the city wall. At around 9:10 a.m., the Tanabe Death Squadron of the 65th Japanese Infantry Regiment (Regiment Commander Ryo Kosaku) occupied the west gate of Xuzhou. The defenders fought desperately to attack the troops who rushed into the city.
The Japanese army threw grenades and used red-hot machine gun barrels to resist desperately. The Japanese fighter groups fired at low altitudes at the defending soldiers who counterattacked. The defenders without heavy anti-aircraft weapons had to retreat step by step. While the fierce fighting was going on at the west gate, Watanabe also went to the north.
The offensive began. At 11 o'clock in the morning, the offensive and defensive battles in the city reached a climax. The enemy and we were fighting in a melee, with blood and gunpowder smoke intertwined. The shouts of killing were endless. Shootings, street fighting, hand-to-hand combat, scorched earth fighting, and brutal scenes were staged in the streets and alleys of the ancient city of Xuzhou.
.At one o'clock in the afternoon, the Japanese divisions swarmed in and captured Xuzhou Railway Station and Luotuoshan Airport. All strategic points in Xuzhou were lost. Liu Ruming began to order the defenders in the city to retreat to the southeast.
The National Army withdrew from Xuzhou, and the Japanese 13th Division successfully occupied Xuzhou. The diary of a Japanese soldier recorded the situation in Xuzhou after the war: "There was almost no intact house on the street, and the roofs of some houses were blown off.
, some have collapsed, and some are no longer in shape. There are wood chips and broken bricks everywhere on the road, and huge craters can be seen everywhere, wide open like a close-up, like a giant clenching his fist and hitting the ground.
Yes, it was the giant war that destroyed the streets of Xuzhou. Not a stone or a tree can show the peace and prosperity that once existed. Under the destroyed eaves, the sentries of the 13th Division stood guard in the moonlight,
The bayonet on the rifle shone with silver light. The moonlight shone coldly and bleakly on the ruins, echoing the shadows of the ruined walls, which was very desolate. In the silent night, under the bright moonlight, the black shell craters were shattered.
There were broken tiles and broken bricks, broken columns and broken walls, exposed furniture, etc. It was a complete mess."
Although the people of the fifth war zone had been mobilized to clear the country before the evacuation, most of the people still did not retreat. The Japanese army that captured Xuzhou was engaged in a protracted and fierce battle with the National Army on the outskirts of Xuzhou, and they wanted to annihilate the main force of the Xuzhou troops of the National Army, but their efforts were in vain.
In anger, the Japanese army went on a killing spree in Xuzhou. They not only massacred more than 3,700 Chinese people in the city, but also committed a series of horrific massacres such as the Yanwo Massacre and the Hanwang Massacre around Xuzhou, incurring heavy blood debts.
After the Japanese army was defeated in Xuzhou, the demons in the base camp were disappointed and ordered all the troops to pursue westward. They also ordered the 14th Division to quickly advance southeast to capture Shangqiu and block the retreat of the Xuzhou breakout troops.
At this time, the commander of the First Army, Xiang Yue Qingsi, who was in Taiyuan, was stupid. He felt that the Second Army had captured Xuzhou and had overshadowed the First Army. He had to find a way to earn back this face. Unfortunately, the First Army
The Sixth Division was on the outskirts of Xuzhou at this time. Except for the Fourteenth Division, all other troops were in Shanxi and beyond reach. Xiang Yueqing, who had always been gloomy and shrewd, thought about it and thought it was better to order the Fourteenth Division to attack Kaifeng westward.
So, he sent a telegram to Lieutenant General Kenji Doihara, strictly ordering the 14th Division to attack Lanfeng to the west, with the goal of capturing Kaifeng.
On the day Xuzhou fell, Dofeiyuan commanded troops to capture Neihuang, Mazhuangzhai, and Renheji line. The next day, his armored troops raided Luowang Station.
On the 20th, ten fighter planes of the 17th Group of the Chinese Air Force bombed the Japanese heavy artillery position in Lanfeng and were surrounded and suppressed by 24 Japanese aircraft. Except for one aircraft that was injured and flew back to the base, the other nine were all shot down, losing air superiority on the battlefield.
On the 21st, Xue Yue commanded an army of 100,000 to launch an attack from the east, west and south to encircle and annihilate the 14th Division at the Battle of Lanfeng. Unexpectedly, the attack did not go smoothly. Doihara discovered that the Chinese army was approaching menacingly and immediately ordered the troops to rely on the spot.
The villages and strong firepower held on. In this way, the national army was like running into an iron plate, seeing only casualties but no results.
On the 23rd, the battle finally achieved a breakthrough. After filling in the strength of two regiments, Li Hanhun's 64th Army on the east route broke through the Japanese outer positions, joined forces with Song Xilian's 71st Army on the west route, and captured the interior.
Huang, the key areas of Yejigang and the Dofeiyuan Division were all under heavy siege. Xue Yue in Kaifeng hurriedly reported the victory to Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang Kai-shek was overjoyed when he heard the news. He sent a message to encourage his beloved generals and asked all armies to work together to annihilate the 14th Division.
Doihara fought for three days. Although it caused heavy casualties to the Chinese army, his own losses were also considerable. The old Japanese had clearly seen the situation at this time and knew that he was trapped in a tight siege. He broke out to the east, although he could as quickly as possible
If he joins the reinforcements in the direction of Xuzhou, he will run into the elite of the Central Army head-on. Moreover, once he runs away, not only will he be unable to explain to the commander of the First Army, Lieutenant General Xiangyue Qingsi, but he will also be unable to explain to the North China Front Army and the base camp, because
His mission is to cut off the Chinese army's retreat. The responsibility for this escape will inevitably fall on him in the future.
This old devil is indeed a wise general, full of cunning schemes. At this time, while he ordered the right column to join him, he also commanded the troops to draw an arc in Lanfeng and go directly to Lanfeng City.
The plains of eastern Henan are open and unobstructed. With the force of Dofeiyuan, heavy artillery, field artillery, and tanks all came into battle, smashing into pieces the several national army divisions defending the Lanfeng area. Gui Yongqingfu took over
In the battle, one division was defeated. One of the three brigade commanders of the 46th Division was killed and two were wounded. Two regiment commanders were killed and two were killed in action. Nine battalion commanders were killed in action. More than 5,000 officers and soldiers below the company were killed or injured. Qiu Qingquan, who was assigned to his command
The tank battalion also suffered heavy casualties.
At this time, if national army generals like Zhang Lingfu and Zhang Zizhong were replaced, they would definitely defend Lanfeng City regardless of casualties, attract the main force of Dofeiyuan to the fortified city, and let the main force calmly encircle and annihilate them. Unfortunately, Gui Yongqing is not Zhang Lingfu
, Zhang Zizhong, nor Pang Bingxun who defended Linyi or Sun Lianzhong who defended Taierzhuang, this German student in the first phase of Huangpu relied on Chiang Kai-shek's favor rather than his hard-fought military exploits. At the critical moment, he gave the principal a trick.
Lianzi actually ran away with a division and a brigade under his control, leaving Long Muhan, the commander of the 88th Division with only one brigade at hand, as the scapegoat to stick to Lanfeng.
This Long Muhan is also a direct descendant of the Central Army. How could he defend Lanfeng for Gui Yongqing? Besides, the city of Lanfeng was riddled with holes at this time, and he could not defend it with his own strength alone, so he was also worried about the soles of his feet.
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In this way, Dofeiyuan occupied Lanfeng with great arrogance, turning Xue Yue's carefully prepared trap into a big funnel. From then on, four regiments of Dofeiyuan's infantry artillery unit met in Lanfeng, and the thousands-mile attack was a complete success, and the offensive was achieved.
Kaifeng's advance position.
In fact, Doihara's eagerness to capture Lanfeng also had another meaning, which was to control the Yellow River ferry, establish contact with the Japanese army on the north bank of the Yellow River, and obtain supplies.
At this point in the battle, not to mention Xue Yue fell down with anger, even Chiang Kai-shek was trembling with anger, and strictly ordered the first theater to recapture Lanfeng and block the retreat route to Dofeiyuan.
At this time, Chiang Kai-shek thought of Liu Yimin and sent an urgent telegram to Zhu De, commander of the Eighteenth Army, strictly ordering all departments of the Eighteenth Army to act quickly to contain the Japanese army. He ordered Liu Yimin, commander of the teaching division of the Eighteenth Army, to immediately launch an attack on Jinan to force the enemy.
Return reinforcements to support the battle of Lanfeng.
Chiang Kai-shek also sent a telegram to Liu Yimin at the same time, which actually said: "As a lieutenant general of the country, Commander Liu was awarded the Medal of the Blue Sky and White Sun, and he has elite soldiers. Why doesn't he take the initiative to attack the enemy? Now the various departments of the national army in Lanfeng are working with him.
The enemy is fighting fiercely, and enemy reinforcements from the direction of Xuzhou can arrive at any time. The battle situation is extremely dangerous. If the enemy's attempt is allowed to succeed, not only Kaifeng will not be protected, but the Longhai and Beijing-Han transportation lines will not be protected, Wuhan will not be protected, and our country's war of resistance will be unprecedented.
Crisis situation. At this critical moment of life and death, Commander Liu should carry forward the spirit of unity and fighting of revolutionary soldiers, dispatch quickly, directly attack Jinan, and save the war situation with one battle. After success, in public affairs, the country will never owe anyone who has made meritorious service; in private affairs, it will not be betrayed.
My beloved daughter Yaoguang died of infatuation for you!"
At this time, Liu Yimin had already arrived in Weixian and was about to command the troops to launch the Battle of Central Shandong.
After receiving the telegram from Chiang Kai-shek, Liu Yimin was dumbfounded. He never expected that the dignified chairman of the committee would once again talk about Chen Yaoguang, as if his poor beloved wife was really Chiang Kai-shek's adopted daughter. He was devoted to fighting the Japanese, so why did he need orders from Chiang Kai-shek!
However, that's fine. Chiang Kai-shek ordered himself to attack Jinan, and then the march into Shandong was justified.
Although he didn't agree with it, Liu Yimin still sent a telegram to the headquarters, asking the headquarters to truthfully publish the battle report of the battle of Xiazhuang Town and the battle of conquering Tai'an, so as to use the achievements to encourage the various departments of the national army who were engaged in the Battle of Lanfeng. He also sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek, reporting to the instructor that he would
Launch a fatal blow to the Japanese army and save the war situation.
Liu Yimin had actually made arrangements for the battle that took place in Lanfeng. His original plan was to use the 1st Jiao Brigade to capture the Yellow River ferry and cut off the supply line in Dofeiyuan, leaving his car without oil and artillery shells. However, due to the launch
In the Battle of Central Shandong, the most elite First Teaching Brigade had to be mobilized, so he directly ordered the newly formed Southwestern Shandong Security Brigade to go south in concealment, enter Fengqiu County along the Yellow River, and monitor the movements of the Japanese troops at Guantai Ferry. They must arrive at 12 on the night of the 23rd
In front of the point, they captured Guantai Ferry and burned all the Japanese supplies.
In order to motivate Chen Shiqu, Tang Liang, and Liu Yimin, they specially sent a telegram to them, emphasizing the importance of capturing the Guantai Ferry, requiring the Southwest Shandong Detachment to carry out in-depth mobilization, and must win the battle across Taiwan, and held a foundation laying ceremony for the establishment of the Southwest Shandong Guard Brigade.
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Chen Shiqu and Tang Liang are both generals of our army who have fought in hundreds of battles. They have always been worried about not fighting. They never thought about what difficulties are. Besides, can the difficulties now be compared to the difficulties during the Long March?