Chapter 7 7. Congratulations and Tribute

A convoy of more than 20 trucks and jeeps set off from Changsha City and headed north along the highway. Trucks were at both ends of the convoy, full of heavily armed soldiers, each with a machine gun mounted on the front.In the middle of the convoy was a line of jeeps.Experienced civilians realized that there must be senior officers in the jeeps, but they might not have guessed that in the back seat of one of the inconspicuous jeeps, leaning against their provincial chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the Ninth Theater, Xue Yue. Xue Yue was extremely tired, he closed his eyes as soon as the car drove, and was always half asleep and half awake along the way.

On October 17, all the troops in the Ninth Theater returned to their positions before the war, and the Japanese army also re-fortified in the original departure area.The battle is over. Guan Linzheng, Commander-in-Chief of the 15th Group Army, used the term "Great Victory in Northern Hunan" for the first time in a telegram.When Xue Yue saw it, his heart moved inexplicably. He knew it was time to celebrate the victory. The Japanese army invaded Hunan in the south, and the soldiers of the Ninth War Zone fought bloody battles for more than a month.The Japanese army fled in a hurry and was intercepted and hunted down by our army.The Japanese army suffered heavy casualties and was driven back to the original place.What is this if it is not a victory?

The "Second Phase Anti-Japanese War" is not only a military concept, but also a political concept. Since the beginning of 1939, Chiang Kai-shek has published articles and speeches many times. The Nationalist government has used the power of its propaganda machine to vigorously publicize and indoctrinate the people with the basis, content, and significance of the formation of the second phase of the War of Resistance. The authorities cheered up from the defeat of retreating again and again, losing a lot of land, and a large number of soldiers. They saw the prospect of victory and strengthened their confidence in the war of resistance.After entering the second phase of the Anti-Japanese War, there were only two large-scale battles where the two armies concentrated their main forces: one was the Battle of Nanchang that ended in failure from March to May 1939, and the other was the Battle of Northern Hunan.

Although this battle did not develop according to Xue Yue's expected results to encircle and wipe out the main force of the Japanese army under the city of Changsha, but after all, from the continuous resistance to the pursuit and interception, several main divisions of the Japanese army were killed and wounded.When cartloads of trophies were transported into Changsha, the common people burst into tears, and the smoke of Liuyang firecrackers engulfed the triumphant soldiers from the front line.Xue Yue knew that this was the victory that Chiang Kai-shek and the people of the whole country desperately needed psychologically.

In his telegram to Chiang Kai-shek, he said: "A major victory has been achieved in the Battle of Changsha." Guan Linzheng's "Great Victory in Northern Hunan" refers to the frontal battlefield in northern Hunan dominated by his 15th Army Group Army, while the concept of "Battle of Changsha" he used refers to Organized and commanded by the Nine War Zones, all combat areas including northern Hunan, northern Jiangxi, and the border areas of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi revolve around luring the enemy to gather under the city of Changsha and annihilate them.Victory is not for you, the 15th Army, this cannot be ambiguous.He heard that Guan Linzheng secretly scolded his mother for this.Scolding is scolding, things have to be done like this!

Xue Yue opened his eyes and asked Zhao Zili who was sitting next to the driver: "Where are you going?" Zhao replied: "Tang Tian, ​​half the way." The speed of the car was slow, and under the wheels was a wartime rush-built highway that was first built by the Japanese army in an offensive shape and was barely open to traffic, and then dispatched troops and migrant workers to clean it up after the war.Before the war, Xue Yue organized the people to destroy the roads and return to the fields. This local method effectively restricted the Japanese army's heavy artillery from advancing with the infantry, and greatly reduced the Japanese army's attack capability.When drafting the detailed combat report for Chongqing, Xue Yue specifically mentioned including this item as a successful experience.

The sound of guns and guns on the Hunan battlefield has not stopped, and the whole country has begun to celebrate the victory.Xinqiang River, Miluo River, Fulinpu, Yingtian, Gao'an, these well-known and unknown rivers and small towns are on the top of major newspapers and periodicals across the country, and old names such as Xue Yue, Guan Linzheng, Luo Zhuoying, Wang Lingji, etc. are heated up again , Qin Yizhi, Shi Enhua and other new names became household names in an instant. October 10 is the National Day, and several huge Victory Archways have been erected on the main streets of Chongqing.On these archways decorated with pine and cypress branches and flowers, the gold-encrusted characters of "Celebrating the National Day and Celebrating the Great Victory in Northern Hunan" are very exciting.The streets and alleys of this wartime capital, the strong festive atmosphere is all mixed with the celebration of victory.A red silk cloth in front of a store reads: "We celebrate the 28th National Day by annihilating the Japanese, and we will celebrate the 29th National Day with the final permanent victory!" From the perspective of my boss and his wife, there is no doubt that the devils will surrender next year at the latest.

Within a few days, Xue Yue received congratulatory telegrams and letters from the Nationalist Government, the Military Commission, the National Assembly, and many public organizations, party and government officials, and celebrities.Among them, he got his wish and saw the joyful congratulatory message from Chairman Jiang.For Xue Yue, this letter is actually enough. The car slowed down and came to a slow stop.Xue Yue subconsciously rearranged his military appearance and cheered himself up.Fulinpu, a small town between clear water and green mountains.A special ceremony will be held here today.The day before yesterday, when the adjutant gave him a phone call request for instructions, he signed the word "Ruwan" without hesitation, and ordered other activities to give way.During these days, Xue Yue was surrounded by reporters, celebrities and various activities, surrounded by flowers, spotlights, applause and words of praise and boast.He needed such an activity to calm his mind so that he would not forget the true meaning of war and victory.

Guan Linzheng, Zhang Yaoming, Tan Yizhi and others greeted him under the car.Today is a special occasion, salutes are calmly returned, salutes are brief, and there are no pleasantries. The troops have stood neatly in front of a sunny hillside.Thousands of soldiers, like a young jungle, all dressed in neat military uniforms, full battle attire, black helmets, and leggings, as if they were about to set off for an expedition. The Sun of the Castle Peak, a brand new tombstone. Under the leadership of Xue Yue, the officers in neat military uniforms and shining stars walked up the steps slowly with their military caps in their hands.

Minglian: "Bijiashan is immortal, Fulinpu won the first battle." The inscription: "Changsha controls the north and the south, a place that must be contested by military strategists. The Japanese pirates have been plotting for a long time. Battalion Commander Shi Enhua fought hard in Bijiashan and sacrificed heroically with the whole battalion. The 195th Division blocked Fulinpu, the bandits retreated to the north, Changsha was safe, and the merits of the martyrs Immortal!" The inscription couplets and inscriptions are resolute and strong in calligraphy, which was written by Tan Yi, the teacher of the 195th division.

The generals bowed their heads in silence for the dead soldiers and bowed three times. 100 heroic soldiers like guards of honor fired their guns into the sky neatly.The gunshots were like thunder and rain, echoing for a long time between heaven and earth. In a small village where the sound of mourning gunshots could drift, another memorial service was held in an ordinary farmhouse. In Shangnanshan Village, Luo's hometown in Fulinpu, Luo Wenlang, the major battalion commander of the 28th Army, returned home on leave, and saw off his elder brother Luo Yinnong with the ancient etiquette of the Chinese nation. Clan relatives from the same village and farmers who had never met before came to the main room set up by the Luo family as a mourning hall in an endless stream, bowing or kowtow, shedding tears and burning incense. In the magnified photo in the center of the mourning hall, a handsome soldier looks at the people with a smile.He joined the army to serve the country, experienced Taierzhuang and other wars against Japan, and finally spilled blood in Ganfang, northern Jiangxi, and his body was buried with his comrades in Manjiang in Xiushui. At this time, he still faces his 29-year-old life with no complaints or regrets with a smile. Luo Wenlang and his younger brother, who came back from another army, stood behind their mother in black military uniforms, their white-haired tears dried up. Chiang Kai-shek's telegram to Xue Yue: In this Xiangbei campaign, more than half of the enemy was wiped out.When the good news came, the whole country was invigorated, all of them had strong command, the soldiers worked hard, and there was no encouragement.All those who have made meritorious service in this campaign hope to find out the report, and the officers and soldiers who were killed or injured should also check the report in order to be rewarded.Since the initial foundation of victory has been laid, the responsibilities of my officers and soldiers have become heavier. I hope to encourage my troops to be extra vigilant and work harder. He Yingqin sent a congratulatory message: Brother Xue Boling, Chief Officer of Changsha: In the Battle of Northern Hunan, we won a complete victory. The news of the victory came, and I am very happy to congratulate you.My brother commanded well, killed the enemy and achieved results, and his achievements are glorious. The enemy suffered such a disastrous defeat, and his heart was terrified.I still hope to make persistent efforts and move forward to achieve full success. Telegram from the National Government: Officer Xue’s Boling Honor Award: This time the invasion of northern Hunan has a lot to do with the situation in the war. The commander has a good command, and his troops are loyal and brave, wiped out the stubborn enemy, and protected the whole of Hunan. The victory news came and the whole country was happy. , and ordered to tell his subordinates to work harder. The 16 members of the National Political Council signed a congratulatory message, signed by: Zhang Lan, Kong Geng, Chu Fucheng, Jiang Yong, Dong Biwu, Xu Deheng, Deng Feihuang, Liu Shumo, Fan Yusui, Li Zhongwang, Xu Xiaoyan, Chen Bosheng, Li Cong, Qin Bangxian, Gao Xibing, Shi Liang . From October 20th, the Japanese troops stationed in Wuhan, Yueyang, Yingshan, Fengxin, Huangpi, Anlu and other places participating in the battle in northern Hunan, according to the instructions of the 11th Army Command, began to summarize operations, check record, and select award-winning collectives and individuals and award celebrations. As if they were playing against the Chongqing government's high-power wireless broadcasts, the Japanese army also turned up the volume of the wireless broadcasts in Wuhan, Nanjing, Beiping, and Manchuria: "During the Hunan-Jiangxi battle, the heroic imperial army penetrated more than 100 kilometers into the north of Hunan, wiped out the anti-peace armed forces, defeated the main force of the Central Department of the Chinese Army, and achieved major results of more than 40,000 enemy casualties. This is an important battle. After the imperial army achieved the established combat objectives, it has triumphantly returned..." Neiji Okamura went back and forth between the various divisions and affiliated units.After every battle, he has three things to do.The first is to directly listen to the actual combat reports of the combatants; the second is to personally award each group and individual who have made military exploits; the third is to visit the wounded soldiers. According to historical records, after the battle in Hunan and Jiangxi, Okamura Ningji listened to the actual combat report of a senior soldier Haneda Junjun who had been recommended by the Ministry to award a certificate of merit after the Hunan-Jiangxi battle.Haneda disguised himself as a Chinese farmer, sneaked into the Chinese army nearly 100 kilometers deep, set up three bombing signals for the air force, and enabled the air force to successfully destroy an ammunition transfer station, an artillery position that had been opened for only 3 hours, and an army command post. When Haneda talked about carrying only a compass, a map, and a dagger, he went through hardships, overcame the threat of hunger, fatigue, and death, and completed tasks time and time again, Okamura Neiji couldn't help but burst into tears.He wrote this emotion in the "Army Chronicle" which was originally a record of military content: With a heart as pure as snow, full of touching friendship that misses my comrades-in-arms, I am a soldier; because I am a soldier, I am a member who supports everything. Before a serious mission, I am a noble and majestic Japanese People; no matter in any adversity, there is nothing I can't do, I have supreme faith, and I don't have any sad, sad or happy feelings.Only when the task is completed, an incomparable smile gushes from the bottom of my heart. It may be a childish sense of satisfaction, but it is enough. When I stand in front of the sentry post, I must first identify the east, and temporarily close my eyes, so I am full of vitality.I don't have any beliefs, I only believe in worshiping the East; when I stand at work, I use it as a cemetery. With this determination, I will organize the position very clean... Neiji Okamura said in his memoirs : "Listening to actual combat reports is my hobby... I often can't help crying when I am moved." After the various units submitted their operational reports to him, he drafted a report to his immediate superior, General Nishio Sōju, Commander-in-Chief of the newly established Japanese China Expeditionary Force. After the battle, the Chinese who were good at propaganda spread the news of "victory" widely, and rumors arose in Japan, which even alarmed His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty asked him in person, and Neiji Okamura had to repeatedly explain the original combat intention in his report. and a planned retreat after the combat objective is achieved. The first battle of Changsha is over. What it left to history are various figures about this battle.Time: September 14th to October 15th, 1939; Scale: 32 infantry divisions, 3 advancing columns, and 300,000 other affiliated troops on the Chinese side, 4 divisions, 2 infantry regiments, and 2 artillery on the Japanese side A total of 100,000 for the wing, 1 engineering wing and part of the air force and navy.The closer statistics of the two sides are that the Chinese army suffered more than 40,000 casualties.There is a big difference between more than 30,000 Japanese casualties (estimated by the Chinese side) and more than 3,600 people (announced by the Japanese side).There is also an evaluation of this battle: In terms of part of the battle, the two sides have no victory or defeat, but in terms of the overall situation of the War of Resistance, it is beneficial to China.