In the autumn of 1941, the troops of the Luzhong Military Region of the Eighth Route Army entered the most critical moment since its establishment -- the Japanese Kou mobilized tens of thousands of troops and took the so-called "iron wall encirclement" operation in a vain attempt to suppress this anti-Japanese force.
Faced with this critical situation, the troops of the Luzhong Military Region, under the leadership of Commander Liu Haitao, decided to avoid the enemy's front and use mobile and flexible tactics to maneuver with the enemy.
At noon on October 21, the troops were transferred to the Qingtuo Temple in Yinan County, and they were about to stop and finish their lunch and eat before leaving, when suddenly a scout came to report that a large number of Japanese puppet troops were rushing in the direction of the Qingtuo Temple under the cover of aircraft!
As for how many troops the enemy has, it is impossible to find out for a while. The people who came were not good, and the current situation was extremely dangerous.
Although Liu Haitao was a legendary commander who had experienced hundreds of battles, when he climbed the high ground and observed it with a telescope, he could not help but be secretly surprised - in the distance, the Japanese puppet army was coming from all the big roads and small roads, and even the fields and valleys were full of their figures.
Undoubtedly, this is the largest number of troops and the most ferocious momentum since the Japanese army launched the "Iron Wall Encirclement".
In the case of inferior troops and weapons, it is obviously not a wise choice to fight hard with the enemy, and you can only find a way to break through.
However, with enemies on all sides, which direction is the right direction to break through?
Liu Haitao took out a map, spread it out on the ground, and after looking at it carefully for a while, he suddenly raised his head and said to the regimental and battalion cadres surrounding him: "Order the troops to guard the mountain passes and break through after dark!" ”
"In which direction to break through?" The crowd asked.
Liu Haitao pointed to the south of the Qingtuo Temple with his hand and said confidently, "Break through to the south!" Heading in the 'most dangerous' direction! ”
"Huh? Isn't the south the hinterland of the enemy-occupied zone? The base camp of the Japanese army is there, there must be heavy guards, why do we have to throw ourselves into the net? The cadres were all puzzled, talked about it in all tongues, and suddenly exploded the pot.
Even Huo Shilian, the political commissar who has always been known for his steadiness and perseverance, was a little puzzled: "Commander, is it really the best choice to break through to the south?" ”
"Yes, breaking out to the south is not only our best choice, but also our only choice!"
"Why do you say that?"
"You can see it by taking a closer look at where we are and what we're looking at." Liu Haitao pointed to the map for everyone to analyze, "To the east of us is the Taihuai (Taierzhuang to Weifang) Highway, shuhe river, Yihe river, where the terrain is very suitable for setting up a 'pocket array'. The enemy has already sealed it tightly, and as long as we drill there, we will destroy the entire army. ”
When he said this, the crowd understood and nodded their heads in agreement.
"Looking at our west side, there is the Tsuura Railway, which is very suitable for the rapid transport of troops by the enemy, and there are a large number of strongholds and bunkers, which is undoubtedly a dead end for us."
"Then there's no chance on the north side?" A cadre asked.
Liu Haitao walked a dozen steps to the north, pointed down the mountain, and said: "Well, in the north, everyone can see that this is the most dense side of the enemy's encirclement of troops, and maybe we have not yet protruded, and the troops will soon be exhausted." ”
The cadre was still a little puzzled: "Isn't there also an enemy in the south?" Why can't the other three sides go, and the south side has the opportunity to stand out? ”
Liu Haitao nodded and said, "That's a good question!" There are three favorable conditions to support our breakthrough to the south. ”
"First, the enemy formation from the south is the most loose; second, when we go south, we can take advantage of the mountainous and easy concealment characteristics there; third, there is the enemy's base camp in Linyi in the south..."
Another person asked: "The base camp of the Japanese army must be heavily guarded, isn't that the most dangerous side?" ”
Liu Haitao's face showed a smile: "Let's think about it, the Japanese army has mobilized so many troops to besiege us in a short period of time, can the rear not be empty?" Just as the so-called 'attack what we don't defend, its disease is like the wind', they concluded that we do not dare to go south, we just want to go there! Only in this way can we turn passivity into initiative and smash the encirclement conspiracy of the Japanese puppet army! ”
Hearing this, everyone suddenly realized: "Yes, the south side seems to be the most dangerous side, in fact, the only way out, the commander's move 'self-casting net' is really wonderful!" ”
Next, Liu Haitao commanded the troops of the Luzhong Military Region to pose a decisive battle with the Japanese army on the mountain, guarding the mountain passes and maneuvering with the enemy with the method of not wasting ammunition as much as possible.
Taking advantage of the fact that the enemy had just arrived at the bottom of the mountain, Liu Haitao had already dispatched a reconnaissance detachment that was familiar with the terrain and was flexible and capable, and found a hidden path to break through from the bottom of the mountain to the south.
Finally dragged until dark, Liu Haitao led his troops under the cover of night, quietly along the path, from about 500 meters wide enemy gaps to the south.
If the troops advance in a straight line, they will inevitably be intercepted by the enemy, but they walk in circles and find a way to survive from the cracks.
Although there were many mobile sentries set up by the Japanese army along the way, because there were reconnaissance teams in front of them, they were solved one by one, and the troops were able to continue to advance unconsciously.
At dawn on the 22nd, the troops experienced all kinds of difficulties and dangers, and finally successfully reached the vicinity of Wanggou and rushed out of the enemy's heavy encirclement.
Just as the enemy was angry and demoralized by the "evaporation" of the Eighth Route Army troops from the Qingtuo Temple Mountain, Liu Haitao led his troops to suddenly kill the enemy's base camp, Linyi City, taking advantage of the emptiness of his troops, burning his granaries and oil depots, intercepting his materials and livestock, and also fighting an ambush battle in the Shilan area, eliminating a group of Japanese puppet troops who returned to Linyi to help, annihilating more than 300 enemy troops.
So far, the troops of the Luzhong Military Region have not only successfully smashed the enemy's conspiracy of "iron wall encirclement," but also dealt a heavy blow to the enemy, creating a classic example of turning passivity into initiative in military history.