At the beginning of June, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Battle of Wuhan, General Shunroku Hata, issued an operational order, and the curtain of the Battle of Wuhan was opened. The strategic plan of the Japanese base camp was to capture the important town of Wuhan in the hinterland of China and force the Nationalist government to be reduced to a local government, which had a huge political effect. The Japanese emperor's edict was to expel the Chiang regime from the Central Plains. The Japanese army was united, and it can be said that it concentrated all the resources and forces in the country, intending to destroy the main force of the Chinese army in the Wuhan area.

In order to win the Battle of Wuhan, the Japanese army concentrated 500 combat aircraft, 120 warships, and 22 divisions and regiments of ground forces, with a total strength of about 500,000 troops, and launched a fierce offensive against the Wuhan area on two fronts, east and north. Due to the setback of the Japanese army in the Battle of Jiangxi, the goal of the campaign was not achieved, but after the Japanese army captured Zhengzhou on the northern front, it also had the conditions to attack Wuhan, so the Japanese army base camp had to fight with all its might.

Due to the changes in Jiangxi, Lao Jiang's confidence in sticking to Wuhan has doubled. In addition, the north-west, as a rear base, is now beginning to show its effect. A large number of war materials were transported to the Wuhan Theater through the Han River, which provided material guarantee for Lao Chiang to hold Wuhan. As a prelude to the Battle of Wuhan, the Battle of Jiangxi provided Lao Chiang with good defensive experience, for which Lao Chiang divided several major theaters with Wuhan as the center. Jiangxi is mainly listed as the 3rd theater with the Eighth Route Army as the main area, and the north of the Yangtze River is the 4th theater from Jiujiang to Tongcheng in Anqing.

Tongcheng to Hefei is the 5th theater, the Dabie Mountain defense line is the 6th theater, the first line of Dengzhou and Xinye in Henan is the 7th theater, and the south of Wuhan is the 9th theater. Lao Chiang deployed his most elite troops on the northern defense line and realized the importance of the northern defense line, while the area on the north bank of the Yangtze River in the 4th Eastern Theater was not too worried because of Jiangxi. At present, Lao Chiang ordered Xue Yue to serve as the commander of the 4th Theater of Operations, commanding defensive operations.

After the Battle of Wuhan began, Lao Jiang personally flew to Wuhan to command the battle in order to boost morale. He issued a mobilization order in Wuhan: The Chinese people and government had been oppressed to the last limit by the Japanese invaders, and the Chinese army was determined to fight the Japanese army to the death in the Wuhan area for the survival of the nation. Since the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the experience of defensive operations is enough to prove the strength of our army's positional operations, and the soldiers are brave and fearless in combat, and regard death as home.

At the same time, Lao Chiang pointed out that the purpose of this battle was to gain and lose one city and one place, and it was necessary to give priority to advancing and retreating, but to independently choose the combat area and kill and injure a large number of Japanese troops. Chiang's change sounded reasonable, but it was confusing to the front-line commanders. Since it is necessary to fight for every inch of land to defend Wuhan, and whether the generals can implement the active defensive tactics well is another matter, it can be said that Lao Chiang's strategic decision caused confusion from the very beginning, and the generals at all levels did not have a unified understanding of how to flexibly and maneuver and defend to the death.

On June 10, the commander of the East China Dispatch Army, Okamura Ninji, commanded the 11th Army and the 10th Army to kick off the offensive from the Eastern Front. He ordered the 6th Division, the 114th Division, and the 18th Division of the 10th Army to take the lead in the attack. The Japanese 114th Division advanced eastward along the north bank of the Yangtze River, the Japanese 6th Division advanced along the direction of Anqing, and the Japanese 18th Division attacked and advanced along the Tongling line in the direction of Tongcheng, with the 11th Army as a reserve. Since the Japanese fleet could not advance through the Yangtze River due to the deployment of a fortress position in Madang, which borders Jiangxi and Hubei, Okamura Ninji's intention was to advance all the way from the north bank of the Yangtze River and abolish the Madang Fortress.

As soon as the battle began, the Japanese 114th Division and the 18th Division were blocked, but the Japanese 6th Division made smooth progress and took Anqing after three days of attack. The Japanese 6th Division continued to advance westward, seemingly in high spirits. At this time, in Qingshan, Hubei, in the headquarters of the 4th Theater of Operations, Commander Xue Yue's expression was solemn, and the middle assault of the Japanese 6th Division was so fast that he felt heavy. "Report to the commander, Yang Sen reported that the 26th Army of the Sichuan Army could not resist the attack of the 6th Division of the Japanese Army and took the initiative to abandon Anqing."

"Order Yang Sen to retreat to the front line of Yueshan and Huaining to continue to block the attack." Xue Yue gave the order. The total strength of the 4th Theater was 300,000, with its 74th Army defending the first line west of the Yangtze River, and four divisions of the 26th Group Army of the Sichuan Army defending the Anqing line. The 64th Army defended the first line of Tongcheng, and the 70th Army was located on the first line of Qianshan and Tianzhu Mountain, which was the second line of defense. In addition, the 65th Army is located in Yuexi, the 68th Army is located in the north and south of the Taihu Lake, and the 69th Army is the battle reserve. The Japanese offensive in the north and south was blocked, and the Anqing defense line lost the middle and the gap was torn apart, so that the commander of the theater, Xue Yue, had to activate the second defense line in advance.

At this time, the headquarters of the 3rd Corps of Jiujiang, Ouyang Jianfeng and his servants rushed back from Fuzhou. "How's it going?" There was no time to greet Ouyang Jian anxiously. At this time, Su Yu, Luo Ronghuan, and He Long in the headquarters were all paying close attention to the battle situation. "Chief of the General Staff, the Japanese army on the northern front has captured Xinyang, and the Japanese army is attacking Hefei; Approaching the Dabie Mountain defense line. The 114th Division of the Japanese Army on the Eastern Front and the 18th Division on the Northern Front were blocked. The Japanese 6th Division was very strong and broke through the Anqing defense line defended by the 26th Army of the Sichuan Army, and the 6th Division is currently advancing to the line of Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan. ”

He Long said: "Chief of the General Staff, the military supplies and weapons and equipment we assisted the 4th Theater were delivered together, and General Xue Yue called to express his gratitude!" Our ministry asked to participate in the defense of Madang Fortress, but the Ministry of Defense did not agree! "Chief of General Staff, under the current situation, the attack of the 114th Division of the Japanese Army has been blocked, and the Madang Fortress is temporarily unharmed. Su Yu said. "Deputy Commander Su, the 6th Division of the Japanese Army is so arrogant, it seems that it is suspected of being alone."

Su Yu keenly continued: "If Xue Yue breaks the cauldron and makes up his mind to eat the Japanese 6th Division on the front line of Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan, the tide of the battle will be turned around immediately." However, Xue Yue may not dare to make this risky move, and there is nothing we can do. Ouyang Jian said decisively: "In my name, send a report to General Xue Yue that the Japanese 6th Division will advance and penetrate deeply, and distance itself from the north and south flanks, and suggest that the Japanese 6th Division be ······ at Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan." "It can only be a suggestion, as for how Xue Yue will do it, it is another matter.

In the 4th Theater Headquarters in Qingshan, an operational staff officer reported: "Report, the Ministry of National Defense has called, and it is necessary to stick to the defense line of Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan without mistakes. "Commander, the commander of the 6th Division of the Japanese Army is driving straight in, we must be ready!" In fact, Xue Yue saw the weakness of the Japanese army at this time, but it was difficult to make up his mind to outflank the Japanese army in the area of Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan. Xue Yue, whose name is Boling, is a native of Lechang County, Guangdong Province, formerly known as Xue Yangyue. He was born in the second year of the Treaty of Shimonoseki between China and Japan.

The land of Taiwan was lost, and the nation was in an unprecedented crisis, and his father named him "Yangyue", which is to imitate the meaning of the national hero Yue Fei. As an adult, Xue Yue thought that it was difficult to express his heart just by revering Yue Fei, so he went to "look up" to his son, single name Yue, and directly used Yue Fei to express his determination. Xue Yue has a slender figure and a festive appearance, and his eyes give people a smiling feeling. But appearance doesn't mean anything, his character is resolute and resolute, and he never drags his feet.

Xue Yue's qualifications were among the heavyweights of the Kuomintang military generals, and he was admitted to the Whampoa Army Primary School at the age of 11 and began to receive military education. At the age of 14, he joined Sun Yat-sen's alliance. After the Xinhai Revolution, he entered the No. 2 Preparatory School of the Wuchang Army in 1914 and graduated in 1916. In the same year, he was admitted to the 6th phase of Baoding Army School together with Deng Yanda and Zhang Fakui. In May 1921, Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated as the provisional president in Guangzhou, and he served as the commander of the guard battalion. Chen Jiongming of the Eastern Expedition, made many military exploits during the Northern Expedition, and was known as the "Tiger Boy".

"Report to the commander, Ouyang Jian, chief of the general staff of the Eighth Route Army, is calling!" An operational staff officer reports. Xue Yue took the telegram and checked it with some surprise: "General Ouyang is really extraordinary, he actually guessed my mind. As soon as the Battle of Jiangxi ended, the Eighth Route Army selflessly supported our department, which was admirable. At present, the 6th Division of the Japanese Army is extremely arrogant and does not take us seriously at all, so I decided to encircle and annihilate the 6th Division of the Japanese Army on the front line of Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan. ”

Ordered the Yang Sen Department of the Sichuan Army to block the Japanese army on the line of Yueshan and Huaining to lure the enemy deeper. The 193rd Division of the 65th Army in Yuexi was ordered to go out of Qingcao to intercept the reinforcements of the Japanese army in the north, and its 194th and 195th Divisions were outflanked from the west side of Tianzhu Mountain to Huaining. The 202nd Division of the 68th Army of Tianhu was ordered to go out of Changling to intercept the reinforcements of the 114th Division, and its 203rd and 204th Divisions outflanked Yueshan from the north side and encircled the 6th Division of the Japanese Army. The 69th Army did not move, and as a campaign reserve, it was ready to reinforce the operation. ”

"Commander, do you want to report to the Wuhan command?" asked the chief of staff. "The opportunity must not be lost, the soldiers are fast, and military operations are launched while reporting." Xue Yue knew in his heart that when the Ministry of Defense's battle plan was issued, I was afraid that the battle situation would have eroded. The president said that he could choose the war zone and annihilate a large number of the Japanese army's living forces, so Xue Yue had the bottom in his heart. Two days later, the Ministry of National Defense approved its battle plan, and Xue Yue's troops had already deployed their troops.

In the headquarters of the Japanese Dispatch Army in Shanghai, Commander Okamura Ninji stared at the military map and was silent, and the Japanese 6th Division was invincible. The breakthrough in the middle was the campaign plan he drew up. His aim was to advance the front into Hunan, land on the south bank of the Yangtze River and outflank Wuhan from the south. For the commander of the 6th Division to drive straight in, Okamura Ninji was not worried. In the past, when fighting against the Kuomintang army, as long as the defense line was broken, its defense line would collapse, and at this time and that time, Okamura Ninji made a common-sense mistake.

He believed that the Kuomintang army's operational defense was the first element, and there was no other trick than repeatedly fighting for positions and holding positions to the death. He did not expect the Battle of Wuhan and the change in the tactics of the Chinese army. Although the 6th Division encountered constant resistance in Yueshan and Huaining, its troops still pushed inexorably to the line of Tianzhu Mountain and Qianshan. Just when the situation was good, Okamura Ninji received a bad flood.