In April 1939, the Headquarters of the Commander of the Fifth Theater held a military conference in Fancheng and decided to carry out offensive defense against the Japanese troops who attacked the Suizao area in order to crush the Japanese offensive attempts.
At the meeting, Zhang Zizhong, commander-in-chief of the 33rd Group Army, told the commanders of various departments and divisions: "The Japanese army has mobilized a large number of troops in the Wuhan area in an attempt to invade our army. All combat units are prepared to fight the enemy in an emergency response. Now that the country has reached a period of peril, we should make up our minds to fight for the sake of the country and the survival of the nation, and sacrifice at all costs to fight with the Japanese. Fighting Japanese devils, it is also glorious to die! If the enemy launches an attack, we should eliminate it in the Xianghe area with all our might. ”
Zhang Zizhong
Commander-in-Chief Zhang's instructions were heartening, and at the meeting he also made combat mission arrangements for each unit: Liu Zhensan of the 180th Division of the 59th Army of the 33rd Group Army set up a position at Changshoudian in Zhongxiang County, on the east bank of the Xiang River, to block the Northern Japanese invasion, and cooperated with the friendly forces on the left flank, Wang Zhenxu, and the friendly forces on the right wing, Feng Zhi'an, to block the Japanese. At the same time, the 37th Division, the 38th Division, the Cavalry Division and other units were deployed along the east bank of the Xiang River and were arranged in the area of Yicheng Liushuigou.
After receiving the task, Liu Zhensan, commander of the 180th Division, immediately took the 538th Regiment of the division as the front-line team, and stationed the 539th Regiment and the 540th Regiment in Wujiachong, northwest of Changshoudian, to prepare for battle.
Japanese army
In late April 1939, the Japanese army divided into three divisions and launched an attack on the defenders on the banks of the Xiang River. At 5:00 a.m. on April 22, the Japanese army, with the 13th Division as the main force, with two companies and the 4th Cavalry Brigade, under the cover of aircraft and tanks, concentrated artillery fire on the positions of the 538th Regiment of the 180th Division. The 538th Regiment fought a bloody battle with the Japanese army desperately, and after 1 day and 1 night of fierce fighting, the position was broken by the Japanese army, and the Japanese army rushed into the Changshoudian area.
On the morning of the 24th, the enemy broke into Changshoudian and concentrated more than 10 tanks to cover the infantry and pounced on the positions between the 538th Regiment and the 540th Regiment of the 180th Division. At this time, the Japanese army strength has reached about 5,000 people, and the follow-up personnel and horses are constantly pouring in. After more than an hour of fierce fighting with the Japanese troops in front of them, the 180th Division was ordered to lure the enemy deeper and gradually lure the Japanese troops to the Tianjiaji and Liushuigou areas.
Crossing the river to climb the shore to attack the devils
The commander-in-chief Zhang Zizhong gathered the main forces of the 37th Division, the 38th Division, and the Cavalry Division here, preparing to annihilate the Japanese Kou at Tianjiaji and Huanglongyuan.
Zhang Zizhong personally led the 37th and 38th Divisions and cavalry divisions to cross the river from The Yicheng Liushui Ditch and intercept the Japanese Kou. At the same time, he ordered the Feng Public Security Department of the 77th Army to attack the Japanese army from the Hejiaji River northeast of Jingmen to the right side of the Japanese army, and sent a team to block the Japanese reinforcements on the Jingzhong Highway; ordered the 29th Group Army Wang Zhangxubu to attack the Japanese army from Dahong Mountain; ordered the 180th Division to assemble and block the Japanese army in the area east of the Fengle River, cut off the Japanese rear road, and cooperate with the 38th Division and the cavalry division to attack the Japanese Kou and annihilate the ghosts at Tianjiaji.
Heavy machine gunners of the Japanese army
On the evening of the 25th, the 180th Division, which had lured the enemy deeper, encountered more than 2,000 Japanese troops at the Fengle River. The two sides fought fiercely at the Fengle River for more than 3 hours, and the Japanese army was defeated. The 538th Regiment and the 540th Regiment of the 180th Division divided into two routes and pursued the Japanese army to 10 miles southwest of Tianjiaji.
In the afternoon of the same day, the Japanese bombed the positions of the 180th Division with 5 aircraft for more than half an hour, dropping thousands of rounds of ammunition. Subsequently, the devils launched a fierce attack with more than 1,000 people, and the two regiments of the 180th Division attacked left and right, and the two sides repeatedly sawed and killed on the position, with heavy casualties.
Hit niko
At 6 o'clock in the morning of the 26th, the main force of the Japanese 13th Division was attracted to the Tianjiaji area, and the Japanese army rushed into the ambush position of the 38th Division with more than 3,000 people, 15 cannons and 6 aircraft. After a day and night of fierce fighting, the Japanese army was repelled more than 10 attacks, with thousands of casualties, and the 38th Division suffered more than 2,000 casualties.
The casualties of the 38th Division intensified, and the division commander Huang Weigang called Zhang Zizhong to request retreat. Zhang Zizhong said to him: "We are in difficulty, and the enemy is more difficult than us. You hold out for the last 5 minutes, and I'll send a cavalry division to help you. ”
Cavalry division
Zhang Zizhong sent a cavalry division around the back of the Japanese army to launch a fierce attack on the Japanese army, alleviating the frontal pressure of the 38th Division. After another day and night of fierce fighting, the Japanese army was caught between the front and back, leaving thousands of corpses, and the Japanese offensive was blocked.
At this time, in the area of Tianjiaji and Huanglongyuan, fierce battles had broken out across the board. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the enemy and us repeatedly rushed to kill in various front positions, and the nearly 100 kilometers on the bank of the Xianghe River became a fierce battlefield.
fight the enemy
On the 28th, the enemy of the 38th Division was defeated, and the 37th Division and other Japanese troops began to shake and collapse in their entirety. The 38th Division pursued the Japanese all the way to The GuanziKou, killing more than 500 fleeing enemy troops. The 180th Division defeated the Japanese Matsui Brigade at the Yellow Mud Pit at Changshoudian and drove the Japanese out of Changshoudian.
At this time, Zhang Zizhong personally led the various units of the 33rd Group Army to cross the Xiang River in the east and pursue the Japanese Kou. The Japanese supply line was cut off, killing and wounding more than 4,000 people, and the japanese 13th Division troops fled in two ways towards Huayuan Station and the Zhongxiang area.
Sunset over the Xianghe River
The Battle of the East Bank of the Xiang River was part of the Battle of Suizao. In this battle, the Japanese suffered more than 7,000 casualties, and the Japanese 13th Division that sneaked into the Xianghe River was defeated, and the defenders suffered more than 10,000 casualties.
After the war, the 33rd Group Army received a bonus of 130,000 yuan, and Zhang Zizhong issued all the bonuses and asked for credit for all the units participating in the war.