During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the smoke of war shrouded the land of North China, but in the area behind the enemy, there was a puzzling past. There was a secret contact between the New Fourth Army and the Japanese Okamura Ninji Headquarters, but behind this seemingly ordinary fact, there is a magnificent history. A figure named Ji Gang was suddenly released from Nanjing Prison by the Japanese army, and then appeared in front of the military headquarters of the New Fourth Army. What he said made people wonder about the true intentions of the Japanese army. Was it a disguise by the enemy? Or is it a signal of summing? Yang Fan, an eyewitness, will unveil this veil of mystery for us and tell us what the truth was back then?
1. Covert contacts in the midst of war
In the spring of 1944, just as the National War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was entering a critical juncture, the New Fourth Army was fighting bravely against the Japanese invaders. At this time, an incredible news spread among the army and attracted significant attention. It turned out that the New Fourth Army received Ji Gang, a person who had been released from the Japanese military prison in Nanjing. This person claimed to be an underground intelligence agent of the Chinese Communist Party, and he came to contact the New Fourth Army on the orders of the Japanese army headquarters. Faced with the sudden situation, Rao Shushi, political commissar of the New Fourth Army, personally inquired into the matter.
After examination and verification, it was found that Ji Gang was indeed a party member cadre engaged in intelligence work in Nanjing. He has two important informants under him, one is Wang Jinyuan, the secretary of Wang's puppet regime, and the other is Chen Yifeng, the news agency's interview director, both of whom are underground party members. Through them, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has obtained a lot of valuable information. But unexpectedly, a progressive journalist Ryuo Nishiri was discovered by the Japanese side and confessed his relationship with Ji Gang and others. Ji Gang and others were arrested and tortured for this reason.
This time, the Japanese army suddenly released Ji Gang, and it was obvious that there was another conspiracy. When the New Fourth Army interrogated Ji Gang, he reported that the Japanese army hoped to have secret contact with the New Fourth Army to discuss the possibility of "negotiating peace." As the Allied pressure on Germany and Japan increased, and the situation of the war became more and more unfavorable to the Japanese invaders, the Japanese army knew that the general trend was gone, and this absurd idea was born.
In the face of the conspiracy of the Japanese invaders, the New Fourth Army must not take it lightly. After careful study, the Central China Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved contact with the Japanese army in order to spy on its conspiracy. Ji Gang was immediately sent back to Nanjing to inform the Japanese side of the Chinese Communists' intention to agree to contact. Just a few days later, a mysterious Japanese delegation was guided into the position of the New Fourth Army, and the two sides launched a delaying strategy.
2. The war of words between the New Fourth Army and the Japanese army
In June 1945, after several months of maneuvering, the secret talks between the two sides finally began. According to the prior arrangement, three Japanese officers went to a village near the New Fourth Army in northern Jiangsu, and they had changed into Chinese-style civilian clothes in order to hide people's eyes. The New Fourth Army sent several dignitaries to contact him, including Peng Kang, then Minister of Propaganda and proficient in Japanese, Liang Guobin, Minister of Security, and Yang Fan, the head of the trip.
The first to arrive were the three Japanese officers. Among them, "Tachibana" is said to be a close confidant of the Japanese emperor, who served as the head of the military police, and later served as a staff officer of Okamura Ninji's headquarters. The other two are "Hara" and "Umezawa". At the beginning, they tried to win over the New Fourth Army with some sweet words, praising the New Fourth Army for its bravery and admirability. But soon, they cut to the chase and put forward the Japanese side's conspiracy purpose - to propose "partial peace" to the New Fourth Army.
In the face of the shameless proposal of the Japanese army, Yang Fan and others resolutely refused as a matter of course. Seeing that the plan was beginning to emerge, the Japanese army hurriedly changed its tune, claiming that they were just low-level personnel, and suggested that the New Fourth Army send higher-ranking representatives to Nanjing to hold direct talks with Okamura Ninji himself. In order to prove its sincerity, the Japanese side is even willing to leave a few people as "hostages" to show its sincerity.
The Japanese army's lying behavior once again exposed their sinister intentions. At this time, Japan was at the end of its rope and could no longer withstand the pressure of the Allies. They had no choice but to find ways to win over China's anti-Japanese forces and temporarily relieve the pressure. The Central China base area, headed by the New Fourth Army in northern Jiangsu, happened to be located in the heart of the Japanese invasion of China, and it has always been a thorn in their hearts. The Japanese army tried in vain to divide the New Fourth Army from the anti-Japanese army through the trick of "partial peace."
The New Fourth Army saw through the conspiracy of the Japanese army. However, in order to further spy on the Japanese army's attempts, it was decided to send Yang Fan to Nanjing to meet directly with Okamura Ninji himself. Before leaving, the Military Political Committee of the New Fourth Army held a farewell party for Yang Fan, hoping that he would act cautiously and pay attention to safety. Yangfan is well aware of the heavy responsibility, and said that he is fully prepared, even if he is in danger.
3. The Japanese army tried in vain to buy and control the New Fourth Army
It was not for nothing that the Japanese army was eyeing the New Fourth Army and vainly attempting to completely buy and manipulate it. At the end of 1944, Rogers, a pilot of the U.S. Air Force, was shot down in East China and temporarily crashed near the base area in northern Jiangsu. The New Fourth Army not only rescued him, but also secretly escorted him out of the war zone safely, which aroused widespread concern in the international community. This incident has demonstrated the humanitarian spirit of the New Fourth Army and has also made international public opinion further cast high hopes on it.
It was inspired by this that the Japanese army came up with a brilliant conspiracy. They realized that as long as they could win over or control the anti-Japanese force of the New Fourth Army, they would be able to gain a considerable voice in the international community and thus reverse the increasingly passive situation. As a result, all kinds of actions of the Japanese army were actually aimed at pulling the New Fourth Army into its camp.
At the headquarters of Ningci in Okamura, Nanjing, Yang Fan, as a representative of the New Fourth Army, was first warmly "entertained" by the upper echelons of the Japanese army. The entire Japanese army base camp, from officers to soldiers, tried their best to show unparalleled courtesy, which made Yangfan feel a little surprised. But soon, Okamura Ninji personally met with Yang Fan and explained to him the lies and tricks of the Japanese army.
Okamura Ninji first expressed his great appreciation and gratitude to Yang Fan for the Rogers incident. He also tried his best to exaggerate that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to Japan, and that it was already in a desperate situation. Then, he put forward the so-called "constructive proposal" of the Japanese -- hoping that the New Fourth Army would take this opportunity to reach a peace agreement with the Japanese side and jointly pursue a "peaceful order in East Asia."
Hearing this, Yang Fan smiled. He sharply refuted the conspiracy of the Japanese army, and bluntly said that only the unconditional surrender of the Japanese army was the only way to end the war. The Japanese high-ranking officers present at the scene were suddenly dumbfounded and looked at each other. Okamura Ninji saw that his plan failed, and changed to a new way of seduction.
He began to preach Japanese nationalism to Yangfan, extolling the supremacy of the emperor and describing the Japanese feudal regime as noble and pure, supported by the people. At the same time, he slandered the European and American powers, demonizing them as ambitious and vicious aggressors, in a vain attempt to create fear and hatred in Yangfan's heart. In the end, Okamura Ninji revealed his true purpose - hoping that the New Fourth Army could "join hands" with the Japanese army to jointly resist the "invasion" of European and American powers.
Yangfan only laughed at Okamura Ninji's ridiculous remarks. He frankly pointed out that the root cause of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was the war of aggression launched by Japanese militarism. It is precisely Japan's repeated armed invasion of China that has led to today's tragedy. The purpose of fighting side by side with other anti-Japanese forces was to drive the Japanese army, a criminal division, out of Chinese territory, and it was by no means a "hand in hand" with Okamura Ninji as Okamura said.
Hearing Yangfan's such a straightforward refutation, Okamura Ninji finally lost the last shred of his senses. He began to roar and curse, clamoring to beat up the "outlaws" of the New Fourth Army. Seeing that the negotiations had completely broken down, Yangfan had no choice but to leave Nanjing gloomily and return to the base camp of the New Fourth Army. This conspiracy of the Japanese army also fell short.
Fourth, the two sides wrestled and the negotiations were full of twists and turns
After returning from Nanjing, the New Fourth Army immediately reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the contact with the Japanese army. The Party Central Committee was even more vigilant against the conspiracy of the Japanese army, and decided to continue to deal with it in order to thoroughly find out the details of the Japanese invaders. In the months that followed, negotiations between the two sides continued, and the contradictions intensified, with twists and turns.
At the beginning of 1945, as the war situation developed, the Soviet Union announced that it would join the war against Japan, and at the same time, the American army was also winning in the Pacific region. Faced with the pressure of a strong coalition force, Japan found itself in an unprecedented desperate situation. This made Okamura's attempt to win over the New Fourth Army all the more urgent. He repeatedly invited delegations of the New Fourth Army to Nanjing under various pretexts in an attempt to reach some kind of agreement.
Naturally, the New Fourth Army categorically refused. However, in order to extinguish the flames of war, the CPC Central Committee still allowed the New Fourth Army to continue contacts with the Japanese side. The negotiations between the two sides have been full of twists and turns, and there have been several breakthroughs. For example, Okamura Ninji took the initiative to propose a ceasefire with the New Fourth Army in a certain area of central China, but the New Fourth Army did not agree. Another example is the New Fourth Army's request for a ceasefire in a province as a sign of sincerity, but Okamura refused.
During this period, the Kuomintang also began to intervene. When Chiang Kai-shek learned of the news of the negotiations between the New Fourth Army and the Japanese army, he was extremely annoyed and repeatedly exerted pressure on the Chinese communists to immediately suspend all dialogue. Chiang Kai-shek intended to receive the opportunity for the Japanese army to surrender in China, so as to eliminate the anti-Japanese forces in the communist base areas in one fell swoop. The New Fourth Army hated Chiang Kai-shek's obstruction.
The last major negotiations took place in August 1945. This time, Okamura Ninji and other high-ranking Japanese military officials personally came to the New Fourth Army station. The two sides had a heated debate on whether or not the New Fourth Army should accept the surrender of the Japanese army in China. The Japanese army tried to get the New Fourth Army to "stick a foot" in order to increase its bargaining chips at the negotiating table.
But the New Fourth Army persevered in opposing the Japanese conspiracy. Yang Fan and others have repeatedly stated that the only feasible way is to follow the arrangements of the Chinese Government and accept the surrender of the Chinese Government representatives. Any private representations by the Japanese army were meaningless. In this regard, Okamura Ninji protested and roared again, but in the end he returned in vain.
Soon, the Japanese government announced its unconditional surrender. The New Fourth Army naturally began to gather forces and prepare to enter the big cities to officially receive the surrender of the Japanese puppet army. However, the Kuomintang authorities once again obstructed it. They strictly ordered the New Fourth Army not to overstep its authority and cross the territory, and the Kuomintang army must take the lead in surrendering matters under the dictatorship. Yang Fan had no choice but to leave Nanjing gloomily and surrender to the base camp of the New Fourth Army.
5. Sail dictation: The beginning and end of the Japanese army's embarrassed surrender
On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, and the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression ended victoriously. The New Fourth Army was immediately ordered to take action and was responsible for accepting the armed surrender of the Japanese puppet army in northern Jiangsu. As the person in charge, Yang Fan personally witnessed and participated in the whole process of surrender.
In mid-August, Yang Fan led an advance team of the New Fourth Army into Suzhou, and soon after took control of the entire Jiangsu provincial capital. At that time, Jiangsu garrisoned about 100,000 horses of the 16th Army of the Japanese Army, and a large number of puppet troops and traitors were added. Their main position was located in Nanjing, and the entire Jiangsu area was heavily defended. Although the New Fourth Army had a small number of troops, it quickly crushed the Japanese puppet army by virtue of its heroic fighting and the strong support of the people.
After entering the city of Nanjing, Yangfan immediately met with Miki, the commander of the Japanese 16th Army, and conveyed the Chinese government's ultimatum on surrender. Miki was full of trepidation, and at first tried to bargain with Yangfan in a vain attempt to keep some of his arms. Yang Fan sternly rebuked, once again reiterating the Chinese government's decision that all Japanese personnel and weapons must be unconditionally surrendered in order to have a second chance to survive.
In the face of Yangfan's resolute attitude, Miki had no choice but to nod and accept. Soon, the New Fourth Army took over the city of Nanjing. All the arsenals, vehicles, food, and other necessary materials are all owned by the New Fourth Army. Yang Fan personally inspected and saw the devastated city of Nanjing, and couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion. The Japanese army has created the darkest chapter of human evil here, and now it has finally paid the price.
Then, the troops of the New Fourth Army fought along the river, quickly sweeping away the Japanese puppet army all over the province. Yangfan was responsible for presiding over the surrender ceremonies in Daying, Xuzhou, Nantong and other places. Everywhere they went, those Japanese soldiers who were arrogant and domineering in the past were all embarrassed at the moment, fleeing and surrendering like lost dogs. Several times, some Japanese puppet army units were stubborn in battle, and Yang Fan personally went out to reason, and finally made them lay down their weapons and obey.
During this period, there were often cases of Japanese officers going back on their word. They either harbor illusions or are rebellious, repeatedly disobeying the yang and the yin, and even secretly stirring up obstruction. Yang Fan reprimanded him many times for this, but most of them were still tamed in the end. There are also a few people who insist on resisting to the end and do not listen to dissuasion, and can only be sanctioned in the end.
Once, when Yangfan was in the area of Madang Road, he encountered a puppet army division that could not be attacked for a long time. The two sides reached a stalemate, and Yang Fan had to return to the division in person. After repeated mediation, the two sides finally reached an agreement, and the other side promised to surrender unconditionally. But when it was time to make the handover, the puppet commander turned out to be treacherous and sent someone to flee with guns. Yang Fan was furious, and immediately ordered the New Fourth Army to completely surround it, and after half a day and night, he was finally forced to be captured.
"That's what it was like. "Yang Fan is now 90 years old, but he still remembers everything back then. "The Japanese army used to be arrogant and murderous, and now it finally had to surrender its arms in front of the New Fourth Army and suffered humiliation. This was nothing less than the last episode of the War of Resistance Against Japan. ＂