Chapter 69 9. The 358 brigade has won many victories

In the battle of Chenzhuang, the participating troops of the 358th Brigade, under the excellent command of the brigade commander Zhang Zongxun, fought bravely and won the battle. The victory of the 358 brigade was recognized by Chiang Kai-shek, chairman of the Military Commission of the Nationalist Government, and he also sent a congratulatory message for the victory.However, once the 358th Brigade achieved a major victory, the colonel liaison officer sent by Chiang Kai-shek to the 120th Division did not believe it. In the early days of the Anti-Japanese War, the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, under the leadership of the brigade commander Zhang Zongxun, moved to Northwest Shanxi and Wutai Mountain. In November 1938, Zhang Zongxun, who had many experience in ambushes, led the headquarters of the 358th Brigade to win a major victory in ambush and annihilation of a brigade of the Japanese army at a place called "Talc Pian" in Wutai.

On November 3, Zhang Zongxun learned that more than 700 enemies from the Japanese Gnat Field Brigade stationed in Wutai and surrounding strongholds were dispatched from Wutai last night and were attacking eastward. The 5th Battalion of the Army caused serious losses to the local soldiers and civilians. After Zhang Zongxun received this information, he immediately studied the combat deployment with Zhang Pinghua, Huang Xinting, head of the 716th regiment, and Liao Hansheng, political commissar.The location of the ambush was selected at Huashi, the only way from Gaohongkou to Wutai. After deploying, Zhang Zongxun led the troops to brave the bitter cold wind, stepping on the snow-covered mountains, and under the leadership of the guide, took shortcuts and rushed forward.Zhang Zongxun led the brigade and the 716th regiment in action.The cadres of each company ran back and forth during the march, doing political mobilization while marching.The cadres help the soldiers to carry things, the strong help the weak, encourage each other, compete with each other, chase each other, and compete with the enemy for time.The brigade headquarters and the 716th regiment arrived at a highland west of Huashipan at 9:00 pm after a 4-hour rapid march and walked a 50-mile mountain road.After arriving at the scene, Zhang Zongxun, Huang Xinting and others looked at the terrain again and made specific deployments for the troops.

As soon as the units of the 358th Brigade arrived at their respective positions, the noise of horseshoes walking on the gravel road came from a distance.After a while, even the sound of the leather shoes worn by the Japanese soldiers could be heard clearly.After a while, the noisy sounds of people and horses had entered the ditch, mixed with the sounds of cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks from time to time, and the marching speed was very slow.Why is it so messy?It doesn't look like an army at all.It turned out that these Japanese troops looted everything in Gaohongkou and fled at night.The enemy was triumphant, and some were walking with cigarettes in their mouths. They never thought that in such a cold snowy night, in this deep valley far away from other people, there would be an army that could destroy themselves. In the realm of human beings, some people still fight while walking, so there is no need to be on guard at all.

When the soldiers saw these guys, they were angry and funny.To be angry is that the enemy is too cruel; to be laughing is that they are dying and don't know it yet! When the enemy had all entered the ravine, Zhang Zongxun gave an order, and the 3rd Battalion, which was ambushing at the forefront, launched an attack first. A violent firepower net formed an impenetrable wall of fire, blocking the enemy's way.The 1st Battalion quickly came up from behind and firmly blocked the enemy's retreat.Blocked at both ends, the enemy is tightly netted as if in a big net.The 2nd Battalion ambushed in the middle, condescending, and fired fiercely at the enemy.The enemy panicked and panicked; chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep panicked, screaming, running, flying, and colliding with the enemy.People and livestock are all running around in order to survive.The enemy is compressed under the cliff.After all, they were a strictly trained army, so they quickly came to their senses, knowing that they were in an ambush, and immediately began a dying struggle, and gunshots rang out.

Seeing that the enemy was in disarray, Zhang Zongxun decided not to give the enemy a chance to breathe. He issued an order to the 716th regiment for a full-scale attack.Immediately, the Charger rang through the night sky. Soldiers armed with guns came out from behind the mound, beside the cliff, from the grass, from the woods, and from all places where people could hide, and rushed into the bottom of the ditch, the cliff, etc. Down, rushed into the enemy group, and started wrestling and killing with the enemy.The enemy is hard to guard against, hard to hide, dodge the ones in front, and can't dodge the ones behind. I just hate that there is no way to the sky, and there is no way to enter the earth.Many people screamed and raised their hands in order to survive...

Before dawn, most of the enemies in the ambush circle were eliminated.Dozens of Japanese soldiers who escaped from the ambush circle in the dark were also hit head-on by the 714th regiment. In the talc sheet ambush, the 358th Brigade annihilated more than 700 people from the Gnat Field Brigade of the 135th Regiment of the 109th Division of the Japanese Army, captured 21 people, captured 6 artillery pieces, more than 30 machine guns, more than 340 rifles, 153 horses, and 1 radio station. Department, and a large number of military items. After the battle, brigade commander Zhang Zongxun reported the battle to Commander Nie Rongzhen through Division 2 of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, and at the same time sent a telegram to report to Commander He Long.

The victory in the battle of talc tablets had a great influence in Wutai, Dingxiang, Xinzhou and other areas, greatly boosting the morale of the army and the people, and the masses rushed to pass the news of victory.The Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region sent reporters to the 358th Brigade for interviews.The troops let reporters take photos of a large number of spoils seized, leaving a permanent commemoration. However, Chen Hongmo, the liaison officer of the Kuomintang colonel stationed in the 120th Division, did not believe that Zhang Zongxun's 358th Brigade had achieved such a great victory.Later, according to Master He Long's instructions, he was given two Japanese army wool overcoats and a Japanese officer's command knife, and let him see the photos.In front of the real thing, the liaison officer was speechless.

Soon, Commander Nie Rongzhen instructed the border region government to send people to the 358th Brigade to condolences to the commanders and fighters.The local masses and troops also organized a celebration ceremony. Wang Zhitao from the "Yan'an Visiting Group", a reporter from "Ta Kung Pao" and Yu Pu from the "United Nations Disaster Relief Committee" also went to the 358th Brigade to condolences to the wounded and allocated 100 yuan as a condolence fee. When the 358th Brigade returned to Northwest Shanxi and passed through the defense area of ​​the 1st KMT Cavalry Army, the army commander Zhao Chengshou organized his troops to visit the spoils of the 358th Brigade, and gave the 358th Brigade the family base of the army, Loufan Town, Jingle County, to the 358th Brigade. stationed.