Ruichang Theater of Operations

The 106th Division of the Japanese Army advanced along the Nanxun Railway in the south, and the defending 1st Army and the 29th Army, the 4th Army Corps and the 8th Army Corps, which were responsible for defensive tasks, relied on the resistance of the Lushan and Nanxun Railway to the north, and a fierce positional battle broke out with the Japanese army.

On August 20, the Japanese 101st Division crossed Poyang Lake from Hukou County to reinforce the 106th Division, and the 101st Division quickly broke through the defensive line of the defending 25th Army and quickly occupied Xinzhi.

Immediately after that, it joined up with the 106th Division and coordinated an attempt to attack the De'an and Nanchang areas, intending to occupy them to protect the southern flank of the Japanese army advancing westward.

Faced with this operational intention of the Japanese army, Xue Yue, commander-in-chief of the 1st Group Army, immediately reacted.

The 66th Army, the 74th Army, the 4th Army, and the 29th Army, together with the 25th Army, and the Japanese Army blocked the Japanese army north of Madang Fortress and De'an County, and a fierce battle broke out with the enemy, and the battle situation reached a stalemate.

The stalemate lasted until the end of September, when the Japanese 106th Division, with the equivalent of four regiments, made a detour to the Wanjialing area west of De'an County.

Xue Yue ordered the 4th, 66th, and 77th armies to flank the Japanese army, and the Japanese 27th Division tried to reinforce it, but was blocked by Shang Zhen, the commander of the defending 32nd Army, who was ambushed on Baisui Street west of Wanjialing.

The 32nd Army, under the command of Commander Shang Zhen, engaged in fierce battles with the Japanese army, surrounded the Japanese regiments, and launched a final general attack on the Japanese army when the timing was right.

October 7 Wanjialing

Command of the 32nd Army

The 32nd Army was formerly known as the Jin Army, after the Central Plains War, Shang Zhen, the first army of the Jin Army, accepted Zhang Xueliang's reorganization, and according to the order of the Central Army, the Northeast Army was reorganized into the 32nd Army, and Shang Zhen served as the commander. Later, after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Shang Zhen served as the commander-in-chief and commander of the 20th Group Army.

Under the jurisdiction of Li Zhaoying's 139th Division, Tang Yongliang's 141st Division, and Fu Liping's 142nd Division!

At this time, in the headquarters of the 32nd Army, Army Commander Shang Zhen was constantly issuing various combat missions.

"Military seat, the three divisions of the Japanese army besieged in Wanjialing have been unable to transport ammunition supplies and grain and grass supplies to the present, and by now, the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army has been greatly reduced, I think...... The time has come for us to attack! Li Jingrong, deputy commander of the 32nd Army, walked over from outside, saw Shang Zhen, and immediately said.

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Shang Zhen raised his head, and said another word to an officer beside him, and then said, "What is the current situation on the frontline battlefield?" ”

"The offensive of all units went smoothly, and the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army was indeed a lot of losses, and the firepower was much weaker! Li Zhaoying led the 139th Division to carry out a round of feints on the flank, but he didn't expect that it was just a round of feints, and the most important position on the flank of the Japanese 106th Division could not be stopped. Li Jingrong said in a deep voice.

Hearing this, Shang Zhen nodded, but he didn't make a decision immediately, but instead looked at the huge map on the wall.

A huge combat map centered on Wuhan is clearly marked by the terrain of various places and the deployment of troops on both sides of the enemy.

"Gunza, what are you still thinking?" Seeing that Shang Zhen was hesitating, Li Jingrong said with some puzzlement.

Shang Zhen stared at it for a while, and then said, "I'm afraid things are not as simple as we imagined!" Although the Japanese army could not deliver supplies and was short of ammunition, their combat effectiveness had not declined so quickly in a short period of time, not to mention, there were three divisions of the Japanese army in the encirclement, the 106th, 101st, and 27th, and their strength should not be underestimated. ”

"If an inattentive Japanese army catches the opportunity, once it rushes out, everything we have done in Wanjialing will be in vain!" Shang Zhen said in a deep voice.

"Then we won't launch a general offensive for the time being?" Li Jingrong asked.

Hearing this, Shang Zhen did not answer immediately, but asked instead: "Have the various units of the friendly army arrived and gone to the predetermined combat position?" ”

Their 32nd Army's main combat mission this time is actually to ambush the Japanese 106th Division, it stands to reason that the task of attacking the Japanese army will not fall on their heads, but after all, the little devil is in front of them, if the Japanese army is really weak to a certain extent, no one will delay the beating of the water dogs!

Therefore, although Shang Zhen was a little hesitant and didn't know whether to launch a general attack, he still wanted to ask about the situation of the friendly forces and make a decision when the time came.

After all, there are indeed not a few Japanese troops who have been ambushed in Wanjialing, and if they are really successfully encircled, it will definitely be the first great victory since the beginning of the world!

No one is willing to let go of such an opportunity, even Shang Zhen is not willing to let such an opportunity slip out of his hands.

Hearing this, Li Jingrong said: "The 66th Army, the 74th Army, and the 4th Army are all pursuing the Japanese army behind, and they have all arrived at the predetermined combat position, and have completed the encirclement of the Japanese army, and the commander-in-chief Xue Yue has also made the decision to attack generally, if we participate, now is the best opportunity!" ”

Hearing this, Shang Zhen stood in the command center and was silent for a while, walked back and forth behind his hands, with a look of hesitation on his face, his face first showed a touch of hesitation, and then the hesitation gradually dissipated, replaced by a touch of firmness.

But in the midst of firmness, there are still some concerns.

Seeing Shang Zhen's face, Li Jingrong knew that the military seat was in the midst of a battle between heaven and man, so he stopped talking, intending to let Shang Zhen think it out for himself.

This is a big opportunity and a big risk!

If it succeeds, their 32nd Army will benefit a lot, but if it fails, as a unit blocking the Japanese 106th Division, if they are told to run out, the 32nd Army will definitely have to bear some pressure!

So, you need to think it through!

I don't know how long it took for Shang Zhen to finally make up his mind.

"Hoo ......"

He slowly exhaled a breath, with a determined look on his face, and said in a deep voice: "It's done!" If you don't enter the tiger's den, you can get the tiger, and you will seek wealth and danger! What's more, the situation is very good for us now, if we are afraid of wolves and tigers, what can we do? Tell the troops to immediately attack the Japanese army, unite the surrounding friendly forces, and launch a final attack on the little devils in the encirclement! ”

"I have only one request, that is, to suppress the Japanese army and completely exterminate it! Even if it can't be completely wiped out in the end, the little devils, especially the 106th Division, can't be allowed to run out safely! Shang Zhen said: "In the battle of Wanjialing, if you don't pull off a layer of skin from the little devil, everything you do will be in vain!" ”

"Yes! Rest assured, you won't be disappointed! ”

Hearing Shang Zhen's words, Li Jingrong's face showed a look of excitement.