Chapter 82 5. Encircle and wipe out "friction experts"

After the combat order was issued, in the early morning of March 5, Li Da commanded Yi Liangpin's youth column to go south from Yetao via Anziling, and Wang Changjiang's garrison brigade to go southeast from Shibo Town via Wangjinzhuang. Jiao, Nanpo, Taohuashan, front and back Lijia Village, and front and back Muniuchi positions fought fiercely until 4 pm, and successively attacked more than 50 bunkers. The remnants of the regiment fled to the south of Muniuchi. Jinchaji Chen Zhengxiang's advancing detachment attacked from Shibo Town, but was blocked by the 7th Regiment of the New 24th Division of Hejiazhuang, Chanfang, and Qingyang Mountain before and after the defense.The division was reorganized from the 4th Cavalry Division of the Northeast Army, and personnel were sent to contact it to persuade it to join forces with the Eighth Route Army to fight against Japan. After five hours of negotiation, the head of the regiment still refused to borrow the way.

In order to take care of the united front relationship with the Northeast Army, the Eighth Route Army agreed to take a detour.Taking advantage of the Eighth Route Army's unpreparedness, the regiment opened fire suddenly, and the Eighth Route Army had to return to the army to fight back. The regiment quickly abandoned more than 40 bunkers and retreated to Guanfang and Liangchakou.At 10 o'clock in the evening, all the central columns joined forces in the front and rear Muniuchi areas. The right-wing column commanded by Zhou Xihan began to attack at the same time, and defeated the fourth detachment of the second Jicha guerrilla column at Yumenkou.On the morning of the 5th, Nanwangzhuang and Qijialing were captured, and a battalion of the stubborn army was wiped out.The recalcitrant army launched three counterattacks with more than 3,000 people in an attempt to recapture Qijialing, but failed.Afterwards, Zhou Xihan used his main force to guard Qijialing, and the other part bypassed Qijialing and advanced towards North Wangzhuang.

Wang Shusheng commanded the left-wing column, and set off from Gucheng on the afternoon of March 4. That night, two 94th divisions were sent to attack Mazhuang and Tianjing. , Fengfeng, and the village and other strongholds of the Japanese army. Gui Qiansheng commanded two regiments of the Ranger Detachment, which also marched from Rencunji to Yangcheng in the north and south on the afternoon of March 4. Because they were blocked by Lu Zhonglin's troops on the southern slope, they failed to complete the task of destroying the pontoon bridge. After Zhu Huaibing's troops were attacked, they quickly retreated to the North and South Liangchakou, East and West Gardens, and North and South Jiabi.Zhu Huaibing believed that there were two divisions of Sun Dianying's new 5th Army and several guerrilla detachments in front of the army's position as a barrier, and they could stand firm and wait for reinforcements. Unexpectedly, Sun Jun had entered the army through the deputy army commander Xing Zhaotang and deputy division commander Jing Ren. Qiu et al. said that they were neutral about the friction between Zhu Huaibing's army and the Eighth Route Army, and allowed the Eighth Route Army to encircle and annihilate Zhu Huaibing's army through Sun Jun's defense area.

On the morning of March 6, Li Da commanded the main force of the central column to attack Zhu Huaibing's 97th Army; Wang Shusheng commanded the left wing column to outflank Zhangerzhuang, Nanbei Jiabi, Taoquan and other places.At dawn, after the two columns approached the 97th Army, they quickly launched a fierce attack. Zhu Huaibing did not expect that the Eighth Route Army would surpass Sun Dianying's defense line and attack his command organization. Unprepared, Li Da and Wang Shusheng led the army to attack from north to south, and soon left the rear organization and all the luggage and fled south.Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping seized the opportunity at the command post of Rencunji, and immediately ordered all the ministries to pursue and fight fiercely regardless of fatigue, and resolutely wiped out Zhu Huaibing in the area north of Lin County and Kequan.

In order to prevent Zhu Huaibing's troops from crossing the Zhang River and escaping, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping ordered Zhou Xihan to lead the right column across the Zhang River from Taijiakou and Xiaowang Village, and marched south overnight with light clothes. At 9 o'clock in the morning on the 7th, the leading regiment flew to the Lujiazhai and Dongxigang areas, biting the rear of the 97th Army.Zhu Huaibing was forced to return to the battle, and hastily deployed his troops to guard several nearby hills. At dawn on the 8th, Chen Zhengxiang and Liu Daosheng commanded the advance detachment and the Jizhong garrison brigade to the Yaocun area. After 7 hours of fierce fighting, more than 3,000 people of the 97th Army were defeated.Yi Liangpin Youth Column also wiped out a battalion of the 97th Army.Then Li Da commanded all the troops to sweep and besiege the recalcitrant army from west to east from the north-south area to the east of Yao village.

At that time, the 2nd Division of Jin Xianzhang's new division and the Youza Armed Forces Huang Yuyu, who were driven out in Jinchaji, also gathered in this area, mixing with Zhu Huaibing and Lu Zhonglin to oppose the Eighth Route Army.In order to eliminate future troubles, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping commanded the army to besiege it together.Except for Chen Xiping's 94th Division, which had a certain combat effectiveness, the others were mobs. After being besieged by the Eighth Route Army, most of them were wiped out, and the remaining 3,000 people slipped through the net and fled south via Hengshui and Kequan.But these stubborn troops fled to the Linqi area, and were ambushed by the Ranger Detachment led by Gui Gansheng. In the end, only 2,000 people including Lu Zhonglin and Zhu Huaibing fled to Xiuwu.

On March 9, the headquarters of the 129th Division received a general instruction: Wei Lihuang came forward to ask our army to stop the offensive and expressed his willingness to negotiate with our army.In order to show their sincerity again, the Eighth Route Army made the final concession to Wei Lihuang: 1. The Eighth Route Army withdrew from Gaobu Fengtou Village, Dongwangzhuang, Dongxishimen, and Xipingluo; 2. The main force of our Tang Tianji Department withdrew As far as Lingchuan, only a small part is left to cover the Gao, Yang, and Yuan line military depots; the Eighth Route Army south of the San, Lin, Fen, and Tun roads, and west of Changle and Gaoping roads, withdraws to the east and north of the roads, and the east and west of the roads. The friendly forces in the north withdrew to the south and west of the road at the same time; 4. Wei Lihuang, please ensure the safety of our Gao, Yang, Yuan, and Qubing stations and the safety of our personnel, and let all armies respect each other and cancel the hostility towards the Eighth Route Army Attitude; 5. If Wei Lihuang agrees to the above conditions, the Eighth Road Vehicle will immediately follow the spring deployment and resolutely attack the enemy.

In accordance with the spirit of this instruction of Ji Zong, and in order to express the sincerity of our army's unwillingness to expand the armed conflict, the 129th Division educated the prisoners and returned them to Lu Zhonglin, Zhu Huaibing and other departments in batches.His family members also sent people to send them back. On March 16, the troops withdrew north.Since then, the area south of Hanchang Highway and north of Linqi and Xipingluo has been controlled by the Eighth Route Army.