Dear friends. I believe everyone is no stranger to the Eighth Route Army, a heroic unit that defends the country and protects the country. However, you may not have imagined that in order to eliminate a small Japanese army force of only more than 500 people, the Okazaki Brigade, they did not hesitate to mobilize eight regiments and tens of thousands of people to fight, and in the tragic battle for nearly two days and one night, they paid the price of more than 3,000 casualties!
What is going on here? Let's trace the causes and consequences of this bloody history.
It turned out that after the end of the Battle of the Hundred Regiments, in order to save face, the Japanese army actually mobilized tens of thousands of troops to carry out a crazy retaliatory massacre in the Taihang anti-Japanese base area. In just a few months, more than 5,000 ordinary people have been killed in Qinyuan County alone, and the terrible tragic situation is extremely painful! After hearing the news, Peng Dehuai, commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army, was furious and vowed to take revenge on the brutal Japanese invaders.
At this moment, a small Japanese army of more than 500 people led by the Okazaki Brigade was unfortunately targeted by Peng Dehuai. The reason is very simple, when this unit was sweeping the base area, it destroyed the Huangyadong Arsenal of the Eighth Route Army and cut off the supply of weapons and ammunition. For the Eighth Route Army, which was fighting on the front line, this was undoubtedly a heavy blow to add insult to injury. Peng Dehuai learned from the pain and decided to wipe out this Japanese army with one hammer and hated the people.
At 4 p.m. on October 30, the Eighth Route Army launched a general battle to attack Guanjiayuan. Eight regiments, more than 10,000 men, with artillery fire in unison, launched a fierce attack on Okazaki's troops from all directions. Although the Japanese army was small, they were also cunning and tenacious, and they took advantage of the terrain to dig layers of fortifications and put up stubborn resistance. The two sides launched a life-and-death fight in the small Guanjiayuan.
After 18 repeated attacks, the Eighth Route Army finally annihilated the leader of the Okazaki Brigade at dawn the next day, but the whole battle also paid a heavy price - the casualties of the troops amounted to more than 3,000! Including 589 casualties of the 25th Regiment of the First Column, and the first battalion of the 772nd Regiment of the 29th Regiment of the New 10th Brigade, only about 10 people remained at the end of the battle!
In the face of such huge casualties, many people will inevitably question whether Peng Dehuai is making an example of himself and making a big fuss? On the other hand, if the Japanese army is allowed to run rampant and domineering in the base areas and is not severely punished, there will undoubtedly be more innocent people in dire straits in the future. Moreover, although there were heavy casualties in this battle, it greatly boosted the morale of the officers and men of the Eighth Route Army and allowed them to exercise their combat effectiveness even more in actual combat.
Therefore, despite the heavy price paid in the battle of Guanjiayuan, it was by no means a meaningless sacrifice. This battle thwarted the arrogance of the Japanese army, forced them to stop being unscrupulous in the Taihang Mountain base area, and won a precious time of tranquility for the local residents. The brutality of this battle has also become a mirror of history, reminding us not to take lightly the value of peace and to cherish the happy life that we have achieved through great efforts.
Life is indeed precious, but sometimes it is necessary to fight for the greater good and principles. The officers and men of the Eighth Route Army used their blood and lives to defend the dignity of their homeland and the happiness of the sons and daughters of China. Their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered and admired!