During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, many Japanese generals were killed by China's anti-Japanese heroes, among which Abe Norihide, who has always been the "flower of famous generals" of the Japanese Army, was killed by an artilleryman. In that year, after Abe Norihide was killed, there was a report in japan's domestic news: "The flower of the famous general withered on the Taihang Mountain", which said: "Since the establishment of the Imperial Army, there has been no such example of the sacrifice of a lieutenant general at the rank of lieutenant general." ”
The death of Japanese Lieutenant General Norihide Abe shocked both China and Japan, and the artillery that killed him became famous. But after the victory of the War of Resistance, he was not very famous, because he was anonymous for 50 years. He is Li Erxi.
Li Erxi's name is very common, he was born in a poor family in Shanxi, and his parents died since childhood. So when he was very young, he had to feed himself, and he herded cattle for the landlords to make ends meet. Later, when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, Li Erxi joined the Eighth Route Army, initially as a service officer in the army, and then transferred to the combat unit as an artillery shooter.
During the Battle of Pingxingguan, Li Erxi participated in the Battle of Stagecoach Ridge. After winning the battle, the troops captured Japanese mountain artillery, mortars, and so on. Subsequently, an artillery company was formed in the army, and Li Erxi was immediately transferred to the artillery company as an artilleryman. Later, Li Erxi followed the platoon leader to practice eye power, practice ranging, find a feel, and finally became an artillery main attack shooter.
In 1939, the Japanese launched a "iron wall encirclement" sweep against the Eighth Route Army in the Jin-Cha-Ji anti-Japanese base area. "Flower of Famous Generals" Abe Norihide led his troops deep into the hinterland of the base area. At the end of October of the same year, the Eighth Route Army engaged in a battle with the enemy, and Nie Rongzhen ordered Yang Chengwu to deploy his forces and lure the enemy deeper to annihilate them. At that time, 13 enemy troops were captured and more than 600 enemy troops were completely annihilated.
Such a record made the Eighth Route Army full of confidence, but it did not dare to take it lightly, and was always ready for retaliation from the enemy. Sure enough, Abe Became angry. In early November, he led 1,500 soldiers to prepare to retaliate against the Eighth Route Army. Nie Rongzhen was ready to lure the enemy east again and concentrate his forces to annihilate them. Later, Chen Zhengxiang, commander of the first regiment of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, found that there were enemies observing them with telescopes on a distant mountain bag. There is also a small independent courtyard near the mountain bag, and there are constant enemy troops entering and leaving. He judged that it was the enemy's command post.
So the mortar company was immediately transferred, and Li Erxi rushed to the gun position with the artillery. He used the fastest speed to measure the distance orientation, adjust the gun position, and at the sound of a command, he ejected from his hand. Two shells were fired in a row, which exploded right in that small courtyard. After that, he adjusted his position and fired two rounds at the hill bag.
Commander Chen then used a telescope to observe the enemy situation and found that the Japanese troops were in and out of the small courtyard, and many wounded Japanese troops in the mountain bag also evacuated in a hurry. It turned out that Abe Norihide was in the small courtyard, and the two shells fired by Li Erxi just hit the small courtyard, a few steps away from Abe Norihide. Abe Washu was stabbed in the left abdomen and legs by fragments of shells, a total of more than a dozen fatal injuries, and finally Abe Norihide died.
Later, Li Erxi was murdered by the Japanese Kou, but fortunately he escaped. After Nie Rongzhen learned about it, he gave him a gun, which li Erxi was very precious, and later handed over this treasure. Li Erxi made great military achievements, but did not receive any honor after the founding of the country, perhaps this is related to his anonymity.
In 1950, Li Erxi went to Shaoguan to work until retirement. Li Erxi did not mention his past until the 60th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 2005, when the artist Zhu Guangxin learned that the "sharp gunner" who killed Lieutenant General Norihide Abe, the "flower of the famous generals" of the Japanese army invading China, lived in Shaoguan. Zhu Guangxin spent a lot of effort to find Li Erxi and painted a portrait of him. Why did Li Erxi stay anonymous? He once said: "Many old comrades-in-arms have already died, what do I have to say, besides, my superiors have also asked me not to expose my identity." ”
Later, Li Erxi was also very happy to learn that the mortar he had killed Abe Norihide had become a national first-class cultural relic. In his later years, he spent a very dull but happy life with his wife. Until the evening of March 26, 2010, Li Erxi died of illness at the age of 89.