readytorunbook Chapter 729 "Operation No. 1" Begins
Chapter 729 "Operation No. 1" Begins
The First War Zone Command of the Chinese Government divided the 43 divisions under its command into two forces. 29 divisions were responsible for defensive operations in various places, and the other 14 divisions served as the mobile forces of the First War Zone of the Chinese Government and would be deployed according to the actual battle situation.
The specific deployment of the First War Zone Command of the Chinese government is that 29 divisions are responsible for the defense of the vast areas of southern and northern Henan. The 14 divisions of the mobile corps are hidden in Linru, Dengfeng, Yuxian, Xiangcheng, Baofeng, and Yexian areas to assist the defense forces in flanking and encircling the Japanese offensive forces that invaded the Songshan area.
Such a combat plan was formulated by the First War Zone of the Chinese Government based on the combat experience of previous large-scale military groups. However, faced with the offensive strategy of the large number of Japanese attacking forces characterized by roundabout maneuvers, this combat plan of the First War Zone Command of the Chinese Government did not play any role.
At midnight on April 17, 1944, the well-prepared Japanese troops finally launched the long-planned "Operation No. 1" under the order of General Okamura Yasuji, commander of the Japanese North China Front Army and commander in chief of the first phase of "Operation No. 1".
The first to launch the attack was an attack force of more than 3,000 troops sent by the 37th Division of the Japanese Army. This attack force crossed the Yellow River carrying more than 20 artillery pieces. At dawn the next day, this attack force of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army had already bypassed and penetrated deep into the rear of the river defense force of the First War Zone of the Chinese government.
Moreover, the attacking force of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army successfully occupied Zhongmu County. Afterwards, the attacking force of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army split into two routes without stopping and launched a fierce attack on the river defense positions of the First War Zone of the Chinese Government from the southwest and southeast directions.
The First War Zone of the Chinese Government arranged for the 27th Provisional Division of the Chinese Government to be responsible for the river defense mission in Zhongmu County and the surrounding areas. However, the 27th Provisional Division was a unit that had been established for a very short time. There were many shortages of officers and soldiers in the unit, and the equipment of the 27th Provisional Division was also very poor.
When the 37th Division of the Japanese Army began to implement the "Operation No. 1" plan, the three regiments under the Chinese government's temporary 27th Division had a total strength of only more than 3,000 people, which was only equivalent to the strength of a reinforced regiment.
Even the number of rifles equipped by the more than 3,000 officers and soldiers of the Provisional 27th Division did not even reach one-third of the original establishment requirements. The entire division had only two mortars and five machine guns. In addition, the area that the Provisional 27th Division was responsible for defending was located in a plain, which made it impossible to defend.
Moreover, the sandy soil near the Yellow River was not suitable for building solid fortifications. Therefore, the 27th Division, a super weak brigade temporarily organized by the Chinese government, was completely unable to stop the offensive of the elite troops of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army.
Although the 1st and 3rd Regiments of the 27th Temporary Division of the Chinese Government bravely resisted the attack of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army for eight hours, in the end, the defensive positions of the 27th Temporary Division of the Chinese Government were broken by the attack of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army.
Subsequently, at noon of the second day after launching the attack, the Japanese engineering corps built a light bridge across the Yellow River, and then large groups of Japanese troops participating in the battle began to cross the Yellow River in an endless stream.
In fact, when the Japanese attacking force crossed the Yellow River and was unstable, Commander Liu of the Provisional First Army of the First War Zone of the Chinese Government personally led two battalions of officers and soldiers to bravely attack the flanks of the Japanese attacking force. At the same time, Commander Liu of the Provisional First Army also ordered the Provisional 27th Division, the troops directly under the headquarters of the Provisional First Army, and the troops of the 86th Regiment of the New 29th Division to launch a counterattack against the Japanese attacking force at the same time.
However, these Chinese government troops were unable to stop the Japanese mechanized corps and aircraft responsible for the attack with only mortars and grenades, and were obviously unable to reverse the Chinese army's disadvantage on the battlefield.
At dawn on April 19, the 110th Division of the Japanese Army launched a fierce offensive against the area controlled by the Chinese Army at the top of Mangshan. Under the joint attack of artillery, aircraft and poison gas by the offensive forces of the 110th Division of the Japanese Army, the 11th Reserve Division of the 85th Army of the Chinese government suffered heavy casualties.
On April 20, the 110th Division of the Japanese Army concentrated more than 6,000 troops, and under the cover of dozens of artillery pieces and more than 40 aircraft, launched dozens of bombings and fierce attacks on the Moqiding defensive positions guarded by the 11th Reserve Division, and finally captured the Moqiding defensive positions guarded by the 11th Reserve Division.
Once the Moqiding Heights were lost, the National Army lost the commanding heights of river defense, and the Japanese army, with the support of powerful firepower, broke through the National Army's Yellow River defense line across the board.
After crossing the Yellow River, the Japanese attacking forces began to split up and continue their attack to the south. At 8 o'clock in the evening on April 18, 1940, the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army sent out an advance team consisting of 300 officers and soldiers, and marched quickly towards Zhengzhou. At dawn the next day, this rapid advance team organized by the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army arrived at Zhengzhou Station.
This fast-advancing force organized by the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army, after arriving at Zhengzhou Station, quietly climbed up the city wall of Zhengzhou with ropes, launched a surprise attack on the Chinese defenders responsible for the defense, and then quickly occupied the north gate of Zhengzhou City.
The Chinese army arranged by the First War Zone of the Chinese government to guard Zhengzhou included part of the 110th Division of the 85th Army of the Chinese government and three regiments under the 78th Army of the Chinese government. However, these troops of the Chinese government in Zhengzhou were defeated after only one hour of resistance under the sudden attack of the rapid advance team of hundreds of people sent by the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army. In this way, Zhengzhou, an important city connecting the two major railway lines of Pinghan Railway and Longhai Railway, was lost on the afternoon of April 20.
On April 20, the follow-up Japanese offensive forces advanced to Heshang Bridge, completely cutting off the transportation line between Xinzheng and Xuchang. The next day, the Japanese offensive forces launched a fierce attack on Xinzheng under the cover of aircraft and artillery.
The 125th Regiment of the New 42nd Division of the 78th Army of the Chinese Government was responsible for defending Xinzheng in the First War Zone of the Chinese Government. Facing the fierce attack of the Japanese offensive forces, the 125th Regiment fought bloody battle for three hours. More than half of the soldiers in the regiment were killed or wounded, and nine officers above the rank of company commander were killed. Subsequently, the 125th Regiment had to retreat from Xinzheng, and Xinzheng was declared lost that afternoon.