Chapter 23: Battle of Lanfeng (VIII)
On April 29, 1939, the Hubei-Henan-Anhui War Zone launched a counterattack towards the Xu Hai area with Men Bingyue's Reserve Cavalry Corps as the vanguard. On the same day, they captured Xinmaqiao, Lianzhan, Caolaoji and other villages and towns along the Jinpu Road between Guzhen and Bengbu, and wiped out more than 300 Japanese garrisons and puppet police forces, causing the Jinpu Road and communications along the line to be interrupted.
The next day, Zhao Zhenfan's troops of the 107th Division of the 67th Army and Zhu Hongxun's troops of the 108th Division attacked from the Mengcheng line, captured Qixian and Taoyuan, and approached the outskirts of Suxian. Du Jiwu's troops of the 109th Division of the 57th Army crossed the Xifei River from Gongji east of Yingshang to attack Huainan, and captured Dingji and Panji and approached Fengtai and Xiejiaji.
On May 2, Gao Guizi's 17th Army of the Jiangsu-Xuzhou-Shandong-Henan-Anhui War Zone cooperated with Sun Dianying's New Fifth Army with more than 10,000 people to attack Sihong again. More than 50 employees of the Sihong County puppet government and puppet police took the initiative to rebel and open the county seat. The Japanese garrison was forced to rely on the barracks to resist stubbornly, but was soon wiped out. Gao and Sun's troops then took the opportunity to attack Si County.
On the same day, after a short rest, Men Bingyue's Reserve Cavalry Corps moved south to the Huai River and approached the important small Bengbu in Huaibei. The Japanese army in Bengbu urgently mobilized about 100 veterans , and businessmen in China to participate in the defense.
As a result, they were severely damaged by the Men Corps, suffered heavy casualties, and had to retreat across the Huaihe River to defend the area south of the railway bridge. The crisis in Huaibei shocked the entire North China. The Japanese army in North China finally confirmed that the actions of the Chinese army were not isolated, but a major counterattack was launched in the entire Xu Hai and northern Anhui areas when the Japanese army was understaffed.
However, this series of counterattacks was only a minor trouble for the Japanese troops in North China, which were stretched thin in terms of manpower. Soon, a greater threat emerged.
On the morning of May 4, when the fighting on the Landong and Lu'nan fronts was a sea of blood and corpses, Yao Dongfan's 117th Division and Chang Jingwu's 120th Division, which were heading north from Woyang, suddenly attacked from the north of Woyang and headed straight for Yongcheng. After scaring the Japanese troops in Yongcheng into a cold sweat, they turned back to Xuzhou, which was further behind the Japanese troops. But that was not the end.
On the same day, Huo Shouyi's unit of the 106th Division of the 16th Corps of Miao Chengliu of the Jiangsu-Xuzhou-Shandong-Henan-Anhui War Zone, Zhang Wenqing's unit of the 110th Division, and Chen Dazhang's unit of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 6th Cavalry Division of Guo Xipeng also rushed all the way to Xuzhou from Suining.
The 127th Division of the Shandong Provincial Government, led by Shen Ke, bypassed Zaozhuang and went through Laoniusuo and Qiaokou to cut off the Jinpu Road and Linzao Road.
"Sir, the Chinese army's movements are very clear."
In the North China Front Army Headquarters in Peiping, Lieutenant Colonel Yuryū Fukahori, Chief of the Second Section of the General Staff (Chief Intelligence Staff), reported in a stiff tone to the commander-in-chief General Sugiyama Hajime, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomoyuki, and Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Muto Akira who were sitting above him.
"Please look."
The blue arrows marked on the map indicate the action paths of the Chinese units.
"It is certain that the ultimate goal of the Chinese army is to capture Xuzhou."
After the Japanese army occupied Guide, its engineering corps rushed to build a military railway on the roadbed of the Longhai Railway. Later, in order to facilitate the transportation of ammunition, food and other supplies to the front, the Japanese army once set up a forward military station in Xuzhou, stockpiling nearly 20,000 tons of supplies.
If Xuzhou were lost, not only would these mountains of combat supplies fall into the hands of the Chinese army, but the Japanese army, with its main supply line cut off, would only be able to obtain supplies from western Shandong.
The road transportation conditions in western Shandong are far inferior to those of the Xuzhou-Guide line with railways. Even if the necessary means of transportation can be gathered by then, the supply efficiency will be greatly reduced compared to now.
"At present, the Imperial Army only has the rear headquarters of the 360th Division and four engineering, light and heavy squadrons in Xuzhou. Even with the armed expatriates, there are only more than 1,500 people, which is completely unable to deal with the counterattack of the Chinese army."
Although they knew that Xuzhou could not be lost, the Japanese troops in North China did not have enough troops to guard Xuzhou. The surrounding Japanese troops were either pinned down by the Chinese forces behind enemy lines, or trapped on the front battlefield more than a hundred kilometers away, and had no ability to return to rescue.
"The opinion of the Second Department is that at least 10 infantry squadrons and corresponding artillery and machine gun squadrons need to be immediately replenished in order to hold out until the troops on the Western Front return."
"The troops on the western front are returning? No, the First Division will never agree to such a decision that would ruin all the efforts of the Second Battle of East Henan."
Colonel Zengoro Harada, the head of the First Section (senior staff officer), shouted angrily.
"The first lesson suggests abandoning Xiapi and other outlying towns, withdrawing the garrisons from other places back to Xuzhou to defend, and then mobilizing the 5th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade to attack from Linyi and Suxian. In addition, the 82nd Regiment of the 21st Division has already arrived in Dezhou and will soon be able to reach Tengxian. This will surely defeat the Chinese army's plot in one fell swoop."
Chief of Operations Staff Isomura Santai also agreed with Colonel Harada's opinion: "Although the 16th Division and the 11th Independent Mixed Brigade in the southern Anhui area were temporarily unable to move north due to the 16th Corps of Feng Qinzai's Chinese Army.
But haven't the 20,000 Manchukuo troops that the Kwantung Army agreed to transfer to Beijing and Tianjin for garrison already arrived in Jinzhou? Why not just withdraw 3-4 battalions from the 21st Division and the 6th Independent Mixed Brigade and send them south. After defeating the Chinese Army's attack on Xuzhou, they don't need to return to the team and can be directly transferred to the Dancheng line to strengthen the 110th Division. "
"The 5th Independent Mixed Brigade is surrounded in Suxian, Lingbi, and Sixian. There are also Chinese troops active around the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade. Can you just mobilize them whenever you want?"
Lieutenant Colonel Fukahori retorted.
"Besides, even if we can gather troops to attack Suxian, Linyi, etc., the 82nd Regiment must first break through the enemy in Teng County."
"You are exaggerating the strength of the Chinese army."
Colonel Harada almost pointed at Yuryū Fukahori and called him a coward.
"The Chinese army may be far less powerful than the Imperial Army, but they have enough manpower, and even time is on their side."
Lieutenant Colonel Fukahori persisted.
"I have no objection to withdrawing the garrisons in Xiapi and other places back to Xuzhou, but at least the 36th Division must be transferred back to the Ningling line. Otherwise, if Xuzhou falls, the Second Section will not bear any responsibility."
"Asshole! You are trying to shirk responsibility. The failure of the Second Section to discover the unusual movements of the Chinese Army was the biggest mistake of this battle. Don't even think about pushing it away."
Isomura Santaio assisted Harada in attacking Fukahori.
"Sir, I suggest that we review Section 2's intelligence operations after this battle."
There were heated arguments below, but General Sugiyama Moto, who was sitting at the top, looked calm and unperturbed. He just glanced at the deputy chief of staff Muto Akira, who had just been transferred from the Kwantung Army, and said, "Mr. Yamashita, Mr. Muto, what are your opinions?"
"I'm really sorry to say this, but I just arrived in Peking and I still don't have a clear idea of the operations on the southern front."
However, Muto Akira did not want to get involved in the conflict between Sugiyama Gen and Yamashita Tomoyuki, so he responded calmly.
"Commander, you should listen to Senior Yamashita's advice."
“I see.”
Sugiyama Gen did not have the idea of getting Muto Akira's support immediately, so when he heard the other party's reluctance, he went along with it.
"Yamashita-kun, it's understandable that Muto-kun is new here and doesn't know anything about the situation on the southern front , but you were the one who led the Second Battle of East Henan, so you must have been prepared for the current situation, right?"
"Commander," Yamashita Tomoyuki forced a smile and was about to say something when suddenly a staff officer rushed in and presented a telegram to Sugiyama Motoko. Sugiyama Motoko's face changed suddenly and he handed the telegram to Yamashita Tomoyuki. Yamashita Tomoyuki took a closer look and gasped.
When the section chiefs and chief staff officers saw that the bosses looked unhappy, they stopped bickering. At this time, Muto Akira had also finished reading the telegram: "Commander, there is a riot in Jidong. One hundred thousand Chinese rioters have blocked the Beining Road. This has seriously affected the deployment of the Manchukuo Army and has had a huge impact on the next plan of the front army. I am willing to personally go out and quell it."
Everyone then realized that there was a big chaos in eastern Hebei. Not only had it affected the puppet Manchukuo army in Jinzhou's ability to arrive in Peiping and Tianjin to take over the defense on time, but even the 21st Division, which was originally scheduled to be transferred south, had to withdraw its forces to devote to the suppression operations in eastern Hebei and could no longer send reinforcements southward. This was very bad news for the upcoming battle of Xuzhou.
"It's great that Muto-kun volunteered. Muto-kun was just transferred from the Kwantung Army. I think he will be able to command the Manchukuo Army with ease ."
Sugiyama Gen nodded grimly.
"In this case, the front army will arrange the third flight group to assist your operation. Muto-kun, you go and dispatch first."
Muto Akira hurried out, and at this time Yamashita Tomoyuki also spoke up: "Sir, the 82nd Regiment should not return."
Before Yamashita Tomoyuki finished his words, another staff officer ran in. As the saying goes, good fortune never comes alone, and misfortune never comes alone. Li Songnian, who was reinforced by the 63rd Army, replaced the 224th Division with Gao Pengyun's 118th Division and Zhou Guanglie's 121st Division to participate in the frontal blocking battle.
The 205th Division, which was originally used as a reserve force, was then deployed to attack and defend Dancheng, and finally broke a gap in the Japanese defense line. It broke into Dancheng and split the Nonomura Detachment into two parts, one large and one small.
"Sir, now that things have come to this, we can only accept the advice of the Second Section and transfer the 36th Division on the Ningling Line back to Xuzhou for support."
Yamashita Tomoyuki expressed his helplessness.
"Of course, this will create a huge gap between the Dancheng, Luyi, Boxian line and the Lankao, Qixian line. The Chinese army may use this gap to outflank the imperial army. In this regard, I suggest that the 27th Division and the 32nd Division be restrained and returned to Guide and Suixian to strengthen the southern line and first deal with the enemy in Dancheng and Suxian."
"We must also withdraw the garrisons in Xia Pi and other places back to Xuzhou as soon as possible."
At this time, Isomura Santaifu, who was beaten by Rushuang, added his words, but everyone understood that the Second Battle of East Henan had actually been declared over.
"The Third Air Group should also try its best to strike at the Chinese troops besieging the city."
Colonel Harada Zengoro also weakly suggested: "We also ask Central China to send the 16th Division or the 11th Independent Mixed Brigade to break through the obstruction of Feng Qinzai's troops."
"Alright everyone, the war is not over yet."
General Sugiyama Motoko had to stand up and cheer up these frustrated people.
"It's a little early to admit defeat now."
