blood feud

Restore history: In the first stage of North China Counterattack, Tani Hisao's Sixth Division narrowly escaped the first blow!

In early August 1937, the Military Commission of the Nationalist Government established the Baoding Camp (later changed to Shijiazhuang Camp), with Xu Yongchang as the director and Lin Wei as the chief of staff to supervise the Hebei operations.

Jiang, the commander-in-chief of the first war zone (concurrently), Song Zheyuan was the commander-in-chief of the first group army, and Liu Zhi was the commander-in-chief of the second group army, who were responsible for the combat command of Jinpu and the northern section of Pinghan Road.

In Gu'an, the 53rd Army (commander Wan Fulin) and the 4st Regiment of Wang Qifeng's 1th Cavalry Division defended the positions from Jingezhuang on the right bank of the Yongding River to East and West Pangzhuang;

Zhou Fucheng's 116th Division guarded the front line from Shuangying to Hejin near Yongqing, and Feng Zhanhai's 91st Division guarded the front line from Hejin to Dongxiyang Village;

No.20六路军之骑兵檀自新第10师守备东西杨村至马头镇一线阵地，与冯安邦第27师、张金照第30师、张华堂独立第44旅的琉璃河、房山、黑龙关一线阵地构成一条长百余公里的阵地。

At the same time as the frontal attack, part of the Japanese army (14th Division, author's note) began to detour to Gu'an, preparing to penetrate to the rear of our army to launch an attack and wipe out our defenders in Fangshan, Liulihe, and Zhuoxian.

On the night of September 1937, 9, the 13nd Battalion of the 14th Regiment of the 59th Division of the Japanese Army sent 7 reconnaissance groups to cross the Yongding River to reconnoitre the opposite position.I found that there were very few troops in the 53rd Army and heard the sound of cars going west. I judged that the army (Wan Fulin) had withdrawn without authorization, and started to cross the river at 9 o'clock the next day (September 14, author's note).

Immediately after the Japanese army crossed the Yongding River, they immediately marched forward.As a result, they encountered Feng Zhanhai's 91st Division, which was retreating. The two sides started a melee, and the 91st Division retreated without support.

The Sixth Division of the Japanese Tani Hisao began to cross the river at 9:14 on the same day (September 14, author's note), and reached the opposite bank at 16:116.Encountering Zhou Fucheng's [-]th Division, which was busy retreating and had no defense at all, Gu Hisao ordered the troops to defeat them in one go, and then marched towards Niutuo Town.

According to the book, the Hebei Plain was in the rainy season at this time, and the heavy rain caused water to accumulate everywhere.The Sixth Division of the Japanese Army lost its direction on the 16th and was trapped in a large area of ​​stagnant water east of Niutuo Town.

After a busy day in the water zone, there was no result. In the end, the location of the battlefield was not clear, and the direction was not clear. Gu Hisao ordered the troops to return to Niutuo Town on the 17th.

Afterwards, the Japanese army went west to Xinqiao and fought fiercely with the 7th Division (Division Commander Li Shilong) of the 19rd Army of the local defenders. It captured Dingxing on the 20th and reached Xushui on the [-]th.

After the Japanese army crossed the Yongding River, the No.20 Division of the Japanese Army on the Pinghan Line launched an attack from Changxindian to the positions of Zhang Jinzhao's 30th Division and Zhang Huatang's Independent 44th Brigade.

No.20 Sixth Route Army In order to consolidate its right back, Sun Lianzhong ordered on the 14th: "Feng Anbang's 27th Division is still in the original position to resist the enemy's southern invasion; Tanzixin Cavalry's 10th Division quickly occupied the line of Hexiwu and Tongcun on the right bank of the North Juma River The 47th Division of Pei Changhui occupied the line from Hancun to Hexiwu on the right bank of the North Juma River, and the 31st Division of Chifengcheng occupied the line from Tongcun to Matou Town with a part, and the rest gathered in Zhuo Standby near the county."

At dawn on the 15th, the troops arrived at the designated positions.At about 8 o'clock on the same day, a Japanese army, with the cooperation of armored vehicles and artillery, attempted to cross the North Juma River near Wanghaizhuang, but was repelled by the 47th Division of Pei Changhui. At about 17:47, the Japanese army used smoke bombs to storm the position again. The [-]th Division fought hard and the position was captured by the Japanese army.

On the morning of the 27th, under the cover of more than 15 Japanese aircraft, more than 10 Japanese soldiers of mixed arms crossed the Dashi River from Yangtougang on the opposite side of Feng Anbang's 20th Division, and attacked the division's position with more than [-] armored tanks. Most of the officers and soldiers of the two companies of our garrison suffered casualties, and the Yangtougang position fell.

On Zhang Jinzhao's 30th Division and Zhang Huatang's Independent 44th Brigade, the Japanese army also launched an attack that morning, but was repelled by our defenders.

On the evening of the 1937th, 15, Pei Changhui's 47th Division launched an attack on the Japanese army at night, and at 2 am the next day, it invaded the southern part of Beitong Village.

At about 6 o'clock, more than 2000 enemy troops (the 14th Division, the author's note) with the support of more than 20 tanks crossed from Wanghaizhuang, Hexiwu, etc., and divided the defenders' positions along the North Juma River. Chengshuduan. At the same time, the Japanese artillery and aircraft also bombarded fiercely, and the battle was unprecedentedly fierce. Our defenders suffered more than 2000 casualties.

By 12 o'clock, the total number of Japanese troops crossing the North Juma River was about 5000. Our defenders were outnumbered and forced to retreat to the Maojiaying area.

The Japanese army (27th Division, author's note) opposite Feng Anbang's 6th Division launched a fierce attack at 16 o'clock on the 8th.The fierce battle lasted until 14:27, and our defenders withdrew to the Liulihe position due to heavy casualties. (Feng Anbang's [-]th Division lost more than half and was forced to retreat. The big thing is over!)

So far, the defense lines of Fangshan, Zhuozhou, Gu'an, Gaobeidian, and Dingxing have completely collapsed. It is no longer possible to stop the Japanese army on the front line of Baoding.

This stage has completely failed, and there are many people who should be held accountable!

The first culprit was Wan Fulin's 53rd Army's retreat without a fight, giving up the beachhead of the Yongding River to the 14th Division of the Little Devil, and giving way to the Westward Advance of the 6th Division!

During the Great Wall Anti-Japanese War in 1933, Wan Fulin retreated without a fight in Nanpiao, Beipiao, Fuxin, and Lingyuan, which caused the entire Great Wall defense line to shake and Chengde missed!

In the Pingjin counterattack four years later, Wan Fulin once again retreated without a fight, causing the flanks of the No.20 Sixth Route Army under Sun Lianzhong to lose protection, and the defense lines of Gu'an and Zhuozhou collapsed!

At this stage, it is Sun Lianzhong's No. 20 Sixth Route Army who is alone in the crisis and forgets his life. Although they are defeated, they deserve the title of "National Qiancheng"!

The record of Sun Lianzhong's No.20 Sixth Route Army at this stage is even worse than the bloody battle at the Great Wall and the battle at Nankou not long ago!Because of the failure of the entire campaign, it is unfair that Sun Lianzhong's troops did not receive the praise they deserved.

The second culprit is the number one pig in the world - Liu Zhi!

Liu Zhi, who was fully responsible for the command of the battle, adhered to Jiang's consistent practice of "repelling dissidents", and even surpassed the blue from the blue, so he did it more thoroughly and blatantly!

Put the No.20 Sixth Route Army, the old department of the Northwest Army, on the front line of Fangshan and Liulihe, and put the Sichuan Army's Third Army, which did not have a complete set of rifles, on the front line of Laishui, Gaobeidian, and Xincheng. In Mancheng, Baoding, and Caohe, which are more than 100 kilometers away from the front line.

That is to say, no matter what the situation on the front line is, the Central Army will definitely be a spectator and will never participate.

Why do you say that?Because Jiang's central army is not a mechanized army, it needs to use a pair of feet to travel.The current central army is more than [-] kilometers away from the front line. Once the defense line is in a dangerous situation, it is impossible to rescue.

Therefore, from the beginning of the battle, the Central Army was not prepared to participate in the battle, let alone rescue the various armies!Is this still some bullshit North China counterattack?It was clearly a ghost trick to kill someone with a borrowed knife!

The third culprit, Song Zheyuan!

On the eve of the fall of Pingjin, armies from all walks of life gathered in Baoding to prepare to go north, but Song Zheyuan, the highest military and political officer in Pingjin, was afraid that other troops would rob him of his territory, so he called Nanjing many times, asking "can you please transfer a temporary order to prepare to go north to the various ministries, and gather in the original defense to stand by?" ".

First of all, it was precisely because of Song Zheyuan's three telegrams that organized various armies to go south that later Liu Zhi and Jiang had the excuse to make the Central Army "justifiably spectators"!

Secondly, it was precisely because of Song Zheyuan's obstruction that the emergency reinforcements to North China could not be deployed in advance, and there was no time to build decent fortifications.

As a result, when facing the little devil's tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft, and artillery, the defense lines of all parties collapsed at the touch of a touch.Achieved the little devil's reputation of "half a division sweeping North China"!

The fourth culprit, someone Jiang!

The Seventh Artillery Regiment equipped with advanced artillery and two battalions of tank defense artillery arrived in Hebei, but someone from Jiang clearly instructed on August 8 that "The Seventh Artillery Regiment should be located near Baoding or Gaoyang, and must not be placed at the forefront." ; The tank defense artillery force "made it temporarily concentrated in the area around Shijiazhuang, but it is necessary to evacuate."

At this time, the battle was raging on the front lines of Fangshan and Liulihe. When the warriors used hand grenades strapped to their bodies to blow up tanks, what effect could these advanced weapons be placed more than 100 kilometers away from the front line?

Could it be that in Jiang's eyes, is it really "human life is as cheap as a dog"?

The second stage: Baoding city wall defense battle

After the Japanese army captured Zhuo County, our defenders were in a chaotic situation due to the rapid changes in the battle situation and undecided deployment. The Japanese army took advantage of its quick response to advance quickly.

On September 1937, 9, someone from Jiang issued an order to Liu Zhi that "our army should fight the enemy near Baoding".On the same day, Yi County was captured by the No.19 Division of the Japanese Army.

9月20日，日军第六师团突破保定北约20公里的徐水阵地。当日，日军3个师团（第六、第14、No.20师团）已抵达漕河一线。

At this time, our deployment is: with Guan Zhenglin's Second Army as the backbone, Zhang Yaoming's 25th Division guards the Caohe defense line in the north of Baoding, and Feng Qinzai's 14th Army, which retreated from Pingsui Road, guards the city. The 17th division defended.

The city wall of Baoding was guarded by the 2nd Division of Zheng Dongguo of the Second Army led by Guan Linzheng.Also in this area are the 47th Division of Pei Changhui and the Third Army of Zeng Wanzhong, together with the troops retreating from the front line, a total of more than 6 people.

9月21日，日军第14师团以主力进攻满城。据守满城西北426高地的二军张耀明第25师第75旅第149团一部，与日军浴血苦战，最后全部牺牲。（壮哉！）满城于22日失陷。

At the same time, the No. 20 Division of the Japanese Army has detoured to Baoding Southwest Railway and Fangshun Bridge, forming multiple siege on Baoding.

Before attacking Baoding, in order to destroy the fighting will of our defenders, the Japanese army continued to bombard Baoding city indiscriminately, causing many casualties of innocent citizens.

Four military trains parked at the south end of the station were blown up, triggering bullet explosions inside the trains, and more than 4 soldiers were injured or injured.Several people were killed on Xiguan Street by Japanese planes.The Japanese army dropped bombs on the 10st train, killing and injuring more than 41 passengers.

On September 9, Japanese planes bombarded a section of the north wall of the west gate, and the platform and station building of Baoding Railway Station were blown up. The station staff, military police, and refugees who entered the air-raid shelter at the station died of suffocation due to the collapse of the air-raid shelter. As many as 16 people.

At 17 a.m. on the 6th, 13 Japanese planes flew over Baoding again, and the busiest West Street business district in the city became the main bombing target. Many buildings were shot and collapsed, and many residents suffered tragically.The citizens went out of the city to flee.By 4:[-] p.m., the streets in Baoding City were empty.

On the night of the 22nd, Guan Linzheng decided to shorten the line of defense and move the command post into Baoding City.But because all the residents in the inner city escaped and the telephones in the city were broken, it was decided to move the command post to Lianzhuang, 5 kilometers southeast of Baoding City.

On September 9, the Sixth Division of the Japanese Army, which was mainly attacking Baoding, used aircraft as a cover to launch an attack on the left wing of the Baoding defense line.The 22th Regiment of the 25th Brigade and the 75th Brigade of Zhang Yaoming's 149th Division, who guarded the Caohe Iron Bridge position, fought desperately with the enemy when the position was destroyed by enemy artillery fire. (The 149 regiments are all excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese nation!)

At noon, more than 300 Japanese troops forcibly crossed the Caohe River and were wiped out by our defenders.Afterwards, the Japanese army launched a strong attack again, the defenders suffered heavy casualties, and my left wing line of defense was broken by the Japanese army.

On the morning of the 23rd, 3 divisions of the Japanese army (20th Division, No.14 Division, and [-]th Division) were divided into east, north and west, and with the cooperation of their air force, launched an attack on Baoding City Wall.

The 2nd Division of our garrison Zheng Dongguo launched a powerful counterattack.In the close combat on the outskirts of the city, the units of the division fought hand-to-hand with the Japanese army many times and repelled the invading enemy. (Jung Dong-kook is doing great!)

On the morning of the 24th, the Second Field Heavy Artillery Brigade attached to the Sixth Division of the Japanese Army entered the vicinity of Baoding and began bombarding the city wall with heavy artillery. The city wall in the northwest corner was bombarded.

At 9:45, the Sixth Division of the Japanese Army, led by chariot troops, entered the city from a gap and started street fighting with our defenders. (Jiang has guns and doesn’t need them, sorry husband!)

In the afternoon, after two days of resistance in Baoding City, it was captured by the enemy's Sixth Division!

A commentary written by a reporter from "Ta Kung Pao" pointed out: "In terms of strategy, there must be a change. In the past, the orders received by the armies were only to defend. But because the enemy's strength lies in the artillery fire; and my weakness lies in the artillery fire. "Our army defended to the death, and the enemy army was able to use its strengths, and the result turned our army's defense from death to death."

After all, what happens next, let's see the breakdown in the next chapter.