In fact, the situation at the front is not encouraging.

As the main force of the counterattack on Nanchang, the 32nd Group Army was very combative, but the counterattack failed in a series of mistakes and passive responses. The six divisions under the jurisdiction of the 32nd Group Army are currently resting and recuperating, waiting for orders from above.

At this time, Commander Xue sent a telegram to Commander General Chen Cheng, explaining the tragedy of the actual battle: "It has been 11 days since the attack on the enemy in Nanchang began on 23 April, because our army's equipment is inferior to the enemy's, and the enemy's heavy weapons, mechanized troops and aircraft can cooperate with the enemy's army everywhere, so it is quite difficult to destroy the enemy's strong position.

Therefore, the attack on Nanchang is to set up an ambush in advance under the principle of consuming the enemy and avoiding the real and attacking the false, and to attack the flanks from all sides by means of surprise attacks, so as to recapture Nanchang by the most rapid and agile means.

At present, it has been protracted, and it is impossible to attack the fortification, and it is impossible to attack the weak. In fact, it may be difficult to accomplish the task. In addition to strictly ordering all armies to overcome all difficulties, they continued to attack fiercely regardless of a single qiqi. When he plans to talk to the chairman of the committee on the phone, he will make the above situation a clear statement. ”

Xue Dai sent a telegram to Chen Cheng with two meanings:

The first meaning: Sir Chen, it's not that we are incompetent, it's really the Japanese who relied on the city's fortified artillery to suppress us, and there are planes bombing indiscriminately, so you can give us a few kind words when you go to the old man.

The second meaning: Brother Cheng, the battle has come to this, you quickly persuade the old man, stop fighting, everyone is taking a breath.

After receiving Xue Dai's telegram, Chen Cheng was saddened by the heavy losses of his troops, and sent a telegram in a direct tone asking Chairman Chiang to stop the Nanchang offensive: "The operational guidance for the future seems to be the same as the principle of a protracted war of attrition, adopting the principle of taking attack as defense and advancing as retreat, and strive to maneuver. Whether you win or lose, gain or lose, you should not commit the mistake of stubbornly defending and attacking in the past. ”

In fact, everyone can see the situation in Nanchang, and Bai Chongxi, the director of the Guilin camp, who was greatly admired by Lao Jiang, sent him a telegram asking him to retreat: "The attack of our army on the enemy must be taken by surprise to be effective. Now that the enemy in Nanchang is prepared, and our army is attacking at the same time, we have also done its best, and for the sake of morale and high strategic principles, we plan to ask the Nanchang side to continue the siege with one of the troops, and organize two-thirds of them separately, and still publicize the active attack and plunder, but in fact change the ...... of the attack target. ”

The second phase of the Nanchang offensive after May had lost the significance of the surprise attack.

Although the 19th Group Army advanced to the line of Niuhang and Shengmi Street, and was only separated from Nanchang by a water, because of the first army's cowering and avoiding battle, the 106th Division always threatened the flank of the 19th Group Army, so the 74th Army could not be used in the direction of Niuhang to its heart's content, and the encircled troops on the western route were ineffective.

However, the 32nd Group Army, under the personal supervision of Commander-in-Chief Shangguan, could only deploy two divisions at a time at most, while the Japanese army had more than 15,000 defenders in Nanchang City with the support of them, and the strength of just two divisions was really not enough to conquer Nanchang. Chairman Chiang, who was far away in Chongqing, was naturally well aware of these situations.

The reason why Chiang Kai-shek strictly ordered the 32nd Group Army to continue its attack on Nanchang under such a bad situation, at the expense of the loss of vital troops, was that there was a desire to overcome the embarrassing reality with spiritual combat strength. Twelve years ago, in the same area, the Northern Expeditionary Army defeated the allied forces of the five provinces with the fearless spirit of the revolutionary army. However, there is no empirical basis for this kind of willpower, so in the second phase of the siege, the 32nd Group Army suffered nearly 5,000 officers and soldiers below the army commander under the city of Nanchang, and it was still unable to conquer the stronghold.

The second phase of the siege was the most irrational part of the battle. Chairman Chiang also knew very well that the troops had reached the limits of their combat capability, and that continuing the attack would only be a futile drain of troops.

On 9 May, Chiang Gong telegraphed Guilin Xingying to inform the Third Theater of Operations, and the Ninth Theater of Operations stopped the offensive. "** The attack on Nanchang was concurrent, the division was ineffective for a long time, and under the fortified city, the enemy was prepared and it was difficult to be effective. The 3rd and 9th Theaters were ordered to stop the attack on Nanchang. ”

After receiving the telegram order to stop the attack on Nanchang, General Bai Chongxi, director of the Guilin camp, instructed the Third Theater to hold the east bank of the Fuhe River, actively feint on the one hand, so as to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation to attack, and on the other hand, constitute a flood between the Fuhe River and the Ganjiang River. The Ninth Theater held the line from Gao'an to Wuning, and all units were reorganized in situ. The Battle of Nanchang ended.

**During the Battle of Nanchang, 51,378 officers and men were killed or wounded, of which 23,242 (including 706 officers) were killed and surrendered. In addition, 10,565 officers and soldiers were missing who were dispersed in the early stage of the battle and did not return, and there was no post-war containment record.

The Japanese 11th Army claimed 2,200 casualties, but the actual number of casualties is impossible to verify and difficult to estimate. However, Okamura Ninji claimed in his memoirs that the number of casualties was very small, which is plausible because the Japanese army used a lot of air support and did not meet the infantry units in battle very often.

And Lao Jiang's henchman Chen Cheng also confirmed General Sanchang, and the reason why he got the nickname of "General Sanchang" is because "one loses Wuchang, two loses Nanchang, and three loses Wuchang"!

After waiting in Sulfur Creek for nearly half a month, Zhou Min received news that Zhou Tao would take the troops back to Sulphur Creek at the end of May to recuperate, during this time Zhou Min would study her camouflage uniform as long as she was free, and now she and Xiaoxue's room are hung with camouflage uniforms, but the fabric is not too good, and now the color is in place, but in a small county like Sulphur Creek, she can't buy the ideal fabric in Zhou Min's heart, she plans to go back to Shanghai to make a batch of real camouflage, with leather boots and cowhide belts, knee pads, elbow pads, plus protective goggles.

During this period of time in Sulfur Creek, Zhou Min injected wounded soldiers, changed dressings, and bandaged them every day, and now she is an excellent nurse, and Zhou Min feels that with her own hands, it will not be a problem to apply for a job in a big hospital in the 21st century.

The classmates who came with her are also improving, everyone is growing, and she also received a telegram from Bill, and Shanghai is currently fine, except for the Japanese, who are a little ready to move. The student newspapers have also opened up in Beiping and Chongqing, and are now running steadily.

Now just wait for Zhou Tao to come back, Zhou Min will discuss camouflage with him, and then he will return to Shanghai with Xiaoxue.