What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
In the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Eighth Route Army was not always victorious and made many heroic sacrifices, but the indomitability and combat effectiveness of officers and men created one miracle after another.
In May 1943, during the "iron sweep" of the Japanese army, the 20th Regiment of the Eighth Route Army in Ji'nan created a miracle after a huge sacrifice.
On May 26, when the 20th Regiment of Southern Hebei was fighting in Wei County, Hebei Province, it suddenly encountered more than 4,000 elite Japanese troops who were "iron sweeping", and were compressed by the Japanese army from both flanks in a narrow strip. At a very critical juncture, the regimental commander Xu Shaoen ordered: "Political Commissar, you lead the troops to break through, I will cover!" ”
He then took cover with two platoons, one of which was a heavy machine gun platoon and one was a 2-company 3-platoon. Under the command of Commander Xu, two platoons of the Eighth Route Army began to fight with the Japanese at the head of the village, covering the breakthrough of the troops.
As a result, the main force of the regiment successfully broke through under the leadership of Political Commissar Li Hanying, but Commander Xu and the soldiers of the two platoons were outnumbered and all died heroically.
After Li Hanying led the main force to break through, the Japanese cavalry desperately caught up. Li Hanying said to Chief of Staff He Mingxian: "You take the troops away, I will take cover!" ”
Under the cover of Li Hanying and others, the main force of the regiment quickly broke away from the enemy. However, in the fierce battle, the Japanese army was numerous, Li Hanying was also unfortunately seriously injured, seeing that the Japanese army rushed over, he did not want to be a prisoner, pulled out a pistol, aimed at his head, "snapped", and ended his life.
Chief of Staff He Mingxian led the troops just out of the pursuit of the Japanese cavalry, and ran forward quickly, but was unexpectedly blocked by another Japanese rapid force.
The Japanese came in cars.
The Japanese lined up with 6 cars, sandbags and machine guns, and strafed the 20th Regiment. The 20th Regiment fought fiercely with the Japanese and prepared to take the road, but the Japanese cavalry behind also caught up. At this time, the officers and men of the Eighth Route Army were surrounded three times, exhausted, and the bullets were quickly exhausted, and many soldiers died and were not taken prisoners, and they died together with the Japanese army.
In the melee, the chief of staff He Mingxian also disappeared, and it is not known whether he was sacrificed, or captured by the Japanese army, or broke out. The commander of the 1st Battalion was also killed. The 20th Regiment lost command completely.
At 4 p.m. on the 28th, there were more than a hundred officers and men in the Japanese encirclement. Led by Yu Fengzhang, the regimental special agent leader, they rushed into the Japanese-controlled sha lump village and seized two courtyards. Fu Yizong, the instructor of the regimental organs, also rushed into the village, and immediately helped Captain Yu to sort out the team together, pointing to the squad and platoon leader, and said to everyone:
"We will never surrender, nor will we die as slaves to the country, but guard these two courtyards." After dark, Deputy Commander Chu will definitely come to our rescue. ”
The deputy head of the Chu regiment is the deputy regimental commander Chu Daming.
At the beginning of the "sweep", he led a battalion to jump out of the encirclement and lure the enemy outside. However, the cunning Japanese army was not deceived.
The Japanese army saw the Eighth Route Army gathered in two courtyards, surrounded on all sides, and launched a continuous attack, but they were all repelled by the heroic and indomitable Eighth Route Army. The Japanese army could not attack for a long time, so they sent puppet troops to shout, but there was no movement in the courtyard.
The Japanese army forced several compatriots to send letters of persuasion. Yu Fengzhang looked at it, tore the letter to pieces, and said:
"Whoever dares to surrender, Lao Tzu will shoot him."
The Japanese army failed to persuade the surrender, and became angry, so they moved steel cannons and bombarded the houses, and the courtyard wall was blown down. However, the fighters still did not surrender and fought back heroically. The Japanese could not penetrate, sent cavalry to transport a batch of poison gas bombs, and then issued an ultimatum to the Eighth Route Army in the courtyard, but shouted through their throats, and no one paid attention to them.
The Japanese fired poison gas shells with mortars, and the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army covered their noses with wet towels and continued to drop bombs.
Finally, they held out until dusk, and the Japanese attack receded and continued to surround the two courtyards.
Halfway through, suddenly, "Rush! Kill! When Yu Fengzhang and Fu Yizong heard this, they immediately shouted, "The deputy regimental commander has brought soldiers to save us!" The officers and men jumped up, took the wounded, and went out together, and roared away under the support of the 2nd Battalion led by Chu Daming.
In this battle, the 20th Regiment fought a bloody battle for three days and three nights, killing and wounding more than 700 Japanese puppet troops and more than 400 casualties. Subsequently, under the leadership of Chu Daming, the whole regiment gathered the remnants, fought all the way, and went to Taihang.