On June 3, Foxiao, the west bank of Xiangjiang River!

Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Japanese Army, issued an attack order.

At this time, there were about 55,000 Japanese troops surrounding Hengyang, including the 116th Division and the 68th Division, a total of 35,000 people. The encirclement of Hengyang on the west and south sides was completed.

In addition to the direct artillery units, these two divisions are also assigned to the 122nd Field Artillery Regiment and specialized chemical warfare units.

In addition, on the banks of the Cheating River in the north of the city, the main force of the 5th Independent Infantry Brigade has arrived, with a force of about 10,000; a unit of the 13th Division, with a force of about 10,000, arrived in the suburbs less than 30 miles away from Hengyang, and was fighting fiercely with a part of the 27th Army. Two infantry divisions under the command of Li Yutang, the deputy commander of the Army, defended the defense line.

However, in this Foxiao, the three peripheral defense lines deployed by Hengyang have not yet been truly tested, and the most intense battlefield is Hengyang Airport east of the Xiangjiang River.

Starting from dusk on June 2, two infantry brigades of the 68th Division, under the cover of more than 10 Japanese aircraft, launched an impact on the Chinese military defense line around Hengyang Airport, and used about 8 75 mountain guns to bombard it.

China is not showing weakness. The 12 Hellcat fighters from Guilin arrived over Hengyang and immediately launched an air battle with Japanese planes. The two sides chased each other for more than 20 minutes. At least 6 fighters were hit and caught fire and fell. Several fighters were evacuated in the direction of their respective airports with thick smoke.

Each air battle has its own damage, so it was a draw.

In terms of artillery, the Chinese artillery that had been deployed in Hengyang City was not polite. The 12 latest 75 American mountain cannons with a range of up to 9,500 meters immediately launched a counterattack against the Japanese infantry. Both sides went back and forth, and the shelling continued until late at night.

Fang Xianjue and Tang Dao stood on Huiyan Peak where the artillery command was located. Only a line of fire was seen from the east of Xiangjiang River soaring into the sky, countless fire dragons rolling, rising and falling, and dawn stopped.

After a night of fierce fighting, Rong Youluo led the 190th Division to repel the Japanese army's six rounds of attacks at the cost of more than 300 casualties, killing more than 400 enemies.

"Because the officers of the 3rd Squadron died in the battle of Leishui River, the captain of the squadron appointed me to be the newly added 3rd Squadron and the captain of the 2nd Squadron, and Ono-Kun became the captain of the 3rd Squadron.

My comrade-in-arms and I fought side by side for the first time in a true sense.

The battle began, and Ono-Kun and I took a deep breath, which was a nervousness that we had never encountered before.

At the beginning of the battle, our artillery launched a carpet bombardment of the enemy's positions. With the naked eye, the enemy's positions were almost gone. No one could believe that anyone could survive this artillery attack.

Ono-Kun and I followed the chariot nervously, with our expressions so nervous that we were extremely nervous. Although there was no enemy in front, we still held our breath and carefully observed every move ahead.

Suddenly, the enemy's counterattack began, and countless bullets and shells were shot at us. Takashima-kun was shot through his head before he could react.

The chariot was blown into a ball of fire by shells, and the heavy turret flew more than ten meters away. The enemy's grenades could be thrown far away. It exploded around us, and many people were killed without any time to react. The attack was terminated. In less than 20 minutes of the attack, hundreds of imperial imperial army corpses had accumulated on the ground. Ono and I were lucky enough to survive."

After 20 minutes, before we could breathe, the order to attack began again. This time we found the right cover and accurately killed the enemy under the cover of the chariot. In just a few minutes, I killed three enemy troops, and Ono also made a lot of gains and killed two people.

Just as we were about to approach the enemy's position, the next scene was really terrifying. Dozens of enemy soldiers were covered with grenades and rushed towards our chariots and soldiers. Due to the untimely reaction, the explosion instantly swallowed several of our chariots.

Before we could react, we were trapped in the enemy's hand-to-hand combat. During the battle, Ono Jun was unfortunately broken.

I saw with my own eyes that his bayonet had penetrated a Chinese man's body, but the Chinese man still hugged his gun tightly, making it impossible for him to pull out his rifle at all. Then, he was pierced by another Chinese man with a bayonet.

When he fell down, he looked at me. I had no time to tell his lips, because it seemed that the Chinese, who didn't know what death was, was rushing towards me. At that moment, I thought I was going to die too.

Fortunately, the artillery provided timely support and repelled the subsequent enemy counterattacks, so we were able to retreat.

After just two hours of fierce battle and Ono Jun's death, I had to pay attention to this cruel war.

That night, there were wailings everywhere in the camp, and there was no more light of victory in everyone's eyes!"

Perhaps Ichio Miki's diary can clearly show the cruelty of the Hengyang Airport defense battle this night!

Although the number of people killed in battle is just a fraction of the number of Chinese and Japanese sides who have invested tens of thousands of troops, the battlefield is tragic enough.

The 68th Division reduced its personnel by more than 1,800 infantrymen in just one night, which should be the most terrifying reduction rate since the division entered China.

For the 190th Division, the casualty rate of 15% of the one-night blocking battle was also difficult for them to accept.

Because, it was only one night! I wonder how long this battle will last, right?

Yes, the commanders of China and Japan are only staying in the concept of how long it will take until now. If they knew that they would last for two months in the battlefield of this meat grinder, they would probably collapse.

This is just the beginning, what a cruel truth!

Rong Youluo was a very decisive person. After this night of fierce fighting, he knew that Hengyang Airport was destined to be unable to defend, so he decisively destroyed the Hengyang Airport runway.

Dig a pit a half meter deep every 10 meters and bury a kilogram of explosives. With the sound of explosions, the two kilometer-level runways that were completed by a lot of effort at the airport were completely destroyed.

Rong Youluo's decisiveness was correct. The lieutenant general of the 68th Division, Sakuma, received a report from his subordinates. He was so angry that he ignored the main battlefield in the west of the city and continued to increase troops towards Hengyang Airport, and sent an additional independent infantry brigade to participate in the siege.

By the afternoon of June 3, the Japanese troops in Hengyang Airport had reached nearly 3,000, with a force far exceeding the 190th Division, which had only more than 1,600 people left.

Although the 190th Division has completed the task of defending Hengyang Airport and destroying it, seeing that there are more and more enemies in front of you, it is obvious that the Japanese army is also determined to take Hengyang Airport. With the 190th Division only one regiment of troops, if it continues to fight, not to mention losing the position, I am afraid that the entire regiment will be in danger.

Rong Youluo, the commander of the 190th Division, actually wanted to call Fang Xianjue in Hengyang City, telling him that the task had been completed, and he could throw away the destroyed Hengyang Airport on the evening of the 3rd, cross the Xiangjiang River and return to Hengyang City, but he was very nervous.

First of all, he, the newly promoted division commander, recognized in the 9th War Zone as a member of the general surnamed Xue. Although he chose to return to the army under the order of the military headquarters, he only brought one of the three infantry regiments of the 190th Division. God knows whether Fang Xian has any objection.

Secondly, of course, he knew Fang Xianjue's temper very well. His 190th Division and the first battalion blocked the Leihe River, only fought with the Japanese army for two battles. He abandoned his position and left like this. Fang Xianjue would definitely feel dissatisfied.

From the perspective of Hengyang Command, if the positions outside the city are powerful and abandon the positions and return to the city, then there is no need to fight this Hengyang defensive battle. Everyone just hides in the city and fights the Japanese army in the streets. What else can they do to build a few layers of defense?

However, the situation at Hengyang Airport is slightly different from that in the south and west of the city.

Rong You thought for a long time, and finally took advantage of the slightest lack of attack on the Japanese army, and called Pan Zhi, the commander of the 586th Regiment of General under his command, and started discussing.

"Jiangdong and Hengyang face each other across the river. The relationship between these two is like Tanzhou and Yuelu Mountain, and they must be able to protect one end. Undoubtedly, Hengyang must protect and Jiangdong must be abandoned.

Now Hengyang is an isolated city. The Jiangdong area is like an isolated island outside the lonely city. The terrain is not as small as Hengyang, but the area is not smaller than Hengyang. Not to mention that we have less than 2,000 troops now, even if our entire division comes together, we will probably not be able to defend it.

If the Japanese army crossed the Xiangjiang River to the east and then turned back to block us with firepower, then the Japanese army would be attacked left and right, and we would be unable to fly. We were already ready for success before we came, but the remaining 1,600 brothers stayed here because of your and my persistence. As a division commander, I still couldn't bear it!" Rong You said to his subordinates a little heavy.

Rong Youluo is a smart man. The reason why he brought the 586th Regiment to the 586th Regiment was first of all, the main regiment of the 190th Division, and secondly, Colonel Pan Zhi of the 586th Regiment was an old man of the 10th Army. Three years ago, Pan Zhi was also a battalion commander in the 3rd Division. It was promoted by the old commander Li Yutang, and he became the regiment commander at the 190th Division.

His intention to say this was very obvious. He went straight to the commander and would be scolded for 80 or 90 percent. He had to stand up and not look at the monks and Buddhas' faces, right?

There is no way, even in such a deadly war, this kind of human nature is inevitable.

Pan Zhi was not only an old man from the 10th Army, but also from Liuyang, Hunan Province. This time, the Japanese army advanced south and not only captured Tanzhou, but also lost his hometown Liuyang.

This time, Rong Youluo chose to return to the army under the order of the military headquarters, which actually made him a contribution. It was he who personally found the division commander Rong Youluo to express his feelings, and was willing to live and die with Hengyang, and he was not willing to be called a coward by his hometown elders after the war. Rong Youluo then made up his mind and left two regiments to set up defenses on the spot to give face to the general surnamed Xue, and led a regiment to Hengyang to fulfill the duties of his division commander under the 10th Army.

This Commander Pan is not a tough and reckless man. After hearing what the commander said, he quickly said, "The teacher is very worried about it, and I feel the same way. Since our troops have completed the tasks assigned by the military throne, they can retreat according to the principle.

Besides, if we use our group of forces to persevere in Jiangdong, we will only use up this little force little by little, which will not benefit the overall situation. On the contrary, if our troops withdraw from Hengyang City, we can strengthen the city defense force and add a little more force to Hengyang City. Therefore, whether it is for the sake of the 190th brothers or to defend Hengyang as a whole, we should make a request to evacuate the military captain.”

When Rong Youluo heard this person say this, his heart slowly let go. He was afraid that this person would be stubborn and insist on carrying out the mission of guarding Hengyang Airport. That big guy was really buried here.

"I know and fully understand what you are worried about, but I have followed the military officer for many years and know that he is a man who is a harsh person on the surface, but in fact he is kind-hearted and will never give up his brothers who are not allowed to care about it unless he has to.

But we only had two fights with the Japanese and wanted to leave. With his temper, I'm afraid that anyone of us would be scolded if we went to say it." Pan Zhi continued.

"What should I do? The Japanese have gathered more and more troops. It is our limit to hold on for another day. It is very likely that we will completely surround us tomorrow. Tonight is the last chance to evacuate." Rong Youliu said with a gloomy face.

"I'm 90% sure if someone goes to help us talk!" Pan Zhi, who has a candidate, is much easier than his teacher.

"who?"

"Tang Dao, the leader of the Four-Ring Group, are you familiar with the Master?" Pan Zhi blinked.

"Tang Dao's reputation has always been known, but it was the first time he met when he arrived in Hengyang the day before yesterday. He had a very military style. Can he help us? Or even if he can help us, with his military rank, can he help us?" Rong Youluo shook his head and sighed slightly.

It’s really hard to be familiar with one encounter. What’s more, Tang Dao is just a colonel, how can he have an influence on a lieutenant general?

"Before I came to Hengyang, I had to call Teacher Ge to inquire about the material situation in Hengyang City and ask about the command structure in Hengyang City." Pan Zhi continued with a smile.

"After coming to Hengyang City, the command structure has notified the entire division! Tang Dao is the director of the Operations Department under the command headquarters, and his position is very critical." Rong You was a little puzzled.

"Hehe! Think about it, now in Hengyang City, let alone the generals walking all over the ground! There should be a number of hands. The Chief of Staff is the Chief of Staff who serves as the Chief of Staff of the War Zone, and the Chief of Staff is the Chief of Staff of Chief of Staff. They are all at the level of generals. As a result, the more critical operational director is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the Chief of Staff who is the same military rank as me. What does this mean?" Pan Zhi smiled.

"It means that Commander Fang admires Tang Dao very much! He admires Tang Dao very much, or he is very grateful for the combat power of the Four-Ring Group, or both." Rong You's gaze lit up.

"And you don't have to worry about whether Director Tang will help me. I heard that Director Tang got along well with Chief Xue during the Battle of Wanjialing 6 years ago. His old commander Brigade Commander Xie is now a tiger general under Chief Xue's tent. With this relationship, he has to give you a speech no matter how he says." Pan Zhi said confidently.

"Old Pan, Old Pan, everyone said that you are a barbarian from Hunan Province. I didn't expect that you are so meticulous and have a clear connection with everyone." This was the first time Rong Youluo knew the leader of the main force under his command.

"Okay! As long as you and I don't die in this battle in Hengyang, I guarantee you to be the deputy commander of the 190th Division."

When it comes to painting big cakes, as long as you are an official, there is nothing you don’t know.

However, Colonel Pan, who had thanked repeatedly, probably didn't take it too seriously. When he chose to go to the division headquarters to persuade the major general to come to Hengyang, he was ready to die in battle.

However, it depends on how to die. If he dies here with the whole group of brothers, this person will be a little unwilling to accept it.

Rong Youluo answered Tang Dao's phone call, briefly explained the situation in Jiangdong, and asked Tang Dao to help him come forward, and asked Fang Xianjue to approve the 190th Division's troops to withdraw from Hengyang City.

Rong Youluo had already made plans, so he didn't hesitate to put down his old face and used Chief Xue's relationship with him to ask Tang Dao for a while. Unexpectedly, he just briefly introduced and expressed his needs. Tang Dao didn't even hesitate and agreed directly: "Don't worry, Commander Rong, I'll come forward to this matter, and you are ready to retreat immediately. However, before Chief Fang approved it, your subordinates should hold on and not act without taking action, so as not to repeat the mistake of the collapse of Tanzhou's half-duty defeat!"

In fact, the Battle of Jiangdong is also a battlefield that Tang Dao has been paying attention to.

In time and space, the temporary 54th Division was responsible for stationing at Hengyang Airport. As a result, after the Japanese army attacked heavily, the division immediately disintegrated and directly abandoned the city and fled to Guilin. The troops of seven or eight thousand people were wasted. If the airport was destroyed, the headquarters would be withdrawn into the city in time, and the number of these seven or eight thousand new forces in Hengyang City might be much better.

You should know that when Hengyang City defended for a month, the 11th Army was also exhausted, otherwise it would not have sent personnel to negotiate with the 10th Army in the city.

Tang Dao personally felt that instead of letting the 1,600 elite troops be consumed by the Hengyang Airport, which is without any danger outside the city, it is better to retreat to the city or put it to the north of the city, so that the Japanese can leave more blood.

However, Tang Dao also underestimated Fang Xianjue's persistence.

"Tang Dao, you are confused! When you wear this military uniform and meet the enemy, you should fight to the death. Hengyang is now an isolated city, with more than 70,000 soldiers and civilians here. Even if three or one, you have to replace more than 20,000 Japanese heads. It will be the same if you die there. Don't you understand this principle?" Fang Xianjue criticized Tang Dao fiercely.

Originally, Fang Xian was absolutely satisfied with the battle report of the 190th Division in the past two days. He killed nearly a thousand enemies in one night in Leihe and Hengyang Airport. As a result, he had not yet made a good move and had to avoid the battle. Isn’t this the style of Chief Xue?

This involves factions and personal identity. In order to take care of his acre of three-point land, the general surnamed Xue often sacrifices the interests of other factions and troops. The 10th Army is more like a child without a mother in the 9th War Zone and is often excluded. When he heard that the 190th Division, who had just moved upstream two days ago, had acts of avoiding war, he was naturally extremely angry.

"Sir, don't be angry. You are right, soldiers should have the courage to kill the enemy and the responsibility to fulfill. However, in the war, brothers are united and their strength is to cut off gold. Commander Rong may have other thoughts, but he led 2,000 brothers from the 190th Division to return to Hengyang City, which shows that they are not greedy for life and fear of death.

If you ask them to withdraw, the brothers of the 190th Division will not feel abandoned by their parents. Moreover, the battle in Hengyang cannot be completed in just a few days. We must prepare for long-term combat, and make plans for a long-term basis and leave more reserve teams!

I promise that after the 190th Division retreated, I will be able to double the enemy by one and two. I will give you a military order. If the 190th Division cannot do it, then my four-square team will be the guarantee. My four-square team brothers will kill more to make up for their difference. The 3,000th Japanese army's life will be less. Tang Dao's head is here, and you can use it to make up for it!" Tang Dao said on the phone.

Tang Dao dares to say this, naturally it is based on historical facts. In time and space, there were 5,000 people in Hengyang City, and they killed at least three times their own Japanese troops.

There are no cowards in the Chinese soldiers who can be in Hengyang at this time! Or, even if they have been bad, they have been trained into steel in such a war, even if they are passive.

Fang Xian refused to speak anymore. Tang Dao had to say this, so he could only do so. In the afternoon of that day, he ordered the 190th Division to withdraw from Hengyang at 12 o'clock in the evening.

After hearing that Tang Dao issued a military order for them, a major general and an army colonel of the 190th Division were moved and tears were flowing.

Afterwards, it was proved that the evacuation operation that night was really timely enough.

An infantry corps of the 13th Division of the Japanese army actually marched towards Jiangdong by night, and had arrived at the rear wing of Hengyang Airport at 5 a.m.

As a result, the 190th Division, which had learned the failed experience of the 4th Army in Tanzhou, relied on hundreds of ship workers to support the bamboo platoon and quietly took more than three hours to send more than 1,600 officers and soldiers back to Hengyang City.

The Japanese army quietly assembled heavy troops and made a loneliness, and occupied a Hengyang Airport that had become ruins.

But it is undeniable that after dawn on June 4, the number of Japanese troops besieged in the city was as high as 70,000, which surrounded Hengyang's suburbs and Hengyang City.
Chapter completed!