At 9:45 in the morning, the depressed commander of the Kwantung Army, General Muto Nobuyoshi, received a good news from Nishi Giichi of the Eighth Division in advance:
The Eighth Division completely captured Hiraizumi, and all the Nagagawa Brigade was stationed. In this battle, Ishikawa, the 7th Independent Mixed Brigade, who personally led a regiment over a 16-kilometer mountain ridge and attacked the flanks of the Hiraizumi defenders, made great contributions to the victory.
Colonel, is leading his troops in pursuit;
The 26th Cavalry Regiment moved south quickly without stopping, and attacked the front line of Kuancheng with Colonel Matsuda's 10th Cavalry Regiment of the 6th Division, holding back the enemy's 4th Corps Yu Zhaolin and Zhao Tingfang's brigade. Now they are waiting for the 6th Division
The main infantry force quickly moved south, forming a joint attack.
The news of the successful occupation of Hiraizumi made Muto Nobuyoshi feel much more relaxed. He rarely praised the new commander of the Seventh Independent Mixed Brigade, Koichi Ishikawa, and asserted that the Seventh Independent Mixed Brigade had suffered frequent setbacks after entering western Liaoning.
After the bloody battle at Butterfly Valley, morale was finally restored and the spirit was revitalized.
Koiso Kuniaki saw a rare smile on Muto Nobuyoshi's face, and took the opportunity to suggest that the Sixth Division should focus on the overall situation, temporarily abandon the pursuit of the stubborn enemies of the Anjia Army who had evacuated from Chaoyang, and assemble heavy troops on the line from Jianchang to Sandaohezi.
, quickly applied pressure on the Kuancheng and Qinglong front lines where the Chinese Army Wan Fulin's Fourth Army was stationed, forcing consecutive defeats in the Chengde direction. The low-morale Tang Yulin's Fifth Army suffered greater pressure, causing it to completely collapse and collapse.
Muto Nobuyoshi thought for a while, and finally suppressed his deep hatred for the stubborn enemies of the Anjia Army who were deep in the hinterland. He nodded and agreed to Oji Kuniaki's plan, and immediately ordered the entire Sixth Division to withdraw and encircle the Anjia Army from the Kalaqin Left Banner to Ling.
The troops on the front line quickly gathered south, preparing to attack Wan Fulin's Fourth Army with all their strength, and comprehensively deter the Chinese army's defensive front with a point-to-point approach; at the same time, the order
The 14th Independent Mixed Brigade Headquarters was ordered to serve under Colonel Jiro Jiro, and immediately led his subordinates to leave the station and rush to the Jianchang front line to cooperate with the Sixth Division. Finally, Muto Nobuyoshi ordered the commander of the Northern Route Army, Lieutenant General Sato Konosuke, to
Lieutenant General Xi Yiyi, the former Central Route Army and now the Western Front Commander of the South Route Army, according to the original plan, launched an encirclement and annihilation against the troops of Gu Changfeng and Yang Jiuxiao of the Anjia Army who were fleeing westward with all their strength.
The order from General Muto Nobuyoshi, commander of the Kwantung Army, had just been issued, and an urgent message from Sato Konosuke, who had been ordered to encircle him, arrived immediately: the stubborn enemy fleeing to the west was moving at an alarming speed and had abandoned all their vehicles and baggage at Mashan, four kilometers south of Qingshan Town.
mining area, kill
Killed more than 30 of our expatriates who were maintaining work in the mining area, blew up the mine pits and mining equipment, burned the factory buildings and all their vehicles and equipment, and all entered the sparsely populated mountains and dense forests. The direction of the enemy's sneaking needs to be further verified by aircraft reconnaissance and ground troops.
.
After reading the telegram, Muto Nobuyoshi frowned slightly and strode to the map. After observing it for a moment, he couldn't help but feel a headache. Nearly ten thousand stubborn enemies suddenly entered the forest, sea and snowfields with a radius of more than 30 kilometers. If they wanted to encircle and encircle them with a large force, they would not be able to do so.
Know
How long will it take? In the snow-capped mountains and inaccessible mountains, a small force attacking at full speed may be ambushed, and a large force encircling and suppressing it will be subject to many restrictions such as road conditions and logistical supplies, which is extremely difficult.
After much consideration, Muto Nobuyoshi finally made up his mind: three brigades of the North Route Army suddenly attacked the Chifeng line, then stopped the offensive, mobilized two brigades and a cavalry regiment, and closely cooperated with the Suzuki Brigade of the Eighth Division to encircle and suppress them with all their strength.
This stubborn enemy of the Anjia Army brought great humiliation to all Kwantung Army soldiers!
Peiping, Northeast Army Headquarters.
The Central Staff Group and the generals of the Northeastern Army gathered together to analyze the intentions of the Japanese army's sudden force to occupy Hiraizumi and other actions. Yang Jie was keenly aware that the Japanese army's full-line offensive had now begun. Without rapid and reasonable deployment of troops, there would be no turning back.
The firm belief in resisting to the end, if broken even a little by the enemy, may cause the entire defensive front to waver or even collapse completely.
At nine o'clock in the morning, the rapid defeat of the three divisions of Tang Yulin's Fifth Army Corps in the direction of Pingquan put the Chengde area under tremendous pressure. If Chengde was captured by the enemy, the entire front would be shaken, not to mention the political impact it would cause and the nationwide panic it would cause.
It's immeasurable.
Secondly, the fall of Hiraizumi not only allowed the Japanese army to once again enjoy the large amount of strategic materials left behind after the defeat of the three divisions of the Northeastern Army, but also made Lingyuan, the most important strategic center in western Liaoning, a base for the Japanese army to attack any direction at will.
Stabilize Kuancheng and the Qinglong Defense Line, and wait for an opportunity to recapture Pingquan. The entire line from Xifengkou in the east to Gubeikou in the west will be under the pressure of the Japanese army. Apart from passive defense and desperate consumption, there will be no room for maneuver.
Not to mention active defense.
Yang Jie hurriedly glanced at the many solemn-looking generals around the long table, turned his head and looked quietly at An Yi beside him. When he saw An Yi with a serious face and was communicating with Xu Tingyao in a low voice, he couldn't go over to disturb him.
At this time, Zhang Zuoxiang, the auxiliary commander of the Northeast Army, slowly stood up and patted his palms twice. The venue immediately became quiet, and pairs of eyes focused on Zhang Zuoxiang's face full of vicissitudes of life.
Zhang Zuoxiang, who was wearing a general's uniform, had a low voice. After bowing his head and apologizing, he raised his head and said with great sincerity: "In the Battle of Hiraizumi, the Fifth Army lost more than 600 soldiers and injured thousands. Under the attack of the Japanese army's superior artillery fire,
The left wing was forcibly broken through by the enemy, which affected the overall situation. Commander Tang had no choice but to lead his troops to retreat 30 kilometers hurriedly and set up defenses on the spot.
"Currently, the Japanese invaders are pressing heavily on the border, and the defense line we have worked so hard to build is in danger. The Fifth Army Corps has done its best to increase the number of troops on the front line, striving to withstand the Japanese invaders' offensive and gain a breathing space.
"In addition, according to the urgent report just sent back by General Shoushan (Wan Fulin), the main force of the Japanese army is divided into two groups and is approaching Qinglong and Kuancheng. In line with the principle of active defense against the enemy outside, all our army's legions are determined to defend the Great Wall.
In other important areas, even if they are temporarily defeated, they can still resist steadily and strive to consume the effective strength of the Japanese army to the maximum extent. This is also consistent with the original intention of Commander An.
"Judging from the current war situation, the eastern front guarded by General Zhuge (He Zhuguo) and other troops is relatively stable, and General Mingxuan (Song Zheyuan) and other troops are on the middle line for defense. Only the situation on the western front is worrying. The two legions are stable.
The defense of the northeastern front line of Chengde can still be barely sustained. If we follow Chairman Chiang Kai-shek's advice to counterattack Pingquan and recapture Lingyuan, it will not be enough to do the job without adding two to three well-equipped main divisions.
"Therefore, after soliciting the opinions of each army corps, it is recommended that the 17th Army of the Central Army send two divisions to reinforce the joint part of the 4th and 5th Army. The above is the preliminary opinion of our Northeast Army Headquarters. I would like to ask General Ji Kuan (Huang Shaohong)
, General An Yi, General Geng Guang (Yang Jie), General Yuexiang (Xu Tingyao) for discussion."
More than a dozen generals all looked at the four generals of the Central Army. Zhang Zuoxiang's intention was very clear. He wanted the powerful independent division of the ace division to lead out of the border and assist the fourth and fifth armies to secure Kuancheng and recapture Pingquan.
Huang Shaohong briefly discussed with Yang Jie and then asked An Yi and Xu Tingyao for their opinions. An Yi looked calm and did not speak. Although he created and de facto led the independent division, Xu Tingyao was the commander of the 17th Army after all. He wanted to
The Seventeenth Army was dispatched, and Xu Tingyao could only express his position.
Xu Tingyao secretly admired An Yi in his heart. Before Zhang Zuoxiang opened his mouth, An Yi whispered to him to discuss this issue. Therefore, the confident Xu Tingyao nodded politely to everyone and turned to the young marshal and Zhang Zuoxiang, who had calm faces and great expectations in their hearts.
answer:
"Since the war requires it, the officers and men of our Seventeenth Army must move forward bravely and serve the country with all our strength. At present, General Hu Jialin has led the independent division to station in Miyun. After a short rest, General Lu Yixuan's Seventeenth Division followed closely behind and stationed in Huairou.
General Huang Jie's 2nd Division and General Guan Linzheng's 25th Division serve as reserves to defend Peiping and are stationed in Changping and Huairou respectively. If the battle ahead
If necessary, the independent division can be mobilized urgently, and the 17th Division can go out to fight. These two divisions belong to the main force of our Central Army, let alone the independent division. The 17th Division is also a meritorious unit that has just withdrawn from the front line in western Liaoning.
These two divisions have rich combat experience against Japan, are well-equipped, and have high morale. I wonder what the Marshal, the Auxiliary Marshal, and all of you think about these two divisions going into battle?"
"Okay! General Yuexiang is indeed noble and upright!"
"This way, great things can be done!"
…
The praises rang out one after another, and An Yi listened to them. Apart from being angry, he felt extremely emotional - in line with the principle of putting the overall situation first, An Yi had no objections, but for the three divisions of the Fifth Army, which cost more than 30,000 people,
Preserving strength, facing the ugly behavior of 20,000 Japanese troops retreating at the first touch, they are still brooding and deeply despised. Think about it, more than 30,000 Japanese troops are well-equipped and have sufficient ammunition and supplies.
The soldiers took advantage of the location and waited for work. With only a few thousand casualties, they retreated 30 kilometers across the line. No matter how to explain it and how magnificent the excuse was, it is unforgivable. If this situation is placed in the Anjia Army or even the Central Committee
In the army, the leading generals may have had their heads chopped off long ago, but now Tang Yulin is enjoying his position as the commander of the Fifth Army Corps.
But now that the enemy is facing us, everything must focus on unity and resistance. No matter how much opinions An Yi has in his heart, he can only bear it silently.
What An Yi is worried about now is not the Independent Division and the Seventeenth Division. With the abilities and characters of Hu Jialin and Lu Yixuan, as well as the experienced and determined heroic soldiers of these two divisions, the worst outcome is to fight with the Japanese army.
In a stalemate, we will never suffer big losses, An Yi is worried
The ones I care most about are Gu Changfeng, Yang Jiuxiao and their nearly 10,000 selected elite soldiers. These soldiers are all the backbone of the Anjia Army and the creators and successors of the Anjia Army's "Model Battalion Spirit" and "Iron-blooded Army".
, An Yi absolutely cannot bear to lose them.
Major matters were decided, and the generals hurriedly left and returned to their respective ministries to continue commanding the war against Japan. Zhang Zuoxiang, the auxiliary commander of the Northeast Army, also came to the Fourth and Fifth Corps to supervise the war. An Yi put away the minutes of the meeting and was about to turn around and leave, when Marshal Zhang Xueliang arrived
Beside him, he pulled him to the outdoor corridor and thanked him very gratefully and apologetically:
"Thank you dear brother for your support. What the frontline soldiers lack now is not troops, nor weapons and ammunition. What they lack is the belief in victory and strong fighting spirit. Having soldiers from the Independent Division and the 17th Division arrive at the front will definitely be a great encouragement.
Morale, cheer up, the auxiliary commander and the foolish brother have no choice but to bother the wise brother and the soldiers!"
"Brother, you're welcome. It's our duty as soldiers to resist and defend the country. The purpose of my troops going north is to resist Japan and save the country." An Yi said politely.
The young marshal nodded, sighed, and said with some bitterness: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Although from Nanjing to Peking, from Chairman Chiang to Brother Yu, everyone in the country has unanimously stated that they must regain the lost territory and counterattack Lingyuan, but in reality
The situation is not optimistic! It is already very difficult to hold the front line of Chengde and keep the enemy at bay. The huge gap in national strength and military power is before our eyes, which makes people worried and worried!"
An Yi glanced at the young marshal and wanted to refute him a few words, but after thinking about it, he realized that there was some truth in what he said. He immediately said seriously: "That's right, what you fight for is money and national strength. We will fight inside and outside the Great Wall."
Not only that, millions of troops and warlords from all over the country are also fighting against each other, and the civil war continues, which is really chilling! To the southwest, the civil war in Sichuan has stopped, and Wang Jialie in Guizhou,
Mao Guangxiang reignited the war, and Xinjiang's Ma Jiajun and the upstart Shengshicai were fighting to the death. As a result, banditry broke out in the northwest, the war was raging, and the people were in dire straits. Even Hu Zongnan's first division had to be urgently transferred to Gansu and Shaanxi to quell the rebellion; now Jiangxi is fighting hard, and northern Sichuan is fighting hard.
Fighting, even the various ministries in Fujian that belong to the Central Military Commission are annexing each other. When can we stop this cruel internal strife and unite with the outside world?"
An Yi's words immediately touched the young commander's mind. He thought that the various military units fighting in the War of Resistance in North China were all in discord and had their own plans, as well as the generals in the Northeast Army who were no longer under his control. He couldn't help but feel full.
His face was sad, he sighed frequently, and a painful feeling of powerlessness arose in his heart.
An Yi raised his wrist to look at his watch and said goodbye hastily: "I'm sorry, brother, I have to rush back to the Tangshan headquarters. A division commanded by Gu Changfeng made a surprise attack on Chaoyang early this morning. It just escaped from the tiger's mouth, and now it is in the wolf's den again.
,Small
The younger brother had to rush back and mobilize the air force to help nearly 10,000 soldiers escape. There might be an unprecedentedly brutal air battle. But in this case, the aerial reconnaissance and cover on the eastern and central fronts would no longer be taken care of. The elder brother stayed behind, and the younger brother took his leave.
!”
"Wait a minute! Brother Xian, when did General Gu attack Chaoyang? What happened to the surprise victory in Chaoyang in the early morning? Why didn't Brother Xian say it in the important meeting just now?"
The young marshal's eyes widened, looking extremely shocked. He grabbed An Yi's arm and asked a series of questions.
An Yi smiled bitterly and said: "Brother, please speak your mind, it would be better if you don't mention it. If you mention Gu Changfeng's victory in Chaoyang again under such a difficult situation, I'm afraid not many people in your army will be happy, and everyone will
What do you think? What do you think of the fifth legion that has retreated thirty miles? I'm sorry, brother, I'm really gone..."
The young marshal stared at An Yi's hurriedly leaving figure, took two steps forward and stopped again, then looked up to the sky and sighed, letting out a helpless moan that hurt his heart...