On August 6, the name of Songhu undoubtedly became the focus of China and the world. Zhang Zhizhong, commander of the 9th Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army, issued an order that the 87th and 88th Divisions under his command, supported by the powerful fire of two German heavy artillery regiments (the caliber of the German artillery regiment was 150 mm), took the lead in launching an attack on the Japanese entrenched positions from west to east, with a very clear purpose, to destroy all the Japanese forces in Shanghai. Due to the butterfly effect of Ouyang Jian, the strength of the Japanese marines in Shanghai at that time was 2,600.

The Japanese army urgently mobilized the soldiers in the countryside in Shanghai, and the total strength did not exceed 5,000 people. At the time of the outbreak of the battle, military strategists at home and abroad generally believed that it would be difficult for the Japanese army to stop the fierce offensive of the two elite units of the Chinese army with the strength of Shanghai. This was indeed the case at the beginning of the war, with the 87th and 88th Divisions having high morale and a surge in offensive, in addition to the air force to help in the war. The defending Japanese army lacked heavy weapons and was completely bogged down in a bitter battle. The focus of the offensive was the Hongkou area, and after 3 days of hard fighting, the 87th Division conquered the key points of Hujiang University, and the 88th Division captured the Wuzhou Cemetery.

The situation was good, and the Japanese defense units were compressed. With the air force's strikes on the Japanese headquarters and the Japanese naval warships on the river, the situation became clearer and clearer as the Japanese defense continued to shrink. The Japanese commander ordered all warships to sail to the Huangpu River to ensure that the Huishan Wharf and the naval club points were secured. At this point, the battle became extremely fierce, and the Japanese army had no way to retreat and had to defend to the death. Before the arrival of Japanese reinforcements, it seemed logical to wipe out the Japanese army.

At the command center of the Ministry of National Defense in Nanjing, all the generals and officers were excited, believing that it was a foregone conclusion to conquer the last stronghold of the Japanese army. At this time, Lao Jiang was also in a good mood, looking at the offensive situation of his command on the military map, he couldn't help but be complacent. Therefore, when the 87th and 88th Divisions launched an attack, Lao Chiang let the media hype up that his fierce and fierce offensive was like mercury, and he wanted to fight the majesty of the national army in a war.

Frankly speaking, if the national army had a few more well-trained German armor divisions, the original history of the Songhu War might be rewritten at the beginning of the war, but this can only be hypothetical. When the 36th Division replaced the 88th Division, the Japanese defense at Huishan Pier was strengthened by the artillery support of surface warships. The offensive was stifled, and the battle situation suddenly entered a state of scorching. The Japanese soldiers hid in the reinforced concrete fortress, and for the national army that attacked the weak and defended the strong, they could not come up with a targeted method.

"President and Commander Zhang Zhizhong reported that the Japanese army was at the Huishan Wharf and the Navy Club, and the fortifications were very complete. Its surface naval guns fired fiercely, and the battle entered a state of scorching. However, we succeeded in attracting the attention of the Japanese army and achieved our goal strategically. At this time, Lao Jiang's mind had made his ambition irritate. He believed that there were foreign concessions and interests in the Songhu area, so he believed that the Japanese army would not be able to let go even if he invested heavy troops, so Lao Chiang decided to start a decisive battle with the Japanese army in Songhu.

"Where have Chen Cheng's troops arrived?" "The vanguard has come ashore in Zhangjiagang." Ordered Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng to immediately requisition 4 divisions to go to the Songhu battlefield and ordered ・・・・・・・. At this time, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Ruijin, Jiangxi, Runzhi and Zhu De were also paying attention to the Songhu battlefield. Everyone looked at the military map and inspected the situation on the Songhu battlefield. Due to the timely intelligence, even if the Ministry of National Defense does not report the situation on the Songhu battlefield, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army will still understand the battle situation on the front line.

Silent for a long time, Runzhi said keenly: "If you can't quickly conquer Huishan Wharf, it will inevitably be in a state of scorching." The Songhu battlefield is narrow and not suitable for large corps operations. If you choose Songhu to fight the Japanese army, it will be a risky move. Zhu De agreed: "The Japanese army can quickly transfer reinforcements from the sea, and both sides have increased their troops one after another. Although it was an oil-filling tactic, it was difficult for the Nationalist army to move by land, while the Japanese army was reinforced by sea, and the rapid mobilization of troops, especially the logistics could be effectively guaranteed. ”

"I judge that if the Japanese aircraft carriers enter the battle, the fighters of the Air Force will soon be lost. Because it should be purposefully abandoned to form a large-depth defense system between Nanjing and Songhu, this is the best choice. Mr. Zhu, it's useless for us to worry, Chiang Kai-shek will not listen to our command. Chief of General Staff Ouyang was very accurate. It is very likely that there will be variables in Hangzhou Bay, so let him always pay attention to the situation in Hangzhou Bay, and we must decisively send troops if necessary! ”

In the headquarters of the 3rd Corps in Yunshui County, the atmosphere was equally solemn. "Report to the Chief of the General Staff, news from the Dark Arrow. The vanguard of the Japanese 11th Division arrived in Shanghai on August 17, and the Japanese 3rd and 9th Divisions also set off from Taiwan for Songhu. Ouyang Jian knew in his heart that in the original history, the 11th Division and the 3rd Division of the Japanese Army were all requisitioned from China. And now the variable is that the 3rd Division is coming from Taiwan, which means that the distance is shorter and the speed is faster.

Not only that, but the 9th Division of the Japanese Army also came from Taiwan, which shows that the Japanese army is well prepared. "Report! The Dark Arrow Headquarters called, and the Kwantung Army Headquarters urgently mobilized 4 divisions to the south to concentrate in Dalian! "An operational staff officer made an urgent report. It is self-evident why the four divisions of the Kwantung Army were transferred to deal with Soviet Russia, and it was easy to move. The fact that the Japanese army dared to mobilize the Kwantung Army troops in the northeast showed that there had been a change between Japan and the Soviet Union. "Report this to headquarters immediately!" What Ouyang Jian was worried about still happened.

"Chief of the General Staff, the Air Force has shown great courage, and they have no fear in the face of the powerful Japanese Air Force. The Japanese air force was extremely embarrassed. The fact that the national air force is so weak and has achieved such impressive results has greatly boosted the fighting spirit of the Chinese people. Su Yu said happily. Chief of Staff He Long also said excitedly: "I heard that the fighters of the Kisarazu Wing and the Kayaka Wing in Hsinchu, Taiwan, were dispatched urgently, and the air battle broke out on the first day was 6:0, which is unbelievable. ”

Ouyang Jian said: "Although our air force is weak, the fighting spirit of swearing to defend the country is unimaginable to the Japanese Air Force. In addition, the Japanese Air Force has the idea of underestimating the enemy, which is also one of the reasons. However, our biggest weakness is that we will lose not a single fighter, and relying on the purchase of fighter planes is a drop in the bucket, and the war is fought with strength, and the problem cannot be solved by relying on courage if we are not strong. Ouyang Jian didn't say it explicitly, after all, you can't pour cold water at this time.

"Chief of the General Staff, it seems that the battle of Songhu will become more and more intense, and Zhang Xueliang's 4 divisions will be urgently dispatched to the Songhu battlefield. It seems incomprehensible! Su Yu analyzed. Ouyang Jian sneered: "Lao Jiang still hopes that foreigners will intervene in his bones, after all, the Songhu area is an extremely sensitive area, and Lao Jiang's intention is to expand the scale of the campaign and let the foreigners take action." It is simply naïve to pin your hopes on foreigners, this is wishful thinking! ”

Ouyang Jian knew in his heart that if Lao Jiang was sober-minded at this time, he would launch a large-depth defense on the front line of Songhu and Nanjing, and he would not be defeated. However, Ouyang Jian knew that this outcome was powerless to interfere, so his heart was very heavy. In addition, there is another reason, if he intervenes with all his strength, it may produce worse results, so Ouyang Jian must be careful and calmly observe the battle situation and do his own thing. Maybe according to your own wishes, you may be able to form the best defensive front, but if there is a problem in one link, it will cause a complete loss. At present, the Nationalist Army is a mixed group of troops, some are fighting hard, some are waiting, and some are fleeing, and this is the current situation in China.

At present, the domestic media are generally optimistic about the Songhu Campaign, so the morale of the people of the whole country is high. At present, troops from all over the country are urgently recruited, but only the Eighth Route Army has not moved. The reason why Lao Jiang did not mobilize the Eighth Route Army was that he had too many ideas, and how could he allow others to sleep soundly where the side collapsed, which was something in his bones that could not be changed. Guarding against the Communist Party is the same as resisting Japan, and Lao Chiang will never let the Communist Party benefit, this is his purpose, and it is also what he must do. Lao Jiang seems to have forgotten the two integrated divisions of the Eighth Route Army transferred to Zhejiang.

If at this time, Lao Jiang ordered the Eighth Route Army to go to the battlefield, Ouyang Jian would not hesitate to personally lead his troops to Songhu, but this was also wishful thinking. When Chen Cheng led his troops to pass through Jiujiang, Ouyang Jian had a heartfelt conversation with him all night, intending to keep him sober in the overall situation and the war against Japan. But Ouyang Jian knew in his heart that Chen Cheng also couldn't control the deployment of the command, and at the same time, he couldn't control his subordinates, even if he kept a clear head as the commander-in-chief, it was impossible to expect his troops to increase their combat strength soon.

If the battle of Songhu can effectively preserve its strength and avoid more losses, Ouyang Jian's purpose will be achieved. There is a way that the enemy changes and I change, and in the same way I change the enemy, which is mutually beneficial. As Japanese reinforcements continued to land at the wharf of the Huangpu River, the Japanese army's defense became more and more solid. On 18 August, the commander of the Japanese East Dispatch Army, Matsui Ishine, arrived in Shanghai on an aircraft carrier, and he personally commanded the landing operation on the aircraft carrier.

According to the battlefield situation, Matsui Shigen decisively ordered the main force to land at Liuhe, Shachuankou, and Wusongkou in the rear of the Nationalist position, and the tide of the battle began to reverse, and the Nationalist army evolved from an offensive side to a defensive side. With the formation of the Japanese army's three-dimensional offensive, the troops of the national army really understood what modern warfare is. In other words, in addition to the German armament division, the military thinking of the national army is still stuck in the Beiyang period, and so on.

At the end of August, the Japanese army began to attack, and the national army defended on all fronts. With the continuous entry of troops from various places into the battlefield, although the battle scene was extremely tragic, the brave sacrifice spirit of the soldiers to protect their homes and defend the country blocked the Japanese army's tidal offensive, and the battle line was confusing. By mid-September, the strength of the Nationalist army had increased to more than 800,000, and the strength of the Japanese army had also increased to 300,000.