Chapter 88 The Second Battle of Changsha
After the Zhengxian-Nanyang Campaign, the Japanese Army in North China temporarily lost its offensive capability, but the situation was different for the 11th Japanese Army in Central China.
Although its 39th and 34th Divisions also suffered considerable losses, the 11th Army itself still had six divisions and three independent mixed brigades at its disposal.
Therefore, after confirming that the Chinese troops in the Sui-Zao direction had entered a state of rest and recuperation, Lieutenant General Kazuichiro Yuanbe, in an attempt to save face, took action in the Changsha direction.
However, at this time, the two documents formulated by the General Staff, "Outline of the Long-term War Guidance in Greater East Asia" and "Long-term Operational Guidance Plan against China", had been approved at the Imperial Headquarters meeting on April 16, 1941, and had been decided by the Emperor at the Imperial Conference.
Therefore, the Japanese army will "no longer conduct large-scale offensive operations. If necessary, it can carry out short-term surprise attacks for the purpose of cutting off the enemy, but the principle is not to expand the occupied area and return to the original station."
Forced by this principle, Lieutenant General Madoka could only take China's manpower as the first target of attack, thus the "Operation Plus" was formed, and subsequently a new commander-in-chief of the China Expeditionary Army, General Hata Shunroku, was appointed.
This general has always advocated that "completely destroying China's attempt to continue fighting and solving the China issue is Japan's fundamental national policy."
On May 17, under pressure from General Hata Shunroku, the Japanese Imperial Headquarters approved the Changsha combat plan with the "Continental Order" No. 535. However, given that the Guante Exercise required a large amount of aviation power and the Guiyang air force was particularly weak, the Imperial Headquarters withdrew a considerable amount of force from the naval and army aviation forces assigned to the 11th Army.
On May 29, the Japanese army had already made its initial deployment, with the following subordinates: three mountain artillery battalions of the 39th Division's 2nd Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment assembled at Xiaoqiaozhen in the southeast of Yueyang.
The 1st Independent Mortar Battalion of the 34th Division was assembled near Xinkaitang, southeast of Yueyang.
The two mountain artillery battalions of the 39th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment of the Sixth Division were stationed near Caoxieling, south of Yueyang.
The 3rd Battalion of the 39th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment of the 40th Division moved westward from Daye and Xianning areas of Hubei to assemble near Taolin.
The Zaoyuan Detachment, composed of four infantry battalions and two mountain artillery battalions of the 13th Division, assembled near Lengshuipu, east of Yueyang.
The Araki Detachment, composed of three infantry battalions and one mountain artillery battalion of the 33rd Division, assembled near Taolin.
The Pingye Detachment, composed of an infantry battalion and a mountain artillery company of the 14th Independent Mixed Brigade, assembled near Chenglingji, Yueyang.
The Jiangtou Detachment, which was composed of an infantry battalion of the 14th Independent Mixed Brigade, moved to assemble near Linxiang.
The 13th Tank Regiment, equipped with two light armored vehicle squadrons, assembled from Wuhan to Yueyang.
The 14th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment assembled near Yueyang from Wuhan.
The 11th Army Engineering Corps, which was composed of three independent engineering regiments and eight bridge-building material squadrons, assembled in Yueyang and Linxiang areas on June 11. The Battle of Dayun Mountain, which served as the vanguard battle of the Second Battle of Changsha, broke out.
On that day, the 23rd and 45th Regiments of the 6th Division of the Japanese Army, with the support of the air force, launched an attack from Zhongfang towards Yanling and Zhanjiaqiao on the north side of Dayun Mountain. After being blocked by the defenders, they detoured to the southeast.
Its 13th Regiment attacked the west side of Dayun Mountain and engaged in a fierce battle with Li Qingting's 104th Division.
At this time, the 23rd Army Group discovered that the 40th Division of the Japanese Army in the Xianning area of southern Hubei was transferred to northern Hunan, and judged that it was to exchange defense with the 6th Division. The Japanese attack on Dayun Mountain was a routine offensive before the exchange of defense.
Therefore, at 18:00 on the 11th, the 47th Army was ordered to secure Dayun Mountain. At the same time, the 25th Army was ordered to send troops to cooperate with the 47th Army in the battle, and the temporary 3rd Army was ordered to prepare to attack the Japanese army from Tongcheng to the west and strike when the Japanese army changed its defense.
From June 12 to 13, China and Japan continued to fight fiercely around Dayun Mountain, and both sides suffered heavy losses. However, Xue Yue did not judge the main purpose of the Japanese army in this battle.
On the 14th, Xue sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek, saying: "After the Japanese army swept through Dayun Mountain, they crossed the Xinqiang River to the south to harass us. It was determined that the enemy had moved to Gaoshi again, so the 33rd Division used the old tactic of advancing to retreat."
However, the Japanese army's method of attracting Chiang's attention with the Battle of Dayun Mountain did not succeed. As the main force of the Japanese army completed its assembly in northern Hunan, the momentum of the Japanese army's invasion of Changsha became obvious. Xue Yue, who had 3 army groups, 12 armies and 33 divisions in his hands, was really at a loss at this time . However, the opportunity could not be missed and it was irreversible to say anything now. He had no choice but to propose the operational strategy of "luring the enemy deep into our territory, counterattacking and annihilating the enemy", trying to "strive to encircle the enemy in Chongren in northern Jiangxi and southern Hubei, against the enemy in non-main attack areas , Xingan to the north, Yichun, Wanzai, Tonggu, Xiushui to the east, and Xiushui, Changshou Street, and Meixian to the north, and defeat them one by one”: “In northern Hunan, if the enemy attacks Changsha with its main force from Yanglin Street, Changle Street, Fulinpu Road and the areas on both sides of the Yuehan Railway, then lure the enemy to the south of the Miluo River and on both sides of the Laodao River, counterattack and annihilate them”. Based on the above policy, Xue Yue immediately ordered the 23rd Army to retreat to the south of the Xinqiang River. Only Tang Shizun's troops, which had lost more than half of its five divisions, were able to preserve the remaining troops.
On June 15, the Japanese army entered the attack position across the board. At this time, the only Chinese troops in the south of Xinqiang River were the 23rd Army Group and part of the 4th Army that was assigned to fight. The rest, such as the 58th Army, had not yet arrived at the designated position.
In the early morning of June 16, the Japanese army began to force a crossing of the Xinqiang River with the fire support of 329 mountain and field artillery and large-caliber mortars.
The defenders fought bravely and delayed the Japanese attack for several hours.
However, the Japanese army finally opened the landing port with the support of aircraft, artillery, tanks and armored vehicles. By 16:00 that day, the second-line positions of various units were also broken through by the Japanese army.
In view of the unfavorable situation in the war, Tang Shizun and the commander of the Fourth Army, Ou Zhen, discussed and believed that "the Japanese army has an advantage in manpower, fierce attacks, and air support. Frontal blocking is no longer effective. Therefore, they ordered the divisions to cover one by one and move to the mountains east of Guanwang Bridge to occupy favorable positions in order to maneuver or flank the Japanese army later."
Upon learning that the Xinqiang River position had been breached, Xue Yue mobilized the remaining troops of Lu Han's First Army from Xiushui and Sandu areas westward to the vicinity of Tongcheng, preparing to launch a counterattack in that area.
The 78th Army led by Zhang Zai advanced to Wang'anwu and Zhugongqiao and coordinated with the rest of the 4th Army to attack the Japanese troops crossing the river and advancing southward to the west.
On June 17, the Japanese army continued to advance.
In the evening, the Japanese vanguard arrived near Shitoupu and Changle Street on the north bank of the Miluo River.
Among them, the Sixth Division, which advanced the fastest crossed the river from Modaoshi with part of its unit and fought with six battalions of Luo Qi's unit of the 95th Division of the 37th Army defending the south bank in the areas of Yanjiapu and Wukou.
Since the Fourth War Zone had only five divisions guarding the south bank of the Miluo River, namely the 95th Division and the 140th Division of the 37th Army, and the 92nd Division, the 99th Division, and the 197th Division of the 99th Army, with a total strength of less than 50,000.
In view of this, Xue Yue ordered the 37th Army (minus the 60th Division) to guard the line from Wukou to Luogongqiao according to the planned decisive battle with the Japanese army on both sides of the Miluo River, counterattack and annihilate the Japanese army.
The 99th Division of the 99th Army guarded the line west of Luogong Bridge and from Yingtian to Xiangyin.
The 92nd Division advanced to the north of Sanjie Bridge, occupied a position, and was transferred to the command of Chen Pei, commander of the 37th Army, and resolutely blocked the Japanese army on the spot.
The main force of the 60th Army moved from Liuyang to the vicinity of Jinjing.
Zhang Chong's troops of the newly formed Third Army were transferred to Pingjiang to prepare for a counterattack.
Subsequently, the Ninth War Zone ordered the 23rd Army Group to attack Changle Street, Modaoshi, Guiyi, Xinshi and other places on the flank of the Japanese army north of the Miluo River.
Slowing down its southward advance.
Order the 60th Army to advance from Jinjing to Wengjiang.
Li Yutang's 10th Army troops stationed in Hengshan and Lukou were ordered to advance toward Gaoqiao and Jinjing areas.
On June 18, the Guiyang Military Committee ordered the First War Zone to hold the existing positions on both sides of the Xiangjiang River and south of the Miluo River, strengthen resistance, keep the main force on the outer wing, and strive to attack the enemy's flanks; and order the Second and Third War Zones to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the enemy in front of them to support the operations of the First War Zone.
On the same day, the Guiyang Military Committee ordered the formal transfer of the 10th and 29th Group Armies to the command of the 1st Theater Command, and also ordered the transfer of the 74th Army from the 3rd Theater Command and the temporary 2nd Army from the 6th Theater Command to reinforce the 4th Theater Command.
However, the telegram from the Fourth War Zone had been deciphered by the Japanese army. Upon learning of the Chinese deployment, Lieutenant General Yuanbu immediately changed the plan and ordered the 39th and 34th Divisions to move to the areas east of Wukou and Wengjiang one after another.
He ordered the 40th Division and the 6th Division to detour through the eastern mountains in an attempt to encircle and annihilate the Chinese 37th Army, the newly formed 39th Army, the 10th Army and other units.
Xue Yue was unaware that the Japanese army's actions had changed. As a result, on the 19th and 20th, the 37th Army and other units were hit hard by the Japanese army. Each unit was defeated one by one, and the losses were extremely shocking.
Faced with this situation, Xue Yue had to ask the 74th Army and other units to speed up their support to the Laodaohe front.
However, this telegram was deciphered by the Japanese army. In order to eliminate the old rival, the 74th Army, Lieutenant General Yuanbe adjusted the battle plan again and had the 39th and 34th Divisions advance to the south of Laodao River.
The Sixth Division was relieved of its original mission of occupying Pingjiang and instead advanced towards the Laodao River Valley in order to intercept the 74th Army.
After sweeping the area near Jinjing, the 40th Division moved south. On the 21st, the 57th Division, the vanguard of the 74th Army, arrived near Chunhua Mountain on the north bank of Laodao River, only to find that Chunhua Mountain had been occupied by the Japanese army. They had no choice but to occupy Tian'e Mountain on the south bank and confront the Japanese army.
After discovering the movements of the 57th Division, the Japanese army immediately launched an attack on Swan Mountain. The two sides fought fiercely all night, and the Japanese army was not repelled until the morning of the 22nd.
The 57th Division took the opportunity to counterattack and recapture Chunhua Mountain, and advanced northward to the Malin line to engage the Japanese army.
On the morning of the 22nd, the main force of the Japanese 39th Division, with the support of the Air Force, launched a series of fierce attacks on the 57th Division, but was met with tenacious resistance from the 57th Division.
The Japanese army also deployed part of the 34th Division to attack the left wing of the 57th Division.
The 57th Division suffered nearly 3,000 casualties but still held its ground.
On the same day, the 58th Division at Chunhuashan, Xiajiatang and Wujiadu, the 51st Division at Wujiadu and Yangjiatan, and the 95th Division of the 37th Army, which cooperated with the 74th Army, also engaged in fierce fighting with the 6th, 39th and 34th Divisions of the Japanese Army at Wangjia Chong and Yanggongqiao. The 74th Army suffered extremely heavy losses.
As a last resort, on the night of June 23, the Fourth War Zone had to urgently order the army to withdraw from the battle and move eastward to Dongyang City, Hengjiang and the south bank of the Liuyang River, preparing to flank the Japanese army.
At this time, the gates of Changsha had been opened, but the garrison was extremely weak. Residents in the city fled one after another, the roads were congested, and the order was extremely chaotic. The Japanese army only needed to reach out and Changsha would fall into their hands like a ripe fruit.
However, when Lieutenant General Yuanbe and Ichiro were about to succeed , they stopped again.
On June 24, Lieutenant General Yuan issued an order: "Our army has achieved the purpose of the battle. From now on, all units will return to their respective starting points." The Second Battle of Changsha ended inexplicably like this.
