On March 20, 2013, a special auction opened in the lobby of Bonhams in New York, with the remarkable auction of the relics of an old man named "Helen Lyon". On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the old man's death, the adopted son decided to auction the precious ** he took in the Battle of Songhu. This unique auction took center stage, as the old man's relics were so rare.
The Battle of Songhu was the first large-scale frontal battle between China and Japan in the War of Resistance Against Japan, involving hundreds of thousands of troops. Fierce battles such as the Battle of Sixing Warehouse, the Battle of Luodian, and the Battle of Chenjiahang made many soldiers fight bravely on the battlefield.
The brutality of this war and the limitations of the times have led to the lack of real images of the battles, which can only be recalled through written descriptions. The reason why the relics of the old man "Hailan Lyon" are rare is that he took hundreds of precious old ** photos in the Battle of Songhu as a special photojournalist of the Associated Press in China.
The old man once wrote in his diary: "I have witnessed too much suffering. The hard-won economic, social, and political development that has accumulated over many years will be ruined in one fell swoop. There is no doubt that the Battle of Songhu was an incomparably tragic battle, and the image of this veteran journalist provides a precious historical footnote to this war of resistance against Japan.
In the land of Songhu, an old photojournalist witnessed the difficult years of China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
On September 18, 1931, Japan launched the "918 Incident" and started its invasion of Northeast China. Under the influence of Chiang Kai-shek's policy of "settling the outside world before reassuring the interior", Japan annexed a vast area of northeastern China and opened the prelude to the War of Resistance Against Japan. The Battle of Songhu became the first large-scale frontal confrontation in this war, involving hundreds of thousands of troops and fierce battles everywhere.
On July 7, 1937, the "Lugou Bridge Incident" broke out, and China fully entered the War of Resistance against Japan. The threat in the Shanghai area forced the Nationals to take action to prevent the Japanese from landing in North China. At the same time, in order to defend the capital Nanjing, the Nationals decided to fight the Japanese army in the southern waters to relieve the pressure on the north.
However, the plan did not go well. The lack of secrecy led to the Japanese being informed of the plan in advance, frustrating Nanjing**'s original strategy of blocking the Yangtze River estuary to prevent the Japanese ships from moving. Despite the failure of the maritime plan, in the wave of national resistance against Japan, Nanjing** issued the famous "Declaration of Self-Defense and Anti-Japanese War", declaring territorial sovereignty and the right of self-defense, marking the inevitability of the conflict between China and Japan and the beginning of large-scale troop deployment.
Initially, due to the previously signed "Songhu Armistice Agreement", there was not a single Chinese soldier in Shanghai. However, with the rapid deployment of two divisions in Nanjing, the defenders in the Shanghai area were strengthened. In order to seize the initiative in the war, the Nationalists decided to eliminate the enemy in Shanghai before the arrival of Japanese reinforcements. The 87th, 88th, 56th, 98th, and 36th Divisions formed the 9th Army and laid siege to the Japanese Marines stationed in Shanghai.
However, despite the superiority in terms of numbers and artillery and other heaviness, it was unable to complete a major breakthrough in the "Ten-Day Siege" and was dragged by the Japanese until reinforcements arrived. On August 23, the 3rd and 11th Divisions of the Japanese Army landed in Baoshan, shattering the initial combat intention of the people. Since then, China and Japan have invested more and more troops on the battlefield, and the people of Nanjing have also changed from active offensive to passive response.
The war was about to break out, and in order to prevent the Japanese army from landing in Shanghai, the national ** mobilized various local troops, with a total of 600,000. At the same time, Japan has also invested a large number of troops, and as of November 4, Japan has invested nine divisions and other troops on the Songhu battlefield, with a cumulative number of 200,000.
In this large-scale battle, the heroic fighting of the troops of all sides became a part of history. On October 9, the 20th Army of the Sichuan Army fought fiercely with the Japanese army at Chenjiaxing, and seven days later, the whole army suffered 8,000 casualties, including 1 regiment commander and 5 battalion commanders. On October 15, the 21st Army, composed of the 7th and 48th armies of the Gui Army, held its position south of Zoumatang, but suffered a heavy defeat after retreating. The 49th Army of the Northeast Army arrived in Shanghai on October 28, and two divisions fought against the Japanese army in Jiashan, and in the end only more than 400 people remained.
On November 12, the Kuomintang army was as high as more than 300,000 in the Battle of Songhu. Although the people of Nanjing paid a heavy price, they smashed the arrogant clamor of the Japanese to "destroy China in three months".
On November 13, the Kuomintang issued a statement to all Shanghai compatriots, praising the heroic struggle of the fighters from all sides and emphasizing their fearless efforts on the front line, which laid the foundation for national independence. This tragic battle of Songhu made the cohesion of the Chinese nation gradually emerge in the smoke of gunpowder.
The Battle of Songhu was a tragic and historically significant battle in China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Through reading this profound article, I deeply felt the importance of this battle to Chinese history and national memory. Through the description of the relics of the old photojournalist "Hailan Lyon", the author brings us back to the era of the Anti-Japanese War, showing the preciousness of the photojournalist recorded in the Battle of Songhu. This kind of historical testimony with images as the carrier provides us with a more real perception and cognition.
The article described in detail the causes and conditions of the Battle of Songhu, which gave me a clearer understanding of the historical background of the battle. The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was an extremely difficult period in China's modern history, and the Battle of Songhu was an important chapter in it. The author describes the strategic decision-making of the people, the investment of the armies of all sides, and the development and evolution of the war situation, showing the strategic contest between China and Japan at that time.
In this article, I especially felt the heroic struggle and dedication of the local armies in the Battle of Songhu. The tenacious persistence of the 20th Army of the Sichuan Army in Chenjiaxing, the bloody battle of the 21st Group Army in the Zoumatang area, and the heroic defense of the 49th Army of the Northeast Army in Jiashan make people sigh at the tenacity and heroism of various armies during the War of Resistance Against Japan. Although the final cost of the Battle of Songhu was severe, it was the tenacious struggle of these soldiers that laid the cornerstone for China's war of resistance.
The relics of the old photojournalist are one of the highlights of the article. Through the ** he filmed in the Battle of Songhu, we can intuitively feel the hardships and tragedy of that period. These **** have witnessed history, and also witnessed the unity and tenacity of the Chinese people in times of crisis. A quote from the diary of an old photojournalist: "I have witnessed too much suffering. The hard-won economic, social, and political development that has accumulated over many years will be ruined in one fell swoop. It profoundly reflected the social atmosphere of the time and his concern for the fate of the country.
Finally, the article emphasized the heroic struggle of the soldiers in various places through a statement issued by the people of Shanghai to all compatriots, which laid the foundation for the country's independence. This statement highlights the great contribution of the Battle of Songhu to China's national cohesion. Although the Battle of Songhu brought a heavy heart, it also sowed the seeds of unity and tenacity in the hearts of the Chinese people, and laid a solid foundation for the later years of the Anti-Japanese War.
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