Japan covets
The Pacific War and the Burma-India War launched by the Japanese army were defeated everywhere, and it may be difficult to maintain the war situation of total defeat. Therefore, they hope to end the war in China as soon as possible. According to the current situation, only "attacking the enemy and fighting our way out" is the only important way to solve the China incident most quickly. He wrote in his diary: "There is no plan to fight our way out. The moment of Chongqing's surrender will not come. "
As a result of this decision, the strength of seven infantry divisions and 1 flight divisions on the border between Changde and Sichuan and Hubei increased, of which five divisions attacked Changde in three ways and two divisions confronted and contained the defenders in western Hubei. The Japanese army stressed that the war against China was also to "contain the army to transfer energy to Myanmar."
1939, the Japanese army began bombing Changde south. On June 23rd, 39 Japanese planes invaded Changde successively, dropping more than 500 bombs, and six places in the city caught fire. From1943165438+10.2, the Japanese army started from the west to Huarong in the east, divided into three roads, and pushed southward on the 200-kilometer-long front, with a view to besieging Changde. The Japanese army was on a roll, and the national army was losing ground. By June165438+1October 2 1 day, the Japanese had attacked Taoyuan, 35 kilometers away from Changde. It is divided into East Road, Middle Road and West Road to the South Station, West Gate and North Gate separated by a river in Changde City.
The Japanese invaders wrote in their combat orders: "Changde is the military, political and economic center of western Hunan Province and the lifeblood of the Chongqing army. If our army occupies this area, Changsha and Hengyang can be monitored in the southeast, and eastern Sichuan can be taken into account in the west, which will become a strategic point that can threaten Chongqing. "
Be stationed in Changde
On the eve of the battle of Changde, Chiang Kai-shek told Roosevelt at the Cairo meeting that he had the ability to defend Changde. He also telegraphed Xue Yue, commander of the ninth theater, and Wang, commander of the seventy-fourth army: "Changde must be preserved, and the defenders must live and die with the city."
1April, 943, the 74th Kuomintang Army entered Changde area. The 57th Army Division is stationed in Changde City.
When the 57th Division arrived in the suburbs through 1 1, Changde people had already evacuated and the city was empty. When the division entered the city, it first closed the residents' doors that had been opened in the city and ordered all non-commissioned officers not to enter the houses without authorization. After the victory in western Hubei, citizens returned to the city one after another. The division sent soldiers to carry luggage for the citizens at various docks and main roads, and found nothing. After the restoration of order in Changde, the troops moved to the suburbs and also assisted the farmers in the suburbs to harvest.
165438+1At the beginning of October, the Japanese army was ready to move again, and the situation in Changde became increasingly tense. Yu Chengwan led his troops from the suburbs into the city and announced the enemy's siege. For the safety of the people, no one stayed in the city. The 57th Division cooperated with local authorities to force residents to evacuate, and issued a disciplinary notice: "Our samurai army has always had a good military reputation ... No one in Changde City is allowed to take things without authorization, and offenders are shot on the spot." For the sake of serious military discipline, according to the spirit of the proclamation, private Liu was executed. He asked 2 yuan for money after carrying luggage for the citizens out of the city.
Changde bloody battle
Yu Chengwan, a native of Taishan, Guangdong, was appointed by Chiang Kai-shek as the 57th division commander of the National Army to defend Changde City. He was born in 1902. 1924 was admitted to the first phase of Huangpu Military Academy. During the military academy, he joined the "Sun Wen Society" and was an active member of the society with Lian Deng and Hu Zongnan. Later, he took part in the first expedition to the east and showed courage. After taking part in the Northern Expedition, he was promoted quickly. Major General, director of the Political Department of Ren Haijun Bureau, is the second Huangpu student to enter the rank of Major General after Li Zhilong. After that, he entered the ninth period of the Army University and became an officer of Major General garrison headquarters after graduation.
1940, Yu Chengwan was promoted to the 57th division commander. In the battles of Shanghai, Wuhan and Shanggao, he showed his talent again and again and was appreciated by the generals. Especially in the Battle of Shanggao, he commanded the 57th Division to stick to the position of Xiapiqiao, fought bloody battles with the 34th Division of the Japanese Army under fierce artillery fire, and won the honorary title of "Tiger Ben" for the 57th Division. The word "Tiger Ben" comes from the "Pastoral Oath (I)" in the Book of Books: "The king of Wu has 300 chariots and the tiger Ben has 300." Since then, the title of "Tiger Ben" has become the highest honor of the invincible army of heroes in previous dynasties.
During his military career of more than 20 years, Yu Chengwan is famous for his firmness, composure and persistence, especially in running the army. According to the police who participated in the street fighting in Changde city at that time, "The reason why the 57th Division can make Changde people so attached is that fighting is second, and good discipline is the biggest factor."
Yu Chengwan led the 57th Division in May 1943 and was ordered to rush to Changde to resist Japan. Then stay in Changde to take over defense, train soldiers and build fortifications. When Chiang Kai-shek ordered him to "stick to Changde", Yu Chengwan immediately replied: "It's a great honor to be appointed by telecom to defend Changde. All the officers and men of our division are determined to live and die with Changde. They have completed their tasks and exchanged expectations. "
Yu Chengwan often told his subordinates to "defend the country like soldiers" and "national interests are above everything else". On the eve of preparing for the war, he issued a proclamation on the defense of Changde by the 57th Division, saying: "Officers and men at all levels should have firm determination and recognize the boundary between life and death. If you die to defend Changde and fight for national independence and freedom, this kind of death is more valuable than life. Each of us will leave a name in history, and even our parents and wives will be respected ... In short, there is a tiger and Changde will have it. "
In order to show his determination and preparation for sacrifice, Yu Chengwan wrote a farewell letter to his wife before the war: "Wan Cheng was ordered to defend Changde this time, and the task is very important, but I am proud to undertake this task ... Wen Tianxiang said,' No one has died since ancient times, so we should take care of our history'. At this farewell moment, I want to change the last sentence to' stay and shine on Wuling'. What does my wife think? However, I have been in the army for more than 20 years and my family is rich. The situation is depressed and Gaotang is old. I am eager to serve with a military horse, but I hope my wife will try to support me to redeem me ... If anything happens to Guo Yu, I will be a twin of Jiuquan. " After the will was issued, he led the officers and men of the whole division to swear: "I will never leave Changde until the enemy is driven back", and designated a highland in Changde City as a post-war burial place.
At the last minute of defending Changde City, the Japanese army took an offensive battle and distributed leaflets to the residents in the city. "The Japanese army loves you and should oppose the war of resistance as soon as possible and raise a white flag with the 57th Division." Yu Chengwan commented on the leaflet, "There is no white flag in Huangpu Military Academy education."
Dangerous shooting after robbery
After Japanese 14 days of bombing, shelling, gas bombs, incendiary bombs, numerous offensive and defensive battles and white-edged charges, less than 100 officers and men survived in Changde City. Later, Yu Chengwan wrote in A Bloody Battle of Changde City: "One man makes one man, one gun makes one gun, and if there is no gun, make a knife, spear or brick stick to fight with the enemy. Until the ammunition is exhausted. " But reinforcements haven't arrived yet, and the people sent to pick them up have failed or no news. On the evening of February 2, 65438, Yu Chengwan announced that he had decided to break through to meet reinforcements.
In the early morning of February 3rd, 65438, Yu Chengwan led eight guards, including Kuang, to climb the south gate wall with wooden ladders and cross the Yuanjiang River by three small wooden boats left by the Japanese army. When he landed, he was bombarded by Japanese grenades and machine guns, and everyone else ran away. Only Kuang was forced to flee to the northwest. Because Yu Chengwan's troops rested, other officers and men in the city also rested out of the city. When the skirmishers got together, 83 people were counted.
A week later, Changde Foucault. When the rest of the soldiers returned to Changde, more than 300 officers and men of the 57th Division miraculously came out of the ruins. When the officers and men saw the national flag fluttering in the wind on the incomplete central bank building again, they could not help but burst into tears. Only a few days later, the Central Military Commission thought that Yu Chengwan had abandoned his men and given up guarding the land, and ordered him to be detained in Chongqing. Kuang recalled that all the officers and men who broke through and retreated were treated according to the revolutionary army sitting method, and only the general was really punished after the war.
General Qiu Weida of the 74th Army mentioned in his memoirs that Chiang Kai-shek ordered Yu Chengwan to be shot. Subsequently, Yu Jishi, the former commander of the 74th Army, and Wang, the former commander of the 74th Army, interceded with the signatures of Changde people and county magistrate Dai Jiufeng, saying that the whole city had been razed to the ground by Japanese artillery fire in the Changde campaign, and the officers and men of the 57th Division had sacrificed their lives for their country. Yu Chengwan was released from Chongqing Nan 'an Tuqiao Prison after being imprisoned for four months.