In 1939, in the winter "sweep" struggle to crush the Japanese army, Commander Nie Rongzhen of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region commanded the troops to surround the main force of the Japanese army's independent mixed second brigade in the Huangshiling Shangzhuangzi area in early November, achieving a major victory of annihilating more than 900 enemy troops and killing Lieutenant General Norihide Abe, the brigade commander of the Japanese Supreme Command.
The killing of the commander of the Japanese lieutenant general was the first time in the history of the Chinese people's war of resistance.
The news spread and quickly caused a shock at home and abroad.
The Japanese Army Ministry specially issued a communiqué on the death of Norihide Abe; Japan's "Asahi Shimbun" newspaper, with the headline "The Flower of a Famous General Withers on the Taihang Mountain," expressed condolences for three consecutive days, exclaiming: "Since the founding of the Japanese army, there has been no such example of the sacrifice of a lieutenant general at the rank of lieutenant general." ”
Chinese people were greatly encouraged and celebrated in various ways.
Chairman Mao Zedong also sent a special telegram instructing Commander Nie Rongzhen to commend the meritorious troops.
For this major victory, Nie Rongzhen never talked about his own merits.
During the Liberation War, Chen Yi once talked about this battle and said to him: "Killing Japanese Lieutenant General Abe is the highest Japanese officer killed in china's War of Resistance Against Japan. ”
Nie Rongzhen immediately said seriously, "Lieutenant General Abe, the famous enemy general, was killed, and that was under the command of Yang Chengwu." He concentrated three regiments, more than 1,000 enemy troops, I was afraid that the strength of the troops was not enough, transferred a regiment from the third division, and borrowed a regiment from Comrade He Long's first and second O divisions. In this way, we have more than 6,000 people in five regiments, five times more than the enemy. The enemy's lone army penetrated deep into the hinterland of our base area, and I agreed with Yang Chengwu's opinion and organized logistics. The actual commander of that battle was Yang Chengwu, and Elder He gave a lot of support, so how can it be said that it is my credit? ”