One day in April 1943, the Japanese army stationed in Linfen, Shanxi Province, issued a notice personally issued by the commander of the Japanese brigade, and the content of the notice was to offer a reward for the arrest of an eight-way road. Such a bulletin, the Japanese devils usually do not send less, and the common people have long seen it.
But this time the announcement released appeared a funny scene. The Japanese devils actually gave them a reward for the arrest of the eighth road, and gave them a Dazuo official.
Don't look at the current anti-Japanese drama, the Japanese officer is a big Zuo at every turn. In real history, Daisaku was not low in the Japanese army, and his subordinates often commanded thousands of people. Whether it is the national army or the communist army, if you kill a Japanese army on the battlefield, it is a record worthy of special books. And the Japanese army will generally posthumously promote Dazuo who died in battle to major general.
Japanese army Daisaku in film and television works
Who is this eighth road, so that the Japanese devils hate and fear him, and there is nothing to do?
Guo Qingxiang, born in February 1909, is from Fenxi County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. His family has been farming for generations, and by his generation, the family situation is already very difficult. Guo Qingxiang is the oldest in the family, and there are four older brothers on it. His parents have a strong preference for Guo Qingxiang, and even if he borrows debts, they have to send him to school. Guo Qingxiang studied until normal and returned to his hometown to become a teacher in an elementary school after graduation.
Not long after, Guo Qingxiang's father died in poverty and illness. The old man toiled all his life, leaving his wife and children with only usury that could never be repaid.
Not long after their father's death, the brothers separated. Guo Qingxiang received a debt of more than 200 silver yuan, and his monthly salary as a teacher was only 3 yuan, which was not even enough to pay interest. The creditors blocked the door at every turn and demanded debts, and the words they said were unbearable. Guo Qingxiang could only say good things with a smile on his face and pleaded for grace.
Former residence of Guo Qingxiang, Fenxi County
In order to survive, Guo Qingxiang traveled around, suffered a lot of oppression and bullying, and finally found a position as a prosecutor at the Fenxi County Tax Office in 1934, and he was barely settled.
In February 1936, the Red Army marched east to Shanxi and came to Guo Qingxiang's hometown. Guo Qingxiang had long heard that the Communist Party was for the benefit of the poor, and he had suffered oppression and exploitation, so he resolutely gave up the hard-won job and joined the Red Army with a group of poor villagers.
After Guo Qingxiang joined the Red Army, he made rapid progress, and a few months later he joined the party, became chairman of the district Soviet and leader of the guerrilla brigade, and then withdrew to the northern Shaanxi base area with the Red Army.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Guo Qingxiang was sent back to his hometown to serve as a guerrilla battalion commander and regiment chief of staff.
Guo Qingxiang was brave and resourceful, fought heroically, repeatedly achieved battle merits, and intimidated the enemy. In 1940, Guo Qingxiang led troops to participate in the famous "Hundred Regiments War", attacking Japanese and pseudo-strongholds. In order to protect the safe and smooth traffic in the base areas of Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia and northwestern Jin, Guo Qingxiang commanded the troops, cut off the Fenli highway, pinned down the Japanese army reinforced by the Zhengtai Railway, and fought for more than 20 days, paralyzing the communication of the Japanese army and greatly boosting the morale of the anti-Japanese army and people.
The areas where Guo Qingxiang's troops were active were in Fenyang, Jiaocheng, Wenshui, Xiaoyi, Pingyao, and Jiexiu. Fenyang is a military strategic place, west of Taiyuan, 200 kilometers away from Taiyuan, the surrounding area is flat, rich in products, relatively developed culture, and the transportation is very convenient. The Japanese army has long deployed a brigade in this area, and the brigade headquarters is located in Fenyang, and it has also enlisted a large number of traitors, hooligans and ruffians to form a puppet army.
This area is also very important for the Eighth Route Army. It is an important communication line connecting the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army in North China, South China and East China with Yan'an, and is known as the North China Transportation Corridor. The head of the Central Committee, fraternal units, and international friends have passed here. To this end, the higher authorities specially established the Eighth Military Subdistrict of Northwest Jinxi (later renamed the Eighth Military Subdistrict of the Jin-Sui Military Region) here to organize and lead the anti-Japanese work.
In 1941, the Japanese invading forces in North China began to carry out the so-called "Operation Strengthening Public Security". The Japanese army in the Fenyang area not only set up a large number of strongholds around Fenyang City, but also sent a large number of Japanese puppet troops to build pillboxes and artillery towers in the hinterland of the base areas; in addition to grabbing territory and controlling traffic, they also kept sending small units and spies to harass and attack the base areas in an attempt to completely eliminate the anti-Japanese forces.
Under the aggressive military pressure of the Japanese puppet army, the anti-Japanese base area was once reduced to only 18 administrative villages. In such a grim situation, can the Eighth Route Army still hold on?
The area where Guo Qingxiang's troops operated
At the beginning of 1943, the Japanese army in the Fenyang area once again launched a large-scale campaign to sweep up the Japanese base areas, and the ordinary people in the base areas were about to face another bloody disaster.
Guo Qingxiang was at this time the commander of the sixth detachment of the Eighth Military Subdistrict of the Jin-Sui Military Region, and after consulting with other leaders, he decided that he could not be passively beaten; It is necessary to take advantage of the fact that the Japanese army went out to sweep and the old nest at home was empty, go deep into the heart of the enemy, pull out the teeth of the tiger, and force the Japanese troops who went out to sweep back.
So, which target to choose next to strike, everyone invariably thought of a stronghold called Dayingpan.
Remains of a Japanese stronghold
For the stronghold of Dayingpan, the Eighth Route Army is no stranger at all. This stronghold is located more than 200 meters outside the west gate of Fenyang City, with a radius of about two kilometers, and is densely packed with barbed wire, bunkers, and heavily guarded. Around this stronghold, there are also a number of Japanese puppet army strongholds, all of which are no more than 10 kilometers away. There are road connections between the bases, and the transportation is convenient; As soon as something happens, reinforcements can be quickly rushed. Therefore, the Japanese army believed that the Daying stronghold was absolutely safe, and the Eighth Route Army would never dare to attack here. During this sweep, most of the troops in this stronghold were withdrawn, leaving only about a squadron of Japanese soldiers to watch over the home.
However, this time, Guo Qingxiang is going to surprise the enemy, attack places that the Japanese army cannot imagine, and teach the Japanese devils a good lesson.
The date of the operation was set for 23 April 1943. At four o'clock in the afternoon of that day, the commanders and fighters of the Eighth Route Army set out from Xiangyang Village, 15 kilometers from Fenyang. The Eighth Route Army bypassed the Japanese puppet army's stronghold and arrived at the outskirts of the Dayingpan stronghold at 12:30 p.m.
The current Xiangyang Village
The deployment of the Eighth Route Army was as follows: with the main force of the third company of the six detachments as the first route, the sentry and guards at the battalion gate were first eliminated; The sixth company of the sixth detachment was the second road, followed by the third company, occupied the barracks, and expanded the depth; The Fenyang County Brigade then took control of the camp gate to ensure the way back. It was estimated that the Japanese army might be reinforced from the north or west of the city, and it was decided that a platoon of the ninth and third companies of the six detachments, as well as the basic militia, would be responsible for the division of labor.
The platoon commander Tu Bingrong of the third company with several subordinates served as sharp soldiers and was responsible for eliminating the Japanese sentries. They followed the camp wall, from west to near the east gate of the stronghold, and found a Japanese sentry swimming non-stop at the camp gate. The sharp group suddenly jumped up, killed the Japanese sentries in one fell swoop, and then began to clear the barbed wire obstacles around the camp gate.
At this time, another Japanese sentry suddenly opened fire and hit Tu Bingrong's platoon commander. Tu Bingrong issued the final order before his sacrifice: "Hit the door quickly, hit the door quickly, hit the door quickly!" The sentinels cannot be spared ... Leave me alone, carry out the order ... Fast! ”
With tears in their eyes, the soldiers endured severe pain to open a passage and shot and killed the fleeing Japanese sentry.
The main forces of the three companies that followed rushed up, rushed into the camp gate, and opened heavy fire on the guard rooms on the left and right of the camp gate. Before the dozen Japanese soldiers in the guard room could react, they were all reimbursed.
The sixth company followed the third company and also rushed in. As they plunged along the sides of the auditorium into the playground, a group of Japanese soldiers hid behind an obstacle and fired at the sixth company, and the advancing team was suddenly blocked. At this time, the machine gunner Cai Jizhou wittily circled behind enemy lines, and a fierce strafing shot suppressed the Japanese firepower. He immediately grabbed the fighter and shouted repeatedly: "Comrades rush!" The devil can't do it, rush quickly!" And lead the charge with a machine gun.
The sixth company broke through the four-row barracks of the Japanese army in a row, and the Japanese army was beaten to the ground. At this time, the Japanese army had already reacted and, under the orders of the commander, launched a counterattack. Guo Qingxiang made a quick decision, commanded the troops to expand the depth, met the enemy's short soldiers, and launched a white-knuckle battle inside and outside the barracks. The athletes of the Eighth Route Army were extremely brave, and they swept away the stubborn enemy in seven barracks. Some of the remnants of the enemy, who were fleeing quickly, tried to enter the northwest corner bunker to hide, but unexpectedly, the Eighth Route Army had already occupied the watchtower first, and faced a burst of machine guns and grenades, which caused the Japanese soldiers to scream and die.
At the same time, some soldiers of the third company smashed open the iron door of the prison behind the guard room and rescued the innocent imprisoned compatriots. After the released men were released from prison, they threw themselves into battle, and soon stormed the Japanese stables, struggling to seize the horses. At this time, the direct subordinate teams of the six detachments also broke through the wall in the northwest corner and came to the Japanese stables, and the two forces acted in unison, capturing all 45 Japanese Yanmars and pulling them out from the gap in the southwest camp wall, creating a new record for captured war horses in the War of Resistance behind enemy lines in the Lüliang area.
Near the end of the battle, the Japanese army in Fenyang City sent three armored vehicles from the west gate to reinforce, and was discovered by the soldiers of the third company who were responsible for the task of fighting, that is, they stopped their advance with machine guns and grenades, and blew up two of them with grenades, and the other saw that the situation was not good, and hurriedly turned around and fled.
Japanese armored vehicles in the museum
After more than 90 minutes of fighting, the Eighth Route Army won a complete victory and took the initiative to withdraw from the battlefield. In this battle, more than 80 Japanese soldiers were killed, 45 war horses, 21 military blankets, various guns, ammunition, and documents. On the way back to the division, the people sent porridge and cordial condolences. Remembering the hardships of the people in the enemy-occupied areas, the Eighth Route Army politely declined, dripping water without drinking water, and said goodbye in tears.
The Battle of Dayingpan shook the Japanese army in Jinzhong very much, especially the Japanese army in Fenyang was particularly frightened, and they were under martial law for five days and did not dare to go out of the city; Another notice was issued offering a reward for arrest, announcing that Guo Dazuo would be captured and a reward of 1,000 silver dollars, which is also the scene mentioned at the beginning of this article. The Japanese army was also angry and corrupt for a while, and actually according to the Japanese army's own military rank and customs, he gave Guo Qingxiang a great official position, which became the laughing stock of the anti-Japanese soldiers and people.
The other four sweeping Japanese troops were also ordered to rush back to the camp to find six detachments in an attempt to retaliate. In this way, the six detachments contained a large number of Japanese troops, disrupted the Japanese invaders' "sweep" plan for southeastern Jin, and effectively cooperated with the all-round anti-sweep struggle of the military and people in the base areas.
In the second half of 1944, the situation of the Japanese army in Shanxi could be described as weakening day by day. In September of that year, Lü Liang's anti-Japanese army and people launched an autumn offensive against the Japanese invaders. At this time, a delegation of allied journalists arrived at the Fenyang front.
The delegation of reporters from the allied countries consisted of five people, including Epstein, a correspondent of the United Labour Newspaper and the New York Times in China; Foreman, a reporter from the United Press Agency's "London Times," Wu Dao, a reporter from Reuters' Star Weekly, and The Sun; and Major Castle, a military doctor of the US military delegation's observation group in Yan'an, and Zhang Husheng, an escort sent by the Kuomintang Central Propaganda Department.
At that time, the Kuomintang authorities in Chongqing strictly sealed the news of the communist anti-Japanese base areas, and also wantonly slandered the communist anti-Japanese armed forces as "guerrilla without fighting" and "sabotaging the war of resistance." Chinese and foreign journalists in Chongqing are eager to enter the Communist Party region to cover the news. The foreign journalists even exercised relationships to put pressure on the Kuomintang authorities through diplomatic envoys.
The Kuomintang authorities were forced to agree to the reporters' interview requests, and this was the frontline trip of the Allied journalists' delegation.
This time, the Allies reporters came to the front line to see how the Eighth Route Army fought the war, and whether it really "traveled without attacking" as described by the Kuomintang.
On September 15, the reporter delegation went to Xiangyang Village on the outskirts of Fenyang City, which was only 2 or 3 kilometers away from the nearest Japanese stronghold, and with binoculars, you could clearly see the sun flag floating in the stronghold artillery tower and the glittering bayonets on the sentry rifles. In Xiangyang Village, the press group observed two battles between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese.
Late on the night of the 15th, Guo Qingxiang commanded the sixth detachment and the Fenyang County Brigade to attack the Fenyang Airport and Fenyang Railway Station, and after more than an hour of fierce fighting, the defenders were left behind.
On the night of the 16th, the Eighth Route Army attacked the Match Company, the Electric Light Company, and the Fenyang Dongguan, and the 9th Company of the 6th Detachment, under the command of Li Bingren, director of the political office of the detachment, repelled the Japanese troops who came to reinforce, killing more than 10 Japanese soldiers, and no casualties in the 9th Company.
For two consecutive nights, the smoke that pervaded the sky over Fenyang City, the fire reflecting the red sky, and the explosion sound that resounded in the sky could be clearly heard and heard in the surrounding more than ten miles. The group of reporters watching the battle in Xiangyang Village saw with their own eyes the spectacular momentum of the night battle of the Eighth Route Army through binoculars. But they still felt that it was not too enjoyable, and hoped that the Eighth Route Army could capture some spoils, and it was better to capture a few Japanese prisoners.
The higher authorities immediately decided that the six detachments would continue their efforts and surprise the Concorde Fort.
Xiehe Fort is an important outlying stronghold northwest of Fenyang City, only five or six miles away from Fenyang City, stationed more than 30 people in a detachment of the Japanese army, 4 or 50 people in a squadron headquarters and a detachment of the puppet army, as well as puppet government agencies and puppet police, a total of more than 200 people. It controls the road leading to the county seat in the mountainous northwest of Fenyang.
The fort wall of Fort Concorde was two feet high, and a blockade ditch two feet four feet deep and one foot eight feet wide was dug outside the fortress wall; The fort gate is open in the south, facing Fenyang City, usually closed, and the suspension bridge is high. The guns of the watchtower, distributed in all directions, fought hard and hard, and it was very difficult to take advantage of the equipment situation of the Eighth Route Army at that time.
But the Eighth Route Army also has its own advantages, the mass base in this area is good, and the false reality of the Japanese puppet army in the fort has long been clear to the Eighth Route Army. Moreover, the Eighth Route Army also developed an internal line in Fort Concord.
On the afternoon of the 17th, the scouts of the six detachments sneaked into the fort, explained the task to the inner line, and hidden. At 12 o'clock that night, with the cooperation of scouts and insiders, the Eighth Route Army quietly infiltrated Xiehe Fort.
There was no suspense in the next thing, after three hours of fierce fighting, by three o'clock in the morning of the 18th, the Japanese puppet army and puppet police in the Concorde Fort were completely annihilated. In this battle, more than 30 Japanese soldiers were killed, 2 Japanese soldiers were captured, 58 puppet soldiers were captured, and more than 30 puppet personnel were captured. One light machine gun, one grenade canister, more than 50 horse rifles, five pistols and other military materials were captured. The Eighth Route Army lost 3 people and wounded 4 people, which can be said to be a complete victory.
Foreign journalists were amazed at the achievements of the Eighth Route Army; they ran from place to place, interviewing cadres and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army, questioning prisoners, understanding the mood of the masses, taking photographs and making records, and asking commanders and fighters to sign autographs, inscribes, and commemorate them.
During this period, a joke was also made that Zeng Degong, the commander of the Sixth Company, was holding a pistol he had confiscated, and his body was very strong, and the reporters regarded him as a commander, and he was interviewing and asking for autographs. Major Cassburg, a US military doctor who accompanied the reporters, was also excited and took the initiative to treat the wounded.
Japanese communication equipment captured by the Eighth Route Army, photographed by American journalist Foreman
Soon, reports about the battle appeared in well-known newspapers at home and abroad. The Kuomintang's rumors and slander against the Eighth Route Army can be regarded as completely bankrupt. Chiang Kai-shek became so embarrassed that he no longer allowed foreign journalists to visit Communist strongholds.
During the Liberation War, Guo Qingxiang successively served as chief of staff of the Yuxi Military Subdistrict, commander of the 4th Subdistrict and 5th Subdistrict of the Taiyue Military Region, commander of the Luoyang Military Subdistrict of the Henan Military Region, commander of the Shaanzhou Military Subdistrict and commander of the 1st Police Brigade.
After liberation, he successively served as commander of the 174th Division of the 58th Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and commander of the Yishan Military Subdistrict, commander of the Western Guangdong Military Region, commander of the Guangdong Central Military Region, commander of the Chenzhou Military Region, commander of the Guangdong Guangxi Bandit Suppression Command, and deputy commander of the Guangzhou Military Region. In 1956 he was awarded the rank of major general.
In 1959, Guo Qingxiang transferred to local work, and successively served as deputy secretary, secretary and deputy director of the Preparatory Office of Maoming Petroleum Company of the Ministry of Petroleum Industry, member of the Standing Committee of the Maoming Municipal Party Committee of the CPC, and deputy secretary, secretary and director of the Party Committee of Maoming Petroleum Industry Company. He retired in 1980. He died of illness in Guangzhou on October 16, 1986, at the age of 77.
Photo of Guo Qingxiang