During the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Houyou was a platoon leader of the Xinglan detachment in the Shanxi-Sui border area. He was also a famous fighting hero in the Shanxi-Sui border area. He was also a "sharp shooter" who frightened the Japanese invaders. The Japanese and puppets

During the Anti-Japanese War, Zhang Houyou was a platoon leader of the Xinglan Detachment in the Shanxi-Sui Border Region. He was also a famous fighting hero in Shanxi-Sui. He was also a "sharp shooter" who frightened the Japanese invaders. There were no less than 50 soldiers, and the Japanese army once offered a reward of 1,000 yuan for his head.

At the end of 1944, Zhang Houyou, who had repeatedly made military exploits, attended the Fourth Heroes Conference of the Shanxi-Sui Border Region and was awarded the title of "Special Combat Hero". He was commended by the Administrative Office and the Military Region, and was awarded a banner, a medal, and a bonus of 10,000 yuan. (Northwestern Farmer Coin).

Oil portrait of Zhang Hou

Zhang Houyou, born in 1921, was a native of Xietangshan Village, Xing County. He later moved to Ershilipu, Xing County. Because the place where he lived was in a remote forest, wild beasts often appeared and attacked the people. In order to make ends meet, he often went hunting in the mountains, for which he also developed good marksmanship.

In the winter of 1937, the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army entered northwest Shanxi and established the northwest Shanxi base. Also in the winter of this year, Zhang Houyou, who was only 16 years old, joined the Xingxian Sacrifice League guerrillas to fight against Japan. Zhang Houyou, who joined the guerrillas, actively resisted Japan and gradually showed his "sharp marksman" shooting skills during the battle.

In the summer of 1942, during the battle at Haojiashan near the Zhaizi stronghold in Lan County, Zhang Houyou and two soldiers were divided into a group to fight. During the battle, because the Type 79 rifle was fired for too long, the barrel became hot and the shooting accuracy was inaccurate. In order to kill more Japanese invaders, Zhang Houyou asked one soldier to clean the barrel for himself, and another The soldier loaded bullets and fired alone, killing 14 Japanese soldiers in one breath. Finally, he captured 1 light machine gun and 10 rifles. In 1943, because the Japanese army often carried out large-scale raids, the guerrillas often moved between Xinglan County. Once, Zhang Houyou returned to Ershilipu, Xingxian County to carry water, and suddenly heard loud gunshots in the distance. (It was later learned that the Japanese troops were attacking the county town. Fearing an ambush, he retreated over the mountains and ridges eastward to the Kelan stronghold. ) After many raids, he was worried that it would be another large-scale raid by the Japanese army, so he quickly threw down the bucket and called Li Younian, the then militia captain, to carry his gun and go straight to the edge of the front mountain behind the village to learn about the situation.

Hiding behind the edge of the mountain, they saw a large group of Japanese troops climbing up the apricot tree in the village from a distance. He was prepared in advance and was afraid that the Japanese soldiers would come along the apricot trees and shoot them. He shot two Japanese soldiers to death one by one. The Japanese soldiers who were attacked did not know the truth and did not dare to advance, so they had to retreat and take another route to Jiaokou Village. The two of them quickly rushed to Akali Liang in Aojia Bay to attack the follow-up troops of the Japanese army. At this time, the Japanese army was frightened and feared that they would be attacked by a large force. When they heard the sound of gunfire, they ran away, not knowing that they were just two "countrymen". What the Eighth Route Army did.

Zhang Houyou and Li Younian saw that the Japanese army fled in a hurry without fighting back. Their courage doubled, so they returned to the upper floor of Jiaokou Village by the same route. They happened to encounter the Japanese advance guard who had taken a detour, and Zhang Houyou ambushed them. Well, another shot knocked down a Japanese soldier. The Japanese soldier was so frightened that he cowered in place and did not dare to move rashly. In this way, the two men held off nearly a thousand Japanese troops for two hours, preventing the surrounding villages from being raided by Japanese soldiers. In the battle of Zhenjiazhuang in the autumn of the same year, he still shot down more than 10 Japanese soldiers one by one.

In this way, the brave Zhang Houyou gradually became a sharpshooter in the Shanxi-Sui border area who frightened the Japanese army. For this reason, when the Xinglan detachment attacked the enemy stronghold in Chijianling in 1944, the Japanese army specially mobilized the ace gunner of the squad leader known as the "Five Eyes" (meaning that he has eyes in the front, back, left, and middle, and his marksmanship is particularly accurate) to shoot at him. After a long time, the squad leader known as the "Five Eyes" was sent to the west by him. Later, in order to kill Zhang Houyou and eliminate his threat to the Japanese army, the Japanese army posted a reward notice: 1,000 silver dollars for capturing Zhang Houyou alive, and 800 silver dollars for killing the dead. They also sent traitor agents everywhere to detect his whereabouts. But the Japanese army never succeeded.

Zhang Houyou joined the Xingxian Sacrifice League guerrillas in the winter of 1937 and returned to his hometown due to illness in 1947. During this period, he participated in many anti-mopping operations such as the Ershilipu Battle, the Tianjiahui Battle, and the Zhenjiazhuang Annihilation Battle. , and cooperated with the militiamen to perform many tasks such as reconnaissance, anti-trafficking, training militiamen, and covering the masses, using their own sharp marksmanship to attack the Japanese invaders.

(collected and compiled by Ren Huming)