bookcurios Chapter 812 There are bad people among the crowd
Chapter 812 There are bad people among the crowd
Letters of requests for help were sent to Chongqing. Chang Guangzhou was annoyed and angry. He ordered the 62nd and 79th Armies, which were blocked by the Japanese army, to advance to Hengyang at all costs.
He also ordered the 46th and 74th Armies to march towards Hengyang immediately.
The Japanese were surrounding and attacking the reinforcements. Even though the Central Army knew this, the middle and lower-level Central Army tried their best to support Changde.
Because the Battle of Hengyang was not just about the gains and losses of Hengyang City, it was related to the overall situation of China's War of Resistance against Japan, and even more to the international community's view of China. Therefore, it is also called the "Battle of Stalingrad in the East"!
Chang Guangzhou sent telegrams one after another to various troops. After receiving the orders, the 46th Army of the Guangxi Clique and the 74th Regiment of the 58th Division of the Central Army took out all their assets and immediately advanced to Hengyang.
Fang Xianjue in Hengyang City had not slept for many days. He ran back and forth between the various fortifications in the city, constantly reminding the officers and soldiers to repair the fortifications immediately after the bombing and shelling to ensure that they could rely on the fortifications and fight hard when the Japanese rushed up.
"Captain, the brothers are asking when the reinforcements will arrive?"
Fang Xianjue glanced at the sky obscured by smoke and forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart.
"Wait a little longer, reinforcements will arrive soon. Chongqing has already issued a death order to the 46th and 74th Armies to support Hengyang City at any cost! Give them some more time, they are fighting very hard!"
"Hey, let me explain it to you brothers. We were originally told to hold out for ten days, but now it's been more than twenty days! We have more than 17,000 brothers in total, and now there are less than 5,000 left!"
Fang Xianjue's face changed and he shouted sternly:
"I don't care if it's ten days or twenty days, I won't order anyone to take a step back!"
"Yes!"
Fang Xianjue looked at the tired eyes of the officers and soldiers and felt very guilty.
"Kill my horse and share the food!"
"Commander, that horse..."
"killed!"
Fang Xianjue took a last look at the warhorse tied at the door and shook his head helplessly. He couldn’t even save his life, so what would it matter if it was the warhorse that had accompanied him for many years?
Hengyang City was completely surrounded. He could only hope that reinforcements could open a gap, deliver supplies, and attack from both sides to completely defeat the Japanese troops besieging the city.
On the morning of the second day, the 74th Division of the 58th Army launched a fierce attack and attacked as far as Jiwo Mountain in the suburbs of Hengyang, just one step away from Hengyang City.
Fang Xianqie seemed to have seen a life-saving straw, and prepared to assemble his troops to launch a counterattack in the direction of Jiwo Mountain to meet up with the 58th Division.
But after he completed the pre-war mobilization, the gunfire from the direction of Jiwo Mountain stopped.
"What's going on? Get me the 58th Division immediately!"
The radio operator immediately sent a telegram to the 58th Division, but there was no response. The radio waves seemed to have completely disappeared in the gloomy sky, leaving no trace.
Fang Xianqie's heart sank. There were only two possibilities for the sudden cessation of gunfire: either the Japanese had defeated the 58th Division, or the 58th Division received an order to retreat.
But no matter which possibility it is, there is only one result for the 10th Army and Fang Xianqie in the city: no more reinforcements!
The 34th and 68th Divisions outside Hengyang City completely broke through the outer positions, breached the city defenses, and it was a foregone conclusion that they would enter the city for street fighting.
The main force of the Ninth War Zone north of Hengyang had been completely wiped out. Seeing that the situation had almost stabilized, Yokoyama Isamu ordered the 58th Division and the 40th Division, which were sweeping around Changsha, to move south to Hengyang and join the battle to siege Hengyang.
Yokoyama Isamu personally came to Hengyang from Hankou to take command, determined to break through the city defenses in a short period of time.
At the temporary headquarters of the 11th Army outside the city of Hengyang, Yokoyama Isamu summoned all the commanders of the troops attacking Hengyang for the final mobilization, including the 34th Division and the 68th Division that arrived in Hengyang first, as well as the 40th Division and the 58th Division that arrived later.
"Elites of the Empire, the Changheng Campaign has been going on for more than a month. As expected by the General Staff, the Chinese Central Government did not allow the Independent Column to participate in the war. This is a huge advantage for us.
Sadly, even without the participation of the independent column, our 11th Army stayed between Changsha and Hengyang for so long! Especially in Hengyang, as far as I know, there is only one army of the Central Army in the city, with more than people! And our attacking force has two divisions!
What a shame! "
After saying this, Isamu Yokoyama walked around the Japanese generals attending the meeting in a deterrent manner, looking at them repeatedly.
"If I were you, I would commit seppuku ashamed and follow Sakuma who died in battle as the division commander, and be loyal to His Majesty the Emperor!"
I don’t know if these division commanders were used to being bullied, or if they were all performing artists, but quite a few old Japanese soldiers actually started sobbing.
Yokoyama Isamu looked at the scene with satisfaction, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.
"Gentlemen, today I have transferred thirty-six tons of artillery shells from Changsha for the siege troops.
If these 36 tons of artillery shells still cannot help you capture Hengyang, perhaps you should really take your guards, rush into the city, and die in battle!
Gentlemen, please!"
After saying this, Yokoyama Isamu bowed.
"Ha Yi! Serve His Majesty the Emperor with loyalty!"
Several division commanders filed out, preparing to launch the final attack on Hengyang the next day.
1944年4月30日清晨，衡阳外围阵地被突破、第58师奉74军副参谋长命令主动撤退的消息再次遍布大街小巷。
At one time, dissatisfaction with the central government reached its peak. Merchants went on strike, workers went on strike, teachers and students boycotted classes, and even many government department staff, under the leadership of progressive people within the Kuomintang, were preparing to organize admonition activities.
Chongqing and even the entire rear area were filled with dissatisfaction.
Of course, Chang Guangzhou in the Mid-Levels official residence could not turn a deaf ear to it.
"Xun'en, have all those bewitched people been stopped at the foot of the mountain?"
"Yes, sir. After I received the news yesterday, I ordered all police stations to prepare response policies and go to the streets to maintain order. In addition, a regiment of troops was sent down the mountain to prevent them from being incited and attacking the official residence!"
"Then why do I still see so many flyers and slogans? Are there bad people among the crowd?"
Chen Bulei lowered his head. In fact, the reason was very clear.
This was because there were many people in the residence who supported the independent column's march south to fight the Japanese, so they brought those slogans in secretly and scattered them around the residence.
However, he did not dare to tell Chang Guangzhou this, let alone investigate, otherwise he would probably have to arrest half of the people.
Wouldn’t the work of the entire government be paralyzed?
"Forget it! Has the situation in Hengyang really reached a point where it is beyond redemption?"
Although Chen Bulei was not a talented general, his attendants were many senior advisers who were knowledgeable in military affairs.
An empty city full of ruins, out of ammunition and food, with only more than 5000 people and no air support.
The other side had four fully-strength divisions, air support, naval support, and everything else. The outcome of this battle seemed to have been written into history.