The Japanese army could not understand how the Chinese army on the other side could be so strong
At midnight on January 28, 1932, the long-planned Japanese army invading China once again copied the same set that had been used against the Northeast Army, and under the command of Yukiichi Shiozawa, the commander of the first foreign fleet of the Navy, the troops raided Shanghai Zhabei in three ways. It is an attempt to completely crush the Chinese army through a blitzkrieg and lay the most solid foundation for an all-round invasion of China.
But what Shiozawa did not expect was that the Chinese 19th Route Army stationed in Shanghai not only did not collapse in one blow as it had envisioned, but instead launched the fiercest counterattack. The Japanese carried out cover-up bombardment of the positions of the 19th Route Army and the houses and shops in Shanghai, and the infantry launched four general attacks under the cover of artillery fire and 20 armored vehicles, but all of them were repelled by our army. In Zhabei, Jiangwan, Wusong and other places, "the city streets are on fire everywhere, the flames are everywhere, and the battlefield is extremely miserable." ”
After receiving reports of the Japanese army launching an attack, the headquarters of the 19th Route Army immediately ordered "resolute resistance and swearing not to retreat!" He personally rushed to the front line, established a temporary command, and ordered the rear troops to advance rapidly to Shanghai, and must block the Japanese offensive.
The Japanese army that attacked Shanghai obviously hoped for the success of the First World War and did not retain any strength. Japanese fighters took off from the aircraft carrier "Notoro" and carried out indiscriminate bombing of the area around Zhabei and Nanshi, turning the urban area into a scorched earth. In the face of the Japanese rampage armored vehicles, the 19th Route Army officers who lacked artillery support could only intercept them with cluster grenades. At the same time, death squads were organized to blow up armored vehicles at close range by means of lurking means.
The Japanese army, which had planned to end the battle for several hours, had no results after a day of onslaught. Its troops attacking the North Station and Tenton-an Station were also counterattacked by our 156th Brigade, and they were hastily defeated, and even their own Marine Corps headquarters were captured by the 19th Route Army, which can be described as a loss of face. Yukiichi Shiozawa, who had suffered a great loss, told his subordinates, "This Chinese army is too strong. ”
The first attack suffered defeat, and the Japanese army could only pretend to accept international mediation, but secretly tried to increase its troops in order to fight again. From January 30 to February 2, more than 10 Japanese warships, more than 30 fighters, and more than 3,000 Marines arrived in Shanghai.
After four changes in the commander-in-chief, the loss of nearly 10,000 people, the Japanese army also knew that this battle could not be fought again
On February 3, the Japanese brazenly tore up the armistice agreement and attacked Zhabei and Baziqiao again. As a result, after a few days in a row, the Japanese army's land and water attacks were all frustrated, and the Japanese troops who attacked Wusong were even repelled in the water, and there was no chance to land, and they were also shot down by the anti-aircraft guns of the 19th Route Army.
Koichi Shiozawa was removed from his post and transferred back to Japan, and Lieutenant General Yoshizaburo Nomura, commander of the Japanese Third Fleet, took over his position as commander-in-chief. At dawn on February 8, Nomura Yoshizaburo led his men to expand to 10,000 troops, land and sea, and attacked Wusong with great momentum, resulting in a major defeat.
Shiozawa Yukiichi was useless, and Nomura Yoshizaburo was even more embarrassed, and the defeat was sent back to Tokyo one after another and sent to the emperor. On February 8, the second large-scale increase of Japanese troops, the 9th Division rushed to shanghai. The total strength of the Japanese army reached 30,000, 70 field guns, and more than 60 aircraft. The 9th Division regiment Kenkichi Ueda became the third commander of the battlefield.
Before attacking, Ueda Kenkichi also issued an "ultimatum" to the 19th Route Army very "gentlemanly" to let them retreat as soon as possible. After Jiang Guangnai and Cai Tingkai saw the ultimatum, they directly ordered the front-line troops to fire fiercely on the Japanese positions, telling them that this was the response of the Chinese soldiers.
Tactically, Ueda Kenkichi was more refined than his two predecessors, ordering the troops to break through in the center, roll on both wings, besiege Wusong all the way, and encircle the north of the gate all the way. As a result, the Mechanized Japanese troops that attacked Zhabei were killed and wounded by the mine array, and the counter-charge of our army captured Hundreds of young soldiers. The flagship of the Japanese Navy's Third Fleet, the Izumo, was injured by the diving of the 19th Route Army's death squads, which shocked the news in Japan.
On February 23, the Japanese army increased its troops for the third time and changed its generals for the fourth time. General Yoshinori Shirakawa succeeded Ueda and led the 11th and 14th Divisions and more than 100 aircraft to support Songhu. The total strength of the Japanese army reached 90,000, far higher than the 50,000 Chinese troops defending Shanghai. In early March, the Japanese sneaked into the Liuhe River and landed, and the two sides engaged in a white-knife battle with red bayonets. Because of the serious threats on both the flank and the rear, the Chinese army was forced to retreat to the second line of defense.
At this time, the Japanese army did not want to continue to advance, but tried to get the two sides back to the negotiating table to solve the problem. In this battle, the Japanese army, which rarely used the "man-sea tactics", did not get half a benefit, so it could only hope for an armistice and win some "benefits" from other aspects.
The Songhu War of Resistance was the first all-round confrontation between the Chinese army and the Japanese army, which curbed the arrogance of the Japanese army and stimulated the enthusiasm and determination of the whole nation to resist the war.
After this battle, the Japanese army also suffered an unprecedented sense of frustration, 33 days of bloody battle, 4 changes of commanders, losses of nearly 10,000 people, the only thing the Japanese army wants to understand, is the 19th Route Army on the opposite position, why is it so strong? That goes far beyond their previous impression that the Chinese military was vulnerable.
What flows in the bones of the Hakka people is the blood of loyalty, righteousness and good war
At the end of 1932, the Intelligence Department of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted an in-depth study of the performance of the 19th Route Army in the Songhu War of Resistance and came up with the final answer, "The tenacious anti-Japanese ideology of the 19th Route Army is rooted in the strong national pride and traditional xenophobic spirit of the Hakka people. They also deliberately published a book "A Study of the Hakka Nation in Guangdong" compiled by the Imperial Consulate and distributed it to the army, so that the Japanese army must re-recognize this former opponent.
The Hakka are a branch of the Han ethnic group, and the ancestors began in the Qin Zhengnan RongBaiyue period. During several major historical upheavals in the north of Chinese history, there were all southern migrations of the Han Chinese who were integrated into the Hakka system. Because they are in the remote land of Lingnan, the Hakka have not experienced large-scale ethnic integration, so they are also known as "the purest Han Chinese".
At the same time, the language of Hakka dialect retains a large number of literary words, which correspond to the pronunciation recorded in ancient rhyme books, so Hakka dialect is also considered to be a living fossil of ancient Chinese culture.
As for the evaluation of the Hakka, there is also a point that is recognized, that is, "belligerent". The Hakka ancestors were Lingnan, the martial pawns who stayed in the shu, and the blood of the brave warriors flowed in the blood. Later, in order to escape the chaos of war, the Hakka also migrated several times, often living with ethnic groups, and building tulou to prevent bandits from attacking. The Hakka Tulou is as strong as a fortress and is famous all over the world, which also reflects the tenacious spirit of resistance in the bones of the Hakka people.
In history, the Hakka are also known for their bloody bravery and daring to be the first in the world. From the late Song Dynasty to the Late Ming Dynasty, to the Late Qing Dynasty, and then to the Late Qing Dynasty, the Hakka people have embodied the spirit of loyalty to the country and no remorse. The Taiping Rebellion was a peasant uprising entirely dominated by the Hakka.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the 19th Route Army, which was mostly a guest, completely displayed the characteristics of loyalty, righteousness, and good warfare in front of foreign enemies. The Japanese army once frankly said that "the Hakka people are very united in spirit, full of patriotism and fighting spirit, and worthy of the pride of the Central Plains nation." ”
At the same time, the Japanese Military Intelligence Department also analyzed that the unity of the Hakka themselves and the forces they formed were enough to influence the future situation of the Chinese revolution. Including the 19th Route Army, which was famous in Songhu, as well as the troops of Chen Jitang, Zhang Fakui, and others, including the Red Army that persisted in the struggle in Hailufeng and Chaomeidi, there were also quite a few Hakka disciples.
Allowing the Japanese army to spend so much effort to specialize in the study of a civil system is enough to reflect the immortal merits established by the Hakka in the War of Resistance Against Japan. From a broad perspective, the Hakka are a microcosm of the spirit of the entire Chinese nation in the bloody war of resistance and the oath to defend the country. In the face of foreign enemies, there is no distinction between nationalities, no distinction between the people, still less a distinction between people and people, and only when there is a country can there be a home, which is an eternal truth. Every Chinese will spontaneously take up the weapon in his hand and give the aggressor the most fatal blow.