If we continue to fight as hard as in history, the 36th Division will all be consumed on Mount Fujin. Now the strategic thinking from the headquarters to the frontline commanders has changed. Neither Chiang Kai-shek nor Song Xilian will be able to fight again.
Let the 36th Division coexist with the Fujinshan position. However, Fujinshan is too important for guarding the Dabie Mountains. Only a strong unit like the 36th Division can hold the frontal position and block the Japanese army's westward advance. Therefore, Song Xilian will
Firmly ordered the 36th Division not to take a step back.
A difficult day began again. Early in the morning, Japanese aircraft flew in groups over Mount Fujin and dropped bombs one by one on the defenders' positions. The positions were immediately filled with dust.
When Chen Ruihe woke up in the morning and didn't even have time to wash his face, he saw swarms of kidnappers flying over. He was shocked in his heart: This is not a good sign. Looking at the posture of the kiddos, he might be desperate!
Chen Ruihe grabbed the phone and ordered each regiment to pay attention to air defense and artillery visits. The main force was all on the position. Then he reported his judgment to Song Xilian and asked the military commander to order the 88th Division and 61st Division that were defending the flank positions to prepare for battle and guard against the Japs.
All-out assault.
Chen Ruihe's judgment was correct. The commander of the 13th Division, Ogisu Tatebei, was now like a gambler who had become obsessed with gambling and was bent on making money.
It’s no wonder that since the 13th Division landed at Jinshanwei and joined the Chinese battlefield, it can be said that it has been invincible, just like the first-class main division in the Japanese army. It is said that the base camp is very satisfied with the performance of the 13th Division. A certain
The dignitaries once revealed that generals with first-rate records like Ogisu Tatehee were the pride of the Japanese Imperial Army and should shoulder more important responsibilities. Ogisu Tatehee was in a state of excitement after hearing the news, but he did not expect that the small Fujian Mountain
Blocked the advance of the Thirteenth Division. After several days of fierce fighting, so many artillery shells and bombs were wasted. The Fujinshan garrison position had already been blown up three feet. As a result, the elite Thirteenth Division
Not only was there no way to open the westward route to the Dabie Mountains, but there were also heavy casualties, with truckloads of corpses and wounded being pulled back, making the Ogisu army restless and manic.
Not to mention this, Lieutenant General Okamura Neiji, commander of the Eleventh Army, saw that the Thirteenth Division could not capture the small Fujin Mountain, so he sent a combat staff to inquire about the situation. Commander of the Central China Expedition Army, Shunroku Hata
The general sent three telegrams in a row to express his concern about the fighting at Fujin Mountain. The Japanese base camp was even more alarmed and directly ordered the 16th Division and the 15th Division to reinforce the 13th Division and detour from both wings. The Japanese Chief of General Staff Xian
Prince Innomiya Zaihito said that it was unexpected that the powerful Thirteenth Division could not conquer an unknown hilltop with the cooperation of aviation forces. It seemed that Lieutenant General Ogisu Tatehei's commanding ability needed to be re-evaluated.
Ogisu Ripei, who was already grinding his teeth due to the huge casualties, was about to have a nervous breakdown under the high pressure of the 11th Army, the Central China Expeditionary Army and the base camp. He made up his mind to concentrate all his efforts and make a desperate move to capture Fushi in one fell swoop.
Jinshan. To this end, he adjusted his deployment and added several supplementary brigades, engineer regiments, and cavalry brigades of the division to each regiment. He ordered Major General Yamada Danji to command the 103rd Brigade to attack the two flanks of Fujin Mountain and contain the defenders.
The armies cannot reinforce each other; Numata Tokushige is ordered to command the 26th Brigade to concentrate all efforts on attacking the front position of Mount Fujina, and must be successful in one fell swoop; the commander of the 19th Mountain Artillery Regiment attached to the division, Yoko Hiroshi, is ordered to strengthen fire support and launch fire at critical moments
Special smoke ensures that infantry can break through in one fell swoop.
Not to mention this, Ogisu Rihei sent a telegram to Hata Shunroku and Okamura Neiji: "Our army encountered stubborn resistance from the powerful Song Xilian army, suffered heavy casualties, and the battle situation still made no progress. Our army faced the enemy of Mount Fujin
There is nothing you can do!"
After sending the telegram, Ogisu Tatehe thought for a moment that he could not simply say this. The consequences of saying so would be very serious and might affect his own future and the achievements of the 13th Division, so he sent another message to Shunroku Hata and Neji Okamura.
A report was sent, saying that the main reason why Fujin Mountain could not be captured for a long time was that the elite 71st Army, a direct descendant of Chiang Kai-shek, was defending Fujin Mountain. This army was originally Chiang Kai-shek's guard force. It had two German divisions, and its equipment and training were all Chinese troops.
The best among them. The enemy is so powerful, but the aviation coordination is not in place, and multiple sorties and continuous bombings are not carried out, resulting in heavy casualties for the elite 13th Division. I request the Commander to urge the aviation force to concentrate on attacking the defenders of Mount Fujin.
Not to mention, Ogisu Rihei's telegram really worked. The Eleventh Army not only transferred heavy artillery brigades and a large number of supplementary troops to the Thirteenth Division at Starry Night to make up for the Thirteenth Division's combat losses, but also strictly ordered the aviation force to concentrate
This time, Ogisu Libing became more courageous. Not only did all the brigade, regiments, and brigades be fully staffed, but there were also surplus troops that could be used as supplementary teams and reserve teams, especially for new arrivals.
The heavy artillery brigade can cover the entire Fujin Mountain with firepower.
No, aviation planes came early in the morning and blew up the Fujin Mountain garrison position into a mess.
When Ogisu Rippei saw that the aviation bombing was very effective, he stroked his gray beard and said "Hey" a few times, and then ordered the heavy artillery brigade and the 19th Mountain Artillery Regiment to fire, covering the Fujinshan garrison position with firepower, and then continued
Ordered Tokushige Numata and Danji Yamada to start the attack.
The old pervert Numata Tokushige was already crazy with anxiety. After receiving the attack order, he immediately ordered the 58th Regiment, which had been replenished, to go into battle and form three attack waves to defeat the defenders in one fell swoop.
Although Numata Tokushige is a scumbag, he is also unambiguous in commanding operations. After ordering the 58th Regiment to attack, he took all the personnel from the brigade headquarters to Colonel Uki Soeda's 116th Regiment to prepare for the 58th Regiment in case of an emergency.
When the attack of the regiment failed, he personally led the 116th regiment into battle and captured the main position of Mount Fujin in one fell swoop.
To be honest, the 36th Division had already suffered heavy casualties at this time. It had basically lost one-third of its personnel, and some companies had even suffered more than one-half casualties. Ordinarily, when the casualties reached this level, they should withdraw to rest and replenish, but the Japanese army kept
How can we retreat if we attack from the ground?
The reason why the 36th Division was able to hold on for so many days was mainly because Song Xilian used his brains on how to defend Mount Fujin. Before the war, he mobilized more than a thousand migrant workers to dig positions under the guidance of the engineering battalion. First, he dug a large number of camouflage positions, and also
The camouflage was arranged, and then the real position was not the circular position formed by the horizontal trenches used by the national army in the past. Instead, irregular trenches were dug using the gentle platform of Fujin Mountain. Multiple trenches were connected by traffic trenches. Each trench was equipped with a shelter, and the layout
As a hidden firepower point, the entire position was camouflaged before the war. As a result, the Japanese aircraft bombing and artillery attacks in the early stage were basically on the camouflaged position. Later, the Japanese aircraft and artillery bombed the position into a mess, but the defenders
Not forgetting to camouflage the position, the Japs were determined not to expose their firepower until they were in front of them, which allowed the defense line to hold on longer. In addition, the front slope of Fujin Mountain was gentle, and the Japanese army had no terrain that could cover their bodies. Every time the infantry
The attack became a target, and the casualties were naturally high. Unfortunately, the 71st Army lacked artillery after the Songhu Battle, otherwise the Japanese army would suffer more casualties. The strength of the Japanese army lies in the firepower advantage of the air and ground. The casualties of the defenders were mainly
Caused by Japanese artillery fire.
After the bombing by Japanese aircraft, artillery preparations began for 15 minutes.
This time the enemy's shelling was different from the previous days. The enemy's artillery shells in the past few days were mainly mountain artillery shells, with small caliber and limited lethality. Today the enemy used heavy artillery, and judging from the density of the shells, it should be that a new heavy artillery brigade was brought in.
. Chen Ruihe has been in battle for a long time and has fought with the Japs for a year. Naturally, he understood at a glance that the Japs were about to launch a full-scale attack.
Chen Ruihe looked at the sky. The damn sky was actually clear, which was very suitable for the Japs' aircraft operations. In this case, it would be difficult for the Japs' aircraft fleet, coupled with the heavy artillery brigade, for the Fujinshan position to survive today.
Chen Ruihe directly called Song Xilian and begged the military commander to immediately report to the principal that the Fujinshan position was in danger and that the air force should be sent to support it no matter what, even if it could disperse the Japs' planes.
Putting down the phone, Chen Ruihe ordered the reserve team to prepare and go into battle at any time.
As soon as the Japanese artillery fire stopped, the troops of the 36th Division entered their positions and prepared for battle.
Zhang Xin's company was deployed in the front line position in front of Fujin Mountain.
It is said to be the first line, but it is actually the third line of the original defense line. The original first line and second line positions have long been destroyed after several days of repeated fighting and indiscriminate bombing by the Japanese army.
Today is already the ninth day of defending Fujin Mountain. Zhang Xin's company has been reduced from a full company to 84 people. This is still a company with relatively few casualties, so it was adjusted to the front line today.
When the Japanese planes and artillery were bombing, Zhang Xin led his brothers to hide in the shelter. As soon as the artillery fire stopped, Zhang Xin led his brothers to the position. As soon as he was ready, the deputy pointed his hand and said:
"Company commander, the Japanese are coming!"
Zhang Xin crawled on the position and looked down, and saw that the Japs had formed three lines of skirmishers. The first line looked like a large group with thousands of numbered men. The second line and the third line were densely packed and could not be seen clearly. But
No need to think about it, that is definitely the main force of the Japs.
As soon as he saw that the Japs' skirmish line was still far away, Zhang Xin knew that he had been fooled. He was a veteran who had participated in the Songhu Battle. He was very aware of the Japs' tricks. He intuitively felt that the Japs would definitely attack again with artillery fire, so he quickly gave the order.
The brothers evacuated their positions and entered the shelter.
Sure enough, as soon as Zhang Xin and the others evacuated, the Japs' artillery shells fell down, blowing up the position beyond recognition. Zhang Xin knew that the Japs had artillery observers, and this guy was really accurate. He didn't know that the brothers in other positions had evacuated.
If they didn't come down, the casualties would not be serious.
After another 15 minutes, the Japanese artillery fire became sparse, and Zhang Xin immediately led his brothers to the position. As soon as he set up the machine gun, the Japanese were already within 80 meters. Zhang Xin did not hesitate at all and shouted.
Fight, the nine Czech-style light machine guns newly equipped after the whole company was reorganized roared away, and the dense fire net blinded the Japanese who rushed up at once, and they rolled down the slope with a huff.
As soon as Zhang Xin and the others opened fire, the companies on the left and right also opened fire, but the gunfire was a bit sparse. Zhang Xin knew that the Japanese artillery fire must have caused casualties to the companies on the left and right. They must provide support as soon as possible, otherwise
Once the positions on both sides are lost, one's own position cannot be defended.
Seeing that the first wave of Japs in front of him had basically retreated, Zhang Xin immediately ordered two squads from the third platoon, each with a machine gun, to reinforce the positions on the left and right sides, and ordered his brothers to continue to hold the position.
The battle was fierce from the beginning.
After the first wave of Japanese attacks were repelled, the second wave came immediately.
The Thirteenth Division is worthy of being the elite of the Japanese army. They are skilled in tactical movements, have tacit cooperation, and have extremely high individual combat qualities. The defenders lack artillery, and the little Japanese's infantry cannons, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns can easily establish positions.
The army fired at each other to suppress the firepower of our army.
The 36th Division is no ambiguity, it is also the absolute elite of the central government. Although casualties are constantly increasing, the soldiers, led by commanders at all levels, persist in holding on.
When the third attack wave of the Japs came up, Zhang Xin's company had to abandon its first-line position, turn to the second line, and continue to fight.
The wounded could not be moved, so they all huddled in the trenches with grenades and explosive packets in their hands, waiting for the little Japs to come up and fight.
The Japanese rushed into the front line. Before they could put up the sun flag, the wounded in the trenches fired explosive bags and grenades. There was a rumble of explosions, and the trenches in the front line became a Shura field.
At this time, it was already about 10 o'clock in the morning. After the Japs occupied the front-line position, they probably needed to adjust their deployment and temporarily stopped the attack. Only the Japs' artillery and aircraft continued to bombard them in turn.
Taking advantage of this gap, Zhang Xin checked the number of people in the shelter. There were only 54 people left in the company. The first platoon leader and the second platoon leader were also killed. A piece of Japanese cannonball skin was inserted into the company's deputy's back.
, had to be carried down.
Zhang Xin took out a few packs of cigarettes and gave them to the brothers to smoke. He also lit one, took a few puffs, and said loudly: "Brothers, please tell me your hometown address and the names of your relatives. I will give them to you."
Remember, this is our tomb today. If any brother can get out alive, I am responsible for writing a letter to each brother's home, telling his family that we died in Fujin Mountain, so that they should not miss us anymore."
After speaking, Zhang Xin took out a pen and notebook from his briefcase and wrote: Zhang Xin, captain of the 36th Division of the 71st Army of the National Revolutionary Army, is from Shaoxing, Zhejiang. His father, Zhang Fulai, is a clerk at Qinghuatang in Shaoxing.
After Zhang Xin finished writing, the brothers gathered around and each one reported his hometown address and the names of his relatives.
After Zhang Xin finished memorizing it, the Japanese artillery fire also stopped. Zhang Xin buried the briefcase, then waved his hand and called the brothers to go to the battlefield.
At 11 o'clock, the Japs' planes flew in again to wreak havoc. At this time, eight fighter jets of the Chinese Air Force flew over Fujin Mountain and launched an attack on the Japanese bomber formation. Both sides came and went, rolling and rolling in the air.