Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Deputy Regiment Commander Yang Jianqiu led a battalion of more than 500 officers and soldiers into Huangshi Town in the dark and engaged in fierce close combat with the Japanese 13th Division troops in Huangshi Town. Other troops of the 58th Division outside Huangshi Town also took the opportunity to launch a comprehensive night attack.

However, after a night of fighting between the 58th Division and the defensive forces of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army, although the defensive forces of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army were in constant crisis, Huangshi Town was still in the hands of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army.

Based on the fighting in the past few days, Commander Wang of the 74th Army judged that although the combat effectiveness of the Japanese 13th Division had been weakened to a certain extent in the previous battles, it was still possible to hold its positions. The 74th Army lacked heavy weapons. If it launched an attack step by step, it would be difficult to make a major breakthrough on the western front in more than two weeks, and it would be impossible to advance to the vicinity of Changde City.

By the early morning of November 28, the attacking forces of the Japanese 11th Army had been attacking the walls of Changde for two days. The 57th Division in Changde City was only holding on by a wall. In this extremely critical situation, Commander Wang of the 74th Army was so anxious that he could not sit still and wished he could fly to Changde as soon as possible.

After repeated analysis of the battles in the past few days, Commander Wang of the 74th Army judged that the defensive forces of the Japanese 13th Division in front of the 19th Division of the 100th Army were the weakest. Therefore, Commander Wang of the 74th Army decided to ignore the Japanese troops in other directions and concentrate his main forces to attack the defensive forces of the Japanese 13th Division in front of the 19th Division.

Starting from the daytime of November 28, Commander Wang of the 74th Army ordered the 51st and 58th Divisions to launch diversionary attacks on the Japanese 13th Division troops in front of their respective fronts, in order to fully cover the attack of the 19th Division of the 100th Army.

Since the defensive forces of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army in front of the 19th Division also had at least a battalion of more than a thousand people, they still had considerable defensive capabilities. I am afraid that haste makes waste. Therefore, Commander Wang of the 74th Army ordered the 19th Division to organize several small units based on companies, and try their best to squeeze through the gap between the defensive forces of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army in front of them, and charge towards Changde City at high speed without worrying about the threat of Japanese troops on the flanks and rear.

The fierce fighting lasted until November 29th, when the 58th Division of the 74th Army finally defeated the troops of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army and occupied Huangshi Town. However, Deputy Commander Yang Jianqiu died heroically in the attack. At the same time, the 51st Division of the 74th Army also occupied Wufeng Mountain, the 19th Division of the 100th Army attacked Hujia Bay, and the 63rd Division of the 100th Army launched a fierce attack on Taoyuan, an important town in the south.

Although all the officers and soldiers of the 74th Army and the 100th Army have tried their best, the troops of these two armies are still more than 20 kilometers away from Changde City. However, the attacking forces of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army had already rushed into Changde City that day. The remaining officers and soldiers of the 57th Division had launched a fierce street fighting with the attacking forces of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army. Commander Wang of the 74th Army predicted that the 57th Division could hold out in Changde City for one to two days at most.

The anxious 74th Army Commander Wang adjusted the deployment again on the night of November 29, ordering the 51st and 58th Divisions to attack to the north and south respectively to ensure the flank safety of the 19th Division of the 100th Army and cover the 19th Division's full advance towards Changde City.

At the same time, Commander Wang of the 74th Army ordered the 51st, 58th and 19th Divisions to organize several troops to take advantage of the gaps and try their best to bypass the defense line of the Japanese 11th Army and rush towards Changde City. Even if only one troop could get close to Changde City, it would relieve some of the pressure on the officers and soldiers of the 57th Division who were defending Changde City.

After receiving the order, the 19th Division of the 100th Army also attacked Zoushi Town, the last stronghold on the defense line of the Japanese 11th Army outside Changde City, with all its might. As long as they could occupy Zoushi Town, the Chinese army could immediately rush into the suburbs of Changde, occupy the Hebo Mountain Heights, and rescue the 57th Division in Changde City.

At this time, Lieutenant General Akashi Osamu, commander of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army, also knew that the Battle of Changde had reached its final moment. His 13th Division had to withstand the fierce attack of the Chinese Army at all costs. If the Chinese Army was allowed to attack the suburbs of Changde City, it would break the attack deployment of the 20,000 offensive forces of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army in Changde City, which would have a devastating impact on the Changde Battle of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army.

Therefore, Lieutenant General Akashi Osamu, commander of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army, immediately mobilized all the troops of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army and launched a fierce counterattack against the 74th Army and the 100th Army of the Chinese government on November 29, preparing to attack instead of defend.

The 51st and 58th Divisions of the 74th Army of the Chinese government were engaged in a bloody battle on the flanks with the counterattack forces of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army, covering the 19th Division of the 100th Army as it attacked towards Changde City.

All the officers and soldiers of the 19th Division, under the command of Division Commander Tang Boyin, fought desperately to advance despite the fierce blocking fire of the 13th Division of the Japanese Army. After paying a heavy price in casualties, they finally reached the outskirts of Zoushi Town in the early morning of December 2, which was not far from Changde City.

At noon on December 2, several soldiers from a penetration unit of the 51st Division rushed into Changde City. At that time, Changde City was already in ruins, with attacking troops of the Japanese 11th Army everywhere. The remaining more than 300 officers and soldiers of the 57th Division were holding on to the last five solid buildings for their final resistance.

These soldiers of the 51st Division struggled hard to get to the headquarters of the 57th Division and conveyed the information that the western reinforcements had arrived in Zoushi Town and would soon occupy Hebo Mountain. It was expected that they would be able to attack Changde City in three to five days.

However, at this moment, there were only more than 300 officers and soldiers left in the entire 57th Division. Under the fierce attack of the Japanese 11th Army's superior forces and firepower, it was impossible for them to hold out for another three to five days, or even one day.

Commander Sun, acting commander of the Sixth War Zone of the Chinese government, knew that Changde City was about to fall, so he ordered the 74th Army to rescue Changde City at all costs. Commander Wang of the 74th Army also ordered all troops to attack the defense line of the Japanese 13th Division overnight and to attack Zoushi Town without rest. After a night of fierce fighting, the defense forces of the Japanese 13th Division began to collapse and fled from Zoushi Town.

However, at noon on December 3, the gunfire from the direction of Changde City gradually stopped. Commander Wang of the 74th Army was extremely sad after receiving the news from the scouts in the front. He knew that Changde City had been lost.