Devil's Army

Chapter 1999: The Attack on Japanese-Occupied Hunan Begins

这时候，政府军第74军（王耀武） 第57师（余程万）进驻常德城区，第51、58师部署桃源、慈利，构成外围机动防线；第6战区急调第10、26集团军向沅水西岸靠拢。

日军第116师团（岩永汪）为主攻，协同第3师团一部围攻常德，并于12月3日攻占常德城；第13师团在慈利阻击国军援军。

The government army's 57th Division fought in urban warfare until they ran out of ammunition and food, and the remaining troops broke through the encirclement.

The 9th War Zone (Xue Yue) was ordered to dispatch the Ou Zhen Corps (including the 10th and 58th Armies) to reinforce Changde and advance towards its outskirts.

As government reinforcements approached and the Japanese army ran out of supplies, Yokoyama Isamu ordered a retreat, and the Japanese troops retreated northward in batches from Changde, Shimen, Lixian and other places.

Ou Zhen's 10th Army (Fang Xianjue) recaptured the outskirts of Changde, and the main force of the 74th Army followed up in pursuit; the 29th Army Group recaptured Lixian and Jinshi, and the remnants of the 73rd Army cooperated to recapture Shimen.

All Japanese troops withdrew to their original defense zones in Yueyang and Huarong in northern Hunan, abandoning all occupied territories along the Lishui River, including Changde.

The battle returned to the state it was in before the Battle of Changde began.

Meanwhile, the First Army Group heading south and the Southern Independent Division of the First Army Group had already begun a full-scale offensive against Hubei.

Commander Yokoyama Isamu had no time to attend to Changde, Hunan.

After nearly a month of fierce fighting, the Japanese 11th Army stationed in Hubei was defeated. The remaining troops, under the leadership of Commander Yokoyama Isamu, retreated to Hunan.

At this moment, what Commander Yokoyama Isamu had been worried about finally came true.

The First Army Group and the Southern Independent Division of the First Army began preparations to march south and attack Hunan.

General Xue's Ninth War Zone also began planning to move north to attack the Japanese forces in Yueyang, Linxiang, Huarong and other places.

On this day, a chief of staff from General Xue's Ninth War Zone, along with two liaison officers, broke through the Japanese blockade and arrived in Jianli County.

He handed over the code for the telegrams to Commander Xue of the Ninth War Zone to the brigade commander. He also held preliminary talks with the brigade commander to understand the timeline for the First Army's preparations to attack Hunan.

Both sides initially set the timeframe for the attack as New Year's Day of 44.

With only a week left until New Year's Day, General Xue immediately began preparations for heading north.

The brigade commander also began preparations for heading south.

On the morning of New Year's Day, 1944, the First Army's Bailuo Airport Air Force began bombing Japanese fortifications and strongholds in Yueyang, Linxiang, Huarong and other places in Hunan.

Commander Yokoyama Isamu assembled troops to strengthen the defenses of the area bordering Hubei.

At this time, Japanese scouts also brought news that the government forces in the Ninth War Zone around Changsha were also frequently mobilizing and advancing towards their defense zone.

(Historically, the Japanese army concentrated over 200,000 troops and launched the Fourth Battle of Changsha in May 1944. The Chinese army was defeated. This time, due to the strong intervention of the First Anti-Japanese Army, the Japanese army was unable to organize the Fourth Battle of Changsha.)

Commander Yokoyama Isamu concentrated the 11th Army, most of its tanks and air force, preparing to crush General Xue's Ninth War Zone in one fell swoop, and then concentrate his forces to deal with the devilish troops advancing south.

However, the plan was perfect, but reality was far from ideal.

At this time, the air force of the First Army stationed in Hubei had fully entered Hunan and carried out air suppression against the Japanese army.

Initially, the Japanese army, under the fierce attack of tanks and air force, halted General Xue's offensive in the Ninth War Zone.

General Xue also sent a telegram to the First Army requesting assistance.