Chapter 28 Chapter 27 The Clouds Over Changsha Are Really Bright and Dazzling

In the early morning of December 8, 1941—when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor—on the mainland side of the boundary line between mainland China and Hong Kong, the 38th Division of the 23rd Army of the Japanese Invasion Army Takeo Ito, head of the 18th Brigade, led the 229th and 230th Infantry Regiments and the 38th Artillery Regiment, lurking in the dark night in the dense plantain forest near Shenzhen.At 3:40, the Japanese base camp sent a code word to the 23rd Army: "Flowers bloom, flowers bloom." Takashi Sakai, commander of the 23rd Army, replied: "The 'Eagle' order has been issued."

At the same time, the 23rd Army Command issued an offensive order to Ito Takeo who was hiding in the Basho Forest.Ito's troops immediately jumped out of the plantain forest and rushed into the Shenzhen River. "花开, 花开" means: Japan has already made a move in the Pacific Ocean. "'Eagle' order" refers to the combat order of the Japanese army to attack Hong Kong. After the Sino-Japanese all-out war broke out, major ports along the southeast coast of China fell into the hands of the Japanese army one after another.However, "Although the sea along the coast of China has been blocked, it has not been strict enough. Numerous sailboats use Hong Kong as a transit base and run wild along the coasts of central and southern China, forming smuggling channels to the hinterland everywhere."By the end of 1941, Hong Kong had become the only gateway for Chongqing to keep in touch with the world. The Nationalist Government had set up the Arms Purchase Department of the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs, the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of the Ministry of Communications in Hong Kong. "The military supplies in the Hong Kong harbor warehouse are piled up like a mountain", a large amount of international aid is transferred to the mainland through Hong Kong, and there is a weekly flight between Kai Tak Airport and Chongqing.Therefore, as early as the end of 1939, when the Japanese base camp formulated the next year's combat plan, the capture of Hong Kong was included in it, but the premise was that Britain and the United States entered the war in Europe.

In order to successfully capture Hong Kong, in June 1940, the 18th Division of the Japanese South China Front Army launched the Guangjiu Operation, capturing Shenzhen, Bao'an and Sha Tau Kok along the border lines, completely blocking the land passage between Hong Kong and mainland China.Although Japan tried its best to avoid conflict with Britain, the approach of the Japanese army to the border between Hong Kong and China caused great panic in Hong Kong. "In June, many legends of bad omens appeared in Hong Kong. Chinese tabloids claimed that June snow fell on the Great Wall; the sun in Shanghai even had halos. Both are signs of bad harvests or disasters caused by swordsmen." Six On March 28, Hong Kong announced the Governor's Order that women, children, and personnel not related to the defense of Hong Kong should leave Hong Kong; a series of social laws similar to entering a state of war were also issued, including the requisition of trucks, the registration of drivers, and the regulation of land and housing. , Ships, vehicles and aircraft regulations. ——"Among the Chinese residents, the wealthy bought stronger iron gates and built higher walls to guard against theft. And their patriotic children's group sent a silk banner to Mrs. Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing. The middle class stored a lot of grain, The poor ran to the fortune-teller to ask their fortunes. The refugees, as long as they could afford to escape, turned to Portuguese Macau on the other side of the Pearl River estuary.”

The Hong Kong authorities strongly stated that all the British will be heroes in defending Hong Kong: English-language newspapers and periodicals do not publish bad news about the East, and avoid bad news about Europe in many ways.The first method is to delay, the second is to highlight the trivial good news, and the last is to repeat the glorious history of Britain again and again.Along with reporting the darkest news from France, newspapers ran editorials declaring Hong Kong's financial problems and growing interest in historical films, among other things.A newspaper actually published such a letter to its readers, saying that there is nothing to worry about defending Hong Kong, because any British person can learn to kill the enemy with a gun in a few hours.

The Chinese in Hong Kong would soon learn what the Japanese would look like when they did rush in on the British. In July, the Japanese base camp ordered the First Heavy Artillery Wing and the Third Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade to move to Guangdong.In late July, the Japanese General Staff Headquarters deployed aviation units from Northeast and Central China to gather in South China. The news made Hong Kong even more panicky. At this time, Britain was struggling to resist Germany: "On May 10, 1940, the German army launched a major offensive on the western front. In the face of the blitzkrieg of the superior mechanized forces and the dominant force of the air force, the British army abandoned all equipment. At the end of the same month, he retreated to the mainland from Dunkirk; the French army retreated, and the Petain government surrendered on June 17. He has always ruled the seven oceans (North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean) ) of the British Empire, now seems to be in the wind." The Japanese are most concerned about: When will Germany land on the British mainland?Of course, in the eyes of the Japanese, this is only a matter of time-"The collapse of the British Empire is already expected."

Such a United Kingdom has no time to take care of Hong Kong.The Chief of Staff of the British Army, Dill, defended this: "Even if we can send a powerful fleet to the Far East, it is still doubtful whether we can secure Hong Kong in the face of the Japanese army that has established a foothold on the Chinese mainland. In any case, Hong Kong is It cannot be used as a forward naval base. For Hong Kong, which can neither rescue nor resist the war for a long time, it can only be used as an outpost for as long as possible. The pressure to strengthen the garrison should be firmly resisted.” Therefore, the United Kingdom only started from The remote British Canada sent two infantry battalions and a communications company to Hong Kong.

The Japanese believed that the time had finally come for them to capture Hong Kong: "The situation in Europe has turned so sharply that it will inevitably bring about great changes in the political situation in the southern regions. French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies have become the Hong Kong is also isolated and helpless. In the past, we tried to completely cut off the foreign powers' aid to Chiang Kai-shek, but failed. For many years, we have been struggling to find a way to solve the Chinese incident, and we are eager to form an East Asian self-sufficiency circle to deal with the economic pressure of Britain and the United States. The development of the current situation is really a rare opportunity for Japan, which hopes to enter the Southeast Asian region of the self-sufficiency circle. On June 10, Italy joined the war as an ally of Germany. For a while, the streets and alleys were filled with code words of 'don't miss the bus'." The Japanese army generally believed that the capture of Hong Kong could at least cut off the aid from Britain and the United States to Chiang Kai-shek's regime, thus once again forcing the Chongqing government to make a choice between persistence or submission.

Hong Kong is already under the jaws of the Japanese army. The governor of Hong Kong and the commander of the whole army is Yang Muqi, and the commander-in-chief of the British army in Hong Kong is Major General Maltby. The troops they can command are roughly as follows: the Canadian Brigade under the command of Brigadier General Luo Song, which governs the 1st Battalion of the Royal Rifles, Winipago _ The Second Battalion of the Gulanada Division; the Hong Kong Infantry Brigade under the command of Brigadier General Wallis, which governs the Second Battalion of the Royal Scottish Brigade, the First Battalion of the Middle Sykes Regiment, the Fifth Battalion of the Rajput Seventh Regiment (Indian Army), Punjab 2nd Battalion, Tee 14th Regiment (Indian Army); Royal Artillery Regiment commanded by Brigadier General Margu Lauder, with 8th Heavy Artillery Battalion, 12th Heavy Artillery Battalion, 965th Independent Artillery Company, 5th Anti-aircraft Battalion and Singapore Artillery The two mountain artillery companies belonging to the team; the navy under the command of Brigadier General Colinson has about 870 officers and soldiers, including three destroyers, four gunboats, eight torpedo boats, fifteen patrol ships and a small number of marines; The air force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pan has about 100 officers and soldiers, including three torpedo bombers and two amphibious aircraft; the governor's direct troops also include Royal Engineers, Communications, Logistics, Ordnance Service, Sanitation, and Gendarmerie.

The above-mentioned troops totaled more than 10,000 people. Chiang Kai-shek knew that Hong Kong could not resist the Japanese attack with this force alone.So a military mission was sent to Hong Kong to help establish a volunteer army composed of Hong Kong people. The logistics, communications, and ambulance teams have a total strength of 1,720 people. Hong Kong is a small place. A few anti-aircraft guns can't cover the sky, and a few shore artillery can't block the coast. The so-called defense line built is just an infantry trench dug out of the low hillock, and there is no defense depth at all. ——All of this, the Japanese know very well that there is only one reason why they are still preparing meticulously: Although they are on Chinese territory, their targets of attack include "Western devils."

On November 5, 1941, the Japanese Emperor approved the war plan against the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands.On December 2, the Japanese 23rd Army officially issued an order to capture Hong Kong: 1. The Empire is determined to go to war against the United States, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. 2. Our army is about to begin to capture Hong Kong. 3. The Sano Corps, the Bei Dao Army and the flight team of our army, according to the order No. 134 of Bojizuo Mingjia, immediately began to attack Hong Kong. In the early morning of the 8th, the Air Force of the Japanese 23rd Army rushed to Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport.

Clouds and fog hung over Hong Kong. The Japanese fighter planes flew 4,200 meters above the airport. Colonel Tusheng who led the battle did not see any fighter planes parked on the airport, but only saw a few British ships moored on the nearby sea.Colonel Native believed that the British planes might have gotten the news in advance and fled.However, when the escorting fighter jets and light bombers swooped down together, they finally found that the British fighter planes were neatly lined up in a corner of Kai Tak Airport.The Japanese bombers dropped all the 350kg bombs they were carrying, and then the fighter jets swooped down and fired repeatedly, destroying all the British fighter planes in an instant. ——The reason why all the fighter planes of the British army stopped at the airport was based on such a strange order issued by the British commander: "Twilight or dawn is a good time for torpedo bombers to attack Japanese naval battleships or heavy cruisers. Until this time comes, all planes are not allowed to leave the land." The thirty-eighth brigade of the Japanese advance troops rushed into Hong Kong. There are no British troops on the frontier.All roads, field ridges, and places where people and horses can pass are crowded with people and horses, and the attack is directed at the border like a raging wave.The iron boat bridge on the southeast side passed through more than 300 light tanks, cars, 400 horses, and about 1,000 people within one and a half hours.The guns of the 23rd Army Artillery Unit roared to the east.The 229th Infantry Regiment broke through the border on the west side of Shatoujiao at 9 o'clock and began to attack Yamato City... From Fanling to Shihuxu, there was no trace of the enemy. According to the residents, the British and Indian troops had already moved towards Kowloon. Retreat... When they reached the railway bridge north of Yamato City, they were suddenly shot directly by two machine guns, and the troops were resisted by British troops of unknown strength. formation.After about thirty minutes, the British retreated.The first round of the Japanese-British conflict came to a short end. The Japanese Ito advance team broke through the border without bloodshed. On the 11th, the Japanese army approached the Kowloon Fortress.Because the operation of breaking through the border was so smooth that Takashi Sakai, the commander of the 23rd Army, became vigilant, thinking that the British army was either trying to resist on the basis of strong fortifications in the Kowloon Fortress, or there might be more tactical changes. Big trap.Therefore, the attack requires adequate preparations, especially when the heavy artillery units come up, so all units are ordered to stop advancing.However, a piece of news that shocked the Japanese headquarters came immediately: a Japanese army rushed directly into the Kowloon Fortress, and sent a telegram saying that they had occupied the core high ground of the fortress.Tadashi Sano, head of the 38th Division of the Japanese Army, did not believe this to be true anyway.At least at that time, the Japanese were full of fear of the famous British Imperial Army.They believed that if they rushed to attack the strong fortress defended by the British army without preparation, they would suffer unprecedented losses.However, the chief of staff of the division who went to the scene to investigate called back: the infantry not only rushed into the Kowloon Fortress, but also occupied the commanding height Jinshan. Defending the main position of the Kowloon Fortress was the British Hong Kong Infantry Brigade commanded by Wallis.The main position is surrounded by barbed wire, and more than five firepower points are connected by underground communication trenches.However, when the small Japanese troops approached, none of the strongholds were equipped with firepower.Captain Jims, the squadron leader in charge of the garrison, explained: "Because he was dissatisfied with the old and backward underground positions." After the fort was attacked, Brigadier Wallis believed that the terrain here was dangerous, and it was not suitable for a counterattack before sunrise.So he waited until dawn, and Wallis urged the Royal Scottish Brigade to counterattack the fortress occupied by the Japanese army. The captain of the Scottish Brigade objected, thinking that his limited force could not complete the counterattack mission.Brigadier Wallis endorsed this reasoning, reporting to Commander-in-Chief Martby that "it is no use forcing the Group Commander to carry out a plan which he considers uncertain." The Japanese army quickly rushed in front of the Scots.The one who rushed to the front was a squadron leader named Yamamoto. His desperate behavior seemed to realize "Bushido puts life and death above all else", causing his orderlies to chase after him crazily.Yamamoto quickly discovered a company of the Royal Scottish Brigade that had withdrawn from the main position, but at the same time he was also spotted by the Scots-Yamamoto was immediately knocked down by dense bullets.The subsequent Japanese army rushed up like a gust of wind, and the Scots retreated hastily with heavy casualties. "At 11:30, Commander-in-Chief Martby decided to withdraw from Kowloon and reported to Governor Yang Muqi," and then "issued an order to retreat to Hong Kong Island." The only strong defensive position on the Kowloon Peninsula was lost inexplicably. The Japanese rushed as far as the north shore of Victoria Bay—across the bay was Hong Kong Island. At this time, a few Japanese soldiers who acted without permission-Second Lieutenant Saburo Ito of the 38th Division and Rezo Koike, both former Olympic swimmers-went from Lei Yue Mun on the Kowloon side to the northeast corner of Hong Kong Island on the other side. Between them, the waterway in the bay is narrow, only about a kilometer, so the two ensigns thought they could swim across.They quickly organized a death squad based on the selection condition of being able to swim four kilometers.However, the daredevils felt something was wrong when they went into the sea.Although this is the south, the water in December is still bitingly cold, and with the heavy equipment on my body, I can't swim for only five minutes.Upon return, a dozen people were found drowned. On December 13, the Japanese army issued a letter of persuasion to the Governor of Hong Kong: Our skilled siege artillery and heroic air force are ready, and the destruction of Hong Kong is just around the corner.The fate of Hong Kong is decided, and the victory or defeat is self-evident.Our siege army is mindful of the fate of your army and the millions of innocent people in Hong Kong, and cannot allow the situation to change.Since the beginning of the war, although your army has fought hard, if you continue to resist, you will surely lose the lives of millions of innocent men, women and children. This is something that cannot be tolerated by your country's chivalry spirit and our country's Bushido. I hope the Governor will think deeply and promise to hold a city dedication meeting immediately .If you do not accept this advice, I have no choice but to resort to strength with tears in order to make your army submit. Governor Yang Muqi refused to surrender: "We are confident that we still have the ability to fight, and we have not fully fulfilled our duty of loyalty to the King of the British Empire."——The governor's refusal soon spread to the officers and soldiers of the British army, but the governor's words The words became "Surrender before the Japanese army landed in Hong Kong is something that the British Empire would not allow".According to this, the general understanding of the British officers and soldiers is that as long as the Japanese army lands on Hong Kong Island, the British army can surrender. After Governor Yang Muqi refused to surrender, the Japanese army carried out heavy aircraft bombing and artillery bombardment on Hong Kong Island.The Second and Third Battalions of the Japanese Independent Heavy Artillery used 240mm howitzers and all heavy artillery to destroy most of the forts on Hong Kong Island.The Japanese Navy also dispatched more than 30 fighter planes from the 21st Air Force, which blew up a British destroyer and sank two British merchant ships.On the 17th, with the firing of 150mm cannons, a new round of bombardment by the Japanese army began again, and shells rained down around the Governor's Mansion in Hong Kong.At noon, the Japanese army sent envoys to persuade them to surrender again, but was still rejected by Governor Yang Muqi.At dusk, the Japanese 23rd Army issued an order to land on Hong Kong Island. The British army was doomed. On the 18th, the Japanese army first carried out destructive bombardment of artillery positions and other military facilities at the landing site.At 20:50, the Japanese army divided into several groups and began to forcibly land on the island. An hour later, its vanguard successfully landed, and the Rajput battalion of the Hong Kong Brigade collapsed.Beginning at dawn on the 19th, Brigadier Wallis ordered the troops to counterattack.As the British army's counterattack firepower gradually strengthened, the follow-up troops landed by the Japanese army encountered resistance.British torpedo boats also sailed into the bay.At the same time, the British infantry fought fiercely with the landing Japanese troops in North Point, Wong Nai Chung, Pina Hill, Racecourse, Hong Kong Hotel and other places.Brigadier General Luo Song, the commander of the Canadian Brigade who reinforced Hong Kong from Canada, was killed.The reason why the British army is still fighting hard comes from Chen Ce, the head of the military envoy sent by Chiang Kai-shek. attack from behind.However, the more than 60,000 Chinese troops have not been seen so far. The positions of the British army have been continuously lost in the face of the powerful Japanese attack, and all counterattacks have failed.On the evening of the 23rd, the remaining British troops were compressed in narrow areas such as Wanchai Mountain Gorge.On the 24th, Chen Ce, the head of the military envoy, fled Hong Kong in a private boat, but was shot and wounded by the Japanese army on the way.On the 25th, Governor Yang Muqi convened a defense committee meeting to consult on whether to surrender. The committee decided to ignore Japan's persuasion to surrender.After the news came out, the Japanese planes and artillery immediately carried out intensive bombardment and bombardment of the Wanchai Gorge, Gough Mountain, Cheqi Mountain, Xigao Mountain and other places where the remaining British troops were hiding.In the afternoon, Martby, the commander-in-chief of the British army, assessed the situation and believed that all the main positions had been lost. There were only eight artillery pieces left that could be maneuvered, and there were not many shells left. At 15:45, he made a statement to Governor Yang Muqi "Inability to mount more effective resistance" reports. Soon, the white flag was raised on the front line of the British army. At 18:20, Hong Kong Governor Yang Muqi and British Commander-in-Chief Martby went to the Japanese Army Command to formally surrender to the Japanese army. At one o'clock in the morning on December 26, 1941, the Japanese army occupied Hong Kong. Japanese statistics: In this battle, the Japanese army killed 683 people and wounded 1,413 people; In Hong Kong, 1,555 people were killed, and 9,495 were captured—most of the captured people put down their arms after surrendering. Among them, there were only a few Chinese, mostly British, Indians and Canadians. people. Lieutenant General Rensuke Isoya was appointed as the new Governor of Hong Kong by the Japanese base camp. The fall of Hong Kong deprived China of an important international aid channel during the war of resistance.At this time, the Japanese army rushing into Myanmar was advancing towards the Sino-Myanmar border. If the fragile and rugged Yunnan-Myanmar Highway was cut off again, the area controlled by the Nationalist Government would become an isolated island. Just when Chiang Kai-shek was surprised by the rapid fall of Hong Kong, news of another war broke out from Hunan. Anan Keji, the commander of the Japanese Eleventh Army, launched another major battle when his troops were almost out of breath after retreating from Changsha.What is strange is that regardless of the combat style, combat direction, and combat purpose, it was exactly the same as the second Changsha battle two months ago. This is what the Chinese call the "Third Battle of Changsha". The attack on Pearl Harbor, operations in Southeast Asia, and operations in Hong Kong had nothing to do with the Japanese Eleventh Army occupying Wuhan, China, and the Tokyo Base Camp did not give the Eleventh Army any operational orders.However, since the base camp decided to draw troops from the Chinese dispatched army for the south, Anan has become the deadly enemy of the base camp.He expressed strong opposition to any decision made by the headquarters to reduce his combat power, including reducing the combat area, launching a southern campaign, and abandoning the occupation of Yichang.Anan's bitterness suddenly eased on the eve of the Japanese army's launch of the Pacific War. On November 6, 1941, a telegram from the base camp about the deployment of troops stated: "Except for the Fourth Division In addition, instead of drawing out the Sixth Division, it was decided to send an additional independent mixed brigade in mid-January. The tasks and combat areas of the Eleventh Army remained unchanged.” —— “A Nanwei wrote down in his diary after receiving this telegram The word 'ecstatic'." I thought at least two divisions would be removed from the Eleventh Army, but now only one was removed and a mixed brigade was added, and Anan's gloomy mood was swept away. But Guang immediately thought of starting the war again. Before and after the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Japanese base camp transferred a total of five divisions from the Chinese battlefield into the Southern Army, and also transferred the fourth division as the base camp reserve.At this time, on the Chinese battlefield, in addition to the Kwantung Army, the Japanese army retained 21 divisions, 20 independent brigades and a cavalry group, accounting for about two-fifths of the total strength of the Japanese army.Due to the serious reduction in troop strength, the day after the outbreak of the Pearl Harbor incident, the Japanese Army dispatched troops to China issued the "Mainland Order No. 57", which stipulated the basic tasks of the Japanese army invading China.Compared with a year ago, the mission has undergone subtle changes. For example, the original mission was to "destroy the enemy's attempt to resist the war" and now it has become "destroy the enemy's resistance to the war"; "Air offensive warfare" has become "assisting in ground operations and serving as air defense for important areas as needed".The most special thing is that the order emphasized the economic plunder of China: "The development of resources and materials and the issue of seeking self-sufficiency on the spot have become extremely important issues in the guidance of future wars"; Ease of development, acquisition and transportation”; “Enhancement of local self-sufficiency measures, active acquisition and utilization of resources within and outside occupied areas”. From a strategic point of view, after the outbreak of the Pearl Harbor incident, the Japanese invaders basically turned on the defensive. The main forces of the Japanese invaders were placed in the occupied areas of North China and Central China.Aiming at the areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River where China's products are rich, the Japanese Eleventh Army maintained considerable strength.When the Pearl Harbor incident broke out, the combat units of the Eleventh Army included: Toyoshima Fangtaro's Third Division, Kanda Shochu's Sixth Division, Aoki Seiichi's Fortieth Division, and Ikegami Kenkichi's independent mixed 1st Division. The Ninth Brigade; the troops directly under the Army include engineers, transport teams, and the 15th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, as well as Akiyama Toyoji's First Flying Regiment, with a total strength of about 120,000. In the face of the rapid advance of the Japanese army in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, Keiji Anan especially emphasized to the staff of the 11th Army: "Because of the beginning of the Southern War, people's minds are filled with the idea that China has become a secondary battlefield. Take this as a warning.” —— Anan Yuji, who was trying to avoid being reduced to a “secondary battlefield” through active combat, soon discovered an opportunity to resume the war: the Japanese 23rd Army moved from the direction of Guangdong After the attack on Hong Kong, it was reported that in order to cooperate with the resistance of the British army, the Military Commission of the Nationalist Government ordered the Fourth Theater to launch an offensive against the Japanese 23rd Army; Gather to Yunnan and prepare to enter Burma to support the British army's defense of Burma.Especially in the face of the confrontation of the Eleventh Army, the Second and Fourth Armies of the Chinese Army have moved south from Changsha, and it seems that they are going to support the operation of the Fourth Theater to respond to Hong Kong. ——If you take advantage of this opportunity to launch a large-scale offensive, isn't it an excellent reason to "respond to the 23rd Army's Hong Kong operations"? Chief of Staff Isamu Kinoshita immediately sent an inquiry telegram to the 23rd Army: "How will the movement of the Chinese Fourth Army affect your army?"Isamu Kinoshita felt dissatisfied with the fact that during the last battle of Changsha, the Chinese army "continuously dispatched to the banks of the Mishui River with a strong will to fight", which made the 11th Army "engage in a rather fierce battle". The army "lightly insulted" the Eleventh Army. The Thirteenth Army gave a clear reply, and he couldn't wait to make up his determination to fight: "It only took an hour to make up our minds. On the night of December 12th, I considered the battle situation while going to bed and decided to contain Guangdong. Outline of Operations." Naturally, Anan Keji immediately approved Kinoshita's battle plan. The battle plan drawn up by the Japanese Eleventh Army is: around December 22, launch an attack on the Xinqiang River in northern Hunan.First, use the 6th and 40th divisions to defeat the defensive troops of the 20th Army of the Chinese defenders on the Xinqianghe line, and encircle and destroy the main force of the 20th Army near Guanwang Bridge; On the right side of the Sixth Division, the battle ended after defeating the 37th Army of the Chinese defenders near the Miluo River.The combat cycle is about two weeks.At the same time, the 34th Division and the independent mixed 14th Brigade launched a diversionary attack from the direction of Nanchang. Because it was only a short-distance attack followed by a quick retreat, and it could indeed play a role in containing the Chinese army from returning to Hong Kong, the Chinese dispatched army basically agreed. But in fact, Ananwei "already considered the issue of attacking Changsha". Regarding whether to attack Changsha—or whether to capture Changsha like last time after breaking through the Miluo River—there was another debate within the headquarters of the Eleventh Army: if attacking Changsha, it would not only exceed the goal of "containing the Chinese army and responding to Hong Kong." Combat", and the scale of the operation is much larger than Isamu Kinoshita's current plan.More importantly, there is no such operational purpose in the plan reported to China to send troops-if it is not approved, it is acting without authorization.In addition to Anan Yuji, there was also the commander of the Third Division, Toyoshima Fangataro, who had the idea of ​​​​taking Changsha.He was very dissatisfied with the current attack on the Miluo River and ended the battle, and made it clear that he should continue to attack Changsha southward.The objection was the deputy chief of staff in charge of logistics Futami Shusaburo. He believed that the operation could not violate the approved plan, and "whether the atmosphere on the front line is consistent? Whether all soldiers have the confidence to complete" needs to be considered. . On December 22, the eve of the 11th Army's offensive, Anan Weiji set off from Hankou to the battle command post in Yueyang.Chief of Staff Kinoshita Yong reminded the commander not to ask the troops whether to capture Changsha to avoid confusion. The Eleventh Army of the Japanese Army hastily decided on the battle plan.The plan was muddled from the very beginning, except for the stubborn and reckless impulse to fight a battle, no matter the steps to implement the operation and the purpose of the operation to be achieved were ambiguous. In November 1941, Xue Yue, commander of the Ninth Theater of China, held the second Changsha battle review meeting.On the basis of summarizing the previous two battles, the possible attack direction of the Japanese army was analyzed when they launched an offensive again: first, to attack northern Hunan with all their strength, focusing on the left wing, and trying to encircle the right wing of our army; The Ministry of troops invaded from Nanchang, Wuning, Tongcheng and other places, so as to respond to the main attack direction.In either case, the Japanese army will basically follow the route of the previous two Changsha battles, break through the Xinqiang River to the south and point directly at Changsha.From this, Xue Yue determined the basic principles of the Ninth War Zone: in the direction of northern Jiangxi, southern Hubei, and northern Hunan, try to block the Japanese army in the east of Fenyi, Shanggao, and Ganfang; in the north of Xiushui, Longmenchang, and Nanjiang Bridge As well as Lixian County and the area east of Yidu, strive to defeat each of them.In northern Hunan, which is a key combat area, "Using tail attacks, side attacks, and frontal tough resistance, we will serve in the Liuyang River and Laodao River areas, counterattack and annihilate the main enemy forces attacking Changsha." ——Same as the previous two Changsha battles, Xue Yue still adopted the policy of "luting the enemy to go deep", and retreated while fighting to lure the Japanese army to the area where the decisive battle was scheduled to besiege.The basic essentials are: the scheduled decisive battle area is on the outskirts of Changsha, and the main force will remain on the east side of Changsha during the decisive battle.When the Japanese army started to attack, the first-line Chinese defenders resisted and consumed the Japanese army one by one. Some of the main force moved to the east of the battlefield, and some of the main force moved to the hidden area between Liuyang River and Laodao River. Defeat the enemy by flanking and cutting off the rear.At the moment of the decisive battle, Changsha must stick to it.If the Japanese army carried out a diversionary attack on southern Hubei and northern Jiangxi, the Chinese army in front of them would also adopt the basic strategy of luring the enemy to go deep and then counterattack. Xue Yue claimed that based on "experience and lessons learned in the past", what is the "Tianlu Warfare"? Xue Yue's explanation is: Tianlu fighters, in order to form a deep net-shaped stronghold position in the predetermined combat area, deploy the necessary garrison troops, use ambushes, decoy attacks, flank attacks, interceptions, tail attacks, and blocking attacks to consume the enemy's power one by one and defeat them. Its vigor, and then use the superior force in the decisive battle to carry out counterattack and anti-encirclement, and annihilate the enemy.It is a method of retreating and decisive battle, a new strategy of annihilating the enemy and winning victory that changes according to the change of the enemy, like melting iron in a furnace, refining alchemy like fire, hence the name. Xue Yue set the area between Xinqiang River and Miluo River as an ambush and decoy zone; set the area between Laodao River and Liuyang River as a decisive battle zone.At the same time, he ordered the mobilization of 200,000 people in the combat area to destroy all roads; plow the paddy fields and store water; "The enemy's invasion is tantamount to throwing himself into the furnace, giving me a chance to melt." Xue Yue was full of confidence. In December, the Ninth War Zone found that the Japanese troops were mobilizing frequently in front of them, and they were constantly gathering troops in northern Hunan and northern Jiangxi. The people reported that the Japanese were rushing to repair Nanchang Airport.Xue Yue judged that the Japanese army was likely to launch an offensive. At this time, the positions of the Ninth Theater troops are as follows: Luo Zhuoying's Nineteenth Army confronted the Japanese army in the direction of northern Jiangxi. One part of Wang Lingji's 30th Army confronted the Japanese army in the direction of Wuning, and the other part was controlled near Xiushui. Yang Sen's 27th Army confronted the Japanese south of Yueyang, and its troops on the front of the Xinqiang River were Yang Hanyu's 20th Army and Sun Du's 58th Army. Fu Zhongfang's Ninety-ninth Army, which was directly under the theater, was in charge of defending the line from the Miluo River to the southeast bank of Dongting Lake; Chen Pei's 37th Army was in charge of defending the line from Changle Street to Xinshi on both sides of the Miluo River. Between Putang and Lishan Port between the Dao River; Li Yutang's Tenth Army is responsible for guarding Changsha; Peng Weiren's Seventy-third Army is the theater reserve. On the 18th, the Japanese artillery on the north bank of the Xinqiang River conducted several test shots at the Chinese defenders' positions on the south bank; small units of the 6th and 40th divisions also made tentative attacks on the Chinese defenders' positions.All signs indicate that the Japanese attack is imminent. On the 20th, the Chongqing Military Commission ordered Ou Zhen's Fourth Army to return to Hunan from Guangdong, and Wang Yaowu's Seventy-fourth Army to move from Guangxi to Hunan. On the same day, Xue Yue issued an operational deployment for the Ninth Theater: Luo Zhuoying led the battle command post of the Nineteenth Group Army, and entered Liuyang from Shanggao on the morning of the 21st, commanding Xiao Zhichu's Twenty-sixth Army, Xia Chuzhong's Seventy-ninth Army, and the provisional Ninth Army Guo Libo's First Army. Ninety-Fourth Division.The 79th Army was transported to Zhuzhou by train from Hengyang and arrived in Zhuzhou within 23 days; the 194th Division marched to Liling and arrived within 27 days; the 26th Army was responsible for the defensive operations of the Liuyang River position. Wang Lingji led the 30th Army's combat command post, and entered Pingjiang from Xiushui on the morning of the 21st, and the newly formed 13th, 15th, and 16th divisions all moved to the vicinity of Pingjiang. Yang Sen commanded the 27th Army to prepare for battle. The 20th Army resisted the Japanese army one by one on the south bank of the Xinqiang River. Flank the Japanese army from east to west, assist the 20th Army in combat, and then move to the flank position. Chen Pei's 37th Army defended on the south bank of the Miluo River, and had to persist for more than 15 days before moving to the mountains on the side. Fu Zhongfang's Ninety-ninth Army ensured the existing positions and the lake defense on the south bank of Dongting Lake, and then stood by to attack the Japanese army from west to east. Li Yutang's Tenth Army defended Changsha, the 190th Division guarded the periphery, the 3rd Division guarded the inner core of the city, and the 10th Division was prepared to guard Yuelu Mountain. On December 14, the Japanese Eleventh Army began to gather near Yueyang. On the 23rd, Anan Weiji issued a combat order: 1. Fly the 44th Squadron to assist our army in attacking. The 2nd Army attempted to use the 6th and 40th Divisions to attack from the night of December 24. After defeating the enemy on the left bank of the Xinqiang River in the southeast of the Xinqiang area, they would then defeat the enemy on the left bank of the Mishui River. 3. The Sixth Division should launch an attack on the night of the 24th, break through the enemy line in the western area of ​​the New Wall, capture the enemy to the west of this area, and enter the vicinity of Sanjiangkou (five kilometers southwest of Guanwang Bridge). 4. The 40th Division should launch an attack on the night of the 24th. After breaking through the enemy line in the eastern area of ​​Tongxi Street, capture the enemy west of the area and enter the vicinity of Guanwang Bridge. 5. At dawn on the 20th, the 3rd Division should bombard the enemy positions near Tongxi Street with one unit to assist the 40th Division in its attack.The main force turned to the right side of the Sixth Division, crossed the Xinqiang River, captured the enemy there, and entered the vicinity of Guiyi. Xue Yue's "Heaven Furnace" is already waiting for Ananwei. China's Ninth Theater is located at the forefront of the Xinqiang River, and it is the 20th Army of the 27th Army.Xue Yue put Yang Sen's Sichuan army on the front line quite intentionally.杨森的部队出川抗战后，无论是淞沪会战、武汉会战，还是长沙会战，川军在中国军队里算得上是打得不错的。更重要的是，川军有家族军队的传统，第二十军的主要军官都是杨森的子侄，他常对军官们说的话是：“龟儿子们，不要给杨家丢脸，要像杨继业七狼八虎抗击辽兵一样打鬼子。”现任第二十军军长杨汉域，就是杨森的侄子，一家子合伙打仗自然不会含糊。 二十三日，杨汉域的防御部署是：夏炯指挥的第一三三师针对日军第六师团，位于战场的左翼，防御鹿角、荣家湾、新桥、三港嘴（不含）一线，阻敌十天后向南面的智源洞、三江口转移；杨干才指挥的第一三四师针对日军第四十师团，位于战场的右翼，防守三港嘴、草鞋岭、方山洞一线阵地，阻敌十天后向南面的三江口、关王桥转移；孔荷宠指挥的暂编第五十四师，位于战场的东面，负责防御九岭、麦市、斗米山一线阵地和赛公桥、铁柱港、通城等前进据点，保障新墙河一线阵地的右侧背。 从日军的作战计划看，在进攻的第一阶段中，无论是第六师团还是第四十师团，其攻击重点都在中国军队第二十军所在方向，可见日军一开始就想把杨汉域的第二十军先吃掉。 即使第二十军全军奋力血战，薛岳要求其三个师抵挡住日军三个师团十天的进攻，着实有点蛮横。 第二十军第一三四师的右翼阵地突出于新墙河以北，因此日军第四十师团必须把这部中国军队赶走，才能靠近新墙河的渡河出发地。二十三日凌晨，日军第四十师团步兵第二三四、第二三五联队，向新墙河北岸的中国守军第一三四师四〇〇团发动了攻击，四〇〇团抵抗一天后退守新墙河南岸。 二十四日，日军第六师团和第四十师团全部进入新墙河北岸阵地。凌晨，乌云密布，雨雪飘洒，气温降到了零度以下。随着日军火炮的猛烈轰击，右翼的第四十师团率先向新墙河中国守军发动了攻击。日军在徒涉新墙河时遭到第一三四师的猛烈阻击，战至下午二时，日军突破了第一三四师的一线防御阵地。杨森命令集结在战场东侧的新编第十一师从黄崖市向杨林街推进，自东向西攻击，协助第二十军的作战；同时命令第七挺进纵队负责防御大云山、方山洞和八百市一线，第一三四师在方山洞的部队迅速向主力靠近，以便构成新的阻击线。晚上，雨雪下得更大了。日军第六师团向新墙河南岸中国守军第一三三师阵地发动了攻击，然后冒着中国守军的猛烈射击在黑暗中强渡新墙河。午夜，日军突破了第一三三师的阻击阵地，第一三三师主力向南撤退。二十五日清晨，日军第三师团步兵第二十九旅团所属部队，在旅团长石川忠夫的指挥下，跟在第六师团的后面渡过新墙河，从战场的左翼方向沿着粤汉铁路两侧迅速南下。 中国守军的新墙河一线阵地，仅守了一天便被日军全线突破。 此时，日军三路并进追击撤退中的第二十军：东侧的第四十师团攻击第一三四师的二线阵地；中间的第六师团第二十三、第四十五联队攻击第一三三师三九八团阵地；西侧的第三师团攻击第一三三师三九九团阵地。混战持续到天黑，第二十军军长杨汉域与各师的联络都中断了，仅知道部队在混战中伤亡惨重。第一三三师同时受到日军两个师团的联合攻击，部队被打乱，形成了官兵各自为战的据点守卫战。守卫傅家冲和洪桥据点的三九八团二营和三营官兵，坚守阵地，誓死不退，击退日军的数次冲锋，给日军以大量杀伤，但终因兵力悬殊，守洪桥的三营副营长吕海群阵亡，守傅家冲的二营营长王超奎和官兵数十人全部战死。杨汉域军长登高观察战场，他格外关注第一三三师的战况：“十里纵横据点，敌我混战，枪炮声及轰炸声历历可闻。据报该师伤亡虽重，士气极旺。敌军因与我混战肉搏，死伤确较我惨重。” 在中国官兵死战之时，日军主力从各阵地间的缝隙迅速向南突击，在大荆街附近日军受到第一三三师三九七团三营的伏击。与此同时，日军第四十师团一部也与中国军队第一三四师在观德冲、十步桥等地展开了激战。特别是在对第二十军指挥部所在地关王桥的进攻中，日军遭到中国守军的顽强抗击：“龟川联队在步、炮、工的协助下，攻击陈家桥东一公里的斗南尖高地，第二中队虽攻进其一角，但屡遭逆袭，其夜虽进行了数次夜袭，但均未成功。重庆军顽强抵抗，其激烈程度为前所未有”；“户田联队在伸手不见五指的黑夜里，冒着风雪，从关王桥径直南下，插入重庆军的大部队里，所到之处，在短兵肉搏中竭力前进”。 应该说，在战场第一线阻击的第二十军已经拼尽了全力。 由于部队伤亡过大，杨汉域决定逐步撤出战场，按照原定计划转移。但是，二十六日天一亮，日军再次发起强攻，继续向第二十军压来。第六师团攻击第一三三师的羊角岭、三江口阵地；第四十师团在关王桥附近与第一三四师激战。下午，羊角岭和关王桥阵地丢失，日军继续向南冲击。为遏制日军的南下速度，杨森命令第五十八军的两个师迂回到两侧夹击日军。黄昏时分，关王桥以南的陈家桥等阵地被日军突破。此时，战场上雨雪交加，天寒地冻，气温降到此地罕见的零下五摄氏度。由于道路泥泞不堪，日军的机械化装备行进艰难，部队在彻骨的寒冷中苦苦前行。夜幕降临之后，黑暗加剧了寒冷和恐惧。但是，在南下日军的身后，第二十军第一三三师三九八、三九九团官兵仍在死追。午夜，杨森命令他们立即突围归队。两个团的残存官兵绕道而出，最终追上了主力。但防守黄沙街阵地的三九九团的一个连，在受到日军第三师团的火炮打击和步兵围攻后，全连官兵全部阵亡。 至此，中国军队第二十军在新墙河两岸与日军打了三天。尽管距离薛岳要求的阻击十天的限定相差还远，但这支川军部队作战不屈不挠，应该视为完成了预定任务。 二十六日晚，日军第三、第六师团前锋推进至汨罗江北岸附近，第四十师团前锋也突至汨罗江北岸渡口长乐街。 这时候，传来了日军占领香港的消息。 中国派遣军司令部之所以批准第十一军的此次作战，只是为了牵制中国第九战区部队南下增援香港。现在香港已被攻占，第十一军的作战已经没有什么意义了。但是，阿南惟几不这么想。他不但没有停止进攻，且于二十六日命令部队继续南进，把攻击矛头指向了防御汨罗江的中国军队第三十七军： 一、敌第三十七军，以第六十师、第九十五师在瓮江、桃花（瓮江西北五公里）、桐子山（长乐南十二公里）、湖源山（桐子山西南五公里）、磨石山一线；又以第一四〇师从花门楼到周家湾（金井西南八公里）一线，各自占领阵地，企图长期战。 二、军准备对占领阳水左岸高的阵地的敌第三十七军，在二十九日天明前，发起攻势。 三、第三师团应在二十九日天明前，把位置向前移动到汨水左岸地区，对归义南方高地之敌，准备攻击。 四、第六师团应在二十七日以后，把位置向前移动到新市附近的汨水左岸，二十九日天明前，对正面之敌，准备攻击。 五、第四十师团，应适时以主力向长乐东南地区前进，以一部向浯口对岸附近移动，二十九日天明前，对正面之敌准备发起攻击。 发源于幕阜山南麓的汨水，在归义附近与罗水汇合称汨罗江，江水西流注入湘江。每年冬季为枯水期，一般情况下人马车辆可以徒涉。但是今年入冬后，连日雨雪，江水暴涨，水深平均在两米左右。在这个方向上，汨罗江有三个主要渡口，其中的长乐街渡口和新市渡口位于岳阳至长沙的公路上；西侧的归义渡口在粤汉铁路桥旁边。这三个渡口控制着岳阳至长沙间的三条平行道路，因此是日军向南攻击的重点。 第九战区防守汨罗江沿线的部队，是陈沛的第三十七军和傅仲芳的第九十九军的两个师。沿着汨罗江南岸从左至右：第九十九军的第九十九师防守湘阴至营田以东一线；第九十二师防守归义两侧，当面的日军是第三师团；第三十七军的第九十五师防守新市、伍公市附近；第六十师防守长乐街至浯口、张家渡一线，第一四〇师控制在金井附近为军预备队，当面日军是第六、第四十师团。 中国军队第三十七军算不上是有名的部队，阿南惟几之所以用两个师团的兵力瞄准该军，原因是该军参加了前两次的长沙作战，至少在这个方向上是日军的老冤家。与防守新墙河的川军第二十军不一样，第三十七军是一支湖南本土部队。抗战爆发后，该军参加了长江一带的数次会战，每一次都因伤亡惨重不得不重新补充。南昌会战后，关麟征被免去军长职务，陈沛继任，现任的三名师长分别为：第六十师师长董煜、第九十五师师长罗奇和第一四〇师师长李棠。 二十七日上午八时，日军第六师团先头部队向汨罗江边的中国军队第九十五师阵地发动攻击，被二八三团击退。下午三时，日军第四十师团先头部队向第六十师防守的长乐街一线发起攻击，被一七九团击退。但是，在日军第三师团的进攻方向上，中国守军第九十九师的阵地被突破，中午十二时左右日军开始强渡汨罗江——“汨水数日来由于风雪，河水不断上涨，浊流湍急，无法测量水深。”尽管突破了中国守军的阵地，但担任前锋的日军大队长横田庄三郎中佐和鬼头三良少佐对中国军队第九十九师的顽强抵抗印象深刻： 横田大队边以速射炮、重火器摧毁北岸敌人的星状据点，边在敌手榴弹的爆炸下，利用死角强行冲入敌阵，逐次摧毁北岸的敌阵地。另一方面，鬼头大队进入铁路桥的东侧，在重火器支持下第三中队于十三时三十分冒着飞雪强行渡过水深没胸的汨水河，冲入南岸的敌阵地。接着横田大队开始渡河，凭据掩蔽阵地之敌，虽一齐进行射击，但终于排除抵抗，渡河成功。登岸后未及晾干湿透的衣服，就继续扩大战果。第一线中队于十五时左右，推进到河南约二公里的地方，后续的驮马部队在将要渡河时，突然遭到巧妙隐蔽在铁桥桥脚附近的敌机枪从背后猛射，部队为了扑灭机枪又费了一些时间……担任警备驮马的一个小队，在从后方追赶中，连续受到三次袭击，几乎全部被歼。 二十八日，日军第三师团全部渡过汨罗江，继续迅速南下，但中国军队第九十九师边撤边打，仍在不断杀伤日军：“伊藤步兵大队安全通过后，骑兵第三联队先头以军旗为前导，前进到距汨水七百至八百米附近时，突然遭到来自道路两侧据点的猛烈射击，联队副官当即负伤，军马六十四匹相继中弹倒毙。”晚上，双方对峙于粤汉铁路东侧的落马桥、大娘桥、神鼎山一线。 日军第六师团发起的攻击被中国守军击退后，下午，在火炮和战机的支援下，第六师团从兰市河再次发动攻势，与中国守军激战到天黑，日军突破兰市河附近的防御阵地后开始强渡汨罗江，但此时江岸的其他渡河点依旧在中国军队第九十五师手中。日军第四十师团清晨开始强渡，并猛烈攻击长乐街，中国守军第六十师防守长乐街的一个连的官兵全部战死，长乐街失守。入夜，双方对峙于李家河、刘家塘一线。 鉴于日军第三师团已经渡江深入，战场的左翼形势严峻，薛岳命令第三十七军预备队第一四〇师向铁路方向增援，暂归第九十九军指挥；命令第三十七军军长陈沛的指挥所向前推进，就近指挥第九十五师和第六十师的作战；命令第二十军和第五十八军对日军实施夹击，牵制日军第六、第四十师团的南进。 也是鉴于第三师团全部渡江，阿南惟几命令第三师团暂不向南推进，而是沿着汨罗江南岸向东，朝着第三十七军的后方福临铺前进，目的是将第三十七军包围歼灭。 二十九日，大雪，汨罗江两岸一片苍茫。 迂回的日军第三师团连夜兼程，凌晨时分进抵新开市附近，与退守该地的中国军队第九十九军第九十九师遭遇。此时，增援而来的第一四〇师正在向第九十九师靠近。但是，第三十七军第九十五师面对着日军第六师团和第四十师团的攻击，压力巨大。第六师团从凌晨开始猛攻第九十五师的阵地，中国官兵凭借着险峻的山的阵地令日军每前进一步都要付出很大代价——“重庆军的抵抗极其顽强，从左右两方包围了联队本部，幸而飞行队的密切协助和第一线的反复冲锋，直到傍晚才完全将其击溃”。 三十日，天晴了。 但是，遍地积雪，寒风刺骨。 日军在航空兵和炮兵的支持下，对中国军队第三十七军发动了全线围攻。双方激战至中午进入胶着状态。下午，日军以第六师团一部继续围攻第三十七军，主力则从第九十五师阵地之间的空隙通过，迅猛向南穿插；同时，第四十师团突破了当面中国守军第六十师的阵地。鉴于日军已经南下，第三十七军的阻击任务基本完成，如果再顶下去就有被围歼的危险，军长陈沛命令第九十五、第六十师向汨罗江以南、捞刀河以北的山地转移，部队变成对日军主力呈侧击态势。同时，陈沛也试图把日军主力吸引过来，为战区展开后续的作战部署赢得时间。 三十日深夜，与日军第三师团纠缠的第九十九军，按照薛岳的命令也开始脱离战场，向西撤退到汨罗江以南、捞刀河以北地区，在粤汉铁路右侧的山地里隐蔽起来，与第三十七军形成从东西两面夹击日军的形状。 尽管日军早就冲了过去，但滞留在日军身后的杨汉域的第二十军一部，还在新墙河以南顽强作战。三十日晚，第二十军官兵在新墙河附近一个名叫长胡镇的地方，突然袭击了日军辎重部队第四十联队。联队长森川敬宇率部正在一座寺院里休息，中国官兵猛然冲进来，日军官兵惊惶四散，森川敬宇联队长被打死在寺院外的雪地里。 此时，日军的三个师团都已突破汨罗江，前面就是捞刀河以及隔河的那座久经战火的长沙城。 难题再次摆在了阿南惟几的面前：是否继续攻击？ 对攻占长沙持反对意见的作战参谋主任岛村矩康和副参谋长二见秋三郎，向司令官提出了谨慎从事的意见。这令阿南惟几非常气愤，认为军官们“对于作战之道尚未理解”，他特地召开了军官会议以阐述他的观点。 二十七日，阿南惟几日记： 一、夜来风雪未停，温度降到零下四点五度，有薄冰。 二、参谋长和岛村参谋，从全面判断，大致似已认识到进攻长沙的必要性。余举其有利之处： 一、给予蒋政权以无声的威胁。 二、把向南方集结的兵力牵制在北方，使其有湖南随时可能受到袭扰之感。 三、表明皇军尚有余力。 四、使湖南民众感到蒋军不足依靠。 五、予第六战区以威胁。 阿南惟几认为，只有用强大的武力表明日军在中国还保持着绝对优势，才能使他对整个战局的惶惑紧张稍感释然。 阿南惟几向中国派遣军发出了要求攻占长沙的电报。 二十八日，中国派遣军的回电并没有批准攻占长沙的请求，只是命令第十一军等待下一步的指示。 阿南惟几大失所望。 二十九日十七时，日军的飞机侦察报告说，中国军队正大规模地向长沙退却。虽然中国派遣军的指示仍没抵达，但阿南惟几已经等不得了——“乃独断决定命第三师团向长沙方面追击，同时向总司令官提出独断请罪。” 二十九日傍晚，阿南惟几下达了攻击长沙的作战命令。 晚上，负责后勤的副参谋长二见秋三郎接到参谋长木下勇的电话，告诉他司令官已决定进攻长沙，命令他立即前来岳阳商议作战。 二见秋三郎极其不满，认为司令官完全在意气用事，根本不顾部队的作战能力以及补给困难。由于原定作战计划中没有攻占长沙的行动，因此一线官兵仅有紧急出动时每人随身携带的一百二十发步枪子弹，经过激战估计已经所剩无几了。弹药向前运输的最大问题是中国军民把从新墙河南下长沙的所有大小道路都破坏了，加上河流涨水，桥梁或被冲断或被淹没，汽车根本无法通行。战斗开始以来，工兵部队顶风冒雪抢修道路，但中国军民将道路摧毁得十分彻底，根本无法修补，只能开辟新路。工兵们依据简陋的中国地图，在起伏的丘陵地带摸索，试图筑出一条可供车马行进的道路，但“与其说这是在修筑道路，不如说始终在砍伐树木开拓前进，因为在丘陵地开拓道路，道路都是用原木铺就的，遇到障碍就得迂回前进，遇到水田就得耗费很多时间，用束柴铺垫筑路。由于道路的迂回曲折，大大延长了筑路作业的距离……对于军工兵队来说，到达汨水，不眠不休地干了五天，在二十九日十七时，好不容易用原木铺设的兵站路才从新墙到达了大荆街”。更重要的是部队的士气。此时日本陆军的作战意志已与战争爆发初期截然不同。主力部队大多到太平洋战场去了，临时征召预备役兵组成了二等、三等师团，不但官兵作战经验不足，且士气普遍低落。日本战史明确地记载了第十一军全线突破汨罗江后的官兵心态： 自到达汨水河畔，在第一线官兵之间，都流传着“这次作战是为了牵制香港，到三十一日止，可能反转”等消息。然而现在进至汨罗左岸，并有南下的态势，官兵们关于今后的行动毫无所知，处于疑神疑鬼的状态。 二见秋三郎说得更为露骨：“此乃自暴自弃之作战。” 阿南惟几的决订正中薛岳的下怀。 毫无疑问，如果日军就此后撤，中国军队予以追击，事后也可以称之为“大捷”。但是，薛岳知道，与前两次长沙会战不一样，日军在攻击中已经显露出作战能力的下降；如果日军继续南下攻击长沙城，只要中国军队调动合理、部署周密、移动迅速、相互协同，不但完全可以在布置好的“天炉”里与日军拼一下，甚至使自己的军事生涯再辉煌一次的可能性也是极大的。 十日，薛岳向蒋介石报告了第九战区将与进攻长沙的日军决战的部署。蒋介石回电表示同意，他提醒薛岳不要让日军在攻击长沙前就与围歼部队接触，也不要过早地使用战区的预备部队，一定要让日军先攻长沙，等攻不下来受到严重消耗后，再命令围歼部队出击。薛岳回电提出了由蒋介石亲自下达督促将领忠于职守的文件——大战将临，薛岳怕部队指挥官不上前线和不负责任等老毛病复发： 一、各集团军总司令、军长、师长务确实掌握部队，亲往前线指挥，俾能适时捕拿战机，歼灭敌人。 二、职如战死，即以罗副长官代行职务，按之计划围歼敌人。总司令、军、师、团、营、连长如战死，即以副主官或次级资深主官代行职务。 三、各总司令、军、师、团、营、连长倘有作战不力贻误战机者，即按革命军连坐法议处，决不姑宽。 薛岳规定一九四二年一月一日夜为总攻开始时间，限定各集团军在攻击发起后到达第一攻击线的最后限期为四日。 “天炉”就要点火熔炼了。 就在中国第九战区部队按照作战部署开始移动的时候，日军进攻了——“第三师团十二月二十九日傍晚，接到盼望已久的进攻长沙的命令，停止左迂回，立即在当日二十时命令各部队'迅速由捷径，向长沙追击敌人'后，第一线各部队在'只有我第一个先到长沙'的口号下，开始踊跃前进。”如果说此时谁还有“踊跃”的情绪，恐怕指的是第三师团师团长丰岛房太郎，因为只有