Chapter 43 Chapter 42 Killing devils all over the mountains and plains

While the Laohekou operation was still going on, the anti-Japanese armed forces led by the Chinese Communist Party launched a fierce assault on the Japanese army on the battlefield behind the enemy. In response to the possible landing of the US military from the coast of China, the Japanese North China Front strengthened the defense of the Shandong Peninsula.However, due to the need to deploy troops to fight in Laohekou, and at the same time to deploy troops to Shanghai and other places to strengthen defense, the strength of the Japanese North China Front Army was stretched.For this reason, the Japanese army pieced together fragmented forces in Jinan, Shandong, and formed the 43rd Army, which consisted of the 69th Division, the fifth and ninth brigades and the first independent infantry brigade, with a total strength of only 20. 10,000, plus 500,000 puppet troops, the Japanese had to go on the defensive on the battlefield behind enemy lines.

In order to make full use of the opportunity when the Japanese army was weak, Mao Zedong proposed the combat task of "expanding the liberated areas" in 1945: "No matter which liberated areas are near or far away, there are still many enemy and puppet occupations, and many Where the defense is weak, our army should attack these places, wipe out the enemy and puppets, expand the liberated area, and shrink the occupied area. We must turn all the occupied areas that are weakly defended and can be conquered under our current conditions into liberated areas, forcing the enemy to be in extreme conditions. The narrow cities and traffic arteries are tightly surrounded by us, and when all conditions are ripe, the enemy will be completely driven out."

According to the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Shandong Military Region of the Eighth Route Army launched an offensive against the Japanese and puppet troops in the Jinpu Road area.On the evening of February 1st, the main force of the Lunan Military Region raided Surabaya City along Jinpu Road, killing Rong Ziheng, commander of the tentative Tenth Army of the puppet army, chief of staff of the puppet army, and Japanese adviser, and wiped out the Japanese and puppet troops in the city.At the same time, the Eighth Route Army also captured Guxian, Yangzhuang, Yanggong Village and other strongholds on the outskirts of Sishui City, repelled the reinforcements of the Japanese and puppet troops, and wiped out more than 2,000 enemies.On the 11th, five regiments, five battalions and 50,000 militiamen from the Jiaodong Military Region of the Eighth Route Army attacked Zhao Baoyuan, the "Seventh Route Army to Suppress the Communist Party" of the puppet army, south of the Jiaoji Railway Line.During the battle, the Yashan Cannon made by the Eighth Route Army showed great power. More than 300 shells fell into Wandi City where Zhao Baoyuan was located, and destroyed all the strongholds and bunkers built by the puppet army.After nine days of fierce fighting, the Eighth Route Army killed and injured more than 2,000 puppet soldiers and captured more than 7,000 people.On March 8, the four main regiments of the Luzhong Military Region of the Eighth Route Army, together with militia troops, attacked Mengyin City at night and wiped out more than 1,300 Japanese and puppet defenders.

The Japanese army was very alarmed by the rapid counterattack of the Eighth Route Army, especially when Rong Ziheng, the commander of the tentative tenth army of the puppet army, was killed. The report of the Japanese "Yomiuri Hochi" was: "At midnight on February 1, General Heng was killed in battle in Sishui County (40 kilometers northeast of Yanzhou on the Jinpu Line). In June 1943, the Rong family resolutely led 20,000 troops to join our peace camp in the Luzhong Mountains After that, he served as the commander of the Tenth Army of the Guofu (referring to the Wang puppet government) army temporarily, and cooperated with our imperial army to participate in the construction of public security in the Shandong area."

On the night of January 21st, the Eighth Route Army’s Taihang Military Region launched the Daoqing Campaign. In addition to the Seventh and Eighth Army divisional units, there were also the Party School Guard Group of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Branch Bureau, a total of four regiments and three battalions.In the night, the Eighth Route Army quietly went south from Jiuli Mountain, crossed the Daoqing (Daokou to Qinghua) railway, attacked the Japanese and puppet troops in the south of the railway line, west of Pinghan Road, and east of Qinyang, and successively destroyed 18 enemy camps. important stronghold.A brigade of the 117th Division of the Japanese Army was divided into three groups in an attempt to encircle the Eighth Route Army, but was ambushed near Fanzhuang and had to retreat quickly due to heavy losses.On February 20th, the Eighth Route Army launched an attack on the Japanese and puppet troops north of the Daoqing Railway, successively captured more than ten strongholds, and once broke into the Chengguan of Huixian County, causing panic among the nearby puppet troops.On March 22, the main force of the Seventh Army Division crossed the Pinghan Road to the south again, advancing into the Yuanwu and Yangwu areas on the north bank of the Yellow River; the main force of the Eighth Army Division crossed the Qin River westward, advancing into the Wenxian and Mengxian areas .The Daoqing Campaign ended on April 1. The Eighth Route Army wiped out more than 2,500 Japanese and puppet troops and liberated 750,000 people in the occupied areas.From the north of the Yellow River and the south of the Daoqing Railway, except for a few counties, the rest of the area is under the control of the Eighth Route Army.In June, the Taihang Military Region of the Eighth Route Army mobilized the main forces of the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Army Divisions and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters Guard Group. After conquering the two headquarters of the puppet army in a row, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army removed all the strongholds of the Japanese and puppet troops in the north, west, and south of Anyang.At the same time, the Taiyue Military Region of the Eighth Route Army mobilized the anti-Japanese people extensively, and used the tactics of cutting off water, food, and roads to put the Japanese troops in Qinyuan County in a desperate situation. The important town of Qinyuan.

At the beginning of 1945, there were still 7,000 Japanese soldiers and nearly 100,000 puppet troops near the Liberated Areas of Hebei, Shandong and Henan.On April 24, the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region unified command of each of the Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Army Divisions to launch the Nanle Campaign.After three days and nights of fierce fighting, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army destroyed all the strongholds built by the Japanese and puppet troops outside the county, and then captured Nanle, an important passage at the junction of Hebei, Shandong and Henan. The area east of the Wei River became a liberated area.On May 17, the main force of the First, Eighth, and Eleventh Army Divisions of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region and the Cavalry Regiment of the Ninth Army Division launched the Dongping Campaign.The Eighth Route Army was divided into three groups. The middle route attacked Dongping County, the right route attacked the area between Jinxiang and Jining, and the left route attacked Dong'e County.When the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army broke into Dongping, the more than a thousand puppet troops guarding the city fled immediately, and the remaining more than 30 Japanese troops in the city relied on their strongholds to fight to the death and not surrender.The officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army launched a continuous and violent siege, and the Japanese army in the stronghold could not support it and finally committed mass suicide.After conquering Dongping, troops from the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region crossed the Yellow River to conquer Guyang. The puppet troops in nearby Guantao, Julu and other places shuddered at the news and fled away from the city.Since then, the anti-Japanese base areas in the Hebei-Shandong-Henan border area have become one piece.

The Jizhong Military Region of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region of the Eighth Route Army launched a series of operations in succession since mid-April 1945: in the Battle of Ren (Qiu) and He (Jian), they conquered Renqiu and Hejian counties and cut off the The road to Daming in southern Hebei; in the Wen (An) Xin (Town) campaign, conquer Wen’an and Xinzhen counties; in the An (Ping) Rao (Yang) campaign, conquer the three counties of Raoyang, Anping, and Wuqiang This put the Japanese and puppet troops in a passive situation where they could not look at each other head to tail, and rapidly expanded the liberated areas.In June, troops from the Jizhong Military Area Command launched an attack along the Ziya River and recovered Dacheng and Xianxian County. Then they carried out the Great Qing Hebei Campaign, annihilating more than 2,300 Japanese and puppet troops and recovering Jiaohe County.At the same time, the Jinsui Military Region of the Eighth Route Army has launched continuous attacks on the Japanese and puppet troops in front of them since February. By April 8, the 110-kilometer-long Lilan (Lishi to Lanxian) highway at the western foot of Luliang Mountain Recaptured by the Eighth Route Army, the bases of the First, Third and Eighth Army Divisions under the jurisdiction of the Jinsui Military Region became one.

Since 1944, the New Fourth Army in Central China has been in a state of continuous combat with the Japanese and puppet troops.After entering 1945, the New Fourth Army of the Northern Subei Military Region compressed the Japanese and puppet troops in the county towns of Shuyang, Lianshui, Huai'an, Funing, Yancheng, and Xin'an Town from northern Jiangsu to eastern Jiangsu.In April, the New Fourth Army concentrated its main force to launch the Battle of Funing and captured Funing County.In this battle, the New Fourth Army wiped out and captured more than 2,000 puppet troops, recovered the Yanfu Highway, and liberated more than 560 villages and towns.The Soviet Central Military Region located in the Yangtze River Delta raided the important positions of the Japanese and puppet troops between Gaoyou, Baoying, Xinghua, and Yancheng on February 2, expanding the liberated area to more than 2,400 square kilometers.Then, the Suzhong Military Region mobilized the main force and ambushed the Japanese and puppet troops transferred from Baoying to Zhouzhuang. After four hours of fierce fighting, more than 1,000 puppet troops and more than 200 Japanese troops were wiped out.The Huaibei and Huainan Military Regions also frequently attacked: On April 15th, the Huaibei Military Region launched a road raid, attacking the important strongholds of the Japanese and puppet troops in Yongcheng and Guoyang areas, and wiped out more than 3,000 enemies; in May, launched the Sunan Campaign , using the tactics of encirclement and reinforcements, "more than 1,900 people from the 15th Division of the Fourth Front Army to Annihilate the Puppet Army" controlled "a large area between the Feihe River and the Huihe River" and opened up a new liberated area in Sunan, "making Huaibei Jinpu Road The eight counties in the west base are connected into one piece".

In the south of the country, the South China Anti-Japanese Guerrillas led by the Communist Party of China are also actively attacking.In February, the Pearl River column advanced into Qingyuan, Sihui, and Guangning areas, advancing towards the border of Hunan and Guangxi; the Dongjiang column consolidated the anti-Japanese base area centered on Luofu Mountain, and went north to Fogang, Yingde, and Wengyuan areas, advancing towards Hunan and Jiangxi side push.On the Leizhou Peninsula, the Communists organized the Leizhou Anti-Japanese Uprising and established the Leizhou People's Anti-Japanese Armed Forces.The Qiongya column on Hainan Island also successively launched an all-out offensive in Qiongshan, Wenchang, Chengmai, Changjiang, Lingshui, Baoting, Yaxian, Lingao, and Danxian, rapidly expanding the liberated areas.

The Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army, and the anti-Japanese guerrillas in the enemy's rear, in the offensive launched after entering 1945, wiped out about 160,000 Japanese and puppet troops, conquered and recovered 61 counties, and expanded the liberated area to more than 240,000 square kilometers , the population of the liberated occupied areas was about 10 million, and the Japanese and puppet troops were further compressed to the big cities and the main lines of communication, which effectively contained the Japanese troops on the battlefield behind the enemy, greatly reduced the pressure on the frontal battlefield, and made the rear of the Japanese aggressors at stake.

When the Japanese army was squeezed by both the frontal battlefield and the enemy's rear battlefield in China, the U.S. military also launched a series of offensive operations against the Japanese army in the Pacific Ocean, which caused them to suffer a catastrophe. The Battle of Iwo Jima was the beginning of the complete collapse of Japanese forces in the Pacific. The Ogasawara Islands are a series of volcanic islands stretching from mainland Japan to the Mariana Islands.According to the Americans, an Englishman named Gore discovered this place in 1673 and named one of the core islands in the archipelago Ioheng Island.More than a hundred years later, in 1805, the Russians landed on the archipelago, but did not declare occupation because of its extreme desolation.Decades later, in 1830, two Englishmen, a Genoese, and twenty-five Hawaiians landed and settled in the archipelago, and soon the Americans planned to turn it into a A supply station for naval ships and cruise ships.However, the Japanese said that this small island was discovered by a Japanese named Ogasawara as early as 1593, so this is Japanese territory - the Ogasawara Islands including Iwo Jima, which belong to Tokyo as part of the Japanese mainland government jurisdiction. Iwo Jima is the only Shimazaki in the Ogasawara Islands that can build an airport. The island is about 1,200 kilometers away from Tokyo, so it has become the frontier for defending the Japanese mainland.From a strategic point of view, if Iwo Jima falls into the hands of the US military, eastern Japan and the capital Tokyo will be exposed to the attack range of US land-based fighter jets and bombers.Since launching the "Great East Asian War", the Japanese have never considered the issue of homeland security. It was not until the base camp began to plan to move southward that the strategic location of Iwo Jima was paid attention to.In 1940, the Japanese built an airport runway at the foot of Mount Suribachi in the south, and the Japanese Navy also began to build coastal batteries here.In 1944, after the U.S. military captured the Marshall Islands, in order to ensure the frontier of the "absolute defense circle", the Japanese built a second airport runway on the island and greatly strengthened the garrison.By the beginning of 1945, the total strength of the Japanese navy and army on Iwo Jima was about 23,000, and the commander was Lieutenant General Tadashi Kuribayashi. The Japanese army built three fortifications along the coastline of Iwo Jima, each of which was densely covered with solid blockhouses, and each blockhouse was protected by sandbags several meters thick.The firepower strongholds built on the basis of dense forests, rock crevices, and caves are more intertwined like a maze, and each stronghold is connected by criss-cross tunnels.The navy's shore artillery can cover the entire offshore sea surface and beach, and the army's artillery positions are all located in huge tunnels dug into the ground, and even the tanks are buried and used as fixed artillery.Numerous shooting positions on the mountainside are hidden in caves, and the openings of the caves are even built to resist the attack of flamethrowers.In the natural or excavated caves behind the positions, there are stored combat ammunition and living supplies that can last at least two months.The largest cave on the island is the headquarters of Lilin Zhongdao, which can accommodate more than 2,000 people at the same time, and has more than a dozen entrances and exits. In order to attack the Japanese mainland, the US military must take Iwo Jima. U.S. bombers that took off from the Mariana Islands flew to Iwo Jima every day to drop bombs as a routine since New Year’s Day in 1945, and U.S. battleships and heavy cruisers continued to fire around Iwo Jima.Whether it was the bombing by aviation or naval guns, it seemed like a group of patient hunters surrounded a wounded beast—the Japanese army on Iwo Jima remained silent and never fired a single shot.However, one day, a U.S. minesweeper was too close to the coast, which created a huge temptation for the Japanese battery commander on the island, so the shore artillery opened fire. The U.S. minesweeper was hit by six bullets, killing seventeen. One hundred and twenty people were injured.What puzzled the Japanese army was that the U.S. military still dropped bombs and fired artillery day after day—“The U.S. military’s aloof attitude and its display of strength have shaken the Japanese. The sound of pop music floating over the sea is like a A group of people are on an outing, and American sailors with towels around their necks can be seen looking towards the island like tourists."Kuribayashi Tadashima couldn't bear it anymore, and ordered the coastal artillery to fire together, and two Zero fighter jets were also ordered to take off. As a result, the U.S. fleet scattered. ——This move by Kuribayashi Chushima exposed the location and firing range of the hidden cannons on the island, which caused the U.S. military to revise the artillery coordinates at the last moment before the attack. On February 15, the US fleet began to approach Iwo Jima. At 6:40 a.m. on the 19th, accompanied by a sudden earth-shattering explosion, the brutal offensive and defensive battle of Iwo Jima began.Five minutes after the seven US battleships, four heavy cruisers, and four light cruisers fired a salvo, nine gunboats approached the beach and shelled Suribachi Mountain.At 8:03, all shelling stopped abruptly, 120 carrier-based aircraft took off, and rockets, incendiary bombs, and bombs intensively bombarded the beaches, high grounds, and airports on the island.After the fleet bombardment, the naval bombardment began again, this time joined by the firepower of ten destroyers.When the artillery fire extended, the carrier-based aircraft was in the air again, and fired violently at the black beach paved with volcanic ash.The entire Iwo Jima was like a burning ball of fire under the repeated attacks of the U.S. military. Even the U.S. officers and soldiers on the sea were stunned. The Japanese soldiers on the island were not only alive, but when the US artillery fire gradually extended, they looked towards the beach from their caves, fortifications and trenches, and saw the US Marines climbing to the beach. ——The first group of American soldiers who jumped off the land and water tractors soon sank into the soft black sand.Mortars, machine guns, and rifles of the Japanese army on the island fired at them rhythmically, and the moans of the wounded and shouts of health workers were everywhere on the beach.Then, the first batch of U.S. tanks landed, and the giant Japanese shore artillery on the island did not fire, but the anti-tank guns ambushed nearby were firing steadily—Kuribayashi Tadashi decided not to die with the U.S. troops on the beach. It was getting dark, and more than 30,000 U.S. troops had landed. More than 10,000 people crowded on the narrow beachhead and became the target of the Japanese hunting and killing.It was one hell of a night when the Japanese began firing a giant modified rocket onto the beach, sending limbs flying through the night with each explosion.In the darkness, the figures of Japanese soldiers with radio transmitters on their backs flashed everywhere. These Japanese soldiers not only pointed out the shooting targets and directions for the artillery, but also ignited one after another the ammunition sites unloaded by the US troops on the beach.An American military reporter wrote: "I have never seen such a bloody corpse on any other battlefield in the Pacific Ocean. Some of the limbs are separated by fifty feet." On the third day of the battle, the forward troops of the U.S. Army broke through the first line of defense of the Japanese army, and since then began to develop in depth.It rained non-stop, but Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima was always burning under the firepower of the US military.The U.S. military used flamethrowers to clear the Japanese troops in the cave one by one.A week later, Kuribayashi Tadashi reported to Tokyo that more than half his troops had been killed, most of the artillery had been destroyed, the airfield had been lost, and American forces were approaching his headquarters. ——In fact, the battle is still brutal, and the US military has to pay sacrifices for every step forward.It took ten days for the U.S. military to capture the second line of defense of the Japanese army and began to besiege the core cave where Kuribayashi Tadashima was located.The airfield on Iwo Jima was repaired, and a U.S. bomber that had just bombed Tokyo and was about to run out of fuel landed safely, which is enough to justify the bloody sacrifice of the U.S. Marine Corps. On March 5, Kuribayashi Tadao ordered the remaining troops to gather at the last position.In order to deal with the US fire-breathing tanks, the Japanese army tied explosives to their bodies and lay on the only way for the US tanks, but this kind of suicidal resistance could not reverse the situation that was about to completely collapse.On the 17th, the few remaining Japanese troops were compressed in a deep cave at the northeast end of Iwo Jima.At the last moment of the U.S. attack, Kuribayashi Tadashima ordered the military flag to be burned, and sent a farewell telegram to the Tokyo base camp: Since the enemy army attacked, with its unimaginable material advantages, it has attacked our army by air, sea, and land; in this regard, our army has continued to fight desperately. Weep ghosts and gods.However, in the face of the stubborn enemy's onslaught, the soldiers died in battle one after another, and they failed to live up to my expectations. These important areas were forced to be handed over to the enemy.If yousi doesn't take back the island, there will be no peace in the imperial land.For this reason, he turned into a ghost, and vowed to lead the imperial army to make a comeback.When the ammunition and food ran out, and all the surviving soldiers planned to fight for the final battle, they felt the greatness of the emperor's grace, and even though their bodies were broken, they did not regret it.Farewell. Kuribayashi Tadao rushed out of the cave with about 500 Japanese troops, and was immediately intercepted by fierce U.S. firepower.On the 27th, Kuribayashi Tadashima, who was already wounded, knelt down towards Japan and inserted the sword into his abdomen.Nakane Kaneji, the personal staff officer, slashed him in the neck when he was about to fall.After burying Kuribayashi Tadashima's body, Nakane shot himself together with Chief of Staff Masayoshi Takaishi. Iwo Jima, whose area is only one-third of Manhattan in New York, claimed the lives of 4,554 U.S. Marines and 363 U.S. Navy officers and soldiers.Fifteen thousand nine hundred and eighty-four U.S. Marines were wounded, and eight hundred and ninety-one sailors were wounded.It was the deadliest battle for the U.S. military in World War II.Nimitz, commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, said that "rare bravery became a common virtue" among the U.S. troops participating in the Iwo Jima operation. Of the 23,000 Japanese troops guarding the island, about 3,000 survived. The U.S. military can finally take off from Iwo Jima to bomb the Japanese mainland. From March 9th to 10th, the U.S. military carried out the largest incendiary bombing air strike on Tokyo. The incendiary bombs dropped by 334 B-29 bombers were like a torrential rain, and the densely populated Tokyo ignited a skyrocketing fire. Forty-fifths of the area was reduced to ruins, and the death toll was as high as 80,000 to 100,000—"the fire was so hot that the river boiled, the glass melted, and the upward jet of heat even destroyed some bombers."A few days later, the Emperor of Japan inspected the city of Tokyo after the air raid. The emperor's attendants found that the people standing on the ruins had resentful expressions on their faces, "They watched the imperial chariots without bowing." The Battle of Iwo Jima brought U.S. forces closer to the Japanese mainland. On April 1, the US military landed on Okinawa Island in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. As the core island of the Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa is located between China's Taiwan Island, mainland China and Japan, and has been known as "the crossroads of the East" since ancient times.Because the Japanese army occupied Taiwan, even after the outbreak of the Pacific War, there were only more than 600 Japanese troops stationed on Okinawa.In the middle of 1944, as the war situation worsened, the Japanese army began to deploy heavy troops on Okinawa. By early 1945, about 100,000 troops under the command of the commander of the 32nd Army, Lieutenant General Ushishima Mitsuru, were stationed on the island. Officers and soldiers. As far as the Pacific battlefield is concerned, Okinawa is the last barrier to defend the Japanese mainland. The U.S. military started the bombing of Okinawa one month in advance, and the frogmen of the U.S. Navy cleared obstacles and mines along the coast at the same time.By March 31, more than 30,000 bombs and artillery shells had fallen on Okinawa Island, and all the Japanese ground defenses were destroyed.The next day was Easter, and the bombing and shelling by the US military stopped at midnight.However, at the dawn of the next day, the sound of naval gun shells firing again sounded on the sea. The Japanese army on Okinawa looked through the misty sea fog and was stunned: more than 1,300 US warships of various types were like A steel fence stands in the sea off the coast of Okinawa. At 8:00 a.m., landing craft loaded with U.S. assault troops began to advance towards the beach.Amphibious armored vehicles and tractors drove out of the landing craft, and then American soldiers waded into the sea and climbed onto the beach.No resistance.By night some 60,000 U.S. troops were on the beach, some of them with wet shoes—the Japanese on Okinawa, following the defense of Iwo Jima, did not fight on the beach. On the second night of the landing, the U.S. military occupied the airfield. On the third day, the U.S. military had divided Okinawa into two halves, but there was still no decent resistance. Where is the 100,000 Japanese troops shown by the intelligence? Lieutenant Colonel Brown of the 12th Marine Regiment even proposed to the quartermaster in the division: send a Japanese corpse to the brothers as soon as possible!Because many soldiers have never seen what the Japanese are like. On April 5, the Japanese army launched a full-scale counterattack.The joint counterattack launched by the Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet and the Army's 32nd Army was named the "Kisui No. 1" operation. At this time, only the remaining Second Fleet remained in the combined fleet, with the giant battleship "Yamato", the cruiser The "Yachi" and eight destroyers - the remaining battleships formed a special attack team, led by Lieutenant General Ito Seiichi, rushed to the US fleet in the waters of Okinawa Island, and the 32nd Army on the island was divided into four groups. At the same time, they attacked the landing U.S. troops. On the morning of the 7th, the Japanese fleet was spotted by a U.S. submarine.In an instant, more than 300 US carrier-based aircraft swarmed in.This small Japanese naval fleet has neither the escort of the land-based air force nor the assistance of the carrier-based aircraft. It has no possibility of fighting back except for going straight to the US fleet on the sea of ​​Okinawa.Soon, the cruiser "Yachi" was hit by bombs and torpedoes and began to sink, and then the battleship "Yamato" was intensively besieged by US fighter planes.The "Yamato" with a displacement of 64,000 tons is the last support of the Japanese Navy.At this time, the "Yamato" was hit by several bombs and torpedoes. Although it was still heading towards Okinawa at full speed, the hull had already begun to tilt.More than 150 U.S. fighter planes flew over again, and the "Yamato" was hit by two more torpedoes and several aerial bombs.At around 2:00 p.m., when the torpedo hit the "Yamato" again, the giant battleship had tilted more than 30 degrees.The order to leave the ship was finally issued, but Ito refused to leave.Counting from when it was attacked by the U.S. military, the "Yamato" struggled on the rough sea for more than two hours. At about 2:23 pm, the entire battleship, together with more than 3,000 Japanese sailors, including Ito Shoichi, , sank in the depths of the ocean about 50 nautical miles southwest of Kyushu, Japan. ——The mighty navy that the Empire of Japan prides itself on has been completely lost. The U.S. military began sweeping operations across the entire island of Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa has reached an unprecedentedly brutal stage. At this time, a news that shocked the world came: President Roosevelt of the United States passed away suddenly on the afternoon of April 12. British Prime Minister Churchill said: We can say of President Roosevelt that if he had not taken what he actually did; if he had not felt the surging waves of liberty in his heart; Then the whole human race will sink into humiliation and disaster. And Chiang Kai-shek's reaction to Roosevelt's death was regarded by Americans as "ungrateful." During the Cairo conference, Chiang Kai-shek had talks with Churchill and Roosevelt alone. At that time, he spoke highly of Roosevelt: "Church is a British-style statesman, and he is indeed a typical Anglo-Saxon figure, although his thinking and spirit cannot be on the same level as Roosevelt's." And speaking, but his foresight and foresight, maturity and prudence, are rare among modern politicians." When he learned of Roosevelt's death, Chiang Kai-shek's account in his diary was emotionless: "After six o'clock this morning, President Roosevelt's brain congested at four o'clock. The report of half-death is very worrying for the world and the future international situation. President Roosevelt appeases Russia and supports the CCP, but he still has limitations and certain propositions. The change is not as good as Luo Zhi's autonomy! Sino-Russian relations should be more cautious because of Luo's death." Chiang Kai-shek was worried that Roosevelt's death would change the situation in the Pacific War that was heading towards victory; at that time, all levels of Chinese society could not judge what impact Roosevelt's death would have on China.In this daze, another news came: the Japanese army launched a full-scale attack on western Hunan. At this time, southern China is soaked in continuous plum rain. When the Japanese army assembled on the muddy road to the attack point, no one would have thought that this would be their last offensive operation on the Chinese battlefield. The target of the Japanese attack was Zhijiang in western Hunan, China. Zhijiang is the location of the fifth Sino-US joint flight regiment, which has the latest P-51 fighter jets, B-24, B-25 bombers, C-43, C-47 transport aircraft and other types of combat aircraft groups.The huge airport has two runways, north and south, and is the aviation combat base that poses the greatest threat to the Japanese army. The only reason for the Japanese army to launch the Zhijiang operation was to destroy the Zhijiang airport.However, as the U.S. military captured Iwo Jima and landed on Okinawa, the U.S. military could no longer only use air bases in mainland China to bomb the Japanese mainland, which made the purpose of the Japanese attack very vague. On April 11, the Chinese dispatched troops reported to the Tokyo headquarters as follows: With the start of the Okinawa operation, the importance of South China in defending the mainland has been greatly reduced, and it is expected that the enemy's landing attempt in South China will be limited to the capture of Hong Kong by the British army.In order not to have a negative impact on the war guidance of the dispatched troops, we believe that it is sufficient to only stay in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Therefore, we decided to withdraw the troops from Hainan Island and Kinmen Island to the Guangzhou area, and transferred 20 troops from this area. 7. The 40th and 104th divisions were transferred to the vicinity of Nanjing via Ganzhou and Nanchang. On the Chinese battlefield, Neiji Okamura considered it a last resort to abandon the southernmost occupied area and shrink troops to key positions.However, the order from the base camp arrived soon, and the 3rd, 13th, 27th, and 34th divisions will all be transferred to North China, and the request should be completed by August at the latest. ——Moving the most elite divisions on the Chinese battlefield to the north means that the Japanese army must not only abandon Hainan Island. Is there any other explanation? So, after the preparations for the Zhijiang operation, should we fight or not? The operational goal of destroying the U.S. air base has lost its meaning, but after studying the instructions of the base camp, another strong reason appeared in front of Ningji Okamura: Xiangxi has always been the gateway to Sichuan and Guizhou, and it is the sixth theater of China that protects Chongqing. right wing.In this area, the Xuefeng Mountains and Wuling Mountains line the north and south, the Zijiang River, Yuanjiang River, and Lishui River flow eastward, and the thousands of miles of fertile fields by the Dongting Lake provide military rations for nearly one million officers and soldiers in the sixth and ninth theaters of the Chinese army.The only way for the Japanese troops in Guangxi and Guangdong to withdraw to North China was through Hunan.Therefore, if we do not control the important strategic areas in western Hunan, especially Zhijiang, where the main force of the Chinese army and the powerful aircraft fleet of the U.S. military still exist, then the Japanese army will be intercepted by the Chinese army and bombed by U.S. fighter planes when they withdraw northward. The past will also pay a heavy price in casualties. Therefore, "destroying the Zhijiang Air Force Base" and "contributing to the transfer of the 11th Army" became Okamura Neji's final reasons for launching the Zhijiang operation. Okamura Ningji ordered the 20th Army of the Sixth Front Army to undertake the Zhijiang combat mission. The Twentieth Army of the Japanese Army was a newly formed army in Hengyang, Hunan, and the commander was Lieutenant General Kazuyoshi Sakanishi.The task of the army is to control the Changsha, Hengyang and Shaoyang areas, and to fight against China's sixth and ninth theaters.After receiving the task of attacking Zhijiang, because the army captured Yongxin, Suichuan, Ganzhou and other places during the battle in Shaoguan, the troops under its jurisdiction were only enough to maintain the occupied area, and no troops could be drawn out to attack Zhijiang.Bannishi Kazuyoshi asked the base camp to transfer the 47th Division to come to support; he also temporarily reorganized the Army Field Supplementary Team into an independent mixed 81st and 82nd brigade; Some veterans and officers from the division were mixed with young soldiers of about 17 years old who had just been recruited from the mainland to form the 86th and 87th brigades to replace Xiangtan, Liuyang, Liling, Baoqing, Chenzhou, The security tasks in Changsha and other places free up combat troops.Even so, the strength of the three divisions originally planned for the offensive was still insufficient. The Japanese army, which had completely lost its air supremacy, could no longer transport troops by sea or land. In addition to the 131st Regiment of the 17th Division, which arrived in Hunan, its main force is still far away on the Korean Peninsula. Kazuyoshi Banxi completely disagreed with the imminent collapse of Japan, and still regarded the Zhijiang operation as part of the attack on Sichuan.He believed that as long as his troops rushed into the Zhijiang River, Okamura Ningji would command the army to fight all the way to Chongqing along the passage opened by him. Eager to fight, Kazuyoshi Sakanishi launched an offensive despite not having enough troops: the 116th Division was the main attack, the 58th Brigade of the 68th Division and the 131st Division of the 47th Division The alliance is left and right wings. Entering the spring of 1945, the command system of the Chinese army had undergone major changes.In December 1944, the Chongqing Military Commission established the General Command of the Chinese Army in Kunming, with He Yingqin as the commander-in-chief, to unify the command and training of troops in all theaters in the southwest: Lu Han Department of the First Front Army (located in Kaiyuan, Yunnan) , Zhang Fakui of the Second Front Army (stationed in Nanning, Guangxi), Tang Enbo Department of the Third Front Army (stationed in Liuzhou, Guangxi), Wang Yaowu Department of the Fourth Front Army (stationed in Chenxi, Hunan Province), and Du Yuming's Kunming Defense Command.Among them, the Fourth Front Army, which is located in Hunan, has its combat jurisdiction bordered by the Lishui River in the north and the Sixth Theater, and the south is bordered by the Third Front Army's jurisdiction. The troops confronted the Japanese Twentieth Army along the west and south lines of Dongting Lake. . The 18th, 73rd, 74th, and 100th armies under Wang Yaowu's Fourth Front Army were all equipped with American equipment; among them, the 18th and 74th armies were in the hands of the Chongqing Military Commission. the absolute main force. Knowing that the Japanese army was about to attack western Hunan, He Yingqin immediately made countermeasures: A. (1) The Fourth Front Army should use its main force to engage in a decisive battle with the enemy along the lines near Wugang and Xinhua. (2) The Third Front Army should use one corps (Ninety-Fourth Army) to gather in the Tongdao and Jingxian areas first, and prepare to enter and leave east of Wugang to participate in the decisive battle of the Fourth Front Army. (3) Commander-in-chief Wang Jingjiu should lead three divisions under his command and one division of the 18th Army to prepare to enter and leave east of Xinhua from Tao (Taoyuan) and Chang (Changde) to participate in the decisive battle of the Fourth Front Army. (4) Based on the deployment in items 1, 2, and 3 above, it is expected to defeat the attacking enemy in Wugang and the area east of Xinhua. (5) The New Sixth Army should prepare a division to transport Zhijiang by air and serve as the general reserve of the Fourth Front Army. (6) In order to ensure the operational safety of the Fourth Front Army, the Third Front Army should definitely deny the enemy on the Qiangui Road and Guisui Road, so as not to cross the two key areas of Nandan and Longsheng. B. Actions of each corps: (1) The main force of the Fourth Front Army (73rd Army, 74th Army, and 100th Army) should immediately complete the combat preparations in the areas around Wugang and Xinhua, and its Eighteenth Army One division should be immediately drawn out and gathered in the area around Majitang and Anhua, under the command of Commander-in-Chief Wang Jingjiu, and must be assembled on the 20th of April (April) to prepare for the southward attack.The remaining two divisions should set up positions and complete combat preparations to prevent the enemy from attacking from the Chang and Yue sides. (2) The Ninety-Fourth Army should set out from the current station and assemble on foot towards the channel and the area around Jingxian County, and the assembly will be completed by the end of October this month.其笨重器材，另饬后勤司令部派车运输。 （三）王敬久集团之三个师，应即开始行动，向常德、桃源附近地区集结，限于卯月有日（二十五日）前集结完毕，并指挥第十八军之一个师，准备向南之攻击行动。 （四）第三方面军应准备一个军（十三军）待命，向马场坪、栌山一带地区推进，准备机动。 （五）第四方面军突击队应加强活动，侵入敌后，遮断其补给联络，并对进犯之敌后方予以扰乱、袭击及破坏。 丙、阵地设备：武冈、花园、洞口、赛市、新化、烟溪、马迹塘、桃源、常德间之既设阵地，应加强工事，并完成给养、给水、屯粮、屯弹，请设备。 丁、决战地带后方之设施：应在后方要点屯粮、屯弹，设备交通通信、空中投掷场等，并应择要尽先完成之。 面对即将来临的作战，王耀武和他的官兵们信心满满。 在此开列正面战场对日最后一战的中国军队团以上军官名单：第四方面军司令官王耀武，副司令官夏楚中、彭位仁，参谋长邱维达，副参谋长罗幸理。 第十八军：军长胡琏，副军长石祖黄、戴之奇。辖第十一师师长杨伯涛（三十一团团长尹钟岳、三十二团团长张涤瑕、三十三团团长李树兰），第十八师师长覃道善（五十二团团长沈熙文、五十三团团长尹俊、五十四团团长夏建勋），第一一八师师长戴朴（三五二团团长杨国杰、三五三团团长余坤、三五四团团长黄建三）。 第七十三军：军长韩浚副军长陈为韩。辖第十五师师长梁祗六（四十三团团长黄玉谿、四十四团团长张伯侯，四十五团团长王一之），第七十七师师长唐生海（二二九团团长许秉焕、二三〇团团长柏柱臣、二三一团团长陈运武），第一九三师师长萧重光（五七七团团长傅佑任、五七八团团长车驷、五七九团团长王政治）。 第七十四军：军长施中诚，副军长余程万、张灵甫。辖第五十一师师长周志道（一五一团团长王奎昌、一五二团团长谢恺棠、一五三团团长王梦庚），第五十七师师长李琰（一六九团团长宋子玉、一七〇团团长孙进贤、一七一团团长杜鼎），第五十八师师长蔡仁杰（一七二团团长明灿、一七三团团长蒋立先、一七四团团长李运良）。 第一〇〇军：军长李天霞，副军长赵锡田。辖第十九师师长杨荫（五十五团团长陶富业、五十六团团长刘光宇、五十七团团长钟雄飞），第六十三师师长徐志勖（一八七团团长赵尧、一八八团团长刘安泰、一八九团团长李灵运）。 暂编第六师师长赵季平（一团团长黄健、二团团长黄德涛、三团团长陈恭贤）。 第十三师师长靳力三（三十七团团长李竹泉、三十八团团长钱伯英、三十九团团长罗有径）。 挺进第六纵队司令陈光中。 如果加上其他战区的册应部队，芷江作战，中国军队参战官兵约二十余万，而日军加上册应部队只有七万左右。抗战初期，日军每战都用一比十的兵力对比，来拟订与中国军队的作战规模，在这一兵力比例下他们攻城略地，抢掠杀戮，恣意妄为。现在，虽然中日兵力对比为三比一，但双方的战力和素质已今非昔比：日军新兵多，士气低落，而中国第四战区部队均为精锐之师，装备优良，训练有素，官兵士气高昂。——与太平洋岛屿上的日军一样，中国战场上日军的悲惨时刻顺势降临了。 一九四五年四月十三日夜，位于资水以东的日军第一一六师团分成三路纵队自东向西开始行动。右纵队以第一〇九联队为前锋——第一一六师团的设想是从北向南迂回，把王耀武部主力包围消灭在武冈以北、资水岸边的高沙一带。十五日夜，第一〇九联队渗透到白马山以东约五公里处，开始攻击中国守军的前沿阵地。在新化以南的马王坳、大桥边、巨口铺、龙溪铺等阵地，中国守军仅各有一个连，面对数倍于己的日军，官兵们奋力拒敌。马王坳阵地上，守军血战到底，最后与日军同归于尽。青岩据点守军，是第七十四军第五十七师一七一团的周北辰连，中美联合空军不但投下了大量的粮食弹药，还对攻击的日军实施不间断的轰炸和扫射，周北辰连官兵斗志极盛，日军的攻击屡屡受挫。 十八日，日军第一〇九联队抵近隆回司，其前锋第一大队接近大黄沙附近。同时，中纵队第一三三联队和左纵队第一二〇联队，突破中国守军第一〇〇军设于岩口铺和桃花坪的阵地，向西抵近金龙砦。 在战场的北面，日军第一三一联队渡过资水，与中国守军第七十三军在新化以南接战；在战场的南面，日军第五十八旅团以及配属的第二一七联队也从东安向新宁推进，第六十四师团第六十九旅团则由沅江攻击益阳。 王耀武的意图是：在日军攻击的初期，于前沿实施逐步抵抗，把日军诱至新化与武冈间的雪峰山区，实施分割包围。为此，战前他特别命令第七十四军第五十八师组成一个精干的勘察小组，对南北纵贯于绥宁、武同、洞口一带的雪峰山区进行了详细勘察，对这一地域内的要隘、通道、制高点以及特殊地形地物做了详细记录，尤其是对武冈境内的雪峰山与泡洞山之间长约二十公里的山谷进行了全面测量。 日军对此一无所知。 攻击初期逐渐深入的态势，增加了坂西一良的轻敌与狂妄：“判断全面形势的发展比预期还要有利，遂决定配合关根支队（第五十八旅团）的前进扩大饭岛挺进队（第一〇九联队第一大队）的成果，从北面进行大的迂回包围，把当面的重庆军主力消灭在高沙市一洞口一花园市一武冈西北地区。” 二十日至二十三日，日军中纵队第一三三联队，在野炮第一二二联队的配合下，在白马山南侧突破中国守军第七十四军第五十七师的阵地，二十一日晨抵近雪峰山东麓。左纵队第一二〇联队攻占高沙市。右纵队第一〇九联队遭到中国军队的顽强反击陷入苦战。战场北面的第一三一联队，被中国军队第七十三军阻止于新化以南。南面的第五十八旅团被中国第七十四军阻止于真良附近。实施牵制性攻击的第六十九旅团在占领桃江后，受到中国军队第十八军的猛烈反击，该旅团被迫撤离桃江返回了益阳。——此刻，坂西一良发觉自己很可能出现了判断上的失误：中纵队和左纵队当面的中国军队，似乎有意做轻微抵抗而后撤退，但右纵队第一〇九联队正面的中国军队抵抗出奇地顽强，北面的第一三一联队在中国军队的阻击下同样寸步难行——那么，从北向南迂回包围王耀武部主力的设想，显然是错误的，因为王耀武部的主力不在南面而在北面。 坂西一良随即改变作战计划，放弃从北面迂回包抄的决定，采取中央突击的方式，除第一〇九联队继续原的抵抗之外，其余部队向江口方向的纵深猛烈突击，争取把中国军队主力消灭在龙潭司附近。 但是，坂西一良很快就发现又不对劲儿了：“龙潭司方面之重庆军不仅逐次增加兵力进行顽强抵抗，而且其强大的部队更挺进到步兵第一〇九联队的背后，从东西两个正面进行反攻。” 此时的战场，已经不是任日军肆意妄为的战场了。 二十四日，鉴于益阳方向已无顾虑，中国陆军总司令部决定将精锐的第十八军调入战场，准备与日军决战： ―、王敬久兵团（九十二军暂五十一师）迅以主力接替十八军常德、桃源、益阳、宁乡方面之防务，拒止当面之敌，限卯月底接替完毕。第十八师仍归还第十八军建制。 二、第四方面军主力七十四军、一〇〇军、七十三军，应于武冈、洞口、新化线，竭力阻止来攻之敌，使尔后之决战有利。其十八军主力，应照前令于卯月底前集结于沅陵，并依情况可不待集结完毕，即由沅陵、溆浦道南下，参加该方面军主力决战。第十八师应于交防后，沿安化、蓝田、邵阳方向挺进，以遮断敌后之交通，使主力军作战有利。 三、第十三师于到达辰溪后之行动，由王司令官自行规定。 四、九十四军（欠四十三师）应遵照卯梗（二十三日）忠整兴（昆明）电所示，限本卯月底前集结靖县、会同地区。尔后之任务及行动，另令饬遵。 五、新二十二师控置于龙江，保持机动。 六、第三、第四两方面军，对新宁、城步、绥宁方面之作战，应密切协同。 王耀武选择的决战地点，是沅江、资水的分水岭雪峰山地区。 在湖南的西南部，向西渡过资水，便可看见南北走向的雪峰山如一道屏障，这道屏障的西面就是沅江，而沅江以西便是日军攻击的目标芷江。雪峰山山势陡峭，山谷幽深，山路崎岖，中国守军丛山麓到山顶利用险峻地形修筑了层层坚固阵地。由于重炮在山路上无法牵引前进，日军步兵只能以轻武器向上仰攻，而中国守军均装备着火力凶猛的美式武器。——王耀武有足够的信心将日军歼灭在这片山谷中。 桂柳会战时，日军的重要作战目标是桂林机场。当日军距离桂林还很远的时候，美军就从桂林航空基地撤离了，因为美军可以判断当面中国军队无法阻挡日军的攻势。而现在——时间仅仅过去了几个月——美军不但没从与日军前锋仅隔一座山和一条江的芷江机场撤退，且各种战机还每天从芷江机场起飞助战。由于近在咫尺，美军的战机几乎是刚一升空就能飞临日军的头顶，把炸弹和机枪子弹一股脑地倾泻下去后，掉头降落，如果再次起飞连燃油都可以不加。——美国人的判断是：无论在太平洋战场上，还是在中国战场上，日本人已经不行了。 二十五日，日军第五十八旅团遭到了前所未见的轰击——“尖兵占领的高地上，松树几乎全被摧倒，看去四面山的好像全都充满了敌人。第三大队长立即部署主力开始攻击北面高地，配属的山炮也首次拉开炮门支援了步兵。然而重庆军以发烟弹指示我军部队的位置，其迫击炮及轻重机枪如暴风骤雨一般向我阵地倾泻而来，其弹药之充足使人吃惊。由于连续集中射击，附近高地成了火海。重庆军反复对我进行勇敢的突击，斗志顽强，激烈的战斗使我继续出现伤亡。”很快，第五十八旅团第三大队第十一中队陷入重围，第三大队拼死攻击企图营救，终于与第十一中队会合时，发现中队长以下军官已全部倒下，“士兵大多死伤”。 在中国守军第一〇〇军方向，日军第二二四联队被第十九师阻击在山谷中。中国官兵逐渐压缩包围圈，激战终日，日军虽然不断高喊着试图突围，但终被密集的火力所阻不得脱身。天亮之后，中美联合空军对聚集在狭窄山谷中的日军实施了猛烈轰炸，日军四处奔逃躲避，完全失去了斗志。第十九师官兵乘势清剿山谷里的残余日军，查明日军的番号是第二二四联队炮兵、工兵和辎重兵等直属部队以及一个步兵大队。根据俘虏辨认，第二二四联队联队长和步兵大队队长已被击毙。日军第二二四联队另一个大队也陷入中国军队的包围，无食无援的日军在绝望中突围，深夜里窜到一个小山村企图寻找食物，中国军队第十九师五十六团的两个营悄悄包抄而来，营长刘汉雄亲率一百三十人的敢死队突进小山村，日军猝不及防，死伤累累，残余的二百余人逃入密林，但很快就被清剿殆尽。此战，中国官兵伤亡二百八十余人。 向芷江方向突击的日军第一〇九联队受到猛烈阻击：“各大队有不少将校伤亡，士兵亦相继阵亡，尤其缺乏弹药，战斗力逐渐下降。而重庆军却增强了兵力，在活跃的空军呼应下，反复而执拗地进行反攻。”二十五日这天，第一〇九联队第一大队伤亡一百二十五人，第二大队伤亡二百四十六人，第三大队伤亡一百七十五人。——“鉴于以上情况，联队长担心若继续盲目攻击，不仅增加损耗使我战斗力愈发低下，而且将导致将来很难完成任务，于是决定在确保当时进入线的同时，暂时整理战线。” 二十六日，中国军队第七十四、第一〇〇、第七十三军相继向当面日军发动反击，双方终日厮杀。最令日军恐惧的还是来自空中的打击：“二十六日八时至十时反复扫射轰炸。由于美机投下燃烧弹和汽油罐，第一大队的圭洞东南侧阵地附近和第三大队的圭洞北侧阵地附近，树木、鹿砦被烧毁，美机的猖狂震撼山间，其势恰似南洋海上的急风骤雨。” 二十七日以后，中国军队开始转人更为主动的攻势作战。第七十三军在潭溪东南，与日军第一三一联队激战，付出伤亡二百多人的代价给予日军极大杀伤。在以往的作战中，中国军队极少俘虏日军，而此时被活捉的日军官兵越来越多，仅第七十三军上报俘虏的日军军官就有佐宁夫姑、板片民、青里公保、不吕野元、吴海连等；同时中国军队还首次发现俘虏中竟然有韩国人——显然这些韩国人是跟随第一三一联队从朝鲜半岛来的——第七十三军上报的被俘韩国人是李容相、刘光公、望安潭、黄义啸、姜士淑等。 日军第二十军的作战决心发生了动摇：“基于芷江作战的发展情况，对作战前途产生疑问的时间是四月二十五日和二十六日”。其关键性因素是得到了重庆方面把精锐部队空运到战场的情报。日本方面已经在缅甸作战期间，体验了经过美式训练并装备美式武器的中国军队可怕的战斗力。日军中国派遣军司令部和第六方面军的参谋们由此看出了问题的严重性：“今后若不慎重指导，恐将陷于危险”。经过与东京大本营紧急磋商，得出的结论是：“这一作战，无论如何不可能达到芷江。” 日军第二十军司令官坂田一良，对战局竟然变成这样很是不甘。他坚决要求再给他增派二至三个师团，然后由他指挥给当面中国军队以“彻底的打击”。这一次，冈村宁次拒绝了。冈村宁次的意见是：如果“采用第二十军的意见的话”，以目前对中国军队战斗力的衡量，至少还“需要七个师团”，于七月上旬“从宝庆以西地区采取攻势”，在沅江以东地区捕捉消灭中国军队。但这样做时，“将会迫使派遣军进行预想不到的决战，并将给对美战备及大本营全面作战指导带来莫大障碍”。所以，“不宜采用第二十军的意见，而应中止芷江作战”。 五月四日，无奈的坂田一良下达了停止作战并全面撤退的命令： 一、军决定暂时避免和重庆军决战，将主力向山门、洞口、花园市一带后转，在确保该的周围要线以整理态势的同时，等待第四十七师团主力到来，以便消灭从雪峰山山里出来的重庆军。 二、第一一六师团应适时脱离战线，向山门、洞口一带后转集结，寻找和消灭在该地之敌。为此，应以一部占领和确保八七〇高地以北到赛市北面高地之间雪峰山山脉东缘要点，作为立足点。 三、关根支队（第五十八旅团）要适时脱离战线，向花园市附近后转集结，消灭当地之敌。为此，应以一部确保桥头以南、雪峰山山脉东缘的要点，作为立足点。 命令下达后，中国派遣军司令部内极度沉闷： 第二十军自四月十五日开始了芷江作战，而出乎预料的是敌人把美式装备的新编第六军空运到了芷江。中国派遣军方面，期待着在第二十军进入沅江一线后能很好地指导作战，为此一直注视着战况的发展。但由于敌空军的妨害，雪峰山的险阻，第四十七师团主力前进缓慢，敌人的战斗力及集中速度之大等原因，第二十军的攻势终于在雪峰山受挫。 中国军队下达了对日军进行全面包围的作战命令： 一、方面军决于五月八日拂晓，全面转移攻势，置主决战于两翼，协力右翼友军，压迫敌人于雪峰山东麓捕捉歼灭之。 二、七十四军（欠五十一师、五十七师，附一九三师、暂编第六师）除以一部于武冈、唐家坊、瓦屋塘各据点担任守备外，其余即由唐家坊、瓦屋塘、金屋塘之线，重点保持于右，攻击当面之敌。奏功后，进出于武冈、水浸坪、邓家铺、栗山铺之线。 三、新编第六军（欠十四师，附五十七师）推进至江口附近，就攻击准备位置，逐次攻击肝溪、平江、下查坪及洞口附近之敌。奏功后，进出于斜崔塘、夹水江、菱角田之线。 四、一〇〇军（附五十一师）迅速肃清放洞附近之敌，尔后协力新编第六军，重点保持于右，向上查坪、半江峰一带之敌攻击。奏功后，进出于天台界、拉水冲、月塘山菱角田之线。 五、十八军（欠十八师）即集结于小沙江、隆回司、黄泥井间地区，重点保持于右，攻击当面之敌。奏功后，进出于新屋冲、黄桥铺、易家桥之线。 六、七十三军（欠一九三师，附十八师）以主力迅速击灭洋溪之敌，以有力一部，即集结于大桥边附近，重点保持于右，向滩头、巨石铺等处之敌攻击。奏功后，进出于桃花坪、岩口铺、石马江之线，掩护方面军主力左侧背之安全，并派小部队向永丰、湘乡之敌佯攻。 七、各军之作战地境（略） 八、挺进第六纵队，仍以滩头附近为根据地，袭击邵阳、罗家庙、桃花坪、赛市、大桥边、巨石铺间之敌，截断敌联络线，使主力军作战容易。 九、十三师为方面军之预备队，仍位于牛路口以东古佛山、升平里之线，担任守备，并准备机动使用。 这是中国抗战史上的重要一刻。 中日全面战争爆发以来，在正面战场的数十次会战中，日军几乎都是一旦发动攻势便会在中国国土上长驱直入。每次战役结束，战场上往往遍布着中国官兵的尸体，而那些成百上千甚至上万被俘的官兵都会被日军虐杀。中国官兵使用着劣等武器，有时甚至需要使用自己的身躯来阻挡日军的攻城略地，日军并不认为中国军队是他们真正的战争对手。历史进入一九四五年之后，战势仿佛在一夜之间发生了颠倒：侵华日军首次因为战况的不利以及伤亡的巨大而放弃作战仓皇撤退，中国军队却斗志旺盛地要对日军实施痛快淋漓的围歼。 雪峰山战场上的中国军队开始了迅猛的动作。 日军第一一六师团的三个联队和第五十八旅团很快被分割，其中突出在放洞附近的第一〇九联队，被中国军队第五十一、第六十三、第十九师合围在峡谷中，第一〇九联队拼死突围，但在中国军队的围攻下死伤惨重。坂田一良命令第一三三、第一二〇联队前去解救，但这两个联队很快就被中国军队第十一、第十八、第五十七、第一九三师包围，在震天动地的喊杀声中，日军第一一六师团师团长菱田元四郎彻底绝望了，命令部队杀开一条血路各自突围。 第七十四军第五十七师一七一团二营机枪二连官兵，在连长萧睁的率领下阻击试图突围的日军。当日军准备趁夜色实施第四次冲击时，全连官兵决心给日军一个突然的火力打击——“眼看敌人越来越近，越来越多，也越来越密集。等到距离我阵地一百五十米时，已超过了我们的伏击线，事实上我们对敌之右翼已形成了包围。箭在弦上，心情紧张极了。忽然，敌人发起冲锋，我一声令下，机枪、冲锋枪、手榴弹猛烈向敌人扫射和投掷。出其不意，攻其不备，打得敌人晕头转向，抱头鼠窜。我按原先出击计划，用手电光一长两短之信号，要求主阵地延伸射程。然后命令杨排长的轻机枪在原地掩护，全排所有冲锋枪出阵，步枪上刺刀。战士们迅速向敌人猛冲过去，杀得敌人尸横遍野，溃不成军……我正向营长报告战斗经过时，突然我机枪连三排一个叫车登崇的士兵气喘吁吁跑来：'报告连长，杨排长身负重伤！'我急忙向三排阵地位置奔去，机关枪已经由上士排附姚兴鼓率领转移到预备阵地上去了。杨排长躺在战壕内，面色苍白，头部血流如注，为国捐躯了。我守在杨排长的遗体前，默默无言，心如刀割。杨排长是我军改为美式编制时调到我连的，时间不到两个月。他人忠厚诚恳，寡言务实，爱兵如子，作战勇敢沉着，是个优秀的军官。我怀着悲痛的心情鼓励士兵们：'化悲痛为力量，誓歼残敌，还我河山！'” 就在机枪连官兵为杨排长的死悲伤