Chapter 16 Chapter 2 Anti-eight-way siege: using "soil" to overcome "foreign"

In 1927, after the Eighth Route Army dispatched troops from North China to Taiyuan in late August 1937, under the correct leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission, it resolutely carried out the anti-war line of the entire nation and the strategic policy of independent mountain guerrilla warfare, and spread widely on the flanks and rear of the Japanese army. Carrying out guerrilla warfare and directly cooperating with the Kuomintang army in combat, successively won more than 100 battle victories in Pingxingguan, Yanmenguan, Yangmingbao and Guangyang, wiped out more than 11,000 enemies, damaged 24 enemy planes, and destroyed more than 400 enemy vehicles They seized more than 1,500 rifles, 76 light and heavy machine guns, more than 2,000 mules and horses, and a large number of other military supplies. They recaptured more than ten counties and vast villages, dealt a heavy blow to the enemy, and defeated them from seizing Shanxi and implementing right-wing detours. , The attempt to threaten the back of the Hebei Kuomintang army has effectively supported the friendly army in combat.While concentrating the main force to fight against the enemy, some troops were dispersed to carry out local work, mobilized and armed the masses, which created favorable conditions for the extensive development of independent guerrilla warfare in the future, the realization of the expansion in Shanxi, and the establishment of anti-Japanese base areas.

However, by early November 1937, throughout North China, the Kuomintang army's war of resistance had ended in failure.Not long after the defeat in the defense of Xinkou and Taiyuan, the enemy who went south along the Tongpu Road had already entered Taigu and Pingyao, and the enemy who moved west along the Pingsui Road (from Beijing to Hohhot) occupied Guisui as early as mid-October. and Baotou.So far, the Kuomintang army has withdrawn from the entire territory of Hebei (Hebei), Chahar (Chahar), most of Jin, Sui and northern Shandong. Regarding the above-mentioned situation, Mao Zedong pointed out in his instructions to the Eighth Route Army on November 9: With the end of the regular war in North China and the shift to the main position of guerrilla warfare, the Japanese army will soon use its main force to attack Northwest Shanxi and Jinxi where our army is located. The Northeast, Southeast Shanxi, and Southwest Shanxi are the key points to attack.Our troops operating in the above-mentioned four areas should control one part to carry out the task of attacking the enemy, and most of them should be scattered in various key points, organize the masses to be armed, and under the basic principles of the united front, mobilize the masses freely, abolish exorbitant taxes, and implement rent reduction and interest reduction , Incorporate the defeated army, buy guns, organize food and pay, realize self-sufficiency, expand troops, fight against traitors, and develop the left wing; further develop the spirit of independence and self-reliance, and expect to achieve remarkable results within one month, so as to prepare sufficient strength to deal with the enemy's attack on our inner line.

On November 12, the Japanese army occupied Shanghai and the urban area of ​​Shanghai fell.On the same day, Mao Zedong made a report entitled "The Situation and Tasks of the Anti-Japanese War after the Fall of Taiyuan in Shanghai" in Yan'an.At the meeting, Mao Zedong once again pointed out: "In North China, the regular war with the Kuomintang as the main body has ended, and the guerrilla war with the Communist Party as the main body has entered the main position. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the Kuomintang's front has been broken, and the Japanese invaders are heading towards Nanjing and the Yangtze River Basin. Offensive. The Kuomintang's one-sided war of resistance has shown that it cannot be sustained." "We are currently in the transition period from the one-sided war of resistance to the comprehensive war of resistance. The one-sided war of resistance has not been able to last, and the comprehensive war of resistance has not yet come. This is a transitional period with severe crises and severe crises. "There is a future for the transition from a one-sided war of resistance to a full-scale war of resistance. Striving for this future is the common and urgent task of all members of the Chinese Communist Party, all progressive elements of the Chinese Kuomintang and all Chinese people."

Mao Zedong also emphasized that in order to realize the all-round war of resistance, within the party, it is necessary to oppose class-to-class capitulationism, adhere to the principle of proletarian leadership and independence in the united front, and must oppose nation-to-nation capitulationism to expand and consolidate the anti-Japanese nation. united front.This is "the central part of leading the Anti-Japanese National Revolutionary War to victory." On the 13th, Mao Zedong clearly stated in a telegram to the heads of the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army that the current mission of the Eighth Route Army is: "to further develop the principle of independence, persist in guerrilla warfare in North China, and fight against the Japanese aggressors for most of the rural areas in Shanxi Province." , turn it into a guerrilla base, mobilize the masses, incorporate the defeated army, expand ourselves, be self-sufficient, not rely on others, win more small victories, boost morale, and use it to influence the whole country” and promote the realization of an all-out war of resistance.

Mao Zedong also instructed that "Shanxi should be divided into four regions: Northwest Shanxi, Northeast Shanxi, Southeast Shanxi, and Southwest Shanxi, and adopt a posture of encircling the enemy entering the central city and main roads." Accordingly, various departments of the Eighth Route Army quickly went to designated areas to establish anti-Japanese base areas. At the same time, in order to strengthen the unified strategic guidance of the war of aggression against China, the Japanese aggressors established the Supreme Command Headquarters, the headquarters, on November 17. At the same time, they established a joint meeting between the headquarters and the heads of government. On November 24, the base camp held the first imperial meeting, listened to and approved the General Staff Headquarters' combat plan against China, and decided to "sweep" the Chinese troops "surviving" in the occupied areas in North China first, and strive to stabilize these areas, and Prepare to deploy troops to seize the entire territory of Shandong, expand the results of the battle in the Songhu area, and attack Nanjing without losing the opportunity.

Based on this, Terauchi Shouichi, commander of the Japanese North China Front Army, decided to use the 10th Division of the 2nd Army and prepare to deploy the 5th Division to capture the entire territory of Shandong; to use the main force of the 1st Army with the cooperation of the Kwantung Army's Chahar Dispatched Corps to control the activities. The Eighth Route Army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region, Northwest Shanxi, and Southeast Shanxi, which seriously threatened the security of its rear and communication lines, carried out a large-scale siege in an attempt to eliminate or expel the Eighth Route Army, so as to ensure that the main forces in the rear, especially those in Pinghan, Tongpu, Pingsui, and Zhengtai, Safety of railway traffic lines.

Terauchi Shouichi, Japanese Army General, Earl. Born in Tokyo on August 8, 1879.Graduated from Army Non-commissioned Officer Academy and Army University.Participated in the Russo-Japanese War.Served as commander of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Guards, chief of staff of the Guards Division, commander of the 19th Infantry Brigade, chief of staff of the Japanese Army in North Korea, commander of the 5th Division, and commander of the Japanese Army in Taiwan. Promoted to general in 1935. He served as Minister of War in 1936, and played an important role in eliminating the imperial faction in the military department, consolidating the position of the ruling faction, and making the military department embark on the road of fascism. In 1937, he was appointed Director of Education of the Army.In August of the same year, he served as the commander of the North China Front Army and participated in the war of aggression against China.He didn't get any honor on the Chinese battlefield, but he became the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army in November 1941, commanding the Japanese army to fight against the allied forces of Britain, the United States and other countries in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. He was awarded the title of Marshal in 1943. In 1945, he led his troops to surrender to the Allies. On June 12, 1946, Terauchi Shouichi died of illness in Singapore.This is something.

At that time, with the establishment of anti-Japanese base areas in Shanxi, the Japanese army paid special attention to the Eighth Route Army, which was good at guerrilla warfare, and made some research on the strategy and tactics of the Eighth Route Army.After research, the Japanese army found that: "In the past, the Red Army could not carry out activities openly, but now it is openly reappearing on the front line of the Anti-Japanese War." The Eighth Route Army "crossed the Yellow River and invaded Shanxi, turning Shanxi into a lair of guerrillas. In the early days, (the Eighth Route Army) Regular warfare and guerrilla warfare. Since Shanxi belonged to the imperial army, they have specialized in guerrilla warfare." "Because they can keep in touch with the people, they can understand our army's actions. When our army was about to encircle them, they quickly fled... ..."

"The reason why the Communist Army is stubborn is that they relied on traditional tactics to open up many anti-Japanese base areas in the mountainous areas and provincial borders in our occupied areas. The base areas are the Wutai Mountains in Shanxi and the southeastern mountainous areas that our army cannot approach. , Taishan Mountains in Shandong, and the railway middle zone in Hebei. Each base area is equivalent to several counties, where food is concentrated, small arms repair factories are established, propaganda agencies are established, schools are established, and banknotes are issued. The counties in the base areas have Communist Party The county government and county magistrate. The Communist Army used its expertise to train and organize the militia, and established the People's Self-Defense Regiment, so that it could participate in the War of Resistance Against Japan. Such bases are distributed within our army's theater of operations. When fighting, the Communist Army does not follow the front Entering the battlefield openly, but often sabotaging from the side or behind, hindering our transportation, for this reason, I have a lot of troops tied down. As soon as the combat troops arrive, the communist army will flee and attack our supply troops coming from behind. , is indeed a group of opponents that are difficult to deal with."

As a result, the Japanese army began to "siege" and "crusade" the Eighth Route Army and guerrillas in the anti-Japanese base areas-the name is "Supremacy Operation". The newly established Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, Shanxi Northwest, and Shanxi-Hebei-Henan base areas went all out, and a "anti-siege" operation was launched one after another.The Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei base area bears the brunt. On November 24, 1937, that is, the sixth day after Nie Rongzhen led the leadership of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region to Fuping. More than 20,000 people, equipped with cavalry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft, were dispatched along the Pingsui, Pinghan, Zhengtai, and Tongpu railways to besiege the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area in eight routes in an attempt to destroy or expel the Eighth Route Army in the area and destroy the newly established Anti-Japanese base area.