Chapter 3 2. Shi Zebo occupies Shangdang City

Seizing Shangdang was a long-planned conspiracy by Yan Xishan.As early as the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, when Chiang Kai-shek secretly sent Yan Xishan the "Measures for Restricting the Activities of Alien Parties", Yan Xishan was pregnant with ghosts, colluded with the Japanese invading army, and did many anti-communist and anti-people activities.On February 16, 1945, Yan Xishan convened the fourth basic meeting of the comrades' association to study the so-called "recovering lost ground", which was essentially to snatch the fruits of victory. Regarding the issue of seizing Shangdang, Yan Xishan believes that as long as Shangdang is in hand, it can fundamentally attack the power of the Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi.Some people think that it is not easy to seize Shangdang.Yan Xishan advocated that, taking advantage of the opportunity when the Japanese and puppet troops were still in Shangdang and did not withdraw, heavy troops should be dispatched from the Linfen area.So, I asked Shi Zebo, the commander of the 19th Army, if he could go to the party?

Shi replied: "It is possible to go, but it is not tenable." Yan said, "As long as you can go, I can find a way." Shi said: "If the president has a way, I will go!" In August 1945, on the eve of Japan's surrender, Zhao Chengshou was ordered to contact the Japanese army in Taiyuan. Yan Xishan took advantage of the opportunity of Japan's surrender and entered Taiyuan first under the support of the Japanese puppet army.Then, on the second day after Japan announced its surrender, that is, on August 16, Yan Xishan assembled troops in Linfen, Fushan, and Yicheng, and ordered Shi Zebo, the commander of the 19th Army, to lead the two divisions of the 19th Army, that is, temporarily organize The Yang Wencai Division of the 37th Division and the Guo Tianxin Division of the 68th Division are assigned to the Zhou Jianzhi Division of the 69th Division of the 61st Army, as well as the Bai Yingchan Division of the 2nd Column and the Xu Qichang Division of the 6th Column. The 5th Regiment, the 9th Security Regiment, the 1st Detachment and the 2nd Detachment of Fendong and other local teams, with a total of more than 17,000 people, under the cover of the 14th Brigade of the Japanese Army, divided into three routes from the left, middle and right, and marched towards the Shangdang area.After passing through Qinshui and Mabi, they arrived at Zhangzi County in 5 days.Yan Xishan immediately sent a secret telegram to Zhao Liandeng, Shi Zebo's supervisor, saying: "The troops arrived in the occupied area (referring to the liberated area - editor's note), and their lives were trapped. They were responsible for instructions to the troops. It is expected to cut autumn."

Under the guidance of this secret order, the people in the liberated areas where Shi Zebo's troops went suffered another disaster of "mopping up" and "mopping up" similar to the Japanese traitors. At this time, the anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians in the Shangdang area were launching offensive operations against the Japanese and puppet troops. On August 19, Lucheng was liberated, and Xiangyuan was liberated on August 21, and they besieged Changzhi, Changzi, Tunliu, Huguan and other cities.The KMT Yan Xishan's army suddenly arrived and attacked the Eighth Route Army that was besieging the city. Yan Xishan's army and the puppet army even released poison gas on the Eighth Route Army under the eldest son city, poisoning all the commanders and fighters of the two companies that were besieging the city.

Under the attack of Yan Xishan's army and the puppet army inside and outside, the Eighth Route Army had to withdraw from Changzhi, Changzi, Tunliu, Huguan and other cities.The Yan Xishan army of the Kuomintang took away the eldest son on August 21, Tunliu and Changzhi on the 23rd, and Huguan, Lucheng, Xiangyuan and other cities on the 25th. Yan Xishan sent a secret telegram to the 19th Army Commander Shi Zebo on August 19th, saying: "The secret government that has not yet reached the county border and those who have not established a political power should be maintained by the old county magistrate (referring to the Japanese puppet county magistrate—editor's note) as usual. ("War of Liberation Military Anthology" Episode 1, p. 169) After Yan Xishan's army entered Changzhi and other six cities, all puppet troops and puppet organization personnel remained intact, and all enemy and puppet officials were added to the Kuomintang government officials.And he was promoted to two levels according to the original level, and his salary was doubled.The weapons of the Japanese and puppet troops are all stamped with the word "Jin" to indicate that they have been accepted.

Yan Xishan was a local warlord who had been entrenched in Shanxi for a long time. His purpose of quickly occupying the Shangdang area was to coordinate with Chiang Kai-shek's army's actions to seize North China along Tongpu, Pinghan, Jinpu and Pingsui roads, and to make ingenious strategic cooperation; It is to send the troops of 5 divisions into the Shangdang area in an attempt to divide the Taihang and Taiyue base areas, so as to further completely control the southeast of Shanxi and ensure his rule over Shanxi Province. Therefore, after Shi Zebo led the army to occupy Shangdang and other cities, he immediately rushed to repair the fortifications and strengthen the defense in an attempt to consolidate the occupation of the Shangdang area as soon as possible, and then extended northward to open the Baijin line and go straight to Taiyuan.