Chapter 27: The Defeat in the Battle of Nanchang and the Warning It Brought
The change of hands of Nanchang put the communication between the Third War Zone and the rear area into a difficult situation. Military replenishment could only rely on the highway lines in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, making the situation in the unoccupied areas of the southeastern provinces even more difficult. Therefore, after the fall of Nanchang, Guiyang actively planned a counterattack, which was something Okamura Yasuji had not expected.
On May 2, the day Nanchang fell, the Guiyang Military Committee judged that although the Japanese army had occupied Nanchang, they had suffered heavy losses, had not yet been replenished, and had insufficient garrison troops. It decided to launch a counterattack while the Japanese army was still unstable. At the same time, it ordered all war zones to launch the "May Offensive" (also known as the "Late Spring Offensive") to harass and contain the Japanese army and prevent it from continuing to invade Changsha westward.
The Military Commission ordered the Ninth War Zone and the Third War Zone to plan a counterattack on Nanchang.
The troops to be used were scheduled to be the 1st, 19th and 30th Army Groups of the 9th War Zone and the 32nd Army Group of the 3rd War Zone, totaling about 10 divisions, under the unified command of Luo Zhuoying, commander-in-chief of the 19th Army Group.
On May 9, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed his "Plan for Attacking Nanchang" to Bai Chongxi, director of the Guilin Headquarters, and solicited his opinions.
The operational strategy was: "First, use the main force to attack the enemy along the Nanxun line to ensure that the enemy's communications are cut off, and then use a part of the force to directly attack Nanchang. The attack will begin on May 17."
The main content of its troop deployment is: "Order the First Army, the Nineteenth Army and the Seventy-fourth Army to advance to the Nanxun Railway between Xiushui and Nanchang through Fengxin and Dacheng areas respectively, completely destroy the traffic, cut off the enemy's reinforcements, and work together to capture Nanchang.
Order the 70th Army of the 19th Army Group to advance to Gao'an step by step as the general reserve.
The 32nd Army was ordered to attack Nanchang from the east of the Gan River with the strength of three divisions, and to organize a regiment of troops to capture Nanchang by surprise attack.
Order the 30th Army Group to attack Wuning."
On May 11, Bai Chongxi sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek, proposing his own suggestions on troop deployment with slight changes. He emphasized launching surprise attacks and "destroying and disrupting the enemy's transportation and rear", "cutting off the enemy's communication lines" and believed that "the attack time should be advanced and implemented as soon as possible, no later than around the 15th." On May 14, the troops of the Ninth War Zone began to act first.
The First Army attacked Fengxin with the 184th Division of the 60th Army and the New 10th Division of the 58th Army, and monitored the Japanese troops in Jing'an with the New 11th Division of the 58th Army.
The main force of the 74th Army attacked Gao'an, and parts of the 74th Army and the 70th Army crossed the Jinjiang River to the north to attack Dacheng and Shengmijie.
The fierce fighting lasted until the 17th, when the Japanese army retreated to Fengxin, Qiuling and Wanshou Palace areas.
The 19th Army captured Dacheng, Gaoan, Shengmijie and other strongholds.
However, due to heavy casualties and other reasons, progress was difficult and the attack was obstructed. The troops of the two armies failed to advance to the Nanxun Railway as planned.
The 32nd Army of the Third War Zone crossed the Fuhe River on May 15 with the 16th Division, 79th Division, 5th Reserve Division and part of the 10th Reserve Division of the 29th Army, and launched a counterattack on Nanchang. The Chinese and Japanese sides fought a desperate battle that lasted until the 18th. After the 29th Army captured Shi Chajie, it began to approach the urban area of Nanchang.
On May 19, the Japanese army concentrated the main force of the 33rd Division to launch a counterattack. With the support of fierce artillery and air force firepower, they engaged in fierce fighting with the Chinese army in the southeast and south suburbs of Nanchang, repeatedly fighting for the village strongholds in the area.
The commander of the 79th Division, Duan Langru, changed the offensive deployment that night due to heavy casualties in his troops, and sent a telegram to report to the army and the army group.
The commander-in-chief of the 32nd Army Group, Shangguan Yunxiang, was dismissed and investigated on the grounds that he had changed the plan without authorization, and the case was reported to the Third War Zone for approval.
Chiang Kai-shek was anxious to capture Nanchang. After hearing the report, he issued an order on the 21st to execute Duan Langru in front of the army for delaying military plans, ordered the commander of the 16th Division He Ping to "seek merit while serving his sentence", and ordered Shangguan Yunxiang to supervise the battle at the front, with the deadline of capturing Nanchang before May 25th.
On May 22, Bai Huizhang's troops of the 102nd Division of the 29th Army recaptured Xiangtang and captured Shichajie again.
The 16th Division once captured Shatan Port, but it was recaptured after a counterattack by Japanese reinforcements.
Shangguan Yunxiang, who was in charge of the battle, then sent Liu Yuqing's troops from the 26th Division of the 29th Army into the battle.
On May 23, the Chinese army launched another attack. The battle lasted until dusk that day. Zeng Jiachu's unit of the Fifth Reserve Division attacked the outer positions of Nanchang City and destroyed the barbed wire. However, the Japanese army suffered intensive firepower and the division suffered heavy casualties and was unable to continue the attack.
After the 26th Division of the fresh force joined the battle, it launched a fierce offensive. Its 152nd Regiment broke into the Xinlong Airport at dawn on the 23rd and destroyed three Japanese planes.
The 155th Regiment advanced to the railway station at 9 o'clock that day.
However, both regiments were subsequently subjected to fierce fire attacks and counterattacks by the Japanese army and were unable to advance.
On May 24, the main force of the Japanese 106th Division, with the support of aircraft and tanks, attacked the 29th Army in the suburbs of Nanchang and Liantang.
The fierce fighting lasted until 17:00, when the 29th Army was surrounded, the commander of the 26th Division Liu Yuqing was wounded, the army commander Chen Anbao and the commander of the 156th Regiment Xie Beiting were killed one after another, and Chen Anbao's head was cut off by the brutal Japanese army and taken back to Nanchang City for display.
Based on the actual situation on the battlefield, the army's chief of staff Xu Zhixun and Liu Yuqing realized that it was impossible to complete the task of capturing Nanchang. In order to avoid the annihilation of the troops and the risk of being beheaded by Chiang Kai-shek, they decided to break out to Zhongzhouwei and Shichajie.
In this way, a regiment of the Fifth Reserve Division that disguised itself as plain clothes and sneaked into the city was forced to withdraw because there was no follow-up troops to support it.
After Chiang Kai-shek issued the order to capture Nanchang by May 25, Xue Yue, acting commander-in-chief of the Ninth War Zone, believed that "it is impossible to capture Nanchang on the subjectively determined time for the troops that have not been replenished after the Nanchang defense battle and whose weapons and equipment are far inferior to those of the enemy to conduct offensive operations against the enemy with absolute superior weapons and equipment and relying on fortifications."
However, Xue Yue did not dare to directly express his different opinions to Chiang Kai-shek, so on May 23, he sent a telegram to Chen Cheng to state his views.
Xue Yue said in the telegram: "The attack in Nanchang and Fengxin started on May 14th and has lasted for 10 days.
Because our army's equipment cannot keep up with the enemy's, while the enemy's heavy weapons, mechanized forces and aircraft can assist the enemy's army in combat everywhere.
Therefore, it is difficult for the attack to destroy the enemy's strong positions."
We have received repeated telegrams from the Chairman: "The strategy of our army's operations is to consume the enemy rather than be consumed by the enemy, to avoid the strong and attack the weak, and to achieve the goal of a protracted war of resistance.
Therefore, the attack on Nanchang this time was based on the principle of consuming the enemy and avoiding the strong and attacking the weak. We set up ambushes in advance, adopted surprise attacks, and attacked from all sides, hoping to recapture Nanchang with the most rapid and flexible means.
The situation has become so tense that it is impossible to attack the enemy and it is impossible to strike at their weak points. Although the enemy's position has weakened, it is unlikely that we will be able to capture Nanchang before May 25 .
In addition to strictly ordering all departments to overcome all difficulties and continue to attack regardless of the consequences, I intend to explain the above situation to the Chairman in a tactful manner when I call him. "
Because the war on the front line was developing in a direction unfavorable to China, Chen Cheng forwarded the full text of Xue Yue's telegram to Chiang Kai-shek on the 25th.
At that time, Bai Chongxi, the director of the Guilin Camp, also believed that the order to capture Nanchang within a limited time did not conform to the actual situation on the front line. So on May 25, he also sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek and He Yingqin, tactfully proposing a different suggestion: "Our army's attack on the enemy must be unexpected in order to be effective."
Now the enemy in Nanchang is well prepared, and our army has been attacking for ten days and has done its best.
In consideration of morale and our highest strategic principles, we plan to use one-third of our troops to continue the siege in Nanchang and use two-thirds to reorganize the troops.
Outside, they still promoted the intention of actively attacking the "two telegrams", both of which were "using the enemy's spear to attack the enemy's shield". They used the reason that the combat guidance was not in line with the strategic policy, hoping that Chiang Kai-shek would change the order to capture Nanchang within a time limit.
After receiving the telegram and the report that Commander Chen Anbao had been killed and the attacking troops had suffered heavy casualties, Chiang Kai-shek had to issue an order to stop the attack on Nanchang on May 29.
On May 30, the Guiyang National Government troops, which had received the retreat order, withdrew to the area east of the Ganjiang River and on both sides of the Fuhe River to confront the Japanese army. At this time, the Japanese army had suffered heavy losses and was unable to fight back. Both sides stopped fighting and the Battle of Nanchang was declared over.
In this battle, the Japanese army suffered more than 13,000 casualties, and the Chinese army suffered more than 100,000 casualties. "According to reports from our observers in the Ninth War Zone, the Japanese army used poison gas extensively in this battle, including firing more than 3,000 poison gas bombs and releasing more than 15,000 poison gas barrels on the Xiushui front. At that time, the 2-kilometer depth of the Xiushui River position was completely covered by poison gas."
Lin Ziyu has been the director of the Military Intelligence Bureau for more than two years. According to convention, he will be transferred to a new position. This will also be the last time will stand on the podium in this capacity to report to the Northwest Military Commission.
"The 11th Brigade of the 6th Division of the Japanese Army also used poison gas extensively when attacking Wuning, Gaoan and forcing a crossing of the Jinjiang River."
"We need to pay more attention to the problem of poisonous gas."
Lieutenant General Han Guangqi, member of the Military Commission and director of the Military Affairs Bureau, was Yang Hucheng 's man. He was naturally worried about the protection of ragtag troops like Yang's, but he was just a hollow director of the Military Affairs Bureau, so he could only take advantage of the situation to speak at the Military Commission meeting.
"At present, except for the divisions of the former Northwest system, which have sufficient protective equipment, the remaining army groups, corps, and divisions have almost no rubber gas masks. Even if there are some simple gas masks, their quantity cannot meet the needs of the war at all."
"What solution does the Military Affairs Bureau have for this?"
Dai Jiliang kicked the ball back to Han Guangqi's feet, and Han Guangqi had no way to respond.
“The Military Affairs Bureau can’t just keep saying this is not enough, that is not enough. It should also do a good job of communicating with the Joint Logistics Command and the manufacturers.”
But Dai Jiliang did not let him go and continued to hit him.
"If the supply of rubber is tight, then you can push for the production of simpler ones. The needs of the frontline are your biggest pressure."
"yes!"
Han Weixi, who was secretly complaining, had no choice but to stand up and express his opinion.
"The Military Affairs Bureau must follow your instructions, supervise the ordering of gas masks, and assist the Joint Logistics Command in providing a sufficient number of simple gas masks to the front line."
“More than just a gas mask.”
Dai Jiliang continued knocking.
"Commanders-in-Chief Sun and Shang, as well as the four corps commanders Yang, Leng, Pang, and Pan, have all reported to the headquarters that the number of rain gear, lunch boxes, and military shoes is insufficient. The Military Affairs Bureau should not wait until the subordinates urge them to come up with a solution, but should pay attention to it in advance."
Han Guangqi stood there and really wanted to bury his head in the ground to avoid such humiliation, but he was judging others by his own mean standards, because Dai Jiliang then gave the same order to Sima, the chief of staff of the Joint Logistics Command.
“The two units must do a good job of connecting.”
"yes!"
Sima Lang, Dai Jiliang's most trusted confidant, responded, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency. The Joint Logistics Department has already found a way to solve the problem of insufficient supplies at the front line."
"As long as it can be solved, don't just stand there. Sit down."
Dai Jiliang waved his hand, and after the two sat down, Dai Jiliang gestured to the representative of the newly established Strategic and Tactical Analysis Room of the National Defense College, Major General Li Han, who was also a student of the Northwest Army who studied in Germany.
"Next, you will do relevant analysis for the Military Commission."
"yes!"
Li Hanna, accompanied by Major General Jin Xing, stood in front of the map.
"We believe that the failure of the Battle of Nanchang was due to the following reasons. First, the conflict between the operational guidance and the strategic policy caused the front-line commanders to misunderstand and misexecute the campaign intentions."
