1942 was the most difficult year for the New Fourth Army of the Eighth Route Army. In particular, the Eighth Route Army was repeatedly "swept up" by the Japanese army, suffering heavy losses and survival was even more of a problem. Why is this happening? It was only after the Japanese army's offensive in the Pacific Theater was frustrated that it sobered up and felt that the strategic position of the Chinese mainland and the coastal areas was too important, and that their rule must be ensured so that they could effectively deliver strategic materials to the Pacific Theater, so that the New Fourth Army of the Eighth Route Army, which often harassed and destroyed them, became the main target of attack.
Today's talk is about the breakthrough of a unit of the Jiaodong Military Region of the Eighth Route Army. On November 19, the Japanese troops stationed in laiyang and Qixia strongholds went from west to east; the Japanese troops stationed in Yantai and Fushan went from north to south; the Japanese troops stationed in Muping went south into the waterway stronghold, and then turned their troops to the west, with Asan and Mashishan as the center of the encirclement, with 90 kilometers long from north to south and 75 kilometers wide from east to west, and pulled nets on three sides to encircle the Eighth Route Army.
Such a situation was very critical, and the Kuomintang Provisional Twelfth Division, at this time, also took advantage of the fire and robbery, and they actually attacked the flank of the Eighth Route Army from Laiyang East. At that time, the total strength of the Jiaodong Military Region of the Eighth Route Army was only 14,000 people, including local armed forces such as county brigades and district squads. Hard fighting is definitely not OK, and it must be dispersed to break through. According to the task arrangement, the first and second battalions of the Sixteenth Regiment acted alone, and the third battalion dispatched two battalions to guard the Kuomintang Twelfth Division, and to defend the troops of the Sixteenth Regimental Headquarters, only the three battalions and eight companies remained, the regimental guard company, the machine artillery company, and the special service company, while the regimental headquarters organs and miscellaneous personnel totaled more than 500 people, the team was huge, coupled with the heavy mules and horses, the action was slow, and the task of defending was very arduous.
On the night of the 23rd, the troops were compressed in a 20-kilometer narrow encirclement, and several breakthroughs were declared unsuccessful, and in the middle of the night, the troops had to retreat north to Shangyin's house. The terrain here is more favorable for fighting and blocking, and the regimental commander decided to leave three battalions and eight companies and a guard company to block the Japanese army and cover the evacuation of the regimental organs and the people. After Commander Zhou told Political Commissar Zhang Huanxu his opinion, the political commissar agreed, so he summoned the commander of the Three Battalions and Eight Company, Changjiang Xueshan, and the Wei Company Commander of the Guard Company.
"Are you okay with playing here for a day?"
Upon hearing this, Commander Jiang immediately replied, "I have four grenades per person in my company, thirty or forty rounds of ammunition, can I fight for a day?" ”
Political Commissar Zhang Huanxu turned his head to look at Commander Wei, who said, "I have a little more ammunition than the Eighth Company, but that little bit of stuff can't be fought for a day!" ”
There was no way, Commander Zhou and Political Commissar Zhang re-studied and decided, "The troops are breaking through to the northeast!" Eight companies open the way in front, and guard companies defend organs in the rear! ”
In the end, only about 200 people broke through the troops, and comrades such as political commissar Zhang Huanxu, chief of staff Chen Ziying, operations staff officer Zhou Wenbin, and niu Weiwen, chief of the organization unit, all died heroically.