1945, at this time, it was only more than a month since Japan surrendered . All parts of the country were still immersed in the joy of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War . However, at this time, the seas near Yantai, Shandong seemed not so calm...
At that time, there were often US military warships patrolling here in this area. After discovering this situation at the first time, the "Unified Action Committee" of the Communist Party of China ordered the cannon to be set up on the shore. The anxious atmosphere made the magnificent sea seem to hold its momentum.
The eyes shifted from the sea to the streets of Yantai , and they would also find that the mid-autumn season was not anxious or impatient, but now they have been replaced by the anger filled with righteous indignation on the faces of Yantai citizens. The big guy was in a parade, and there was a strong man in the team holding a slogan that read: "Defend Yantai to the death."
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Yantai's every move at this time can be said to have touched the hearts of the United States and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. At that time, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China had issued instructions: Teng Jinglu, Secretary of the Yantai Municipal Committee of the Jiaodong District Party Committee and Jiaodong Military Region, Political Commissar of the East Hai Military Sub-district of the Jiaodong Military Region and Political Commissar Zhong Xidong and Yu Guying, and others were fully responsible for handling emergencies.
The advance warship led by Major General Seitel, the seventh Fleet of the US Navy, is also on high alert. Even the , Chiang Kai-shek, who is far away in Nanjing, is closely following the trends of Yantai. All of this tension symbolizes that something big will happen in Yantai in the future.
Later, after several days of testing, the game and competition started by the three parties in Yantai finally ended with a milestone complete victory in the history of the Communist Party of China's military diplomacy. Even American writer Smedley later lamented in his book "The Great Road": "The Americans lowered their heads in the Yantai incident."
So what happened at that time? Why did the US warships penetrate deep into the waters near Yantai in a grand manner? And how did our army respond under the instructions of the Party Central Committee and finally win? To answer all this, the source must start from August 1945.
1945, the Chinese people fought bloody battles for 14 years and finally drove away the Japanese invaders. At noon on August 15, after Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced his unconditional surrender to the world through radio, the whole country was cheering and the people were running around to tell the good news, and they also began to look forward to the arrival of a new life.
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But at this time, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party had a very urgent question in front of us, that is, who was responsible for accepting the surrender of the millions of Japanese and puppet troops stationed in China. The National Government "taken for granted" that it had all the right to be demoted, so it ordered the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army and other Chinese Communist troops to "garrison on site" and not to "take without authorization" to the enemy and puppet.
Looking at the entire War of Resistance Against Japan, the armed forces led by the Communist Party of China have been insisting on fighting behind enemy lines under extremely difficult conditions, and should also be subject to the right to be demoted.
So the Yan'an headquarters formulated a countermeasure: to fight against tit, fight for an inch of land, and then ordered the army to advance quickly, confiscate and accept enemy and puppet armed forces. is just a process of surrendering. It is not smooth. Located in Yantai, northeast of Jiaodong Peninsula, Shandong, has the key geographical characteristics of facing the Yellow Sea in the north and looking to the south. Its Yantai Port is a transportation hub connecting the Central Plains and the Northeast, and is one of the important ports in the north.
—In such a place where military strategists must fight, the Eighth Route Army fought fiercely with the Japanese army that refused to surrender at that time in the Jiaodong area. After a whole week of fierce fighting, finally wiped out the Japanese and puppet troops who refused to surrender on August 24 and liberated Yantai.
The smooth liberation of Yantai not only consolidated and expanded the Jiaodong liberated area, controlled the north coast seaport from Penglai, Longkou, and east to Weihai , but also better sent the main force to travel from the sea to the Northeast, and then created the Northeast base, making corresponding strategic arrangements for the Chiang Kai-shek government's conspiracy of "fake peace talks and real civil war".
Everyone is happy and sad. After receiving the information about Yantai being liberated by the Eighth Route Army, Chiang Kai-shek was in a state of restlessness and anxiety. After all, the main force of the Kuomintang was still in Chongqing and Sichuan at that time, and there was no time to go to the distant Shandong area.
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Thinking that the Eighth Route Army would accept the surrender of the Japanese and puppet troops in the Northeast region, Chiang Kai-shek was feeling like he was on pins and needles. He did not want to give up Yantai, a strategic location, but because his army was unable to escape, he was in desperation and remembered the US fleet in the Pacific, trying to seize Yantai through the US military's military's military's advantage, thereby preventing our army from crossing the sea to the north.
. The United States can be said to be unable to find Chiang Kai-shek's sudden request. Since the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the US government's desire to "lead the world" has risen unprecedentedly. As Britain and France seek economic reconstruction after the war, Japan, which is regarded as the number one opponent in the Asia-Pacific region, has also been defeated, and the Soviet Union, the only remaining powerful country, has become a major concern.
The United States has already anticipated the "US-Soviet battle for hegemony " pattern that may appear in the future. At this time, controlling China became particularly important. Therefore, it vigorously supported the Kuomintang and even used the Air Force to transport the National Army to the north on a large scale to facilitate them to compete with our army for the fruits of victory.
Now, the US military is of course happy to have such a "small busy". In mid-September 1945, with the commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Fleet , commander-in-chief of the Pacific Theater Allied Forces, and General Nimitz , officially announced to the public that the "alliance" of the United States would land in Yantai, China's coastal city.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China immediately raised objections to the observation group of the US military stationed in Yan'an, and clearly negotiated that "the place was occupied by our army and there was no enemy; please do not log in, so as not to interfere in internal affairs."
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- But the US military, which has reached a consensus with the Kuomintang, did not take the solemn warning of the CPC Central Committee seriously, and still planned to log in to Yantai with a deaf attitude. Seeing this, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China first issued instructions to Shandong Branch and the Jiaodong District Party Committee, requiring them to pay close attention to the situation in the waters near Yantai; then sent Yu Guying, director of the United Front Work Department of the Jiaodong District Party Committee, to Yantai as the Foreign Affairs Commissioner of Jiaodong Administrative Office and the Acting Mayor of Yantai City, and ordered him to cooperate with the military struggle and defend Yantai.
Yu Guying arrived in Yantai on September 27 and immediately studied and analyzed the various measures that the US military might take to "landing in" Yantai this time, and established the diplomatic struggle policy of "not exclusion, not fawning on the outside, not taking the initiative to shoot, but not losing its national stance."
Just two days later, on September 29, five advance warships led by Major General Saitel, the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, appeared around Kongtong Island in Yantai City, and patrolled back and forth on the sea. Due to the clear negotiations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Major General Seitel's move to lead the warships to patrol the warships, the intention of the demonstration was very obvious.
Yu Guying has formulated countermeasures first, so she is mentally prepared for the US military's move, intending to adhere to a reasonable, favorable and moderate plan to make the Yantai party, government, military and civilians actively prepare for the military diplomatic struggle to be carried out. Since then, a fierce confrontation between China and the United States has officially begun.
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On the morning of October 1, Major General Seitel of the US military sent an invitation to meet with the leaders of the Yantai Communist Party of China. Yu Guying accepted the invitation and boarded the US military's "San Francisco" flagship with the translator on the same day, and held the first talks with Major General Seitel.
On the day of the talks, Major General Seitel did not mention a single word about logging in Yantai, but only made a request to go ashore to inspect the former site of the consulate and the property of the expatriates. We naturally expressed our permission to not infringe on sovereignty, so the two sides reached a relevant agreement on the matter.
On the morning of the second day, Major General Seitel led his team to visit, and Yu Guying and others gave a warm hospitality.After the return visit, Major General Seitel ordered the US military to go ashore, but while inspecting the former site and the property of the expatriates, he repeatedly insisted on breaking into the military restricted area around the East Fort , and even entered our army's barracks.
At the same time, the US Air Force formation and naval aircraft have hovered over the military restricted area for reconnaissance many times. It is not difficult to see that the so-called viewing of the property of the expatriates is just a high-sounding excuse for the cunning US military. Their real purpose is probably to be bad.
In order to deal with the sudden crisis, on October 3, the Jiaodong District Party Committee and the Jiaodong Military Region established a "Uniform Action Committee" composed of Yantai Party, Government and Military, a Yantai Party, government and military, to be responsible for handling emergencies with full authority.
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members include Teng Jinglu, Secretary of the Yantai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Yu Deshui and Yu Guying, Commander of the Donghai Military Sub-district and Commander of Yanwei Security District, etc., and the secretary is Zhong Xidong, nicknamed "Zhong Tiezui", - This person served as the political commissar of the Donghai Military Region at the age of 27. He not only understands military affairs and politics, but also is particularly good at speaking. He has been engaged in diplomatic work for a long time since then and served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The superiors chose Zhong Xidong as the top leader of the "United Action Committee", indicating that our contact with the US military has officially turned into a military diplomatic struggle. html At dawn on October 4, a sudden change occurred on the calm sea near Yantai, and several US ships were added, one of which was the flagship "Louisville", led by Lieutenant General Barber, which shows that the US military's move not only increased its troops, but also increased its operational level.
At 10 am, Major General Seitel and others visited the Yantai Foreign Affairs Office. Unlike the previous two friendly atmospheres, Major General Seitel sent a copy of the telegram from General Jin Gaid, commander of the Seventh Fleet of the US Navy. The content of the copy of
roughly puts forward three requirements for the Eighth Route Army and the Yantai Municipal Government: First, the coastal fortifications and the mines placed at the relocation are removed; Second, the Eighth Route Army evacuated Yantai City; Third, the orderly handed over Yantai City to the US side to take over, and pointed out that the US Navy will log in to Yantai.
For these requirements, the "Uniform Action Committee" rejected them on the spot, and then quickly reported this important information to the Shandong Branch of the Communist Party of China and the Jiaodong District Party Committee, and began to take some defensive measures.
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i.e. : mobilizes cannons to be placed on the coast of Yantai. The muzzle is facing US fleet , and then instructs the guard forces on the dock to keep a close watch and prepare for the forced landing of US ships. If the US military wants to land, only the US military commander and personal escort will be allowed to land, and no weapons are allowed.
In an instant, the various arrangements of the Unified Action Committee were already lined up on the coast. When the US military saw our side responding so hard on the head of the ship, his arrogant arrogance was instantly removed, and then he could only let go of his figure and request to continue the negotiations.
The Unified Action Committee considers that the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are in a period of "peace talks" and the United States is the "mediator". It believes that the struggle against the US military must be reasonable and well-founded, so it agreed to the US military's negotiation request.
Zhong Xidong serves as the chief representative of this negotiation, and Yu Guying and others are members of the negotiating delegation. The US military formed a negotiating delegation of Lieutenant General Barber, Major General Seitel and Major General Rock, the commander of amphibious combat .
From October 5 to 6, delegations of both sides held renegotiations on the US military warships and the Yantai Foreign Affairs Office respectively. At the beginning, Balbe accused our army of pointing the muzzle at the US warship "is an act of provoking war", intending to increase momentum first to give us a warning.
But Zhong Xidong replied calmly: "Now there is no artillery in the world that can fire a distance of thousands of kilometers. If you can stay well in your own country, how can you face our cannons!" 's loud and powerful response made Balbe, who was in the wrong for a long time, unable to relieve himself.
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After Balbe said again: "The CCP accepts Yantai and does not receive permission from Chiang Kai-shek, the highest military leader of the Chinese theater. If our army lands in Yantai, it can delay the effectiveness of Chiang Kai-shek's dispatch of troops and ease the conflict between the two sides." Faced with such unreasonable quibbling by the US military, Zhong Xidong fired back again: "The Kuomintang and the Communist Party are in peace talks. The role of the US side as a mediator should be impartial. The US military logs in here. Interfering in China's internal affairs."
U.S. military negotiating team personnel explained this: "The purpose of this move is only to confiscate the Japanese weapons." and Zhong Xidong added: "Japanese invaders were wiped out by our army a month ago. Don't your army know it yet?"
Balbe was debated by Zhong Xidong until he was speechless. In the end, he could only say bluntly that they came on orders for peace in China. Zhong Xidong also expressed his understanding of this, and then replied incisively: "Yes, obedience is the duty of a soldier. But I know that the main task of a country's army is to defend its own country's territory first. If the Chinese army also travels to any place in the United States, will you also regard this as a friendly act?" The sentence
is equivalent to "a final kill", completely destroying Balbe's confidence in making us surrender. Since I did not take any advantage at the negotiating table, the US side finally had to say that it would report the situation here to its superiors first and then discuss it later.
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There is no doubt that this tit-for-tat military negotiation ended with our dominant advantage. After the confrontation at the negotiating table, the "United Action Committee" also organized some large-scale mass marchs, intending to deal a heavy blow to the US military on the battlefield of public opinion.
So on the morning of October 6, when Balbe just walked out of the gate of the General Office of Foreign Affairs and was planning to return to the warship, he happened to meet with the demonstration team of Yantai citizens. The general public held big-word slogans such as "Repel the American invaders" in their hands. Balbe and others were embarrassed and could only turn the car around and avoid the parade...
However, the "United Action Committee" knew very well that whether it was a victory at the first battle at the negotiating table or a dominant field of public opinion, it was only a temporary victory. The US military would not give up landing in Yantai easily, and the sentence "asking for instructions" left by it before leaving was definitely a delaying strategy.
Considering that the US military may adopt more arrogant robbers in the future, we are not proud and complacent, but cautiously ordered to strengthen fortifications on all coasts where the US military might be used as a landing place. At the same time, we conduct irregular shore artillery shooting exercises near the waters where the US ships are anchored, in order to declare that our army has not retreated in the face of intimidation.
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Of course, the "United Action Committee" is not fighting alone. Behind it is our powerful Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. At that time, the senior central officials, led by Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, were always thinking about the dynamics of the Yantai front line. On October 6, they also entrusted the Eighth Route Army Chief of Staff Ye Jianying to put pressure on Colonel Ye Dun, the US military observation group stationed in Yan'an, expressing their firm opposition to the US military landing in Yantai. After
, the central government also played the role of "backbone" and issued two important instructions to the Shandong Branch: First, if the US military forcibly landed, our army would expose to the world its unreasonable behavior of interfering in other countries' internal affairs; Second, only by taking tough measures can the arrogance of the US military be suppressed.The two instructions of
are to be afraid of war when necessary. This coincides with the strategy being implemented by the "United Action Committee" and is equivalent to giving us a reassurance. After all, without the strong support of the central government, it will not be easy to defeat the arrogant US military conspiracy.
Last It is also with the joint efforts of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the "United Action Committee" that the US military has gradually understood that our side is not a "soft persimmon". If war starts easily, it will only be worth the loss - For example, war will definitely lead to both losses. The US military not only has to pay a heavy price, but its international image will also decline sharply.
So on October 7, Barbet and other senior American generals arrived at the dock and expressed their departing to us. Of course, at this time, he no longer had the tit-for-tat attitude a few days ago, but said: "According to my strong suggestion, General Kim Gaid has approved that he does not have to log in here, so I will say goodbye."
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days later, the US side published a news in Chongqing saying: "The US military will not be in Chinese Communist Party Yantai occupied by the Communist Party of China, because the port has been controlled by the army led by the Communist Party of China. Yantai Port has police and good order. There are no Japanese troops, prisoners of war or American detainees in the area. At present, there are no military reasons for the U.S. military landing."
htmlOn October 17, as all US warships left Yantai, it represents the diplomatic battle between us and the U.S. military, which ended in victory. This move not only defeated the US military's ambitions and Chiang Kai-shek's conspiracy, but also ensured that our army's main Shandong troops would move north smoothly.
To some extent, it also laid the foundation for the final victory of the War of Liberation. Therefore, the victory of this game has achieved no smaller effect than in war. After all, its achievements are not only reflected in diplomacy, but also at the strategic level.
