Chapter 13 Chapter Eleven Three Battles of Changsha

On the 5th, the Japanese army captured Shayang, and on the 6th they occupied Jingmen, Shilipu and Shihuiqiao. On the 8th, the Japanese army occupied Yuan'an, Herong, Jiangling, and Shashi, and the main force was deployed on the lines of Jingmen, Shilipu, and Jiangling. Beginning on the 9th, with the direct support of the aviation force, it will attack the main position of the defenders.In the afternoon, the right-wing position was breached, and they retreated to the outer positions of Yichang that night.The Japanese continued to attack.After fierce fighting until 16:00 on the 12th, Yichang fell.The 11th Army of the Japanese Army was originally scheduled to return to the station after the capture of Yichang.On the night of occupying Yichang, Sonobe and Ichiro ordered to quickly sort out the situation and prepare for retreat. On June 15, the retreat was ordered, and all were withdrawn on the 16th.The 18th Army of the Fifth Theater immediately recovered Yichang.Influenced by Germany's occupation of Paris in Europe and Italy's announcement of war against Britain and France, the Japanese base camp ordered China to send troops to secure Yichang in order to further strengthen the threat to Chongqing despite the shortage of troops. At 12 o'clock on the 17th, the 13th Division of the Japanese Army attacked Yichang again.At this time, the 40th Division of the Japanese Army in the Dahongshan area was surrounded by the 29th Group Army. The fierce battle lasted for 6 days and nights, with heavy casualties.Sonobe and Ichiro had no mobile troops to reinforce, so they had to let the 40th Division organize their own breakout. On June 21, they broke through the encirclement and reached the east bank of the Han River north of Zhongxiang.So far, the battle is over.

In this battle, although the Japanese army occupied Yichang, they failed to defeat the main force of the fifth theater, and suffered heavy losses, with more than 11,000 casualties.2 squadrons of soldiers, 1 squadron of engineers, 1 squadron of tanks, 1 squadron of engineers, 1 brigade and 1 squadron of field heavy artillery, 1 brigade of mountain artillery and 1 squadron of mechanism machines, and 1 squadron of automobiles ) from Ligang in the southeast of Tongcheng along the mountainous area of ​​the Hunan-Jiangxi border, via Nanlouling and Fushiling to the east of Pingjiang; Attached to the 101st Division and the 102nd Brigade, 4 brigades, 1 field artillery brigade and 1 mortar brigade, 1 cross-river engineering unit, 4 automobile squadrons) attack from Fengxin area to Gao'an area first, defeating the defenders After the army, it turned to the north, with the main force attacking Xiushui, and one part attacking Wuning to destroy the anti-Japanese base in the Jiuling area, and supporting the main force to attack north of Changsha; 1 squadron, 1 team, 1 fighter team and 1 light bomber team) focus on supporting the 2 main divisions; the Navy's 13th Gunboat Team (Takama End, attached to the Marine Corps and some aviation units) mainly covers the 5th Brigade going back to the Xiangjiang River Attack and landing.

After the fall of Wuhan, the north of the Yangtze River in Hubei and the west of Hunan and Jiangxi became the defense area of ​​the ninth war zone.The task entrusted by the Military Commission is to defend Hunan and Jiangxi, especially the key areas near Changsha.The operational policy is: in northern Hunan, use the established positions to resist one by one, in exchange for time, and consume the enemy. If the enemy enters the second line of positions (the line between the Pingjiang River and the Miluo River), use the Shogunate Mountain as a base to attack the enemy's back. ; In case of approaching Changsha, use the troops near Changsha and the area to the east to flank it.On the northern Jiangxi side, use guerrilla warfare to contain and consume the enemy. Wan'an should be deployed in depth. In early September 1939, the Ninth War Zone learned that the Japanese army was gathering troops in northern Hunan and southern Hubei, and judged that it was possible to attack Changsha. Based on the operational policy, it formulated an operational guidance outline.Its main contents are as follows: in this resistance in northern Hunan, lure the enemy to the vicinity of Changsha to encircle and annihilate them;At this time, there were 47 divisions and 3 advancing columns in the ninth theater.Its force deployment is: the 19th Group Army (Luo Zhuoying, 4 divisions) is located in the west of Ganjiang, Songpeng Street, Gao'an, and Xinyu in the north of Zhegan Road; the 1st Group Army (Lu Han, 4 divisions) is located in Lianhuashan, Under the bridge, Jiangjiazhou area; the 30th Group Army (Wang Lingji, 4 divisions) is located in Sepa Mountain, Putian Bridge, and Liangmen area; the 27th Group Army (Yang Sen, 4 divisions) is located in Xiushui, Taohuagang, Qingmeiwan Team area; the 15th Group Army (Guan Linzheng, 8 divisions) in the main defensive direction is located on the west side of Yuehan Road, south of Xinqiang River, north of Changsha, Mufu Mountain and both sides of the Miluo River, Maishi, Xinqiang , Antlers (first-line positions), Xinjie, Miluo, Yingtian (second-line positions), Fulinpu, and Xiangyin areas; the 20th Group Army (Shang Zhen, Huo Kuizhang, 6 divisions) is located in the south of the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake Shishou, Changde, and Ningxiang areas to the west; advancing troops in the border areas of Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi (Fan Songfu, 2 commanders, and 2 advancing columns) guerrilla near De'an, Daye, and Yangxin; the general reserve team (15 divisions) respectively Falcons are found in Hengyang, Xiangtan, Changsha, and Shanggao.The headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief (Xue Yue) of the Ninth Theater is located in Changsha.Due to Lu Han's illness, Luo Zhuoying unified command of the 1st and 19th Army Groups.

Neiji Okamura, commander of the Japanese 11th Army, issued a combat order on September 13.The main content is: In order to conceal the main attack direction, confuse and contain the Chinese army, the 106th Division on the left wing was ordered to start the attack on September 15th, and broke through the left wing positions of the 1st and 19th Group Army of the defenders from the west of Fengxin. After going out to its side, annihilate the defenders in the northwest area of ​​Gao'an; order the 5th Brigade on the right wing to land in the camp field at dawn on September 23; Attack the Pingjiang area to annihilate the 15th Army of the defenders in the area. The actions of the main forces are: the 6th Division advances from the west of Xinqiang Town to the Mishui South Highland; the 26th Brigade advances from the west of Yanglin Street to Wukou , The North Bank of Mishui rushed; the 33rd Division rushed from Tongcheng to Maishi and Zhajin.

On September 15, 1939, the 106th Division of the Japanese Army in western Jiangxi launched an attack first; its 102nd Brigade made a diversionary attack from the big town northeast of Gao'an to the 32nd Army's position in Xiangfuguan; its main force broke through from the Huibu area After defending the positions of the 60th Army, they turned around to the rear of the positions of the 1st and 19th Army Groups.The two armies were forced to retreat. On the 18th, the 32nd Army abandoned Gao'an and retreated to the south bank of the Jinjiang River.After the main force of the 106th Division of the Japanese Army joined the 102nd Brigade in Gao'an, they abandoned Gao'an on the 21st. The 102nd Brigade returned to Dacheng.In northern Hunan, the 5th Brigade of the right wing of the Japanese army and the Marine Corps encircled the left wing of the 15th Group Army from Dongting Lake on September 23. They landed in Yingtian on the same day and marched eastward along the south bank of the Miluo River. Guiyi was captured on the 25th. The 6th Division and the 26th Brigade, which were the main attack direction of the Japanese army, forcibly crossed the Xinqiang River at dawn on the 23rd, and broke through the positions of the 52nd Army from Xinqiang and Yanglin Street respectively; Break through the defenders' 79th Army positions. On the 24th, Xue Yue ordered the 15th Group Army to stop the Japanese army between the Xinqiang River and the Miluo River with a force, and the main force retreated to the second position on the Miluo River.After the Japanese army broke through the first-line position, regardless of the Chinese defenders outside the breakthrough, they rushed southward, trying to reach the Mishui line, cut off the retreat of the defenders and encircled and suppressed them. On the 25th, the 6th Division and the 26th Brigade reached the north bank of the Miluo River and Wukou in the west of the Pingjiang River; the 33rd Division was blocked by the 79th Army of the defending army based on the strong resistance of the mountain, and was blocked about 10 kilometers south of Maishi. tree harbor.After fierce fighting until the 26th, Chiang Kai-shek was determined to have a decisive battle with the Japanese army near Changsha, so he sent a telegram to Xue Yue: "Prepare to use 6 divisions to be located near Changsha, and personally command them. When the enemy breaks into Changsha, flank and annihilate them." However, the Japanese army's campaign attempt was not to attack Changsha, but to wipe out the main force of the Chinese army, especially the 15th Army.When the battle lasted until the 27th, the 6th Division and 5th Brigade of the Japanese Army entered the area north of Fulinpu, the 26th Brigade, the 33rd Division and the 106th Division were blocked under the strong resistance and counterattack of the defenders. It is near Longmen Factory and Huangsha Bridge on Changle Street.The troops were quite scattered, and the main force of the Chinese army could not be found and wiped out. Fearing that they would continue to fall into a tight siege, Neiji Okamura decided to stop the advance and ordered the 26th Brigade to turn eastward to support the 33rd Division.On the 30th, a part of the 6th Division went out to the north bank of the Laodao River, the 26th Brigade and the 33rd Division met at the Sanyan Bridge, and the 106th Division was attacked by the 19th Army in the Jiuling Mountains. Fight back strongly and fall into a bitter battle.Neiji Okamura noticed that the situation was unfavorable and ordered the entire line to retreat. The order said: "The Chinese army is tenacious, and it is still lurking in the areas on both sides of the Qianmishui River and the Xiu River. In order to avoid the unfavorable situation, our army should quickly move to the original position in order to restore combat effectiveness. , and should strictly guard against the pursuit of the Bi army." On October 1, the Japanese army began to retreat. On the 2nd, when the Chinese army discovered that the Japanese army was retreating, Xue Yue immediately issued an order, requesting all troops to "take the current posture to pursue the enemy in front of us fiercely, and to capture them in the area south of Chongyang and Yueyang." One can be sent to monitor and sweep them, and the main force will go beyond and pursue them."Fearing that the Japanese army would pretend to retreat to lure the enemy, the troops did not carry out the order to "exceed and pursue" and only pursued the Japanese army to recover the lost ground.By October 10, China and Japan had resumed the situation before the battle.

In this battle, during the offensive and retreat operations of the Japanese army, they were firmly blocked, flanked and pursued by the Chinese army, no matter in the main attack direction of Yuehan Road or in the assist direction of Jiuling Mountains. In the rear, the Japanese army suffered great losses, and failed to realize its campaign attempt to encircle and annihilate the main force of the defenders in the Hunan and Jiangxi regions.The number of troops participating in the battle was about 100,000 Japanese troops; there were 32 divisions and 3 advancing columns in the ninth theater, about 300,000 people.The Japanese army suffered 3,550 casualties, and the Chinese army suffered about 30,000 casualties and missing persons.

In the first battle of Changsha, the Japanese army lost a lot of personnel and equipment, and failed to achieve the strategic intention of annihilating the main force of the Chinese army and destroying its will to continue the war of resistance. Without losing space, in the battle of more than 20 days, the combination of positional defense, mobile flanking and guerrilla harassment has caused considerable losses to the enemy, which is basically in line with the strategic policy of "protracted war of attrition". In this sense, It should be considered a victorious battle.Especially in terms of spiritual influence, it is particularly positive. Through the battle, the Chinese army really realized that the Japanese army was insufficient and unable to launch the large-scale offensive before the Wuhan battle, which strengthened the confidence of the victory of the war of resistance and improved the morale of the officers and soldiers. morale.Neiji Okamura, the commander of the Japanese 11th Army, also realized this.In his opinion letter to Hisao Nishio, the commander-in-chief of the Chinese dispatched army after the battle, he believed that the battle failed to annihilate the main force of the Chinese army, and it failed to capture Changsha and retreated. Call upon the enemy to counterattack, encourage his combat troops, and strive to raise their morale."That's exactly what happened. In December, the Chinese army launched a winter offensive. Each theater attacked the Japanese army in its own theater at the same time, and dealt a certain degree of blow to the Japanese invaders.

In the spring of 1941, Yuki Anan, the vice-officer of the Japanese Army, took over as the commander of the 11th Army.When he was in the Ministry of War, he participated in the formulation of the "Long-term Combat Guidance Plan against China", which was scheduled to be in the summer and autumn of 1941, "to exert comprehensive forces and exert strong pressure on the enemy, with a view to resolving the incident in one fell swoop."Therefore, after he took office, he actively prepared to launch a major offensive against the Ninth Theater.A preliminary plan ("Plus Operation") was drawn up in July.The Japanese base camp agreed with the plan of the 11th Army on August 26 and issued an order to attack Changsha. In early September, the plan was finally changed.Its main content is: Operation purpose: "In order to destroy the enemy's will to resist the war, deal a big blow to the troops of the Ninth Theater in the West".Combat policy: Our army began to attack on September 18. When it is possible to break through the enemy between the Xinqiang River and Yangshui, enter and exit the line of the lower reaches of Mishui near Changle Street; after completing preparations, attack the enemy on the south bank of Mishui, Break through in Xinshi and Suqiao Road areas.The main force of the Israeli army encircled and destroyed the Xiangjiang area from the west of the road, and used one part (6th and 40th divisions) to defeat the enemies in the mountains on the Putang side as much as possible.The attack on the enemy on the South Bank of Tears is scheduled to start around September 23, and the battle will end at the end of September.At the end of the concentration of troops, one of them cooperated with the navy to carry out a feint against Changde.In order to contain the troops in the Ninth War Zone, the Nanchang garrison launched an attack in due course.Forces used: the 3rd Division (with 4 mountain artillery brigades), the 4th division (with 1 mountain artillery brigade and 1 mortar artillery brigade).The 6th Division (attached to 2 mountain artillery brigades and 1 mortar brigade), the 40th division (attached to 1 mountain artillery brigade), the 26th brigade of the 13th division (Zaoyuan detachment, 4 infantry brigades, mountain artillery 2 brigades), the 33rd Infantry Regiment of the 33rd Division (Araki Detachment, 3 Infantry Battalions, 1 Mountain Artillery Battalion), the 63rd Battalion of the 14th Brigade (Pingye Detachment, attached to 1 Mountain Artillery Squadron), independent and mixed The 62nd Battalion of the 14th Brigade (Eto Detachment), the 13th Tank Regiment (attached to 2 squadrons of light tanks), the 14th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, the 15th Independent Field Heavy Artillery Regiment 1st Battalion, Military Engineering Corps (3 Wings of Independent Engineers, 8 Squadrons of Bridging Materials), Regional Team of Yuenan Military Station (18 Squadrons of Automobiles, 9 Squadrons of Supplies).The total force is: 45 infantry brigades and 26 artillery brigades.Coordinated units: 1st Flying Regiment (3 squadrons of reconnaissance aircraft, 3 squadrons of direct cooperation aircraft), 3rd Flying Regiment (1 squadron of reconnaissance aircraft, 2 squadrons of fighter jets, 3 squadrons of light bombers), the Navy's 1 Part of the Chinese fleet.

After the first Battle of Changsha, the Ninth War Zone formulated the "Ninth War Zone Counterattack Plan" on March 17, 1941 based on the experience and lessons learned from the battle. Lin Street, Changle Street, Fulin Pavement Road and the banks of the Xiangjiang River on the Canton-Han Railway will attack Changsha and Hengyang."The plan is to "lure the main force of the enemy in the area south of the Miluo River, Jinjing, Fulinpu, and north of the Sanjie Bridge, counterattack and annihilate them."As of early September, there were 11 armies and about 30 divisions in the Ninth Theater.Its troop deployment is as follows: the 99th Army (Fu Zhongfang, 3 divisions) guards the Qingshan area and Xiangyin, Yingtian, Guiyi, and the Xiangjiang and Miluo Rivers; the 27th Army (Yang Sen, 8 divisions) guards both sides of the Xinqiang River , Lujiao, Tongcheng, and Jintang'ao; the 30th Group Army (Wang Lingji, 4 divisions) defended the Jiepai, Guanyin Pavilion, and Tanbu line positions with a force, and the main force was assembled near Sandu; the 19th Group Army ( Luo Zhuoying, with 6 divisions and 14 security regiments) defended the Shangdongkeng, Jing'an, Fengxin, Gao'an, and Shichajie areas with most of its troops, and its 74th Army (Wang Yaowu, 3 divisions) assembled in Xinyu, Yi By region; the 37th Army (Chen Pei, 3 divisions), the 26th Army (Xiao Zhichu, 3 divisions), and the 10th Army (Li Yutang, 3 divisions) were assembled in Fulinpu, Jinjing, and Hengshan respectively .In addition, there are 7 advancing columns to conduct guerrillas in the Xianning and Ruichang areas behind the enemy.The commander-in-chief of the Ninth Theater is based in Changsha.

When the units of the Japanese 11th Army attacking Changsha assembled at the starting point of the attack north of the Xinqiang River, in order to ensure the safety of the left wing in the assembly area, remove the threat from the side, and cover the concentration of troops, Anan ordered the 6th Division to attack in the main force. Before that, on September 7, Zhongfang and Xitang attacked the Chinese army on Dayun Mountain.At that time, there were 1 regiment and 1 reinforced battalion of the 4th Army and 1 reinforced battalion of the 58th Army in Dayunshan District.Yang Sen, the commander-in-chief of the 27th Army, did not receive the information that the Japanese army was concentrating its troops in northern Hunan. He judged that the Japanese army might be "deploying troops to use in other areas, and taking advantage of the opportunity of the 6th Division's reunion to wipe out our guerrilla base in Dayun Mountain." The 4th Army (Ou Zhen) strengthened the defense of Dayun Mountain and ordered the 58th Army to prepare to cooperate with the 4th Army.The 13th Regiment of the 6th Division of the Japanese Army marched eastward from Xitang, broke through the position of the 102nd Division of the 4th Army at Yapoling, and then turned southward to capture key points such as Gantian and Tuanshanpo.The main force of the division went south from Zhongfang, and after defeating the blocking troops of the 59th Division of the 4th Army, it marched westward, then went south, and captured Nanchong, Baishuidong, Baiwuli, Chang'an Bridge and other places, and fought fiercely for 2 days. Most of Yunshan was occupied by the Japanese army, but its 13th Regiment was besieged by the 102nd Division and the 59th Division. On September 10, the 40th Division of the Japanese Army arrived in Taolin to replace the 6th Division. On the 11th, the main force of the 6th Division turned to Caoxieling via Taolin.The advance detachment of the 40th Division (the 234th Wing) was flanked by the new 11th Division of the 58th Army near Gantian, and it was not until that night that it joined the 13th Wing.The 13th Wing then retreated to Caoxieling to join up with its main force. On the 13th, the main force of the 40th Division of the Japanese Army advanced towards Gantian, and fought fiercely with the 10th Division of the 58th Army in the areas of Gantian, Masibo, and Tuanshanpo. The Japanese 33rd Infantry Regiment (Aramoto Detachment) also joined the battle.Until the 14th, the Chinese Military Commission and the Ninth War Zone still had not determined the Japanese army's attempt to attack Changsha, and still believed that "the enemy's attempt was only to capture Dayun Mountain." "Covering its retreat".For example, Xue Yue sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek on the 14th, stating that the Japanese army "after sweeping our Dayun Mountain, crossed the Xinqiang River in the south to harass" and "advance as retreat"; The Military Commission reported that the current Japanese "posture and deployment of troops do not seem to have an attempt to attack Changsha." Therefore, they failed to take timely and effective countermeasures.

On September 17, all the attacking units of the Japanese 11th Army had entered the offensive starting position.After accepting the lesson of the dispersion of troops during the first Changsha battle, Ananwei "deployed the attacking troops side by side on the narrow front in order to make a deep breakthrough." 44 brigades and 322 artillery pieces were deployed on the front only 20 kilometers north of the Xinqiang River.Only the 63rd Battalion (Pingye Detachment) of the 14th Brigade, an independent mixed group, was sent to go down the Xiangjiang River by boat to attack Qingshan and Yingtian, so as to cover the right flank of the army and support the main frontal battle.The specific positions of the offensive starting positions of each unit are: the 4th Division and the 26th Brigade are located in the south of Xinkaitang, the 3rd Division is located in the south of Wujiang Bridge, the 6th Division, and the 62nd Battalion of the 14th Brigade and the Independent Mixed Group Located south of Xitang, the 40th Division and the 33rd Infantry Regiment are located near Baiyangtian. At dawn on September 18, the Japanese army launched a general offensive.The 4th Army, which was defending the main attack direction of the Japanese army, had suffered huge losses in the battle of Dayun Mountain, so it responded hastily and its position was quickly broken through.Under the attack of the Japanese army with highly concentrated troops and firepower, the defenders' 4th, 20th, and 58th armies had no time to reorganize their defenses and retreated to the south and east.The 63rd Battalion of the Japanese Right-Wing Support Detachment, under the escort of the navy, also forcibly landed in Qingshan on the same day.At this time, the Ninth War Zone discovered the Japanese army's attempt.That night, Xue Yue ordered the 37th and 99th armies to stick to their positions on the south bank of the Miluo River, and ordered the 26th army to enter and exit near Jinjing and flank the Japanese army from the east.When the 27th Army adjusted its deployment, the Japanese army had advanced to the north bank of the Miluo River, and crossed the Miluo River on the evening of the 19th and 20th. On the morning of the 20th, Anan saw Xue Yue's order deciphered by his intelligence agency on the evening of the 18th, and immediately changed his original plan, ordering the 6th and 40th Divisions to circle to the left and encircle them, annihilating the 26th Army, which was not firmly established. Order the 3rd and 4th Divisions to attack the 37th Army.After 3 days of fierce fighting, until the 24th, the 26th Army surrounded by Wukou suffered heavy casualties and lost its combat effectiveness; the 37th Army was also broken through by the Japanese army and quickly entered and exited to the rear of its position; The remnants of the army were forced to break out of the encirclement and retreat southward.The 10th Army, which was ordered to reinforce the front line, entered Mingyue Mountain and Fulinpu area on the 22nd. Its foothold was not stable and it was surrounded by Japanese troops. The commander of its 195th Division was seriously injured, and its deputy commander Lai Shixiang was killed. Break through and retreat south.When the Japanese army besieged the three armies of the defenders, Wang Yaowu's 74th Army was ordered to reinforce, and the Ninth War Zone ordered it to advance to Laodao River, focusing on Shashi Street.This order was also learned by the Japanese intelligence agency on the 22nd that Anan Weiji changed the mission of the 6th Division to capture Pingjiang and ordered it to cooperate with the 3rd Division to deal with the 74th Army. On the 26th, the 74th Army had just arrived in the area north of Yong'an City, Laodao River, and encountered the Japanese 3rd Division that was attacking Changsha.Taking advantage of the unstable foothold of the Japanese army, Wang Yaowu took offensive defense and launched an attack on the 3rd Division.However, the 6th Division of the Japanese Army had also arrived, joined the battle, and advanced to the area east and south of the 74th Army, encircling the 74th Army.The 74th Army fought bravely until the 27th, with heavy casualties, and was forced to retreat south that night.Xue Yue ordered a counterattack on the 26th, but the main forces in the theater were mostly attacked by the Japanese army and were no longer able to carry out a combat counterattack.After the 74th Army was forced to retreat, Xue Yue changed his order to counterattack on the afternoon of the 27th, and ordered the troops to retreat towards the Liuyang River at 17:00.At this time, the 26th Brigade of the Japanese Army had broken into Changsha City from the northeast corner. On the 29th, the main force of the 4th Division entered Changsha.On the same day, part of the 3rd Division rushed into Zhuzhou City. On October 1, the Japanese army retreated immediately after completing the task of attacking the main force of the ninth theater.The Ninth War Zone ordered the pursuit, and all Japanese troops withdrew to Xinqiang Hebei on October 9 and turned on the defensive.The second battle of Changsha ended.In this battle, the main troops of the Chinese army participated in a total of 35 divisions (5 divisions were transferred from the sixth and seventh theaters during the battle), 7 advancing columns, a total of more than 378,000 people, and more than 70,000 casualties and missing people; The Japanese army mainly participated in the war with 4 divisions, 1 independent mixed brigade, and 2 detachments, with a total of about 115,000 people and 6,854 casualties. On December 7, 1941, the Pacific War broke out.In order to prevent the Chinese army from responding to the operations in Hong Kong, the Japanese invaders preemptively launched the third battle of Changsha. On December 13, Anan Weiji issued an operational order to attack Changsha: "The forces in the Ninth War Zone are being transferred to Guangdong and Guilin. The 23rd Army has captured Kowloon on the night of December 12, and is now preparing to continue to attack Hong Kong. .In order to cope with the operations of the 23rd Army and the Southern Army, immediately prepare to attack Jiangnan." On December 15, it was determined to start the attack around December 22, and it was planned to end the operation after annihilating the 20th Army and the 37th Army on both sides of the Tears.The scheduled combat time is about two weeks, and the troops to be used are: 3rd Division, 6th Division, 40th Division, Independent Mixed 9th Brigade, and Independent 65th, 95th Battalion (Outer Garden Detachment) and the army directly under Engineering Corps, Field Heavy Artillery Brigade.A total of 8 infantry regiments (25 infantry regiments in total), 2 cavalry regiments, 2 field artillery regiments, 2 mountain artillery regiments, 1 field heavy artillery regiment, 2 independent mountain artillery regiments, 3 engineer regiments There are nearly 70,000 people in the army, 3 heavy soldiers and so on. Since the beginning of December, China's Ninth War Zone has noticed that the Japanese army has been mobilizing frequently, concentrating its forces in northern Hunan and northern Jiangxi. Its aircraft have continuously reconnaissance the defenders' positions, and rushed to repair Bailuo Airport and Nanchang Airport. They judged that the Japanese army will attack Changsha again, so they actively carried out war readiness.After the second Changsha battle, Xue Yue held a military meeting, summed up the lessons learned from the previous two Changsha battles, and proposed the "Tianlu method", that is, in the area attacked by the Japanese army, completely destroy the roads, implement empty rooms to clear the fields, and set up deep Ambush the position, lure the enemy to go deep, use tail attack, invite attack, side attack, and flank attack, making this area a "natural melting pot" and encircling and annihilating the Japanese army. On December 20, the Japanese army's offensive attempt was very obvious. The Military Commission ordered the 73rd, 79th, and 4th armies to march to Yilei, Zhuzhou, and Lukou areas respectively, and they were under the command of the ninth theater.Xue Yue was determined to "concentrate completely on the northern side of Hunan, lure the main force of the enemy in the area between Liuyang River and Laodao River, and counterattack and annihilate them."For this reason, the following deployments are made: Deputy Chief Yang Sen is stationed in Pingjiang, commanding the 20th and 58th armies, the first step is to resist tenaciously at the current position of Xinqiang River, and consume the lagging enemies, and the second step is to transfer orders to Guanwangqiao and Sanjiangkou In the flank position, attack from the northeast to the southwest and pursue the enemy advancing south.The 37th Army resisted tenaciously in its current position in Mishui, exhausted and slowed down the enemy, and then moved to the mountains of Shegang City, Genggutai, and Jinjingjian. When the enemy attacked Changsha, it cooperated with the 78th Army to attack the enemy from northeast to southwest.The first step of the 99th Army is to ensure that Sanjieqiao, Guiyi, Yingtian, and Xiangyin have established strongholds and lake defenses. The second step is to wait for the enemy to attack Changsha. The 2nd Division will attack the enemy from the northwest to the southeast. Stick to camp fields, Xiangyin and lake defense.The 10th Army firmly defended Changsha, Yuelu Mountain and Shuiluzhou, and was on standby to counterattack the enemy from west to east.Deputy Chief Luo Zhuoying entered Jiyang from Shanggao to command the operations of the 26th, 79th Army and 194th Division.The first step of the 26th Army is to ensure the current position in Liuyang, and the second step is to attack the enemy from east to west when the enemy attacks Changsha; The division entered Liling from Qingjiang, and when the enemy attacked Changsha, attacked the enemy from south to north.Deputy Chief Wang Lingji led the 78th Army and the newly organized 15th Division to Pingjiang from Xiushui. The 78th Army first secured Pingjiang and Sanjiaotang. The second step was when the enemy attacked Changsha, and cooperated with the 37th Army to attack the enemy from northeast to southwest. military.The 73rd Army is stationed in Ningxiang and Yiyang, serving as the theater reserve.The main troops participating in this battle (including the 74th Army that participated in the later period) consisted of 35 divisions and about 200,000 people. On the afternoon of December 24, 1941, the 6th and 40th divisions of the Japanese army began to attack, crossing the Xinqiang River in 8 routes from the Yuehan Railway to Lianxi Street. On the 25th, the 3rd Division of the Japanese Army also crossed the Xinqiang River and attacked southward in 3 routes.The 20th Army of the Defending Army used one part to hold on to the various strongholds of the position to block the enemy, and the main force shifted to the mountainous area on the southeast side.The Wang Chaokui Division of the 2nd Battalion and the Lu Haipi Division of the 3rd Battalion of the 398th Regiment guarding the Fujiachong and Hongqiao 2 strongholds, relying on the fortifications, fought tenaciously, repelled the impact of the Japanese army several times, and finally died. On the 26th, fierce battles continued all day long.That night, the Japanese 3rd Division on the right marched to the north bank of the Miluo River in Guiyi, the 6th Division on the middle marched to the north bank of the Miluo River in Xinshi, and the 40th Division on the left marched to Changle Street.On the same day, Anan received information that the Changsha defenders were weak and that the Japanese army had captured Hong Kong on the 25th. He believed that the offensive had been going well since the beginning, so he prepared to cross the Mishui River and continue southward to attack Changsha.The military staff believes that the purpose of this operation is to support Hong Kong. Now that Hong Kong has been occupied, it should be carried out according to the original plan. It is necessary to be cautious when attacking Changsha.Anan did not adopt the advice of the staff officer, and sent a request telegram to the Chinese dispatched army to attack Changsha. On the 27th and 28th, Japanese troops crossed the Miluo River successively.The Chinese defenders resisted steadily, and then moved to the eastern and southern mountainous areas, flanking and counterattacking the Japanese army. On the 29th, the 11th Army of the Japanese Army had not yet received the approval from the Chinese dispatched army to attack Changsha. Anan decided to change the plan and attack Changsha alone.The order to pursue Changsha was issued that night: order the 3rd Division to pursue Changsha with fast action and take shortcuts; order the 6th Division to attack the defenders near Yapo Mountain and Mashi Mountain with the main force to Langli City, and a part to pursue Changsha Order the part of the 40th Division to stay near Fukou, and the main force to pursue Jinjing through the vicinity of Mafengzui; order the independent mixed 9th brigade to advance to Guanwang Bridge, and command the independent 65th brigade to serve as the rear of the army north of Mishui And the security of the left-wing mountainous area. On the 30th, after fierce battles between the 37th and 99th Army of the defenders and the 40th and 3rd Divisions of the Japanese Army, they moved to the eastern and western mountainous areas respectively.A part of the 20th Army, which was left in the south of the Xinqiang River, attacked the 40th Regiment of the Japanese Army at night, severely wounded it and killed its leader, Morikawa Qiyu.At this time, the Second Line Corps of the Ninth War Zone had moved from the three provinces of Hubei, Guangxi, and Guangdong to the Changsha area.In order to prevent the second-line corps from entering the battle prematurely, Chiang Kai-shek sent a telegram to Xue Yue on the same day: "During the decisive battle near Changsha, in order to prevent the enemy from taking part in Changsha, first use the main force to force our second-line corps to a decisive battle, and then besiege Changsha. The second-line corps is far away from the battlefield, and maintains a favorable posture on the outer line to ensure freedom of maneuver. Let the enemy attack Changsha first, take advantage of the setback of the attack, and at the same time gather all the strength of all parties to besiege the enemy together, and take the initiative to seize the decisive battle." Xue Yue immediately issued an order that he had arrived at the four sides of Changsha and the second-line corps, and was ready to advance to "the Japanese army on the outskirts of Changsha, attack and annihilate them with heart." On the 31st, the Japanese army advanced to the line of Laodao River, part of it crossed the Liuyang River, and encircled Changsha. On New Year's Day in 1942, the 3rd Division of the Japanese Army first attacked the positions of the 190th Division in the eastern and northern suburbs of Changsha.The battle was extremely fierce, and many positions were fought over and over again, and those who lost and regained several times.The 3rd Division of the Japanese Army was directly under the 2nd Battalion. When storming the south gate, Kato Suichi, the captain of the 3rd Division, took the lead in assaulting the squadron. Except for one soldier who fled back, all of them were wiped out.The Ge Xiancai Regiment of the 10th Reserve Division defending the high ground outside the South Gate, fought until there were only 58 people left, and finally kept their position.Although the Japanese army was in an offensive position, due to lack of ammunition and food and heavy casualties, it was at the end of its efforts. On January 3, Anan felt that the situation was critical, and if he did not retreat, he would be in danger of being surrounded and wiped out. He was forced to order that night and began to retreat on the night of the 4th. On January 4, before retreating, the Japanese army launched another fierce attack on Changsha for a covert attempt, but they were all repelled by the 10th Army of the defending army.At this time, the second-line corps in the ninth war zone had all reached the starting line of the counterattack, the 79th army had approached Langli City in the eastern suburbs of Changsha, and the 4th army had recovered Huangtuling and Jinpenling in the southern suburbs of Changsha. On the night of the 4th, the Japanese army began to retreat.Xue Yuexun changed the original plan to annihilate the Japanese army on the outskirts of Changsha to carry out the pursuit on the spot. He ordered Luo Zhuoying to command the 4th, 26th, and 73rd armies to pursue from south to north; The Fulinpu area was blocked from north to south; Wang Lingji was ordered to command the 37th and 78th armies to block from east to west in the area north of Fenglingang and south of Changle Street; and Fu Zhongfang was ordered to lead his 99th army in Shizipu To the north and south of Xinshi, block the attack from west to east; order Li Tang to lead his 140th Division to attack and intercept Huangsha Street and Xinqiang Town. Under the blocking, chasing, flanking, and attacking of the troops in the Ninth Theater, the Japanese army's withdrawal was extremely difficult and slow.When the 3rd Division of the Japanese Army retreated to the Liuyang River, the pontoon bridge erected during the attack had been blown up by the 79th Army. Its 18th Regiment tried to ford from the vicinity of Mopanzhou, but was attacked by concentrated firepower from the 79th Army. More than 500 people were killed, injured or drowned under Ishii Nobu.The 3rd Division was forced to detour to the pontoon bridge erected by the 6th Division near Langli City and was late to the north bank.The Miluo River is only 70 kilometers away from Changsha. On the 12th, the Japanese army withdrew to the place. On January 15, all Japanese troops retreated to their original positions on the north bank of the Xinqiang River.The battle ended with a disastrous defeat for the Japanese army. In this battle, the Japanese army killed 108 officers including Nobu Ishii, captain of the 18th Regiment, and Cheng Min, a friend of the 13th Regiment, and 241 officers were injured, with a total of 6,003 casualties; more than 310,000 people were killed, injured or missing in the Ninth War Zone. The third battle of Changsha was the first large-scale battle launched by the Japanese army in the Chinese battlefield after the outbreak of the Pacific War.The victory of the Chinese army in Changsha had a positive impact both at home and abroad.It further strengthened the confidence of the national military and civilians in the war of resistance, and also played a certain role in improving the rusticity of the Allied forces in the anti-fascist war and supporting the British and American operations in the south.