Chapter 30 Chapter Thirty: Back in Time (2)

determination On May 1, 1940, the Eleventh Army launched an attack on the Fifth Theater, and the Zaoyi Battle (Zaoyang-Yichang) began. This was the largest battle between China and Japan since the fall of Wuhan. The 33rd Army The guarded Xiangdong line of defense became the primary target of the Japanese attack. Zhang Zizhong knew that this would be a fierce battle, so he specially told the generals of the 59th Army: The country has reached such a point that there is no other way except for us to die for it. Zhang Zizhong was determined to fight to the death, but he did not expect that the cruelty of the battle far exceeded his original expectations.

From the date of attack, the route to the outflanking and roundabout tactics, the Battle of Zaoyi and the Battle of Suizao were similar, but thanks to the support of the headquarters of the "China Expeditionary Force", the Japanese army carried out a high degree of special equipment as it did during the Battle of Nanchang. Including the 13th Division, each division attacking the 5th theater is equipped with a mountain artillery brigade. All teams are on the pitch. For fortifications, heavy artillery and tanks are the biggest threats. In the Taierzhuang victory, the Chinese army used anti-tank artillery to deal with tanks and chariots. However, from time to time, the Japanese weapons are constantly being updated.

The Type 89, Type 92, and Type 94 tanks that can be killed with one shot are a thing of the past. The Type 95 and Type 97 that just came out are not what they used to be in terms of armor thickness and firepower, especially the Type 97 tank. Japan was equipped with the most successful type of tank in World War II, and it was not easy to smash it right through. On May 2, the Thirteenth Division broke through the right-wing defense line on the east bank of the Xianghe River, which was much faster than the Suizao battle. Zhang Zizhong quickly adjusted his deployment and sent the 38th Division and other troops to cross the Xianghe River eastward to flank the enemy advancing northward.

There were many troops crossing the river, but the 38th Division fought the most fiercely, so it attracted the most attention.The Thirteenth Division had to turn around and encircle the Thirty-eighth Division, which was in a very dangerous situation. On May 6, Zhang Zizhong held a group army meeting and proposed to cross the river to supervise the battle in order to save the crisis. The generals present all thought that the commander-in-chief was not suitable for conscripting himself, and that Feng Zhi'an, the deputy commander-in-chief of the group army, should be allowed to go. After Song Zheyuan died of illness, Zhang Zizhong wrote to Feng Zhian.

He said that both Tong Linge and Zhao Dengyu died in Nanyuan, and now that Song Zheyuan died in Sichuan, only you, me, and Liu Ruming were left as generals of the old 29th Army. We don't know when we will say goodbye forever, so we should immediately make up our minds to do our best for the country and the nation while we are still alive, and never die. That way, even if we meet under the nine springs, there will be nothing to regret. However, these heartfelt words obviously did not move Feng Zhian much.When I called, the other party said that he couldn't get away and advised Zhang Zizhong not to go.

Zhang Zizhong no longer hesitated, he left a last letter to Feng Zhian that night—— Because of my responsibility, I must cross the river and fight the enemy. If things don't go well, I will go to the ultimate goal.All in all, whether good or bad, everything is for the comfort of conscience. On May 7, Zhang Zizhong crossed the Xianghe River to the east. This was actually the fourth time he had personally crossed the river. Only three months ago, the Eleventh Army launched a tentative spring offensive. The situation that time was also very dangerous. It was Zhang Zizhong who also launched a side attack after crossing the Xiang River, and finally reversed the situation. situation.

But that sentence is always true. On the battlefield, the god of luck will not always favor a certain person. If you have been protected for the first three times, then you may not be so lucky when it comes to the fourth time. Usually Zhang Zizhong's clothes were no different from ordinary soldiers, but this time he seemed to have a premonition, and uncharacteristically put on the general's uniform and the lieutenant general's collar badge. The wind is blowing, the water is cold, and the strong man will never return once he is gone. relief The eleventh army was advancing northward with increasing speed. On May 8, the 39th Division of the Middle Road captured Zaoyang, and the 13th Division of the West Road and the 3rd Nagoya Division of the East Road completed the first layer of encirclement of the Chinese army.

If Zhang Zizhong does not cross the river to supervise the battle, the dangers that have appeared many times before will surely reappear. In fact, before he crossed the river, the troops on the east bank were scattered, lost contact with each other, and most of them were fighting on their own. After the commander-in-chief of the group army crossed the river, the situation immediately reversed, and the morale of the three armies was greatly boosted. On May 10, Zhang Zizhong commanded the five divisions of the East Bank Army and began to advance from south to north towards Zaoyang. He wanted to cut off the Japanese army's back route in turn, so that the opponent could not afford to go around. However, at a critical moment, the telegram from the army headquarters went wrong.

Since Zhang Zizhong crossed the river, most of the telegrams he sent were intercepted and deciphered by the intelligence department of the 11th Army, and the Sonobu seemed to have installed bugs and trackers on him. The Japanese Invading Army in the Battle of Zaoyi During the spring offensive, Sonobe had already left a deep impression on Zhang Zizhong, who liked to make trouble for him from behind. He also learned that Okamura's unsatisfactory battle with Suizao was also related to it, so he had already left an extra mind. After receiving the information that Zhang Zizhong was going to cut off his retreat, he quickly ordered the 13th and 39th divisions to go southeast along the east bank of the Xiang River.

Although the 33rd Army had five divisions on the east bank, the 38th Division was more capable of fighting. Facing the entire two Japanese divisions, it did not have any advantage. The deadliest thing, of course, is that Zhang Zizhong's own behavior has not been out of the control of the garden department.Because the latter knew that the radio station was near the headquarters of the group army, as long as they found out the exact location of the radio station, they would know where Zhang Zizhong was. Where is Zhang Zizhong?He's at the pumpkin shop. Based on intelligence, the 39th Division operated overnight and completed the tactical encirclement of the 33rd Army headquarters at dawn on May 16.

Although it was a siege, it was not actually a complete encirclement. Zhang Zizhong had time and the opportunity to withdraw, but he always commanded on the front line with injuries. It's an insane amount of bravery and tenacity. At the last moment, Chief of Staff Li Wentian said: You are my officer in public, and you are my friend in private, and I should follow you and help you, but today's battle is really impossible, so withdraw quickly Bar. Li Wentian originally expected that Zhang Zizhong would scold him severely, but the latter just lowered his head and said nothing. After a while, he raised his head, there was no anger on his face, only peace: any of you can go, except me.You go, leave me alone. The Battle of the Pumpkin Shop was brutal.Zhang Zizhong was not commanding the 59th Army at that time, but Han Fuju's Lu Army. The Lu Army's combat effectiveness was not strong, but the leading officers of this batch of Lu Army were all students Zhang Zizhong had led in the old Northwest Army. , so they actually performed super-level in the Battle of the Pumpkin Shop. Facing the Japanese army whose numbers and weapons far surpassed their own, they could be called heroic. After entering the hand-to-hand combat, not only the Lu army died, but even the guards around Zhang Zizhong were beaten to death, and he himself was shot several times and became a bloody man. Last words: This is a good death, an honorable death, and my conscience is at peace with the country, the nation, and the officer... This man who once carried a heavy burden was finally freed, no more pain, no more sadness, no more debts. After entering the stage of stalemate, because both sides fought very hard, the Japanese army was no longer as arrogant and arrogant as before. They clearly realized that the enemy on the other side actually had many excellent generals. As Neiji Okamura said, "War is war, and military generals love generals." After the 39th Division found Zhang Zizhong's remains and confirmed his identity, he rushed to make a coffin at the local people's house nearby. The elder personally saw him into the coffin and gave him a funeral ceremony. The tombstone wrote: the tomb of Zhang Zizhong, the general of China. After learning the news of the martyrdom of his beloved general, Li Zongren was in inexplicable pain and couldn't eat for several days. Chiang Kai-shek strictly ordered the fifth theater to retrieve Zhang Zizhong's remains at all costs. The 59th Army fought fiercely for two days and nights, and at the cost of more than 200 casualties, they snatched out their chiefs and transported them back. On May 21, in the drizzle, the ship carrying Zhang Zizhong's coffin sailed to Chongqing. Along the way, the Japanese planes just hovered in the sky without firing a single shot or dropping a bullet. On May 28, Chiang Kai-shek, wearing a black gauze, greeted the spirit ship at Chongqing Wharf two hours in advance. As soon as the ship docked, he rushed aboard and knelt and wept before the coffin. Chiang Kai-shek (who bowed his head) personally participated in the welcome and worship activities of Zhang Zizhong's coffin Since the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Zizhong was the first commander-in-chief of the group army who died on the frontal battlefield. There is a poem praising him: Looking forward to the road ahead of the pumpkin shop, he is the first person in the history of the Anti-Japanese War! When life glides by like a meteor, the momentary bloom and brilliance are enough to illuminate the darkness in front of people's eyes. The brotherly grievances that year seemed to be over, but there was one more person that needed to be mentioned. This man suffered two severe blows in one month.The first time was after Song Zheyuan's death. After hearing the bad news, he couldn't recover for a long time, and then made an astonishing move-resigned from all military and political positions. At that time, he was already a general. Although he had no real power, his treatment was generous enough. The reason for his resignation was nothing else, but because he was also Song Zheyuan's subordinate and sworn brother, and when the grace was broken, Song Zheyuan expressed that he did not want him to work with Chiang Kai-shek again. Now that you're gone, there's only one thing I can do. Of course he is Xiao Zhenying. Before the accident, Zhang Zizhong asked Xiao Zhenying to be alone, and wrote to his eldest brother: My younger brother will deal with the Japanese pirates with the determination to die. Sure enough, he fell in the pumpkin shop. All gone, when everything can only become a memory, the longing is enough to suffocate. Every meeting and parting is a profound insight into life.Xiao Zhenying later said to his family: Don't learn from me, I have been acting all my life, but it is actually meaningless. In his last years, he made a living by doing business, and all the money he earned was used to shelter and relieve the exiled children in Northeast China and North China. Therefore, "Boss Xiao" rarely had a surplus, and sometimes even couldn't make ends meet. In May 1947, Xiao Zhenying had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and died in Beiping after being in a coma for several days. He was fifty-seven years old at the time. It is said that this was related to his failure in business at that time. This legendary vertical and horizontal master finally called his curtain call in another way. lookout Zhang Zizhong was followed because of the telegram, which fully demonstrates the treacherous combat environment at that time. From this point of view, Tang Enbo's whereabouts are uncertain, and sometimes even Li Zongren does not know where he is, which is indeed somewhat reasonable. The Nagoya Third Division, which detours from the east, is the only standing division among the three divisions. From the Battle of Suizao to the Battle of Zaoyi, its mission has always been the same, which is to find and surround Tang Enbo. But Tang Enbo is not so easy to find, it was like this last time, and it is similar this time. The Nagoya Division went from Suixian to Zaoyang, and then went north from Zaoyang. They all left Hubei and went to Henan, but there was still no trace of the other party. I had no choice but to comfort myself, maybe Tang Enbo was already on the Internet, so go back and collect the Internet cafe. Just as they were retreating, Tang Enbo suddenly appeared and surrounded the main force of the division. In the Fifth Theater, Tang Enbo's 31st Army ranks first in combat effectiveness.After being surrounded by Tang Enbo, the Nagoya Division rushed left and right, but they couldn't get rid of it no matter what. On May 15, after three days and three nights of fierce fighting, the Nagoya Division had suffered heavy casualties, ran out of ammunition and food, and had to send a telegram for help to the headquarters of the 11th Army. Sonobu was in a hurry after receiving the telegram. His 13th and 39th Divisions were blocking Zhang Zizhong's 33rd Army, unable to draw out troops, so they had to temporarily transfer four infantry brigades from the south of the Yangtze River to the emergency. On May 16, after the arrival of reinforcements, the Nagoya Division was finally able to break through, but it was not far away before being surrounded and attacked by Tang Enbo again in the northwest of Zaoyang. The time is still considered good, so you won't be allowed to go for three days if you don't feel uncomfortable and disgusted. Originally intended to surround others, but instead was surrounded by others, Sonobe was suffocated. While deciphering Zhang Zizhong's code, he also deciphered the telegram sent by Chiang Kai-shek to the fifth theater, so he knew that the Chinese army was pursuing the eleventh army when it retreated according to past experience. I said, why did Tang Enbo not find it for a long time, but at this time he came out by himself, so it was to execute the pursuit order. Don't retreat anymore, when Tang Enbo chases after him again, I will fight back with a stick and beat him to pieces, to see if he is still jumping around vigorously. After Zhang Zizhong was martyred, Feng Zhian, who succeeded him, could not take on the big job. The 33rd Army had no leader, and it was no longer a threat to the Japanese army.Therefore, the Sonobu was able to get rid of its worries and concentrated all three divisions in Zaoyang. Instead of withdrawing southward, but going northward, we must dig out this nasty Tang Enbo. Sonobe is not much smarter than his predecessor Okamura, you act fast, and Tang Enbo can hide faster. Seeing the three divisions rushing towards them with a murderous look, Zhuang Tang immediately stepped aside.While dodging, he sent many small troops to the side of the Japanese army for guerrilla and reconnaissance as before. I don't have the ability to "watch the wind" and break your secret code, but I can send someone to watch the wind, and I can also know where you are. continue to float The 39th Division, which had besieged Zhang Zizhong, took the lead. On May 20, the vanguard of the division, the 2nd, 33rd and 3rd Regiment, was preparing to cross the north.In order to find a suitable crossing point, under the cover of evening darkness, the three devil officers crept into the reeds on the bank of the river. Two of them were in charge of visually measuring the width and speed of the river here to see if it was possible to wade across without the aid of a rubber boat. After looking at it, I am very satisfied. The water here is not deep and not in a hurry, and I can completely wade across the river. Naturally, we had to scout out whether there was a Chinese army on the other side, or else it would be very dangerous to wade across. He raised his binoculars and saw that there was no one on the other side. awesome. It would be fine if the three-member reconnaissance team behaved like this, but the problem was that there was another treasure. Different from the sneaky looks of the previous two, this one's status is probably a bit higher, and he's considered a fastidious person.Instead of bowing his head and bowing his head, he stood imposingly among the reeds, holding up his binoculars and looking towards the opposite bank. Um, um, you two are right, there is nothing on the other side, let's go back and report. The three idiots worked for a long time, but they didn't know that there were people hiding in the reeds on the opposite bank, and they also had binoculars. They were the scouts sent by Tang Enbo, who immediately reported to the army headquarters. In the first half of the night that day, everyone was busy. The 2nd, 33rd and 3rd regiments were busy rolling up their trouser legs and taking off their shoes, while Tang Enbo was busy mobilizing troops and setting up ambushes. In the middle of the night on May 20, the 2nd, 33rd and 3rd regiments began to cross the river. When we got to the center of the river, there was a sudden burst of gunfire from the opposite bank. All the powerful machine guns, grenades, and mortars were brought out, and the bullets and shells slammed into the Japanese soldiers with joy. This is pretty standard "half-strike". The 2nd, 3rd and 3rd regiments were unobstructed and lacked the minimum psychological preparation. There was no way to fight back or resist in a hurry. Only more than 300 people were killed in the river on the spot. The commander of the regiment, Tetsujiro Kanzaki, was honored in. After this battle, the 233rd Regiment lost half of its casualties just by crossing the river, and it can no longer be put into use. The 39th Division has just surrounded the headquarters of the 33rd Army and caused the death of Zhang Zizhong to feel good about itself. , but did not expect that retribution would come so quickly. The ambush commanded by Tang Enbo frightened all three divisions, and no one dared to take the risk of advancing easily. On May 21, the Garden Department convened a staff meeting at the Eleventh Army Headquarters for analysis. In the end, everyone came to the same conclusion: Tang Enbo moved erratically, like a spring, stretchable and retractable, and it was difficult to encircle him in a detour. What makes the garden department feel even more bitter is that it has been almost a month since the Zaoyi battle was launched, not only failed to surround Tang Enbo, but also paid a considerable price.The number of casualties of nearly 4,000 people, a considerable part of them were killed by Tang Enbo. Do you want to move on? The answer was also fairly unanimous: no. At this time, the Ministry of Science and Technology had obtained information from various sources and knew that Tang Enbo had sent a lot of small troops behind him. These small troops seemed insignificant, but as long as the three divisions continued to move forward, they would be able to take advantage of the gap as soon as there was a gap in the rear. Enter, cut off your food supply line, then, it will be a deadly threat. It seems that what Okamura can't do, I can't do either. On the same day, the Ministry of Garden issued a unified order to the three divisions to abandon the northward advance.