Chapter 44 The river is still this river, the city is still this city

Yan Yongwang is right in saying that the powerful Japanese army can occupy Changde and Yuanjiang by force, but they cannot move Changde and Yuanjiang away, and they will never move away. While the Japanese army was retreating, the Kuomintang's second-line reinforcements were approaching Changde. On December 6, the armies on the second line began a general counter-offensive, and Lu Daoyuan's 58th Army was in charge of the frontal attack.Fu Yi's 72nd Army then rushed to the outer battlefield on the south bank of Yuanshui in Changde.The 58th Army directly attacked Erligang and Deshan from Xinglong Bridge, Badouwan, and Shuangyangping, and the 72nd Army directly attacked Doumu Town and Peijia Wharf from Fawang Bridge, Xingwang Bridge, and Daolin Temple. South bank of Yuan River.The offensive of the national army is like the collapse of Tongshan Mountain, and the response of Luozhong West.

In order to prepare for the revolutionary battle, on December 5, the 58th Army advanced from the area between Huangtudian, Xinqiao, and Tianjiaping to the area between Jinling Bridge and Xinglong Bridge. At dawn on the 6th, Lu Daoyuan ordered the first to advance to Badouwan and Powangchong, while the main force attacked Bamaodi, Niangniangchong, and Erligang.The attack is deployed as: 1. The new 10th Division (missing 29 regiments) is equipped with a company of anti-aircraft guns. On the 5th, it marched into the area between Jinling Bridge, Nanjiachong, and Zhengjiachong to investigate the enemy's situation in detail. At dawn on the 6th, it looked at Badouwan and Po Rush the enemy to attack.

2. The new 11th Division is equipped with the 2nd company of anti-war guns. On the 5th, it marched into the area between Taizimiao, Xinglong Street, and Huangnixiang to investigate the enemy's situation in detail. attack. 3. The 29th Regiment of the New 10th Division is an army reserve team and follows up in the direction of Yaqiling, the left rear of the New 10th Division. After the attack from all directions, Yang Luzeng, head of the 28th Regiment of the New 10th Division, took the lead and occupied the line of Gaojiarong on the Chigang brand.Not long after the battle, the troops of the two divisions were about to break through the Japanese cordon. At about 11:00 noon, they captured the lines of Gaojiawan, Jiangjiachong, Xianiangniangguan, and Jiangjiaping.

The Japanese army deployed more than 3,000 cover troops near Badouwan, about 1,000 near Liujiachong, and more than 2,000 at Erligang. At this time, these enemies were in a state of panic. Battalion Commander Xu Kentang of the Artillery Battalion of the 58th Army ordered Huang Xian, the commander of the 10th company, to shell the enemy directly, while the machine gun company fired at the enemy's positions with dozens of light and heavy machine guns. Taking the lead, they raised their guns and jumped into the enemy's formation. In front of them, the Japanese soldiers fell in rows. On the first day of the offensive, Commander Xiao Benyuan of the New 10th Division led his troops in and out of the east-west line of Qidouchong, and occupied the area north of Qidouchong at 2 p.m. the next day.Commander Hou Zhenbang of the New 11th Division also led his troops to capture the line of Chong Maowan in Tsuchian on the 7th, and continued to search for retreating enemies.

The attack advanced until dawn on the 8th, and the Japanese army retreated to Zhaiziling, Pipachong, Yangjiashan, and Maojiadu in front of them. Chang Zhengxue, head of the 29th Regiment of the 58th Army Reserve, sent a battalion of soldiers to Sujiadu to attack the rear of the enemy's left flank via the airport and Fengfenggang. After 6 hours of fierce fighting, the first-line troops captured the The line of Zhaiziling, Pipachong, Maojiadu and Lujiahu.At 2:00 p.m., the Japanese defense became more and more vacillating, and retreated steadily. Some crossed the river and retreated to Deshan City, some retreated to the area across the river northwest of Wufengling, and some retreated to several long dams south of Li's house.

The 58th Army pursued and advanced under the order of Commander Lu. After the leading troops broke through the enemy's cover positions at the east gate city and Wufengling on the southeast highland of Sujiadu, Commander Lu immediately ordered Commander Xiao of the new 10th Division to take advantage of the enemy's unstable foothold. Forcibly cross the river from the old wharf of Sujiadu, attack Deshan City, and then order the new 11th Division Master Hou to besiege the isolated enemy in the northwest area of ​​Wufengling.In the fierce battle until dusk, the troops of the two divisions killed the enemy. The first-line troops of the new 10th division were enough to immediately occupy Deshan, an important stronghold outside Changde.

According to the situation at the time, it was entirely possible for the 58th Army, the 72nd Army, and the 18th Army of the second-line reinforcements of the National Army to quickly wipe out the enemies on the south bank of the Yuanshui River and enter the city as soon as possible. Considering that there are still 8 regiments of the Japanese army in Changde, they are worried that "if the counterattack of the 18th Army and the Ouzhen Corps (58th and 72nd Armies) is ineffective and exhausted, they may be unable to deal with the situation in Changde and induce the enemy to attack more. Extravagant attempt", so I dare not rashly order an urgent attack on Changde, but only ask the troops to maintain the current situation, launch some small attacks, recover some suburban strongholds, and observe the enemy's situation.

On the evening of the 8th, Lu Daoyuan, who was riding on horseback and observing the battle ahead with a telescope, received a notice from the commander of the Corps, Ou Zhen: Stop advancing and stand by for orders. Lu Daoyuan cursed angrily: "Those guys who are eating dry food in the building in the capital are giving random orders and directing blindly. They don't know anything!" Sure enough, Lu Daoyuan sent scouts into Changde City to obtain information, which proved that the Japanese army in Changde had already been evacuated, leaving only a small number of cover troops to guard.He reported the situation to Ou Zhen, and then to the Chongqing Military Commission.The Military Commission didn't believe it at first, but it wasn't until Fu Yi reported the same situation that they suddenly realized, so in the early morning of the 9th, they urgently ordered the various ministries to attack the city.

Lu Daoyuan moved the command post forward to Hejiachong. In the early morning of the 9th, Commander Xiao of the New 10th Division chased back the enemy at Shigongmiao. The main force of the 32nd Regiment of the New 11th Division attacked Changde and occupied the two battalions of the South Station. Under the cover of artillery fire, they forcibly crossed the river and assisted in the attack on Changde. At 12:00 noon on the 9th, the 58th Army fought desperately, platooned the enemy soldiers, and bravely entered Changde City. They all thought they were done, but they didn't expect that after the defeated enemy retreated to the area near Yangjiaqiao and Yujiacun, they would join up with the other two supporting troops, and under the cover of planes, they would attack the northwest gate of Changde violently. After 3 hours of fierce fighting, both sides suffered heavy casualties, and the national army was forced to withdraw again at 4 pm.

In the critical situation of this reversal, Lu Daoyuan ordered the main force of the New 11th Division to cross the river from Deshan Leuye for reinforcements. On the 10th, Commander Lu issued a stern order to Commander Hou: "Mr. Hou: Zheng Sheke, head of the 32nd Regiment of the division, reported that he crossed the river at 3:00 pm yesterday, and stayed at Yanqiao until 6:00 pm. Spirit. Make sure to wipe out the remnants of the enemy before 11:00 p.m. today, and ensure that Changde City is secured with every single bullet left. If there is any violation, the regiment commander will be shot immediately. At 7:00 p.m. on December 10 at the Tsuchidachong Command Post."

On the same day, the vanguard of the New 11th Division of the 58th Army began to cross the river under the supervision of Master Hou.In an attempt to prevent the national army from crossing the river, the Japanese army used the bunker fortifications on the river bank to shoot violently at the river with machine guns.The company commander Gan Xizhong and platoon leader Huang Jinting of the 9th company of the Artillery Battalion of the New 11th Division immediately commanded the artillery group to counterattack upon seeing this, destroying the Japanese machine gun bunker and suppressing the enemy's firepower. On the 11th, while stabilizing the position, the New 11th Division prepared for a night attack: one detoured to the northwest of Changde City to attack the enemy's left and back, and the main force attacked the enemy in front of the east gate.Commander Xiao of the New 10th Division also sent some troops to the South Station to attack the upper and lower south gates. Army Commander Lu Daoyuan thought that Changde City must be completely captured in this section, and issued a warrant to encourage all officers and soldiers of the divisions: Both the company commander and the soldiers of the X Regiment battalion read: Chaben's army is known for its proficiency in combat, and its cadres are known for their bravery.During the seven years of the Anti-Japanese War, the enemy will be destroyed whenever he sees it, and even if he encounters a fierce battle, he will finally win.This time, we galloped thousands of miles west to assist Changde. Because of the bravery of our officers and soldiers, the enemy retreated steadily, and the famous city of Changde pointed out that Gu Ke could accept it.It is because a small number of officers and soldiers are timid and timid, so that a remnant of the enemy is still able to resist stubbornly.It seems that this deeply tarnishes my vocation as a revolutionary soldier, and I have the high expectations of being a president. If I examine myself, why do I treat the party and the country?Why the group?What's more, why the glorious record in exchange for the blood and heads of the dead martyrs of our army?I hope that the officers and soldiers of our army will inspire unprecedented wisdom and courage, carry forward the honor of our army, and sacrifice ourselves to complete the spirit of loyalty to the nation and the nation.Going to the death, not annihilating the Japanese pirates, and vowing not to return alive, to comfort the president and repay the country with the wishes of success and benevolence expressed by the commander of the army.Warrant issued by Army Commander Lu Daoyuan on December 11, 32. The siege began at 8 o'clock in the evening, and until 11 midnight, the battle became fierce.The national army has been advancing one after another, advancing but never retreating.Battalion Commander Xu Kentang of the Artillery Battalion commanded the artillery to bombard the city amidst the hail of bullets, effectively destroying many machine gun fire points of the Japanese army. At 12 o'clock, the national army broke into the city from the northeast at the same time. Commander Lu looked at the magnificent scene of thousands of troops beheading generals and capturing the flag, and wrote a chronicle poem: The street fighting continued in the middle of the night, and at dawn on the 12th, there were bloody Japanese corpses everywhere.At this time, the rear of the cover troops left by the Japanese army was also cut off by the detour troops of the 58th Army. They feared that the entire army would be wiped out, so they burst out from Ximen Hog ​​and fled northwest of Changde to chase the large troops. One part of the 58th Army continued to follow and attack the enemy, while the main force built strong strongholds outside the city walls, and built core fortifications in the city. While Lu Daoyuan was recovering Changde, Yu Chengwan, the commander of the 57th Division, led Du Ding and Sun Jinxian, as well as more than 80 officers and soldiers, and cooperated with the 32nd Regiment of the New 11th Division to cross the Yuanjiang River from the Old Wharf of Deshan to the east of Changde. The door advances. The 32nd Regiment fought fiercely at the East Gate, and Commander Yu led the brothers of the 57th Division around the moat and rushed into the city from the gap in the residual wall along the river.When their feet did stand on the ground of Changde City again, they were extremely excited.At this time, the sky was not yet bright, and the moon was as big as a round fan, gradually sinking to the west.The moonlight shines on the broken walls and bricks of the city foundation, and there is no one there. A kind of silence after the war makes people feel desolate.In the silence of the night, the air seemed to be suspended and solidified, so people's sense of smell was extraordinarily sensitive, and they immediately smelled the strange and foul stench permeating the surroundings.I don't know who called softly: "Ah!" At the same time, they found a pile of black shadows on the left and right under the base of the city wall. These dead bodies stayed there for seven or eight days, and they were all decomposed. Yu Chengwan led the crowd to jump off the base of the city, and ran towards the center of the city following the traces of the previous few days of war.They heard gunshots coming from Xiananmen to Xuejiekou. They probably were brothers from the national army who stayed in the city and were fighting with the Japanese army, so they anxiously wanted to rescue them. From time to time, a section of stone was exposed outside. Yu Chengwan judged that this was probably Daxi Street, so he called everyone to jump over the road in a charging posture and jumped towards the Central Bank. It was already twilight, and they saw a few unburnt houses at Xingjiekou, leaving a black shell in the air, and the gunshots came from there.Yu Chengwan thought that his brothers were probably using these dilapidated houses to attack the enemy, so he ordered his subordinates to leap forward section by section under cover of broken walls. Commander Sun Jinxian took the lead and climbed to the corner of a broken wall. He saw 8 Japanese soldiers holding rifles and shooting at a half-collapsed house. He started his fire from the heart and aimed at the place where the two enemies were squatting. , dropped a grenade.Where the flames surged, the two enemies fell to the ground.The remaining six Japanese soldiers immediately stood up from the pile of bricks, not knowing what to do. At this time, Yu Chengwan led his brothers and jumped up, shouting to kill. Dozens of bayonets shot from all directions like sharp arrows. To stab at the enemy. The wind swept away, and the six enemies were quickly eliminated. Everyone was about to rush into the broken house in front, but someone shouted: "Report to the teacher, Gao Ziyue is here!" Yu Chengwan and the two heads of the regiment recognized the voice of Deputy Head Gao as soon as they heard it. Everyone shouted with joy, only to see two men wearing mud-stained and tattered military uniforms in the hole in the window of the dilapidated house. The people jumped out, each holding a Japanese rifle in their hands, the one in front was Gao Ziyue, and the one following was a regiment soldier. The two of them saw the teacher and the brothers standing on a pile of messy bricks, so they raised their guns and ran straight in front of Yu Chengwan, stood upright, staring at each other, and shouted together: "Master..." I don't know Whether they were happy or sad, whether their emotions were too tense or their nerves were numb, their tongues were stunned and they could not utter a single word.At the same time, the body that stood at attention trembled greatly. Although Yu Chengwan was an extremely calm person, he couldn't hold back his excitement when he met his brother in distress under such a narrow escape. He stepped forward and hugged Gao Ziyue, sobbing loudly . Gao Zi said sobbing intermittently: "Teacher, don't be sad...Teacher, please control your emotions...Teacher..." After a while, Yu Chengwan let go of Gao Ziyue, wiped his eyes, calmed down his emotions, and said: "Very well, it's hard for you. I must report your deeds to the army commander, grandson, and Generalissimo Jiang. Not only will you be rewarded, but you will definitely be famous in history!" Gao Zi said with a sob, "We don't need any rewards, sir, we are satisfied if we can meet alive!" "Yes..." Yu Chengwan said with emotion. While sighing, Du Ding reminded Yu Chengwan: "Teacher, time is very tight, let's go to Xiaoximen quickly, and deal with that important matter!" "Yes!" Yu Chengwan remembered, "Let's quickly occupy Xiaoximen, which is the center of the city, and we will hold a solemn ceremony!" While speaking, he heard bursts of gunfire from the direction of Xiaoximen. Yu Chengwan waved his hand and said, "Rush over!" Suddenly, like a group of tigers descending the mountain, the team rushed towards Xiaoximen.Xingjiekou is only a short diameter away from Xiaoximen, and everyone rushed to the remnant of the city wall in one breath.From a distance, I saw a few Japanese guards firing their guns at the gap outside the city gate. When I saw a group of wolves appearing, I didn't know where the guns went, so I ran out of the city. , shouting something while running.Immediately, in several bunkers outside the city, many backbones wearing yellow woolen uniforms were arched. This is the covering force arranged by the Japanese army outside the city.These spines moved swiftly along the path toward the north gate, as they stooped and retreated in panic.The brothers did not miss this opportunity to hit a live target, each raised their rifles, and shot at the back of the Japanese army together.A few Japanese soldiers returned their guns, fired back a few times, and still ran faster. Yu Chengwan raised his hand and shouted: "Occupy the top of the city!" The height of the brick pile at the head of Xiaoximen City.Looking at it, the Japanese army had already evacuated, leaving only two light machine guns on the ground. Yu Chengwan walked to the flagpole of the dilapidated city gate and called out to Commander Du.Du Ding answered immediately and walked over.Yu Chengwan said: "Let's hold the ceremony now and give me the national flag." Du Ding took out a blue sky and white sun flag that was treasured in his chest and handed it to Yu Chengwan.Yu Chengwan personally raised the flag of the Republic of China on the flagpole slowly, and then gave a solemn military salute.All the national army brothers also raised their hands to salute. Just a strong northwest wind came, and the raised national flag spread out and fluttered in the wind.Under the national flag of Lie Lie, although Changde is a piece of scorched earth and ruins, and the Yuanjiang River in the distance is also full of dead bodies, dirty and smelly, but it belongs to China after all.It is on the land of China, the river is still the same river, and the city is still the same city!