The strength of the Japanese Air Force is also reflected in the quality of its personnel and weaponry; at the beginning of the war of aggression against China, the air and ground crews of the Japanese army and navy were as well-trained as their land forces, had a clear operational command relationship, and provided effective support in all aspects.

Among them, the Type 96 carrier-based fighter, which was put into production in 1936 and participated in the war of aggression against China in 1937, had a maximum flight speed of 435 km/h and a range of 1,267 km. The Japanese Type 96 bomber, with a maximum flight speed of 372 km / h and a range of 1,300 km, was equipped with 4 machine guns and 1 gun, which could carry 800 kg of bombs, and 1,100 were produced successively. These two types of aircraft were the most heavily equipped aircraft of the Japanese army in the early days of the war of aggression against China.

Before the outbreak of the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Chinese Air Force successively unified the air forces of various regions and factions under the leadership of the Central Nationalist Government, but its strength was still very limited, its aircraft were outdated, its models were chaotic, its performance was backward, and its aircraft were out of proportion. In the early and mid-thirties, China purchased from the United States Hawker II, Hawker III, Boeing-281 fighters, Shelley A-12 attack aircraft, Northrop-2E, Martin-139WC bombers, all in limited quantities. Due to the weak industrial base in China, although some combat aircraft have also been copied, their main components are still dependent on imports.

As of August 14, 1937, when the Chinese Air Force officially engaged Japanese aircraft, it was composed of 9 brigades and 5 independent squadrons, equipped with 296 aircraft of various types, less than one-ninth of the Japanese army. Of these, 148 bombers. 50%; 101 fighters, accounting for 34%; 41 reconnaissance aircraft, accounting for 14%. There are 620 pilots, less than half of whom can participate in the war, and the training of fighter pilots focuses on ground attack, and they have no experience in air combat. In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Chinese Air Force was in a state of strength and weaponry in which the enemy was strong and weak, and the enemy was superior and inferior.

After three years of war, the Chinese Air Force had lost almost all of its air force, if it were not for the support of the Soviet Air Force for China. I'm afraid that China's blue sky has long been the domain of the Japanese. However. Just after the signing of the "Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty" between the Soviet Union and Japan, the Soviet Union, in order not to provoke the Japanese, withdrew all the air forces serving in the Chinese Air Force, along with fighter pilots, and for a time the Chinese Air Force fell into a state of shortage of man and machine. There are only four fighters left in the country that can fly and fight. The number of pilots has also dropped sharply. If it weren't for Chen Feng's headquarters to reinforce in time and sell the 620 obsolete Iraqi series fighters to the Nationalist Government at a very low price, I am afraid that the Nationalist Government's air force would have been removed from the list by the Japanese.

However, due to the fact that the new Japanese fighters are far stronger than the Chinese Air Force in terms of the overall performance of the fighters. Therefore, in less than half a year, the Nationalist Government lost 300 small fighters, and at this time there were only more than 300 planes left that could fight.

The future of the Air Force was worrisome, but the country could not produce aircraft, and foreigners were forced by the Japanese to dare not sell fighters to the Chinese Air Force. Unexpectedly, the Americans gave him a surprise and were willing to support Chennault in forming an air force to aid China.

The formation of the air force to aid China is extremely important in itself, but the hidden meaning reflected behind this incident is even more important, this is the prelude to the United States to enter the war, if the United States does not participate in the war, they will not take such a big risk. Although these pilots are said to have gone to China as volunteers, both fighter planes and ammunition are provided by the Americans, and there are a large number of American active pilots among them.

Subsequently, U.S. Secretary of State Hull also made a high-impact oral statement in Washington, which was addressed to the Japanese ambassador who was trying to enter into friendly negotiations with the United States again, saying: "The Secretary of State fully recognizes the Japanese ambassador and his colleagues for bringing more friendly understanding to Japan and the United States and for their sincere efforts to establish peace in the Pacific region, and fully acknowledges the frankness shown by the Japanese ambassador and his colleagues in the previous talks." My administration is not inferior to the Japanese ambassador in its desire for a better relationship between Japan and the United States and for peace in the peace region. In the spirit of the above, the Secretary of State carefully studied all the points of view of the Japanese proposal. ”

"The Secretary of State has no reason to doubt that the majority of Japanese leaders and the above-mentioned Japanese ambassadors and their associates share the same views and actions taken in support of the attainment of a noble purpose. Unfortunately, my Government has gathered evidence from various sources in the world, including reports from those who have expressed sincere friendship with Japan for many years, that certain influential leaders of the Japanese government have made an unwavering commitment to support Nazi Germany and its policy of conquest, and that the only understanding they can agree with with the United States is that Japan will fight on the side of Hitler if the United States pursues its current policy of self-defense and is drawn into the European war. ”

"Japan's official statement in which the spokesperson of the Japanese government emphasized Japan's pledge and intentions under the Triple Alliance, although this statement is unjustified, confirms a development that cannot be ignored. As long as these leaders remain in public office, maintain this attitude, and openly strive to steer Japanese public opinion in the above direction, it is not vain to expect that the proposal under discussion will go in the desired direction once adopted, and provide a basis for substantive results? ”

"Other reasons for the confusion about the Japanese proposal are that the Japanese Government seems to have inserted the recognition of the presence of Japanese troops in Inner Mongolia and certain areas of North China into the conditions for a peaceful settlement proposed by the Japanese Government to the Chinese Government as a measure to resist the communist movement's cooperation with China. My Government has carefully studied the motives of the Government of Japan for proposing such a proposal, and does not wish to discuss the substance of the proposal, but as has been explained to the Ambassador of Japan and his colleagues on many occasions, the liberal policies upheld by the United States do not allow the Government of the United States to endorse any path that contradicts them. ”

"While there is some room for some discretion in deciding on the granting of powers in matters affecting only the State concerned, the matter now under consideration will have an impact on the sovereignty of third States, and my Government is compelled to deal with such matters with the utmost caution.

Therefore, the Secretary of State believes that my Government regrets to come to the conclusion that it has to be expected from the Government of Japan to give some clearer indications on the whole than has been given so far on the pursuit of the peaceful path that constitutes the purpose of this program of understanding. My Government sincerely hopes that the Government of Japan will demonstrate this attitude. ”

The US side believes that Japan has no sincerity in the slightest about the so-called peace talks, so it directly tells the Japanese that if they want to hold talks, they should show sincerity that the Americans will recognize.

This move by the Americans is undoubtedly adding fuel to the anger of the Japanese. In addition, the Japanese side has learned that the United States is going to provide a large amount of war loans to the Chinese government, and at the same time intends to let that hateful retired air force captain form a volunteer air force to aid China, many reasons add up, which makes the Japanese extremely angry!

While sending people to continue to negotiate with the United States, the Japanese military government ordered the Chinese troops on the battlefield to immediately speed up the pace and intensity of their attacks, so as to capture Changsha in the shortest possible time and deal a major blow to the Chinese army and the US government behind it.

At this time, the Battle of Changsha had entered the most critical moment, and the Military Commission decided that the Ninth Theater should hold the existing positions on both sides of the Xiangjiang River and the south of the Miluo River, strengthen resistance, maintain the main force on the outer flank, and strive to attack the enemy's flank, and at the same time order the Third and Fifth Theaters to take advantage of the situation to attack the enemy in front of them, so as to prepare for the operation of the Ninth Theater. After the Sixth Theater actively attacked the Japanese troops in the Jingzhou and Yichang areas, and after the order to recover Yichang was issued, the troops of the Chinese Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Theaters in the entire Central China region moved rapidly.

However, to Xue Yue's surprise, due to the outstanding performance of Chiyoko Koga and others in North China, at this time, the various strategic corps of the Japanese army in North, Central China, and South China all formed intelligence units for intelligence reconnaissance work, and the telegrams sent by the Ninth Theater to various group armies and armies were stolen and deciphered by the Japanese special intelligence department and sent to the 11th Army.

After consulting with a group of senior staff officers under him, the 11th Army was originally scheduled to use the main force of the 3rd Division on the Xiangjiang River after breaking through to the south bank of the Miluo River along the Chang (Sha) Yue (Yang) Highway, and then using the main force on the Xiangjiang River, but when it learned that the 9th Theater had 4 divisions to garrison the existing positions on the Miluo River, and placed the main force in the Wengjiang River and other places in the east of the battlefield to flank the Japanese army, it immediately changed the original deployment, ordered the 3rd Division to turn to the area on the east side of the Hukou and Wengjiang rivers one by one, and ordered the 40th Division and the 6th Division to make a detour from the mountains to the east to attack the 37th, 26th, and other Chinese troops. The 10th Army formed an encirclement posture and annihilated it.

On November 10, the 3rd and 6th Divisions of the Japanese Army and the Zaoyuan Detachment forcibly crossed the Miluo River from Luogongqiao, Xinshi, Whetstone, Hukou and other river crossing points, breaking through the forward position of the 37th Army. The defenders retreated to the main position. The 40th Division of the Japanese Army was attached to the Araki Detachment, and after repelling the flank attack of the 4th Army, the Liujiangteng Detachment covered the supply line, and the main force turned to the area east of Xinguanqiao and Wengjiang, and was scheduled to make a roundabout southward journey through Pingjiang.

On November 12, the Japanese army, with the support of aviation, attacked the main position of the 37th Army, and the two sides fought fiercely for three days, without winning or losing. By the 16th, the Japanese 3rd Division broke through the defenders' main position and surrounded the 95th and 140th Divisions. The 37th Army was ordered to break through and move to the city of Malin, suffering heavy casualties.

On the other side of the battlefield, the Japanese 6th Division turned from Hukou to the north side of the Weng River and encountered the Chinese 26th Army, which had just arrived at the battlefield. The Japanese army advanced and surrounded the right flank of the 26th Division of the 44th Army with superior forces. The 26th Army ordered the 32nd Division to attack the rear of the Japanese army at Hukou, and encountered the follow-up troops of the 3rd Division, and fought fiercely until the 14th, when the 32nd Division suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retreat. Divisions of the 26th Army were in danger of being divided. The Ninth Theater ordered the 26th Army to take Putang as the center, and the divisions moved closer together to block the Japanese army. The 26th Army immediately adjusted its deployment and ordered the 32nd, 41st, and 44th Divisions to form a circular defense around Potang. On the 16th, the Japanese 40th Division also joined the attack on the 26th Army.

Since the battle plan was learned by the Japanese army, the three major theaters of the Nationalist Government were completely passive, and the situation was extremely critical! (To be continued......)