Cai Jigang heard the news of the loss of Changsha on the way from Changsha to Hengyang, he was unmoved and continued to hurry, all this was expected, there was nothing to make a fuss about. Cai Jigang said in his heart, according to this style of play, I am afraid that no city will be able to hold it.

Hengyang is about 180 kilometers from Changsha, and a narrow, gravel-paved low-grade highway connects the two cities. The Ninth Theater Commander's Department equipped Cai Jigang with an American-made jeep, and in addition to Adjutant Shen Guangya, there were also two temporarily sent guards, all of whom were crowded on this medium-sized jeep.

The highway was crowded with fleeing crowds, jeeps crawled slowly and hard in the flow of people, the driver desperately honked his horn, hoping that the crowd would automatically give way to a way, and the fleeing crowd did not care whether Cai Jigang was a general or not, they were expressionless, numb, mechanically walking, walking slowly, without any intention of giving way.

Cai Jigang looked through the car window and observed the terrain on both sides of the road. This area is mostly plains and hills, and from a military point of view, it seems that there is no danger to defend. But now there is no point in thinking about this, Cai Jigang has not seen a single defensive facility along the way, there is no army, no anti-tank trenches, no permanent or temporary fortifications, and even the road has not been destroyed. It was only more than 130 kilometers from Zhuzhou to Hengyang, and the mechanized troops of the Japanese army could arrive in four or five hours. It seems that Cai Jigang's proposal to Xue Yue for layers of fortification before the war has become nonsense, and the mind of this first-class general is full of his "Heavenly Furnace Tactics" for defending Changsha, and issues beyond this framework are completely ignored.

Isamu Yokoyama and Xue Yue are both excellent generals, and the difference between them lies in the size of the strategic pattern in their minds and their ability to defuse crises. Xue Yue took Changsha as the central battlefield and built a stove for burning briquettes; Isamu Yokoyama, on the other hand, used half of China as a battlefield and made a large boiler large enough to put a briquette furnace in. Compared with the two, Isamu Yokoyama is obviously slightly superior.

Cai Jigang's mind was spinning rapidly, and the 68th and 116th divisions of the Japanese army were swinging a shot around the city south on the outskirts of Changsha, and the two divisions had now arrived in Zhuzhou. Of course, Yokoyama Yong understands the truth of the speed of soldiers, they did not immediately launch an attack on Hengyang, it was entirely because of logistical supply problems, it is certain that once these two divisions are replenished, Yokoyama Yong will not delay any longer, and he will launch an attack on Hengyang without delay.

In this way, Fang Xianjue, the commander of the 10th Army guarding Hengyang, was quite lucky, if it wasn't for the supply problems of the Japanese army, he would not have had time to prepare for defense, which was really a blessing in misfortune.

Cai Jigang was thinking about it, only to hear Shen Guangya, who was sitting in the passenger seat, shouting: "Enemy plane!" The driver jeep slammed off the roadbed and rushed under a few big trees on the side of the road, Cai Jigang opened the car door and jumped out of the car, and was immediately thrown to the ground by Shen Guangya......

Two Japanese Nakajima-Ichi fighters swept over the highway at an ultra-low altitude, spewing fire under their bellies, and a barrage of bullets hit the road, splashing up sand, gravel and mud half a meter high. The refugees on the highway did not have the military literacy of the driver, they were caught off guard by the rain of bullets, and the road was instantly turned into a slaughterhouse, littered with corpses, and the road was splashed with blood.

The two Japanese fighters flew back in a circle, ready for a second dive. Cai Jigang recognized the emblem of the Japanese Army Air Force, this kind of fighter known as the "Hayabusa" II is the largest batch of aircraft produced by Japan's Nakajima Aviation Manufacturing Company during the war, its appearance is very similar to the Japanese Navy's Zero fighter, his younger brother Cai Jiheng said, the combat performance of the "Falcon" fighter is okay, but its firepower is average, only two 12.7 mm machine guns, no aerial guns, in the air combat appears to be insufficient firepower, but it is enough to deal with ground forces. Cai Jigang watched the altitude and speed of the plane, and couldn't suppress the anger in his heart, the two Japanese pilots were killing people for fun, they knew that there were unarmed refugees on the road, but they still brutally attacked the civilians.

"These two bastards!" Cai Jigang took out *** from the jeep, pushed the bullet into loading, and yelled at Shen Guangya and the guards who were hanging ***, "The plane is coming again, shoot it for me!" Remember, shoot ahead and let it hit the net of fire on its own. ”

In the blink of an eye, the plane was in the air again, and the machine guns of the Japanese fighters roared, and the bullets knocked the road into sand and rocks...... Cai Jigang had already calculated the amount of advance and fired at the plane's route in advance. The fire net composed of four *** looks very thin, but Cai Jigang knows that it will definitely hit the fire net, because the plane has entered a dive, and the height is less than 50 meters above the ground, and it is too late to change the course.

Sure enough, the first plane crashed headlong into the net of fire, Cai Jigang could even see the fine white mist rising from the bullet hitting the belly of the plane, the sound of large-caliber machine guns on the Japanese fighter stopped abruptly, and the tail of the plane pulled out a thin, gray-white trail......

"Hit!" Shen Guangya and the guards cheered.

Cai Jigang followed the plane and insisted on finishing the last bullet in ** until the *** empty warehouse hung up.

The Japanese fighter was obviously wounded, it barely managed to pull up the altitude, but it could no longer maintain horizontal flight, it rose and fell like a kite, and disappeared from view in the blink of an eye......

Cai Jigang estimated that the shooting just now might have damaged the plane's fuel line, because the "Falcon" fighter is equipped with protective armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, and it is usually difficult to damage it with small arms, but this time it was just a coincidence. Cai Jigang estimated the combat radius of the Japanese planes, which should have taken off from the field airfield near Wuhan, because the Japanese army had not yet had time to establish an airfield near Changsha. I'm afraid that this injured plane will fall halfway, even if the pilot makes a forced landing, it will be nine deaths, the Hunan and Hubei regions are full of paddy fields and hills, it is not easy to find a dry flat land, let this bastard die! Cai Jigang cursed in his heart and got into the car and continued to hurry to Hengyang.

The loss of Changsha made Chiang Kai-shek very angry, and he did not expect that this provincial capital, which had been held for nearly seven years, would be lost after only five days of resistance, which greatly surprised him.

When Chiang Kai-shek was in a rage, he received a call from Wang Yaowu, commander of the 24th Group Army of the Sixth Theater. Wang Yaowu was born in the third phase of Whampoa, and he was also Chiang Kai-shek's favorite disciple, only he and a few Whampoa disciples had this privilege and could call the old man directly.

Wang Yaowu and Zhao Zili have a good personal relationship, and he has always remembered what Zhao Zili entrusted him. At this time, he reported on the phone: "Principal, I was ordered to reinforce Changsha, but I was blocked by the superior forces of the Japanese army in Yiyang, and now it is in a stalemate. Before that, I had called Changsha to ask Chief of Staff Zhao Zili to ask for a mission, Zhao Zili said that on the issue of defending the city of Changsha, he and Commander Zhang Deneng had a big disagreement, and Commander Zhang was stubborn, refused to accept Zhao Zili's opinion, and insisted on placing the main force in the city, resulting in the loss of Changsha. Zhao Zili said that he hoped that the students could report the situation to the principal, as the chief of staff of the theater, he could not perform his duties, nor did he have the right to command the defenders to fight, and he was ashamed to live up to the cultivation of the principal! ”

As soon as Chiang Kai-shek heard this, the fire hit his head again, he hung up the phone, and ordered a telegram to be sent to the Ninth Theater: "Zhao Zili, chief of staff of the Ninth Theater, and Zhang Deneng, commander of the 4th Army, should immediately return to Chongqing and report to the Military Commission on the Changsha operation. ”

The chairman of the committee was furious, how could Zhao Zili and Zhang De dare to slack off? The two rushed to Chongqing, the capital of the country, in a panic, and were arrested by the military police sent by the Military Judge Enforcement Department as soon as they got off the plane. Chiang Kai-shek's anger has not subsided, and the responsibility for the loss of Changsha must be borne by someone, who to choose as this unlucky bastard?

Within a few days, the military court was in session, and Zhao Zili's call in advance finally had an effect. The military tribunal held that during the Changsha operation, Zhao Zili, chief of staff of the theater, was overshadowed by Zhang Deneng, commander of the 4th Army, and failed to exercise his command power, so Zhao Zili did not bear the responsibility for the loss of Changsha and was acquitted.

Since Zhao Zili was declared innocent, only Zhang Deneng was guilty, so the responsibility for the loss of Changsha naturally fell on the unlucky Zhang Deneng. The conclusion of the military court was that Zhang Deneng, the commander of the 4th Army, had miscommanded and escaped from the battle, and he bore unshirkable responsibility for the loss of Changsha, and the crime was unforgivable, and the commander of the 4th Army, Zhang Deneng, was sentenced to death and executed immediately!

When the news of Zhang Deneng's death sentence reached the headquarters at all levels of the Ninth Theater, the officers all looked at each other and were silent. Cai Jigang, who was supervising the battle in Hengyang, was also taken aback, he didn't expect Zhang Deneng to be sentenced to death. In all fairness, Zhang Deneng did not listen to dissuasion, was stubborn and self-serving, and insisted on going his own way, which led to a serious mistake in command, and there is no objection to this, but this is only a serious tactical mistake, and the crime does not deserve to die. According to the officers and men who escaped from the 90th Division, after the 102nd Division withdrew, Zhang Deneng still held the position on Yuelu Mountain with the remnants of the 90th Division, and did not break through and evacuate until the general trend had gone and the main peak of Yuelu Mountain had been occupied.

The conclusion of the military tribunal is really unreliable, if he really wanted to escape from the battle, he ran south with the 102nd Division in the first place, why did he still enter the Yuelu Mountain position full of artillery and hold on to the last moment?

Zhang Derneng's death chilled the entire Ninth Theater, especially the officers and soldiers of the 4th Army. If Zhang Deneng was sentenced to death, then what should Jiang Dingwen, who lost his troops and escaped in the Battle of Central Henan, be guilty of? Is Zhang Derneng's sin greater than Jiang Dingwen's? In fact, Jiang Dingwen was only removed from his post and was not punished more severely.

No one can tell Chairman Jiang's temper, this old man is sometimes very emotional, and the good or bad mood of his mood often affects decision-making, and even affects the trend of history, so that his subordinates have no rules to follow. For example, the same failed to defend the city, the commander led the remnants of the army to break out, Wu Tinglin, the commander of the 15th Army guarding Luoyang, and Yu Chengwan, the commander of the 57th Division of the 74th Army guarding Changde, had diametrically opposite endings: Wu Tinglin, who held Luoyang for 14 days, was greatly praised by Chiang Kai-shek in Xi'an, while Yu Chengwan, who fought for 16 days in Changde, was accused of failing to fulfill his responsibility to defend the land and protect the people. However, Chairman Chiang's moody approach is really terrifying. It's not about how much crime you have committed, it's about how Chairman Chiang feels at this time.

Although Chiang Kai-shek was the supreme commander of the Kuomintang army, he could not be regarded as an excellent military strategist in any way, and there was no objection to saying that he was a heavyweight statesman. The inadequacy of his military command was related to the military education he received. Chiang Kai-shek was only admitted to the Baoding Army Crash Course at the age of 20 to learn artillery, the start was a little late, less than a year he went to the Zhenwu School in Tokyo, Japan, this Zhenwu School is somewhat famous, it is the Japanese Army General Staff Headquarters for the Chinese Army students to open a preparatory military school, the initial study of 1 year and 3 months, later extended to 3 years, after graduation can first go down to the army for probation, and then enter the formal army non-commissioned officer school.

This is a bit of a problem, it took three years to get a qualification to enter the non-commissioned officer school, if you stay up step by step, what year will it take to get ahead? Of course, this Zhenwu school also produced some famous figures, such as Cai Ye in the first phase, Chen Duxiu in the third phase, Wu Yuzhang in the fourth phase, Sun Chuanfang in the fifth phase, Yan Xishan in the sixth phase, etc., all of whom were senior alumni of Chiang Kai-shek. Although these alumni are famous in China's modern history, only three years of primary military education are not enough to produce a famous general without further education.

It is said that after graduating from Zhenwu School, Chiang Kai-shek was assigned to the 13th Wing of the 19th Division of the Japanese Army as a non-commissioned officer candidate.

After the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, Chiang Kai-shek, who had been a non-commissioned officer candidate for a year, returned to China and became a regiment commander in the Shanghai Military Department. Chiang Kai-shek was very lucky, at that time China could not find a few people with foreign military education, although some of them had questionable academic qualifications, but it did not affect these people who returned from overseas to become fragrant and sweet. Chiang Kai-shek studied at the Zhenwu School for two years, plus one year at the Baoding Army Crash School, and the military education he received was a total of three years. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek, the future commander of the Kuomintang army, jumped from a non-commissioned officer candidate to become a regiment commander, which is a relatively rare thing in ancient and modern China and abroad, and this year, Chiang Kai-shek was only 24 years old.

In this way, this is all the military education that Chiang Kai-shek received, and he never received any military education in the future, but this did not prevent him from teaching others military affairs, and even became the principal of the Whampoa Military Academy.

Although Chiang Kai-shek's military qualifications were not profound, he always showed an unusually strong interest in commanding operations. He often bowed down to everything himself, and commanded from the higher levels to the division and regimental level, so that the generals at all levels often felt at a loss and dared not speak out. Xu Yongchang, director of the Military Command Department, once complained in his diary: "Every time the chairman of the committee personally drafts a telegram, a handwritten letter, or a personal phone call, and gives detailed instructions, how to locate each regiment and battalion, etc., they are all detailed. The commanders and commanders of the units did not dare to disobey them, but they were willing to do so, so that they were thanked for their responsibilities, and as a result, the war became more and more unquestionable. At the request of the chairman, that is, the director of the department, there is a suspicion of too much interference. ”

Chiang Kai-shek's practice of centralizing military command and power was familiar to all senior generals, so whenever they received a telegram from Chairman Chiang, they should first see which organ sponsored it. If it is a "Zhongzheng Attendant" (sponsored by the attendant room), it should also be valued; However, if it is a telegram sponsored by another department, it depends on the specific situation to determine the degree of implementation. Therefore, in order to ensure the effectiveness of orders, the Military Command Department, the Military Affairs Department, and even the rear logistics departments, sometimes they have to send telegrams in the name of "Zhongzheng Shouqi," making it difficult for the subordinates to distinguish between the true and the false.

Chiang Kai-shek's command style had many drawbacks in the war, but no one dared to admonish him, after all, he was the supreme commander, who dared to give advice to the supreme commander? He did not often give the death penalty to his generals' combat mistakes, but his main consideration was to establish personal authority, and how to balance and control the various factions and factions, and his political considerations were always in the first place. One thing is admitted by his subordinates, Chiang Kai-shek's punishment of his subordinates depends on the mood at the time and the impression of the person at peacetime, so the fairness of Chiang Kai-shek is debatable.

Changsha was lost, Hengyang was in a hurry, and Chiang Kai-shek was anxious at this time. The strategic position of Hengyang is not trivial, it is not only the intersection point of the Guangdong-Hanzhou, Hunan-Guizhou railways, but also the center of the southwest highway network, the loss of Hengyang means that the southeast and the southwest are cut off, and the rear of the southwest will be directly threatened.

There is also the fatal problem, Hengyang Airport is the intermediate contact point between China's Southeast Air Base and Southwest Air Base, and once Hengyang Airport is lost, it will turn the Southeast Air Base, which has been in operation for several years, into waste.

Hengyang's economic position in the entire rear area is also very important. The city is located at the confluence of the Xiangjiang River and Leishui, relying on these two large rivers, it can concentrate on exporting the 30 million stone rice produced by Hunan Province every year, without which Chongqing would not be able to live.

What's more, Hengyang also has a large number of industrial and commercial enterprises and rich mineral resources that have moved from the occupied areas, which are extremely important for the military, food, civilian and military production in the rear. If Hengyang is lost, it will make the political and economic situation in the rear of the southwest even worse and cause a serious economic crisis. On the other hand, if the Japanese occupied Hengyang, which was rich in natural resources, it would inject a shot in the arm for their strategy of "feeding war with war" and provide new impetus to the depleting Japanese war machine.

In any case, Hengyang cannot be lost.

In order to ensure Hengyang, Chiang Kai-shek began to arrange troops, and he decided to adopt a strategic plan of "blocking in the middle and sandwiching on both sides" in the area from Lushui to Hengshan. The so-called "middle blockage" is planned to put Ou Zhen's 37th Army and the provisional 2nd Army in the middle to block it; The "two sides clamping" was composed of Wang Lingji's 30th Group Army and Yang Sen's 27th Group Army on the east bank of the Xiangjiang River, and Wang Yaowu's 24th Group Army and the 4th Army on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River.

Chiang Kai-shek's plan was perfect, but it was only a plan after all, and the problem was that when he drew up the battle plan, he had no idea where his troops were. As a matter of fact, after the Battle of Changsha, the various group armies that were preparing to implement the "Heavenly Furnace Tactic" had been broken into a plate of scattered sand, Wang Yaowu's 24th Group Army was blocked in Yiyang, northern Hunan Province, some of the other group armies were driven far away, and some troops were running around on the Jiangxi border, and even Xue Yue, commander of the Ninth Theater, could not be contacted, let alone gathered troops.

It was not until 23 June that Xue Yue, who was in a state of exhaustion, made contact with the troops and issued instructions to prepare for the implementation of Chairman Chiang's battle plan.

However, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed dramatically, and the remedial action of the Chinese army was too late, too late!

Now Hengyang is still in the calm before the war. This is a city of great strategic value, which connects the third theater of Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangxi, and the seventh theater of defense of Fujian and Guangdong; It also plays the role of communication and barrier between Hunan's Ninth and Fifth Theaters and the rear of the Southwest; Hengyang Airport is also a transit and liaison station between Ganzhou, Jian'ou, and Zhejiang South Airports in the southeast and the Southwest Air Base, and is an important base for the US 14th Air Force and the Sino-US Joint Air Force.

Hengyang used to be just a county seat, and it didn't have the appearance of a city. In December 1941, with the approval of the people, Hengyang City was established with the Hengyang Inspectorate District and Hengyang County as the main body, plus the suburbs of Hengyang County.

Since the outbreak of the war, the war has been going on in the north of Changsha, and Hengyang, a major transportation route in southern Hunan, is relatively stable, so a large number of people who fled from the north, the Yangtze River valley and other occupied areas stayed here to make a living. Among these refugees are some wealthy business owners, who bring a lot of money. Due to the rapid concentration of funds, the wartime Hengyang economy developed in a deformed manner, and garden villas in the suburbs, high-rise shopping malls in the urban area, and factories and handicraft workshops by the river suddenly appeared like magic.

By the end of 1943, Hengyang had become a large-scale, industrially and commercially developed city, with more than 8,000 industrial and commercial enterprises in the city, 32 banks alone, and a total industrial output value of more than 1.8 billion yuan.

In 1944, Hengyang was a prosperous city, with a prosperous market, thriving industrial production, smooth railways, highways, and water transportation, and a large number of literati and artists who fled from the occupied areas injected vitality into Hengyang's cultural life, and the city ushered in an unprecedented development of culture, art, culture and education. With the stationing of U.S. Air Force personnel at Hengyang Airport, Hollywood movies, Coca-Cola, chewing gum and other bizarre American lifestyles have also been integrated into the cultural life of Hengyang citizens. At night, the streets and alleys of the city are filled with colorful neon lights, rows of bars and rooms are lit up with red wine and green, singing and dancing, showing a deformed glitz and luxury. In view of the luxury of this place, the people in the rear call Hengyang "Little Nanjing".

No one could have imagined that a huge blood-light disaster was approaching Hengyang, and this prosperous city was about to fall into blood and fire.

Fang Xianjue, the commander of the 10th Army, who had just been dismissed, was in his apartment in Huangchaling in the southern suburbs of the city, and he was in a good mood today, so he ordered his servants to prepare pen and ink. Fang Xianjue likes calligraphy and classical Chinese poetry, and when he is interested, he often writes some old style poems or practices calligraphy on the spot to entertain himself.

Fang Xianjue is the kind of tough man who is very attractive to women, he has a height of 1.80 meters, strong and burly, with a pair of slender eyes on his round face, his eyes are full of alertness and confidence, and his two slightly thick lips are often closed, showing a very unique coldness.

Fang Xianjue lit a cigarette and sat quietly on the chair, watching the maid study the ink.

Like most of the generals of the Central Army, Fang Xianjue is also a Huangpu student, and he graduated from the 3rd Infantry Department of the Huangpu Military Academy. Before the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Fang Xianjue's promotion speed was not fast, but he was a lieutenant colonel and deputy in Li Yutang's 3rd Division Supplementary Regiment, and he did not become the regiment commander until the Battle of Songhu. The outbreak of war provided Fang Xianjue with an opportunity to be promoted, and by October 1938, Fang Xianjue was already a major general and deputy commander of the 10th Division. If it weren't for the war, a person who had only been in the army for 12 years and was only 33 years old would not have been a general anyway.

Of course, it was not all smooth sailing after Fang Xianjue became a general, and there were misunderstandings and grievances, which only he knew. During the Second Battle of Changsha, Fang Xianjue, who was the commander of the Reserve 10th Division, was almost shot dead by Chiang Kai-shek. At that time, the reserve 10th Division was ordered to move from Zhuzhou to northern Hunan Province, and encountered the Japanese army on the way. At the post-war review meeting, Chiang Kai-shek made a killing move, wanting to attack Li Yutang, commander of the 10th Army, and Fang Xianjue, commander of the 10th Division. Fortunately, the friendly army sent a captured Japanese combat map, which indicated that the Japanese army engaged in the battle with the 10th Division had the strength of nearly four divisions, and Chiang Kai-shek turned his anger into joy: "Well, the 10th Division fought well, the enemy has nearly four divisions and regiments, even if it is an impregnable wall, it is difficult to stop the enemy's advance, and it can resist for a day, which is not bad." ”

This operational map came at the right time, just when Chairman Chiang was about to kill someone, so he saved the day. Chiang Kai-shek thought that it was reasonable that the 10th Division could not defeat the enemy's four divisions, so Fang Xianjue not only did not get killed, but also received verbal praise, which was luck. In fact, Fang Xianjue understood in his heart that not to mention that the enemy was four divisions and regiments, even half a division, and the 10th Division could not withstand it, and the disparity in the combat strength of the Chinese and Japanese armies was obvious.

After the Third Battle of Changsha, Fang Xianjue was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general of the 10th Army by virtue of his military exploits, and he was only 37 years old this year. Fang Xianjue was worthy of the two gold stars given by Chairman Chiang, and in the Battle of Changde in October 1943, the reputation of the 10th Army reached its peak.

In the Battle of Changde, the 10th Army was ordered to rush from Changsha to aid Changde, because it was located in the swampy area on the shore of Dongting Lake, and it was difficult for the troops to maneuver, Fang Xianjue ordered Sun Mingjin, the commander of the 10th Division, to seize the embankment on the south bank of the Zijiang River first. Sun Mingjin knew that the enemy was strong, and the bridgehead firepower network had been built on the opposite bank, at this time crossing the river was really a taboo for soldiers, but the military order was like a mountain, Sun Mingjin did not hesitate, resolutely crossed the river to attack, after five successive attacks failed, personally led the death squad to cross the river and charge, and finally captured the Japanese bridgehead, Sun Mingjin also rushed to the river embankment when he died heroically. After the 10th Division captured the river embankment, the battlefield situation changed, and then the 3rd Division of the 10th Army successfully occupied Deshan, and the remnants of Yu Chengwan's 57th Division broke out of the encirclement and made great contributions.

The 10th Army of this battle became famous and well-known, and Fang Xianjue naturally doubled his reputation, and was summoned several times by Chiang Kai-shek and sent a plaque with the inscription "Loyalty and Righteousness Table Heaven and Earth". Fang Xianjue became a "star" in Chongqing for a while. This also made the other descendants of the generals look envious. Chen Lifu, Zhang Qun, Kong Xiangxi, Li Jishen and other important members of the party-state invited Fang Xianjue to a banquet one after another, and Chen Cheng and He Yingqin both extended olive branches to Fang Xianjue, wanting to pull him into their own faction, and they also launched an open competition for this.

During that time, Fang Xianjue also became the hero idol of Chongqing's celebrities and ladies, and the salons in various circles were proud to invite Fang Xianjue. The tall and handsome Fang Xianjue also lived up to the word "hero" in his image, and the 38-year-old lieutenant general naturally became the dream lover of celebrities and noblewomen.

Fang Xianjue is not a saint, under the huge halo of honor, he can't help but be a little fluttering, and he really regards himself as an invincible "god of war", and his behavior gradually becomes arrogant, and finally it develops to the point that even Xue Yue, the commander of the Ninth Theater, can't look down on him, and the implementation of some orders is greatly reduced.

What kind of character is Xue Yue, and when did he receive such qi? In his eyes, Fang Xianjue was just a small character. In the early days of the Northern Expedition, when Xue Yue was the commander of the 1st Division, Fang Xianjue had just come out of the Whampoa Military Academy, and was punished for beating and embezzling a quartermaster, and he didn't even get a graduation certificate, and only became a second lieutenant trainee in the 3rd Division. It was in 1926, a major general and a midship-deed lieutenant, and the seniority of the two was not half a star. The army is like this, it's about qualifications, even if Fang Xianjue is not convinced, he is definitely not the opponent of the scheming Xue Yue.

Due to Fang Xianjue's huge reputation, of course Xue Yue couldn't give him small shoes to wear, and for this hero in the Nine War Zone, the apparent courtesy still had to be fulfilled. Xue Yue's method is very simple, how capable are you a Fang Xianjue? Isn't it because of the 10th Army that you have the stage for Fang Xianjue? If you lose the 10th Army, you won't be a fart yet. Xue Yue used the most traditional way to deal with Fang Xianjue: mixing sand with the 10th Army. He first sent his Guangdong countryman Rong Youluo to the 10th Army as chief of staff; After the commander of the 190th Division became vacant, he named Rong Youliu to take over as the commander of the 190th Division.

Rong Youluo is also a character, although he is one year younger than Fang Xianjue, he is a first-term student of Whampoa and a senior alumnus of Fang Xianjue. Rong Youluo graduated and mixed well in the military circles, and at the age of 27, he was awarded the rank of major general of the army, and was known as the "young general" among the first phase of Huangpu classmates. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Rong Youliu was transferred to the Army University as the captain of the cadet of the general officer class. After 1940, he served as a member of the Military Commission and the captain of the Ninth Theater Cadre Training Regiment. Because he did not lead troops to fight, it would inevitably affect the promotion of his position, and now the first phase of Huangpu has become a subordinate of Fang Xianjue, a third phase of Huangpu.

Fang Xianjue was very aware of Xue Yue's small movements. The so-called reassignment means that all the existing personnel of the division will be allocated to the 3rd Division and the 10th Reserve Division, and only officers and professional and technical personnel at all levels above the squad leader level will be retained. Fang Xianjue this move was very effective, and Rong Youluo suddenly became the commander of the light pole, and his position was the division commander, but there were no soldiers under him, and the whole thing was hollowed out.

After Rong Youluo was slightly elevated, Fang Xianjue simply divided five by two, and removed some of the school officers who Xue Yue had placed in the 10th Army, and squeezed them out, and the 10th Army became a monolith in a blink of an eye.

In this way, Xue Yue was really angry, it seemed that he had lost his eyes, he had really underestimated this junior before, this Fang Xianjue was spoiled by those big men in Chongqing, and he actually dared to argue with the commander of the theater, is this worth it? If you don't clean him up, the Ninth War Zone will be unable to manage it in the future.

After all, Xue Yue is a heavyweight in military circles, and he has the privilege of meeting Chiang Kai-shek at any time, and Chiang Kai-shek cannot ignore Xue Yue's words. He believed that Fang Xianjue was confident that he had military merits, and no one would take it seriously, and no one in the Ninth War Zone could command him. In addition, Fang Xianjue also had problems such as deducting military salaries, abusing soldiers, mutilating the people, appointing private individuals, and harboring different aspirations. Chiang Kai-shek, of course, is a person who understands, Xue Yue's reflection, he will not believe it all, the discord between the generals is a common thing in the ranks of the national army, both sides out of personal grudges, will spare no effort to slander each other, and as the leader of Chiang Kai-shek is a master of balance, he always believes that it is a good thing that there are contradictions between subordinates, if there is no contradiction, subordinates praise each other, then there will be chaos. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek was not averse to those who made small reports, and he had the ability to resolve these contradictions.

Chiang Kai-shek believed that this was the time to employ personnel, and that a theater commander was of course more important than an army commander, and besides, Xue Yue, the commander of the theater, was still a first-class general who had repeatedly made military exploits and was able to take charge of his own affairs.

So one day, Fang Xianjue received an order from the Military Commission: Fang Xianjue was dismissed from the post of commander of the 10th Army, transferred to the senior staff of the Military Commission, and Fang Riying took over as the commander of the 10th Army.

Fang Xianjue was so angry that he trembled.

This Fang Riying is also Xue Yue's Guangdong hometown, born in Huangpu, served as Sun Yat-sen's guard, and in June 1922, when Chen Jiongming rebelled, Fang Riying and Xue Yue participated in the battle to defend the presidential palace. Now Fang Riying is serving as a senior senator with a position but no power in the Sixth War Zone, Xue Yue has long wanted to pull this fellow countryman, but now that he has a vacant seat, of course he will not let it go. It seems that Xue Yue's methods of eliminating dissidents and installing cronies are almost blatant.

Fang Xianjue was angry, but he was helpless. He knew that this was what Chiang Kai-shek meant, that is, no matter how dissatisfied he was, he couldn't scold his principal, right? The senior senator of the Military Commission is a vacant position, and it doesn't matter whether he goes to Chongqing to take office at this time, it is better to rest at his own home in Hengyang for a while. Fang Xianjue silently went through the handover procedures and returned home, closing the door.

At this time, the ink had been studied, Fang Xianjue opened the line-bound version of "Guwen Guan Zhi", found the article "Former Teacher's Table", and was about to write a paragraph to vent the depression in his chest.

Then the servant came into the room and said, "Sir, there is a person outside asking to see you." ”

Fang Xianjue didn't raise his head, and said casually: "No!" Said that I was recuperating and refused all visits. ”

"Sir, I told the guest like this, but the guest insisted on seeing him, and he said that his name was Cai Jigang, and he was a war supervisor sent by the Military Commission."

Fang Xianjue's hand holding the pen stopped: "Cai Jigang? I've heard of this man......"

Fang Xianjue thought about it, and finally remembered. Last year, he went to Chongqing to report on his work, and met his old friend, Lu Gongliang, commander of the newly formed 29th Division, who was also reporting on his work at the Military Commission at that time. The two haven't seen each other for a long time, they are very affectionate, after the debriefing, Fang Xianjue and Lu Gongliang found a restaurant to drink, both of them drank too much that night, what they talked about, Fang Xianjue can't remember, I only remember that Lu Gongliang mentioned Cai Jigang many times, saying that this person is a very strategic officer, and he is also a buried handsome talent. Fang Xianjue understands Lu Gongliang, he is a high-minded and arrogant person, and the person who can make Lu Gongliang admire must not be simple.

Thinking of this, Fang Xianjue changed his mind: "Please ask this Mr. Cai to wait in the living room, I will be there immediately!" ”

Fang Xianjue changed into a Hangzhou silk robe worn by the guests and walked into the living room.

Cai Jigang, who was sitting on a rattan chair waiting, immediately stood up and saluted Fang Xianjue: "Hello Commander Fang, I am Cai Jigang, the supervisor of the Military Commission, bother." ”

Fang Xianjue shook hands with Cai Jigang, and also greeted: "Commander Cai, I have heard Brother Gongliang introduce you a long time ago, I have heard of the name for a long time, please take a seat." ”

As soon as Lu Gongliang was mentioned, Cai Jigang immediately became sad: "Before Brother Gongliang was martyred, my brother and I were always by his side, and when we broke through, we were divided into two ways, but I didn't expect this breakup to become a ...... forever."

Fang Xianjue said in a low voice: "I heard that Brother Gongliang was martyred, and I am also very sad, I wrote a letter to my sister-in-law." ”

Cai Jigang exchanged a few words of greeting, and immediately turned to the topic: "Commander Fang, I came to discuss the defense of Hengyang with you. I know, you just got removed from the Military Commission, but ......"

Fang Xianjue interrupted him: "I'm sorry, Commander Cai, the current supreme commander of the Hengyang garrison is not me, it is Lieutenant General Fang Riying, you should go to him to talk." ”

Cai Jigang shrugged his shoulders and said: "I know this, but Fang Riying has not yet arrived, as far as I know, he is still in Shi'en's Sixth War Zone Commander's Department has not had time to move, and the enemy is already approaching Hengyang, in this case, how can the 10th Army not have a commander?" ”

Fang Xianjue was unmoved, he insisted on his principles: "I have received the dismissal order given to me by the Military Commission, as a soldier, I resolutely carry out the order, unless the Military Commission changes the order, otherwise, I have no right to command the 10th Army." ”

Cai Jigang sighed and said, "Then I have to wait, the order will be changed from above." ”

Fang Xianjue smiled slightly: "Are you so sure? Why? ”

"The commander hasn't arrived yet, the big war is about to break out, whether it's the Military Commission, or the Ninth Theater Commander's Department, except for changing the order, you will continue to be the commander of the 10th Army, I can't imagine what else they can do?" Cai Jigang said with certainty.

Fang Xianjue was about to speak, when the phone rang rapidly.

Fang Xianjue picked up the phone, and Xue Yue's anxious voice came from inside: "Commander Fang?" I'm Xue Yue. ”

Fang Xianjue replied calmly: "Report to the commander, I am not the commander of the Fang army, I am Fang Xianjue." ”

Xue Yue's voice was so loud that Cai Jigang, who was sitting opposite, could hear it.

"Zishan, according to reliable information, the 68th Division and the 116th Division of the Japanese Army on standby in Zhuzhou are ready for battle and may attack Hengyang at any time, and now Fang Riying has not yet arrived, and the 10th Army is in a state of no one in command, I order you to temporarily act as the commander of the 10th Army and command the troops to make defensive preparations."

Fang Xianjue replied without humility or arrogance: "I'm sorry, Chief Xue, Fang Xianjue has already received an appointment from the Military Commission, and now the establishment of the inferior post no longer belongs to the Ninth Theater of Control, therefore, the commander of the Ninth Theater has no right to give Fang Xianjue an order, if there is a change in my position appointment, the Military Commission should show me a written order." ”

Xue Yue was anxious: "Zishan, the situation is urgent now, don't be rash, if you have any opinions, we can talk after the war, now the military situation is urgent, personal grievances must be put aside first......"

"Report to Chief Xue, I have no personal grudges, my current position is a senior senator of the Military Commission, of course, I have to obey the orders of the Military Commission, please contact Chief Xue with the Military Commission, and the Military Commission will give me orders, otherwise I will refuse to accept any verbal notice!"

Xue Yue slammed the phone in anger.

Fang Xianjue smiled and hung up the phone: "Hmph, come as soon as you want to recruit, linger away, my Xianjue is not that kind of wreck, Chief Xue, you knew this, why bother in the first place?" ”

Cai Jigang shook his head helplessly: "Commander Fang, you are indeed a little arrogant, the big war is imminent, every minute of ours is precious, why fight for the length of the moment?" ”

Fang Xianjue felt that Cai Jigang's words were a little harsh, so he said sharply: "This is not a matter of fighting for a long time, this is a matter of principle, and our Xianjue has never compromised on the issue of principle." ”

Cai Jigang did not show weakness, he said-for-tat: "What is a matter of principle? At present, the needs of war are the most important principle. Zhuzhou is only more than 130 kilometers here, the enemy's two divisions can attack Hengyang at any time, at present Hengyang only has the 10th Army, which is not a full force, the current fortification construction, food and ammunition reserves, the enemy defense plan, the evacuation of civilians and personnel, etc., the pre-war preparations are complicated, how can we still have time to fight? ”

Fang Xianjue looked at a three-dimensional star on Cai Jigang's collar badge and said angrily: "Cai Jigang, talk to me politely, I remind you to pay attention to my military rank, don't you, a major general, understand the army regulations?" ”

Cai Jigang slapped his palm on the table, the teacups on the table jumped up, and he said angrily: "I don't need you to remind me, I know you are a lieutenant general, so what?" Although my military rank is not as high as yours, I am here to supervise the war on behalf of the Military Commission, and I have the right to express my views and exercise my duties! ”

Both of them are arrogant people, and neither of them takes the other in their eyes. Fang Xianjue believes that all people with lower military ranks than themselves should be respectful to themselves; And Cai Jigang didn't take a lieutenant general in his eyes at all, he privately thought that most of the generals of the national army were corpse vegetarians, often the higher the rank, the more straw bags, and the battle was defeated.

Fang Xianjue suppressed the fire, narrowed his eyes and looked at Cai Jigang carefully. Since he became famous in the first battle, he has never seen anyone who dares to be so unkind to himself, and this major general is not small. He remembered it, he had heard Lu Gongliang say before, this Cai Jigang is a student studying in the US military academy, it's really fucking weird, what's the big deal about going to the US military academy? Fang Xianjue hadn't figured out how to clean up this guy who didn't understand the rules for a while.

Fang Xianjue and Cai Jigang looked at each other, and neither of them refused to flinch.

The phone rang again. Fang Xianjue picked up the phone and was about to ask a question, when his familiar Zhejiang accent sounded on the phone: "Zishan?" ”

Fang Xianjue was shocked, stood up suddenly, and became a standing posture: "Principal, hello!" ”

It must be that Xue Yue has just complained, Chiang Kai-shek seems to be very angry, and he scolded on the phone: "Fang Xianjue, what are you?" I didn't expect you to be deeply cultivated by the party-state, and you would be so mediocre when it came to the end. The enemy is approaching Hengyang, and you are still angry with the commander of the war zone, abandoning the national righteousness, what kind of system has it become? Are you still not a student of my Whampoa Military Academy? ”

Fang Xianjue wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and replied in a low voice: "The student is confused for a while, the principal ...... Scolding well, like initiation, makes students ashamed and embarrassed, and has no place to be ashamed. Please rest assured that the students will be diligent, actively deploy, stick to Hengyang, carry forward the glorious tradition of the 10th Army, and resolutely resist the invading enemy! ”

Chiang Kai-shek's tone softened slightly: "Zishan, this battle is related to the survival of the country and the nation, and the gains and losses of Hengyang are especially the key to this victory or defeat, I hope you can hold on for 7 to 10 days with peace of mind, and I will urge the army and air force to help my brother complete the unprecedented cause, remember, 7 to 10 days!" ”

"Yes!" Fang Xianjue replied with sincere fear.

This is precisely the characteristic of Chiang Kai-shek's conduct in the world, he always treats his subordinates as brothers, showing his humble belly, and his subordinates are often so moved when they hear that the chairman of the committee calls him "younger brother" that they can't help but feel sorry for the chairman. To play politics in China, you have to create some personality cult, which is the art of leadership. Of course, this is only a one-sided title, if the subordinates take the initiative to call the chairman brothers, it will be too ignorant, and it will not be far from bad luck.

Fang Xianjue's mood immediately relaxed, and all the grievances and grievances in the past few days disappeared. The principal personally called himself, and the face was enough, although he received a few words of scolding, but Fang Xianjue understood it this way, this is clearly because the principal did not treat himself as an outsider, and it is of course natural for the teacher to scold the students, Fang Xianjue has been waiting for the principal's words since he was dismissed, since the principal has helped him get back face, it is not wise to be the shopkeeper again. The 10th Army was owned by Fang Xianjue, and others could not take this army, so Fang Xianjue decided to go to the military headquarters immediately to take up his post.

Thinking of this, Fang Xianjue glanced at Cai Jigang, and Cai Jigang was also looking at him with scrutinizing eyes. Looking at each other, Fang Xianjue smiled tolerantly, and he stretched out his hand conciliatorily: "Officer Cai, I'm sorry, I was in a bad mood just now and got angry, don't be angry with me." ”

Cai Jigang also smiled, he held Fang Xianjue's hand and said: "Commander Fang, I don't have a good temper, I won't mention this matter in the future, this time we have to work together in Hengyang, who lives and who dies I don't know, what is the quarrel?" I am Yunhe, you will call me Yunhe in the future. ”

Fang Xianjue laughed out loud: "Brother Yunhe, my name is Zishan, you can call me Zishan." To tell you the truth, my temper is much better now, and if anyone provoked me before, I never quarreled, and I would fight with my shot. At that time in Huangpu, there was a quartermaster who deducted the student's food expenses, and a few of my classmates and I were about to beat him, and I was still a month away from getting my graduation certificate......

"But you still beat it, and in the end you really lost your graduation certificate." Cai Jigang said with a smile.

"That's right, I beat up that kid with a few classmates, and finally the punishment decision came down, I was the leader, the punishment was the heaviest, and I was expelled from school, and the rest of the students were retained and placed on probation. Later, I was recommended by my classmates to become a second lieutenant trainee officer in the 9th Regiment of the 3rd Division, the regiment commander at that time was Wei Lihuang, and I worked until the end of the probationary period before becoming a lieutenant platoon commander, and at this time most of my classmates became captains and company commanders. You see, a bad temper is a delay in the future. ”

Cai Jigang stood up: "Brother Zishan, time is pressing, let's go to the front line and have a look." ”

Fang Xianjue changed into a military uniform with the help of the servants: "Don't worry, nothing can be wrong, although I was dismissed, but our 10th Army is not idle, my chief of staff Sun Mingyu has been commanding the troops to build fortifications, this is a big deal, sloppy, without strong fortifications, guarding Hengyang is an empty word." ”

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Fang Xianjue and Cai Jigang rushed to the military headquarters of the 10th Army located at the Central Bank of Hengyang City. Cai Jigang observed the building of the central bank and felt that this place was well chosen, and he had an experience that no matter how dilapidated the city was, the bank building must be the strongest in the city.

A staff officer on duty was looking at the map, he suddenly looked up and found Fang Xianjue, and immediately stood up and saluted with a look of surprise, and then shouted to each room: "Come out, the old army commander is back!" ”

Sun Mingyu, chief of staff of the army, and Ge Xiancai, commander of the 10th Pre-division, bumped out head-on, and the three hugged each other tightly. Sun Mingyu's eyes flashed with tears and said, "Commander, you have been wronged!" Subsequently, Zhou Qingxiang, commander of the 3rd Division, and Rong Youluo, commander of the 190th Division, also came up to shake hands with Fang Xianjue warmly.

The news of Fang Xianjue's heavy appointment as commander of the 10th Army spread quickly, and the command posts of all divisions and regiments, barracks, field hospitals, and troops building fortifications on the outskirts of Hengyang City were all boiling, and in the bunkers, bunkers, and trenches on the positions, bursts of cheers were heard everywhere: "The old army commander is back!" ”

Cai Jigang coldly watched Fang Xianjue and his subordinates talking affectionately, and felt very relieved in his heart. After all, the 10th Army is a battle-hardened and meritorious unit, and it can be seen that Fang Xianjue enjoys extremely high prestige in the 10th Army, and his subordinates have a kind of almost adoring support for this commander. This is also Fang Xianjue's personal charm, it is he who led the 10th Army to create glory in previous battles, Fang Xianjue has reason and qualifications to be proud.

The empathetic Fang Xianjue would not let Cai Jigang feel cold, and after a few words of greeting with his subordinates, he immediately introduced Cai Jigang to them: "Everyone, let me introduce you, this is Major General Cai Jigang, the military commissioner's supervisor, Cai Jigang's name, the contemptible person has long been like thunder, everyone knows, this Hengyang defense battle, everyone must work together in the same boat, treat each other with all sincerity, and jointly complete the glorious task assigned to our 10th Army." ”

Cai Jigang shook hands with Sun Mingyu, chief of staff of the army, Ge Xiancai, commander of the 10th Pre-10th Division, Zhou Qingxiang, commander of the 3rd Division, and Rong Youluo, commander of the 190th Division.

When Rong Youluo shook hands with Cai Jigang, he deliberately tried to hold his hand, Cai Jigang fought against each other as if nothing happened, and the two held each other for a while, and no one took advantage.

Rong You said a little affectionately: "Brother Yunhe, our brothers have met again, you are a messenger sent by the Military Commission, holding the sword of Shang Fang, for our 10th Army, you are our Lord of the Stove, Brother Yunhe's role is to say good things in the heavens, and keep peace in the lower realm." Isn't that right, brethren? ”

The crowd laughed.

Cai Jigang smiled and arched his hand to everyone: "Brother Jianxiong is making me happy, let everyone laugh, Cai is not a Qincha, and he doesn't dare to be a war officer, brother, I only dare to pat my chest, that is, if necessary, I Cai Jigang can pick up a gun and go to the position to fight, and I will not embarrass the 10th Army." ”

Chief of Staff Sun Mingyu was very moved: "Warlord, your words are enough, I can guarantee that when you pick up the gun, our 10th Army will definitely be gone." ”

Fang Xianjue, who was on the side, widened: "Shot?" What are these words? The 10th Army will never be gone! ”

Cai Jigang felt that the greetings were almost over, so he reminded Fang Xianjue: "Commander Fang, you should have a battle plan, right?" Now that the commanders of each division are there, can we make it clear? ”

Fang Xianjue looked at his watch and said, "Okay, now let's have a military deployment meeting, and before the meeting, Major General Cai Jigang, the commander of the Military Commission, will convey the orders of the Military Commission to everyone." ”

Cai Jigang stood up and read out the order of the Military Commission:

"The 10th Army of the National Revolutionary Army held Hengyang for 7 to 10 days, as the strategic core of this battle, to attract and drag the enemy around the Hengyang Basin, and after the peripheral armies were assembled in place, they would carry out counter-encirclement of the enemy, combine internal and external, work together to break the enemy's encirclement, and gather and annihilate the enemy on the outskirts of Hengyang. This order, the Military Command Department of the ** Military Commission of the Republic of China. ”

After reading out the order of the Military Commission, Fang Xianjue asked Chief of Staff Sun Mingyu to announce the deployment arrangements of the military headquarters. Cai Jigang secretly thought that this Fang Xianjue was really not simple, after being dismissed, he was ostensibly at home, chanting poetry and painting all day long, but in fact he had always maintained close contact with the military department, from formulating the battle plan, to the deployment arrangements of various troops, and the construction of fortifications, they were all in full swing, and there was no delay for a day. Cai Jigang secretly regretted that he was not calm, Fang Xianjue was really a natural military commander, everything seemed confident, and he was angry with his boss, and he had actually arranged the pre-war preparations in an orderly manner.

Sun Mingyu explained the deployment arrangements to the commanders of the divisions: "The 190th Division is responsible for the garrison task on the east bank of the Xiangjiang River and the task of holding on to the east and north of Hengyang Airport; The main force of the 3rd Division was deployed along the line of Caoqiao, Shiguzui, and Waziping; The main force of the 10th Pre-Division held the line of Huangchaling, Tiger-shaped Nest, Zhangjiashan, and Wuguiling; The artillery units affiliated to the army built artillery positions in Yanfeng Temple, County **, Steaming Yang Road, Jixiang Street and other places...... The situation is basically the same, and you can ask any questions now. ”

Cai Jigang asked: "Chief of Staff Sun, the 10th Army is famous throughout the country for fighting defensive battles, I want to know what are the characteristics of the construction of field fortifications on the outskirts of the city?" ”

Sun Mingyu replied with a slight smile: "If you look at it from a high altitude along the position, it is not a smooth curve, but a large-scale broken line, very much like an enlarged zigzag. ”

"Why are you digging so much? Isn't that more labor-intensive? Cai Jigang continued to ask.

"It does take a lot of manpower, but the advantage is doubled, we set all the light and heavy machine gun fire points on the zigzag protrusions, when the enemy's skirmish line rushes to the zigzag depression, our machine gun fire can all be sideways, forming a tightly intersecting fire network."

"Oh, if I'm not mistaken, the façade of your fortifications is somewhat like a medieval European baston [1]

, using deliberately designed fortifications and terrain to direct the enemy to the most suitable position for the defenders to use their firepower. ”

"Indeed, we have cut all the fronts of all positions facing the enemy into cliffs of two to three meters that cannot be climbed with bare hands, and set up throwing trenches behind them, the width of which must ensure that they can be thrown freely from far and near; Dig a 1.5-meter-deep traffic trench on the position, connect the whole position, according to the terrain and firepower needs, dig a 1.5-meter-deep number of foxholes behind the traffic trench and connect with the traffic trench, the soldier can stand up and pitch **, sit down to rest comfortably, and the pit mouth is covered with a tarpaulin or tree branches to shelter from the sun and rain......"

"I understand," Cai Jigang said excitedly, "...... enemy rushed to the broken wall, and could only climb by short ladder or human ladder, delaying the speed of impact." At this time, the crossfire of the protrusions on both sides will shoot a large number of enemies, and the enemy's retreat will also be blocked by crossfire, and the enemy who cannot advance or retreat will be eliminated by the 'barrage attack' composed of our army's hands**, wonderful, it is really an absolutely exquisite tactic! ”

Sun Mingyu glanced at Fang Xianjue and said, "This is the tactic that our army commander Fang summed up in the last two battles to defend Changsha. ”

Fang Xianjue added: "Our communication trenches also have a special feature, with heavy bunkers every 30 meters, covered with huge timber and thickened soil, so that when the enemy's artillery fire covers the position, all combatants can enter the bunker to take refuge. In addition, our experience in the field shows that all points of fire are the focus of incurring enemy fire attacks, and the survival of light and heavy machine gun shooters is of paramount importance. Our firing points were all built into heavy bunkers, and it was absolutely forbidden to have firing holes directly in front of us, so as to avoid direct fire from enemy artillery; When direct frontal fire is required, the light machine gun shooter temporarily moves to supplement the firing position. ”

Cai Jigang asked: "Why don't you use cement materials to build bunkers?" ”

Sun Mingyu replied: "In our experience, it is best not to use cement, first, the curing time is long, and it is too late to cure; Second, it is not easy to repair if it is blown up, unlike the collapse of the civil bunker, the wood is pulled out and then covered with the soil layer to repair, which is fast and labor-saving. ”

Cai Jigang sincerely complimented: "There is nothing more valuable than actual combat experience, and the 10th Army really deserves its name!" ”

Fang Xianjue pointed to a ** thing composition and said: "We will dig a curved ruler-shaped individual bunker for the officers and soldiers of the reserve at the foot of the hill behind the position, so that they can resist the killing and wounding of the enemy's long-range artillery fire." Our principle on the battlefield is that preserving ourselves is as important as destroying the enemy, and there is no question of who is more important than the other. ”

Fang Xianjue paused, turned to the officers and continued: "Regarding the materials needed to build fortifications, such as giant timber, two-claw nails, etc., the military department has contacted the local ** and the local chamber of commerce. As for the two-claw iron nails, the Chamber of Commerce has mobilized the city's blacksmith shops to build them overnight, and all the costs are borne by the Chamber of Commerce. Ladies and gentlemen, the construction of fortifications and the excavation of anti-tank trenches are huge, and now the weather is hot, and the officers and men are working very hard. Our officers at all levels must repeatedly explain to every soldier that we should not be afraid of hardship and heat, that if we sweat more now, we will be able to shed less blood in wartime, and that we must not be sloppy in the solidity of the fortifications, and to fool the fortifications is to fool ourselves. ”

After Fang Xianjue explained the matter to the officers, he got in the car and went to the city ** for talks. Several division commanders also dispersed, and each returned to the unit to convey the mission.

Sun Mingyu stopped Cai Jigang: "Supervisor, in front of the army commander just now, I was embarrassed to ask you, what are the shortcomings of our 10th Army's deployment?" ”

Cai Jigang replied politely: "The design of the fortifications of the 10th Army is very distinctive, and it has opened my eyes, so what are the shortcomings?" ”

Sun Mingyu disagreed: "You have received a Western military education and are well-informed, what kind of troops and what kind of fighting style have you never seen?" Unlike those of us, who are all local buns from Huangpu, your brother must not be polite, it doesn't hurt to speak out. ”

Cai Jigang saw Sun Mingyu's sincere and expectant expression, so he said bluntly: "Chief of Staff Sun, you are fighting a defensive battle in the city, and it stands to reason that you should keep the enemy out of the city, and it is of course best if the enemy can't attack it, but once the enemy enters the city, it will inevitably have to engage in street fighting." When I was walking through the city just now, I saw that there were no fortifications or fire support points for street fighting in the streets, alleys, and corners of walls. I believe that if it is difficult to build fortifications using the terrain of the city, we can also settle for the next best thing, build fortifications at all levels of headquarters, arsenals, artillery positions, and other places of military value, and deploy our troops and firepower in a focused manner. ”

Sun Mingyu looked at the map of the city and pondered: "Warlord, do you think there will definitely be street fighting?" ”

Cai Jigang nodded and said affirmatively: "The enemy's firepower is too strong, it is difficult for us to hold them back for a long time on the outer positions, and in the final stage, we can only engage in street battles and fight for trapped beasts." Chief of Staff Sun, I think street fighting will definitely happen, and we must prepare for it as soon as possible. ”

Sun Mingyu couldn't stop nodding: "Well said, we did ignore this point, I will start preparing immediately." ”

Cai Jigang simply spit out: "Urban street warfare has its characteristics, although it is limited by the terrain and it is not convenient to exert firepower, but we must insist on giving priority to firepower, firepower first and then troops, and if firepower can be used, then do not use troops." In places where the enemy must pass through where it is inconvenient to control firepower, explosive obstacles such as ** and non-explosive obstacles should be set up, the purpose of which is to force the enemy to move on foot and delay the enemy's attack speed. Then our army took advantage of the favorable conditions of being familiar with the terrain to occupy the doors and windows of houses, the roofs and the ground, and used the sniper tactics of cold guns and cold artillery to block the enemy's advance. In a word, it is necessary to use a combination of various means to kill and injure a large number of the enemy's living forces. The more hour we persist in street fighting, the better our chances of victory, and perhaps the situation on the battlefield will be greatly improved by then. ”

Sun Mingyu said gratefully: "Now that the evacuation of the citizens in the city has not been completed, it is indeed difficult to build the fortifications of the streets. When the evacuation is over, I will remind the commander to do the remedial work, thank you for the advice of the Warlord. ”

"Chief of Staff Sun, how many troops do you have defending the city? I care about this issue very much. Cai Jigang asked.

Sun Mingyu replied with some hesitation: "It's hard to explain, our army was nominally reorganized after the Battle of Changde, but in fact there was no reorganization, there was a serious shortage of soldiers, there were only seven regiments in the whole army, the temporary 54th Division was a Cantonese unit, and the army commander was forced to stay behind to guard the airport, in fact, the temporary 54th Division had only one battalion in the city, and it could not be counted on at all." I carefully calculated the strength of the troops yesterday, and the situation is not optimistic, and the total strength of the Hengyang defenders is only more than 17,500 people. ”

Cai Jigang's heart sank suddenly, he didn't expect that the 10th Army, which was the main force, was less than 20,000 people, and the enemy's first attack force was the two fully equipped divisions. Cai Jigang knew that before the start of the Japanese army's No. 1 operation, the Japanese base camp had upgraded the B and C divisions that had been in the Chinese theater to the A division, and the combat strength of a fully manned A division plus special operations units reached 32,000 people.

Cai Jigang looked up to the sky and sighed: "Oops, it's just too bad, our army has such a small number of troops, and the defensive circle has been pushed so far, this time the strength is even weaker." ”

"Who's to say it isn't? It's this bit of rice, and to make such a big pot of rice, the rice has to be made a little thinner. Sun Mingyu said helplessly.

[1]

The fortress is a kind of ancient European fortress, its essence is to change the fortress from a convex polygon to a concave polygon, such an improvement, so that no matter what point of attacking the castle, the attacking side will be exposed to more than one (usually 2~3) bastion surface, and the defender can use crossfire to carry out multiple strikes.