In March 1943, Huang Kecheng( the commander of the Third Division of the New Fourth Army ) and Hong Xuezhi ( the founding general ) of the chief of staff ) issued orders to the brigades and local armed forces to counterattack according to the enemy's movements.
After receiving the order, the various units immediately launched a huge counterattack on the vast battlefield from the Yellow Sea in the east, to hongze Lake in the west, from the Guanhe River in the north to Xinghua in the south.
Under the leadership of Peng Mingzhi and Zhu Dixin, the Seventh Brigade of the New Fourth Army successively attacked the enemy's puppet strongholds of Lianshui, Chamiao, Shuangzhuang, and Qianji, and conquered Gaojiashe, Sangdun, Youji, Caojiabu, and Caodian, so that every enemy stronghold in Huaihai District was beaten, and ten victories were won in ten days, and more than 1,000 enemy troops were annihilated.
The Japanese army was hit by this blow, and it was as anxious as a mad dog to bite people. As long as the New Fourth Army was fighting in one place, the Japanese troops from all walks of life rushed forward and surrounded the onslaught with absolute superiority.
On March 17, the Huaiyin Japanese army learned that the New Fourth Army was counterattacking in the Liutanghe area, and immediately dispatched more than 1,000 people from the 17th Division of the Japanese Army, divided into 9 routes, to launch a surprise attack on the New Fourth Army troops stationed in Zhang Haozi on the north bank of the Liutang River.
Zhang Pingzi is the seat of the head organ of the Huaihai District CPC Committee and the Military Sub-district. Such a ferocious Japanese army came from all directions and had the potential to swallow the New Fourth Army in one gulp.
After two hours, the enclosure was getting smaller and smaller, and the district committee and the military sub-district were in extreme danger!
On the road to Zhangxuzi, there is a small village called Liu Laozhuang. This village is inhabited by the 7th Brigade, 19th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 4th Company.
In fact, the Fourth Company could rush out of the encirclement circle with only one sharp charge at that time, but in order to attract several other enemies and let the district committee and the sub-district organs break through safely, they were determined to fight the enemy to the end with great courage and heroism.
The difficulty of this battle is self-evident, and the four companies have only 82 men from company commanders to cooks, which is incomparable in number and weaponry compared with thousands of enemies.
Company commander Bai Sicai and instructor Li Yunpeng were both Red Army soldiers from Shaanxi and young commanders who had experienced hundreds of battles. After the two of them urgently mobilized the whole company, the soldiers asked for the most arduous task of blocking the attack, and morale was very high.
The Japanese finally pounced! The cavalry's sabers sparkled in the sunlight, and the horses hissed. The infantry behind the cavalry, armed with bayonets, pressed forward step by step towards the four companies.
Company Commander Bai Sicai immediately ordered the whole company to enter the traffic ditch that had been dug long ago. The soldiers stooped down in the traffic ditch and scattered their formations, and when they saw the Japanese rushing up, their eyes were as angry as if they were spitting fire.
As soon as Bai Sicai's shell gun sounded, the entire company of fire swept towards the enemy in unison.
More than 30 Japanese cavalry in the front fell to the ground in response, the horses that had lost their masters ran wildly and roared, and the infantry in the back had to retreat backwards. However, the enemy commander forced them to charge the position of the four companies.
By noon, four companies had repelled seven enemy charges. The Japanese commander felt that a hard attack could not be done, and after some planning, he concentrated 12 mountain guns and bombarded the positions of the four companies.
Suddenly, the flames on the battlefield soared into the sky, and the smoke of gunfire billowed out. The positions of the four companies were greatly damaged, and the dust that flew up fell on the soldiers, and they all became clay people. Some of the warriors were wounded, and blood washed the dirt off their faces.
However, the entire soldiers did not take a step back. The fortifications were destroyed and immediately repaired, the bunkers collapsed, they were immediately filled with backpacks, the wounded were wounded, bandaged, and allowed the enemy to shell more, the bombardment to be fierce, and the positions remained unmoving.
The shelling lasted for 3 hours, Bai Sicai's right hand exploded, Li Yunpeng was wounded in the head, and only 21 people were left in the company.
After all day of fighting, the grain of rice did not enter, the dripping water was not drunk, the lips were dry and cracked and bleeding, and the nose was also choked by the smoke and bleeding. But none of the 21 soldiers shed tears and endured the pain to continue fighting.
It was nearly dusk after the shelling, and the enemy launched another charge. At this time, the four companies of ammunition ran out, and Bai Sicai, anticipating that a fierce battle was coming, forcibly propped up the wounded body, and calmly ordered all the light machine guns to be smashed, leaving only the rifle body and bayonet to fight the enemy hand-to-hand.
Li Yunpeng covered his exploded stomach and said word by word: "Comrades, we must not be prisoners, fight with the enemy with bayonets, fight one is enough, fight two to earn one!" Although we can't stand out, it's worth dying, and future generations won't forget us! ”
When he finished saying this, he waved his hand and shouted, "Rush with me!" ”
The warriors raised their bayonets and marched forward, and the two teams mingled together in a deadly fight.
The warriors stabbed their bayonets, smashed them with the butts of their guns, smashed them with shovels, and bit them with their teeth.
The 82 warriors fought from morning to night, persisted for 12 hours, and finally all were martyred due to the disparity in strength between the enemy and us.
After the Japanese army withdrew, the militia rushed to collect the remains of the martyrs, and also found a soldier surnamed Tian, who had a gunshot wound on his body, his legs were broken, and there was a weak breath in his nostrils. Because of his injuries, he died the next day.
On the third day of this fierce battle, the people of Huaiyin held a public funeral for 82 heroes in the field south of Liu Laozhuang, and built a monument of up to 5 zhang, and their names were engraved on the tombstone.
When Master Huang Kecheng learned the news of the martyrdom of 82 martyrs in Liu Laozhuang, he could not help but be filled with grief and indignation.
In order to inherit the legacy of these martyrs, Huang Kecheng immediately made a decision, calling on the military and civilians of Yanfu District to learn from this company, and at the same time issued an order to the Seventh Brigade: "You must do this within three days - rebuild the 19th Regiment and the 4th Company!" ”
When the people of Liu Laozhuang learned of this news, they sent their best sons to this company. In less than three days, the Fourth Company was rebuilt and named "Liu Laozhuang Company".