Chapter 6 Tune the tiger away from the mountain

People in Changde should always remember the name of Yan Yongwang, a Japanese, because it was he who wiped Changde City off the map with his own hands. On October 5, 1943, a Japanese armed motorboat with beautiful lines turned out of the Wanshui River and went upstream along the broad Yangtze River from east to west.The scenery on both sides of the river is in the shape of a fan and slowly falls back with the turbulent river. The endless Hubei-Jiangxi Plain, under the clear autumn sky, looks like a sleeping giant, with slightly undulating villages, fields and woods. Like its heavy breathing.

The sound of the motorboat's motor is very monotonous and noisy, but it is so weak when it melts in the natural atmosphere of the water and the sky, it is just an embellishment.After the boat passed Xiaogu Mountain, Po Lake, and Daguan Lake, the sun was already rising high, and a thin layer of smog was steaming on the surface of the river.As the waterway was often attacked by the Chinese Lake Defense guerrillas, and the weather was exceptionally clear, several Japanese officers on the boat jumped out of the bilge, paced and watched by the railing on the side of the ship. Only one cabin door was still tightly locked, and the attendants were waiting at the door respectfully. They wanted to knock on the door several times to report the location of the ship, but they were hesitant and finally held back.

There was a deathly silence inside the door, and a burst of unrestrained laughter broke out from time to time, causing several attendants at the door to look at each other, but no one showed any special expression other than indifference. After noon, there was the sound of "rusting" clothes in the cabin door.After a while, Yan Yongwang, who was wearing a woolen general uniform, came out, and he asked, "Where are you?" The officer next to him stood at attention with a "snap" and replied: "The ship has passed Echeng, and is about to arrive at Hankou." He replied "Yo Xi", and then stepped to the bow of the ship.Like a colorful shadow, the whore with Iwa Aeon slipped back to her own corner through the side door.

Yan Yongwang seemed to be still indulging in the impulsive emotion just now. He squinted his small eyes, stood at the bow of the boat and stared at the big river in front of him that was cut into the character "human" for a long time.Before invading China, he had never seen such a beautiful, majestic, and ferocious current as the Yangtze River. It flowed violently, poured down like a torrent, and disappeared without a trace when it merged into the deep part of the ocean, as if the earth had tilted. . The torrent is so fast and powerful that it can carry everything away, not only dead birds, dead dogs, drowned thatch plants, mud, rocks and sand, but even a village or a city. Everything is hidden deep inside. The dizzy swirling frenzy swept him away, and he felt a kind of fear. He seemed to see the last moment of his life coming.Therefore, he had an inexplicable respect for the huge water veins.

In the letter he sent back to China, he confessed: "I like women like water, so I especially like China, the land that we Japanese call China. Because China has beautiful mountains and rivers, and the rivers are extraordinary, because there are many kinds of women in China. , plump and beautiful..." It is precisely because of this that this Japanese general who came to the mainland from an island country had such an obsessive desire for China and such a strong desire to conquer.Every battle he initiates and participates in is regarded by him as a painful pursuit of beauty and life.In the pursuit, like a paranoid patient with unrequited love, he fell into an inextricable state of madness.

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, we will arrive at Hankou Wharf in one hour." Chief of Staff Yamada Takuer of the 116th Division walked to the bow to remind Iwan Yongwang. "Huh?" Iwan Yongwang seemed to have not understood why Yamada Dazuo reminded him solemnly. "Your Excellency, didn't you say that you want to sort out the materials for this combat meeting and discuss it before meeting with General Yokoyama?" "Oh!" Yan Yongwang completely returned to the realistic rationality from the irregular emotional waves, and restored the serious and cold expression and posture he had cultivated for a long time as a soldier.

"Is there a telegram from Hankou?" Iwan Yongwang asked Yamada who was following him as he walked to the meeting room on the boat. "Yes, I just wanted to report to you. The 11th Army Command called, saying that Commander Yokoyama Isamu will come to the pier to meet His Excellency, Division Chief." "Isamu Yokoyama..." Yan Yongwang sneered contemptuously. In any case, the name Yokoyama Isamu could not win Iwa Yongwang's respect.He won the position of commander of the 11th Army entirely by luck, not by his own command ability, Iwa Yongo said.A year and a half ago, General Anan was defeated by Xue Yue, commander of China's Ninth War Zone, because of the third battle of Changsha. He was forced to resign and was replaced by General Tsukada Gong.Tsukada Gong was the Minister of the Third Department of the Army. In 1937, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Central China Front Army, and later the Chief of Staff of the Southern Army.Unexpectedly, the city of Wuhan turned out to be the end of life for this general. On December 18, 1942, Tsukada Ko, together with senior staff officer Takeshi Fujiwara and others, flew back to Wuhan from Nanjing, where the dispatched army headquarters is located.The plane flew over Taihu Lake in Anhui, and was spotted by the anti-aircraft artillery battalion of the 138th Division of the 21st Group Army of the National Army stationed in the Dabie Mountains. It immediately loaded the shells, aimed at the target, and fired one by one. A fire broke out in the fire, dragging thick black smoke, and crashed near Taihu Lake.The plane burned after the explosion, and none of the general, crew, and entourage survived.At that time, Iwan Yongwang was also ordered to send a search force from the 116th Division to search for the corpses of the general and his party. He repeatedly sighed and said: "What a pity, what a pity!" Because it was only half a year since Tsukada took office as the commander!

Just when many division heads were wondering who should take over from the late Tsukada Ko, the suddenly proud Yokoyama Isamu stepped down the gangway of the plane in Wuhan carrying the emperor's order.It's him?People don't seem to know the name of this engineer-born general.Although he is over 50 years old, it is his turn in terms of seniority, but in a series of positions in the military, he has obviously never served as a combat officer who was born and died. The trust of officers and division commanders.So why did the military use him?Maybe it was because he really had some skills, and people didn't know much about him before. Maybe he happened to be in Tokyo, and people who knew him well said a few words in front of the emperor and the military heads, and then entrusted him with important tasks.Whether it will work or not, everyone will wait and see.

The first battle Yokoyama fought after arriving in the 11th Army was the Battle of Western Hubei.In order to show the anger of the new commander after he took office, Yokoyama bravely set up the general command post on the front line of Shashi.Moreover, he adopted tactics that were quite different from those of the 11th Army in the past, strictly and skillfully concealed strategic intentions, and used surprise attacks to "clamp" and annihilate the main force of the national army's front line. The Japanese troops responsible for this attack were the 3rd and 40th Divisions and the 17th Independent Brigade.At the same time, the 3rd Division attacked from Shishou to the west of Anxiang; the 17th Brigade attacked from Ouchikou to the east of Anxiang; the Toda Detachment attacked from Huarong to the southeast of Nan County; The lake secretly detours to Sanxian Lake.

The various units of the 73rd Army of the National Army fought hard to resist in the encirclement, but the strength of the enemy and the enemy were very different. After Anxiang fell into the hands of the Japanese army, Nanxian was also occupied by the Xiaochai Detachment of the 40th Division after forcibly crossing the Jiudu River.Seeing that Yokoyama Isamu's first shot was about to fire. Unexpectedly, God's will also made Yokohama meet his opponent and his nemesis.Admiral Chen Cheng, commander of the Sixth War Zone and Commander of the Expeditionary Force, who was forming and training the Expeditionary Force with U.S. military advisers in Yunnan, flew back to Chongqing when he heard that western Hubei was in an emergency, and then rushed to Enshi to help the war zone. The familiar acting commander Sun Lianzhong formulated a counterattack plan.

Immediately, Chen Cheng saw through Isamu Yokoyama's pincer attack.Overnight, he ordered the frontline departments to quickly adjust their lineups: 1. Make the front line of the south bank of the Yangtze River exposed to the enemy's front line, immediately retreat to avoid the enemy's powerful pincer attack, and wait for the enemy to go deep into the mountainous area before intercepting and counterattacking. 2. Lingyuan was stationed in the Taoyuan area, and Wang Yaowu's 74th Army and Wang Jiaben's 79th Army, which were planned to guard Changde, were quickly transferred to the Shimen area to serve as maneuvers in the theater and flank the enemy with cameras. 3. Order Pengshan's 18th Army stationed in Wanxian area to rush to the west of Yichang to strengthen the defense of the Shipai Fortress, the gateway to the capital. 4. Order Song Kentang's 32nd Army to advance out of the Zhenwan area of ​​the capital with a force to strengthen the defense of the south bank of the Qingjiang River. After the layout was decided, Chen Cheng and others sat firmly on the Diaoyutai. The 87th Army of the Defenders in the Public Security Area immediately led the entire army to abandon their positions and move to the southwest under the powerful pincer offensive from the east and west of the Japanese army. Tens of thousands of Japanese troops came fiercely, but they were "clamped" by the public security, which hurt their spirits. Chen Cheng decided to fight the enemy decisively along the Qingjiang River and on the front line of Shipai Fortress.The 3rd Division and the 13th Division of the Japanese Army had about 40,000 troops, plus more than 10,000 troops including the 29th Division of the Imperial Association Army. Enter the mountain area and reach the decisive battle area. The 79th Army of the National Army of the mobile unit immediately went north from Shimen, and the 10th Group Army went south from Ziqiu to attack the Japanese army at Wenyangguan.The 32nd Army and the 86th Army attacked the Japanese army in the Duzhenwan area from the north and the south. On the other hand, the 39th and 34th Divisions of the Yichang Japanese Army, with about 20,000 troops, jumped on the densely packed assault speedboats on the north bank of the Yangtze River at the order of Yokoyama Isamu, and rushed to the south bank, threatening the gateway to the rear of China. The defenders of the Sixth War Zone have long been on the alert, taking advantage of the world-famous natural dangers of the Xiajiang River to fight against the Japanese army hole by hole and trench by trench. The 39th Division paid a heavy price for every step forward. Bullet-ridden remains. The 11th Division and 5th Division of the 18th Army of the National Army in the Shipai Fortress held their ground against the danger and faced the battle calmly.The Japanese army dispatched planes to bomb, and the cannons on the ships also bombarded the national army positions on the shore, followed by a tidal wave of infantry, but the fortress stood still. Finally, after being pinched and blocked by the defenders of the sixth theater, the Japanese troops suffered more casualties than expected, their morale was low, and they were exhausted. Yokoyama had no choice but to retreat across the board. On the Qingjiang side, the three brigades of the 13th Division, which served as the cover for the retreat of the Japanese army, were surrounded and severely damaged by the 10th Army of the National Army near Moshi, south of Yuyangguan. The headquarters and main force of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army, plus a brigade of the 17th Independent Brigade, were surrounded by the 121st, 118th, 194th, and 98th Divisions of the National Army on the outskirts of Yidu. Hit hard. The Japanese troops from all walks of life fled, and the defenders took advantage of the victory to pursue them. By the beginning of June, the two sides had resumed their pre-war situation.The 11th Army of the Japanese Army suffered huge losses in this battle: more than 10,000 casualties; more than 1,300 horses were killed, injured or missing; 4 aircraft were shot down; 50 cars were destroyed; more than 120 boats were sunk or damaged. Yokoyama lost so badly in his first battle after taking office, even generals like Iwa Yongwang who had doubts about him were extremely surprised.Not only his own face, but also the face of the Imperial Japanese Army was lost by him, which deeply humiliated them, so they strengthened their view: Yokoyama Isamu is a mediocrity in the Japanese army. In this battle of Changde, the 116th Division of the 13th Army was specially dispatched by the General Command of the Dispatch Army to support Isamu Yokoyama of the 11th Army in the battle, and the sixth General Hata Toshi personally explained that the 116th Division will be the main force of this battle. Wang concluded that Isamu Yokoyama's combat command ability has been suspected by the dispatched army headquarters, and he was appointed to assist in the hope that he can support the overall situation of the battlefield.For this he cannot but feel both proud and responsible. "Yamada-kun," said Iwan Yongwang to the chief of staff who spread out a large table of combat concept materials in the meeting room of the motorboat, "after we arrive in Hankou, we must explain all our ideas to Commander Yokoyama Isamu, and try our best. The combat determination that he generated can guide the absolute combat exploits of the entire campaign. Do you understand?" "Understood." Yamada Colonel replied. "Woo—" the motorboat blew its salute whistle, slowed down, and slowly approached Hankou Wharf. In order to show respect for the friendly forces, Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu led the senior officials of the 11th Army Command to line up at the pier to welcome the representatives of the 13th Army 116th Division headed by Yan Yongwang to participate in the Changde Combat Cadre Exercise. Iwa Yongwang stood at attention to Isamu Yokoyama. Yokoyama raised his hand in return. During this short contact, Yan Yongwang found that the commander's appearance was exactly what he had imagined, thin and short, and the two Rendan mustaches on his lips made him look a bit older.But in his eyes, there is a particularly shocking fortitude, which seems too unlike the charm of a mediocre person, and Yan Yongwang can't help restraining his arrogance. A short, fat officer suddenly rushed out from the welcoming line, and excitedly shouted: "Mr. Bu Shang!" The tall and thin officer known as Mr. Bu Shang had just stepped off the motorboat when he heard someone calling him, so he quickly raised his eyes to search, and happened to see the short fat man, and his face immediately contorted excitedly, responding happily, while yelling Called: "Nakahata-kun!" and ran over. The two hugged tightly. One of them is Chief Teru Funoue, the captain of the 109th Regiment of the 116th Division, and the other is Mamoru Nakahata, the captain of the 6th Regiment of the 3rd Division.The two are classmates and friends of the 27th Infantry Division of the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer Academy, and they are as close as brothers. "Funogami-kun, have we not seen each other for a few years?" Nakahata asked, wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes. "It's been more than four years. Unexpectedly, Mr. Nakahata, we will meet in Wuhan!" The two hugged each other's shoulders, shook vigorously, and nodded vigorously.During the war, life and death were uncertain, and it was a surprise and joy to be able to meet each other alive. "Come on, come to my place to eat authentic Japanese cuisine, including your favorite sashimi!" Nakahata pulled the cloth and left. "great!" They asked for leave from their respective chiefs, jumped into the "Toyota" car of the 6th Wing, and drove to the Zhanjiaji garrison in Hankou. These two chiefs will forever be recorded in the annals of the Changde Battle, but in China, they were nailed to the pillar of shame, while in Japan, they were honored as heroes by future generations in the Yasukuni Shrine. Koichi Nakahata, a native of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, graduated from the Army Non-commissioned Officer Academy on May 25, 1915, and was awarded the rank of Infantry Non-commissioned Officer on December 25 of the same year, starting his military career. On December 2, 1940, he served as the captain of the student team of the Kumamoto Teaching School, and fanatically instilled in Japanese youth the five principles of Japan at that time: competitionism, world firstism, militarism, royal centrism, and politicalism. Decades later, Nakahata Goichi’s grandson and Japanese writer Nakahata Yu recalled his grandfather and wrote in his book: "...Japanese people have common characteristics, but in the era when my grandfather grew up, Emperor Meiji and Emperor Hirohito In the early days, the Japanese were greatly influenced by the imperial family. "My grandfather often told my father this story: Emperor Meiji fostered Hirohito in the family of Vice Admiral Kawamura Daiyoshi, and when he was 8 years old, he was sent to a special academy. A character who loves Bushido. Once Hirohito returned to the palace, Nogi walked to the door. Hirohito raised his hand to salute, and Nogi returned the military salute. But he found that there was a loophole in Hirohito's salute posture, so he didn't put his hand down until Hirohito corrected his movements. In this way, Hirohito's meticulous military character can be cultivated. "Emperor Hirohito became a second lieutenant at the age of 12. Not only did he wear military uniform from morning to night, but his thinking and character were also militaryized. At that time, Japanese newspapers and magazines published photos of the emperor and Sako in military uniform almost every day. In order to leave the impression in the minds of the people that the emperor is the generalissimo and the army is the emperor's army, the imperial army. The militarization of the emperor's daily life also militarized the whole of Japan. So much so that after the war, Emperor Hirohito Appearing in front of the people in a suit makes everyone very surprised and unfamiliar. "When my grandfather met Emperor Hirohito for the first time, he was studying at Urawa High School. Hirohito, from 2 o'clock in the afternoon, lasted an hour and a half without wearing a coat, braving the cold rain to parade the temporary parade on the double bridge in front of the imperial palace. On the stage, reviewing the armed student team. My grandfather shed tears in the procession passing the rostrum. From then on, he was determined to be a holy Japanese soldier. "Not long before the Manchuria Incident, Koiso Kuniaki (former Governor of North Korea, prime minister at the end of the Pacific War, sentenced to life imprisonment in a military trial in the Far East) who was the Director of Military Affairs of the Army Ministry at the time said that the Japanese like war, as long as they shoot They will follow. I don’t agree with that statement: the military department instigated the ignorant and ignorant citizens to hold the illusion of entering the mainland, shouted the slogans that sounded majestic, a paradise of kings, and a new order, and did their best to support the war. The road to redemption. "For our country, which lacks domestic resources and has an overpopulation, and is plagued by economic panic, poor harvests, and employment difficulties at that time, the military department at that time wanted to obtain resources in new areas of the Asian continent and emigrate the excess population. The psychology of seeking interests coincides with each other, and the government agrees with it, but the breakthrough to realize its policies is war. "The Japanese are not ignorant. They accept the choice of war largely because of the characteristics of this nation. She has been in a state of seclusion for a long time, surrounded by the sea, and has rarely been tempered in the international environment, so she has grown up. The isolated benevolent character that can be achieved as long as one's own country is good and continues to be good, still exists today. Affected by this tendency, this country formed by a single nation, single culture, and single language is extremely easy to unite when something happens , Unite together towards group doctrine. "Can it be said that the last drop of blood that my grandfather shed in China embodies the general will of the Japanese nation to fight..." The time when Nakahata Yu made these memories and analyzes after the war happened to be the day of the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Changde. The ghost of Koichi Nakahata did not expect his grandson to dissect his behavior so brilliantly 20 years later: going back to 20 years ago, he was drinking sweet-scented osmanthus wine with Bu Shangzhao. He drank one cup after another on the cloth, until his thin face turned red like a burnt iron rod, but he didn't lose his composure to tell the truth after drinking, which made Nakahata very surprised. "Bushang-jun, you're really good at drinking, why aren't you drunk?" In fact, Bu has a lot of thoughts in his heart, but he is unwilling to confide in Nakahata, because speaking out may damage his dignity as an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army and make friends like Nakahata despise him. A soldier should devote all his life and mind to the battlefield. This is honorable and dignified.He has always believed in this.His experience is different from that of Nakahata. He spent the best years of his life in the combat unit as soon as he graduated from the non-commissioned officer school. In August 1939, he served as the captain of the 21st Brigade of the Independent Garrison. In August 1941, he was appointed as the Headquarters Attachment of the 56th Division. Simple resume.For decades, his interests, hobbies, desires, and all his eye contact have been full of guns and guns, swords and swords, full of cold blood.Such a long-term boring, tense, exciting, and fearful life made him feel extremely calm and numb.It was so serious that he occasionally showed very weird behaviors when he returned to the peaceful life in China, but he himself hadn't noticed it at all. In the village where his wife lives, there are only more than 100 women farming and raising children at home, and all the men have been sent to the front line.After several years of yin and yang disharmony, the sexual hunger and thirst of women can be imagined.The only man in the village is crippled with a broken leg and has very limited sexual ability.But despite this, his house was turned upside down every night, and the endless stream of women gasped until his shrunken penis was bloodied and left. At this moment, Bu Shangzhaoyi returned home for a two-and-a-half-day vacation.The wife makes a pact with the women of the village: Once she is satisfied, the man will be given to them. At night, the wife soaked the bath water with herbs, and lay down on the tatami mat after the bath, waiting for her husband to lift her quilt, possess her roughly, torture her, and repeatedly put her in a cycle of excitement. However, Bu Shang sat at the door sluggishly, smoking a cigarette without moving.Called him, he didn't seem to hear.The wife was naked, walked up to her husband, pinched his hand and pressed it on her plump breasts.These thick hands, used to holding guns and still smelling of gunpowder smoke, neither refused nor felt, just like stroking sandbags on the trench. Disappointed, the wife burst into tears, crying until all the women in the village scolded her jealously: "It really killed her!" Staring at his wife in bewilderment, he didn't realize his abnormal behavior, but felt that the woman in front of him seemed like a monster.He withdrew his hand, slapped his wife hard enough to slap her across the face, causing her to pass out, and he lay down on the bed alone and fell asleep. It is not uncommon to see officers like him whose human nature has been distorted by the war in the Japanese army. The cloth silently rotates with this huge armed machine.It wasn't until one day not long ago that he realized that he woke up from a nightmare. As the Japanese army retreated steadily in the battle against the U.S. Army in the Pacific battlefield, the number of troops was greatly reduced. Therefore, the military department urgently needed to replenish the supply of troops, and planned to transfer some officers from the elite divisions in the frontal battlefield in China to the Japanese mainland and the Pacific islands to enrich the backbone.In view of Fu Shangzhao's rich military command and combat experience, and his long-term travel abroad, he was exhausted. It was not only the need for the reorganization of the Pacific Forces, but also out of care considerations. The dispatched army headquarters decided to transfer him back to China to serve. "Go home, want me to go home?" At first, the news didn't shock him, just like a normal transfer.But he is a human being after all, with the common emotions of human beings, homecoming, reunion, wife and children, familiar language, familiar taste... All these warm feeling symbols turned into a ladle of boiling hot water, pouring cold, numbness on him. The whole body is tenaciously splashing, moistening, and spreading. Finally, he regained his emotions, memory, and perception of normal people, and realized the profound significance of this news to him. He happily hid in the woods outside the station and shouted: "I'm going home! I'm going home!" But the headquarters of the dispatched army informed him that he had to finish his last shift before returning to China. The Changde battle was about to break out, and the 116th division he belonged to was assigned to the 11th army to fight. He had to finish the battle before leaving. "There is one last battle, and this last battle." Suddenly, this executioner, who had been in the hail of guns and bullets for decades, slaughtered hundreds of innocent people with guns and knives, became inexplicably frightened. How many times he has come out of a desperate situation, how many times the willows are dark and the flowers are bright, how many times the god of death has grabbed him by the neck, but let him go gently.The Japanese officers and soldiers who fell beside him were pitted, but he was miraculously safe and sound.He is fortunate to have the blessing of the gods, and bless his soldier's soul never to dissipate. But this time he lost his former composure and self-confidence. He seemed to see a gloomy ghost scrutinizing him solemnly and following him closely, which made him feel an unprecedented fear in his heart. "Although it's the last battle, maybe it's the last battle that makes it impossible for me to escape." He whispered to himself. But this ominous premonition, Funoue Teruichi did not dare to tell anyone, including the closest friend Nakahata Koichi in front of him.He knows that the Japanese regard cowardice and greed as enemies, even if it is his biological father or brother, if he is afraid of the battle, he will draw his sword and chop it off without hesitation. Besides, the sense of honor that the Japanese imperial army has long cultivated in his heart also made him despise his own dark selfish thoughts.To fight and die for the emperor is the supreme honor of the Japanese, and to face death bravely is a real Japanese soldier! He raised his limp head and said: "Mr. Nakahata, this time, we are fighting side by side. For His Majesty the Emperor, for our Great Japanese Empire, we must work hard!" "Hey, you must work hard!" Nakahata also replied resolutely. "Our Great Japanese Imperial Army is invincible and always number one!" Fushang reached out to grab Nakahata's shoulder and shook it vigorously. "Isn't that right, Funogami-kun is right. We're going to fight for the emperor!" Nakahata widened his bloodshot eyes. A staff officer cautiously opened the door and came in to report that it was only 3 hours before the Changde combat cadre exercise meeting held by the military headquarters. The chief of staff of the 116th Division, Chief of Staff Yamada Takuer, called and reminded him to arrive on time. Come, don't delay. "What? What time is it?" They were all astonished.Before they knew it, it was dawn, and they talked for a whole night.Isn't that right? They stood up, opened the window, and the east was already showing a hint of paleness. "Two captains, please rest for a while, you are so energetic during the meeting!" the staff officer persuaded graciously. "No, go for a run! Fushang-kun, do you want to go?" Nakahata challenged Fushang. Bu Shang readily agreed: "Go, run, this is the most effective way to refresh yourself!" The two ran towards the field facing the morning light. At 8 o'clock in the morning on October 6, 1943, the 11th Army's combat conference was held in Hankou. After all the participating officers were seated, Isamu Yokoyama finally walked into the venue followed by his left and right attendants, and sat down in his place. His voice was very majestic, and he said straight to the point: "This operation is called Operation 'よ'. Why is it called よ? You guessed it right, because as the supreme commander, the first hiragana of my surname is よ." For Isamu Yokoyama, the dispatched army headquarters had already issued a combat order to him, and he had no way out, but to face China's ninth and sixth theaters and launch another large-scale attack in less than half a year. On September 28, the dispatched army issued the following order: 1. The commander of the 11th Army launched this operation in early November to attack the vicinity of Changde and destroy the enemy's combat power. Once the combat objective is accomplished, the original situation is restored.Regarding its timing, order separately. 2. The 3rd Flying Division has the main force of the reconnaissance force to cooperate with the operations in the preceding paragraph. Combat essentials: 1. Combat policy Attack the enemy's strategic and strategic center near Changde, track down the enemy's central army, and attack them severely, so as to promote the gradual decline of the enemy's attempt to continue the war of resistance; at the same time, restrain the enemy from mobilizing troops to Burma to support the southern army. 2. Combat essentials 1. The main force of the 11th Army (including 35 infantry brigades transferred from other areas) advanced from Lushi and Shishou, defeated enemies everywhere, and captured the vicinity of Changde. 2. Then track down the counterattacking enemies in Changde and annihilate them. 3. Once the operational purpose is achieved, depending on the situation such as the enemy's counterattack in Burma at that time, it will return at an appropriate time, wipe out the incoming enemy, and restore the original situation. 3. Increase the strength of troops The main force of the 116th Division was mobilized by the 13th Army. Main troops participating in the battle: Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, Commander of the 11th Army Chief of Staff Major General Kodoka Kunio The 3rd Division (codenamed "Fortune", headquartered in Yingshan) Lieutenant General Sano Yamamoto Hirohiro Safukuyama The 13th Division (codenamed "Mirror", headquartered in Shashi) Lieutenant General Chilu Li Chief of Staff Yoji Sae Tomokawa The 39th Division (codenamed "Teng", headquartered in Dangyang) Lieutenant General Raishiro Sumita Chief of Staff Kikuo Saasami The 68th Division (codenamed "Hinoki", headquartered in Jiujiang) Lieutenant General Sakuma Chief of Staff Chief of Staff Tesaburo Sawara The 116th Division (codenamed "Lan", headquartered in Anqing) Lieutenant General Iwa Aeon Chief of Staff Sayamada Takuel Sasaki Detachment [transferred from the 34th Division (division code "Tsubaki", headquartered in Nanchang)] Detachment Captain, Commander of the 216th Infantry Regiment, Urgent Sasaki Kanyuki Miyawaki Detachment [transferred from the 17th Independent Mixed Brigade (Brigade code name "Feng", headquartered in Xianning)] Captain of the Detachment, Commander of the 88th Independent Infantry Battalion Nakamiyawaki Kamejiro Qitian Detachment [transferred from the 65th Division (the division code is "special", the headquarters is in Xuzhou)] Captain of the Detachment, Captain of the 58th Battalion of the Independent Infantry, Osa Suda Setsu Flying 44th Squadron (reconnaissance, coordinated with 11th Army) Fukuzawa's husband There is no doubt that this "よ" operation is full of challenges for the entire 11th Army.Not only is it perilous and full of difficulties, but its opponents are already ready.Many generals like Iwa Yongwang expected that Isamu Yokoyama would not be able to bear such a burden.Even some commanders who have a deep sense of responsibility to the Japanese Empire and the Emperor have made very unfavorable suggestions to the dispatched army headquarters and the Japanese military headquarters against Isamu Yokoyama.However, in line with the principle of "do not use suspicious people, and employ people without suspicion", these higher-level agencies remain silent on these gossips. In fact, those who underestimated Isamu Yokoyama were all wrong.They don't understand Yokoyama's insidiousness, cunning and patience as a military commander at all. Anyone with a discerning eye can see at a glance that although the combat orders and combat essentials issued by the headquarters of the dispatched army are clear and complete, they are very imprecise.In fact, the specific strategic arrangements and tactical applications still need to be conceived and implemented by the combat troops themselves. Because of this, Iwa Yongwang, who was in charge of the main attacking force, waited for the meeting of Isamu Yokoyama when he got off the ship and arrived at his residence, so as to discuss and formulate all aspects of the specific plan.But Isamu Yokoyama didn't seem to have the intention of summoning him, but wanted to discuss it at the meeting the next day.Yan Yongwang was in a hurry, and felt that the commander was too slow, so he went straight to Hengshan Yong's apartment regardless of the situation, and confessed his thoughts. The two of them faced each other, sitting cross-legged on a cushion.Yan Yongwang spoke impatiently, eloquently and eloquently, and he spoke for more than 3 hours in one breath. Isamu Yokoyama listened carefully, staring intently at Iwa Yongwang's mouth and face, otherwise there was no expression, no reaction, until Iwa Yongwang finished speaking, he didn't intervene. In the end, when Iwan Yongwang generously took out all the goods in his belly and waited for Yokoyama to comment, Yokoyama just thanked him politely, and then politely sent him out of the gate. Angry Yan Yongwang fell into great confusion, what kind of character is this?He got such a feeling: Yokoyama is either very wise and brave, or stupid as a cow.To know which type he belongs to, we can only see what cards he shows to everyone at tomorrow's battle meeting. Unexpectedly, Yokoyama bravely announced his four-stage battle plan at the battle meeting without showing off the mountains or revealing the water: "In the first stage, the 3rd Division, the 13th Division, Sasaki Detachment, Suda Detachment, and Miyawaki Detachment launched a full-scale attack on the front line of Nuanshui Street, broke through the defense line of the 79th Army of the National Army, and occupied the southwest area of ​​Nuanshui Street; In addition, the 116th Division and the 68th Division advanced towards Anxiang. The 116th Division occupied Anxiang, Jinshi, and Lixian County, and the 68th Division occupied Nanxian County and the Binhu area leading to Changde and Hanshou. Main points: The Koga detachment occupied Yuyang Pass and pretended to attack the Jiangfang Army, while the Toda detachment carried out a mobile response operation on the Huarong side. "In the second stage, with the goal of eliminating the 73rd and 74th armies, the 3rd division, the 13th division and the Sasaki detachment attacked the southwestern area of ​​Changde from Shimen, and the 116th division from Jin (city) and Li (county) On the one hand, it directly attacked Changde, and the 68th Division attacked the Hanshou area east of Changde. "In the third stage, repel the Changsha side of the Ninth Theater to the south of Changde and reinforce the troops. "In the fourth stage, retreat to the Shimen and Wangjiachang areas to repel the pursuing troops and restore the pre-war situation. In addition, the 39th Division will defend the Jingmen, Yiyang, and Yichang areas to prevent the Chinese support troops from attacking." After the announcement, Heng Shanyong asked the commanders of each unit to concentrate on the exercise for one day, then return to their respective defense areas, and drive to the designated positions in late October.Attack time is November 2. It's over.It's that simple. On the surface, there is nothing surprising about this combat plan.Isamu Yokoyama didn't seem to have the subjective desire to make an astonishing move, as long as the troops followed his command and executed it accurately.But Aeon Iwa thinks it's not that simple, and it shouldn't be that simple.Although he, like other division heads, didn't immediately see the mystery and ingenuity of this deployment, but he knew by feeling that the things inside were quite interesting. Yan Yongwang returned to the residence and spread the one-fifty-thousandth military map on the floor. Then he took off his shoes, held red and blue pencils, climbed up barefoot, and drew simple arrows according to the battle plan. While drawing and drawing, he punched the map and screamed: "Ah! It's really amazing, it's a big deal, it's simply a work of genius!" The guards guarding the door thought that something was wrong with the commander of the division, and rushed in with guns. Yan Yongwang shouted excitedly: "Quick! Invite Chief of Staff Yamada Dasao!" It turned out that Yan Yongwang finally discovered Yokoyama Isamu's clever plan. The battle was divided into three stages. In the first stage, Isamu Yokoyama deliberately adopted the same formation as in the Western Hubei battle, that is, lined up along the bank of the Yangtze River, so that the Chinese army thought that the Japanese army was about to launch a pincer offensive and wiped them out. The illusion of the front-line troops was that the Japanese army wanted to avenge the Battle of Western Hubei.In this way, in order to avoid the annihilated offensive, the national army must retreat to the west of Hubei. At the same time, a large number of mobile troops are placed in the Shimen area or the mountainous area of ​​western Hubei in an attempt to reverse the encirclement.This is exactly the strategy that the national army is proud of, but this time it just fell into the trap of the Japanese army. 第二阶段，横山勇发动初步进攻，除第68师团向南面三仙湖方向进攻外，其余各师团和支队全都向西南斜插攻击，力图在石门以北歼灭中国军队的主力。这一招也很毒辣，不仅造成日军向鄂西进攻的虚假态势，更重要的是吸引常德附近的国军北上。这样，即使日军不能在石门以北歼灭国军的机动兵团，也能将其北调，并将之向西压迫在鄂西山区内，插上双翅也不能救援常德。 第三阶段，日军除第39师团继续向鄂西压迫国军外，其余师团迅速挥师南下，以迅雷不及掩耳之势，一举攻占常德。横山勇考虑得也很周密，第13师团、第3师团、佐佐木支队向南大迂回，扫清常德西北、西南外围国军，并将国军援兵阻击于常德外围，而第68师团穿越洞庭湖水域后，也向常德东北、东南迂回，扫清外围中国军队，并将南来国军援兵屏蔽于外围。这样，就绝对保证第116师团攻占常德的成功。常德肯定是十只手指捏田螺——跑不掉了，因为常德此时已经是座孤城。 “妙！妙！”岩永旺赞不绝口地对赶来的山田大佐说，“横山勇司令官的这着棋，在中国的孙子兵法里，叫做调虎离山计！” 自此，岩永旺对横山勇肃然起敬，认为他并非等闲之辈。胜败乃兵家常事，一个高明的军事指挥家，不仅要勇于承认自己的败，而且要善于利用自己的败，来达到自己的胜。这便是岩永旺心目中的横山勇的过人之处。