Chapter 83 big appetite

After the fall of Hengyang, in order to prevent the Japanese army from advancing westward along the railway, the Chinese army built a frontal defense line of the Xianggui Railway in the Hongqiao area west of Hengyang.On this line of defense, Shi Zhongcheng's 74th Army was deployed in Shaoyang (formerly known as Baoqing). After arriving in Shaoyang, the 57th Division under it immediately chose to build fortifications and actively carried out repairs. The Eleventh Army of the Japanese Army also made a large number of supplements to its soldiers and weapons, but there was still a large shortage. For example, the 40th Division originally had twelve mountain artillery pieces, but now only six are available.Despite this, Yokoyama has no intention of suspending the battle.He mainly considered that the Chinese reinforcements in Hengyang still maintained a strategic offensive posture, and actually formed a U-shaped encirclement circle against the Japanese army.If they are not wiped out in time, these troops will not only take the opportunity to recapture Hengyang, but also cut off the Japanese army's rear communication line from both sides of the Xiangjiang River.If this is the case, it is bound to pose a great threat to the Eleventh Army.

Heng Shanyong decided to continue launching the Battle of Hongqiao in order to surround and annihilate the Chinese troops gathered at Hongqiao.Regarding his idea, the "China Dispatch Army" expressed opposition from the very beginning, on the grounds that the Battle of Hengyang had seriously damaged the strength of the Eleventh Army, and the combat effectiveness of the troops had not yet fully recovered, so it was not suitable for continuous combat, and the advance of the logistics troops was not ideal. Under such circumstances, front-line supplies are also difficult to keep up with.

One of the greatest difficulties the Japanese army faced in the Battle of Changheng and even in the entire "Operation No. 1" was the long supply line, which had to be consolidated from time to time.The Chinese army also discovered that every time the Japanese frontline troops advanced about 100 kilometers, they had to stay for a few days to wait for the logistics troops to send supplies. The concerns of the "Chinese Dispatch Army" are not unreasonable, but just like during the Changde Battle, Yokoyama and his staff selectively ignored the instructions of their superiors. On August 29, after completing the adjustment, replenishment and rest of the troops, the Japanese Eleventh Army issued an order to attack Hongqiao.

On the same day, the 11th Army of the Japanese Army sent a telegram to the headquarters of the "China Dispatch Army", reporting the deployment of the Hongqiao Battle, and stating that they would break through the Hongqiao combat area and officially enter the Hunan-Guangxi battle. Phase one. The Hunan-Guangxi battle is the "Operation No. 1", except for the Battle of Central Henan and the last stage of the Battle of Changheng - the Battle of Guiliu, the first phase of the plan is to directly capture Lingling and Shaoyang.However, according to the original plan of the "China Dispatch Army", the operation will take at least half a month to start.The command was shocked that the subordinates had now advanced the campaign by so long without their consent.

Lieutenant General Hou Gongchun, the chief of staff, personally sent a telegram to the 11th Army, arguing that even if the Battle of Hongqiao was to be launched, it should be regarded as a preparation for the Battle of Guiliu, not the start, so the capture of Lingling and Shaoyang should be postponed. The Nanjing telegram caused controversy within the headquarters of the Japanese Eleventh Army.Even Yokoyama himself hesitated this time, because the telegram made it very clear that if he insists on going his own way and encounters logistical difficulties, the headquarters can only be the shopkeeper-"The Eleventh Army must first rely on itself to advance rear".

In the headquarters, the only person who sang against the Nanjing headquarters was the senior staff officer Takeji Shimanuki.Shimanuki was the main maker of the Japanese battle plan for the Changheng Battle. He insisted on mission first, emphasizing that the Battle of Hongqiao had already begun, and where the battle would go in the future would depend on the enemy's situation. The change in the battle situation finally allowed Shimanuki to win the debate. On August 31, only two days after the Eleventh Army launched its attack, the Chinese army in front of Hongqiao was completely shaken.Under such circumstances, although the "Chinese Dispatch Army" still had complaints about the Hongqiao Battle, they had to acquiesce.

Heng Shanyong had a lot of appetite for launching the Hongqiao Battle. At first, he wanted to achieve a breakthrough from the northwest of Hongqiao, and divide and encircle and wipe out all the Chinese corps without leaving one.The Chinese did not expect that the Eleventh Army of the Japanese Army could gather so many troops and launch battles without stopping, but the problem finally came from the Eleventh Army itself: due to the hasty start and lack of necessary strategic deception, the various troops They all marched towards Hongqiao in a siege posture, which was tantamount to calling the police to the Chinese army in advance, telling them to retreat quickly.

The scheduled encirclement and annihilation battle turned into a pursuit battle, and Shimanuki stomped his feet in anxiety. He wrote in his diary: "The enemy's retreat may be due to our army's attempt to expose it." The Japanese army was eager to expand its achievements, and the frontline battle situation intensified as a result.In panic, many Chinese troops were retreating instead of retreating. Among them, the 79th Army was even attacked by cavalry from the 40th Division of the Japanese Army. The commander Wang Jiaben unfortunately died in battle. The Seventy-Fourth Army guarding Shaoyang is the key target that Yokoyama wants to annihilate.As of August 31, the 51st Division, 58th Division and the vanguard of the Japanese 40th Division had been fighting fiercely for two days, with heavy casualties on both sides. On September 1, the main force of the 40th Division of the Japanese Army arrived one after another, and the offensive became more violent.At a critical juncture, the 51st Division was transferred to other directions to block the Japanese army advancing westward, and only the 58th Division remained on the defensive position east of Shaoyang.

Judging from the situation at the time, the longer the 58th Division's fierce battle with the enemy is delayed, the greater the danger, but if it turns around and withdraws, it may suffer greater losses.The strategy formulated by the 74th Army was to use the 58th Division to use the preset positions to block the attack one by one. While consuming the Japanese troops, it bought time for the 57th Division to complete the defense of Shaoyang City. On September 6, the Japanese army conquered Lingling, but the 40th Division had not been able to break through the periphery of Shaoyang. Later, the division was transferred to the Guiliu battlefield, and the Japanese 37th Division attacked instead.

On September 11, the 57th Division completed its defensive deployment. The 58th Division, with more than half of its casualties, left a small force to delay the enemy's advance, and the main force withdrew to the west of Shaoyang. At this time, the Japanese army had focused its offensive on the Gui and Liu areas. On September 14, the Japanese Eleventh Army captured Quanzhou, Guangxi.While the commander of the army, Yong Shanyong, felt complacent, he also felt that he had to eliminate the hidden dangers in his rear—Shaoyang, guarded by the 74th Army, was located in the northwest of Hengyang, and it was always a serious threat to Hengyang and the Hunan-Guangxi Railway.

Isamu Yokoyama issued an order to the 116th Division, requesting to support the 37th Division of the Japanese Army, which was the main attack.The division was then ordered to occupy the river bank near the southwest of Shaoyang, and then detour to the west and northwest of Shaoyang in an attempt to cut off the defenders' retreat to the northwest. If Shaoyang is besieged on all sides, the defenders will encounter the same situation as the defense battles of Changde and Hengyang, that is, they will not be able to withdraw even if they cannot defend.Wang Yaowu therefore transferred back the 51st Division, which was ordered to build a small stronghold west of Shaoyang together with the 58th Division and the 169th Regiment of the 57th Division to prevent the Japanese 116th Division from encircling Shaoyang. Under such strict vigilance, the Japanese army could only break through Shaoyang City from the east.