Chapter 36 3. The rendezvous of the remnants of the Japanese army

The Chinese and American air forces led by General Chennault carried out indiscriminate bombing of the Japanese soldiers in Xuefeng Mountain, which worked very well.The woods where they had used to hide were burned, the fortifications they had built were blown down, and they had no choice but to retreat.So a squad or squadron, or even a large group of unorganized soldiers, began to move eastward from dozens of dens. In the bombing of the Chinese and American Air Forces, the 133rd Wing of Kagawa Katsunaga was the one who suffered heavy casualties. They were trapped on a high ground at that time, but the headquarters of the 116th Division, the 47th Division, the 68th Division, the 34th Division, and the two brigades of the main Japanese army were blocked by the Chinese army and could not rescue them.Not only that, the 116th Division Headquarters and the 58th Brigade were also surrounded by Xuefeng Mountain.

Colonel Kagawa had no choice but to follow the orders of the military and division headquarters and retreat eastward alone.The 133rd Regiment of the Japanese Army abandoned the high ground and marched in the mountains and jungles at night.They thought they were safe, but in fact they were noticed by the Chinese army long ago, and they were either attacked by artillery fire or attacked by the Chinese army along the way.When they arrived at the designated location for the rendezvous, there were only more than 1,000 people in the entire wing, but they were still very effective. The Japanese army attacking Xuefeng Mountain must pass through Furong Mountain when fleeing eastward.Furong Mountain is located on the road from Dongkou to Shaoyang. The remnants of the Japanese army came out of Xuefeng Mountain and gathered here to rest.There were many numbers of the Japanese army who came here, and the battle had reached this point, and no one could command anyone, because it was not a unit, and there was no relationship between superiors and subordinates.After some teams arrived, they slept all night and then left without authorization. They hurried to Shaoyang, and they had no intention of fighting again.

The commanders of several regiments stationed here with the remnants of the troops, and they also wanted to gather these remnants, but others did not obey the command, and led their own squads and the rest of the squadron to act alone.They knew that the order from the military headquarters and division headquarters was to retreat, and they were not allowed to fight the Chinese army here.Those who want to fight here are nothing more than some militants. They can't swallow the anger of Zhijiang's failure in the battle, and they want to fight stubbornly.Therefore, the gathering place of the Japanese army was very chaotic.

When the remnants of the 133rd Regiment and the 217th Regiment arrived here, the Chinese army chasing them blocked them head-on.Such a blockade by the Chinese army squeezed the chaotic Japanese army into a whole. Thousands of Japanese soldiers were in a predicament with nowhere to escape, so they had to put all their eggs in one basket and resisted the Chinese army desperately. This was due to their survival instinct. The battle at Furong Mountain covered the sky and the sun, and the sky was dark.In the Battle of Changsha, General Kagawa faced the 57th Division of the Chinese Army, and now he met again.On the left flank of the Japanese army is the 51st Division of the 74th Army, and the 18th Army that is encircling.It can be said that these scattered troops of the Japanese army could not go out, and they could not return to Shaoyang.

The Chinese Air Force took off from Zhijiang to bombard the Japanese army.Japanese Colonel Kagawa and Ki Kiyoji trembled when they saw the plane. They have all experienced the American Napam bomb, which can instantly turn the battlefield into a sea of ​​flames and burn people into coke.So their best way is to get involved with the Chinese army, so that the aircraft can't take advantage of it. The plane of the Chinese Air Force circled in the sky several times, anxiously unable to do anything, and saw soldiers from both sides wrestling together on the ground, and the hand-to-hand combat made it impossible for them to separate for a while.The Japanese army also went crazy. Holding a Chinese soldier, they rang the grenade on their bodies. Some were seriously injured, and even crawled into the Chinese army's position, detonated and exploded, and both died.

In order for the Japanese army to retreat smoothly, the 47th Division came from Taohuaping with a regiment, and they came to Furong Mountain to meet them.The arrival of the Japanese alliance greatly enhanced their offensive capabilities, and most of the Chinese defenders were seized by the Japanese.Commander Zhou Zhidao of the 51st Division on the left wing immediately sent reinforcements to assist the 57th Division to regain the high ground. A palm-sized area of ​​Furong Mountain is a highland on the top of the mountain. The two sides competed for each other and went back and forth for more than a dozen rounds.The morale of the Chinese army was high, and they would never let go of this group of Japanese soldiers who were trying to escape, and made up their minds to wipe them out at the foot of Mount Furong.As for the desperately struggling Japanese army, only by breaking through the positions of the Chinese army can they have any hope of survival.Breaking through the past is Shaoyang, which is the base camp of several main divisions.

The Japanese army in the direction of Shaoyang did not dare to come out, and the 18th Army of the Chinese Army was defending the front.Commander Hu Lian knew that their main task was to block the retreat of the Japanese army in Xuefeng Mountain on the one hand, and to prevent the enemy from Shaoyang from coming to meet them on the other hand.Therefore, despite the brutal fighting at Furong Mountain, they could not deploy troops to participate in the battle, they could only assist with cannons.To solve the problem of Furong Mountain, it has to rely on the Chinese army fighting on Furong Mountain itself.

At the most difficult time in Furong Mountain, the 6th Division of the Chinese reinforcements arrived.As a result, the disparity in the strength of the two sides is too great, and the Japanese army is obviously at a disadvantage.The Japanese army, who had no intention of fighting, used all their troops to rush up a gap in the Furong Valley as if fleeing for their lives.Most of the Japanese troops were wiped out, and a small number of Japanese troops rushed out. It is said that the Japanese army who rushed out could not return to Shaoyang, and there was a layer of defense of the 18th Army on the periphery.However, the 18th Army let go of a gap, allowing thousands of exhausted Japanese troops to burst out.General Wang Zhiyuan of the 11th Division of the 18th Army who participated in the battle was a little at a loss. He was still thinking about this matter after the war. He once wrote his thoughts like this:

Why didn't the 18th Army cut off the road from Dongkou to Shaoyang?Instead of actively cooperating with friendly forces to encircle and annihilate the enemy, shift positions and change from offensive to defensive.I still don't understand it. The Battle of Furong Mountain was the last battle of the counter-offensive in the Battle of Western Hunan.This battle ended the second stage of the Battle of Xiangxi, that is, the big counteroffensive.On the whole, the big counter-offensive in the Battle of Xiangxi was aborted, at least it was not completed, or stopped just after it started.Don't eat the fat on your lips, not to mention the middle and lower rank officers, even the senior officers like Wang Yaowu, Zhou Zhidao, Qiu Xingxiang don't understand, they don't know what happened.

To put it bluntly, it was all the fault of the reporters. The Battle of Xiangxi was fought well, and everything was moving forward smoothly according to the predetermined strategic policy.After fighting countless beautiful blocking battles or partial annihilation battles, and achieving some modest victories, reporters were recruited.The problem lies in two aspects. One is the frontal battlefield of the Kuomintang, which has not won victory for several years.Especially last year, against the background of such a good international situation, the Kuomintang army was defeated and fled, which shocked the whole world and made the Allies look down on it. Now that the European battlefield has won a decisive victory, the Soviet Red Army stepped on On the territory of Germany, in the battle to capture Berlin, 41,000 cannons were aimed at Berlin. Stalin called on the Soviet Red Army to kill the fascist beast in its cave and raise the banner of victory over the city of Berlin. Stalin declared May 9 as Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War.China's top authorities also want to show off their own achievements, allowing reporters to go to the front line and report on the victories in China's war zone.On the other hand, the professional habits of these journalists tend to be exaggerated, embellished, and the ongoing battle is said to be the end of the battle, and the partial victory is said to be a complete victory, which is very watery.

After the foreign news media saw the reports of the Chinese news media, the "New York Times" published a commentary on May 11, saying that the victory in the battle of Zhijiang could be regarded as a hint of the turning point in the war with Japan.The domestic Ta Kung Pao reprinted this commentator's article after exporting it to the domestic market.Representatives of the Sixth National Congress of the Kuomintang in Chongqing, after reading this comment, unanimously requested the Supreme Military Commission of the Kuomintang to report to the Sixth National Congress on the victory of the Xiangxi Battle. The request made by the Sixth National Congress of the Kuomintang is not too much. After all, China has persisted in the War of Resistance for eight years and paid a bloody price. Who is not excited about today's great victory in the Battle of Xiangxi?Who wouldn't care?In the past, the Kuomintang also won victories on the frontal battlefield, such as the Linyi victory during the Xuzhou battle, the Taierzhuang victory, and the victory in the Changsha battle, etc., but they were finally defeated by the Japanese army, and the victorious cities did not last.Therefore, the Xiangxi battle was the first time. It was won and persisted. The Japanese army could no longer take it away.It's time for the Chinese army and the Chinese people to feel proud. After hearing the report, Chiang Kai-shek also thought it was a good thing.At the very least, the victory in the Battle of Xiangxi can be used to add joy to the Kuomintang Congress. At the same time, it can not only encourage the confidence of the national representatives of the Kuomintang, but also establish the image of the Kuomintang and the Kuomintang government among the people of the whole country. Of course, Generalissimo Chiang is aware of the situation in the Xiangxi battle. The final victory has not yet been won there, and the defensive phase of the campaign has only changed to the counter-offensive phase.When the defense develops to a stalemate, there will be partial wars of annihilation and partial general attacks.Now the media has pushed this battle to the point where it is difficult to ride a tiger. If you do not admit that the Xiangxi Battle has been won, then the Central Radio Station, the Central Daily and other major media led by the Central Committee of the Kuomintang are not talking nonsense?This not only deceived the people of the country, but also deceived the public opinion of the allied countries. Chiang Kai-shek thought this was not a trivial matter. The military serves politics, and war must obey politics, Chiang Kai-shek thought.Chiang Kai-shek, the commander-in-chief of the Chinese theater, can completely dominate everything.In the Chinese theater, he fought as he said, and he retreated as he said.Even in an ongoing battle, he can stop and stop as he says, and end as soon as he says it is over.There are laws in war, but it must be based on people's needs.Because war is a war waged by people, Chiang Kai-shek thought about this issue. Chairman Jiang called He Yingqin, and he ordered He Yingqin to end the Xiangxi battle in three days, and immediately rushed to Chongqing to give a comprehensive introduction to the victory of the Xiangxi battle to the six representatives.He Yingqin was a little embarrassed. He told the chairman that the Xiangxi battle had just entered the counter-offensive stage, and the big battle hadn't been fought yet!Chiang Kai-shek was very angry. He criticized He Yingqin for being ignorant of politics. Now the whole world is saying that the Chinese army has won the final victory in Xiangxi. Can you say otherwise?All human wars serve politics, and we are no exception. Wars obey politics.After talking, Chiang Kai-shek hung up the phone. There is no need to say too much about this matter, just let the people below handle it.Too much talk is bound to be lost. He Yingqin understood what Chiang Kai-shek meant.It's a good thing if it's done well, and it's a bad thing if it's not done well or if it's noticed by the reporters and the media, so He Yingqin has to take the blame for it.He Yingqin is willing to bear the blame, as long as it is beneficial to Neiji Okamura, he will be blamed.They made the decision to immediately end the Battle of Xiangxi without considering the feelings of the army or the people of Xiangxi. They only thought of their own political interests and the achievements of the Kuomintang government. The Chinese army fought bloody battles for eight years and sacrificed many outstanding Chinese sons and daughters.The Chinese people have been oppressed by the imperial powers for nearly a hundred years, especially the iron hoofs, cannons and sabers of the Japanese army, which slaughtered tens of millions of Chinese compatriots, causing the beautiful mountains and rivers of China to be broken, and the people to die, falling into the abyss of disaster.The Chiang Kai-shek clique does not have the courage of Stalin. He called on the Soviet Red Army to beat the fascist beasts to death in their caves. This is the cry of the Soviet people and the cry of tens of millions of victims. Kindness to the enemy is cruelty to the people.According to statistics from a township office in Xupu County alone, 436 people were raped or gang-raped by the Japanese devils, and 32 of them were gang-raped to death.In a village called Hongyan, 108 women were raped.The methods of the Japanese beasts are cruel, and they will not spare the elderly in their 70s and 80s, or girls as young as eleven or twelve.An 84-year-old woman was gang-raped to death by a group of Japanese soldiers.There was a 12-year-old girl who was gang-raped by the Japanese army and struggling in pain. The Japanese even cut the child's lower body with a bayonet and gang-raped her.They robbed more than 4,000 pigs and cattle in this district and burned more than 100 houses. For such beasts, can a hunter with a sense of justice let them go?Certainly not. It is unpopular for Chiang Kai-shek to make such a bad strategy at the critical moment of the Xiangxi battle.During the past encirclement and suppression of the CCP's Red Army troops and the subsequent three-year civil war, Chiang Kai-shek has never been merciful to his Chinese compatriots.Therefore, the Chiang Kai-shek clique is doomed to fail and die. He Yingqin had feelings for the Japanese Empire, and he actively implemented Chiang Kai-shek's intentions.What is the fastest way to end the battle?There are two ways: one is to use the strength of all the Chinese troops in and around Xiangxi, equipped with all the troops of the Chinese and American Air Forces, to launch the most violent attack on the remnants of the Japanese army, and wipe out tens of thousands of Japanese troops within a few days; Let go of a gap, and drive the Japanese army in Xuefeng Mountain to the east of Shaoyang by means of large corps.As long as there are no Japanese troops on the Xuefeng Mountain battlefield, the Xiangxi battle will be over. Which of the two approaches does Generalissimo Chiang agree to?He Yingqin pondered Chiang Kai-shek's thoughts.He believes that the second method is the most suitable for Chiang Kai-shek, which not only achieves the goal of ending the Xiangxi battle, but also saves troops and resources.Lao Jiang felt sorry for his troops. The troops deployed in Xiangxi and its surrounding areas were all direct-line troops.Chiang Kai-shek's darling, he would scold every soldier who was injured.These troops are useful, and once the War of Resistance Against Japan is won, they will have to be used to deal with the situation. He Yingqin is proud of his intelligence, but he is still very cautious.He had suffered in the past, and he was afraid that Chiang Kai-shek would become suspicious of him again and use Chen Cheng and his gang to suppress him.So he used a special line to report to Generalissimo Jiang in Chongqing, and told him about the second plan that he had thought through.Chiang Kai-shek laughed, and said slyly: "This is your commander-in-chief's business, I just want the result." Wang Yaowu received a call from He Yingqin in the middle of the night. When he heard what He Yingqin meant, he jumped up from the bench in fright.He asked Commander-in-Chief He, is this your decision, or the decision of the Supreme Military Council?He Yingqin didn't want to make it so clear, and said in a commanding tone: "Don't worry about so much, you just carry it out." Wang Yaowu is a person who likes to think, he is not as stupid as Tang Enbo, with just one phone call, you killed my Wang Yaowu's head , I dare not obey.Therefore, Wang Yaowu said with concern: "Commander-in-chief, such a big matter requires beheading. Without the order of the Supreme Military Commission, who would dare to do this. Commander-in-chief, I think it's better to think twice, at least let the chairman You know it." He Yingqin's tone became unhappy, how dare you disobey me as the commander-in-chief, do you still have He Yingqin in your eyes?In fact, He Yingqin understands what He Yingqin is. Although he is the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Army, which army is yours?Usually there are no major events, people will listen to what he says, and orders must be carried out. Once major decisions are made or major changes occur, he dares to say that no one dares to follow him and compete with Chiang Kai-shek.Isn't it obvious now, in the face of major decision-making changes, how dare Wang Yaowu follow orders. "Let me tell you, this was ordered by Chairman Chiang Kai-shek. Tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow, I will leave for Chongqing to report to the representatives of the Sixth National Congress on the victory of the Xiangxi Battle and make a military report on the Xiangxi Battle. You have to work overtime overnight, give me Prepare some relevant information. Yaowu, this is the top secret. Don’t let reporters, the Communist Party, and the common people know the inside story, or you will be killed. To the army and division commanders below, just say it’s an order, and war obeys politics. , the military is subject to the interests of the party and the country. The current international and domestic political situation requires a big victory for the Kuomintang army." Wang Yaowu heard that the military cooperates with politics, and war obeys politics.He understood what the old man meant.The army and the people of the whole country really need to be encouraged by victory. If there is no news of the victory of the Chinese army for many years, then the status of the Kuomintang, the National Government, and the party-state army in the hearts of the people of the country will decline.Wang Yaowu put down the phone, although he understood the reason behind it, he still felt depressed.The army made such a great sacrifice, and the people of Xiangxi made great sacrifices, and let the Japanese devils go away like this. He really felt sorry for the sacrificed officers, soldiers and people of Xiangxi. Wang Yaowu is a bloody man with a sense of national justice.As for the aircraft and cannons of the Japanese powers, he didn't even blink his eyes. Letting him do such a thing is really ashamed of the conscience of a Chinese and the character of a Chinese soldier.If one day, the underground hero finds out about this, he, Wang Yaowu, will be a sinner through the ages, and he will get a bad name. It was a dastardly deal in the dark.The military order is like a mountain, and as a soldier, I have to do it.He was thinking about how to persuade his army commanders and division commanders, but what if he disobeyed?He thought that two people were more important. One was Hu Lian, commander of the 18th Army, and the other was Zhou Zhidao, commander of the 57th Division.Their troops were the main force to cut off the retreat of the Japanese army. As long as they opened the gate, all problems would be solved. Wang Yaowu first had to make a phone call with Qiu Weida, chief of staff of the Fourth Front Army, and tell him Shangfeng's intentions so that he could make specific deployments on the front line.When the phone of Qiu Weida's front line headquarters rang, Chief of Staff Qiu and a group of staff members were proudly surrounding the terrain sand table of Xuefeng Mountain, gesticulating and talking about the battle situation that would happen tomorrow.Everything is under our control. The directors and division chiefs of the staff department were all commenting on the layout of Chief of Staff Qiu’s military genius, leaving the Dongshao Avenue leading to Furong Mountain out of the way. The Furong Mountain area on the Shaoyang Highway is concentrated, but they don't know that there are already three divisions of the 74th Army there, and the 18th Army on the outer layer.The remnants of the Japanese army retreated there, and they had to peel off their skins if they didn't die.The Japanese army had no strength to break through the two blockade lines of the 74th Army and the 18th Army. There will be more fun tomorrow.Liao Yaoxiang's New Army will attack from the center of Xuefeng Mountain, directly attack the headquarters of the 116th Division and the 47th Division of the Japanese Army, drive them all out, set up an ambush in the hilly area, and the strength of the four armies will wipe out the main force of the Japanese army.Qiu Weida also made a phone call with the Zhijiang Air Force. The Chinese Air Force will dispatch more than 50 fighter sorties at dawn to cooperate with the ground forces. Qiu Weida stretched himself, and the phone on the table rang, and he reached out to grab the phone.The voice on the other end of the phone was Commander Wang's: "Chief of Staff Qiu, hasn't he rested yet?" Wang Yaowu asked as he smoked a big tobacco tube.Qiu Weida said respectfully: "Commander Wang didn't take a break either." Wang Yaowu said: "Can't sleep, Commander-in-Chief He wants to end the Battle of Xiangxi as soon as possible. He is very anxious, because Commander-in-Chief He is going to make a military report to the representatives of the Sixth National Congress and give a comprehensive introduction to the situation of the Battle of Xiangxi. Hurry up and study a plan to see how to end it early This war." Chief of Staff Qiu Weida said confidently: "Please don't worry, Commander Wang, I promise to end the Xiangxi battle within five days." Qiu Weida thought that Wang Yaowu would be happy when he heard this, and his chief of staff Qiu boasted about five days.The chief of staff around him was all sweating for Qiu Weida, there was no joke in the army.They anxiously gestured at the side, gestured and spoke dumb words, asking him to express his position carefully. Wang Yaowu on the other end of the phone suddenly yelled: "No! Boss He will leave for Chongqing the day after tomorrow. I am working overtime here to catch up the materials, the speech on the victory of the Xiangxi Battle. Before he leaves, we must try to solve the problem of the Xiangxi Battle." Wang Yaowu's attitude was non-negotiable. This was the first time Qiu Weida heard Commander Wang speak to him in such a tone, and he had never done so before. Qiu Weida held the phone case and opened his mouth wide: "It won't work for five days, so what do you want me to do? I, Qiu Weida, am not Sun Wukong, and this war is not acting on a stage. Once the gongs and drums are struck, the war begins. The gongs and drums will start the war. The fight will be over as soon as the fighting ceases. I don’t know how to juggle.” The people around Wang Yaowu heard what Wang Yaowu said on the other end of the phone, and they kept shaking their heads at Chief of Staff Qiu, expressing that they had no choice. Wang Yaowu saw that Qiu Weida didn't hum for a long time, so he said loudly: "Put a gap in the frontal encirclement of Hu Lian's 18th Army, so that the battle can be ended earlier, just open a hole near the road at the entrance of the cave you designed." Qiu Weida instinctively cried out, and he said: "Commander Wang, if this is your order, I, Qiu Weida, would not dare to obey. I said Commander Wang, we have worked together for many years, and we can't do things that are against the interests of the country and the nation." , wouldn’t that be traitors like Wang Jingwei and Zhou Fohai?” Qiu Weida became angrier as he spoke, he really didn’t see that Wang Yaowu was just going to be elected to the Central Executive Committee by-election?Just because of this, he betrayed the righteousness of the nation.Even if Qiu Weida was dismissed, he still had to speak out, and he said: "Commander Wang Yaowu, don't be carried away by victory and do such immoral things!" Wang Yaowu was not angry, instead he burst out laughing, "There is a 'Qiu Crazy' named Qiu Qingquan in the National Army, and a 'Qiu Tiger' named Qiu Xingxiang, why did another 'Qiu Daudao' named Qiu Weida appear today? This Qiu is bold, dare to disobey the military order?" Qiu Weida went all out. He said that even if I cut Qiu Weida's head ten times, I would not dare to carry out such an order. Anyway, I would die, and death is better than being infamous as a traitor.Wang Yaowu was really angry now. He heard Qiu Weida was serious. You, a chief of staff, don't even think about it. Could such a big matter be made by me, Wang Yaowu?He said: "If you have something to say, go to Chongqing and talk to the old man. I am ordering you to implement it immediately, and it must be completed tomorrow!" After speaking, the phone hung up with a click. Qiu Weida trembled when he heard the sound of the phone hanging up.He thought it was not an order from Wang Yaowu, and he would not give such an order if Wang Yaowu had ten guts.Knowing the origin of this order, he hastily put down the phone, walked quickly to the sand table, and asked the staff how to handle this matter. The chiefs of staff said, prepare with both hands.Qiu Weida nodded and said yes, there must be two plans, one is to fight and the other is to release.He was about to talk about his thoughts to the colleagues around him when he thought again on the phone. Qiu Weida thought it was Wang Yaowu who had some new instructions, and he hoped that Commander Wang would withdraw his order. Commander-in-Chief He Yingqin called. He asked, "Have you had any trouble with Commander Wang? As a chief of staff, to obey the command of the front army, solidarity and solidarity are crucial. For so many years, the two of you have cooperated very well. I’m telling you, Vader, the military cooperates with politics, isn’t war for politics? You have to understand this truth, war must always be subordinate to politics. Because war itself is the product of political struggle, and is the highest form of political struggle. Okay Alright, I will discuss with you the relationship between war and politics in the future. Now you should hurry up and formulate a plan for the implementation of Commander Wang's order, and arrange it well." Qiu Weida answered on the phone.He put down the phone and immediately asked Commander Wang Yaowu for a number, and they chatted happily on the phone.Wang Yaowu also told him his difficulties: "I really don't want to execute this order without beheading. Maybe the chairman has long-term considerations. Politics is something that we soldiers will never understand. Politics is too deep. You and I are both Layman. I have already called Hu Lian, and the 18th Army promises to carry out the order, and he will move his position tomorrow morning." After Qiu Weida agreed on the phone, he put down the phone and paced back and forth in the command post.He picked up a large stack of manuscript paper that he had written for more than half a year, and tore one by one.The Chief of the First Division of the Staff Department stepped forward to stop him: "Chief Qiu, what are you doing? This manuscript is your painstaking effort for half a year." Chief of Staff Qiu wanted to write a military textbook for the troops, so he used the Xiangxi Battle as an example in the textbook, but the part of the big counterattack in the manuscript was missing, and the whole book was meaningless.He believes that the most exciting chapter should be the one that was torn up by He Yingqin and Wang Yaowu.This can be said to be a unique case in the history of world wars. He named this chapter: Playing hard to get.However, the reality has completely changed, and chickens are flying eggs.The front is written so passionately, so tragically and heroically, but if the latter is written to let the enemy go, and let the murderous devil step on the blood of the soldiers and walk away, is this still called a military textbook?After reading such a book, I am afraid that a large number of traitors will be cultivated. While executing the order, Qiu Weida felt an indescribable pain in his heart.