Chapter 15 13. The Story of the Murder of the Weihe River

\n When I visited Shenyang, I saw with my own eyes that China is rapidly moving towards a socialist society.Later, I read some pictorials with curiosity, and I was fascinated by "People's China".One day, I read "People's China" with a very beautiful cover, and read an article in it introducing the Grand Canal, one of the world-famous three major architectural projects in ancient China, which can be juxtaposed with the Great Wall.This made my heart tighten all of a sudden, I put down the book, and fell into the memory. That was 13 years ago.Only small boats can barely pass through the disreputable canal.Today, it is of course surprising to see a decent motorboat that can navigate from Fujin to Linqing!At that time, I was the second lieutenant intelligence officer of a brigade. I used the rainy season to destroy the embankment of the canal, causing it to burst, which brought great disasters to the Chinese people. These situations are still vivid in my memory.

In the early 7th century AD, under the order of Emperor Sui Yang, the 2,500-kilometer Grand Canal was successfully excavated at the expense of tens of thousands of Chinese people's lives, and has been directly controlled by successive emperors.However, it can not only irrigate the fields in the watershed, exchange agricultural products, mineral products, and handicrafts from various places, thereby enriching the lives of farmers and bringing them happiness, but also allows people to travel far away by boat instead of walking. Bring them great convenience. However, since our Japanese army invaded China, we have not only used this river to plunder the grain and cotton that the farmers have exchanged for their hard work and sweat, but also used it for "crusade warfare" and military transportation, while the Chinese people are on their own land But they cannot use their own canals to navigate freely.Not only that, but the Chinese were forced to pull fiber for ships filled with Japanese ammunition, ammunition, and military cotton, just like they pulled fiber for the emperor's ships 1300 years ago.The shoulders of the trackers were worn out, and the soles of their feet were worn out with blood.What is even more tragic is that more than 1 million people along the coast suffered direct floods because the 59th Division of the Japanese Army destroyed the embankment of the canal.In De County (now Dezhou, the same below—editor’s note) and Linqing County in Shandong Province where we were stationed, the Grand Canal was called the "South Canal" or "Wei River".The Wei River is about 30-40 meters wide, but it is still a canal in fact.Sediments brought by yellow sewage are deposited in the river every day, while some garbage floats on the river surface.

In August 1943, it rained continuously, and the water level of the Wei River rose inch by inch. The water transportation teams in De County and Linqing County reported the water flow to the division headquarters in Tai'an every day, and I also went out several times to investigate the water situation.Soon, the flood water approached the embankment, and the white waves rolled with the whirlpool, and the pedestrian bridge in Dexian County began to shake. Under such circumstances, Orita, the staff officer of the division headquarters, hurried over to inspect. He met with the brigade commander Tasaka Yashiba and had a discussion. Up to now, all the residents near the footbridge had been arrested. The Japanese army rushed to guard the sandbag embankment with bayonets.This section is the weakest link of the embankment, and it is only 500 to 600 meters away from the downstream "Jinpu Line" iron bridge. "To ensure the Jinpu Railway!" - not only the brigade commander will keep in mind the top task of the whole division, even I will keep this in mind.I know that if the Jinpu Railway is lost, it will be a very serious matter.

When I was a recruit instructor, the railway in the security area was once damaged, and the train was overturned because of this.At that time, Battalion Commander Naohiko Ishikun announced that all officers and soldiers were prohibited from going out for a few months until the "bandits" were wiped out.Later, we dug trenches on both sides of the Jinpu Railway, from Tianjin to Pukou.For this reason, we have lost all conscience, demolished houses and dug roadside graves.Aren't these atrocities all for the defense of this railway? The reason for this is that this railway serves as a lifeline for the warmongers.It was responsible for the military transport between Manchuria and southern China.As far as Shandong is concerned, coal from Boshan, Zichuan, Huafeng, and Xintai, iron from Jinling Town, bauxite and oil shale from Nanding, and agricultural products from Shandong Province, known as the "granary", They are all transported to Japan by this railway.With this railway, Japan can plunder more of China's aboveground and underground resources and continue its war of aggression.Today, the railway is in crisis.If something happened to this railway, no matter the brigade commander or division commander, everyone would be dismissed. Everyone knew this in their hearts.Not long after Staff Orita left, I was called to the brigade commander's office. "In order to keep the Jinpu line and De County, we must destroy the embankment of the Weihe River, you go and choose the location!" The brigade commander said to me like this.

I thought: the location of the breach must undoubtedly be found on the left bank.Because Japanese troops were stationed in Guantao, Linqing, Wucheng and other places on the right bank, and a puppet government was established there; we can take the cotton and wheat in this area at will, so to speak, this is our "coffer". .On the other hand, the left bank is the "liberated area" where we can't move an inch.The left bank is completely different from the right bank.The peasants there were protected by the Eighth Route Army. They drove away the landlords. Everyone was equal. Every family had its own land and livestock, and they harvested what they planted. Everyone lived a happy life.During festivals and monthly fairs, farmers can exchange the grain, cloth, livestock, and clothes they produce for other necessities.Young men and women can walk side by side freely, and the old people are really happy to see this.This is exactly the picture of kind people getting a happy and happy life.Therefore, when the Japanese invaders who killed and looted everywhere came here, they all worked together to resist.

I understand very well that we will not be able to attack this liberated area no matter what.We once stationed a platoon in Qiu County, where they were soon besieged by 2,000 Eighth Route Army troops.A company sent by our side to Gaocun could only hide in the stronghold, and did not dare to go out to "crusade" or plunder.Later, the division sent the Hirose troops with the strongest combat effectiveness to that area, but they were also helpless.The anti-aggression force in the liberated areas is really too strong. "Just right, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Taking advantage of the flooding of the Wei River this time, a large area of ​​the liberated area can be flooded with flood water, and the Eighth Route Army and peasants in it can be wiped out in one fell swoop, while the Jinpu Railway and Dexian County are both preserved. , This is really a great way to kill two birds with one stone! Ha! Ha!" The brigade commander's laughter echoed in the room.

"Yes! I see!" I also praised this brilliant move at the time.Once back in my room, I was genuinely proud that I had been given such an important task.I immediately took out the military map, and while smoking, I chose the best place for the breach. The great canals dug by the Chinese people in the early seventh century are, to me, but a line on a map.The Chinese people have cultivated here since the beginning of history, and now the large fields covered with golden ears of grain and purple-red sorghum are just a small piece of plain on the map to me.I compared this line with this plain to find the best place to release the flooded liberated area.I searched carefully according to the height of the terrain, and finally decided to break the embankment near Qianjia Town between Guantao and Linqing to release water.

"If the embankment breaks here, the flood water will flow through this depression to the enclaves of Quji, Guantao, and Qiu County. At that time, the Eighth Route Army area will be over!" I went to the brigade commander's office again, Said so triumphantly. "Okay! It's settled like this, send a telegram immediately!" The brigade commander agreed at once, and signed the draft of the telegram I drafted.A call back came from Linqing soon after.The telegram said: "Our ministry has acted in the rain as ordered." Thus, from this day on, a magic hand is stretched out to the peaceful inhabitants who know nothing.That was late August.It was still raining.I thought that the water in the Weihe River would rise quickly, so I felt relieved.As soon as I got off work, I changed into a yukata without having dinner, held up an umbrella, and went to the Maruyama Hotel to drink and play with women.

The rain finally stopped, and the clouds in the sky were flying eastward quickly.The turbid current of the Wei River, which was about to burst, did not calm down, and was still flowing.A day passed, and night began to fall.On this night, the rainwater stored in the guard trench of the bridge sub-sentinel on the embankment of the Wei River in Linqing County and the flood of the Wei River broke through the embankment of the guard trench, which was only one meter high. In the early morning of the next day, bugles for emergency assembly sounded at the Hirose troop station, and the assembled soldiers all ran towards the bridge post with round shovels in their hands.At this time, the villagers had already arrived here, and they were busy and busy, desperately piling up sandbags on the breach.

"Bastard! Don't do these jobs! Go 100 meters upstream to intercept the river, go!" The soldiers immediately ran upstream when they heard Hirose's scolding.100 meters away from the branch post, the embankment is connected with the farmland on the high hill, forming a solid embankment.Cut off the upper reaches of the river, and the sub-posts would be saved naturally. This was Hirose's ghostly idea. For Hirose, who was ordered by the brigade department to make a decision once, it will be the same for several times.Under the urging of Lieutenant Xiao Dao, the soldiers waved their round shovels together and started digging. The embankment had already been softened by water.

"Oh, Taijun is dangerous! What can we do if you do this!" The farmers began to commotion. The farmers thought that these Japanese soldiers were here to repair the embankment, but now they saw the opposite, they began to dig the embankment! ——"It's dangerous! Taijun, stop!" The peasants couldn't help getting angry and rushed forward together. "Bastard! Anyone who dares to object will die!" A soldier waved his round shovel and chopped at the peasants who were walking in front. "Ah!" With a painful cry, the man fell down, with bright red blood dripping from his head, which dyed the embankment red. "Go away! Anyone who makes trouble will shoot you all!" Kojima roared like a beast.Kojima asked the soldiers to raise their guns and threatened the farmers.Then he yelled at the soldiers: "I'm going to drive them away! Just keep digging!" The soldiers waved their round shovels and dug again.The villagers were silent.Grief and indignation made them tremble all over.They glared at the Japanese soldiers who pointed their guns at their chests.In this painful silence, only the roar of the flood was heard.The soldiers' shovels dug down inch by inch, and finally, the flood water began to overflow the embankment. "Dangerous! Beast!" The villagers were shocked.They ran to the village as fast as arrows, and wanted to tell the villagers about the danger.The villagers from the right bank also stared at the tragedy with worried expressions and hatred. Below the embankment is a terraced field surrounded by a 4-meter-high section of the old city wall. There are four or five farm houses here.Seeing, the flood widened the gap from 2 meters to 4 meters wide, and the river rose rapidly in this terraced field, submerging the houses.Suddenly, there was a sound of wooden buildings collapsing, and the soldiers looked up. It turned out that the wooden door in the center of the old city wall could not withstand the pressure of the water and was crushed all of a sudden. The flood water stored in this field poured out from the wooden gate all at once, rushing forward along the Jishun Highway, approaching the village in front of us as soon as we spoke.In the surrounding villages, big and small, there was a burst of noisy gongs.What was a peaceful village just now has suddenly turned into a hell where ghosts cry and wolves howl.The five children playing outside the gate of the old city called for their mother and were swallowed by the flood. From the nearby villages, there were crazily mournful cries of mothers looking for their children. "Wow--haha--, this time, no one can stop it!" A sinister smile floated on Kojima's face, he said to himself as he watched the flood pouring out of the gap that had expanded to a width of 20 meters Soliloquy he said.After another miserable cry, came the voice of the commander Hirose: "Hey! It's time to get on the boat and retreat!" The soldiers all retreated after him. The people on the right bank saw the breach of the embankment extend from 30 meters to 50 meters, 100 meters... and heard the screams of the compatriots on the left bank, they were so sad that they beat their feet and beat their chests, but there was nothing they could do. "How can we save them?" While these people were speaking, there was a loud bang, and the 4-meter-high old city wall completely collapsed.At this time, the village that was originally blocked by the city wall is now revealed in front of people. The millet waiting to be harvested in the field is no longer visible.Groups of old people, women, and children who ran out from various villages with their luggage on their backs were chased to nowhere by the flood and were finally swallowed by the flood.Those who climbed up the tree never came down again. Some young people working in the fields never thought that the Wei River would burst, and they were drowned before they could even go home.The elderly and children suffer even more.That night, the crying of grief spread from the house soaked in water, on the roof, to the dark night sky. De County is completely out of danger.I seem to have quickly forgotten about the breach of the Weihe River, and spent the whole day drinking and drinking.However, the criminal conspiracy to kill the people in the Liberated Areas also killed our own people in turn.According to reports, 90 kilometers downstream from the breach site, the situation of the Japanese troops stationed in Wucheng, Wuguanzhai and Ershilibao is unknown.The brigade commander ordered me to take a plane to scout the situation in this area and the damage to the embankment of the Wei River. The temperature at Jinan Airport is scorchingly hot, but when flying 1,000 meters above the ground, it is much more comfortable.Seen from the plane, the people on the ground are only about the size of peas.While savoring the thrill of flying for the first time, I admired the peaceful scenery in the distance. "Is it this area? Please take a closer look." The driver's voice woke me up, and I looked down.He said: By the way, inside the city wall of the county seat, there are several red brick buildings, which are barracks. Some soldiers are standing on the roofs and waving desperately to the air! "It's here, it's here!" I couldn't help shouting.At this time, the plane had already flown over Weihe River.Ah, what a change here!From the 150-meter-long gap, the flood with white waves is still flowing towards the Hexi area. "Take a picture!" the scout officer shouted to me. The plane made a sharp turn at an altitude of 600 meters, and the levee and flood appeared in front of our eyes, but they were far away from us in a blink of an eye.My eyes are tired.However, I remembered the complacent look my comrades had after taking a photo of the Chinese head that had just been chopped off, and I thought to myself, if I succeed in taking this photo, I can show it off.So, I forgot the soreness of my eyes, and looked at the flood that glowed with self-glow from a high altitude. The plane flew along the Weihe River, preparing to land in Wucheng County.From the 1000 meters above the sky, you can see the vast plain, which has become a huge lake.Dozens of villages are scattered in the water, like islands, and the green canopies of the villages are shaking in the water.There are some seaweed-like things floating in the lake, which are green crops shining against the midsummer sun.Somehow, I developed a mysterious sense of beauty, and unconsciously said: "This scenery is so beautiful!" In the 90km area we flew, there were lakes and islands like this.I think it is much bigger than the Seto Inland Sea in Japan.It must be very interesting to paddle a boat from village to village on such a quiet lake.However, the ground has become a living hell, am I a person with no conscience?The flood hit seven counties including Guantao, Linqing, Quji, Qiuxian, Wucheng, Qinghe, and Weixian, leaving more than one million innocent people with their wives, families, and families displaced and starving. miserable situation. The detachment of Ershilibao, of course, all the soldiers were also killed.On the land surrounded by water, our plane circled a few times, but we didn't see a single person. It took a month for this great flood to recede slowly, but the fields were washed away by the water.Dead fish were picked up in the swamps, and cottonseed was picked and eaten upstream in the hills. The Gaocun detachment, which was surrounded by floods, also had a food crisis. If they wanted to grab some delicious food, they went to nearby villages.However, the dog barking that is often heard in normal times can not be heard now.The village was dead silent. They struggled to move forward in the mud, and saw a skinny old woman sitting under a collapsed earth wall on the edge of the nearest village.She stared into the distance with blank eyes, leaning against the wall as if her body was falling apart.At the old woman's feet, lay a young woman holding a dead child. Her face full of pain was covered with dirt, and her facial nerves spasmed from time to time.Her purple lips were partly parted, and a yellow, foul-smelling liquid flowed from her mouth, and, on her wet waist, there were flies, buzzing from time to time.Moans and groans continued to be heard from the door of this house. "It's cholera!" Someone said something, and the soldiers' faces became tense immediately. "Report to the platoon leader! There are patients here! There are no chickens or pigs!" The soldiers ran out of the village immediately after speaking. "So unlucky today? Search again!" At this time, the platoon leader took the lead and went to another village.However, in this village, there were stiff corpses everywhere, not even mummified cholera patients with death-grey faces.Swarms of flies crawled around each corpse.When the soldiers saw it, their faces were ashen, spitting from time to time.What a living hell!The cholera caused by the Japanese army continued to spread in the villages in this area.The rich, beautiful, and peaceful left bank of the Wei River has now become a hell on earth! In the village, some people who live by eating leaves and rotten cotton seeds had to go to the right bank of Wei River to beg.They wear clothes that cannot cover their bodies, eat pagoda tree leaves by the roadside when they are hungry, and lie down in a ditch by the roadside to sleep when they are sleepy.Seeing that the pagoda trees on the side of the road were about to pick off all their leaves, they didn't even have the strength to climb the trees.Some people struggled to get to En County in order to find leaves, but along the way, I don't know how many people died of heat and starvation there.The dead ones fell by the side of the road without even a body collector.The girls who couldn't survive, some sold themselves for a meal, and some were raped by Japanese soldiers.Those people who couldn't even eat the leaves and grass roots of the locust tree died with deep hatred for the Japanese invaders, especially for me, the criminal who destroyed the embankment of the Weihe River! The brigade commander and I were speeding along the road in a car, and the back of the car brought up clouds of yellow dust, which fell on the dead bodies on the side of the road and the people who desperately climbed to the trees to pick leaves.The brigade commander glanced at these people, holding a mustache in his hand, mocking him and said: "Hey, Namba, the Han nationality is a great nation. They are really worthy of the oriental morals since Confucius and Mencius. 'If you are thirsty, you will not drink from a stolen spring, and if you die, you will not take other people'. You saw it this time! Hahaha!" I also laughed a couple of times, and my eyes fell on the feet of the scrawny corpses on the side of the road. I thought, these people are not the only ones who suffer! In those villages soaked by water, more than 30,000 people were forced to leave their hometowns because they had no food to eat, no houses to live in, and no land to grow.At that time, it was already winter.However, what awaits them in the northeast is still cold and hunger.Wherever there are Japanese imperialists, everywhere there is only cold and hunger.They died one by one in that strange land, and many more died in the mines of forced labor. In this way, I, the Japanese aggressor who unscrupulously expanded the war and tried to kill two birds with one stone, only cared about my personal success, only cared about my personal drinking and pleasure, and thought that killing one more Chinese was an extra contribution to the country.Under our inhuman conspiracy, more than one million people on both sides of the Wei River who love peace, respect each other, and build happy villages together have been pushed to the line of starvation and death, and more than 20,000 of them lost their precious lives. was taken away. The deep hatred of the Chinese people merged into a raging anti-Japanese fire.Those Japanese aggressors who killed people and robbed them were finally defeated by the righteous Chinese people.The victorious Chinese people have built the Weihe River, which was destroyed by me, into a Grand Canal that not only does not allow anyone to damage it, but also will not break no matter how much rain it rains.On the vast fields that I washed away with water, tractors and combine harvesters are running everywhere now. Chinese society has undergone such tremendous changes, and the more than 20,000 precious lives I killed, no matter what, cannot be resurrected.The Chinese people have suffered such a huge disaster because of me, which I will never forget in my life. When I think of these things, I feel extremely ashamed.As soon as I recall the past, I deeply feel that the war of aggression launched by the Japanese imperialists aimed at destroying mankind is an unforgivable and inhumane crime. In this war, as an enemy of the people, I committed serious crimes. The kind people will never allow the same crimes I have walked. Author bio: After graduating from Yanai Commercial School in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1936, he worked as a bank clerk. He joined the army in 1940, and came to Shandong Province, China as a trainee non-commissioned officer in September 1941, taking the first step in his career as an aggressor. In July 1945, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Adjutant of the 59th Division Headquarters.During this period, he has been in Shandong Province and committed many crimes.