Author: Chu Guoen
On July 7, 1937, Japanese imperialism created the long-planned "Lugou Bridge Incident" in a vain attempt to annex the great rivers and mountains of the mainland. The 29th Army of the Chinese garrison rose up to resist. The masses of the people and anti-Japanese organizations in Beiping, Tianjin, Baoding and other places rose up one after another to support the anti-Japanese actions of the 29th Army. It was during this extraordinary period that I joined the Wenxin County Brigade in Hebei Province.
Because Chiang Kai-shek pursued a one-sided anti-Japanese war line that did not mobilize the masses and only relied on the government and the army to resist the war, the Wenxin County Brigade had to resist the aggression of the Japanese invaders while guarding against the encirclement and suppression of the Kuomintang army at any time, and the struggle was extremely difficult.
In February 1938, I joined the Communist Party of China and successively served as a member of the organization committee and secretary of the district party committee of Wenxin County, and then served as the captain of the Wenxin Brigade.
In 1942, when the Japanese army intensified its aggression against North China, and our anti-Japanese struggle entered the most arduous period, in order to avoid its sharp edge, preserve its strength, and follow the instructions of my superiors, I led the cadres of the county brigade and county organs to move to the rear of the enemy and enter the Dongdian Reed Pond to open up a new base area. After entering the reed pond, we rested and intensified our training. At the same time, we also recruited new recruits to expand the anti-Japanese ranks, and we used Weitang as a base to find favorable opportunities to strike at the enemy and destroy the enemy, such as "Li Zhuangzi Battle", "Wang Gezhuang Battle", "Li Gezhuang Battle", "Zou Gezhuang Battle" and so on, and smashed the enemy's encirclement and sweep many times. In particular, the well-known "Jiang Zhuangzi's 'Axe Battle'" has also won the commendation of the Central Military Commission.
In 1945, I was ordered to be transferred to the newly established Jingu detachment as the detachment leader, leading and commanding the defense of Dalu Beikou and Xiaosunzhuang.
In June 1946, the Jingu Detachment and the Jinnan Detachment were merged into the new Jinnan Detachment, and I remained the leader of the detachment. During this period, we were mainly active on both sides of the Machang River, and fought many battles, and won many battles. Therefore, the cadres, soldiers and the local people affectionately called me "the victorious general of wisdom and courage".
In August 1946, after Jinnan County was transferred from Jizhong District to Bohai District, I led the Jinnan Detachment to be reorganized into the First Brigade of the Jinpu Detachment, and served as the deputy captain of the Jinpu Brigade, and participated in famous battles such as the attack on Qi Jiawu and the liberation of Wang Wenzhuang. This laid the foundation for the restoration of Jinnan County.
When Jinnan County had not yet fully recovered, the Kuomintang bandits entrenched in the small station often went out to plunder, harass, and mutilate the people, and hunted down and killed revolutionary cadres, posing a great threat to the development of various tasks in Jinnan County. To this end, the Bohai Naval Region instructed the Jinpu Detachment and the 18th Regiment of the Military Region to coordinate operations to attack the small station and eliminate this gang of bandits.
Chu Guoen (middle) and his comrades-in-arms
Due to the good weapons of the 18th Regiment, it took on the main attack task, and I led the Jinpu detachment to attack the outlying Xixiao station stronghold. Our battle went well, and it didn't take long to capture the stronghold, capture some of our weapons, garrison the Chaozong Bridge, and build fortifications overnight. The second company was left to guard the village, and I took the first and third companies to be stationed in the nearby village of Tianshuijing.
The 18th Regiment was heavily shelled by the enemy during the attack on the station, and the troops had been scattered, and at dawn the next day they retreated in groups of three or five to the Chaozong Bridge. The Kuomintang army thought that this was our vanguard, so they dispatched a battalion of troops and gathered more than 100 people from the homecoming regiment to chase in the direction of Chaozong Bridge, in an attempt to wipe out our army.
I listened to the correspondent's report, made a little analysis, and decided to destroy this group of enemies.
So I told the 2nd Company not to shoot too early, concentrate the grenades, and wait for the enemy to approach about 100 meters and open fire together. At this time, the enemy had already discovered the second company, so they used mortars and anti-aircraft guns to bombard the position of the second company. After that, he used the strength of one company to rush towards the position of the second company.
When the enemy battalion commander saw that we did not return fire, he shouted: "Brothers, charge! Grab a communist army and reward ten pieces of the ocean!" Suddenly, the fighters of the second company threw grenades at the enemy at the same time, and several machine guns also roared, taking the enemy by surprise. The fierce counterattack of the soldiers of the second company caused an entire company of the enemy to be buried outside the trench. The enemy battalion commander still refused to admit defeat, and fiercely gathered three companies of troops to counterattack. At this time, I had already rushed to the position with the first and third companies, and immediately ordered the soldiers of the three companies to attack together. The sudden appearance of hundreds of divine soldiers frightened the enemy and fled in a hurry. The soldiers of the detachment were in hot pursuit, plus several cavalrymen and the 18th Regiment copied from the rear, flanking the front and rear, completely annihilating the group of enemies and seizing a large number of weapons.
After that, I continued to lead the Jinpu detachment to continue its activities in various villages around Chaozong Bridge. After some time, I left Jinnan with the Jinpu detachment.
In February 1947, the situation in the whole country improved, and the Dagang area also underwent significant changes, and the masses in many villages launched a land reform movement under the leadership of the Jinnan County Party Committee and the county government. At this time, I returned to Jinnan with a company of the Lyupu detachment, and reorganized the Jinnan detachment with the local armed groups of Jinnan County. I still served as the leader of the detachment, leading the team members to carry out activities in the suburbs of Tianjin and on both sides of the Machang River, defending the victorious fruits of the people's land reform struggle in various villages, and shouldering the task of guarding the Xiaowangzhuang Ferry Bridge in the upper reaches of the river.
In 1947, the work on both sides of the Machang River was carried out relatively well, and the pontoon bridge at the Xiaowangzhuang ferry became the main road of north-south traffic, and it was also the only way to Tianjin. Therefore, we had to defend the bridge, so we sent a second company of guards who had passed well. The company commanders were Yang Erhu, who fought bravely, and Liu Bingkun, chief of staff. I led the first and third companies to garrison Beipaozhuang.
Chu Guoen
One night in March, I suddenly heard gunfire coming from the direction of Xiaowangzhuang, and then the correspondent reported to me: Xiaowangzhuang had discovered the enemy, and the second company stationed there might be surrounded. I immediately led the 1st and 3rd companies to Xiaowangzhuang, and on the way I met Chief of Staff Liu, who had been wounded in the battle, and learned from his report that more than 500 enemies had occupied the Xiaowangzhuang ferry, and some of them might have crossed the river and attacked Xiaowangzhuang Village. At this time, Yang Erhu, the commander of the second company, also withdrew from the position, according to his report, the enemy came very fiercely, but our casualties were not large.
I immediately convened an emergency meeting of cadres to analyze the enemy's situation. Everyone unanimously agreed that although the enemy had a large number of troops in this attack, he had committed the taboo of soldiers -- fighting alone. Xiaowangzhuang is nearly 100 miles away from Tianjin in the north, 40 or 50 miles away from Xiaozhan in the east, and Tangguantun in the west. To the south of ours is the area where the Bohai Independent Regiment operates, and with strong backing, we are very sure of victory. After unifying my thinking, I issued a combat mission to everyone: Yang Erhu led the second company to fight back, feinted from below, chased the enemy when he ran, and ran after the enemy to attract the enemy's attention; The 1st and 3rd Companies crossed the river on the east and west sides of the Xiaowangzhuang Bridge to outflank the enemy's rear road.
After the arrangement, the companies immediately went into action. Soon the enemy was pressed into several houses on the embankment, and they were all wiped out like a turtle in an urn. The battle ended in the evening, and after an inventory of more than 40 enemies, some were killed and some were captured. In this battle, we have created an example in the history of Jinnan operations in which the weak defeated the strong with less. The area around Xiaowangzhuang Ferry is still in our hands.
However, the enemy was still unwilling to be defeated, and since they lost their troops at the Xiaowangzhuang ferry and the whole army was annihilated, they had been harboring a sense of revenge and vainly trying to make a comeback, so one night in the autumn of that year, they gathered a regiment of the Kuomintang army and a part of the bandits of nearly 1,000 troops, and suddenly launched an attack on the Xiaowangzhuang Bridge.
When I learned of the situation, with many years of combat experience and familiarity with the terrain of Xiaowangzhuang, I immediately ordered: around the earthen houses 200 meters north of the Jianhe River, all the terrain that could be used was planted; When the enemy came, he immediately withdrew to the south bank of the river and began to return fire. As expected, after the enemy entered the north bank, they occupied the earthen houses, and many enemies stepped on the mines, and were blown to the ground. Boom!" The thunderbolts continued to bloom in the crowd of enemies, so that the enemy did not dare to attack the bridgehead, and hurriedly left a piece of corpse and fled in disarray.
The Bohai Naval Sub-district was very concerned about the enemy's retaliatory action, and the commander of the sub-division, Jia Qianrui, personally called me: "How is the situation? Can you do it yourself?" I said with confidence: "No problem, we have been withstanding for a day, and we have only lightly wounded one person, but we have blown up the enemy not lightly." According to our reconnaissance, the enemy has already fled to Shihe Village, and it seems that he is still not giving up, and may make a comeback tomorrow. ”
Jia Qianrui
Commander Jia asked again, "What are you going to do?" I replied easily, "I'll fight when I come!" It's no problem to top it for another day!"
In the evening, I convened a mobilization meeting with the cadres and fighters to analyze the enemy situation and study the combat arrangements. Everyone is asked to work together to carry forward the old traditions of the Jinnan detachment, repel the enemy's attack, and ensure the safety of the ferry. After the meeting, I sent a few more fighters to quietly cross the river under the cover of night. Wherever the enemy might have used to hide, mines were laid. At the same time, the positions and fortifications were reinforced, and the deployment was adjusted to prepare for the enemy's counterattack.
As expected, the enemy came again the next day. This time, more than 200 shells were fired at the position of the Jinnan detachment, and under the cover of artillery fire, the enemy took turns to attack the bridgehead position, but they were all pressed back by the fierce fire of our troops. In addition, the mines planted last night exploded one after another in the enemy group, and another dead body lay on the enemy position. I had no choice but to withdraw with my tail between my legs before dark.
After the enemy retreated, Commander Jia called again to inquire about the situation and informed us that the division had decided to send Zeng Lianghui with his 19th Regiment to reinforce and had already set off. As soon as he put down the phone, Regiment Commander Zeng arrived with his troops.
Zeng Lianghui used to serve as the second brigade leader of the Jinpu detachment led by me, and he has always been brave in battle; every time he charged, he would hold a gun in one hand and a basket of grenades in the other, and while charging, he would throw the grenades at the enemy group, causing the enemy to cry and howl. As soon as he entered the door, he said, "Old chief, give me a task, this piece of fat can be given to us to taste!"
I hurriedly took his hand: "Don't be busy, don't be busy, sit down and rest for a while, you have meat to eat; But tonight you take the soldiers to Daertun for a good night's sleep. During the day, you don't care how fierce we fight, before dark, as soon as the enemy withdraws, you will immediately cross the river, through the eighteen households to attack in the direction of the Tuhe, we also take the opportunity to pursue, we are fighting on both sides, are you still worried about not having your fat to eat!"
"Alright!, old chief, I am completely at your command." Zeng Lianghui took his 19th regiment to Daertun with great interest.
On the third day, the enemy fired the first artillery as usual, and the rumbling cannons rang out from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the intensity of the charge was not as good as the previous two days, presumably because the mines were frightened. As soon as it got dark, the enemy began to retreat again. Because we didn't chase each other the last time, the enemy thought that if we withdrew, everything would be fine. They never even dreamed that we had changed our tactics this time. As soon as the enemy withdrew, I called Regiment Commander Zeng and informed him to move as planned.
I put down the phone and immediately led the team to the Xiaowangzhuang Ferry Bridge, and saw that the enemy had evacuated about 200 meters, so I ordered: "The whole team attack!"
The enemy was moving backwards with their guns drawn, and our fighters opened fire from behind, and one by one they chased after them like eagles pounced on chickens. This can disrupt the enemy's battalion, and many soldiers do not care about returning fire, and flee in the direction of Sidangkou without their lives. The commanders and bandit leaders of the "national army" shook their pistols again and again to supervise the battle, and shouted hoarsely: "Whoever runs, I will shoot him!" But no one listened to it anymore.
Our warriors pursued and fought, the slain enemy lay on his side, and the wounded fell to his knees begging for mercy. The rest of the enemy ran forward in panic like frightened birds. Seeing that we were about to reach Tuhe Village, I was worried that the enemy would resist if the village was occupied, so I immediately ordered the troops: "The enemy runs into the village, we chase into the village, and we must not let the enemy crush outside the village."
When the enemy saw that we were chasing and fighting fiercely, and that they could not hold on to their positions, they had to resist indiscriminately for a while, and then withdrew outside the village. As soon as Tuhe Village was born, the road was narrow, and they encountered the 19th Regiment led by Zeng Lianghui, who stopped the enemy and killed and wounded many enemies. Except for those who fled in all directions, they surrendered with their guns and became prisoners.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Zeng Lianghui and I reported the results of the battle to the military sub-division: 1 enemy regiment commander was captured, 1 deputy regiment commander was killed, and more than 800 enemies were captured; Four heavy machine guns, eight mortars, two anti-aircraft guns, more than 60 guns, dozens of light machine guns, and a large number of rifles and ammunition were captured, while only eight or nine of our troops were wounded. After the report, he was praised by Commander Jia. The next day, Commander Jia made a special trip to Xiaowangzhuang to visit and comfort all the commanders and fighters of the Jinnan Detachment and the 19th Regiment.
(Liu Qinghui is based on Chu Guoen's memoirs)