Rise From Eight Hundred

Chapter 1492 The lonely city has been established!

Buddha dawns on June 3, on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River!

The commander of the Japanese 11th Army, Yokoyama Isamu, issued the attack order.

At this time, there were about 55,000 Japanese troops surrounding Hengyang, including a total of 35,000 people from the 116th Division and the 68th Division of the main attack divisions. They had completed the siege of Hengyang on the west and south sides.

In addition to the direct artillery units, these two divisions are also equipped with the 122nd Field Artillery Regiment and specialized chemical warfare units.

In addition, on the bank of Zhishui River in the north of the city, the main force of the 5th Independent Infantry Brigade has arrived, with about 10,000 troops; a unit of the 13th Division, with about 10,000 troops, has arrived in the suburbs less than 30 miles away from Hengyang and is working with the 27th Group Army. A fierce battle broke out at the base, and the two infantry divisions of the 27th Group Army held the defense line under the personal command of Li Yutang, deputy commander of the group army.

However, in this Foxiao, the three peripheral defense lines deployed by Hengyang have not yet been truly tested. The most intense battlefield is the Hengyang Airport east of the Xiangjiang River.

Beginning at dusk on June 2, two infantry brigades of the 68th Division, under the cover of more than 10 Japanese aircraft, launched an attack on the Chinese military defense lines around Hengyang Airport, and used about eight 75-inch mountain artillery to bombard them.

The Chinese did not show weakness. 12 Hellcat fighter jets from Guilin arrived in the sky above Hengyang and immediately started an air battle with the Japanese planes. The two sides chased each other and fought fiercely for more than 20 minutes. At least 6 fighter planes were hit, caught fire and crashed, and several more fighter planes were hit. Dragging thick smoke, they evacuated towards their respective airports.

The air battle each had its own damage, so it was a draw.

In terms of artillery, the Chinese artillery that had been deployed in Hengyang City was not polite. 12 of the latest American 75 mountain guns with a range of up to 9,500 meters immediately launched a counterattack against the Japanese infantry. Both sides went back and forth, and the shelling continued until late at night.

Fang Xianjue and Tang Dao stood on the Huiyan Peak where the artillery headquarters was located. They saw only a line of fire rising to the sky in the east of the Xiangjiang River, and countless fire dragons tumbling and rolling, one after another, and they stopped at dawn.

After a night of fierce fighting, Rong Youlue led the 190th Division to repel 6 rounds of Japanese attacks at the cost of more than 300 casualties and killed more than 400 enemies.

“Since 4 officers of the 3rd Squadron were killed in the Battle of Leishui Crossing, the captain assigned me to serve as the newly replenished 3rd Squadron and the captain of the 2nd Squadron, and Mr. Ono became the captain of the 3rd Squadron.

Ono-kun and I were comrades fighting side by side for the first time in a real sense.

The battle began, and Ono-kun and I took a deep breath. This was a tension we had never encountered before.

At the beginning of the battle, our artillery launched a carpet bombing of the enemy's positions. As far as the naked eye could see, the enemy's positions were almost wiped out. No one could believe that anyone could survive such an artillery attack.

Ono-kun and I followed the chariot forward nervously, with extremely nervous expressions. Although there was no enemy in front of us, we still held our breath and carefully observed every move in front of us.

Suddenly, the enemy's counterattack began. Countless bullets and artillery shells were fired at us. Takashima-kun was shot through the head before he could react.

The tank was blown into a ball of fire by the shells, and the heavy turret flew more than ten meters away. The enemy's grenades could be thrown very far and exploded all around us. Many people were killed before they had time to react. The attack was terminated. In less than 20 minutes of attack, hundreds of Imperial Army corpses were piled on the ground. Ono and I were lucky to survive. "

20 minutes later, before they could catch their breath, the order to attack began again. This time we found the bunker and accurately killed the enemy under the cover of the tank. I killed three enemy soldiers in just a few minutes. Ono also made a lot of gains, killing 2 people.

Just as we were about to approach the enemy's position, the next scene was truly terrifying. Dozens of enemy soldiers were strapped with grenades and rushed towards our tanks and soldiers. Due to a lack of timely response, the explosions instantly swallowed up several of our tanks.

Before we could react, we fell into a hand-to-hand battle with the enemy. In the battle, Ono-kun was also unfortunately broken.

I saw with my own eyes that his bayonet had penetrated the body of a Chinese, but the Chinese still hugged his gun tightly, making it impossible for him to draw his rifle. Then, he was killed by another Chinese Pierced with a bayonet.

When he fell down, he glanced towards me. I had no time to distinguish the shape of his mouth, because it seemed that the Chinese who did not know what death was were rushing towards me. At that moment, I thought I was going to die too.

Fortunately, the artillery provided timely support and repelled the enemy's subsequent counterattack, so we were able to retreat.

After just two hours of fierce fighting and Ono-kun's death, I had to pay attention to this cruel war.

That night, there were wailing sounds everywhere in the camp, and the light of victory was no longer in everyone's eyes! "

Perhaps Miki Kazuo's diary can clearly show the cruelty of the Hengyang Airport defense battle that night!

Even though the number of people killed in the battle was only a fraction for the Chinese and Japanese sides who had invested tens of thousands of troops, the battlefield was tragic enough.

The more than 1,800 infantrymen invested by the 68th Division were attrited by as much as 25% in just one night. This should be the most terrifying attrition rate since the division entered China.

For the 190th Division, the 15% casualty rate in the overnight blockade was also unacceptable.

Because this is just one night! I don’t know how long this battle will last, right?

Yes, the commanders of both China and Japan are still stuck in the concept of not knowing how long it will last. If they knew that they would last in this meat grinder battlefield for 2 months, I am afraid that the strongest commanders and soldiers would Collapsed.

This is just the beginning, what a cruel truth!

Rong Youlue was a very decisive person. After this night of fierce fighting, he knew that Hengyang Airport was destined to be undefendable, so he decisively destroyed the Hengyang Airport runway.

A pit half a meter deep was dug every 10 meters and a kilogram of explosives was buried. With bursts of explosions, the two thousand-meter-level runways at the airport that took great efforts to complete were completely destroyed.

Rong Youlue's decisiveness was correct. After receiving the report from his subordinates, the 68th Division Lieutenant General Sakuma became so angry that he ignored the main battlefield in the west of the city and continued to increase troops towards Hengyang Airport. He also sent an additional independent infantryman. The brigade took part in the siege.

By the afternoon of June 3, the number of Japanese troops in the direction of Hengyang Airport had reached nearly 3,000, far exceeding the 190th Division, which had only about 1,600 troops left.

Although the 190th Division has completed the task of guarding Hengyang Airport and destroying it without losing Hengyang Airport to others, seeing more and more enemies in front of them, it is obvious that the Japanese army also has the idea of ​​​​taking Hengyang Airport. If the strength of a regiment continues to fight, not to mention losing the position, I am afraid that the whole regiment will be in trouble.

Rong Youlue, commander of the 190th Division, actually wanted to call Fang Xianjue in Hengyang City to tell him that his mission had been completed and that he could abandon the completely destroyed Hengyang Airport on the evening of the 3rd and cross the Xiangjiang River back to Hengyang City, but in his heart he Very uneasy.

First of all, he, the newly promoted division commander, was recognized in the 9th Theater as a member of General Xue's family. Although he chose to return to the army under the orders of the military headquarters this time, he only brought 3 infantrymen of the 190th Division with him. A regiment in the corps, God knows if Fang Xian absolutely has any objections to him.

Secondly, of course he knew Fang Xianjue's temper very well. His 190th Division and the one-battalion blockade at Leihe had only fought two battles with the Japanese army. If he abandoned his position and left like this, Fang Xianjue would definitely Feeling dissatisfied.

From the perspective of the Hengyang headquarters, if all the positions outside the city saw the strength of the Japanese army and abandoned their positions and returned to the city, then there would be no need to fight the Hengyang defensive battle. Everyone would just hide in the city and fight the Japanese in the streets. Well, what are you doing with so many layers of defense?

However, the situation at Hengyang Airport is slightly different from that in the south and west of the city.

Rong You slightly thought for a long time, and finally took advantage of the gap when the Japanese army was gathering and not attacking, and called his general Pan Zhi, the leader of the 586th Regiment, to discuss it.

"Jiangdong and Hengyang face each other across the river. The relationship between the two is like Tanzhou and Yuelu Mountain. Only one side can be saved. There is no doubt that Hengyang must be saved and Jiangdong must be lost.

But now Hengyang is an isolated city, and the Jiangdong area is like an isolated island outside the isolated city. The terrain is not as good as Hengyang, but the area is not smaller than Hengyang. Not to mention that we have less than 2,000 troops now. Even if our whole division comes together, it is probably a defense. Can't live.

If the Japanese army crosses the Xiangjiang River eastward and then turns back to block us with firepower, then the Japanese army will attack from both sides and we will be unable to fly. You and I were already prepared to become benevolent before we came, but the remaining 1,600 brothers As a teacher, I still can't bear to stay here because of your persistence! "Rong You said to his subordinates a little heavily.

Rong Youlue is a smart man. The reason why he brought the 586th Regiment here is that first of all, the 586th Regiment is the main force of the 190th Division. Secondly, Colonel Pan Zhi of the 586th Regiment is an old man from the 10th Army. Three years ago, Pan Zhi was still the main force of the 190th Division. When he was the battalion commander of the 3rd Division, he was promoted by the veteran army commander Li Yutang. He became the regimental commander of the 190th Division.

His intention when he said this was obvious. If he went to the army commander directly, he would probably be scolded 80-90% of the time. He had to take the lead. Why don't you look at the face of the monk and the face of the Buddha? There is no way, even in such a deadly war, this worldly sophistication is unavoidable.

Pan Zhi is not only an old man in the 10th Army, but also a native of Liuyang, Hunan Province. This time the Japanese army marched south, not only Tanzhou was captured, but his hometown Liuyang also fell.

This time, Rong Youwei chose to return to the army under the order of the military department. In fact, he also had a share of credit. It was he who personally found the division commander Rong Youwei to express his feelings. He was willing to live and die with Hengyang, and he did not want to be scolded by his hometown elders after the war. Become a coward. Rong Youlue then made up his mind, leaving two regiments to defend in place to give face to General Xue, and led one regiment to Hengyang to fulfill his duty as a division commander under his 10th Army.

Where is this Captain Pan! He is not a hard-working and reckless person. After hearing what the division commander said, he quickly said: "The commander's concerns are very true, and I feel the same way. Since our unit has completed the tasks assigned by the military commander, it stands to reason that we can retreat.

Besides, with the strength of our group, if we insist on holding on to Jiangdong, in the end we will just use up our troops little by little, which will not be beneficial to the overall situation. On the contrary, if our troops withdraw to Hengyang City, we can strengthen the city's defense force and add another strength to Hengyang City. Therefore, whether it is for the sake of the brothers of the 190th Division or for the overall protection of Hengyang, we should make an evacuation request to the military base. "

When Rong Youwei heard what this person said, he slowly let go of his worries. He was afraid that this person would not be able to change his mind and insisted on carrying out the task of guarding Hengyang Airport. That big guy really The bones are buried here.

"Master, I also know that you are worried, and I completely understand it. However, I have followed the military commander for many years and know that he is a stern person on the surface, but in fact he is kind-hearted and will never abandon his brothers unless absolutely necessary.

But we only had **** with the kid twice before we wanted to leave. With his temper, I'm afraid either of us would be scolded if we said anything. "Pan Zhi continued.

"Then what should we do? The little devils have gathered more and more troops. Our limit is to hold on for another day. It is very likely that we will be completely surrounded by tomorrow. Tonight is the last chance to evacuate." You said with a slightly gloomy expression.

"If someone can help us, we are 90% sure!" Compared to his own teacher, Pan Zhi was much more relaxed when he had a candidate.

"who?"

"Tang Dao, the leader of the Four Elements Regiment, are you familiar with the master?" Pan Zhi blinked.

"I have always heard of Tang Dao's reputation, but when I arrived in Hengyang the day before yesterday, it was the first time I met him. He was very military-like. Can he help us? Or even if he can help us, with his military rank, he can help us. Can we?" Rong Youlue shook his head and sighed slightly.

It's just a one-time acquaintance, it's really hard to call them familiar. What's more, Tang Dao is just a colonel, how can he have influence on a lieutenant general?

"Before I came to Hengyang, I had a phone call with Master Ge to inquire about the supply situation in Hengyang City and also asked about the command structure in Hengyang City." Pan Zhi continued with a smile.

"After arriving in Hengyang City, the command structure has been notified to the entire division! Tang Dao is the director of the operations department under the headquarters, and his position is very critical." Rong You was a little puzzled.

"Hehe! Master, think about it. In Hengyang City now, generals are everywhere! There should be two hands. The chief of staff is the theater lieutenant general who concurrently serves as the chief of staff, and the chief of staff is Chief of Staff Sun. That's okay. They are all at the general level, but the more critical position of chief of the operations department is held by Captain Tang, who has the same military rank as me. What does this mean?" Pan Zhi smiled.

"It means that Commander Fang appreciates Tang Dao very much! He admires Tang Dao very much, or he highly recognizes the combat power of the Four Elements Regiment, or both." Rong You slightly's eyes lit up.

"And Master, you don't have to worry about whether Director Tang will help me. I heard that Director Tang got along well with Commander Xue during the Battle of Wanjialing 6 years ago, and his old commander, Brigadier Xie, also gets along well now. Commander Xue is a powerful general, and with this kind of relationship, he will speak up for you no matter what." Pan Zhi said confidently.

"Old Pan, Old Pan, they all say you are a Hunan barbarian. I never thought you were thoughtful enough to know everyone's connections so clearly." This was the first time Rong Youlue got to know the main force under his command clearly. The leader of the regiment.

"Okay! As long as you and I don't die in this battle in Hengyang, I guarantee you will be the deputy commander of the 190th Division."

As long as you are an official, there is no one who is not proficient in drawing a pie.

It's just that Colonel Pan, who kept thanking him repeatedly, probably didn't take it too seriously. When he chose to go to the division headquarters to persuade the major general and division commander to come to Hengyang, he was already prepared to die in battle.

However, it also depends on how he dies. If he dies here like this with all the brothers in the group, this person will be a little reluctant after all.

Rong Youlue answered Tang Dao's call, briefly explained the situation in Jiangdong, asked Tang Dao to help him come forward, and asked Fang Xianjue to approve the withdrawal of the 190th Division's headquarters to Hengyang City.

Originally, Rong Youlue had already planned to use Commander Xue's relationship to ask for Tang Dao's treatment. However, he just briefly introduced and stated his needs. Tang Dao didn't even hesitate and just said it. Promise: "Don't worry, Commander Rong, I will come forward to take care of this matter, and you should prepare to retreat immediately. However, before Commander Fang approves it, your department had better stand firm and not act without authorization, so as not to repeat the collapse of Tanzhou halfway across the river." ”

In fact, the Battle of Jiangdong is also a battlefield that Tang Dao has been paying attention to.

In the past, the temporary 54th Division was responsible for garrisoning Hengyang Airport. As a result, after the heavy Japanese attack, the division immediately collapsed, abandoned the city and fled to Guilin. The force of seven or eight thousand people was wasted in this way. If the airport was destroyed in time, By withdrawing this unit into the city, Hengyang City will have seven or eight thousand new troops, and the result may be much better.

You know, when Hengyang City was defended for a month, the 11th Army was also exhausted, otherwise it would not frequently send personnel to negotiate with the 10th Army in the city.

Tang Dao personally felt that instead of letting the 1,600 elite troops be used up by the Japanese at Hengyang Airport, which was undefendable outside the city, it would be better to withdraw them into the city or to the north of the city, which would allow the Japanese to save more blood.

However, Tang Dao also underestimated Fang Xianjue's persistence.

"Tang Dao, you are stupid! If you wear this military uniform and meet the enemy, you should fight to the death. Hengyang is now an isolated city. There are more than 70,000 soldiers and civilians here. Even if it is three for one, it will still cost more than 20,000 little devils. It doesn't matter where you die, don't you understand this?" Fang Xianjue gave Tang Dao a hard blow.

Originally, Fang Xian was very satisfied with the battle reports of the 190th Division in the past two days. He and Hengyang Airport killed nearly a thousand enemies in one night. As a result, even after two days of recovery, he had to avoid fighting. Isn't this the style of Commander Xue?

This somewhat involves factions and personal identity. In order to take care of his one-third acre of land, General Xue often sacrifices the interests of other factions' troops. The 10th Army is more like a motherless child in the 9th Theater, and is often subjected to Excluded, and then heard that the 190th Division, which had just gone upstream two days ago, was avoiding the battle, it was natural to be extremely angry.

"Sir, please don't be angry. You are right. Soldiers should have the courage to kill the enemy and fulfill their responsibilities. However, in the face of a war, brothers are united and their sharpness can cut through gold. Commander Rong may have other thoughts, but he Leading the 2,000 brothers of the 190th Division back to Hengyang City has shown that they are not people who are greedy for life and afraid of death.

If you ask them to withdraw, the brothers of the 190th Division will not feel abandoned by their parents. Moreover, our battle in Hengyang will never be completed in three or two days. We still need to be prepared for a long-term battle, plan for the long term, and make more preparations. The team will do!

Regarding the issue of killing the enemy you mentioned, I guarantee that after the 190th Division withdraws, it will be able to kill the enemy twice as much as one against two. I will give you a military order. If the 190th Division cannot do it, then our Four Lines Regiment will be the guarantee. , my Si Xing Tuan brothers will kill more to make up for the difference between them. One of the 3,000 Japanese soldiers' lives is missing. Tang Dao's head is right here, take it and make up for it! "Tang Dao said on the phone.

Tang Dao's dare to say this is naturally based on historical facts. In the past, the 190th Division had a total of 5,000 people in Hengyang City. They killed at least three times their own Japanese troops.

The Chinese soldiers who can be in Hengyang at this time are no cowards! In other words, even if they have been naughty in the past, they have been tempered into fine steel in such a war, even if they are passive.

Fang Xian stopped talking. Tang Dao had already said this, so he had no choice but to go downhill. In the afternoon of that day, he ordered the 190th Division to start withdrawing to Hengyang at 12 o'clock at night.

After hearing that Tang Dao issued a military order for them, a major general and an army colonel from the 190th Division were moved to tears.

It later proved that the evacuation that night was really timely enough.

An infantry regiment of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army actually took advantage of the darkness to march towards Jiangdong. By 5 a.m., it had arrived at the rear wing of Hengyang Airport.

As a result, the 190th Division, which had learned from the 4th Army's failure experience in Tanzhou, relied on hundreds of boatmen to support bamboo rafts and quietly spent more than 3 hours to send all the more than 1,600 officers and soldiers back to Hengyang City.

The Japanese army quietly assembled heavy troops and occupied Hengyang Airport, which was in ruins.

But it is undeniable that after dawn on June 4, the number of Japanese troops besieging the city had reached 70,000, and the surrounding suburbs of Hengyang as well as the city of Hengyang were completely surrounded.

The isolated city is complete!