The stability of the front has greatly increased Lao Jiang's confidence. The Japanese army's offensive in Luodian and Dachang was effectively contained, and he wanted to carry out a counterattack. The purpose was to let the foreigners see that the Chinese army was not vulnerable, and the purpose of the counterattack was to expect the foreigners to intervene, and at this time, Lao Chiang still counted on the foreigners to help turn the tide of the war. At present, the appeasement of Western countries is in full swing, and as long as China's suffering does not involve their interests, Lao Chiang's naivety and naivety may be out of helplessness, after all, China is too weak.

In order not to provoke Western countries, it was wise for the Japanese army to choose the battlefield in the suburbs of Shanghai. Assuming that the old Jiang did not hesitate and was determined to let Western countries intervene, simply send troops to occupy the LinkedIn French Concession, let the flames of war spread to the downtown area of Shanghai, and did not hesitate to smash the entire city of Shanghai, perhaps the situation would be very different. Even if Britain and France clamored, the scene of the Eight-Nation Coalition would not appear again. Germany is eyeing Europe, and Britain and France will never cooperate with Japan, let alone send troops to help the Japanese fight China, but all this can only be assumed.

In fact, Lao Jiang had already achieved his strategic goal at this time, and he should not hesitate to choose to retreat from the Songhu battlefield. But Lao Chiang did not do this, but constantly transferred the forces of the right wing army group and threw them into the north to fight, so that the forces defending Hangzhou Bay were emptied. The veteran general judged that it was impossible for the Japanese army to carry out a landing in Hangzhou Bay, because the Japanese army had limited strength and it was impossible to divide the troops into battle. The strategic miscalculation made Lao Jiang quickly fall into passivity.

The telegraph in the headquarters of the 3rd Corps in Yunshui County was endless, and at this time, Ouyang Jian's eyes were bloodshot, and he had hardly slept well for nearly three months after the Battle of Songhu. Because Ouyang Jian repeatedly intervened in the Songhu war, Lao Jiang proposed harsh words to the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, so the Military Commission criticized Ouyang Jian. Seeing the situation in Songhu decaying step by step, and he was powerless, his mood was extremely gloomy. "Report, Dark Arrow calling!" A combat staff officer walked in with a telegram in hand. Su Yu took the telegram and checked: "Chief of General Staff, as you judged, the forces in Hangzhou Bay have been emptied!" "Report to the Military Commission immediately!" Soon the Military Commission called and sent troops to Hangzhou Bay.

After the order to send troops was issued, Su Yu asked: "Do you want to report to the Ministry of Defense on the situation of our troops?" "If you report to the Ministry of Defense, will Lao Jiang agree? The following offenses are taboo," Ouyang Jian continued: "Order Xiao Ke to rush to the Golden Silk Bridge and the Quangong Pavilion before the 5th, and there must be no mistakes!" "Chief of the General Staff, do you think that if the Japanese army lands, it will be on the line of Quangongting and Jinsi Bridge?" "The reason is that the coastline of the Golden Silk Bridge and Quangongting is suitable for landing. If the Japanese army wants to be fast, it must choose this line. Ouyang Jian said decisively.

At present, Ouyang Jian is worried about whether the Japanese army will land at Jinshanwei in advance as the Songhu battlefield has undergone significant changes. In fact, Ouyang Jian had long wanted to secretly move the troops to the front line of Hangzhou Bay, but the Military Commission did not agree. The Central Military Commission believed that the troops could only be dispatched after the front-line troops in Hangzhou Bay were empty, and no one could be sure that the Japanese army would definitely land at Jinshanwei, and the judgment did not represent reality. "When will Xiao Ke arrive at Jinshanwei?" "According to the speed of their march, the vanguard will arrive at midnight on the 2nd at the earliest." Chief of Staff He Longdao.

Political Commissar Luo Ronghuan said: "The 15th and 16th divisions carry a large number of light and heavy, and the marching speed is not fast!" "Order Xiao Ke to send a regiment lightly and be sure to reach the Golden Silk Bridge at midnight on the 2nd." Ouyang Jian gave a correct order, and the later changes in the battle situation confirmed his prediction. Under the dark night, nearly 30,000 officers and soldiers of the 15th and 16th Divisions of the 5th Army of the 3rd Corps of the Eighth Route Army marched eastward. The troops passed by a market town, and curious civilians stood by the roadside to visit. In the midst of the fighting in Songhu, the troops often passed through the town, and they were not surprised.

This unit wore steel helmets and neat uniforms, and it seemed that the troops of the Central Army were no more than that. In the dark, a soldier walked out of the queue to drink water, and the fellow in front of him asked: "Master Jun, dare to ask, are you the unit of the national army?" "Fellow, are we the Eighth Route Army?" The surrounding villagers couldn't help but be surprised when they heard this, the troops of the Eighth Route Army were so powerful and majestic, completely subverting their senses. The troops passed through the market town in a steady stream, and many big girls and little daughters-in-law boldly walked out, stood on the side of the road to check and discussed.

"Look at the Eighth Route Army is really a benevolent and righteous army, Qiu has not committed any crimes, and it really lives up to its reputation!" "That's it, in the past, the national army troops passed by the town and asked for everything. The anti-Japanese merit is true, but it always makes people feel uncomfortable! "The last time the national army passed by, I gave all the chickens at home, but those soldiers were still not satisfied, and the comparison between the two is really a world of difference." The people on the roadside were talking. Army Commander Xiao Ke, Political Commissar Ye Jianying, and Chief of Staff Zhang Shiying rode a war horse to walk in the Chinese army, and arrived at the bright lights in the middle of the town, and the mayor of the town led everyone to greet and see them off.

Xiao Ke, Zhang Shiying, and Zhang Shiying dismounted, and the mayor of the town stepped forward in person, holding a bowl of wine in his hand and said: "The strong men of the Eighth Route Army are about to go to the front line to fight, please ask the general to drink this bowl of wine to show his heart." Xiao Ke took the wine bowl and said: "Folks, our Eighth Route Army must kill more devils and never disappoint the expectations of the villagers." Schock took a sip of the wine in the bowl, then slammed the bowl on the floor as a sign of determination. Everyone stepped forward to toast, and political commissar Ye Jianying took the opportunity to deliver an impassioned propaganda, calling on everyone to take action and never be a slave to the country.

In the early morning of November 2, the Japanese 10th Army, under the command of Army Commander Yanagawa Heisuke, led the 6th, 18th, and 114th Divisions, the 5th Brigade of the 5th Division, the 2nd Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment, the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, and the 1st and 2nd Infantry Reserve Regiments to appear on the surface of Jinshan Sea. At that time, there were only two infantry companies and one artillery company of the 62nd Division on the coastline of several tens of kilometers of Quangongting, plus a few places with less than 2,000 armed men on the defense.

The dense Japanese battleships appeared on the sea, the guns fired tentatively, and the commander Yanagawa Heisuke held a telescope to observe the coastline. Seeing the surprisingly small number of troops defending the coast, Yanagawa Heisuke decisively ordered the vanguard troops to land and attack immediately. In fact, there is no need to attack, the soldiers on the defense are already frightened when they see the black and oppressive battleship on the sea, but their duty is to stick to the coast, even if they are afraid, they will fight. However, it is said that the soldiers of the three companies of the National Army fought very bravely, and in less than two hours, the defending troops were completely annihilated.

The Japanese army captured the front line of Quangongting with almost no effort, and the Japanese troops disembarked and assembled, and it took time for heavy equipment to disembark. According to the military deployment, the 6th Division and the 18th Division took the lead in attacking northward to occupy the key points of Songjiang City, and encircled all the defenders in the Songhu area. In the afternoon, Yanagawa Heisuke held a military meeting and said: "The smooth landing of Jinshanwei greatly exceeded our expectations, and the coastline is equivalent to no defense. Obviously, the Chinese high command did not expect our landing on the Jinshanwei line, and according to the military deployment of the dispatch army headquarters, the 6th and 18th divisions took Songjiang and surrounded the main force of the Chinese army in Songhu from the south. ”

Yanagawa Heisuke is in his 50s, probably old and dizzy, with a pair of glasses. This person's appearance is that of an unruly fellow. "Warriors, Amaterasu has given us the opportunity for the Yamato nation to dominate the world and the opportunity for the Yamato nation to rise. For the sake of the Japanese Empire, we must wipe out the main force of the Chinese army in one fell swoop and form a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere as soon as possible. Warriors! Take out your blood and fearlessness and fight bravely! "Hey!" All the generals stood up and echoed loudly.

At dusk, a vanguard of the 6th Division took the lead in setting off, aiming at Songjiang City. Commander Yanagawa Heisuke gave a detailed report on the landing situation to the commander of the dispatch force, Matsui Ishine, and analyzed that the Chinese High Command had misjudged its strategy, and did not expect the Japanese Imperial Army to launch a landing operation in Hangzhou Bay. It is proposed to take Songjiang City, detour to the Taihu Lake, and encircle the Chinese army in the Songhu area. Soon Matsui agreed with Yanagawa Heisuke's suggestion to implement this battle plan.

During the day on the 2nd, Lao Chiang received a report from the defenders of Jinshanwei that the Japanese army had landed at Jinshanwei and was immediately surprised. He knew in his heart that the line from Jinshanwei to Songjiang, especially the Shanghai-Hangzhou railway line, was the lifeline for the retreat of the national army, and once it was captured by the Japanese army, the entire Songhu battlefield would face a catastrophe. In such a critical situation, the Battle of Songhu had collapsed, and Lao Chiang ordered Chen Cheng, commander of the Left Wing Group Army, to immediately intercept the Songjiang line and cover the retreat of the main force. At this time, there was chaos in the national defense department, and the battle situation turned straight down, and in the blink of an eye, whether the main force of the national army could withdraw from the Songhu battlefield became the focus.

At the headquarters of the Left Wing Group Army, Chen Cheng received a telegram from Lao Jiang and immediately ordered Wang Yizhe to lead the 67th Army to deploy on the front line of Songjiang, and issued a death order to Wang Yizhe to hold Songjiang City to cover the retreat of the brigade headquarters. At this time, an operational staff officer came in with a telegram in his hand to report: "Report to the commander, Ouyang Jian, chief of the general staff of the Eighth Route Army, sent you an urgent telegram!" Chen Cheng hurriedly took the telegram and checked his voice: "General Ouyang is doing well, nearly 30,000 horses from the 15th and 16th divisions under his command have arrived near Jinshanwei, and they will report to the president immediately." ”

Nanjing Ministry of National Defense, Minister of Military Affairs He Yingqin said to the veteran in surprise: "Chen Cheng reported that he has just received a report from Ouyang Jian, chief of the general staff of the Eighth Route Army, that the 15th and 16th divisions under his command have arrived near Jinshanwei. Chief of General Staff Ouyang is worthy of being a legendary general. Old Jiang Wen let out a sigh of relief and said: "Order the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, and instruct the 15th and 16th divisions to intercept the Japanese landing force in Hangzhou Bay and cover the retreat of the large army." Lao Jiang continued: "Immediately send a report to Chen Cheng, Zhu Shaoliang, and Zhang Fakui, and order ・・・・・・." At this time, Lao Jiang knew that the two divisions of the Eighth Route Army could only resist for a while in the face of the heavy Japanese army, and they could not turn the tide of the war at all. At this time, he had selfish intentions and intended to withdraw the troops of his descendants first.

It stands to reason that as a commander-in-chief, he should treat everyone equally, but his selfishness caused chaos in the entire Songhu battlefield. So much so that some received orders to retreat, and some still didn't know what to do and were fighting, and finally it turned into a rout in their own battles. Chen Cheng, the commander of the Left Wing Army, received Lao Chiang's order and could hardly believe that it was true, but the military order had to be carried out. "Commander, retreating so differently will chill the front-line soldiers, and there may be chaos!" The Chief of Staff made a statement.

Chen Cheng said depressedly: "The soldier takes obedience to orders as his duty, and immediately gives the order to retreat!" "Do you send a telegram to Chief of Staff Ouyang!" If the Eighth Route Army has no backup, it will be wiped out! Chen Cheng shook his head and said, "I owe Chief of Staff Ouyang, and I will personally come to the door to apologize in the future!" ”