Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Chapter 745: Fighting in Hengyang

On the left wing of the Japanese 11th Army, after the Japanese 13th Division captured Liling, it only sent a part of its forces to continue southward to attack Youxian County, while the main force moved eastward to get closer to the Japanese 3rd Division, preparing to meet the 27th Army and the 30th Army Group of the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese Government.

On June 22, the Japanese 13th Division and the Japanese 3rd Division on the left wing of the Japanese 11th Army captured Pingxiang, repelled the 58th and 72nd Armies of the 30th Army of the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese Government, and severely damaged the 26th Army of the Chinese Government.

The 116th Division of the Japanese 11th Army, which was responsible for the central attack, sent part of its troops to Xiangxiang to join the 40th Division of the Japanese Army. On June 22, it captured Xiangxiang and immediately went on the defensive, preparing to meet the counterattack of the 24th Army of the Chinese government. At this point, the counterattack deployed by the 9th War Zone of the Chinese government had actually failed.

Hengyang in the central Hunan region is located on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River. It is the intersection of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway and the Hunan-Guangxi Railway. It is also the most important supply base in the rear of the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese Government. The Tenth Army of the Chinese Government is responsible for the defense of Hengyang City.

The 10th Army of the Huaxia Government was formed in July 1939 by mixing parts of the Shaanxi Army and the Huaxia Government Army. The first commander was Li Yutang. It was affiliated with the combat sequence of the 9th War Zone of the Huaxia Government. After that, the 10th Army also participated in all operations in the 9th War Zone of the Huaxia Government. Because the troops of the 10th Army were good at fighting, they gradually became one of the main forces of the Huaxia Government.

In March 1942, due to his meritorious service in combat, Li Yutang was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief of the 27th Army of the Chinese government, and Fang Xianqie, commander of the 10th Reserve Division of the Chinese government, succeeded him as commander of the 10th Army. However, the two previous and current commanders of the 10th Army were people who disdained to curry favor with others.

Therefore, although the Tenth Army of the Chinese Government had outstanding military achievements, it had a tragic fate. During the period when it was affiliated with the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese Government, it was reprimanded many times by Commander Xue, the commander of the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese Government, because of its unfriendly relationship with Commander Xue.

Especially after the Second Battle of Changsha, the Military Commission of the Chinese government held the Tenth Army responsible for the loss of the Golden Well, and dismissed Li Yutang, the then commander of the Tenth Army, and also punished Fang Xianqie, the commander of the Tenth Reserve Division. However, due to the strong combat effectiveness of the Tenth Army, it was repeatedly used in key positions by Commander Xue, commander of the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese government, at critical moments.

Before the Hunan-Guangxi Campaign, the 10th Army of the Chinese Government was composed of the 3rd Division, the 190th Division and the 10th Reserve Division. In addition, the Provisional 54th Division was also temporarily assigned to the 10th Army by the 9th War Zone of the Chinese Government for command and combat.

Among them, the 190th Division was a reserve division with only one regiment of troops. Therefore, Commander Fang of the 10th Army arranged for the temporary 54th Division and the 8th Regiment of the 3rd Division to garrison Hengshan. In addition, an anti-tank artillery battalion of the 48th Division, a mountain artillery company of the 46th Army and a field artillery battalion of the 74th Army were under the command of the 10th Army in Hengyang City. The total strength of the above-mentioned troops was more than 17,000 people.

In terms of troop deployment, in addition to the Provisional 54th Division and the 8th Regiment of the 3rd Division responsible for the defense of Hengshan, the main force of the 3rd Division was responsible for defending the northwest suburbs of Hengyang City, the Reserve 10th Division was responsible for defending the western suburbs of Hengyang City, and the 190th Division was responsible for defending the southern suburbs of Hengyang City. The Provisional 54th Division planned to retreat to the south and then retreat to the northern suburbs after completing its combat mission in Hengshan. Because the Xiangjiang River served as a barrier to the east of the city, Commander Fang did not arrange heavy troops for defense.

On June 23, the attacking force of the 68th Division of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, which was responsible for the central attack, crossed the Lei River and repelled the guard force sent by the Provisional 54th Division. Subsequently, the 68th Division of the Japanese Army sent a part of its forces to attack the southwest of Hengyang City on the east bank in the evening of the next day, while the main force of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army crossed the Xiangjiang River to the west and attacked to the south of Hengyang City.

On June 27, the attacking force of the 116th Division of the Japanese 11th Army, which was responsible for the central attack, advanced to the western suburbs of Hengyang City, and then broke through the forward defense positions of the defending 3rd Division, approaching the main positions of Waziping and Huxingshan.

The main attack force of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army broke through the forward positions of the 190th Division and the main position of Fengjia Chong in the south of Hengyang City, and captured the airport. At the same time, another attack force of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army broke through the forward positions of the 10th Reserve Division on the southwest side of Hengyang City and approached the main position of the 10th Reserve Division on the railway line. At this point, the two divisions of the Japanese 11th Army's central attack completed the encirclement of Hengyang.

Before launching the attack on Hengyang City, the two divisions of the Japanese 11th Army responsible for the central attack also readjusted their deployment. On the east bank of the Xiangjiang River, the 68th Division of the Japanese Army dispatched two battalions of troops and deployed them near the airport. The 58th Brigade of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army was deployed at Huangshaling south of Hengyang, and the 57th Brigade was deployed in the northwest of Hengyang.

The 109th Regiment, the 120th Regiment and the 122nd Artillery Regiment of the 116th Division of the Japanese Army were deployed in the west and southwest of the city.

At dawn on June 28, the offensive forces of the two divisions of the Japanese 11th Army responsible for the central attack launched a general attack on Hengyang City.

The various units of the 10th Army of the Chinese government, which was responsible for the defense of Hengyang City, held their respective defensive positions with the support of artillery fire and occasionally counterattacked the offensive forces of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army. After a day of fierce fighting, the offensive forces of the two divisions of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army responsible for the central attack made no progress.

Among them, the 115th Independent Infantry Battalion of the 58th Infantry Brigade of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army first began to attack Hengyang City. However, when the second company of the 115th Independent Infantry Battalion passed through Huangchaling, it accidentally walked into the minefield buried by the 10th Army's troops.

Moreover, at the same time as the landmine exploded, more than a dozen mortar shells from the Chinese army flew overhead. For a moment, the officers and soldiers of the second squadron of the 115th Independent Infantry Battalion of the Japanese Army were stunned on the spot, and the scene was filled with the howling of ghosts and wolves.

After receiving a rescue telegram from Major Koichi Hashimoto, commander of the 115th Independent Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant General Sa Kuma Hitoshi, commander of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army, immediately ordered the divisional headquarters of the 68th Division to move forward to Huangchaling.

Moreover, Lieutenant General Zuo Jiujianren, commander of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army, only left two infantry battalions as reserves for the offensive force of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army, while the remaining five independent infantry battalions of the 68th Division of the Japanese Army all participated in the attack on Hengyang City.