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During the Anti-Japanese War, even the common people on the battlefield behind enemy lines in North China knew that as long as artillery appeared in the Eighth Route Army, it meant that a war was about to break out.
One day in July 1941, a large number of Eighth Route Army troops suddenly appeared outside Maguzhuang, Nangong County, Hebei Province. This Eighth Route Army is high-spirited, uniformly dressed, and well-equipped. It looks like the main force at first glance.
What makes the people of Maguzhuang excited is that a big guy like the "92-style" rarely appears in this army. At this moment, the people of Maguzhuang all understood that the Japanese and puppet army's artillery tower in Maguzhuang was about to be destroyed.
Since the Ming Dynasty, Nangong County has been famous for its convenient transportation and gathering of merchants. It is known as "Linqingshui Wharf, Nangong Dry Wharf".
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, in order to provide supplies for the troops attacking the Taihang Mountains and to seize the abundant grain, cotton and other materials in central Hebei and southern Hebei, the Japanese army started from Dezhou of Jinpu Railway in the east to Pinghan Railway in the west. The Deshi Railway was built between Shijiazhuang, passing through Jing County, Wuyi, Hengshui, Shulu, Shenxian, Jin County, Gaocheng and other counties in Hebei Province.
Nangong County is an important node connecting the two major railway trunk lines . By occupying Nangong County, it can separate the Eighth Route Army's base areas in central Hebei and southern Hebei.
The weak spot of the Japanese invaders has always been transportation lines, and railway lines are particularly important. In order to defend the Deshi Railway, the Japanese chief Okamura Ningji once again increased the emphasis on the original " cage policy", expanded the defensive circle of the Japanese railway, and launched the so-called "iron wall encirclement" strategy in an attempt to surround the Eighth Route Army Reduce it to a small area and eliminate it.
Therefore, while the regular Eighth Route Army troops in southern Hebei were resting and recuperating, the Japanese army built a 60-kilometer road from Wangguanzhuang, Qinghe County, to Dagao Village, Nangong County, an important node of the Dezhou-Shijiazhuang Railway, built 17 artillery towers, and accumulated a large number of troops. Nangong County's outer defense circle.
The Japanese army knew very well that the Eighth Route Army was hidden in the vast countryside. If the Eighth Route Army could be trapped by building roads and artillery towers and losing its mobility, Nangong County and the Deshi Railway could be saved.
The Japanese army chose to build artillery towers along the line from Wangguanzhuang, Qinghe County to Dagao Village, Nangong County. They had other considerations, because this is where the headquarters of the fourth division of southern Hebei are located. As long as they occupy this 60-kilometer stretch, they can divide the four divisions. split into two.
In order to break the "iron wall encirclement" of the Japanese army, the Eighth Route Army's southern Hebei headquarters ordered the New Seventh Brigade to organize the Battle of Wanggao Highway.
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New Seventh Brigade Yi Liangpin is a proven veteran Red Army soldier who has participated in one to four counter-campaigns and Long March. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he served as the deputy commander of the 772nd Regiment of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division. He participated in the battles of Qigeng Village, Shentou Ridge, etc., and made great achievements in battle.
In May 1940, he was promoted to commander of the new seventh brigade at the age of 30.
After receiving the order from the Eighth Route Army's Jinan headquarters, Yi Liangpin divided the work among the three regiments of the New 7th Brigade.
The two battalions of the 19th Regiment are responsible for blocking the Japanese and puppet troops The Chuiyang stronghold may go south to reinforce the enemies at Maguzhuang; the 21st Regiment attacks the enemies from the north of Chuiyang to Dagao Village; Yi Liangpin personally leads the two battalions The Tenth Regiment attacked Maguzhuang, the core stronghold held by the puppet security forces.
On the 60-kilometer stretch from Wangguanzhuang in Qinghe County to Dagao Village in Nangong County, the Japanese army built a total of 17 large and small artillery towers, among which the strongholds of Maguzhuang and Chuiyang were particularly important.
Taking the Maguzhuang stronghold as an example, there is a Japanese squad and a battalion of puppet troops stationed there. The situation of the large stronghold in Chuiyang is similar to that of Maguzhuang. Each of the other 14 small strongholds is garrisoned by a small number of Japanese troops and a platoon of puppet troops.
As long as the two big strongholds of Maguzhuang and Chuiyang are captured, other small strongholds will definitely be defeated.
But after the battle started, the development of the war situation was not optimistic.
The offensive was hampered by the Eighth Route Army's lack of heavy equipment. The Japanese and puppet troops used strong artillery towers as cover and fired wildly at the Eighth Route Army. The Eighth Route Army's offensive troops suffered dozens of casualties and had to stop the attack and instead besiege them.
Just when Yi Liangpin was thinking hard about how to defeat the enemy, a military industry expert from the Jinan Arsenal who was fighting with the New 7th Brigade stood up and said, Brigadier, why did you forget to join the " Hundred Regiment" last year? What about the cannon captured in "War on "?
As soon as these words came out, Yi Liangpin suddenly became enlightened.
During the "Hundred Regiments War", the New 7th Brigade captured a cannon when they attacked the Japanese artillery tower in Xigao Village, Gucheng County, Hebei Province.
At that time, it was a lie that the New 7th Brigade attacked the Japanese artillery towers in Xigaocai Village, but the "encirclement of the points and reinforcements" was true.
Sure enough, under the attack of the New 7th Brigade, the Japanese troops in the West Gaocai Village gun tower panicked and quickly requested reinforcements from the Japanese troops in Dezhou.
But when the two squadrons and the attached cannon entered the ambush circle of the New 7th Brigade as reinforcements from the Japanese army, they were caught off guard by the New 7th Brigade, which had been ambushing here for a long time. They fled in a hurry, leaving dozens of corpses behind. . As for the cannon, it naturally became the trophy of the New Seventh Brigade.
A cannon was seized, and Yi Liangpin was naturally happy.
A cannon is nothing in the eyes of the well-equipped Japanese army. But in the eyes of the Eighth Route Army, which was poorly equipped, this was a great "treasure."
But the army is in mobile warfare, and the emphasis is on coming and going like the wind. If you pull such a heavy and heavy guy, it will definitely affect the marching speed. According to Yi Liangpin's opinion, since it can't be dragged away, it should be blown up. It cannot be left to the Japanese army anyway.
was still the military expert. He suggested that the cannon could be disassembled, treated with lubricating oil, wrapped in white cloth and buried deeply. Although I can’t use it now, what if I can use it later?
Therefore, this cannon was buried deep. As time passed, even Yi Liangpin forgot about it.
After the failure to attack the Maguzhuang gun tower, the words of military industry experts reminded Yi Liangpin. So Yi Liangpin temporarily recruited two mules and a donkey in Maguzhuang, and sent soldiers to dig out the cannon.
After the cannon was dug out, everyone took a look and found that it was well preserved, except that there were only 6 shells.
But something is better than nothing. Yi Liangpin, with the cannon in hand, was confident of capturing the Maguzhuang gun tower.
But then another problem arose. There were no soldiers in the New Seventh Brigade who could fire cannons. Although there are mortars and in the army, mortars and cannons are two types of equipment that the soldiers do not know how to use.
Fortunately, a military expert was present. Under his command, several soldiers were transferred from the mortar company to serve as gunners.
But the military expert is not a shooting expert, and he doesn't know much about the shooting methods of cannons. Everyone was groping for a shot at the Maguzhuang gun tower. Unfortunately, the shell passed over the turret and missed.
The picture comes from the Internet
The soldiers of the New 7th Brigade were not discouraged. They carefully adjusted the scale and fired another shot at the turret, hitting the middle of the turret. This solid turret that had left the soldiers of the New 7th Brigade helpless was destroyed. Half done.
Yi Liangpin seized the opportunity and decisively ordered the troops to charge, annihilating a Japanese squad and a puppet battalion.
The distance between the 17 gun towers built by the Japanese army was between three and four miles. They all saw what happened in the Ma Guzhuang gun tower.
In the past, they dared to resist with strong gun towers. Now the Eighth Route Army actually has a "big killer" like cannons. Heavy troops and strong fortifications like Ma Guzhuang's gun towers are vulnerable, not to mention other ones with only What about a small turret where puppet troops are stationed?
After taking down the Maguzhuang gun tower, Yi Liangpin led his troops to support other troops.
Without heavy equipment to assist in the battle, other units of the Eighth Route Army fell into a bitter battle with the enemy. Seeing that the 20th Regiment had brought over a big guy, everyone still didn't believe that such a big iron lump could blast through a solid turret.
When the artillerymen of the 20th Regiment saw that their comrades did not believe it, they began to show their own opinions. Sure enough, after a shell bombardment, half of the turret flew into the sky. Now, everyone believed it.
From then on, the cannon moved all the way north. Except for a few artillery towers housing Japanese troops that were hit by artillery shells after stubborn resistance, other strongholds surrendered one after another as soon as they saw the soldiers of the New 7th Brigade setting up the cannon.Sixteen of the 17 gun towers were captured by the New 7th Brigade within three days, leaving only the Chuiyang stronghold.
With the war going this far, the six rounds of artillery shells should have been fired long ago, right?
On the contrary, the New 7th Brigade fired two artillery shells when attacking Maguzhuang and one artillery shell each when attacking three gun towers where Japanese troops were stationed. After destroying 16 gun towers, there was one artillery shell left.
6 artillery shells destroyed 16 artillery towers of the Japanese and puppet troops, and there was only one shell left. This battle allowed the Eighth Route Army to fight brilliantly.
Just when the Eighth Route Army was attacking the Japanese and puppet army artillery towers, the anti-war organizations in Qinghe, Chuiyang, Nangong, Weixian and other places had already organized tens of thousands of people to start destroying roadbeds, bunkers and strongholds, destroying The Wang-Gao Route was operated by the Japanese and puppet troops for a year.
The enemy, unwilling to fail, mobilized his troops and began to counterattack. Japanese and puppet troops from Dezhou, Nangong, Linqing and other places reinforced the Chuiyang stronghold with the cooperation of aircraft and tanks.
Firstly, the Eighth Route Army's purpose of destroying Wanggao Road had been achieved; secondly, in order to ensure that the tens of thousands of people involved in breaking the road would not suffer losses, the New 7th Brigade took the initiative to withdraw from the battle after escorting the people out of danger.
As for the cannon that made great achievements, it was once again buried by the New 7th Brigade.
In June 1942, the New Seventh Brigade merged with the Sixth Division of Southern Hebei, and Yi Liangpin served as the commander of the Sixth Division.
The picture comes from the Internet
In September 1942, the Japanese army launched the so-called "9.12" encirclement. Yi Liangpin led the 19th Regiment of the New 7th Brigade to adopt the tactic of "we advance as the enemy advances", taking advantage of the Japanese army's weakness of "mopping up" troops to escape from the encirclement. They squeezed out of the gap, penetrated behind enemy lines, and raided Zhengkou Town, the Japanese army's logistics supply base. They seized supplies for more than 180 vehicles and solved the winter clothing problem in the Sixth Division.
The 19th Regiment of the New 7th Brigade under the leadership of Yi Liangpin repeatedly made military exploits during the Anti-Japanese War and was awarded the title of "Southern Hebei Combat Model Regiment" by the Eighth Route Army Headquarters.
In January 1943, Yi Liangpin led the 19th and 21st regiments across the canal, captured Xiajin county in one fell swoop, and annihilated a large number of Japanese and puppet troops.
Due to changes in the enemy situation, the leadership of the Sixth Division began to shift.
In the early morning of March 16, 1943, Yangzhuang, Zaonan County, the headquarters of the Sixth Division, was suddenly attacked by Japanese and puppet troops. Yi Liangpin was hit in the abdomen while leading his troops to break through and was seriously injured.
The guard platoon desperately carried Yi Liangpin out of the enemy's encirclement and placed him in a fortress home in Dige Village, evading enemy search.
However, due to the lack of medicines and necessary conditions, the doctors in the Sixth District were helpless about Yi Liangpin's injury and could only wipe the wound with salt water. After the enemy learned that Yi Liangpin was injured, they conducted a rigorous search, making it impossible for everyone to send him to the hospital.
On March 25, 1943, Yi Liangpin, a first-generation tiger general, unfortunately died due to worsening wounds. He was only 33 years old.
pictures come from the Internet
