During the Anti-Japanese War, the capture of the battlefield was a very important source of its combat equipment, not only weapons and ammunition, but also the Japanese army's military supplies were also the most beloved trophies of the Eighth Route Army.
In today's Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, a Japanese army coat is preserved, which was originally captured during the Battle of the Hundred Regiments, and was later given to Xu Qianqian, who was in poor health by Zhou Xihan, commander of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and accompanied Xu Qianqian for many years.
[The Japanese military coat used by Xu Xiangqian in the museum]
Capture of the Eighth Route Army
During the Anti-Japanese War, there was a big gap between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army in terms of hard power, which was most obvious in the logistics supply of the two armies.
On the other hand, the Eighth Route Army lacked guns and ammunition, and even the standardized quilts were not complete, especially some functional clothing, and the capture of the Japanese army was particularly important at this time.
Some people may wonder why the Eighth Route Army is also a regular army under the establishment of the national army, why can't even the most basic military uniforms be guaranteed, in fact, there are military coats in the standard uniforms of the national army.
[Under the buttocks of female soldiers, they are all military coats of the national army]
The reason why the Eighth Route Army did not have it was completely deliberate by Lao Chiang, and when the Kuomintang and the Communist Party cooperated for the second time, it was originally said that everything needed to be supplied by the Nationalist Government, but soon Lao Chiang turned his face and did not recognize people, and the Eighth Route Army had to rely on itself to survive.
But then again, at that time, the limited industrial manufacturing base on the mainland was either occupied by the Japanese or had been destroyed, and the Nationalist Government did not have many military coats, and only the Central Army, the main force of the Nationalist Army, could get such equipment.
In many places, the quilts and equipment of the miscellaneous armies are not even as complete as the Eighth Route Army.
[The uniform equipment of the miscellaneous army of the national army may not be much better than that of the Eighth Route Army]
On the other hand, the situation of the Japanese army is completely different, Japan is also an industrial power, it attaches great importance to military construction, and the resources of the army are also very important, so the quality of Japan's military supplies is very high, including the Japanese army coat.
Compared with the warm clothing of the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese army's military coat has a very outstanding warmth effect, and its design is more advanced, ensuring the mobility of soldiers in combat to the greatest extent.
It is also because the good things are in the enemy, the Eighth Route Army pays great attention to cleaning the battlefield, every time is a good opportunity for our army to improve its armament, and the army coat, which is relatively scarce in our army, will naturally become a sweet spot in the trophies of the soldiers.
[The old man shows the Japanese army coat that was captured on the battlefield]
After all, clothes can be worn when you pick them up, and you can immediately form combat effectiveness, and you can ensure your warmth in winter, which is a great improvement in combat effectiveness.
From the Japanese army coat in the collection of the Continental Army Bo, it can also be seen how much Marshal Xu Xiangqian cherished the Japanese army coat, even if it has been worn for many years, but it is very well preserved.
However, those who follow the history of the Anti-Japanese War may find it strange that there are actually very complex reasons behind this.
[In the old photos of the Eighth Route Army, it is almost impossible to see the soldiers wearing Japanese military coats]
The hidden dangers posed by the Japanese army coat
The first reason was actually the battlefield capture system of the Eighth Route Army at that time.
Because our army has always relied heavily on the spoils of war to improve the level of equipment, in order to be as fair and just as possible and not affect the unity of the troops, all battlefield captures will be handed over and distributed to various units, not as everyone thinks.
Since Japanese cotton coats were already relatively scarce, they were generally distributed to higher-value grassroots commanders and military cadres.
After all, from the perspective of the overall situation, a commander's influence and contribution to the battle is much greater, and a good commander can not only bring victory, but also save the lives of more officers and soldiers, so soldiers are also willing to leave good things to their superiors.
[Xu Xiangqian (first from the right) received a Japanese military coat from Zhou Xihan]
The second reason is more local, although the Eighth Route Army is scarce, but the clothes taken from the corpses of the Japanese army are still relatively taboo, many of the coats captured in the battle are stained with blood, these coats will not be used by the Eighth Route Army to wear themselves.
The only Japanese overcoats of the Eighth Route Army were generally taken from Japanese supply warehouses and were not captured on the battlefield.
[The Japanese army's supply warehouse is very rich in materials]
The third reason is more distressing, in fact, every time the Eighth Route Army cleans up the battlefield, it is a race against time.
Because the absolute strength of the enemy is stronger than ours, once the Japanese army is attacked, reinforcements will be dispatched immediately, so the Eighth Route Army must withdraw before the enemy's main force reaches the battlefield.
In a limited time, what the Eighth Route Army needs most must be ammunition and weapons and equipment, and the army coats are often not taken care of, so the number of Japanese coats captured by our army is not large.
[The Eighth Route Army will first seize guns and ammunition when cleaning up the battlefield]
The fourth reason is for operational considerations, although the Japanese military coat takes into account the needs of the operation, but it is definitely not convenient to do various tactical actions after wearing it.
In the fierce battle, in many cases, the mobility of soldiers can determine life and death, so soldiers would rather exchange warmth for flexibility, which is also a very practical choice.
On the other hand, the commanders and fighters who are not in the forward position, they are not fighting with the enemy at any time, and it is more suitable for the generals to issue them coats, so there are not many Japanese army coats in the photos of the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army.
[Even if the commander is not on the front line, in fact, very few people can get the Japanese army coat]
If the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army are wearing Japanese military coats, there are likely to be frequent misattacks on the battlefield, after all, there is not so much time on the battlefield to screen between friend and foe.
And our army has paid a terrible price in this matter.
The reason why Lin Biao (referred to as 101 later) was mistakenly attacked by the sentries of the Jin Sui Army was actually because 101 happened to be wearing a Japanese army coat and riding on a tall horse, and the national army sentry on duty on the front line mistook 101 for a Japanese cavalry as soon as he was nervous.
[Rare 101 horseback riding photos]
Although 101 was later sent to the Soviet Union for treatment and saved a life, this time the gunshot wound brought him a lifelong nerve problem, so the Eighth Route Army after 101 rarely saw senior officers wearing Japanese overcoats.
Resources:
[1] "On the battlefield, the Japanese army not only surrendered guns, but also surrendered military coats and tiger skins" Zhongqi Network
[2] "Lin Biao was shot off the horse by friendly soldiers, one bullet for ten carts of bullets" Guangming Network