Chapter 37 Chapter 36 Bloody Moon

June 1944 was destined to be a bloody month. Immediately after the Henan-Central Battle ended, the Japanese army assembled in the direction of Hunan, and its strength was astonishing. Isamu Yokoyama, the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army that occupied Central China, had no plans to launch a large-scale battle since the end of the Changde Battle in December 1943 and entered a state of confrontation. Order, his troops will be transferred out of the Chinese battlefield: the third division will be transferred to the second army in northern Australia; Four Fleet Order of Battle.The advance camping teams sent by the two divisions have already set off from Hankou.At the same time, the 39th Division will also be transferred out as a strategic reserve for the Japanese base camp.In order to make up for the huge shortage of troops, the Eleventh Army mobilized troops from other units and formed the fifth and seventh independent infantry brigades locally to take over the defense areas of the transferred divisions in the direction of Jingzhou and Nanchang respectively.As far as Yokoyama is concerned, it is good that his limited troops can hold the existing defense zone.However, in 1944, after the base camp decided to launch an operation to open up the communication line in mainland China, the Eleventh Army was ordered to undertake the combat mission along the Guangdong-Han Railway.

The purpose of opening up the line of communication in mainland China was clear to the Japanese army before launching the Yuzhong Battle, but with the development of the battle situation, this large-scale battle became more urgent.As far as Japan is concerned, the battle launched along the north-south line of communication in China not only involves the issue of how hundreds of thousands of troops will retreat after the defeat in Southeast Asia in the future, but also out of the desire for the Allied forces to use mainland China to attack Japan. Growing fear: "In view of the current war situation, the U.S. Air Force from mainland China will definitely bomb the mainland of the Empire. Therefore, it is imperative to stop the frequent activities of the U.S. Air Force stationed in China. I hope that we will resolutely destroy the enemy's air force bases." The key point." "Guilin is the most important target for destroying the enemy's airport, and we must make up our minds to capture Changsha, Hengyang, and Guilin in one fell swoop."

In the battle planning of the Japanese base camp, there was even an even more unimaginable plan to run through the Great East Asia Railway: "Depart from Busan (the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula), pass Fengtian, Beijing, Hankou, Hengyang, and enter the Guangxi-Xiang Railway. After passing through Guilin, Liuzhou, and Lang Son (northern Vietnam), it arrives in Bangkok, Thailand from French Indochina, runs through the Malay Peninsula, and ends in Singapore, with a length of 7,944 kilometers (such as bypassing Phnom Penh in Thailand and Cambodia) At that time, it was 9,164 kilometers). In this long distance of about 8,000 kilometers, it is assumed that the section that needs to be newly laid is the southern section of the Beijing-Hanzhou Line (the south bank of the Yellow River-Changtaiguan is 200 98.7 kilometers), Nanning-Lang Son (about 200 kilometers), eastern Anyi Province-Kongbo Wapi (about 400 kilometers), a total of about 900 kilometers.” ——It’s hard to say Japan The thinking of those in power is still normal, and this crazy conjecture can only be based on unscrupulous arrogance.

Right now, just to open up the lines of communication in mainland China, the Japanese army must start operations along the Yuehan Road and Xianggui Road immediately after the battle in Henan.In this plan called "Operation No. 1", the number of troops used by the Japanese army is unbelievable: mobilize the third, sixth, thirteenth, twenty-seventh, thirty-fourth, thirty-seventh , 40th, 58th, 116th, a total of nine divisions, plus half a tank division, five independent artillery regiments, two independent engineering regiments, two flying regiments, and an independent The cavalry regiment is jointly responsible for the offensive mission; the 39th division is independently mixed into the 17th brigade, and the 5th, 7th, 11th, and 12th independent infantry brigades, plus the 1st, 11th, and 12th brigades The second, fifth, ninth, and tenth field supplementary teams are used to supplement casualties and guard the rear.The above-mentioned troops total more than 362,000 people, and are equipped with 67,000 horses, 9,450 vehicles, 1,282 artillery pieces, and 280 combat aircraft.If the troops already used during the Henan-Central Battle are added, the Japanese army invested a total of 510,000 troops, about 100,000 horses, 1,500 cannons, and 15,000 vehicles in order to open up the line of communication in mainland China. . ——"This is unprecedented for the Japanese Army. Since the outbreak of the China Incident, although the Chinese dispatched troops have gained a lot of experience in large-scale field battles such as the North China Offensive Operation, the Battle of Xuzhou, and the capture of Wuhan, they cannot compete with 'One Its scale and strength are equivalent to the planned but unrealized "Operation No. 5" (the Battle of Chongqing) in 1942." The reason why the Japanese base camp can mobilize so many troops is that it is not the same as the Japanese The government and the Soviet government signed the "Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Agreement".The Kwantung Army, an elite unit of the Japanese Army, has been stationed along the Sino-Soviet border in Northeast China for a long time. After the signing of the "Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Agreement", nearly 800,000 Kwantung Army can be transferred into the pass.

On the day when the decline of the Japanese war was irreversible, the Japanese army base camp did not hesitate to use a large number of troops except the Pacific and Southeast Asian battlefields to open up the lines of communication in mainland China. Under such circumstances, what is the reliable basis for military strategy for the entire war to invest such a large amount of financial, material and military resources in a desperate attempt?Even if the overall victory of this penetrating operation is complete, the communication lines in mainland China are opened up, and even the 9,000-kilometer-long railway line is opened to traffic, will it be possible to save Japan from the quagmire of war?Moreover, after the large-scale offensive operation is over, how much military and material resources will the Japanese army invest in order to defend this traffic artery?In an environment where there are all hostile forces along the way, how can the Japanese army ensure that any part of such a long line of communication will not be cut off or destroyed?

It runs 1,500 kilometers from north to south in mainland China.For example, let's break down the combat distance: the distance between the Yellow River and Xinyang is about 400 kilometers, the distance between Yuezhou and Hengshan is about 400 kilometers, and the distance between Hengyang and Guangdong is about 600 kilometers.In the meantime, we must defeat half of the entire field army of Chiang Kai-shek, which is several times more than our own, and carry out penetrating operations.At the same time, many difficulties under the enemy's air superiority must be overcome.Moreover, this battle was carried out resolutely for the requirements of the entire Japanese war situation. Not to mention increasing the number of troops, even the replenishment of important equipment had to be greatly reduced.In addition, with the progress of the battle situation in the Pacific and Southwest, most of the excellent soldiers who were familiar with fighting against China in the past were transferred out one after another, and many new regiments with short training periods, lack of actual combat experience and poor equipment had to be added to participate in this war. fight.

The only possible explanation is: the Japanese consider China to be their permanent occupied area. If the Pacific and Southeast Asian battlefields are lost under the attack of the Allied forces, the battlefield for the decisive battle between the Japanese army and the Allied forces in the future will definitely not be in Japan but in China.But in fact, shrewd and pragmatic Americans think that it is very uneconomical to fight the Japanese army in mainland China, because the United States has no intention of occupying China or gaining rights and interests in China.The ultimate goal of the Americans is to defeat Japan and then exclusively enjoy its long-term rights and interests in the Pacific region.Therefore, wouldn't it be the most reasonable way to directly attack the Japanese mainland, which is surrounded by seas from all sides, from the sea?The Japanese regard China as a part of Japan. After seven years of war, this feeling is still the same when the defeat has become increasingly obvious. The Japanese way of thinking is really puzzling.However, there are also Japanese who are still calm: "This is a battle with a negative purpose." The word "passive" refers to a state of being passive, forced, and lacking a positive purpose.So, launching a campaign with a negative purpose can only mean that the Japanese army knows that the end is near, but they are just trying to grasp the last straw.

Entering June, the tragic cry of the Japanese navy and army floated over the smoky Pacific sea and the blazing island jungle.Under the command of Nimitz, the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, the U.S. military attacked the Japanese Navy's First Mobile Fleet commanded by Ozawa Jisaburo, the Japanese Navy's First Air Fleet commanded by Kakuda Kakuji, and the Army's No. The 31st Army launched a fierce and merciless offensive called "grain requisitioners".The U.S. military wants to completely annihilate the Japanese army stationed in the Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands, and Iwo Jima in the western Pacific Ocean, and severely damage the Japanese Navy's fleet and aviation group in the Pacific Ocean.

The "Food Requisitioner" campaign assembled many forces of the US military on the Pacific battlefield.Admiral Spruance, commander of the Fifth Fleet, commanded the 58th Task Force led by Vice Admiral Mitchell, which had 15 aircraft carriers, 901 carrier-based aircraft, and 7 battleships , twenty-one cruisers, and sixty-nine destroyers.The landing force was commanded by Vice Admiral Turner, commander of the amphibious combat fleet, and was divided into two landing groups, the North and the South.The North Group has seven battleships, eleven aircraft carrier frigates, eleven cruisers, sixty-nine destroyers and two hundred and eighty-two auxiliary ships, carrying seven infantrymen preparing to land on Saipan and Tinian Islands. Ten thousand people; the South Group has three battleships, six aircraft carrier frigates, three cruisers, forty destroyers and 267 auxiliary ships, carrying 55,000 infantry preparing to land on Guam.Also involved were twenty-eight submarines, the Reserve Corps in the central Pacific, and more than 870 aircraft from the Navy and Army Aviation.In addition to the 1,644 fighters of the First Air Fleet, the Japanese Army’s First Mobile Fleet had nine aircraft carriers, 440 carrier-based aircraft, five battleships, thirteen cruisers, and thirty-four destroyers. .The Japanese army guarding various islands in the ocean is 55,000 people from the 31st Army, of which more than 27,500 people are stationed on Saipan Island and more than 4,000 people are stationed on Tinian Island.

In early June, the U.S. Army and Naval Air Forces successively bombed Japanese bases on the Caroline Islands, Iwo Jima, and Guam Islands, causing the loss of more than half of the basic strength of the Japanese First Air Fleet within a week.Then, the first battle of the U.S. military to attack the Mariana Islands, the bloody Saipan landing battle began. ——"The Mariana base is equivalent to a breakwater in the Pacific Ocean for Japan." On the 15th, ten aircraft carriers, seven battleships, fourteen cruisers, and forty-six destroyers of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet And more than 470 amphibious landing ships, with the support of 2,000 combat aircraft, cooperated with two divisions of the Marine Corps and an infantry division to launch a violent assault on Saipan. It became hell on earth from a moment on.The dense coastal blockade firepower of the Japanese army made the groans of the wounded American soldiers on the beach mixed with the smoke and flames caused by the artillery shells.In the afternoon, the U.S. army broke through the Japanese defense line and occupied a bridgehead about four kilometers wide and hundreds of meters deep.A US commando entered the southern part of Saipan and occupied Aslit Airport on the evening of the 17th.The Japanese army began to use the dense rainforest and caves on the island to resist stubbornly. There were desperate struggles under almost every tree and in every cave. Those Japanese soldiers who would rather die than lay down their weapons were naked and chewed grass roots after having no food. Bark, used his own teeth to fight the U.S. military after running out of bullets.The fierce battle lasted for more than 20 days. It was not until July 9 that the US military announced that none of the Japanese soldiers on Saipan was still alive.In this battle, 3,400 American officers and soldiers were killed on this small island in the ocean, and an astonishing 13,000 officers and soldiers were injured.Just when the U.S. military was about to capture the entire island, Lieutenant Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, Commander of the Central Pacific Fleet of the Japanese Navy on Saipan, and Lieutenant General Saito Yoshiji, Commander of the 43rd Division, committed suicide on the grounds that "the This is for the last charge of the soldiers." ——The Bushido that the Japanese soldiers abide by makes the Americans in a trance. Could it be that every island in the Pacific Ocean occupied by the Japanese army will be the place where the blood of American soldiers is shed?

While the bloody battle on Saipan was going on, on the sea west of the Mariana Islands and east of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese army had nine aircraft carriers, five battleships, thirteen cruisers, twenty-eight destroyers and one hundred and seventy Three fighter planes, together with 15 aircraft carriers, seven battleships, 21 cruisers, 69 destroyers, 28 submarines and 956 fighter planes of the U.S. military, conducted a large-scale battle of unprecedented scale. naval battle.On the morning of the 19th, more than 300 carrier-based aircraft of the Japanese army first carried out a long-range assault on the U.S. fleet, but were immediately intercepted by the powerful U.S. carrier-based aircraft group.The Japanese pilot recalled: "In breaking through the interception of the US military, we experienced unprecedented hard work." At the same time, the Japanese flagship "Taiho" aircraft carrier was torpedoed by a US submarine. Six hours later, the ammunition depot exploded and sank; Following the "Taifeng", the "Xianghe" aircraft carrier was also hit by a torpedo from a US submarine, and more than 600 officers and soldiers sank with the ship in raging fire.In this battle, the U.S. military lost 130 carrier-based aircraft, and only four warships were slightly injured; while the Japanese army lost two battleships, one cruiser, three aircraft carriers, and two aircraft carriers were severely damaged, 360 Only twenty-five of the carrier-based aircraft were preserved.After the naval battle, there were dozens of nautical miles of oil pollution, fragments of warships and fighter planes, and human corpses floating on the sea surface of the Philippines. ——"Actually, the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet estimated that this naval battle will be the final decisive battle in which the air and surface forces of the Japanese Navy will go all out. At the beginning of the decisive battle, the entire army was instructed to 'the rise and fall of the empire is here'. However, despite the determination of the United Fleet... the Japanese army was finally overwhelmed by the US aircraft carriers and submarines and lost the battle." On June 6, the most famous landing battle of World War II began on the coast of Normandy in northern France.The Allied forces mobilized the U.S. First Army, the British Second Army, and the Canadian First Army, which belonged to the 21st Army Group of the Expeditionary Force, a total of 32 divisions, 12 independent brigades, and 11,000 troops. Combat aircraft, 6,939 warships, transport ships, and landing ships of various types, plus the second wave of landing troops, put in a total of 2,876,000 troops, including 100,000 U.S. troops. Five hundred and thirty-three thousand people.On the 5th, under the cover of the powerful aircraft fleet of the Air Force, the Allies airborne two American divisions north of Carentin and a British division northeast of Caen; English Channel.Due to the successful strategic feint of the Allied forces before the war, most of the troops of the two German army groups deployed on the coasts of France, Belgium and the Netherlands were deployed on the coast of Calais, the northernmost tip of France. There were only three German divisions along the coast of Normandy where they landed.However, when the Allied landing forces arrived on the coast of France, despite continuous assaults by powerful naval guns and fighter planes, the landing forces still encountered fierce resistance, resulting in huge casualties.Allied officers and soldiers had no choice but to go forward and climb up to the beach tenaciously. Within 17 hours after the landing began, the number of American troops flooded onto the coast of France reached 130,000, while the British army unloaded 6,000 pieces of equipment on the coast. Various weapons, 900 tanks, 600 artillery pieces, and 4,300 tons of equipment and ammunition.The intelligence error caused the German army to pay a heavy price, and the front-line troops were destroyed.After a week of bloodshed on the French coast, the Allied victory was assured.On the twenty-ninth day of the Normandy landing, the number of Allied troops rushing into France reached one million. The German High Command hastily invested twelve divisions including four tank divisions. No other use.The Normandy landing battle opened up the second European battlefield for the Allied forces. As the Allied forces advanced rapidly into the French territory, the flames of war will soon reach the German border, and the end of German fascism is near. On the Soviet-German battlefield, since June 1944, the continuous large-scale offensive operations launched by the Soviet army have made the Germans panic: on the 23rd, the Vitebsk-Orsha battle was launched, and the Soviet army attacked After entering Belarus, Lithuania, and Latvia, and then into Poland, and approaching the Prussian border, the left wing of the German Army Group Center collapsed completely; the Battle of Bobruisk was launched on the 24th, and six German divisions were wiped out, in order to completely liberate the Soviet Union. The foundation was laid throughout the territory; on the 29th, the Battle of Minsk and the Battle of Polotsk were launched, and more than 100,000 German Fourth and Ninth Army Groups were wiped out, and the city of Polotsk was recaptured, pushing the front line forward several times. hundred kilometers. ——In June 1944, the Soviet Army fully grasped the initiative in the Soviet-German War, and the huge elite troops of the German Army collapsed. Stalin had identified the German mainland as the attack target, and began to formulate a final decisive battle plan to attack Berlin. The final collapse of Germany and Japan was a foregone conclusion in June 1944. This is why Japan's insistence on launching an offensive operation of unprecedented scale on the Chinese battlefield is puzzling. The Japanese army headquarters admitted that there was an "undisclosed reason" for this operation, that is, "in view of the current situation of the war, it is eager to use this to boost morale at home and abroad, and the headquarters extremely expects that this will be the most outstanding operation this year." "The enemy has accumulated anger for several years, suffered three defeats, and was threatened by the world situation. He had to devote all his power to try to survive. He repeatedly advanced and retreated, and the long siege was bloody." ——Said Xue Yue, commander of the Ninth Theater of China. Improving morale with constant casualties is beyond reason for the Japanese at this time. Xue Yue lamented: "It is not a pity for the invaders to be injured and killed, but I used an army to defend against several times stronger invaders. I fought for more than ten days and nights, and my loyal soldiers died in the famous city. It is sad." The Japanese called the "Battle of Hunan and Guangxi", and the battle in Hunan was called the "Battle of Changheng" by the Chinese. The army book should fight.The Eleventh Army plans to use five divisions as the first-line attacking corps, and divide into three routes to go south on both sides of the Xiangjiang River to attack Changsha and Hengyang. ; The east route consists of two divisions, making a left-wing detour along the Pingjiang, Liuyang, Pingxiang, and Chaling mountainous areas; Go south and make a right-wing detour.After the first-line attacking troops arrived at the front lines of Changsha, Liuyang, and Ningxiang, the two divisions of the second line entered the battlefield. The main points of its battle plan are: 1. Initially divide the corps into two lines.The five divisions on the first line are lined up in Huarong, southern Yuezhou, and Chongyang.One division (the 40th Division) to the west of the Xiangjiang River and four divisions (the 116th, 68th, 3rd, and 13th Divisions) to the east of the Xiangjiang River (the Chongqing Army is expected to We will concentrate our forces to attack us, so we deployed two divisions of the second-line divisions of the excellent corps on the outside to Jianli (the 58th Division) and near the southwest of Puqi (the 34th Division). Another division (the 27th Division) was on the way to concentrate and transferred to the vicinity of Chongyang. 2. The 11th Army launched an offensive from May 27th to 28th, encircling and annihilating the Chongqing Army near Yuanjiang and Yiyang, as well as between Xinqiang River and Mishui.In order to deal with the Sixth Theater, the 17th Brigade, the 17th Brigade, the 5th Brigade, and the 109th Infantry Regiment (116th Division) were used to cover the right side of the 11th Army.For this reason, they occupied the front line of the Songzi River to contain the Chongqing Army.In addition to being used for decisive battles, the second-line division is also responsible for mopping up the remnants behind and repairing roads. 3. If the Chongqing army near Mishui is defeated, they can pursue the front line of Laodao River and prepare to attack Ningxiang, Changsha, and Liuyang, the main defense lines of the Chongqing army.In order to capture Changsha, Yuelu Mountain in the west must be captured.For this reason, a powerful corps (14th Division) was dispatched to attack the mountain on the left bank of the Xiangjiang River, and the corps (58th Division) that was directly responsible for attacking Changsha responded to each other.It is expected that the Chongqing Army will carry out a side attack from Liuyang. For this, the 3rd Division will encircle and suppress from the northwest and the 13th Division will attack from the southeast.In addition, to capture Yiyang and Ningxiang on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River, we must try to cut off the reinforcements from the Chongqing Army from the Sixth Theater. 4. If the Chongqing army on the Liuyang River line is defeated, a part of the corps will raid and occupy Hengyang.At this time, the main force of the Eleventh Army was searching for and annihilating the Chongqing Army gathered from the East, West and South.When attacking Hengyang, special attention must be paid to combat speed.Order artillery, tanks, railway troops, etc. to advance rapidly as needed to cooperate with the rapid attack or storm during the attack. At this time, also in order to open up international traffic lines, most of the main force of the Chinese army has already been sent to the India-Myanmar battlefield.Xue Yue's Ninth War Zone was exhausted from the long battle, and each army had a division in the rear for training, so the deployment of troops in the whole theater was very weak. In northern Jiangxi: the Jiangxi Security Ninth Regiment of the Luhan First Group Army, the New Third Army's New Twelfth Division, the 183rd Division, and the Jiangxi Security Fourth Regiment affiliated to the First Advancement Column served as Liangjiadu, Shicha Street across the Ganjiang River to Songhu Street, Gao'an, Fengxin, and Jing'an for defense; the new 10th Division of the 58th Army and the Jiangxi Security Third Regiment were stationed in Zhangshu and Qingjiang; the new 11th Division was stationed in Fenyi Training.Southern Hubei: The 34th Division of the 72nd Army of the Wanglingji 30th Group Army, the 14th Brigade of the Jiangxi Police, the first part of the 3rd Advance Column, and the newly formed 13th Division will serve as the commanders of Dagang, Wuning, and Jiugongshan. , Tangkou, Tongcheng, Maishi, Jiuling, and Baoding Pass, the new 15th Division was training near Xiushui.North Hunan: the 4th advancing column of the 27th Army of Yang Sen, a regiment of the 134th Division of the 20th Army, and the newly formed 20th Division, serving as the commanders of Huang'an City, Yanglin Street, Xinqiang, Baxiandu, and Antlers For front-line defense, the 133rd Division is training near Changle Street.Western Hunan: Liang Hanming's 99th Army was responsible for the defense of Yingtian, Xiangyin, Lulintan, Yuanjiang, Nanzui, Xiaogang, and Hanshou.Troops directly under the command of the theater: Luo Qi's 37th Army is in charge of defending the Miluo River, and the main force is assembled in the Wengjiangpu and Wukou areas for training; Wang Zejun's 44th Army is in charge of Changsha garrison; Zhuzhou and Lukou were trained; Fang Xianjue's Tenth Army was trained between Hengshan and Hengyang. The Chongqing Military Commission judged that after the Japanese army opened up the Ping-Han line in Henan, it would definitely launch an offensive along the Guangdong-Han railway line, so it kept asking the ninth theater to prepare for combat. Telegram on May 28: 1. With the existing forces in the theater (the Sixth theater deployed a division to increase in Yiyang), prepare for a decisive battle with the enemies of the southern criminals near Changsha. 2. The 44th Army guards Liuyang, and the 4th Army sticks to Changsha and Yuelu Mountain. 3. The 27th Group Army and the 3rd Group Army (owed to the 4th Army), after delaying and exhausting the enemy in their current positions, shifted their main force to the areas around Pingjiang and Liuyang. 4. The Thirty-seventh Army moved to Liuyang and Yong'an after delaying and exhausting the enemy along the Miluo River. 5. The Sundu Corps (belonging to the 58th Army) should cover the right wing of the theater with protracted warfare, and the 58th Army should immediately turn to the area south of Liuyang. 6. The sixth war zone should draw a division from the 24th Group Army, that is, open Yiyang, and put it under the command of Commander Liang of the 99th Army to prevent the invading enemy from crossing the lake and cover Yuelu's side. Telegram on May 29: The Tenth Army (with the main force of the temporary 54th Division) defended Hengyang, but the main force of the first division opened the Yisu River to cover the communication lines between Xiangtan and Hengyang.The temporary Second Army will use its main force between Lukou and Zhuting to cover the communication line from the right bank of the Xiangjiang River to Hengyang, and place a regiment in Liling to cover the communication line from Liling to You County, all under Commander Xue's command.But without an order, you are not allowed to participate in the decisive battle in Changsha. No matter how his staff reminded him, Xue Yue believed that the Japanese army would not repeatedly attack Changsha again and again, because from a military point of view, it would be tantamount to doing useless work but adding casualties and losses.Xue Yue's underestimation made Zhao Zili, chief of staff of the theater, very worried.The original chief of staff of the Ninth War Zone was Wu Yizhi.In the autumn of 1943, Wu Yizhi privately wrote a report to US President Roosevelt on the strengthening of the Allied forces' operations in the Asian battlefield. The report received the attention of the US military.Wu Yizhi telegraphed this matter to Chiang Kai-shek, hoping to be praised, but Chiang Kai-shek replied with a telegram of "removed from office and handed over to the Military Law Executive Directorate for legal action".Later, under the recommendation of Xue Yue, Chief of Staff Zhao Zili took over the position of Chief of Staff of the war zone.Despite being promoted, Zhao Zili and Xue Yue have conflicts from time to time because of their different views on combat.At this moment, Xue Yue stubbornly believed that the Japanese army was no longer able to carry out large-scale offensive operations. The helpless Zhao Zili had no choice but to ask someone to directly report to Chiang Kai-shek that the Ninth War Zone was about to face a major war. ——When the intelligence of the frequent mobilization of the Japanese army was confirmed and the theater had to formulate a combat plan, complex and contradictory situations reappeared within the Chinese army. The first plan for the battle was drawn up by Bai Chongxi after he was assigned by Chiang Kai-shek to arrive at the camp in Guilin.The director of the Guilin camp is Li Jishen, and Bai Chongxi's duty is to guide the operations of the fourth, sixth, seventh, and ninth theaters there.This made Xue Yue very disapproving at first. Chiang Kai-shek's inexplicable command is already very annoying, and now there is another Bai Chongxi in the theater.Sure enough, Bai Chongxi did not advocate a decisive battle near Changsha, and suggested that the decisive battle should be placed in Guangxi.Xue Yue became angry as soon as he heard it: "Throw him away! I won't go to see the gate of Guangxi, and I won't fight in Hunan. I will drag all the troops to his home in Guangxi. Damn it!"——put the decisive battle on the Hunan-Guangxi border or In Guangxi, the Japanese army's front line can be stretched very long, which will definitely cause serious consumption and supply difficulties for the Japanese army. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that Bai Chongxi's plan is not at all reasonable. "For the attacker, it is like a rubber band. The longer it is stretched, the weaker it will be. If it exceeds the limit, it will snap." However, Xue Yue resolutely opposed it because of his dissatisfaction with Bai Chongxi. The second plan of the battle was proposed by Xue Yue, that is, based on the experience of the previous three Changsha battles, the "Tianlu" tactics were copied again under the city of Changsha.Xue Yue's plan was opposed by the staff in the theater, including Zhao Zili, on the grounds that the possibility of the Japanese army being fooled again was very small.Zhao Zili believes that the enemy is catching people everywhere in the south and north of the river, and the water and land transportation is extremely busy. The situation is obviously different from the first, second, and third Changsha battles.The Japanese army has a large force, and they are still fighting decisively in Changsha as usual. When the time comes, the enemy will fight inside, outside, and prepare. It will be difficult for us to win.But Xue Yue insisted on his own opinion, emphasizing that the Japanese army could not cobble together a large force, and it was entirely feasible to replicate past victories under the city of Changsha. The third plan of the battle was put forward by Zhao Zili. Its main content is: in view of the characteristics of the Japanese army's strong force, it is relatively reasonable to put them in a farther depth area and fight against them near Hengyang.Because counting from the Xinqiang River, the starting point of the Japanese offensive, all the way southward to Hengyang for about 500 miles, the Japanese army's supply line must be stretched so that our army can cut it off; It takes about a month in Hengyang, which gives our army enough time to mobilize troops.Hengyang is the transportation center, and the third, fourth, sixth, seventh, and ninth war zones, as well as the troops directly under the military committee, can be easily concentrated here. The terrain around Hengyang is also conducive to a decisive battle. ——From a purely military point of view, Zhao Zili, Chief of Staff of the Ninth Theater, has the most reasonable plan. However, it was Xue Yue's plan that Chiang Kai-shek finally agreed to. This can be seen in the combat guidance issued by the Chongqing Military Commission to the Ninth Theater. Whether it is Chongqing or Xue Yue, the combat plan determined is completely the third Changsha A replica of the battle: on the east bank of the Xiangjiang River between the Xinqiang River, Miluo River, Laodao River, Liuyang River, and Lushui River, and between the Zishui, Weishui, and Lianshui Rivers on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River. When the Japanese soldiers approached the city of Changsha and got into the "pockets" arranged by the Chinese army, the main force of the Chinese army deployed in the Liuyang, Pingjiang, and Tonggu areas of Jiangxi turned left with Changsha as the axis and launched a side attack from east to west, knocking the Japanese army Oppressed to encircle and annihilate the east bank of the Xiangjiang River, and pursued the Japanese army with all their strength when they retreated, and finally drove the Japanese army back to the starting point. Xue Yue was full of confidence. In order to implement this plan, in addition to Lu Daoyuan's 58th Army and Fu Yi's 72nd Army transferred from northern Jiangxi, Xue Yue also petitioned the Military Committee to transfer Ding Zhipan's 20th Army from the Third War Zone. The Sixth Army, Peng Weiren's 73rd Army, Shi Zhongcheng's 74th Army, Wang Jiaben's 79th Army, and Li Tianxia's 100th Army were transferred from the Sixth Theater, and Li Xingshu's 1st Army was transferred from the Fourth Theater The 46th Army, Huang Tao's 62nd Army transferred from the Seventh War Zone.With so many troops in hand, Xue Yue believed that Yokoyama Yusuke would repeat the mistakes of his predecessors Neiji Okamura and Keiji Anan under the city of Changsha. Xue Yue ignored two premises: first, the strength of the Japanese army was different from before, and he would soon find that the main divisions of the Japanese army would appear in all directions of the Chinese army's blockade; second, he underestimated the opponent's IQ, and Yokoyama would never It would be stupid enough to repeat the failures of Neiji Okamura and Yui Anan step by step.On the contrary, Yong Shanyong learned the lesson of the lone army going deep under the fortified city and the army being besieged by the flanks, and deployed a powerful combat corps in the main attack direction, so that Changsha City could not become a long-term attacking place under the huge impact; The most powerful 3rd and 13th divisions of the 11th Army were specially deployed on the left flank to take on the task of defeating the Chinese army that launched a flank attack from the east of the Xiangjiang River.In addition, Yokoyama also formulated a detailed combat plan to contain reinforcements from various theaters in China. ——Before the war, the Japanese army not only saw where the "pocket" deployed by Xue Yue was, but also saw that the bottom and edges of this "pocket" were full of holes. The Battle of Changheng has inevitably become an unprecedented brutal bloody battle. On May 23, Isamu Yokoyama and his staff took the train south from Hankou to the combat command post in Puqi. ——"The rice has just been transplanted, and the seedlings about fifteen centimeters have not yet taken root. They are weakly swaying in the breeze passing over the water." Farmers’ homes at intervals of fifty to one hundred meters on the slope.” "It's very quiet here, only the not-so-strong roar of the single-engine aircraft used for search and communication by both sides will break the fragrant air of early summer." When Yokoyama's battle command post advanced to the battlefield, Japanese troops from all walks of life meandered in the densely covered water network area of ​​rivers and lakes at the junction of Hunan, Jiangxi and Hunan and Hubei.On the 25th, all the Japanese troops arrived at the starting point of the attack: the West Road of the first-line troops, the 40th Division arrived between Shishou and Huarong, and the 109th Infantry Regiment arrived at Ouchikou to the north of Shishou. The field detachment composed of the fifth brigade as the backbone arrived between Mituo Temple and Zhakou, and the peak detachment composed of the independent and mixed seventeenth brigade arrived near Yanglin City to the north of Ouchikou; the middle road of the first-line troops, the 116th Division The regiment arrived in the Xinkaitang area in the southeast of Yuezhou, the 68th Division arrived in the Linxiang area in the northeast of Yuezhou, and the 218th Infantry Regiment arrived in Chenglingji, ten kilometers northeast of Yuezhou; , the Third Division arrived in the Chongyang area, and the Thirteenth Division arrived in the Bainiqiao area in the northeast of Chongyang.Second-line troops, the 58th Division arrived between Jianli in the northeast of Shishou and Haoxue in the southeast of Shashi; the 34th Division arrived in the Baishipu area in the southwest of Puqi; after the 27th Division was assembled in Wuhan Adapted into pack horse equipment, it will be transported to the Xianning area in the northeast of Puqi on the 26th. On the 26th, the Chief of Staff of the Japanese Army, Hideki Tojo, went up to the emperor. In addition to reporting the results of the previous phase of the Henan campaign, he made a special elaboration on the upcoming Hunan campaign: With the progress of our army's combat preparations, the enemy estimated that we would also launch attacks on Yuezhou, Changde, Yichang, and Zhejiang and Jiangxi, so they tried to strengthen various positions.However, its original forces were dispersed in all parties, and it failed to take serious countermeasures.Regarding our attack, we have not yet seen the enemy concentrate its forces from other directions.According to current observations, although the enemy is currently worried that our future operations will develop into a large-scale offensive, they have not yet been able to make an accurate judgment on our operational assumptions. In addition, it can be judged that this operation is closely related to the ongoing decisive battle in Burma, relying on this operation will destroy the enemy's main air bases near Hengyang, Guilin, and Suichuan, and the operation in northern Burma will defeat the enemy's opening up of Indochina The attempt to contact the line, thus being able to restrain the activities of the US Air Force stationed in China, in order to protect the security of the imperial country's territory.On the other hand, the enemy, especially the Chongqing regime and the United States will be greatly shaken and anxious.In short, although the Hunan-Guangxi campaign launched by the Chinese dispatched troops on the 27th of the next day is expected to be a long-term battle with many changes during the period, I am sure that under the majesty of our emperor, the expected combat objectives will be achieved. 五月二十七日五时，东路日军第三师团、第十三师团向中国守军第七十二军的阵地发起进攻；晚上八时，第二一八联队搭乘海军船艇由岳州南入洞庭湖；一个小时后，中路日军第六师团（欠第一〇九联队）和第六十八师团强渡新墙河，向中国守军第二十军阵地发起进攻；三个小时后，西路日军第四十师团、第一〇九联队、独立混成第十七旅团的两个步兵大队以及独立步兵第五旅团的野地支队，向松滋河东岸的中国守军第九十九军第九十二师阵地发起攻击。 面对日军大规模的兵力投入，中国一线守军纷纷告急。 西路日军突破第九十二师的阻击，于三十一日抵近天心湖，然后乘汽艇在大通湖登陆，与从赤山岛北侧登陆的日军会合后攻占赤山岛。战斗中第九十二师二七六团团长邹鹏奇因负伤被俘。当日军逼近第九十九军军部所在地益阳时，军直属部队抵挡不住，向东南面的沧水铺、箐华铺、宁乡方向撤退，军部与在湘江东岸担任营田和湘阴防御的第九十九师失去了联系。 中路日军强渡新墙河时，中国守军第二十军在新墙河两岸的姑姑桥、铜鼓岭、七里山和三江口等防御阵地进行了顽强抵抗，一部退守黄岸市、杨林街、龙凤桥一线后继续阻敌，主力则奉命增援东路阻击日军。日军连续突破第二十军的防御阵地，三十日抵近汨罗江北岸的长乐街、大荆街、黄谷市一线，负责防守汨罗江的中国守军第三十七军与日军接战。由于日军第三十四师团一部乘坐汽艇沿湘江迂回至青泥湾，当晚攻占位于汨罗江南岸的归义，汨罗江中国守军的防线被日军撕开。第十七军留下一部与日军纠缠，主力南撤至上杉市。而第二十军也从新墙河一路退至汨罗江南岸。日军第一一六师团在战斗中出现了伤亡，第一三三联队是该师团最强的部队，由联队长黑濑大佐指挥，在攻击汨罗江北岸中国守军阵地时，第三中队中队长塚本助夫等数人战死。在接下来强渡汨罗江的战斗中，日军遇到的阻击更加顽强，第七中队中队长吉川五郎等四名军官、七名下士和三名士兵被打死。六月二日，第一三三联队等炮兵上来后继续强渡，但中国守军是军官学校的学生队，“抵抗极为顽强，尤其是迫击炮射击技术巧妙，战况因此无进展”。其间，联队的几名中队长非死即伤：“第九中队长福原贞行少尉等二十二人战死，第十中队长长谷川勇次中尉等多人负伤。截止本日的战斗，结果第七、第八、第十、第十一各中队的小队长职务均早由下士官代理。从三十一日以来，在连续两天的激战中，联队虽已突破汨水河畔重庆军的主要阵地，但从开始作战以来不到十天，竟然损失这样多的官兵，联队长黑濑大佐感到异常痛心。” 东路日军突破中国守军新编第十三、新编第十五师的防线，二十八日抵近通城外围，六月一日抵近团山铺和长寿街。在日军连续攻占通城、麦市、龙门驿和平江后，新编第十三师绕过日军的攻击线，向北退至幕阜山区，第二十军部队则撤至平江以南的祖师岩一带。第九战区命令第五十八军和新编第三军第一八三师，火速开赴醴陵一带布防以阻截日军。六月一日，日军第十三师团司令部进入长寿街，司令部参谋在战地日记中记述道：“该地为汨水河谷的要冲，市街正在划区整顿，沿路看不到村民的影子，抗日意识极为强烈。” 二日，日军第十一军下达命令：第四十师团攻占沅江后，以一部向南突击乔口、靖港、白沙洲一线，切断湘江以东中国守军向西的退路，主力于五日开始攻击益阳、宁乡；第一一六师团四日拂晓突破长乐街以南中国守军的防线，向捞刀河以南的黄花市攻击前进；第六十八师团四日拂晓从瓮江附近出发，一部向南攻击金井，然后经上杉市推进到长沙东北方向的春华山附近；第十三师团限七日晚抵达浏阳东北的永和市和蒋埠市，准备向浏阳东南攻击前进；第二线部队第三十四、第五十八师团立即投入作战：第三十四师团第二一八联队负责歼灭中国军队渡江部队以及湘江两侧的部队；第五十八师团须于七日突击到金井西南的福临铺东西之线。 与此同时，蒋介石命令第九战区部队必须固守长沙、浏阳和衡阳要地： 饬薛长官转各总司令，各军、师长，上下一致，争取最后胜利，并规定凡命令固守地点，不得擅自撤退，违者照连坐法治处。 根据蒋介石的电令，薛岳报呈了第九战区准备固守的四个要点：第九十二师固守沅江，第九十九师固守湘阴，第七十七师固守益阳，第一六二师固守三姐桥。——薛岳把防御重点移向了战场的西面，重庆军事委员会随即命令第六战区第二十四集团军全部归第九战区指挥。 但是，湘江东面的浏阳方向首先告急了。 此时，在浏阳以北，守卫汨罗江一线的中国守军第三十七军，在进行了轻微抵抗后已撤至浏阳以东的山区，导致湘江东面的战场上已没有能够阻挡日军推进的中国军队了。尽管西面的苐九十九军仍在日军侧后方的青山、乔口、湘阴、营田等阵地顽强抵抗，可对于日军兵力庞大的多路攻势来讲无法形成任何牵制作用。薛岳命令新编第三军第一八三师六日前抵达浏阳东南三十公里处的桐木，命令从第三战区调来的第二十六军星夜兼程赶往萍乡。八日，东路日军逼近浏阳。中路日军突破汨罗江防线后，抵近捞刀河北岸以及春华山地区，中国守军第九十九师撤入三姐桥附近的山区；日军第三十四师团突破新开市阵地，抵达捞刀河北岸的桥头；第五十八师团主力推进到汨罗江以南的栗山港，其步兵第五十二旅团攻占湘阴。西路日军攻占沅江后，再占茈湖口，逼近白马寺，中国守军撤守宁乡以南的沩水南岸。 连日倾盆大雨，战场道路泥泞，日军的步兵和车辆在浑浊的积水中行动艰难。特别是负责战场供应的车队为泥水所困，作战物资的接济只能依靠湘江水运。但海军的舰船开辟湘江水道同样艰难，因为中国军队在航道上布设了大量的水雷，海军告诉陆军要将水雷完全清除至少还要十五天。更为严重的威胁来自中美联合空军的空袭，日军第四十师团的后方野战医院和辎重部队在轰炸中几乎损失殆尽，而在水路航道上日军投入了一百二十艘护卫船，到八日那天只剩下三十多艘了。 尽管如此，长沙已经近在咫尺。 横山勇深思熟虑后决定：先攻占宁乡和浏阳再进攻长沙。 鉴于前三次的作战失利，横山勇对攻击长沙十分谨慎。他选定的攻城部队是第五十八师团，其官兵大多来自日本九州南部，以性格强悍著称于日本陆军；而他选定攻击岳麓山的部队是第三十四师团，该师团战前特别进行了各兵种协同的山的作战训练。为了粉碎薛岳的“天炉”阵型，他命令西路的第四十师团攻占宁乡，命令东路的第三、第十三师团攻占浏阳。——浏阳和宁乡，于东西两边夹长沙而立，一旦长沙的两翼被日军占领，薛岳的“天炉”就等于失去了炉壁。而中路的第一一六师团和第六十八师团，将避开中国守军的正面阵地向浏阳河畔攻击推进，为攻城的第五十八师团扫清侧翼障碍。这样一来，薛岳的“天炉”就只剩下一个单薄的“炉底”——长沙城了。 被蒋介石放在战场西面的第二十四集团军，是王耀武指挥的机动精锐部队，蒋介石原指望能在长沙城的西部保持住中国军队主力进出的通道。第二十四集团军九日开赴战场，日军第四十师团正在围攻益阳，王耀武急令第一〇〇军驰援。十二日，当第一〇〇军抵达益阳附近时，守军第七十七师因伤亡过大连夜突围。第一〇〇军官兵在不知守军撤退的情况下开始攻击益阳外围的日军，因日军主力都已南下宁乡，第一〇〇军一鼓作气收复了益阳。在把城防交还给第七十七师后，第一〇〇军开始尾随日军主力南下。 宁乡守军是配属第七十三军的第五十八师。日军十五日突入宁乡城内，第五十八师抵抗之顽强出乎了日军的预料，激烈的巷战持续四天四夜后，第五十八师仅剩下二百多人，而日军仍旧不能完全控制该城。十九日凌晨，日军主力绕过宁乡继续南下湘乡，尾随日军的第一〇〇军第十九师官兵乘机突入城垣，与第五十八师所剩不多的官兵会合了。——在长沙城的西面，尽管宁乡始终没被日军攻占，但日军第四十师团长驱直入，基本掌握了湘江以西战场上的主动。 在长沙的东面，日军第三师团由西面和北面、第十三师团从东面开始进攻浏阳，其中一部日军甚至悄悄绕到了浏阳城南。薛岳命令第五十八军军长鲁道源统一指挥第二十军一部、第一六二师、第九十五师和第一八三师，向日军第十三师团实施反击，两军在浏阳至萍乡之间展开了混战。日军第十三师团不断出现伤亡：第六十五联队第三大队队长永井博大尉被击毙，师团工兵队在中美联合空军的袭击中被炸死二十多人、炸伤三十多人。在强渡蒋埠江时，伊藤联队第二大队遭到中国守军的猛烈袭击，出现严重伤亡后被迫停止强渡，直到第三大队迂回到中国守军的侧背，第二大队官兵才再次跳入蒋埠江内。可中国军队的机枪子弹依旧密集地射来，被击中的日军在因暴雨而猛涨的河水中沉没。中国军队的伤亡也很大，第五十八军派往第一八三师的督战官张天举阵亡，第一八三师师长余建勋负伤。中国官兵苦战到十四日，固守浏阳的第一六二师被迫突围，浏阳城随之陷落。 中路日军的第一一六、第六十八师团在春华山附近强渡捞刀河，中国守军暂编第七师因抵挡不住日军的攻势退守渌水南岸。日军第三十四师团则渡过湘江抵近岳麓山的东面和北面；第五十八师团在向长沙以东推进的过程中，受到中国军队迫击炮的袭击，师团长毛利末广被弹片击中负伤。这时候，在长沙城背后的湘潭，突然出现了一支日军——第一一六师团的黑濑联队，竟然单枪匹马向长沙以南秘密突击。而携带着火炮的这支日军，竟然在中国守军的眼皮底下渡过了湘江。抵达湘潭附近后，发现这里的中国守军已经撤退，黑濑联队未经流血占领湘潭城，甚至还修复了湘潭机场。更不可思议的是，黑濑联队继续向前，占领了石潭城。石潭城瀕临涟水，水面上密集地排列着从长沙和湘潭开来的满载着难民和物资的船只，对于突然出现在眼前的日军，难民们目瞪口呆。而黑濑大佐听见北面响起了隆隆炮声，他判断第十一军主力已经开始进攻长沙城了，于是很为自己的行动感到飘飘然：“联想到联队冲进石潭市的重要意义，甚为高兴；同时对湘潭附近的三个师（中国守军）轻易退却，竟放弃长沙背后的防守，致使我抬着火炮步履艰难的联队，一举冲入距易家湾五十公里的石潭市，此实令人不解。” 长沙已被日军四面围城。 薛岳照搬前三次长沙会战的样式而设计的那个“天炉”，早已破败不堪。——以长沙为核心，日军在东西两面都部署着重兵，阵形散乱的中国军队于任何一个方向上都不可能发动侧击或夹击，长沙成了铁桶般重围之下的孤城。 或许，此时萦绕在日本人脑海中的，已不再是薛岳津津乐道的“天炉”，而是发生在日军南下作战期间的一件事：美国空军六十八架B-29和B-24轰炸机，从距离八幡市三千二百英里的中国成都机场起飞，于五月十五日深夜猛烈轰炸了日本九州八幡炼钢厂。东京大本营电告日军中国派遣军：“美第二十空军部队（以B-29为主的轰炸部队，司令沃尔福中将驻在中国）是在联合军参谋总部管辖下，由美国陆军航空司令阿诺德直接指挥作战的。它不仅对一方面的战场，而且由于续航能力增强，更可广泛用于各方面的战略目标的攻击。这次空袭北九州，是为了全面破坏我工业资源的战略性轰炸的开端。”既然日军发动大规模攻势作战的目的之一，便是摧毁中国大陆上的美国空军基地，那么美国人此举就如同在催促日本人作战一样。——得知本土落下了美国炸弹的日军第十一军，其攻占长沙的急切已经无法抑制了。 守卫长沙城的中国军队，是隶属第九战区的第四军。该军前身是粤军第一师，一九二〇年由孙中山亲手创建，中国军队中的粤系将领大多出自该部，因此这支部队有“粤军之母”之称。一九二五年，广州国民政府改编军队时，粤军第一师被改编为国民革命军第四军，首任军长李济深。该军在北伐战争中参加攻克武昌之役，因战功卓著被国民誉为“铁军”。目前，第四军下辖第五十九、第九十、第一〇二师。因为是粤系将领薛岳的嫡系部队，因此团长以上人选均由薛岳亲自任命。在三个步兵师中，第五十九师和第九十师是粤军的老底子，第一〇二师则是由黔军第二十五军演化来的，论战斗力第五十九师最强，其次是第九十师和第一〇二师。每个师配置三个步兵团，加上配属的炮兵第三旅以及军直属的特务、工兵、炮兵、通信和辎重营，全军共约三万余人。时任军长张德能，副军长柏辉章，军参谋长罗涛溪，第五十九师师长林贤。二师师长陈伟光。 对于薛岳来讲，他并不情愿让自己的老部队第四军固守长沙城。但是，第四军一直驻守在长沙和湘潭一线，日军兵临城下之际让第四军撤下去换上别的部队，薛岳实在说不出口。于是用“第四军善于攻不善于守”为由，启发参谋长赵子立把撤换第四军的话说出来，可赵参谋长就是不开口。赵子立的用意是：长沙城眼看着要面临苦战，这时候把第四军换下去，薛岳保存实力的做法过于明显，将严重影响战区部队的士气。更重要的是，当初制订作战计划时，自己主张在衡阳与日军决战的建议被薛岳否决，现在如果让第四军坚守长沙，一旦危急时刻来临，再向薛岳提出放弃长沙改在衡阳决战，薛岳为了保全自己的基本部队定会立即同意。 薛岳已经意识到了，这次作战与前三次长沙会战完全不同，至少当面日军的师团和旅团番号就有八九个之多，他并不确信第四军能够守住长沙，更何况长沙的东西两翼都已失去遮蔽。薛岳产生了让战区指挥部撤离长沙的念头，但在撤往哪里的问题上他与赵参谋长再次产生矛盾。赵子立认为将来的战事将向西南发展，战区指挥部应该移动到湘西去；可薛岳坚持要去湘东，理由是“我不去给重庆守大门”！——薛岳因为白崇禧之故，表示“不去给广西看大门”；现在又因为蒋介石之故，表示“不去给重庆守大门”。那么，作为抗战中国的一个战区司令长官，他到底要给谁守大门？ 粤系将领薛岳很明白，无论他打多少大仗胜仗，他都不是蒋委员长的黄埔嫡系。 薛岳走了，去了耒阳。 留下战区参谋长赵子立在长沙岳麓山指挥所。 赵参谋长很快就发现，他根本没有指挥权。 第四军的部署是：两个师在城里，一个师在岳麓山。赵子立认为，岳麓山守不住，长沙自然就守不住，因为岳麓山可以俯瞰整个长沙城，所以主张将第四军的主力调到岳麓山来。可第四军军长张德能说，薛岳走时有交代，第四军仍归他直接指挥，参谋长要想改变部署，得先经过司令长官的同意。赵子立立即给薛岳打电话，问自己是否可以指挥第四军，薛岳明确表示“你不要指挥它”。赵子立立马火了，问那留他这个参谋长在前线有什么用，薛岳的回答是“你在那里联络”。 既然司令长官已经无心守长沙，赵子立索性只留下一个通信班、一个警卫排以及少量随从，命令其他与打仗无关的人全撤到耒阳去。高级参谋马良骥不愿意走，因为他与赵参谋长是陆军大学第十四期的同学，上校参谋陈驭远也不愿意这个时候离开，还有司令长官部的陈副官，结果他们和赵子立一起留在了岳麓山指挥所。 大战未始，军心惶惶。 更严重的是，关于长沙的防御部署仍在争吵不休。 五月十七日，为协调防御部署，战区参谋长赵子立、第四军军长张德能和炮兵指挥部三方开了个紧急会议。多数与会者认为，这次日军兵力强大，主攻长沙的就有两个师团，日军必会吸取前几次失利的教训，把攻击重点放在岳麓山。岳麓山与长沙城隔着湘江两岸对望，但岳麓山的地势高于长沙城，如果守住岳麓山，纵使日军攻进城里，也不算占领了长沙，因为我军火力依旧可以隔江覆盖城内日军；而一旦岳麓山先失守，日军便可居高临下实施攻击，那时的长沙城也就无险可守了。但是，张德能军长坚持他只听薛岳的：“长官叫我以主力守长沙，我只好以主力守长沙。”争论的结果是：步兵依照张军长的意见把两个师放在城里，炮兵依照赵参谋长的意见把重炮集中部署在岳麓山。 长沙守城战最后形成的防御部署是：第一〇二师守长沙北半部，第五十九师守长沙南半部，两个师的防御分界线自小吴门起向西延伸到湘江边，线上属于第五十九师的防御范围，张德能的军部在第五十九师的防区内。岳麓山由第九十师防御，二六八团守岳麓山，二七〇团守船形山，二六九团为预备队配置在两山之间的山口。第九十师师部在湖南大学里，指挥所设在岳麓山山顶。由此，长沙城中国守军的指挥机构分成了两个部分：赵子立参谋长和炮兵指挥部在岳麓山，张德能军长留在长沙城里，两个指挥部中间隔着一条湘江，一开始便是各顾各的局面。 薛岳没有给第四军下达必须死守多少天的指令。 但是，谁也没想到长沙城竟然丢失得如此之快。 就在赵参谋长和张军长还在争执的时候，日军对长沙城的攻击已经开始了。 由于等待海军扫雷部队扫清湘江航道，以便把野战重炮第十四联队运上来，还要等待第六十八师团和第一一六师团扫清长沙外围，所以直到十六日傍晚，横山勇才命令第三十四师团对岳麓山、第五十八师团对长沙城发起进攻。当夜，在飞机和重炮的支援下，第五十八师团突破中国守军第五十九师的一线防御，第五十九师撤守妙高峰和天心阁核心阵地。而第三十四师团攻占了岳麓山东西两侧的虎形山和牛形山。十七日清晨，日军新一轮的攻击开始。第五十八师团猛攻天心阁桃花山阵地，天上是成群的战机助战，地面上毒气弥漫，第五十九师拼死抵抗，部队伤亡严重。同时，攻击岳麓山的日军第三十四师团得到第六十八师团第五十八旅团的增援，中国守军第九十师的阵地遭到左右迂回包抄，守卫燕子山阵地的二六八团官兵死伤过半，岳麓山岌岌可危。 部署在岳麓山上的中国军队重炮群，自战斗一开始就昼夜不停地发射，给攻城日军造成极大的杀伤。日军的重炮部队在向长沙移动途中，不但受到湘江航道里水雷的困扰，更在中美联合空军的空袭中损失巨大，其独立野战重炮第一联队奉命对岳麓山上的中国重炮实施压制，但其炮兵阵地受到十几架美军战机波浪式的轰炸，炮兵死伤惨重，四门大口径加农炮被炸毁，刚刚运上来的堆积如山的炮弹被击中，爆炸声传及数里。日军的重炮部队不顾伤亡，重新开辟阵地后，继续向岳麓山上的中国重炮群开火，双方的炮战令岳麓山陷入一片火海中。 张德能军长这时候才看出来，如果岳麓山丢了长沙城也就完了，于是决定守城的第一〇二师和第五十九师各留一个团继续坚守城内阵地，其余主力全部渡过湘江去增援岳麓山。——且不论张军长的醒悟是否已经太晚了，在日军开始向城内涌入的时刻，部队离开现有作战工事进行大规模移动，谈何容易？ 中国长沙守军第四军的混乱始于十七日夜晚。 岳麓山上的赵参谋长知道这种移动的危险，紧急命令长沙城两侧的中国军队侧击攻城日军，以缓解城内日军的攻击力度，但此时长沙城两侧的中国军队根本无力攻击。于是，在日军一波接一波的攻击中，第四军的军官们跑到湘江边临时征集船只，在混乱的江边只找到两艘小火轮和十几条满载货物的民船。夜色中，大批中国官兵已涌到江边，人多船少，互相争抢，头顶上是日军战机的轮番轰炸和扫射，不少官兵失足落水，船只更是因为严重超载而倾覆——“当时情况危急，渡河未及，船舶、渡口、部队时间均未十分计划，渡河后之集中地点、指挥人员亦未指派，以致秩序混乱，无法掌握，坠江溺毙者，不下千余。” 就在湘江这边一片混乱时，岳麓山上的第九十师已经支撑不住了。十八日凌晨，日军突破岳麓山船形山的山口阵地，攻上岳麓山山顶。第九十师师长陈侃带着几名卫兵进入密林中，全师剩余官兵则潮水般地向湘乡方向退却，退却中遭遇日军堵截，部队伤亡极重，部分官兵被俘。 渡江而来的第四军主力看见岳麓山已经丢失，便开始自寻出路。第一〇二师在下游找到一些船，除了三〇四团团附张克俭率领的掩护部队未能冲出日军的包围圈外，大部分官兵