Quartermasters can also fight the devils

However, if his 11th Army followed the order of Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, the commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, and held the Lishui defense line, it would be severely damaged by the surrounding Chinese troops, let alone going back south to occupy Changde City. It would be like being surrounded by the Chinese army and being dead.

Therefore, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, which had already retreated to the banks of the Lishui River, sent three consecutive telegrams to Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, commander of the China Expeditionary Army, and Lieutenant General Qin Hikosaburo, Deputy Chief of Staff, from the evening of December 12 to noon of December 13 after receiving the telegram order from Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, commander of the China Expeditionary Army, desperately emphasizing the reasons why the 11th Army of the Japanese Army must retreat.

Having boasted in the telegram before, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, could only continue to regard himself as the victor. In the telegram, he did not mention the fact that the 11th Army of the Japanese Army was about to collapse. Instead, he only said that the various units of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army were already very tired, and the troops in the original defense zone were really weak. All units should return to their original bases as soon as possible to strengthen the defense. In addition to ensuring the difficulties of most of the military stations used in the Changde operation having been withdrawn, he also proposed that the China Expeditionary Army Command should carefully consider whether it was appropriate to capture Changde City again, and suggested that if they wanted to attack Changde City again, they could wait until next spring.

The commander of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Shunroku Hata, was a little puzzled after receiving a series of telegrams from the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, because what Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama mentioned in the telegrams were obviously just some minor issues, which had no effect on the long-term occupation of Changde City by the 11th Army of the Japanese Army.

The commander of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, had always been at odds with the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu. The commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, was arrogant and conceited, and had never been respectful to the commander of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku.

Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, has always believed that Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, commander of the China Expeditionary Army, has mediocre command ability and that he only has his current position by relying on his deceased brother, General Hata Eitaro, former commander of the Japanese Kwantung Army.

At this time, Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, commander of the China Expeditionary Army, recalled the usual arrogant attitude of Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, towards him. He thought that this time Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, had his old habit again and wanted to take the opportunity to give up his post and embarrass him.

As a result, Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, the commander of the China Expeditionary Force, became more and more angry the more he thought about it. After all, he was the commander of the China Expeditionary Force. If he couldn't even command the troops on the Chinese battlefield, then what authority would he have in the future?

Subsequently, on December 13, Lieutenant General Shunroku Hata, commander of the China Expeditionary Army, sent a telegram in a tone of command rather than negotiation, ordering Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the Japanese 11th Army, to immediately lead the various units of the Japanese 11th Army to reoccupy Changde.

Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, ordered in a telegram:

First, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Japanese Army, must currently secure important areas near the north of the Lishui River.

Second, the 6th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment of the North China Front Army was transferred to the Wuhan area quickly and placed under the command of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army. The command authority would be transferred after the 6th Independent Mountain Artillery Regiment passed through the mouth of Poyang Lake.

In addition, in addition to ordering the Japanese 11th Army to hold the Lishui line and withdraw an artillery regiment from North China, the China Expeditionary Force also sent senior staff officer Major General Shoichi Amano to the Japanese 13th Army Headquarters in Shanghai to discuss with the commander of the Japanese 13th Army, Lieutenant General Sadada Shimomura, to prepare to transfer all the remaining troops of the Japanese 116th Division stationed in Anqing to the Lishui line to strengthen the Japanese 11th Army's defensive capabilities in the area.

At the same time, the commander of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, also sent the Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Matsui Taikuro, to the Japanese 11th Army's forward command post established at Guanyin Temple on the east bank of the Yangtze River south of Shashi on December 15 to study with the commander of the Japanese 11th Army, Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, how to defend the Lishui area and the overall combat plan of the various units of the Japanese 11th Army.

Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, was also very embarrassed and angry after receiving the order from Lieutenant General Shunroku Hata, commander of the China Expeditionary Army. Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, understood that as long as he reported the current real battlefield situation and the number of casualties of the troops of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army to Lieutenant General Shunroku Hata, then Lieutenant General Shunroku Hata would definitely agree to the retreat of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army immediately.

However, the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, had boasted too much before. If he reported the true situation, he would really lose face. Moreover, as the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, how could he go back on his word?

However, if they followed the order of Lieutenant General Hata Shunroku, commander of the China Expeditionary Army, to defend Changde to the death, not only would they be doomed, but even the 70,000 exhausted officers and soldiers of the Japanese 11th Army would probably not have many who could return alive.

Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, is now in a dilemma and is extremely conflicted. Finally, after weighing the pros and cons, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, feels that he should tell the truth to solve this fatal problem. After all, how much is face worth?

When the Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Matsui Taikuo, flew to Hankou on December 15 and rested for a night, he flew to Shashi on the 16th, and then came to Guanyin Temple, 15 kilometers southeast of Shashi, which was the front-line command post of the Japanese 11th Army. The commander of the Japanese 11th Army, Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, personally led officers at all levels in the headquarters to solemnly welcome the arrival of the Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Matsui Taikuo.

After the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, welcomed the Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Matsui Taikuo, into the headquarters of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, he frankly admitted to the Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, Lieutenant General Matsui Taikuo, in his office that the various units of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army were no longer able to fight.

"Mr. Matsui, we are classmates, and I know very well why you are here. However, the current situation of the various units of the 11th Army is such that they can no longer continue to fight." After the commander of the 11th Army of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, asked everyone to leave his office, he whispered directly to Lieutenant General Taikuro Matsui, Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, about the topic.