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In August and September 1945, Xu Shiyou led his army to recapture Yantai from the Japanese invaders. The joy of victory did not last for a few days, but in the blink of an eye, we faced another huge challenge. The US military arrived in Jiaodong, intending to invade Yantai. What to do with
? The situation tested Xu Shiyou.
1. The United States and Chiang Kai-shek colluded with Yantai
After Xu Shiyou regained Yantai, Chiang Kai-shek was jealous and angry. The jealousy was that this precious land fell into the hands of the CCP, and the anger was that the CCP used this place as a transportation artery between Shandong and Northeast China. , a steady stream of troops were transported to the northeast.
At this time, Chiang Kai-shek was determined to seize Yantai, but because his troops were all in the rear, they could not be transported to the front line immediately. Chiang Kai-shek then asked the US military for help and moved the US Seventh Fleet to Jiaodong to help capture Yantai.
Therefore, under the banner of "Allied Forces", the US Seventh Fleet sent warships to the sea outside Yantai City on September 29, and attempted to land in Yantai.
On the morning of October 1, the US military first sent a naval lieutenant colonel and several accompanying officers to Yantai Pier by speedboat and requested to see the Yantai military and political authorities. After hearing the news, Yu Guying, the foreign affairs commissioner and acting mayor of Yantai City who had just been appointed by the Jiaodong District Party Committee, immediately led his translator to the dock and met with the US ship officers in a building at the customs.
A US ship officer said that they were a detachment of the US Navy's 7th Fleet Amphibious Task Force. The commander of the detachment was Rear Admiral Settle. He was Rear Admiral Settle's adjutant, Lieutenant Commander Shertov, and was ordered to come here. Invite the chief of the Yantai authorities to the ship to meet with Rear Admiral Settle.
The US military arrogantly put forward five requests, to the general effect:
1. In order to reduce the monotony on the ship, it requested that soldiers be allowed to land and visit Kongtong Island on the other side of Yantai, and asked about the fortification situation on our island and the sea;
2 . Request permission for Major General Settle to land with his staff to inspect American property and meet with the military and political commanders of Yantai City;
Third, request to lend a car when the Major General lands;
Fourth, request the Yantai authorities and the U.S. fleet uses the semaphore to communicate information. Ships sailing nearby must fly the Chinese flag;
5. Request a Japanese military map of Yantai to understand its defense system.
This is not a visit or negotiation; it is clearly an aggressive attempt to enter the territory of our country.
While dealing with representatives of the US military, Yu Guying reported the situation to Xu Shiyou, commander of the Jiaodong Military Region, and asked him to step up preparations for battle to prevent the US military from breaking out and starting a fight.
Xu Shiyou immediately replied that our army is determined to defend its territory with determination to the death, and if the US military dares to come, it will never come back.
On the morning of October 2, Yu Guying and others received the US military representatives who came ashore to visit in the living room of the city hall. The national flags of China, the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain are hung in the hall. After sitting down, Settle first said that he was here on behalf of all the officers and soldiers of the detachment to send greetings to the citizens of Yantai and their representatives, as well as to the Allied Forces, and to congratulate the victory of the world anti-fascist war.
then proposed that his sailors be allowed to assist the citizens of Yantai in removing dangerous objects that may have been left behind before Japan surrendered, and that he be allowed to go ashore for sightseeing, but Yu Guying politely declined.
For the sake of the World Anti-Fascist Alliance, we gave the U.S. military the greatest sincerity, allowing U.S. military representatives to view the former site of the U.S. Consulate and other American properties, and allowing U.S. soldiers to play ball on Kongtong Island off the coast of Yantai.
At this point, the United States and China have treated each other with courtesy, without losing the friendship between allies and allies.
The U.S. military showed its fangs and began to threaten our army.
At dawn on October 4, two more American ships were added to the front of Kongtong Island.
The US military sent representatives ashore and issued a so-called ultimatum, saying that they would land in Yantai, demanding that the 18th Army and the Yantai Municipal Government:
1. Remove coastal defenses;
2. Evacuate Yantai City;
3. Remove Yantai City be handed over to the United States in an orderly manner.
Yu Guying stood up and angrily accused the US military representatives: "This is simply a blatant act of aggression and an unreasonable request.Why should the Chinese People's Army withdraw from its liberated land? Why do the American troops land on the land that the Chinese people have already liberated? We strongly protest to the US military and reserve the right to announce to the world this unreasonable request and aggressive behavior of the US Navy! "
2. Xu Shiyou was ready to report this situation to the central government.
At that time, we were still nominal allies with the US military. In order to avoid conflicts with the US military as much as possible, the overall tone set by the central government was to use political means if possible. The methods are the same, so don't start a war easily.
Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying immediately contacted the US inspection team in Yan'an and warned the United States not to interfere in China's internal affairs, let alone invade Chinese territory.
Compared with the central government's restraint and low-key, Xu Shiyou. The reaction was completely opposite.
At that time, our Jiaodong troops had just regained Yantai and were winning battles against the Japanese and puppet troops. The fighting enthusiasm was very high. It is said that a victorious cat is as happy as a tiger, so how could it be afraid of the intimidation of the US military?
Xu Shiyou immediately! The soldiers and horses in Jiaodong were ordered to quickly enter a state of combat readiness, fight on command, and resolutely eliminate all U.S. troops who dared to go ashore.
In fact, everyone had a good impression of the U.S. military before. The U.S. military had been helping China resist Japanese aggression during World War . , especially the Air Force, killed many Japanese aircraft. The US military sent bombers to bomb the Japanese mainland. Some aircraft were injured and landed in China. Many pilots fell into North China and were rescued by our base behind enemy lines in North China. The pilots who were rescued back then were full of curiosity about the Eighth Route Army and the Communist Party, and were quite polite to each other.
But after the common enemy failed, the Americans began to reveal their true colors of helping Chiang Kai-shek fight the Communist Party. We are not stupid either. We will not sit back and let the American bayonets touch our chests again.
On October 6, a large gathering of 30,000 people was organized in Yantai City to denounce the illegal intrusion of the US military into our territory.
While the masses were shouting against the invasion. While chanting, a huge explosion was suddenly heard from the coast.
Everyone thought it was a U.S. warship firing on the shore, and they didn't know what to do.
Suddenly a horse came running from the coast. It turned out to be an Eighth Route Army soldier. He explained to the leaders of the Yantai Municipal Government that this was an exercise organized by our army on the coast.
Since the fortifications on the coast were destroyed by the Japanese army before they withdrew, we were building new fortifications while using explosives. The old fortifications were blasted to see how much firepower they could withstand.
Yu Guying felt happy when he heard this.
He knew very well that Xu Shiyou was a tough general. The legacy of the Three Kingdoms general Zhang Fei is that he dares to fight hard and is good at expressing his intentions tactfully.
This so-called exercise is actually sending a signal to the US military outside the sea, come on, if you dare to come, call it. You have a taste of the power of our army.
At that time, the US military did not know what weapons the Eighth Route Army had.
According to their understanding, the Eighth Route Army is roughly the same as the Kuomintang Army. Both have American howitzers and even a certain number of American Sherman tanks .
You must know that the Kuomintang expeditionary force, which was equipped with U.S. military weapons, fought really hard in Burma , and even the most elite troops of the U.S. military were beaten without temper.
If the Eighth Route Army uses such weapons to guard the Yantai coast, the US military will suffer a lot.
Sure enough, the US warships at sea also hesitated when they heard the noise. It seems that the Eighth Route Army is not easy to mess with!
For several days, the U.S. warships based on the estimated fire range of the American-made 105 howitzer , parked the warships outside this range and did not dare to approach Yantai too closely.
Xu Shiyou was secretly amused. It seemed that the US military was bullying the weak and afraid of the strong.
3. People’s Victory
Xu Shiyou fired this cannon in Yantai, which alarmed even the central government.
Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying hurriedly asked the Jiaodong Military Region to report what happened.
Xu Shiyou ordered someone to draft a telegram detailing his plan to threaten the US military.
Who knows, Zhou Enlai replied, never go to war with the US military.
When Xu Shiyou saw the reply telegram, he was a little overwhelmed at first. What did Vice Chairman Zhou mean?
was thinking and received a call from the center.
The message said:
The U.S. military is landing in Yantai. I should express my firm rejection and make the following statement to the U.S. military:
1. There are no Japanese troops in Yantai, and it is unnecessary for the U.S. military to land in Yantai.
2. Our army cannot withdraw from Yantai City without orders from superiors. Regarding the withdrawal of our troops from Yantai City, please negotiate with my superiors.
3. If the US military lands in Yantai without our permission, the US military will be fully responsible for any conflict that occurs.
The Central Committee’s instructions clarified the principles and strategies of the struggle, and greatly inspired the Yantai party, government, military and civilians’ confidence in the struggle.
Subsequently, Yan'an Xinhua News Agency broadcast a statement by Ye Jianying, Chief of Staff of the 18th Group Army. The statement sternly rejected the unreasonable demands of the US military and pointed out:
Based on the news that the US military plans to land in Yantai and Weihaiwei , I have been subject to the request of our army. The commander-in-chief, General Zhu De, ordered to declare to the U.S. military headquarters: If the U.S. military forces a forced landing there without negotiating with our military, the U.S. military will be fully responsible for any serious incident that occurs.
Xu Shiyou was not an ordinary person after all. From the intensive statements of leaders, the true intentions of the central leaders, especially Zhou Enlai, were revealed. In his opinion, the core meaning of
is four words: Never show weakness.
Understanding the central government’s intention, Xu Shiyou roared: I want to see if they dare to come. Immediately led the military region troops to swoop out and enter the first-line coastal defense position.
Ever since, in those days, whether it was the citizens of Yantai or the US military fleet offshore, they could always hear the continuous sound of gunfire.
Of course, Xu Shiyou's troops did not have the American-made howitzers that the US military imagined. Chiang Kai-shek was never willing to send a few of these good things to the Eighth Route Army. The few mountain guns, field guns, and mortars were all taken from the Japanese army. But there are cannons but no shells, and our army’s arsenal is not yet capable of producing enough shells.
's limited number of artillery shells are well kept in warehouses and are only used during wars. How can they be used so luxuriously in exercises?
Those huge explosions were all made with explosive bags.
However, despite this, under the atmosphere created by Xu Shiyou, who is good at fighting clever battles, a huge strategic threat has been formed, and the US military has become timid.
After more than a month of resolute struggle, the US military saw that our defense was very tight and did not dare to risk the disapproval of the world, so they withdrew in despair.
Chiang Kai-shek was extremely anxious and repeatedly ordered Chen Cheng, He Yingqin and others to put pressure on the Seventh Fleet, asking them not to evacuate and to capture Yantai.
But the US military is not stupid. Although it requires money for money and weapons for weapons, they do not dare to take such risks by directly sending troops to interfere in China's internal affairs.
After all, the strength of the northern powers cannot be underestimated. If they are given a handle, it will be difficult for Europe to deal with it!
Our army just breathed a sigh of relief after the US troops withdrew. Zhou Enlai also sent a message to praise Yu Guying and other Yantai leaders for their well-founded work. He also praised Xu Shiyou for having a solution. This war that did not start is better than the war that did. Not bad.
4. The United States and Chiang Kai-shek still refused to give up.
However, no one expected that although the US military retreated, it was only a cosmetic concession. Behind the scenes, the United States and Chiang Kai-shek colluded to brew a new conspiracy.
On October 17, the day after the US military withdrew, rumbles of gunfire suddenly rang out on Kongtong Island.
Could it be that the US military is coming quietly again?
Xu Shiyou urgently sent people to conduct reconnaissance. After the scouts inquired, they came back and reported that it was not the US military, but a group of puppet bandits.
It turns out that during the Japanese occupation, there was a group of political bandits in Yantai, whose leaders were Zhang Liye and Wang Zishan. They surrendered to the Japanese army and became puppet troops. They were stationed on small islands off the coast of Yantai.
Originally, this group of puppet troops had ceased its activities and did not dare to become an enemy of the people's army.Unexpectedly, at this time, they were driving gunboats and ships equipped with light and heavy firearms, occupying Kongtong Island, and intercepting passing ships here.
The looting behavior of this puppet army aroused public indignation among the people, and they all demanded that our army be dispatched to annihilate them.
In order to protect the interests of the people, Xu Shiyou naturally had to accept the people's demands.
Xu Youyou was immediately ordered to take charge of a regiment guarding Yantai and launch an attack on Kongtong Island in two groups.
Chang Yong, who was the political commissar of the regiment at the time, personally led a battalion, divided into five boats. The left wing was responsible for annihilating enemy ships at sea and covering the island landing ships to quickly seize Kongtong Island.
A battalion led by the deputy commander, divided into five boats, was the right wing of the offensive formation. Under the cover of political commissar Chang Yong, they forcibly landed and occupied Kongtong Island.
The scale of this battle was not very large, so no information about this battle could be found in the biography and memoirs of General Xu Shiyou. Fortunately, the author searched through the revolutionary memory knives of the 1970s and 1980s and finally found it. The memoirs of Chang Yong, the then commander-in-chief of the island attack.
The detailed plot below comes from the personal memoirs of General Chang Lao.
According to General Chang's recollection, the command ship he was on at that time was a motor-driven sailboat. In addition to some command personnel, there was also a squadron of troops on the ship. It was equipped with an anti-aircraft machine gun and three helmsmen. The bow was filled with sand. A bag and a wet quilt were used as cover.
At dawn in late autumn, the sea surface of Yantai City is foggy and gray, and the place you can see is only between the palms of your hands. Although the Jiaodong troops were at the seaside, they were all "early ducks" who were accustomed to fighting on land. Once they reached the sea, the boat bumped up and down with the waves and they couldn't sit still. Some of the more responsive comrades were already seasick and vomited.
really feels like a hero with no place to play.
The communication capabilities at that time were poor, and communication between ships was difficult. Therefore, Chang Yong's ship had considerable difficulties in commanding this battle.
Not long after our fleet left Yantai Port, it was discovered by the enemy, and the enemy ship's ground bombs were fired. Bullets hit our fleet like stars.
Our army's sneak attack failed and immediately fired back at the enemy. The anti-aircraft cannon on Chang Yong's ship exerted its power and sank an enemy ship.
The soldiers on the ship ignored the discomfort of seasickness and used sandbags as cover to shoot at the enemy continuously. Our army's firepower temporarily suppressed the enemy.
At the same time, the deputy captain (his name was not found) led the fleet on the right wing, like an arrow off the string, speeding towards Kongtong Island.
At this time, the cunning enemy had discovered that the firepower of political commissar Chang Yong's ship was not very strong, and the formation of the fleet was not neat, so he concentrated his firepower on Chang Yong's ship.
More than two dozen comrades on board were forced to retreat inside the cabin.
The fleet was blown by the sea breeze and still approached the enemy ship rapidly. They almost collided several times. The enemy ships tightly surrounded our command ship. The other five ships were separated by the enemy. Their formation was chaotic and they were unable to coordinate with each other. In order to get rid of this serious unfavorable situation, our army could only concentrate its firepower to fight back. enemy.
At this time, Chang Yong and the soldiers suddenly felt that our ship was spinning on the sea very close to the enemy gunboat as if it was drunk. The guard immediately reported to Chang Yong: "Political Commissar, it's not good. Our helmsman may have died, what should we do?" Before
could answer, the guard immediately took a shell gun from his body and handed it to Chang Yong, and said: "Political commissar, you cover me, I'll go up and take a look! "
Chang Yong immediately organized possible fire cover, and the guards climbed onto the steering wheel. Sure enough, the three helmsmen were all shot and died. The guards immediately used the bodies of the three helmsmen as cover, stabilized the ship's direction, and rushed straight towards the enemy ship. The enemies, who were afraid of death, saw our ship heading towards them and hurriedly took cover for fear of sinking their ship. I ship.
After the enemy fled back to Kongtong Island, the situation was reversed. The battalion led by the deputy commander had already landed on Kongtong Island and annihilated the enemies on the island. The entire battle started at dawn and ended at noon, and all the enemy troops on Kongtong Island were wiped out cleanly. The enemy battalion commander Jia Feng who was guarding the island was chased by me until he was cornered and finally jumped into the sea and died. Kongtong Island is back in the hands of the people.
So, why is it said that Meijiang does not give up? Does this group of bandits have anything to do with the United States and Chiang Kai-shek?
In fact, when Chang Yong led his army to attack Kongtong Island, Xu Shiyou received intelligence that the US military had not actually gone far, but was still cruising in the outer sea.
Xu Shiyou judged that the sudden suicidal battle of Kongtong Island by the puppet army must be supported by the US military.
Therefore, while Xu Shiyou sent troops to attack the island, he was also on strict alert to prevent the U.S. military from coming back.
The US military was not stupid. Seeing that the Eighth Route Army was well prepared, they simply stopped going back on their word and watched helplessly as this puppet army was wiped out.
It is a pity that this puppet army has been waiting for the artillery support of the US military, but in the end, it was sent to the west without even waiting for a hair.
On the second day of the Battle of Kongtong Island, the U.S. military sent representatives from Weihai to our Yantai City Government to say farewell and to express congratulations hypocritically. After a tense civil and military battle, we finally completely crushed the US-Chiang Kai-shek conspiracy to seize Yantai City.
