Chapter 23 8. Inventory

The anti-siege operation lasted nearly a month from November 24 to December 22. More than 2,000 Japanese troops were killed and injured, 10 machine guns, 312 rifles, 50,000 rounds of bullets, more than 10 horses, and radio stations were seized. 1, 1 car and 1 tank.The Eighth Route Army suffered more than 640 casualties. This anti-siege operation was carried out under unfavorable conditions such as the establishment of the base area not long ago, the lack of main forces, and the lack of experience of the masses in armed anti-Japanese battles. Due to the sufficient preparations made before the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military and civilian war, the superior's instructions were resolutely implemented. Instructed and fought bravely with the close cooperation of friendly and neighboring troops, smashed the enemy's siege, further inspired the anti-Japanese fighting spirit of the soldiers and civilians in the border areas, trained the anti-Japanese armed forces, consolidated and expanded the anti-Japanese base areas, and effectively attacked the enemy. The jurisdiction of the Hebei Border Region has grown to more than 30 counties, and the number of troops has grown to more than 20,000, which provided useful experience for the subsequent anti-siege operations.

After the battle, troops from the Jinchaji Border Region triumphed amid the cheers of their elders, brothers and sisters with a large amount of spoils.An old man in Fuping who was more than seventy years old with a silver beard was so excited that he drank three bowls of home-made jujube wine one after another, and laughed loudly: "Commander Nie's troops are all heavenly soldiers and generals, and there is no one who cannot win battle!" Nie Rongzhen later talked to reporters about his first anti-siege experience: "At the beginning, we had no combat experience against such a sharp enemy equipped with modern weapons such as tanks, artillery and aircraft. The Japanese had never encountered an enemy like this before. We are an enemy skilled in guerrilla tactics. In response to our growing threat in their rear, they have used their traditional frontal attack, using land and air bombing, to capture a stronghold we have already captured. Begin moving troops , to attack us. When they took the place, they thought the war was over. But we just evacuated this point in order to outflank and attack their rear. It was almost always us who cut off the communications between them and their strongholds. line to force them to retreat. This is to use 'soil' to overcome 'yang'."