Chapter 71 070. Bloody Battle in Songzhuang to Annihilate Japanese Invaders——Record of Two Heroic Companies of Jizhong Military Region

In the battle of Songzhuang, we used two companies and a small number of troops, based on an isolated village on the plain, against 2,500 enemies who had an absolute advantage in excellent equipment.In such a situation where the number of troops and the quality of equipment are very different, our extremely brave, resolute, tenacious, and courageous soldiers from Hebei Province killed as many as 1,100 officers and soldiers under the commander of the enemy's Sakamoto brigade, while we only suffered 73 casualties. people.The battle lasted for fourteen hours from day to night, and finally broke out victoriously.

This was an earth-shattering and exemplary battle in the unprecedented fierce anti-"mopping up" campaign in central Jizhong in 1942.This is a miraculous creation of human wisdom and bravery in a cruel war.In the history of guerrilla warfare on the plains, and on the entire ladder of revolutionary warfare, it will occupy a special and lofty position, and will always shine with its indelible brilliance.When I took up the pen to write it, I couldn't restrain my heart from being moved. I would like to pay infinite and warm respect to the glorious heroes who fought in Songzhuang.At the same time, I must ask them and the readers to forgive me. It is difficult to fully convey the perfection and vividness of such a majestic scene created by blood and flesh with a pen as blunt as mine. sexual.I can only be true to my responsibility and use my best efforts to reflect its truth.

At 12:00 midnight on June 8, our two companies had breakfast in the dark square outside the Seventh Level Village.Soon they set off, and after a few miles of marching, the team moved to Songzhuang, fifteen miles northeast of Shenze.It was just dawn at this time, and it was June 9th. Wars will come anytime and anywhere, and our preparations for battle are constant.Everyone brought a few grenades, which hung densely all over their waistlines.When we arrived at the campsite, the first task was to do fortifications.Our slogan is: "Whoever digs one more hoe will get one less shell!" Therefore, no matter how tired they are, people always dig fortifications immediately first.Around Songzhuang, from outside the village to the village, a total of four fortifications were done.

Songzhuang is a medium-sized village with more than 400 households. It is divided into two parts, the north and the south, which are about 30 meters apart.Our two companies lived in the north of the village, and two small groups of militia guerrillas lived together.In the south of the village, there lived a temporary mixed company—in fact, it was only half the company's strength, 68 people. The team moved from the seventh-level village because there were many obvious signs that the enemy would attack the seventh-level area.Therefore, we actively jumped out of his trap and entered the area close to the enemy, attacking the enemy from the side and rear.After arriving at Songzhuang, the surrounding situation was already extremely tense. The densely packed enemy strongholds all controlled quite a large force, and they seemed to be dispatched.It is estimated that it will be difficult for us to spend the day peacefully. There will inevitably be battles, and once the battle starts, we must persist until dark.Therefore, shortly after the team entered the village, the common people were mobilized out of the village.Only a young couple and a middle-aged blind man decided to stay in the village.In addition, there were 8 black goats chained in the pen.

After completing sufficient combat equipment, our troops rested, but there is no time to rest, the battle is waiting ahead. A few days ago, there was a fierce battle in Baizhuang, southeast of Songzhuang. As a result, the enemy suffered a lot. About 400 people were killed or injured, and he was killed as a leader of the Jinto League.He was very saddened by the fiasco of the Baizhuang battle as the commander of the Jibo Special Zone Commander Sakamoto Brigade who took office not long ago.He is a general who "has the courage to be responsible". Therefore, although he had a busy meeting in Siguro on the morning of June 9, he made up his mind to go to Baizhuang and his party in person to investigate who was defeated in that battle. geographical reasons.

Around 9 o'clock, the head of the Sakamoto Brigade led a visiting group composed of 3 Japanese, and set off from Yezhuangtou, north of Songzhuang.From Yezhuangtou to Baizhuang, one has to pass through the east of Songzhuang.The enemy didn't know that the Eighth Route Army was hidden on the bridge of their noses. In their hearts, this place also belonged to the so-called "blockhouse area". The head of the brigade went out on patrol, with a very impressive guard of honor. In front were more than 30 mighty cavalrymen holding sabers, and behind them were two squadrons of about 300 infantry guards.They can't see us; can we?As soon as they came out of Yezhuangtou, the soldiers serving as guards had already made a report of "the enemy was found in the north".That's why every commander and fighter has loaded their bullets and is ready to fire.

At a quarter past nine, the driver of the brigade commander Sakamoto arrived at a place about 30 meters away from the front of our position in the northeast of Songzhuang.We found out that this was a senior official of the "Imperial Army", so we opened fire unanimously under the command of the commander.It was too late to say, but soon, our one heavy machine gun, three light machine guns, and one grenadier immediately concentrated their firepower at the same time, aiming at their targets and shooting.The grenade was very accurate, and a bomb fell in front of the brigade commander Sakamoto, blowing his skull to pieces.His cavalry entourage and the warriors of the visiting group were also wiped out under our strong firepower.

As soon as the gunfire sounded here, the 300 guards who had walked to the north of the village immediately attacked our position from the east and north in two ways.This is an extraordinary and capable guard. Their helmets and uniforms are all new, as are their weapons and equipment, and their fighting spirit is quite tenacious.They used squads as units and carried out a group charge with light machine guns, but as soon as they rushed to our first position, they were knocked down by grenades.These samurai, after one class is over, the other class will come up again.In the end, there were no more than 50 people left in this group of excellent guards led by the brigade.

One pen cannot write several things at the same time.When our soldiers fought fiercely with the guard group, the enemies in the nearby strongholds have successively added reinforcements.From the east, west, and north sides of Songzhuang there were gunfire, as well as the enemy's charge and the explosion of our hand grenades. The battle has already started so ferociously, and the Fukasawa, Gaomiao, and Dazhi fortresses in the southeast are also blocked by heavy enemy troops. It is completely impossible to leave after a fight.Our strong commander knows everything clearly, his determination is quick and firm, and his deployment is calm and careful. We decided to circle the first and second fortifications for 8 hours, and persist in the third fortification until dark.That is to say, no matter how strong the enemy's forces become, our two companies must fight tenaciously for a whole day in village warfare.But we are engaged in guerrilla warfare, and our insistence on the village is only to use it as a tactical basis in order to achieve such a strategic goal—that is, to preserve ourselves while destroying the enemy.Therefore, our command art and tactical actions are active and clever.

At first, we relied on the first fortification beside the earthen wall of the vegetable garden outside the village to kill and injure the pounced enemies.The enemy's several charges were suppressed. The enemy charged, "Ah! Ah!" The ground howled wildly, and our soldiers met them silently.Our machine guns and rifles did not fight indiscriminately at all. As soon as the enemy entered our firepower circle, they threw grenades violently, greatly displaying the power of melee firearms.Bullets are precious, and our slogan is: "Whoever saves bullets can persevere until victory!" Soldiers all abide by this creed, and don't shoot without aiming.

On the east side, Comrade Li Qingqi, the leader of our No. 7 squad, this special shooter, he fired 7 shots in a kneeling posture under the earth wall. 7.But he was so excited that he forgot that the enemy was attacking him with bullets like bees. He stood up and greeted the comrades nearby and said, "Look, I want another one!" His head was exposed. Unfortunately, the fascist bullets took away his brave life. On the temple platform in the west of the village, it was found that the enemy had set up a radio station, and at the same time, 3 light machine guns were shooting there.Comrade Liao Zhiguo, the deputy company commander of the second company, chose an enemy machine gun shooter and ammunition man who were picking up bullets, and fired one shot, knocking down both enemies.The machine gun stopped clamoring. Comrade Bian Tingjie, the machine gun shooter of the second company, a skilled worker who had worked in the Hanyang Arsenal for 9 years, killed 27 enemies with a single round of bullets.Later, in order to save bullets, he let the machine gun rest, but took up the rifle to fight the enemy.He knocked down 4 enemies with two shots, and when the third shot was empty, he stopped firing and took his own grenade. The enemy's charge continued.Under the cover of a 38 field artillery and two 92-type heavy machine guns, a group of enemies, every ten with a light machine gun, charged towards the east entrance of our village.The charging bushidos were not very far away from us. Our grenades were ready to fire, but the enemy shells flew straight to cover the charge, but fell into the crowd of chargers and exploded.Then another shot, two shots, all landed in this area. The 3 shells saved some grenades for us, more than 30 enemies lay down, and the rest had to go back to settle accounts. The enemy threw machine guns and rifles beside the dead bodies, not more than ten feet away from the vegetable garden wall.But we can't go out to get it, because the enemy's firepower is very strong.But the enemy didn't dare to come and take it, because our grenades are also very powerful.Comrade Lu Wencai, the correspondent, stretched out with a long pole, but he missed the machine gun, but hooked two Type 38s. The fight continued. Our troops defended Songzhuang Village, and not only defeated Sakamoto's guards and the enemies from the nearby small strongholds, but also defeated the enemies who came from Fukasawa, Wuji, Dingxian, Raoyang, Jiucheng, and Anping as reinforcements.According to the statistics of the enemy's troops participating in the First Battle of Songzhuang, there were no less than 2,500 people.They used five or six cannons of various calibers, thirty or forty grenade launchers, and numerous light and heavy machine guns and gas barrels, and the smoke flew around the village. At 12 o'clock, our mixed company in the south of Songzhuang also engaged the enemy.These 68 commanders and fighters almost finished the few bullets they had, and fought hard for 3 hours. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, they broke out.After that, the fighting revolved around the northern part of the village, and the situation was very serious. From 3 o'clock to 5 o'clock, it is the enemy's craziest two hours. Its assault force is the largest, its firepower is the fiercest, and its charge is the fiercest.At this time, the enemy launched a general offensive, and our first and second fortifications were almost completely destroyed by artillery fire. At this time, all the soldiers who were in charge of their own affairs completely retreated to the third line of defense according to the plan. , The battle has persisted for more than 8 hours. The secretary of the general branch walked back and forth, and he shouted to the soldiers: "Whoever can face the battle calmly will be able to persevere to the end!" "Whoever can go to dangerous places will be safe!" These agitational slogans have all played a practical role. The militia comrades blocked the southwest corner, and the enemy kept shooting at this place.The scene of the battle was so ferocious that the militiamen kept clamoring for a big cover.So Comrade Chen Wenru, the fifth squad leader of the Second Company, ran over, handed over his gun to them, and said, "I will fight with you!" The militiamen became calm and calm. Almost half of the soldiers in the fourth squad of the second company were killed or injured, but the squad leader Zhang Wensheng still stood alone in a corner to fight against the enemies from three sides.After fighting for two hours, he repelled the enemy's attack with grenades.The soldier Wang Ziren was lying down next to a toilet on the street and shooting, when suddenly a shell flew over and completely knocked over the toilet.He got up from the mound and still insisted on his post. These are just a few examples. Later, the southwest corner of the village was attacked by the enemy, and 15 enemies entered the room with a light machine gun; Liao Zhiguo, the deputy company commander of the second company, was in a hurry, and led a militia correspondent, and quietly ran into the courtyard. He held two grenades and threw them on the room at the same time, knocking out all the enemies who climbed up the room.But the enemy continued to go up to the house, determined to hold an initial foothold, and we also added two militiamen to continue dropping bombs.The enemy fought three times in a row, and we fought three times in a row. Four people fired more than forty grenades, and the enemy suffered more than forty casualties on the roof. The new soldier, Zhao Duansheng, shot grenades on another roof in the southwest, killing two enemies and wounding himself. The battle became more intense and intense, and it was getting dark.We put forward such slogans at the right time: "Persist for another half an hour, and our world has come!" "Survive another half an hour, and we will completely win!" At the junction of one company and two companies, on the southeast corner of the village, the enemy tried their best to charge four times in a row but failed to charge, and the ground was covered with broken and seriously injured enemies.We saw that a small enemy leader completely lost the courage and confidence to charge again. He hesitated, but was shot by his superior commander before the battle. Before dark, the enemy attacked no less than 30 times, but rushed into the street and fought out of the street, rushed into the village and fought out of the village.Our fighters, under the command of the commander's maneuverability, exerted full firepower and smashed all the enemy's attack plans.At one point the enemy released a sneezing gas, but we were prepared and suffered no damage.The enemy really has nothing to do! The summer night is coming late.Nearly 9 o'clock, the night finally completely pulled down.At this time, the enemy's casualties had already exceeded half, and after a day of fierce fighting, they had no choice but to stop their attack in the face of the terrifying dark night of the corpse yard.But the remnants of the enemy, who were extremely tired, still blocked and surrounded the village.It mixed the scattered gunshots with thick whips to confuse us, and at the same time lit piles of large firewood beside the ditch outside the village, so as to prevent us from accidentally attacking. The enemy is still trying to surround us, waiting for the arrival of the new reinforcements they expect, and finding some compensation for their brigade commander and the lying ghosts, but now our world has come. Two rows in a row rushed towards the northeast corner and walked to the side of the ditch, but the enemy hadn't noticed it yet.Because they kept behind the fire, they could not see clearly ahead; moreover, most of the exhausted warriors had already fallen asleep beside the dead bodies.Our warriors tread upon the dead, and upon the sleeping foe. "Hmm...um..." The enemy yelled in a sleepy voice on the ground.One of our soldiers curiously touched whether a lying enemy was dead or alive, but was bitten by the enemy.When the enemy sentries fired, we dropped a few grenades and dropped them where the enemy lay.Then we fought with the enemy with vicious bayonets. Some soldiers bent their bayonets and hit them with the butt of their guns; the brave Jia Manquan once cracked an enemy's skull with the butt of his gun. Wu Jibin, a soldier of the first company, killed the enemy's machine gun shooter with a bayonet during the breakout, and grabbed a crooked handle to come out.There is also a soldier who draws a machine gun on his back where the enemy is asleep. The stunned enemy panicked as soon as we rushed.There was an enemy who suddenly woke up and ran with our breakout troops. Later, we found the helmet, so frightened him that he fled back violently, and was killed by us in the end. Our troops just stood out like this.Some attacked quietly, and some rushed out with bayonets.During the breakout, 14 of our comrades were wounded and 9 were killed. But the enemy didn't know that we had all broken through and left.It's no wonder, how can they believe that the opponent they have been fighting with all day is such a small number of people!They thought we were a huge corps, so they didn't think it was the entirety of our combat troops because only two companies broke through.They still surrounded the village and kept bluffing the Eighth Route Army in their psychological village with sporadic gunshots, making the night in the empty village continue to be unsettled. It is said that the next day, the enemy launched a charge as soon as Tianming. They rushed into the village and found no one, which was very strange.Later, a wave of enemies rushed to the outside of the courtyard where the sheep were kept. The yelling of the warriors made the hung sheep jump wildly, and the iron chains clanged.In the dimness, the enemy thought that they had encountered an ambush from the Eighth Route Army, so they crackled and fired guns, and the machine guns and cannons outside the village also roared.At this time, more than 800 enemies in Baoding had come to reinforce them, but now they could only wipe out 8 goats. Our Eighth Route Army had already swam in the sea on the plain. An earth-shattering battle has come to an end here. Now, we should list a few figures to represent the consumption of both sides. The Japanese soldiers were killed: a member of the Sakamoto brigade, and more than 600 officers and soldiers; wounded: more than 300 officers and soldiers.The puppet army was killed and wounded: there were more than 200 officers and soldiers.The total enemy casualties were about 1,200. What about us?32 were killed and 41 were injured, a total of 73, including 4 company-level cadres. Soon the enemy held a memorial service for the head of the Sakamoto brigade, and was forced to announce: he himself suffered 960 casualties in the First Battle of Songzhuang, while we were wiped out by 3,000.This is of course very rare, because he said the number of casualties close to the truth.But we only have two companies in Songzhuang. Since the rumors are 3,000, it proves that the enemy suffered heavy losses.The more it conceals it, the more bitter it becomes.There are a few more points worth mentioning about the enemy's story: There were more than 300 enemies who came out of Raoyang, but only about 90 remained when they returned.There were more than 100 enemies who came out of Ma Lei, but only 28 returned - one of the squadron leaders survived, but he was so sad that he shot himself to death with a pistol, and 7 soldiers also bowed to the east , Hanged together.The few remaining enemies went back and had nowhere to vent their anger. They complained to each other and started fighting for more than an hour. Legend has it that some of the main force of the Japanese army who participated in the Songzhuang battle were transferred back from the Nanyang battlefield not long ago.They sighed and said: "I have never fought such a bitter battle in Nanyang. The battle for a village, the imperial army sacrificed so many people, it is really not worth it!"