In many film and television dramas on the theme of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it is often seen that the Eighth Route Army captured Japanese prisoners, so was there an Eighth Route Army captured by the Japanese army? In some cases, there was even a senior general of the Eighth Route Army who was captured by the Japanese army, and he later became the only founding lieutenant general who was captured by the Japanese army.
The founding lieutenant general who was once captured by the Japanese army is named Liu Zhijian, and he is not famous among the founding generals, but his story is very legendary, especially his experience of being captured by the Japanese army, which is a unique legend among the founding generals.
Liu Zhijian, a native of Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, embarked on the revolutionary road from the beginning of the Pingjiang Uprising in 1928, experienced the Long March, was an outstanding old Red Army, and served as the head of the Political Propaganda Department of the Red Fourth Front during the Red Army period, which was already a very high level.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Liu Zhijian served as the political commissar of the Eastward Column of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army and the deputy political commissar of the Ji'nan Military Region, and his capture by the Japanese army occurred during his tenure as deputy political commissar of the Ji'nan Military Region, which was in the autumn of 1942, when the Japanese army swept the base areas of the Ji'nan Military Region.
The Japanese army adopted the combination of bunkers and trenches to divide the base area, the enemy's "sweeping" momentum is very fierce, in order to cope with the enemy's sweep, on October 17, Liu Zhijian personally went to the 6th Division below to arrange combat tasks, did not expect that the Japanese army sneaked into the 6th Division garrison.
According to Li Hanying, the head of the guard squad of the 6th Division, the Japanese army did not know where to get the news of Liu Zhijian's action, and sneaked into the garrison of Ōtomo Village at dawn, and the fighters covered Liu Zhijian's transfer, and there were constantly soldiers killed along the way, and Liu Zhijian's leg was injured in the battle.
The soldiers carrying Liu Zhijian could not break through at all, Liu Zhijian knew that he was more fierce and less fortunate, and was ready to sacrifice, the Japanese army caught up with them, several fighters around him sacrificed to cover him, Liu Zhijian hid in the trench to tear up the confidential documents, and then put them in his mouth to eat.
Hiding his pocket watch and photos in the dirt, hiding everything that could prove his identity, he was captured by the Japanese army that rushed up before he could commit suicide, and Liu Zhijian did not panic after being captured by the Japanese army, he quickly thought of a false name for himself.
In the face of the interrogation of the Japanese army, he calmly said: "I am my company commander, you must not believe it, saying that it is a battalion commander, you may not believe it, let's tell the truth!" I'm a regimental commander, or a deputy. The Japanese army saw that Liu Zhijian was so cheerful, and praised him, trying to further win him over.
The Japanese army planned to escort Liu Zhijian to the county seat for further interrogation, at the same time, Chen Zaidao, commander of the Ji'nan Military Region, personally formulated a rescue plan, and on the day of the Japanese escort, through the intelligence personnel, they learned the time and route of the Japanese escort, and ambushed and rescued them halfway.
The plan went smoothly, more than 100 Japanese troops and traitors in charge of escorting were quickly killed by the ambushed Eighth Route Army, the ambushers suffered almost no casualties, Liu Zhijian was carried out by the soldiers to rescue, and after the Japanese army learned of Liu Zhijian's true identity, they shouted and were deceived.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Liu Zhijian was awarded the rank of lieutenant general, because he had been captured by the Japanese army, he was once treated badly, and later the chairman personally inquired, Liu Zhijian resumed normal work.