Chapter 25 high spirits

In the middle of winter, with the howling wind, a team of khakis meanders along the Xianggou Highway from Hengshan to Changde.After a long journey without rest, the team looked very tired, not to mention the people, even the mules and horses of the baggage team were so listless, but the officers on the horses still ran back and forth in the team from time to time, conveying the orders of their superiors: " Speed ​​up, hurry forward!" This is Fang Xianjue's 10th Army.On November 19, the Chongqing Kuomintang Military Committee felt that there were too few troops for a decisive battle near Changde based on the urgent situation that the Japanese army had fired shots to besiege Changde. Advance rapidly in the area south of Changde.However, because Xue Yue was confused by the Japanese strategy of diverting the tiger away from the mountain and attacking the west, he made a mistake in his judgment, which delayed the dispatch of troops.It was not until the Japanese troops surrounded Changde City that the siege battle was inextricably fought. Xue Yue suddenly realized that he ordered the 10th Army, 58th Army, and 72nd Army to go to Binhu for reinforcements.But in fact time has been greatly delayed.Fang Xian felt that after the order, he set off from Hengshan, where he was stationed, around November 22. Lu Daoyuan's 58th Army was stationed in the Fenyi and Zhangshu areas of Jiangxi. It was enough to arrive at Zhuzhou on the 27th. On the 27th, Yu Chengwan was in urgent need. Moreover, Zhuzhou was still several hundred kilometers away from Changde. Fortunately, Lu Daoyuan was more active. It is the distant water that cannot quench the near thirsty.As for Fu Yi's 72nd Army, it was not clear where it was at that time.

In addition, the Chongqing Military Commission once ordered: "The 74th Army, the 44th Army, and the 100th Army should do their best to fight the enemy in the northwest of Changde, defend Changde and live with them, rewards and punishments for merits and demerits, and will never tolerate it." But When the order was issued, the 74th Army and the 44th Army had already been severely damaged by the Japanese army. The 100th Army was under the special protection of the Military Commission. One of Cheng Wan's regiments fled. Although the Military Commission has made new adjustments to the deployment of troops for the entire Changde Battle in the two days before and after the Japanese army launched the general offensive in Changde, it ordered the 57th Division to stick to Changde City, and ordered the 10th, 100th, 74th, 73rd, and The 7th Army, 99th, 44th, and 79th, etc. acted as front-line corps to encircle the Japanese army, but in fact, after the battle started, the 74th, 73rd, and 44th Army lost their combat effectiveness, and the 100th Army disappeared. The 99th Army was divided by the Japanese army on the way of reinforcements. Its 197th Division still needed Fang Xianjue's 190th Division to rescue it in Hanshou.In this way, only the remnants of the 10th Army and the 74th Army, as well as the Lu Daoyuan 58th Army that arrived later, could approach Changde as reinforcements.

According to the ratio of combat power at that time, one division of the Japanese army could reach the three armies of the national army. Even if the three armies of Fang Xianjue, Wang Yaowu, and Fu Yi were tied together, it would be difficult to be the opponent of Yokoyama's 11th army , so to solve Yu Chengwan's siege of Changde, the hope is almost very slim. The remnants of the 74th Army, under the command of Commander Wang Yaowu, launched a last-ditch offensive on the 25th. On the one hand, the divisions sent out drilling troops to drill into Zoushi, Hefu, and Changde first; support.In order to block the Chinese reinforcements, the Japanese army launched a counterattack. Mr. Huang Jianru, the deputy director of "Xinchao Daily" who interviewed Commander Wang Yaowu, described: "The fierceness of the battle is actually only seen in field battles." The desperate battle continued until the 30th. The area around Jiahe and Jiuxi Market firmly blocked the advance of the national army.Wang Yaowu knew that the urban area of ​​Changde had entered the final stage of street fighting, and the rescue could not be delayed any longer, so he continued to stick with the enemy at Qijiahe with his main force, while the gap-drilling troops did not hesitate to sneak in desperately.After fighting hard until dawn on December 2, the forward troops had reached more than 10 miles away from Changde, and even the chimney of the power plant outside Daximen was already in sight, but they could no longer move forward.However, even if he broke into Changde, it would be futile, because Changde had basically been completely destroyed by the Japanese army at that time.

Among the reinforcements, the real threat to the Japanese army can be regarded as Fang Xianjue's 10th Army. The army set off from the garrison on November 22, and its marching sequence was the 3rd Division, the Pre-10th Division, the Army Headquarters, and the 190th Division.It was more than 300 kilometers from Hengshan to Changde. At that time, it was difficult to reach the destination as scheduled, so they chose a convenient route, passing through Xiangtan, Ningxiang, Yiyang, and Paoshuipu to the west and crossing Zishui, day and night. Rush to the battlefield.When the 190th Division was crossing the river near Santang Street, the division commander Zhu Yue suddenly received a telegram directly from Xue Yue, asking him to advance to Xiejiapu via Niulutan and cooperate with the temporary 54th Division to attack the enemy of Hanshou to relieve the 190th Division. The 197th division is in danger.In this way, only the 3rd Division and the 10th Pre-10th Division were left in the 10th Army, but they still did not stop, crossing the river near Majitang and rushing to Huangtudian, Qianxiang Township, Changde.

Fang Xianjue led the army to command during the rapid advance, ordering Sun Mingjin's Pre-10th Division and Zhou Qingxiang's 3rd Division to arrive at their destination before the 26th and launch an attack on the enemy from the same day.The tasks of the two divisions are that the 3rd Division is the main attack, and the 10th Division is the cover, that is, the 3rd Division rushes to Deshan via Zhaojiaqiao and Badouwan, and the 10th Division goes to Doumu Lake via Xinglong Street, Doushan, and Fangyangping. Advance in the same direction to contain the Japanese 3rd Division and cover the 3rd Division to capture Tokuyama.

After the 10th Preparatory Division was ordered, the division commander, Major General Sun Mingjin, took Ge Xiancai's 28th Regiment as the right column, Li Changhe's 30th Regiment as the left column, and the division headquarters and Zhang Yuequn's 29th Regiment followed the left column and rushed forward.After the team arrived at the area north of Xinglong Street, it was already dusk. At this time, a Japanese reconnaissance plane flew quietly to follow and circle the sky.At that time, all the commanders of the Pre-10th Division, including Commander Sun, saw that the enemy plane did not drop bombs or machine guns, so they relaxed their vigilance against it. Because the time was too urgent, the team did not take any concealment measures, and went all the way. Fast forward to the north.Unexpectedly, this time has planted an irreparable foreshadowing of bad luck for them.

On the 27th, when the left column reached the jungle area around Lvling, it was ambushed by more than 4,000 Japanese troops.The two sides immediately started a fierce battle. Commander Sun deployed troops according to the battle situation, that is, with the 30th regiment as the left wing and the 28th regiment as the right wing, they attacked the enemy in a pincer shape.The enemy and the enemy repeatedly charged and fought fiercely. The Japanese army directed the main force to the left flank of the 10th Pre-10th Division. Li Changhe's 30th regiment suffered heavy casualties.After a bloody battle, the Japanese army was finally temporarily suppressed to the west of Luling.

At this time, the Ninth War Zone Chief's Department called to order the Pre-10th Division to closely cooperate with the 3rd Division to capture Deshan, defeat ordinary morality, overcome difficulties, and complete the task.Since the route of action of the 10th Division has been grasped by the Japanese reconnaissance plane, the original direction of support allowed the Japanese army to take a step ahead and block it completely. Assault, in order to meet with the 3rd division. On the 28th, the Pre-10th Division stubbornly advanced towards Tokuyama despite the strong firepower of the Japanese army.In order to prevent the action of the 10th Division, the Japanese army rushed to the division's team at all costs. The ground infantry felt that it was not enough to cut and encircle.It didn't take long for an emergency to occur. The junction of the 28th Regiment and the 30th Regiment allowed the Japanese army to break through, and they were in danger of being scattered and eaten. He stepped forward, commanded and mobilized the two regiments to cooperate closely, and resisted desperately. After more than an hour of bloody battle, the crisis was turned into safety.

At this time, the Ninth War Zone Commander's Department once again urged the 10th Division to quickly approach Tokuyama to cover the 3rd Division's attack.In the mountains, Sun Mingjin ordered the telegrapher to reply: "Our division is determined not to succeed, so we will make up our minds to advance towards Deshan when every single soldier is defeated." In order to execute the order, he adjusted the deployment of troops to a single line, In addition to the 28th Regiment being responsible for containing the enemy from the front, the division headquarters used the 29th Regiment as the vanguard and the 30th Regiment as the rear guard. Tokuyama inserted like a sharp knife.

The terrain in this area is very complicated, the roads are narrow, and it is difficult to search and look out. According to military common sense, the team should not choose such a road to advance.But by coincidence, the Pre-10th Division seemed to have only this way to go.When Sun Mingjin had some ominous premonition, he could no longer control the evolution of the battle situation.In fact, after the Japanese army grasped the plan of the Pre-10th Division, they lured them step by step, carefully planned a trap, and then asked Sun Mingjin to lead the team to drill. At around 4:00 p.m., the Qianwei had just arrived at Zhaigongzui, and suddenly encountered an ambush of about a thousand Japanese soldiers and rushed towards the troops. Commander Sun immediately commanded the 29th Regiment to deploy on the highland southeast of Zhaigongzui, attack Yijiachong, and stormed the army. Face to face with the enemy, the rest of the troops quickly moved to the southwest foot of Tangjiazui.The 29th Regiment fought hand-to-hand with the enemy. It could be said that they met each other on a narrow road and refused to give in to each other. They fought until late at night before stopping the attack for a while.

On the 29th, Fang Xianjue ordered the divisions of the 10th Army: "Before dawn on the 30th, the 190th Division will capture Shimen Bridge, and the 3rd Division will capture Deshan. After the 10th Division arrives at Erligang, one part will occupy the area. The main force is advancing towards Deshan, and it is indeed covering the attack of the 3rd Division." In order to break through the enemy in front of him as soon as possible, Master Sun ordered the mortars of the whole division to fire at the Japanese position in Zhaigongzui. Under the cover of artillery fire, the troops attacked across the board. , Pounced on the Japanese army.The 3rd Battalion of the 29th Regiment fought with the enemy in a scuffle on the high ground east of Yijiachong. The scene was extremely tragic.At 12:00 noon, the Japanese army suddenly took the initiative to retreat to the northwest, leaving an irresistible impression on the national army. Little did they know that this was the enemy's deliberate lure to retreat, but the Pre-10th Division, regardless of the authenticity, rashly advanced to Yijiachong . When Sun Mingjin led his troops to attack the Taiping Bridge, unexpectedly, the Japanese troops on both sides of the road who had been waiting to attack came in three groups, and the troops were in chaos.During the emergency resistance, Master Sun relied on the assistance of several battalion and regiment leaders to hastily pull the troops to the nearby high ground. During the fierce battle, Sun Mingjin felt that there were enemies all around, and it was pushed to December 1. Due to the disparity in the strength of the two sides, and the long-distance march of the 10th Division, they confronted a strong enemy without stopping, and it was too late to build a solid fortification. The charge continued to cause casualties to the division, and the division was gradually exhausted.At this time, the Japanese army continued to increase its troops and launched large-scale attacks again and again, assuming a posture that it would not put the 10th Division to death and was unwilling to give up.Facing a dangerous situation, Sun Mingjin knew that it was difficult to get out, so he made a deadly charge. When he raised his arms to command, the Japanese army suddenly turned around on his flank. A string of machine gun bullets passed through his chest, and blood gushed like a spring, and his uniform All were dyed red.Several guards strongly supported him, and he only had his last breath like a gossamer. He told his subordinates: "Follow the order and complete the task!" Then he died for the country with his eyes closed. This bloody battle was thrilling, and the battle lasted until late at night. The remaining officers and soldiers took advantage of the darkness to escape the siege.A complete division had more than 2,000 casualties, and only a hundred survivors survived the siege. After Commander Sun Mingjin, Chief of Staff Chen Feilong also died in hand-to-hand combat. Chief of Staff He Zhuben and Commander of the 28th Regiment Ge Xiancai were both seriously injured.Due to the brutal and terrifying battle conditions, Li Changhe, the commander of the 30th regiment, had a mental breakdown and disappeared in the wilderness. Sun Mingjin was the third general killed by the Chinese army in the Battle of Changde.He was born in Suqian County, Jiangsu Province in 1905, named Yuxuan. In 1925, he overcame many difficulties and went to the Guangdong Revolutionary Base, where he was admitted to the sixth phase of the Whampoa Military Academy.After graduating, Sun Mingjin joined the ranks of the Northern Expeditionary Army, made great achievements in combat, and was gradually promoted to the positions of platoon leader, company commander, battalion commander, and deputy regiment commander.In order to deepen his military attainments, he applied for the 14th term of the Army University and the Academy of the Army University for further study. After graduation, he served as section chief, senior counselor, chief of staff, and deputy division commander. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Sun Mingjin led his troops to fight in various places, planning battles, defeating powerful enemies repeatedly, and was promoted to the commander of the 10th Reserve Division of the 10th Army's 10th Army with his meritorious service in the War of Resistance Against Japan. It should be said that this 38-year-old general who was born in a land of scholars in the south of the Yangtze River has had a smooth sailing in his military career.But decades later, Mr. Li Bafu, who was his deputy division commander and director of the political department at that time, made some derogatory comments on Mr. Sun. Mr. Li said that one of the main reasons for the defeat of the Pre-10th Division was that the division commander Sun Mingjin had too little experience in field combat and had too many negligence.For example, when studying the enemy's situation, we did not judge the phenomenon of enemy planes spying on our army, and did not pay attention to the deployment of the troops when they passed through the complex jungle area, so that they were ambushed, and so on. Undoubtedly, this remark came from Li Bafu, the deputy commander of the division who participated in the war with Mr. Sun and escaped from death. It is very convincing. Apart from admiring the immortal heroes, we can't help but have some thoughts about their talents. explore.But history is so complicated. If we think about it in depth, we can bring out many question marks.When Mr. Li Bofu wrote this memoir, was he influenced by "extreme left" prejudice?It is necessary to write down the historical materials of the War of Resistance Against Japan, but not to sing praises for the Kuomintang generals. If this "dichotomy" is to be followed, it is inevitable not to "curse" some old colleagues in order to get it approved.Or ask again, was Mr. Li in good health when he wrote these historical judgments?Is memory normal?If it is verified from his determination of the date of the battle, then this question mark can be justified, because he completely mistaken the date when the 10th Pre-10th Division participated in the Battle of Changde... In any case, the Chinese always take an attitude of praising national heroes.In recognition of General Sun Mingjin's glorious deeds of resisting Japan and saving the country and sacrificing his life for the country, the Nationalist Government specially honored Martyr Sun Mingjin as a lieutenant general.People from all walks of life in Changsha City, the capital of Hunan Province, will hold a memorial ceremony for the late teacher Sun Mingjin on December 18 and 19, and plan to use 100,000 yuan as a special pension. "Ta Kung Pao" also published a long editorial "Mr. Sun Gu's spirit is not dead" to mourn this anti-Japanese hero.The words in the inner circle are highly appraised and shocking: "Mr. Sun Gu, who is righteous and righteous, dies on Mount Tai", "Famous mountains of meritorious deeds, riding on immortality together, can be described as life and death sorrow", "Suddenly approaching without being surprised, Not being angry without reason, the ancients called it great courage, Mr. Sun Gu, who is close to him", "He struggled for the country, and he was unyielding in the face of difficulties, which is comparable to the ancients."Sun Mingjin has been engraved forever in the annals and monuments of the Battle of Changde.In the early 1980s, the People's Government of Jiangsu Province recognized Sun Mingjin as a revolutionary martyr. One division of Fang Xianjue was transferred by Xue Yue, one division was defeated by the Japanese army, and the third division remained. Under the leadership of division commander Zhou Qingxiang, the 3rd Division advanced towards Zhaojiaqiao. On the morning of the 29th, as soon as the troops entered the Yujiakan, Zengjiachong, and Li Baochong areas, they encountered the Japanese army.The Japanese army in charge of blocking the mission tried to fight the national army. Commander Zhou was ordered to restrict the capture of Deshan, and it was not suitable to linger for a long time, so he used the 8th Regiment (one less battalion) to hold the enemy in place, and the main force quickly entered Podeshan. At dawn on the 30th, Zhou Qingxiang finally reached the outskirts of Deshan Mountain. Looking at the Gufeng Pagoda on Deshan Mountain, his eyes sparkled with excitement.He immediately ordered an attack on Tokuyama. The 3rd Division of the Japanese army deployed in Tokuyama had a brigade of about 500 people. Unexpectedly, the intercepting troops failed to stop the national army and responded hastily.After all, the 3rd Division came fiercely. After several battles, the Japanese army suffered serious injuries, so they crossed the Yuanjiang River in a panic and fled north.At 6 o'clock in the afternoon, Zhou Qingxiang led his troops to recover Deshan. After the news that Zhou Shi defeated the enemy and regained Deshan was sent by telegram, Xue Yue, the commander of the Ninth War Zone, immediately sent a telegram to commend Yu and Tuesday's divisions: "Cheng Wanshi fought in a bloody battle to protect Changde, and Qingxiang's bloody battle in Kede Mountain, praise the world for loyalty and bravery, special award Cheng Wanshi 200,000 Yuan, Master Qingxiang 100,000 yuan." The next day, before dawn, the counterattacking Japanese 68th Division and 3rd Division each had a regiment that surrounded Tokuyama like an iron barrel.After a burst of shelling that covered the sky and the sun, the infantry began to rush towards the national army position on the mountain.The brothers of Zhou Qingxiang's 3rd Division occupied a favorable terrain position and fought tenaciously against the enemy, resulting in the failure of the Japanese army's repeated attacks.But sticking to Deshan is not Zhou Qingxiang's goal. He holds up a telescope to observe the dynamics of Changde City from time to time during the war. He knows that Yu Chengwan is looking forward to the reinforcements there, so he is also extremely anxious to get out and attack the city as soon as possible. go.At the same time, at this moment, Xue Yue called again to urge Division Zhou to send troops into the city quickly to rescue the 57th Division in crisis.Zhou Qingxiang made up his mind and put all his eggs in one basket. He ordered the 9th Regiment to stick to Deshan, and the 7th Regiment to fight towards the city regardless of everything and at all costs. Chen Desheng, the head of the 7th Regiment, took the order and immediately led the team to rush to the south bank of the Yuan River.He rushed away, but he didn't know if he could come back. Because if you want to enter the city from Deshan, you must first go to Changde South Station, and it is extremely difficult to get into the South Station.The Yuanjiang River pours into Dongting from Taoyuan to the east, and when it flows through Changde City Wall, it turns a big arc, forming a natural pocket.Deshan stands in the southeast corner of Changde, standing at the mouth of this natural pocket. Under such geographical conditions, if you want to complete the arduous task of entering the city to rescue the 57th Division, you have to drill into the pocket of the densely packed Japanese army. In the middle of the night on December 1, when he couldn't see his fingers, the head of the regiment, Zhen Desheng, sent a sharp knife squad to open the way. He carried two guns and walked in front of the team first, touching the South Station in his pocket.There was no Japanese obstruction along the way, and it went straight to the bank of the Yuanjiang River at Danan Station.Chen Desheng was overjoyed for a while, thinking that the job was done, so he ordered the signal soldiers to immediately send signal flares to the opposite bank of the river and blow the contact number. Reluctantly, although the remnants of the 57th Division in the city saw the signal on the south bank of the river, their own signal flares had already been exhausted, and all the buglers were killed in battle. , windy and rough, how can you see this firefly-like light?Chen Desheng didn't get any response from the defenders in the city for a long time, and his heart gradually cooled down. He judged that the 57th Division might be completely wiped out, and there was no way to save it.In this case, he wanted to evacuate the South Railway Station as soon as possible, and rush back to Deshan to join the main force, so as not to have long nights and dreams.After making up his mind, he pulled up the team and retreated. When the team withdrew to 2 miles away from the South Station, the leading soldiers suddenly encountered Commander Zhou Yizhong, who was sent by the 57th Division to contact the reinforcements. The final fight.Chen Desheng yelled regretful, without saying a word, turned the gun head and wanted to go back to Shinan Station, but suddenly the flares "swish, swish" exploded in the air, and the surrounding sky suddenly became bright as day. "No, we are surrounded by Japanese devils!" Someone screamed loudly. Just like this, because they delayed for too long, they finally exposed their target. The Japanese army mobilized a large number of troops and wrapped Chen Desheng's regiment like dumplings. The 7th Regiment tried its best to break out of the encirclement of the Japanese army, but they couldn't get rid of the enemy's entanglement and extermination at all after fighting all night. In the end, only more than 100 people escaped. Fang Xianjue's 10th Army lost troops and lost its generals. As a result, there was almost only a bare military headquarters left, and its vitality was basically lost. It was no longer able to enter the city to assist Yu Chengwan's 57th Division. After the Battle of Changde, Xue Yue believed that the 10th Army was not effective in fighting and did not obey the command (Fang Xianjue once quarreled with Xue on the phone because of the command authority of the 190th Division), and failed to complete the task of rescuing the defending troops, so he sent Fang Xianjue He was dismissed and Zhong Bin was sent to take over as the commander of the 10th Army.Later, Li Yutang reported the heroic situation of the 10th Army's participation in the Changde Battle in Chongqing to Gu Zhutong, asking him to intercede with Chiang Kai-shek.Seeing this situation, Zhong Bin was reluctant to go to work. After more than two months, Fang Xianjue went to Chongqing to plead guilty to Chiang Kai-shek and carry out dredging activities. It happened that the Japanese army was about to attack Changsha for the fourth time, and Chiang Kai-shek was eager to help. Fang Xianjue was then ordered to return to power in the 10th Army and take on the important task of guarding Changsha.