Chapter 25 Chapter 24 The Greatest Disgrace in the History of the Anti-Japanese War

The Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain was the most humiliating battle in the history of the Chinese War of Resistance. When Chongqing's military and political officials celebrated the victory of the Shanggao Battle, Chiang Kai-shek believed that: in the military, a small victory is not enough to prove that the status quo of the poor quality of the Chinese army has been fundamentally changed; , the crisis of the Kuomintang as the ruling party is getting worse day by day, because the Chinese people don't trust the Kuomintang at all, and the crisis of trust stems from the spiritual decline of the military and political officials in power.

On April 1, 1941, the Eighth Plenary Session of the Fifth Central Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang held a monthly "National Monthly Lecture".Before the military and political officials were fully seated, Chiang Kai-shek suddenly entered the venue.Without any opening remarks, he directly recited the "Programme for the General Mobilization of the National Spirit" that he personally formulated, and then said that he was ashamed because the "spiritual foundation" of his party comrades had not yet been established, so "to complete the War of Resistance and build the country, implement The future of the Three People's Principles is still bleak."Then, Chiang Kai-shek listed a series of "spiritual problems" in the party, the core of which is that the front is bleeding and fighting, and the rear is intoxicated:

The reason why our doctrine cannot be implemented, and the reason why the people do not have faith in us, is because we only have slogans but no achievements in work, and only written regulations but no actual actions. This is the biggest shortcoming of our party at present.If we don't be vigilant and encourage reforms, then the future of our revolution will be very dangerous! ... You must know that it has been more than two years since the promulgation of the "Outline for the General Mobilization of the National Spirit". However, we still have many shortcomings in our spirit, life, and actions. With the spirit of patience, we recall the achievements of the war of resistance in the past, how should we be responsible and know our shame!From now on, the survival of the country and the success or failure of the revolution depend entirely on the spiritual perseverance of our entire party...

A, the life of drunkenness, dreams and death must be corrected.People who live are the foundation of the spirit. Without a reasonable life, there is no sound spirit. It is a life of intoxication and dreaming that is addicted to sensuality, money, and profit. It must be thoroughly corrected and the creed of a new life must be implemented.Otherwise, not only will the individual spirit be dissipated, and the country will be wronged by itself, but it will also lead to mutual learning, which will cause the whole society to subjugate the country, and lead to the world's contempt and enmity. It will not only harm the country, but will also affect the military. ——Nowadays many people outside say that our party comrades and senior government officials still seek enjoyment and enjoyment. Today we must earnestly reflect and review it nakedly!

Second, vigorous vigor must be cultivated.Second to the life of drunkenness, dreams and death, those who are the thieves of the national spirit are the atmosphere of depression and decadence. The existence of this atmosphere is actually caused by two reasons of psychology and life.In terms of psychology: due to the lack of national self-confidence and personal self-improvement, it does not mean that the nation has no hope of revival, but it means that the cause of national revival has nothing to do with oneself. If these two mentalities are not corrected, vigorous vitality cannot be cultivated.In terms of physiology: exercise, hygiene, tidiness, cleanliness, and even the habit of getting up early must be advocated and practiced... In fact, the requirements of the national spirit mobilization are not too high, and there is no difficulty in doing it, but we don't try to do it. Do it, of course there is no result!This is because we do not have the spirit of revolutionary practice, so we have lost the qualifications of revolutionary leadership...

C. The habit of idling along must be eliminated.During the Anti-Japanese War, there is a spiritual phenomenon that must be paid attention to: that is, the people in the front lack the determination to swear revenge to the death, while the personnel in the rear often have private plans to seek refuge.The former phenomenon is enough to increase the number of obedient people of the enemy and increase the atmosphere of the enemy; the latter phenomenon is enough to reduce the number of fighters of the nation and weaken the fighting spirit.The motives are all due to the unsteady concept of national supremacy and the habit of stealing an existence... It is really very difficult to get rid of the habit of ordinary comrades and citizens living in an idle manner!This is really the biggest fatal injury to our country... In fact, it is not difficult to get rid of the disease, but it is difficult without determination. Just look at the most difficult thing to get rid of in our past bad habits is opium smoking, but now ordinary people who are addicted to smoking can quit Absolutely...but we still have many comrades who have not even done what ordinary citizens should do. This is a disgrace to our party. ...

Ding, selfish attempts must be broken.Those who only want to preserve personal life and property, and increase personal fame and power, regardless of the interests and survival of the nation as a whole, also have the same selfish motive as those in military power who want to preserve their strength and territory.With such a selfish mentality, private opinion is above everything else, self-interest is above all else, and even the expansion and satisfaction of personal reputation, status and power desires must be prior to everything, and it can be deduced to the extreme that it will only come after sacrificing national interests and destroying the anti-Japanese war plan.Today, when the Anti-Japanese War is fierce and life and death are breathing, it is not only unwise but also unbenevolent to be unconscious. Under the purpose of mobilizing the national spirit, this kind of chronic habit must be eliminated. Correction, make sure to get rid of prejudices as much as possible, lose heart and gallbladder, and return to fairness and sincerity...

Before Chiang Kai-shek's words fell, a huge humiliation ensued. The southern part of Shanxi Province, China, is located on the north bank of the great bend of the Yellow River from north-south to east-west.The Yellow River here becomes the boundary river of the three provinces: before the Yellow River turns, Hexi is Shaanxi, and East is Shanxi; after the Yellow River turns, Henan is Henan, and Hebei is Shanxi.Three famous mountain ranges tower over it: Taihang Mountain in the east, Luliang Mountain in the west, and Zhongtiao Mountain in the south.Zhongtiao Mountain, which runs from east to west, stretches across the north bank of the Yellow River. It is about 170 kilometers long from east to west and about 50 kilometers wide from north to south. It forms a dustpan-shaped mountain with Taihang Mountain and Luliang Mountain. It is the bottom of the Ji-shaped mountain.The junction of the three provinces controls northern Henan to the east, Luoyang to the south, and Tongguan to the west. It is the strategic support point for the Chinese army in North China on the frontal battlefield.The 200,000 troops of China's first war zone are stationed on the Zhongtiao Mountain line.

In May 1941, the Japanese army in North China carried out a large-scale assault operation to the Zhongtiao Mountain area.This assault operation caused a rare huge loss for the Chinese army since the Anti-Japanese War.The Japanese army's battlefield statistics are: the Chinese army "captured 35,000 people and abandoned 42,000 corpses."The losses of the Japanese army were minimal: "673 were killed and 2,292 were wounded." The Japanese army did not estimate the number of wounded Chinese troops.According to the conventional calculations of previous battles, the number of Chinese troops injured in each battle is nearly twice as many as the number of deaths.It is impossible to imagine what a long and tragic flow of more than 30,000 captured Chinese officers and soldiers will be under the bayonets of Japanese soldiers; it is even more impossible to imagine what it will be like to lay tens of thousands of corpses on an open battlefield. A horrifying sight.

The 200,000 horses in China's First Theater were all killed and wounded. The strategic location of Zhongtiao Mountain was lost. What Chiang Kai-shek said about "the future is slim" suddenly became a reality. Zhongtiao Mountain guards the strategic center of the Central Plains. In terms of battlefield division, it is listed as the first among all theaters of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War, that is, the first theater.Under the command of Wei Lihuang, the first theater troops have been stationed in this crucial area for three years.In the past three years, there has been no major war in the war zone. The main reason is that the Wei Lihuang Army, Yan Xishan Army, and the anti-Japanese armed forces led by the Communist Party are stationed in this area. In particular, the Taihang and Taiyue Anti-Japanese Bases established by the Eighth Route Army have become the first war zone of Gongwei. important frontier barrier.

There is no doubt that Zhongtiao Mountain is the confidant of the Japanese army in North China.However, the Japanese army also knew that as long as the ever-growing Communist Party armed forces continued to fight hard and as long as the Kuomintang-Communist anti-Japanese national united front remained unbreakable, attacking and occupying this area was only a conjecture. Entering 1941, the Japanese army finally waited for a good opportunity, that is: the Kuomintang and the Communist Party seemed to be completely split, and China's anti-Japanese united front might also disintegrate. In addition to the violent political and military frictions between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the most important reason for the Japanese army to make this judgment was an astonishing incident that occurred in Dashanli, thousands of miles away, in early 1941. This incident was known as the "Southern Anhui Incident" in history. In July 1940, compromise and defection prevailed within the Kuomintang, and frictions between the Kuomintang army and the Communist armed forces became increasingly frequent.Especially when the New Fourth Army entered the Huangqiao area to open up the anti-Japanese base in northern Jiangsu, Han Deqin, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Lusu theater, first sealed off the food sources of the New Fourth Army, and then mobilized heavy troops in an attempt to wipe it out while the New Fourth Army was not firmly established.The New Fourth Army repeatedly called on Han Deqin to unite and resist Japan, and even voluntarily withdrew from the Jiangyan area in order to avoid conflict.But Han Deqin thought he would fight the New Fourth Army at Huangqiao because he had more soldiers and more food.The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to strike late and annihilate Han Deqin's troops at Huangqiao in order to completely solve the problem in northern Jiangsu.The North Subei Command of the New Fourth Army commanded the first, second, and third columns, blocked and lured the enemy from the front, set up an ambush on both wings, and wiped out more than 10,000 people under the commander of the 33rd Division of Han Deqin's Department. Disarm and surrender.The victory in the Battle of Huangqiao enabled the New Fourth Army to persist in the war of resistance behind enemy lines in northern Jiangsu, and the anti-Japanese base areas in northern Jiangsu were also able to develop.The fierce fighting power of the New Fourth Army made Chongqing very uneasy.Under the pretext of avoiding conflicts, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Chief of Staff He Yingqin and Deputy Chief of Staff Bai Chongxi to raise the issue of "the combat areas of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army" to the Communist Party, and attached an imperative request: the units of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army, Within a limited time, they will all go to the provinces of Hebei and Chahar, as well as the northern regions of Hebei and Shanxi, "and the New Fourth Army will join the battle order of the Eighteenth Army."It also stipulates that no matter whether it is the Eighth Route Army or the New Fourth Army, it is not allowed to go beyond the "prescribed area" "unless it is ordered by the Military Commission"; except for "other military orders stipulated by the Military Commission, no Eighteenth Army Group Army is allowed in other theaters or anywhere." and troops in the name of the New Fourth Army". "In addition to the Eighteenth Group Army organized into six divisions and three supplementary regiments of the three armies, two supplementary regiments were added, and detachments were not allowed (the divisions were organized into divisions, with two brigades and four regiments)"; "The New Fourth Army was organized into two divisions (the organization of divisions is organized divisions, the system of two brigades and four regiments)", and so on. Ordering the anti-Japanese troops that have formed a favorable combat situation in the enemy's rear to retreat, and abandoning the anti-Japanese base areas behind the enemy that have been opened up by arduous fighting and great sacrifices, is no different from helping the enemy in mistreating the enemy militarily, because this is tantamount to releasing the Japanese army from the battlefield behind the enemy. military pressure. Chiang Kai-shek's order surprised even the Japanese army. The North China Front Army Staff Headquarters of the Japanese Army was astonished and tried to discern the deep meaning of Chiang Kai-shek's order: judge The conflicts between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are constantly occurring. As a result, although the Communist Party expressed concessions and even compromises, the demands of the Chongqing side will not be fully implemented.Although a part of the New Fourth Army can reluctantly carry out a certain degree of movement, it can be concluded that it must not be carried out if all of them are moved to North China. reason 1. The Communist forces in North China have never received a large amount of material assistance from Chongqing, and they feel the pain of insufficient weapons, ammunition, and supplies.Now the enemy is generally poor in supplies, and it is becoming more difficult to obtain supplies from the areas occupied by the Japanese army. In addition to the losses suffered by the Japanese army in the crusade, the poverty situation is even more serious.Under such circumstances, the New Fourth Army in Central China will be relocated to North China, making its survival even more difficult. In particular, it can be concluded that the Communist troops in Henan and Jiangsu are responsible for obtaining supplies from Shanghai to supply the Shaanxi base. 2. The intention of the Chongqing side is that after the Communist Army in Central China moves to North China, they will fight the Japanese army, consume each other's strength, and ensure that Central China fully develops its own power. This is a strategy that kills three birds with one stone. At the same time, the forces in Chongqing can cut off the rear of Shaanxi Province.It is not difficult to imagine that the Communist Party, who is familiar with Chongqing's intentions, will never follow Chongqing's orders easily. 3. Despite this, the Communist Party is still unable to compete with Chongqing in terms of force, and to destroy the unanimous war against Japan is also contrary to the original mission of the Communist Party.It must also be noted that the military expenditure (700,000 to 900,000 yuan) traditionally paid by Chongqing is the only source of foreign exchange for the Communist Party to obtain supplies from the Japanese-occupied areas or third countries. Try to avoid confrontation with it. 4. From the perspective of Chongqing, the existence of the Communist Party in central China and the mutual struggle there not only hindered the unity of the Anti-Japanese War, but the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu and the Yangtze River are important areas for various living resources. It is also an important route for secretly importing materials from Shanghai.Since the area was seized by the Communist Party at a time when supplies were scarce, it was quite painful for Chongqing, so its primary purpose was to eliminate this disadvantage. 5. However, as far as Chongqing is concerned, although the power of the Communist Party is relatively small, it should not be underestimated.Because a conflict with the Communist Party, which has combat effectiveness, fighting spirit, and working ability, will seriously affect the all-out war of resistance.Moreover, there is the need for assistance from the Soviet Union. Even if it resorts to force, it may be difficult to fully meet the requirements. 6. ...However, the fact that all the Communist Party's forces in central China have been moved to North China has been said but not implemented.In order to save face, Chongqing has always strongly demanded implementation. At the same time, it has often adopted methods of supervision and expulsion in various places. Therefore, the contradictions between the two sides, whether at the center or at the local level, will continue in the future. It can be seen that the struggle is bound to intensify day by day. 7. Due to the inherent contradiction between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, it is difficult to reconcile, and the relevant situation will not be described in detail. Reference information: According to the observation of a Chinese dignitary, Chongqing's request for the New Fourth Army to move to North China was Chiang Kai-shek's peace preparation. According to a Chinese dignitary, Chiang Kai-shek will surely lose his life for the communist forces in the near future. "Peace preparations" refers to compromise negotiations with Japan. Japan's judgment only glimpsed part of the connotation of Chiang Kai-shek's order. It was not Chiang Kai-shek's fundamental purpose to move the New Fourth Army to North China. Chiang Kai-shek was looking for an excuse to completely wipe out the New Fourth Army.As for how to find an excuse, that is, as long as the Communist Party expresses that it will not implement the order, he can impose military sanctions on the New Fourth Army in the name of the supreme commander of the Chinese army enforcing military law.The Kuomintang Army units in the Fifth Theater had received a telegram from Chiang Kai-shek: "There is no new Fourth Army or Eighteenth Army in the order of battle in this area. During activities in the theater, bandits and counterfeiters sneaked in and pretended to be, and from now on, the commander of the theater will designate troops to suppress them in different areas, thoroughly eliminate them, so as to curb the chaos, and deploy and implement notifications in the near future." In the final analysis, what Chiang Kai-shek carried out was political fortification. As far as the ruling Kuomintang is concerned, the Communist Party’s armed forces cannot continue to grow in any case, because the consequences of such growth are almost foreseeable, that is, they directly threaten the Kuomintang regime. A month ago, Chiang Kai-shek met White, an American journalist who had been traveling on the battlefield in China, in Chongqing. He expressed his relationship with the Japanese and the Communist Party in this way: "The Japanese are a maniac, and the Communist Party is a confidant. "—Weakening the anti-Japanese forces in the enemy's rear will benefit the Japanese army in terms of war situation. The deadly virus invaded the internal organs.Chiang Kai-shek’s blatant and weird words surprised White, and he clearly believed that Chiang Kai-shek had deluded himself and ignored an important reality, that is, even within the political framework of the anti-Japanese national united front, the Chinese Communist Party was a party with clear political purposes, strict An independent political party with an organizational system and iron-like discipline, not a local warlord group that bowed to Chiang Kai-shek while playing the game of separatism with him. Society in enemy-occupied territories has disintegrated, with laxly disciplined troops now acting as warlords and now marauding bandits.The atrocities of the Japanese and the fierce resistance of all kinds of Chinese have made war out of the customs of all civilizations.Only the Communists, with their theories, ideas, and political skills, can reunite people into a collective with a common goal.Communists differ from other local and warlord groups in that, while they may be as fierce as anyone else, they are able to align their fierceness with a certain purpose and strategy. In July, Zhou Enlai returned to Yan'an from Chongqing. After listening to Zhou Enlai’s report on the work of the Southern Bureau and the United Front, Mao Zedong pointed out that in the past, the central government’s work focused on the military and the theater, and paid little attention to the South and the Japanese-occupied areas. In the future, the Politburo must vigorously strengthen this aspect.In the future, the Central Committee will focus first on the Kuomintang-ruled areas, second on cities behind enemy lines, and third on our war zones.This is the first time that the Communist Party of China puts the work in the area ruled by the Kuomintang in such an important strategic position after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War.In view of the current political situation and the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Zhou Enlai advocated the policy of "making concessions on small issues and seeking favorable solutions to major issues" when negotiating with the Kuomintang.The Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting to discuss the requirements of He Yingqin and Bai Chongxi. The final opinion was: agreeing to change the name of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region to "Northern Shaanxi Administrative Region"; The north was merged into the second war zone, but the chairmen of the provincial governments of Hebei and Chahar had to be sponsored by the Communist Party; the Eighth Route Army was required to be organized into the nine divisions of the three armies instead of the six divisions of the three armies, and the New Fourth Army was organized into three divisions instead of two. On August 25, Zhou Enlai returned to Chongqing and met with Chiang Kai-shek, Bai Chongxi, and He Yingqin successively. Zhou Enlai expressed that the Communist Party was willing to "make a little concession," but Chiang Kai-shek insisted that "the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army should all move to the north of the old Yellow River, and the guerrillas should stay behind." Under the command of the commander-in-chief of the local combat zone".In September, regarding the adjustment of the New Fourth Army's combat area, Zhou Enlai once again proposed to the Kuomintang: "First, expand the Second Theater to the entire Shandong Province and the first part of Suiyuan; Three, the guerrillas stay in each war zone to delineate the battle lines and attack the enemy separately." On October 19, the Kuomintang categorically rejected Zhou Enlai's suggestion, and in the name of Chief of Staff He Yingqin and Deputy Chief of Staff Bai Chongxi , sent telegrams to Commander-in-Chief Zhu De of the Eighth Route Army, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Peng Dehuai, and Commander Ye Ting of the New Fourth Army, accusing the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army of "not defending the theater and operating freely", "not complying with the free expansion of the number of establishments", "disobeying central orders, and destroying the administrative system", etc. And so on, once again restricting the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army to move within one month to "the prescribed combat territory." At this time, Chiang Kai-shek had mobilized troops to encircle the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia area, where the Communist Party's center is located, with more than 400,000 troops; he also secretly ordered Gu Zhutong, the commander of the third war zone, to mobilize troops from the front lines of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to encircle the headquarters of the New Fourth Army and its subordinate troops in southern Anhui; At the same time, the Tang Enbo Department of the 31st Group Army and the Li Pinxian Department of the 21st Group Army were secretly ordered to move eastward from western Henan and eastern Hubei respectively, and cooperate with Han Deqin's Department in the Lusu Theater to prepare to launch an attack on the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army in central China. From the end of October to the beginning of November, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Wang Jiaxiang called Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai, Ye Ting, and Xiang Ying separately or jointly, instructing the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army to make various emergency preparations.Mao Zedong even thought: "We should estimate the most difficult, dangerous, and darkest possibility, and take this situation as the starting point for all arrangements, instead of taking the optimistic situation as the starting point." As far as the current situation is concerned, the Communists What needs to be faced is likely to be the "darkest situation".On November 9, Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Ye Ting, and Xiang Ying responded to the Chongqing Military Commission in the names of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army respectively. Requirements to the north of the Yellow River.But at the same time, it stated that the troops of the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui could move northwards in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's order, but the troops needed to be prepared for the movement and a time limit was required. In view of the overall situation of the anti-Japanese national united front, and more importantly, given that the Kuomintang army had shown signs of besieging the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China ordered that all southern Anhui troops of the New Fourth Army must move northward by the end of December 1940. The Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee called Xiang Ying, deputy commander of the New Fourth Army: (1) Xiyi and a staff member must go to Jiangbei to command the Jiangbei army. (2) You and the troops in southern Anhui should either move to southern Jiangsu and cross the river to the north, or stay in southern Anhui to prepare to break out to the south when the Kuomintang attacks. You should choose one of them. This is certain. (3) Gu Zhutong’s permission is required to move to southern Jiangsu, and if Gu does not allow it, he has to stay in southern Anhui (because it is impossible to go directly to northern Anhui according to the call), but he must be prepared to fight a civil war and bear political disadvantages (Chiang Kai-shek’s attack The plan of the New Fourth Army is decided).Please consider calling back. Ye Ting, whose name is Xiyi. Ye Ting, the commander of the New Fourth Army, went to Shangrao, Jiangxi Province to discuss the movement of the New Fourth Army face to face with Gu Zhutong.The New Fourth Army sought to move to northern Anhui, and then to southern Jiangsu. Gu Zhutong was especially asked to ensure that the New Fourth Army would not be attacked by the Kuomintang army during its movement.At this time, the Communist Party suddenly discovered that the nine divisions of Tang Enbo's division located in the west of Henan were advancing eastward.Mao Zedong immediately called the headquarters of the New Fourth Army, and asked Ye Ting to question Gu Zhutong face to face, "While the northern Jiangsu made peace, southern Anhui ordered me to move north, and at the same time sent 200,000 troops eastward. What is the intention? Is the other side ready to break up?"Mao Zedong instructed Ye Ting that when negotiating with Gu Zhutong, "this overall situation should be the first issue, and the rest should be the second issue."Ye Ting's meeting with Gu Zhutong failed to resolve any specific issues.Gu Zhutong agreed that the New Fourth Army would move northward through southern Jiangsu, but they were not allowed to stay there. As for the eastward advance of Tang Enbo's troops, Gu Zhutong said he did not know about it. Ye Ting and Xiang Ying called the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and said: 1. Because of "the change of local work, the placement of the disabled and the sick, and the disposal of various assets, especially most of the soldiers are local people from their hometowns. Political consolidation cannot eliminate the serious phenomenon of mass exodus”; 2. From southern Anhui to southern Jiangsu to the north to the Yangtze River, there are many Japanese military strongholds along the way. If there is no considerable time to gradually move in batches, the army cannot stay in the area, and it cannot pass through at once. If it stays, it will be attacked by the enemy." I am at a disadvantage", because the Japanese army has deployed heavy troops on the front line of Liyang, and the southern Anhui troops entering this area will be "in the narrow encirclement of rivers, lakes and enemy blockades"; 4. There are many non-combatants in the southern Anhui troops, and they will march with the large troops "Unfavorable combat", only "first in batches" can make the combat troops "easy to deal with the enemy's offensive"... In summary, "it will take a long time for the troops in southern Anhui to start", and the central government is required to agree to "stay in southern Anhui for now", At the same time, it is actively deploying the northward move. A day later, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Wang Jiaxiang called Ye Ting and Xiang Ying. There was no room for negotiation in terms of tone and wording: (1) You must be ready to start all operations by the end of December. (2) Part of the Xiyi rate must leave immediately. (3) All issues must be resolved within 20 days. On the same day, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Wang Jiaxiang called Ye Ting and Xiang Ying again: "Immediately start the transfer in batches, otherwise if there is a battle, the non-combatants and assets will be scattered." The reason why Yan'an kept urging it was because all the information about the south of Anhui showed that the Kuomintang troops from all walks of life would complete the encirclement of the New Fourth Army before the end of December. On December 9, Chiang Kai-shek issued an ultimatum-like order: All the New Fourth Army south of the Yangtze River is limited to marching to the area north of the Yangtze River on December 31 of this year, and to fight in the area north of the Yellow River before January 30 next year.All the units of the Eighteenth Group Army south of the Yellow River are now restricted to the area north of the Yellow River until December 31 of this year. There is not much time left before Chiang Kai-shek's deadline. The southern Anhui troops of the New Fourth Army, including the military headquarters, a teaching regiment, a secret service regiment, and two regiments each in the first, second, and third columns, totaled more than 9,000 people. The Kuomintang stipulated a route for the northward movement of the New Fourth Army: After leaving Yunling in southern Anhui, where the headquarters of the New Fourth Army is located, go east by north, along Matou Town, Yangliupu, Sunjiabu, Bijiaqiao, Langxi, and Meizhu Town. , Nandu Town, enter Zhuzhen Bridge and Shuixi area in southern Jiangsu, and then cross the Yangtze River north to northern Jiangsu.This route must pass through the defense zone of the 52nd Division of the Third Theater.In order to prevent accidents, the New Fourth Army formulated a strategy of going deep into the Japanese-occupied area once it was attacked, because the Kuomintang army would not dare to pursue there.However, on December 10, Chiang Kai-shek suddenly ordered to change the route of moving north, requiring the troops of the New Fourth Army to cross the Yangtze River between Tongling and Fanchang in southern Anhui to the north and west.This is an unfamiliar route, but also a dangerous one.The military headquarters of the New Fourth Army dispatched capable scouts with radios, crossed the Yangtze River between Tongling and Fanchang, and sneaked into Wuwei County in the north of the Yangtze River.The scouts carefully observed the water level of the river within a range of more than 20 kilometers along the river, selected more than a dozen places to cross the river, and with the assistance of local party organizations and the public, they raised more than 100 boats of various sizes and contacted them. More than 300 experienced boatmen were recruited.However, they found that Japanese patrol ships on the Yangtze River passed frequently, and the Japanese and puppet troops in the riverside strongholds also showed signs of preparing to dispatch. Facts have proved that the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui is heading for a huge trap. At the same time that Chiang Kai-shek issued the ultimatum order, Gu Zhutong mobilized 80,000 troops from seven divisions and appointed Shangguan Yunxiang, the commander-in-chief of the 32nd Army Group, as the "commander-in-chief of the former enemy" to prepare for the movement after the New Fourth Army crossed the river. Intercept and attack it on the route.On the 29th, Shangguan Yunxiang confirmed the combat deployment for encircling and annihilating the New Fourth Army: with the 52nd and 108th divisions as the right wing, deploy on the Nanling, Jingxian, Yongjiqiao, and Dingjiadu lines; , the 144th Division and the newly-organized 7th Division are the left wing, deployed along the lines of Maolin, Baocun, and Qianjiaqiao, forming a three-sided encirclement on the east, south, and west with Yunling as the center, and then advancing northward in unison. The Southern Anhui troops of the New Fourth Army were compressed to the Yangtze River and wiped out.At the same time, the 79th Division formed a line of defense in Taiping and the 62nd Division near Sanxi Town to prevent the Anhui troops of the New Fourth Army from retreating south; Prevent the New Fourth Army from advancing eastward in southern Anhui.The above deployment is limited to be completed in secret before December 31st. Although the generals of the New Fourth Army were quite on guard, they still did not want to believe and could not believe that Chiang Kai-shek would issue a combat order ordering the Chinese anti-Japanese troops to kill each other. The officers and soldiers of the New Fourth Army sang a song called "March of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party": In the eyes of domestic public opinion and even foreign journalists at the time, the New Fourth Army was a very special branch of the anti-Japanese armed forces led by the Communist Party.Almost all of this army was composed of educated young people. The officers and soldiers came from the affluent Jiangnan villages, or from Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and other cities along the river. Among them were many young overseas Chinese who returned to China to participate in the War of Resistance.The high level of education of this army is unique among the various armies in Chinese history.Each of them has a military uniform, including a military cap, a jacket, and a pair of trousers. At the same time, they also have a pair of underwear such as a sanitary shirt; The scene made the Chinese people very curious; they carried out various cultural and entertainment activities, and they looked like soldiers when they marched. The backpack weighing about 30 kilograms was all their property: a rifle, a bayonet, A bullet belt with more than a hundred bullets, four hand grenades, and of course a pair of chopsticks, an enamel bowl, toothbrush, tooth powder, towel and a book.Most of them wear cloth shoes or straw sandals, and there is a red velvet flower on the straw sandals of female warriors.They brought fresh life styles and attitudes to the rural areas in the south of China: they opened literacy classes for the people, publicized anti-Japanese ideas, explained equality and freedom, and called on the people to wake up; Nervously, he was still treating the common people. Those who had been cured came to thank the New Fourth Army with fish and meat.The New Fourth Army has been widely supported and supported. Shanghai's "Hua Mei" magazine published an article describing the lives of officers and soldiers of the New Fourth Army: ...their number is now equivalent to that of ordinary troops, and the central government sends them 170,000 yuan a month, so they have to strive for austerity in their lives, so they don't get paid from top to bottom, they only get allowances.In the past, combatants (their soldiers were called combatants, and their officers were called commanders) received a monthly allowance of 2 yuan, which was increased step by step, and 50 cents per level (the difference of 50 cents was also explained by them, it was because the commander Sometimes I need some pocket money on business trips), and I can get five yuan from the army commander.Recently, a thrift campaign has been implemented, and the monthly allowance of combatants has been reduced to one yuan and fifty cents, and that of army commanders has been reduced to four yuan.In addition, each of them can receive a catty of eight taels of rice and a dime for vegetables every day.They are happy with this kind of life, and this spirit of patience and hard work should be explained from their traditional history... Shanghai's "Damei Evening News" published an American reporter's description of the New Fourth Army Hospital: In any war in the past fifty years, the treatment of wounded soldiers was no more embarrassing than that of Chinese soldiers in this Anti-Japanese War.Chinese soldiers often did not receive care and died on the front line. Even if he was lifted up, most of them were left alone in other people's houses without medicine or nursing care.If he hadn't been seriously injured, he would probably have to walk hundreds of kilometers back to the wounded soldier's hospital behind, even if there were empty cars passing by on the road, he wouldn't be allowed to carry it.In the hospital, the people who serve him may steal his clothes and money, and the treatment he receives is at most sloppy... Therefore, when you see the new neat and very simple hospitals set up by the New Fourth Army, you will feel I couldn't help but be surprised that the New Fourth Army's rescue of soldiers is probably better than any army in China... The most special point in the New Fourth Army's rescue work is that all doctors are competent and comfortable.Secondly, they also feel great interest in their respective jobs.From admission to discharge of patients, they all have detailed records.Each doctor works an average of more than twelve hours a day.They take turns on duty every night.These things may seem very common to you, but in an army hospital, especially one so close to the front line, it is very rare. More importantly, in the cruel environment of the Japanese-occupied area in the south of the Yangtze River, the operations launched by the New Fourth Army to attack the Japanese strongholds were sometimes so close to big cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou that almost every battle would cause shock in public opinion. They were called "the first-class anti-Japanese army" by the newspapers in Jiangnan, China. The New Fourth Army gathered a group of young people with lofty beliefs. American journalist Smedley interviewed a New Fourth Army soldier who was only seventeen years old but had been in the army for two years.When asked why he joined the New Fourth Army, the young soldier replied that in this army he learned "everything about China", including anti-Japanese national salvation, freedom and democracy, internationalism, moral cultivation and life goals.He told how he became an anti-Japanese fighter who was not afraid of death. Like the generals of this army, he always solemnly referred to the New Fourth Army as "our own army" in his narration.Smedley thought this young soldier of the New Fourth Army was amazing: I don't like to use the word "beautiful" for anyone, but he was as "beautiful" as the dawn of a new day, thinking of what a child he was two years ago, and five years later (then China will be liberated) I am surprised what kind of person he will become.For these two years the doors of knowledge in the world have been opened to him, and he has entered through them with interest and wonder, and no matter how long he has been in this army, those doors will always be open to him, and he will go further .As I watched him, it occurred to me that at some point he might fall before a devil's bullet and never get up again.The thought made me shudder.Some things in life seem to me to be completely impossible, but they often exist.I have seen other youths like him, mortally wounded, say, "I am not afraid of death, I am joining this army to save my country." The New Fourth Army began to move. Young officers and soldiers would not have imagined that the ruthless attack would come suddenly and shortly. At this time, whether crossing the Yangtze River from southern Anhui to the north, or from the south of Jiangsu to the north, it is extremely dangerous.新四军北移的消息被国民党方面故意宣传出去，皖南铜陵与繁昌之间的日军已在江北据点增兵，而苏南的日军严密封锁了公路和铁路。特别是国民党军李品仙部的三个师，进驻庐江和无为一线，控制了铜陵与繁昌之间的长江北岸，挡在了新四军的北移之路上。 大雨滂沱，山路泥泞。 新四军皖南部队九千余人编成三个纵队，由驻地云岭一带艰难地向东南方向行进，准备经过茂林、三溪、宁国和郎溪，沿着天目山麓进至苏南根据地，在那里待机北渡长江。一九四一年一月七日拂晓时分，走到皖南泾县茂林地区的新四军部队，突然遭遇国民党军第四十师的拦截。军部立即停下来开会，讨论还手还是不还手、前进还是后撤的问题。会议从下午三时一直开到晚上十时，还是没有形成统一意见。长达七个小时的会议严重地耽误了时间，丧失了突围而出的最后时机。八日，部队改向前进，再次遭遇国民党军第七十九师的拦截。于是，改向茂林方向突围。此时，国民党军第五十二师、第一四四师、第四十师、第七十九师、第一〇八师共五个师已完成了对新四军的合围。军长叶挺指挥部队顽强抵抗，激战一天，部队移至茂林以东五公里的石井坑。在整顿队伍的时候，国民党军合围部队又从四面发起猛攻，新四军官兵陷于苦战。 十日，叶挺、项英致电毛泽东、朱德： 我全军被围于泾县茂林以南，准备固守，可支持一星期。请以党中央及恩来名义，速向蒋、顾交涉，以不惜全面破裂威胁，要顾撤围，或可挽救。上下一致，决打到最后一人一枪，我等不足惜。一周后若无转机，则将全军覆没…… 身在重庆的周恩来获悉新四军陷入国民党军的重围后，受中共中央委托向蒋介石、何应钦、白崇禧、顾祝同提出严重抗议。周恩来致信蒋介石，要求国民党军“立即撤围”，给北渡长江的新四军让路，说否则新四军渡江无路，后退无援，将导致全军覆没的灾难性后果。蒋介石答复说将下令查处攻击新四军的将领，但同时又命令顾祝同把新四军一网打尽。 十三日，朱德、彭德怀、叶挺、项英等人联名发布抗议通电。通电的抬头从蒋介石一直开列到全国各地的国民政府党政军首脑： ……我江南新四军军部及部队万人遵令北移，由叶挺等率领至泾县以南茂林地区，突被国军七万余人重重包围，自鱼（六日）至文（十二日），血战七昼夜，死伤惨重，弹尽粮绝。挺等率部遵令北移，并遵守顾长官祝同指定路线向苏南转移北上，不意全是诱我聚歼之计。在战斗中据所获包围军消息，此次聚歼计划，蓄谋已久，布置周密，全为我不备，诱我入围，其所奉上峰命令有一网打尽生擒叶、项等语。德等远在华北，未悉命令移防底蕴，迄今始知聚歼计划。今不问对敌行动如何，但对我则是聚歼，何、白两总长皓（十九日）电、齐（八日）电所称之仁义道德何在？所谓破坏抗战破坏团结者究属何人？所谓军政军令军纪者究在何处？似此滔天罪行，断不能不问责任。同时全国正准备大批逮捕，大批杀人，与袭击八路军各办事处，在西北则修筑万里长城之封锁线，在华中派遣二十余师正规军实行大举进攻，国内局面顿改常态。我八路军、新四军前受日寇之扫荡，后受国军之攻击，奉命移防者则遇聚歼，努力抗战者则被屠杀，是而可忍，孰不可忍？特电奉达，敬恳中央立即解皖南大军之包围，开放挺等北上之道路，撤退华中之剿共军，平毁西北之封锁线，停止全国之屠杀，制止黑暗之反动，以挽危局，以全国命。敬恳诸公仗义执言，予以援助，临电悲愤，不尽欲言。 十四日，经过八昼夜的抵抗，新四军皖南部队弹尽粮绝，固守阵地全部被国民党军占领。政治部主任袁国平战死，副军长项英和参谋长周子昆被叛徒杀害，军长叶挺前去与国民党军上官云相谈判时被扣押，部队除突围而出的两千余人外，七千余人少量被俘大部阵亡。 近万名新四军官兵，没有牺牲在对日作战的战场上，却死在了国民党军的联合夹击下。那些昨天还充盈着青春热血的身躯，如今冰冷地横陈在皖南被阴雨浸透的山峦中。 十七日，蒋介石以国民政府军事委员会的名义，宣布新四军为“叛变”之军，决定撤销新四军番号，将军长叶挺交军事法庭审判。同时，命令李仙洲的二十万大军向长江以北的新四军发动全面进攻。 十八日，中共中央发布《关于皖南事变的指示》，言皖南事变“是抗战以来国共两党之间，也是抗日民族统一战线内部空前的重大事变，应该引起全党及全国人民的注意。国民党现已公开宣布新四军叛变，叶挺交军法审判，国民党这一政治步骤，表示他自己已在准备着与我党决裂，这是七七抗战以来国民党第一次重大政治变化的表现”。二十日，中共中央政治局召开会议，决定以中共中央革命军事委员会的名义，发布重组新四军军部的命令。同日，这一命令在延安发布：任命陈毅为代理军长、刘少奇为政治委员、张云逸为副军长、赖传珠为参谋长、邓子恢为政治部主任。命令号召新四军全体官兵继续高举团结旗帜坚持抗战。同日，毛泽东以中共中央革命军事委员会发言人的名义，对新华社记者发表关于皖南事变的谈话：“我们还是希望那班玩火的人，不要过于冲昏头脑。我们正式警告他们说：放谨慎一点吧！这种火是不好玩的，仔细你们自己的脑袋。如果这班人能够冷静地想一想，他们就应该老老实实地并且很快地去做下列几件事：悬崖勒马，停止挑衅；取消十七日的反动命令并认错；承认事变的祸首是何应钦、顾祝同和上官云相；恢复叶挺的新四军军长；交还皖南新四军的全部人枪；抚恤皖南新四军全部伤亡将士；撤退华中的剿共部队；平毁西北的封锁线；释放全国一切爱国的政治犯；废止一党专政，实行民主政治；实行三民主义；逮捕亲日派首领，交付国法审判。” 二十五日，新四军军部在湖北盐城重新设立。 皖南事变发生后，全国的舆论乃至海外华侨的谴责铺天盖地。原因很简单：这是抗击日本侵略者的国难时期！谴责给国民政府带来了严重的政治恶果：“政府那条绕在自己脖子上的自我毁灭的绳索从另一端拉紧了。”驻重庆的美国记者贝克说：“新四军事件的最严重的影响在于，它在许多非国民党又非共产党的人群中造成了不安和不满。政府不久就不得不再次加强'思想控制'了。有些非共产党人士被捕，有的逃往香港或共产党统治区去了。” 共产党方面的强硬和社会舆论的愤怒，令蒋介石不得不在公开讲话中反复解释，强调事件仅仅涉及军令军纪问题，而决不涉及党派和政治。他甚至在参政会上发表演说，表示“决不忍再见所谓'剿共'的军事，更不忍以后再闻有此种'剿共'之不祥名词留于中国历史之中”。只是，包括共产党人在内，没有人再相信蒋介石了。 皖南事变后，被俘的新四军官兵被关押在上饶集中营。一九四二年，日军逼近上饶，集中营转移途中，新四军官兵发动暴动，除少数人越狱而出外，多数被国民党军屠杀在江西北部的山涧里。 叶挺军长拒绝蒋介石的万般利诱，作《囚歌》以明志： 皖南事变，是国民党当局在抗战时期所犯的带有“自我毁灭”和“助纣为虐”性质的政治错误之一。 国民党当局将为此付出巨大的政治代价。 关于这个代价，毛泽东说得十分明确： 我们的让步是有限度的，我们让步的阶段已经完结了。他们已杀了第一刀，这个伤痕是很深重的。他们如果还为前途着想，他们就应该自己出来医治这个伤痕……如若他们怙恶不悛，继续胡闹，那时，全国人民忍无可忍，把他们抛到茅厕里去，那就悔之无及了。 仅就中国抗日战争的艰苦进程而言，皖南事变的发生是一个绝大的民族悲剧，事件导致中国的抗战几乎失去了华中敌后战场的支撑，中国南方的敌后战场自此进入了最艰难的时期。 鉴于国共之间的剧烈冲突，日军在其占领区和战场拉锯区内开始了极为凶狠的作战。 日军华北方面军的主要任务是确保华北占领区，其作战对象主要是共产党领导的八路军。特别是百团大战之后，慑于八路军的强大威力，日军确定了以剿灭共产党武装为核心的策略。但是，就华北地区而言，以中条山为轴心的中国第一战区毕竟还驻扎着卫立煌的二十万人马。日军认为：“由于晋南的重庆军牵制着日本军三个师团”，因此必须“首先将其消灭”，这样日军才可以“全力对付中共军”。由此可见，中条山作战是日军对共产党敌后抗日武装全面作战的前期准备；也由此可见，日军根本没把中国第一战区的二十万国民党正规军放在眼里，认为很快就能将他们一举歼灭干净，为之后的真正作战——与八路军的决战——腾出兵力与战场空间。 华北方面军司令官多田骏对中条山作战目的的阐述是： 利用这次增兵之机，本军对晋南地区的中央军，努力以大兵力作战，除图谋一扫黄河以北的中央军势力外，主要是为了好集中力量对共产军根据地进行毁灭战。 中国第一战区卫立煌部共有十一个军。其中四个军配置在太行山和太岳山地区，与八路军的太行和太岳两个抗日根据地呈对峙状。其余的七个军约十五万人配置在中条山地区。中条山西侧守备：孔令恂的第八十军，辖新编第二十七师、第一六五师和游击第四、第八纵队以及河北民军。垣曲、桑池以西的中条山西部守备：第五集团军总司令曾万钟，指挥唐淮源的第三军，辖第七、第十二师和第三十四师；高桂滋的第十七军，辖第八十四师、新编第二师和游击第一纵队。中条山北侧守备：第十四集团军总司令刘茂恩，指挥武庭麟的第十五军，辖第六十四、第六十五师；武士敏的第九十八军，辖第四十二、第一六九师；刘戡的第九十三军，辖第十、第一六六师和新编第八师；赵世铃的第四十三军，辖第七十师和暂编第四十七师。中条山东侧守备：裴昌会的第九军，辖第四十七、第五十四师以及新编第二十四师。 而日军位于中条山周围的部队是：晋城附近的第三十六师团，运城附近的第三十七师团，临汾附近的第四十一师团以及豫北的第三十五师团。确定实施中条山作战后，为加强这个方向的兵力，日军从华中方面军的第十一军抽调出第三十三师团，配属给华北方面军的第一军；还将位于上海方向的第十三军的第十七师团与位于苏北方向的第二十一师团换防，把第二十一师团抽出投入中条山战场。同时，日军第一军还从本辖区内抽调了独立混成第九、第十六旅团以及骑兵第四旅团各一部参战，这就使得进攻中条山的总兵力达到十万以上。东京大本营又从关东军调来飞行第三十二、第八十三战队，加强给第三飞行团，以运城和新乡两个机场为基地，协同陆军作战。 日军第一军司令官筱塚义男决心以“不顾”华北占领区“治安状况下降”为代价，集中兵力将中条山一线的中国军队一网打尽： 一、置作战地区于张马—垣曲一线，分成东西两个地区，把重点始终保持在西部地区。为此，决定从四十二个大队中集结三十五个大队，俾能保持优势兵力（敌九个师五万人。敌我战斗力对比大致为一比零点七），把敌人完全包围起来予以歼灭。 二、为此，在正面利用已设阵地及黄河的障碍，以挺进部队切断退路，从两侧地区神速楔入突破敌阵，将敌完全包围，接着以迅速的内部歼灭战和反复扫荡，将敌完全围歼。 三、为了确保包围圈，部署了双重包围部队（外侧包围兵团为第三十七、第四十一师团，内侧包围兵团为第三十六师团与独立混成第九旅团），在作战过程中还要调整退路切断线（包围线），防止敌人逃脱，并且特别要增强外侧包围兵团的兵力。 四、要特别重视切断作战，防止敌人向黄河南岸逃走。为此要部署许多经过挑选的挺进队，走在敌人退却和逃脱的前面，占领黄河北岸的主要地点，截断敌人退路。为此要采取一切措施，隐蔽企图，在黄昏以后开始行动，快速袭击敌人。 五、为使作战准备周到、完善，各兵团长及幕僚们在“胜败在于八分准备”的口号下，共同对作战指导进行彻底的研究。另外，各兵团在进行地图、兵棋和现的研究的同时，要进行适应作战地区的地形、战况的部队训练。 日军向晋南调动兵力的幅度很大，中国方面很快便察觉日军有攻击第一战区的企图。为此，军事委员会军令部制订出三个方案：一是主力向黄河南岸撤退，巩固河防，这是放弃中条山而退守黄河的方案；二是趁敌人尚未部署完毕，先发制人，用攻势作战粉碎日军的战役企图，这是主动进攻的方案；三是采取机动战术，变内线为外线作战，即放日军进来在中条山里与之周旋的方案。 四月十八日，参谋总长何应钦从重庆抵达洛阳，召集第一、第二、第五战区高级军官会议，研究晋南作战问题。何应钦认为，日军进攻中条山是为了夺取洛阳并西窥西安：“在北战场方面，第一、第五战区甚为重要，如第五战区方面巩固，则不独洛阳免受威胁，而第六战区亦得巩固。在第一、第二战区方面，中条山地位异常重要，如现三角地带一部为敌占领，则陇海路不独深感威胁，且洛阳恐亦难保，西安亦危。设洛阳西安不守，则第五战区侧背完全受敌威胁。”目前，“晋南之敌似将逐次夺取我中条山各据点，企图彻底肃清黄河北岸之我军，然后与豫东之敌相呼应，进取洛阳、潼关，以威胁我第五战区侧背，或西向进窥西安”。会议持续至二十日，最后由何应钦拍板决定，采取军令部提供的第二方案，即以主动的攻势作战粉碎日军进攻中条山的战役企图： （一）第一步，应相机各以一部由北向南（九十三军），由东向西（二十七军），与我中条山阵地右翼各部，合力攻取高平、晋城、阳城、沁水间地区，以恢复二十九年（一九四〇年）四月前之态势。 （二）第二步，与晋西军及第二、第八战区协力，包围晋南三角地带之敌，而歼灭之。 （三）最低限度，亦须能确保中条山。 何应钦的作战指示近乎异想天开：在日军的大规模进攻面前，正面战场上的中国军队绝少有发动主动攻势以提前瓦解对手进攻意图的行为，中国军队尚不具备这样的作战能力。在日军已集结起如此大的兵力，进攻作战意图已非常明确时，何应钦竟然幻想向日军出击合围并一举收复失地——“恢复二十九年四月前之态势”，这到底是重庆的军事统帅机关对敌情掌握不清呢，还是本来就昏庸？ 五月三日，第一战区作战计划制订完毕：中条山东面，第二十七军在豫北向新乡、博爱之间的铁路沿线游击；第二十四集团军在豫北与晋南交界地带向安阳、淇县和壶关一带游击；第九军的游击第一纵队在豫西北向温县以东游击。中条山西面，第十四集团军在晋东南向高平、沁水和翼城方向游击；第八十军和河北民军在晋南向同蒲路、安邑和闻喜方向游击；第三十六集团军向中条山西段游击。——如此四处游击，哪里是以攻势作战破敌围歼的计划？ 但是，即便这样一个简陋的作战计划，也没能得到实施。当时，第一战区司令长官卫立煌在四川，等他五日返回洛阳司令长官部后才将上述命令发出。而所属部队接到命令尚未动作，日军的攻击已经开始了。 第一战区部队自一九三八年春进入中条山以来，除了与共产党抗日武装发生过摩擦之外，在长达三年的时间里没有打过大仗。官兵日子过得懒散，军事训练懈怠，阵地疏于戒备，工事修筑拖沓，部队原定一年内完成的整训拖了两年半仍未完成。 由此，中条山的苦难降临了。 一九四一年五月六日，日军航空兵首先轰炸了西安、咸阳、潼关和郑州等地，并炸断了陇海铁路。七日晚，日军六个师团外加两个半混成旅团，采取“中间穿透、四面合围”的战术，向中条山地区的中国军队发起了全面进攻。其作战部署是：在中条山西部地区，第四十一师团和独立混成第九旅团分别从翼城、绛县并列南下，直插中条山的核心地区垣曲，割断中国军队第五集团军与东面的第十四集团军之间的联系，并对第五集团军实施双重包围；第三十六、第三十七师团分别从闻喜、运城并列向东向北，与第四十一师团、独立混成第九旅团会合，合围中国军队第五集团军和第八十军；独立混成第十六旅团在运城以南，从平陆沿黄河北岸快速东进至济源，与东路的第三十五、第二十一师团会合，切断中国军队第五、第十四集团军以及第八十军向黄河南岸的退路。在中条山东部地区，日军第三十五、第二十一师团分别从豫西北的温县、沁阳并列西进，攻占邵源后与独立混成第十六旅团会合，切断中条山地区中国守军向南或向东的退路，然后沿济源至邵源的公路向北压缩，攻击中国军队第十四集团军。在中条山北部地区，日军第三十三师团从沁河岸边的阳城南下，协同第三十五、第二十一师团，对中国军队第十四集团军实施南北夹击。 显然，中条山西部是日军攻击的重点方向。 这个方向上的中国守军，是第八十军以及第五集团军的第三军和第十七军，而日军投入了第四十一、第三十六、第三十七师团以及独立混成第九、第十六旅团。无论在兵力还是武器装备上，日军都处于绝对优势。日军首先实施的是第四十一师团和独立混成第九旅团的穿透行动，他们要从中国军队第五集团军与第十四集团军的中间插过去，先把这两个集团军割裂开来再实施各个包围。日军事先侦知，中国军队第四十三军为阎锡山的晋军部队，战斗力较弱，于是选择了第四十三军所在部位发动了猛烈突击，而这里恰恰是第五集团军与第十四集团军的接合部。七日傍晚，第四十三军的两个师和第十七军的两个师据守木耳河、天盘山阵地，中国官兵与日军彻夜作战，八日拂晓日军突破了第四十三军的十八坪阵地。第十四集团军总司令刘茂恩命令第十五军协同第四十三军对日军实施反击。十八坪阵地一度被中国官兵夺回，但日军在攻击中释放