Tiger Troops: The 74th Army of the Kuomintang Anti-Japanese Ace

Chapter 35 Fighting with fate to the end (Battle of Xiangxi) (1)
Because of his victory in "Operation No. 1945", the commander of the "China Dispatch Army" Hata Shunroku was promoted to marshal.The newly promoted marshal was preparing to attack Xi'an in the spring of [-], but before he finished his preparations, he was transferred back to China to serve as the army's education director.His successor Neiji Okamura found a new noteworthy situation through his observation of "Operation No. [-]", especially the Battle of Hunan and Guangxi.

Bad weather, inconvenient transportation, lack of air cover, and remote and incomplete logistics supply lines are all taboos for military strategists. In the "Battle No. [-]", the Japanese army encountered similar disadvantages many times, but they were still able to complete the scheduled tasks. How difficult the task looks.What does this mean?It shows that the frontal battlefield, especially the Chinese army in the southwest, had very serious problems in terms of equipment, training, quality, and command, so that it almost completely lost its ability to resist the Japanese army.

Since the Chinese defenders in the southwest are already so weak, why do they want to go far away and launch a battle that has nothing to do with the overall situation like attacking Xi'an in the north?

Okamura advocated that they should be defeated one by one, and that before the U.S. military landed on the southeast coast of China, they should first march into Sichuan.In this way, on the one hand, it can take advantage of the situation to take away the rear of the Chinese army and avoid being attacked by the Chinese and American militaries strategically.

Okamura's plan was quickly rejected by the base camp.In terms of the use of troops, the northern attack on Xi'an is small and small, but the invasion of Sichuan is different. Either do not make a move, or make a big effort. Its scale is not to say that it exceeds "Operation No. [-]", at least it must be comparable. How is this? Is it possible for the poor Tokyo to do it?
Super-large-scale is definitely not enough, but it is still within the purview of Okamura.So he settled for the next best thing and decided to send troops to capture Zhijiang in the spring and summer of 1945.

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Known as "the gateway of Yunnan and Guizhou, the throat of the whole Chu", Zhijiang in western Hunan is the main road leading to the southwestern provinces.During the period of the Republic of China, this place was regarded as an important military town. Jiang Baili, a famous military strategist, once suggested that once the Sino-Japanese War broke out, China should set up its wartime headquarters in Zhijiang.

Most of Jiang Baili's suggestions have been fulfilled.By 1945, there were more than 200 troops and military institutions stationed in Zhizhi, ranging from the military and political department, army headquarters, front army headquarters, to small anti-aircraft artillery companies and air defense checkpoints.The small county with less than 3 people has also increased to more than [-] people.

In addition to the Chinese army, the army stationed in Chih also has the U.S. Air Force. The latter has more than [-] ground and air crews at most, thus forming an "American Street" full of traffic and crowds.

The Zhijiang Airport used by the Chinese and American Air Forces is located one kilometer to the east of the county.The airport has been reinforced and expanded many times during the war. It is the second largest military airport used by the Allied forces in the East in addition to Chengdu Xinjin Airport, and it is also the secret advance airport of the Chinese and American Air Forces.

After the "Operation No. 1944" ended, the Chinese and American air forces further expanded the range of mobile attacks on the Japanese army.According to incomplete statistics from historical data, in the four months from the beginning of December 12 to the end of March 1945, the Sino-US Air Force Mixed Regiment stationed at the Zhijiang base alone dispatched 3 batches of fighter jets for a total of 88 sorties, providing a total of 784 sorties to the north-south communication lines. The Japanese army dealt a heavy blow.

Zhijiang Airport is surrounded by mountains and is far away from the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway. Its location is very hidden and it is a key unit of military secrecy.At that time, all reports related to Zhijiang Airport were replaced by "Hongyan Airport", "Xiangxi Base", "somewhere in Xiangxi" or code names.Through the Battle of Zhejiang and Jiangxi, the Japanese army captured all the airports along the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway, but the occupied area was still bombed, and then successively occupied Hunan and Guangxi through the "Operation No. 1945", and occupied the Laohekou Airport in northern Hubei through the Battle of Laohekou. However, the situation It has not been improved, and it was not until early [-] that they learned that the forward airport was in Zhijiang.

The Japanese air force launched several attacks on Zhijiang Airport, but the performance of the Mustang fighter jets used by the Chinese and American air forces was much better than that of the Japanese Zero.

Under the continuous sabotage and attacks by the Chinese and American air forces, the Hunan-Guangxi and Guangdong-Han railway lines have not been able to open to traffic smoothly, and the Yangtze River shipping from Wuhan to Nanjing and Shanghai has not been smooth.The Japanese army's so-called opening up the mainland communication line was to connect Northeast China, North China, and Southeast Asia into one piece. Now that even important railways and shipping are paralyzed, most of the previous efforts can only be reduced to a dream.

Okamura took it for granted that Zhijiang Airport was a serious problem.His primary purpose of sending troops to Zhijiang was to destroy the Zhijiang Airport and occupy this strategically important place. The second reason was that he had already gotten word that the Chinese army was replacing American weapons and equipment and was waiting for a counterattack. He wanted to take advantage of the opponent's use of American weapons. When you are not proficient, come to strike first.

The news of the Chinese army changing clothes is true.Because Stilwell was fighting with him for power, Jiang Tuqiong showed up with a dagger and formally notified the U.S. government that if Stilwell was not replaced, China would not hesitate to withdraw from the allies and fight alone.In this case, Roosevelt was forced to agree to recall Stilwell.The new Chief of Staff of the China Theater, Wedemeyer, was cautious and did not hold back the Chinese like Stilwell did.After his truthful report, the U.S. government finally realized the severe situation and difficulties China was facing.

In the winter of 1944, in order to enrich the anti-Japanese forces of the Chinese army and launch an early counter-offensive operation in coordination with the US Far East operations, the US decided to provide 25 divisions in China with American equipment.In order to preside over this work, the Chongqing government specially set up the General Command of the Chinese Army, which is headquartered in Yunnan and the Chief of Staff He Yingqin is also the commander-in-chief.The command structure has four front armies under its jurisdiction.Wang Yaowu, former commander-in-chief of the No.20 Fourth Army, was promoted to commander of the Fourth Front Army.

In addition to the original No.70 Fourth Army, the 70th Army, and the No.18 Third Army, the Fourth Front Army also includes the No.18 Army. The No.70 Army was a unit that competed with the No.70 Fourth Army for the title of "Attack Army" in the early years. Although it was surpassed by the No.70 Fourth Army later, it is still a strong domestic force.Among the four armies, part of the No.18 Fourth Army, No.70 Army, and No.[-] Three Armies have been replaced with American equipment. Due to transportation relations, the other part and the [-]th Army have not yet been able to change their equipment, and they are still national equipment. equipment.

American equipment is not a panacea, but for the Chinese army whose morale is extremely depressed after suffering setbacks, it is tantamount to injecting a shot in the arm. In addition, after half a year of supplementary training, the number of soldiers is basically full. The world is not what it used to be.

The headquarters of the Fourth Front Army is located in Hongjiang City, southeast of Zhijiang.Wang Yaowu set up a general school class in Hongjiang to train officers above the company.He is also the teacher in charge of the class, and every period he selects a teacher from a different teacher to serve as the team leader.During the course of running the class, he and the director of personnel made an appointment to meet with the trainee officers every night to investigate and understand the situation of each unit.

The general school class took three weeks each, and a total of three sessions were held.This form laid a good foundation for Wang Yaowu to master and command the entire front army during the war.

In March 1945, through reconnaissance by air and search forces, Wang Yaowu discovered that the Japanese troops in Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong were frequently mobilized.Looking from the rear of the Japanese army to the front line: from Wuhan to Changsha, water and land transportation began to be busy; from Xiangtan to Zhuzhou, armored vehicles and tank troops were gathering; from Guilin to the west of Shaoyang, infantry columns moved north; from Changsha to Hengyang, Shaoyang On the roads, vehicles full of fighters and equipment are constantly coming and going.

The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the food and grass have gone first. The Japanese army will not go to war for no reason.Wang Yaowu immediately smelled a familiar smell.

At this time, the commando of the front army captured a Japanese cavalry captain alive in Qiyang County on the Hunan-Guizhou Railway.

After a comprehensive analysis, Wang Yaowu judged that the various arms of the Japanese army in front of him had a joint attempt to launch a large-scale attack on China.

After the information was reported, the Military Commission not only agreed with Wang Yaowu's analysis and judgment, but also determined that the Japanese army's attack target was Zhijiang Airport.The Army General Command immediately dispatched troops and generals. He Yingqin personally served as the commander-in-chief and authorized Wang Yaowu to actively prepare to meet the enemy.

Wang Yaowu immediately announced that the school classes would be suspended, and all teachers and students would return to the original department.At the same time, the headquarters of the front army was moved forward from Hongjiang to Anjiang to facilitate overall command of operations.

Blowing off the flagpole in front of the camp
The one who is about to confront Wang Yaowu is Lieutenant General Kazuyoshi Banxi, commander of the No. 20 Army of the Japanese Army.The command organization of the Japanese army can be assigned temporarily. The No.20 Army was originally organized in the Northeast to prepare for the war against the Soviet Union. It was just an empty organization. After arriving in Hengyang, it was assigned a large number of troops. The No. 11 Division and the No. 60 Eighth Division are now the main force under its command.

After receiving the combat mission, Banxi began to prepare for the battle.The Japanese army used a one-in-fifty-thousandth map. In the Chinese army, only battalion commanders and above have such a map, and the Japanese army has a map above the squad leader.As far as the scale is concerned, [-]/[-] is already very accurate and detailed, but Banxi still felt that it was not enough. In order to correct and enrich the existing map, he specially sent spies to conduct field reconnaissance across the border between the two armies.

These spies cannot be filled by ordinary Japanese spies. They must have a certain commercial status, and they must have a certain social foundation in the areas north and west of Shaoyang. , to collect local military important topography data.

Through reconnaissance, the Japanese army corrected some errors in the map.Even a small bridge, a small temple, and a small grove are marked on the corrected map, so that the Japanese army could easily identify, pass, and organize battles during the war.

The intelligence team of the 3th Division of the Japanese Army stationed in Shaoyang also collected extensive information on the military and political activities of the Fourth Front Army through methods such as buying traitors. At the end of March, the intelligence team discovered that the villages west of Shaoyang near the main defenders' positions had been "emptied out", and the common people had entered the mountains one after another. Therefore, they judged that the Fourth Front Army had discovered the Japanese attack attempt.

The pre-war preparations were not interrupted by this. On March 3, Okamura arrived in Hengyang by plane to inspect the preparations for the No. 30 Army's attack on Zhijiang.It's okay if you don't look at it, but seeing it makes his heart feel cold.

Unlike the rising momentum of the Chinese army, the Japanese army was on the decline at this time. The new independent mixed brigades of the No.20 Army were all short of weapons. The soldiers all used Hanyang-made or Chinese official rifles seized in the Hunan-Guangxi Battle, and a considerable number of soldiers were 17-year-old young soldiers who had just been recruited from China. , lack of combat experience.

Even the main force, such as the 100th Division, suffered a large reduction in personnel due to casualties and diseases during the "Operation No. [-]", and some infantry squadrons had only about [-] people.Although a large number of recruits have been recruited, because of the interruption of transportation, the troops often need to go to the countryside to raise the necessities of life by themselves.Looting food, oil and salt, live pigs, and vegetables has become their main business, and some people are still doing business. Under such circumstances, the training of recruits can only be at a half-stop.

The main force of the Japanese army has always been known for its powerful firepower.However, the Field Artillery Regiment belonging to the [-]th Division has already vomited to the point of eating their money. There are all kinds of artillery models in the team. The field artillery that the Kamono Artillery Regiment should have.

After the inspection, Okamura felt that the past was beyond his reach, and he also realized more deeply that the Sino-Japanese war has reached a critical moment.Sakanishi, who accompanied the inspection, was not so pessimistic. The Japanese general and Isamu Yokoyama, who had been transferred back to China, had a lot of similarities in character. They both liked to find fault with their superiors and higher-level agencies, and sometimes they even had no scruples. Cursing loudly—at that moment, the complacency and self-admiration shown by the two of them, not to mention the general appearance, even if they were enthroned on the throne, promoted to Buddha and immortal, they probably would not change it.

Both pickiness and aloofness require capital.Yokoyama is rebellious and unruly, but he is able to win battles, and Sakanishi also has a few words of age in his stomach. In terms of command experience, he is not inferior to Yokoyama. As early as the early days of the war of aggression against China, he served as the chief of staff under Doihara. The captain is promoted step by step by relying on military exploits.

On the other hand, those independent mixed brigades that Okamura saw falling in price did not participate in the Zhijiang operation this time, and all the first-line field troops who followed the [-]th Division, Banxi naturally had reason to believe that he could Better and better than Isamu Yokoyama.

On April 4, the No.5 Army of the Japanese Army held a meeting in Hengyang, and Banxi issued an order to attack Zhijiang to all ministries.After the meeting, Lieutenant General Hishida Motoshiro, head of the 20th Division, returned to Shaoyang from Hengyang at night under the guard of a small team.On the way, he was suddenly attacked by guerrillas. The guard team was killed or injured. Only a few people escorted Lingtian and fled back to Shaoyang.

As in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a strong wind broke the flagpole in front of the battalion. For Banxi and the No.20 Army, this is definitely not a good omen.It's just that the matter has come to this point, the person involved can only pretend not to know, and continue to pretend to be a bluff.

In terms of tactical arrangements, there is not much difference between Banxi and Yokoyama. They both follow the "anti-Tianfu warfare" model, that is, the two wings are thickened and the middle is prominent. The focus of the attack is undertaken by the [-]th Division.

On April 4, the Iijima Advance Team organized by the 11th Division of the Japanese Army began its first secret westward march.Their task was to occupy the Xuefeng Mountain pass first before the battle officially started, and at the same time cause confusion for the defenders, thereby creating conditions for the Japanese follow-up troops to enter the mountain smoothly.

The members of the advance team are all selected elite soldiers, a total of 400 people, none of them bring any luggage or horses, and the infantry artillery, heavy machine guns, ammunition, and food fodder accompanying the team are carried by themselves.

Due to tactical needs, the Japanese troops entered the battle at different times, but without exception, they all carried sufficient ammunition. Except for the advance team, the rest of the troops had to forcibly pull civilians to transport them along the way.At the same time, the rations brought by the Japanese army were not much, and the rations were completely dependent on local plunder.This shows that Banxi, like Yokoyama Isamu, is not too concerned about the safety of the rear contact line, and only wants to capture Zhijiang as soon as possible.

All laws are inseparable
Since they wanted to capture Zhijiang in a hurry, the Japanese army tried their best to avoid attacking the fortifications at the beginning. To their surprise and surprise, they did not really need to attack fortifications along the way. After retreating.

At this time, Banxi had rushed from Hengyang to Shaoyang, and personally commanded in the original command post of the [-]th Division.Based on the report ahead, he concluded that the entire war situation, as previously expected, was moving in a direction favorable to the Japanese army.

The last large-scale battle in the Anti-Japanese War - the Battle of Xiangxi (also known as the Battle of Xuefeng Mountain) has been fully launched.In Banxi's view, all the victories his predecessor had achieved in the Battle of Changheng were within his grasp, but he overlooked one point: the slight resistance ahead was just an appearance. In the core area of ​​Xuefeng Mountain, the Chinese army had begun to mobilize troops on a large scale.

As soon as the front-line gunshots rang out, Wang Yaowu held a senior staff meeting and decided to set up the headquarters in Anjiang and the front-line command post in Chenxi. The latter was stationed with most of the staff led by the Chief of Staff of the Front Army, Qiu Weida, and was directly responsible for the command of the campaign.

As a think tank trained by the No. 70 Fourth Army, Qiu Weida did not waste his time in the Army University in the past two years.

The Army University is characterized by being good at cultivating senior staff. All outstanding students who graduated from the Army University have outstanding tactical planning. This is evident in Zhao Zili, Yu Chengwan and others.With the deepening of the frontal war of resistance, everyone has seen the importance of improving military literacy. Wang Yaowu has always been optimistic and positive about his subordinates applying for the Army University.

(End of this chapter)