He Bingyan: Divine weapon skillfully subdues Yanmen Pass

In October 1937, the 120th Division of our Eighth Route Army advanced to the northern section of Tongpu Road in the areas of Ningwu, Shenchi, and Shuoxian, and mobilized the masses behind enemy lines to carry out guerrilla warfare.
The brutal Japanese army carried out extremely brutal massacres in this area. The flames of revenge burned fiercely in the army. One day, while flipping through the battle records of various companies, I suddenly received a notice from the division headquarters that the leaders of our 716th regiment were to receive a mission. I was the leader of this regiment at that time. After receiving the notice from the division headquarters, I and Political Commissar Liao Hansheng hurriedly drove our horses to the headquarters' residence.
The headquarters is located in a village west of Shenchi County. When we walked into the house of the division leader, Division Commander He Long and Political Commissar Guan Xiangying were studying the situation around the map. As soon as we arrived, Political Commissar Guan asked with concern, "How is the morale of the troops when we arrive in this area?" We replied, "Seeing the enemy's atrocities, comrades are very angry and hope to have the opportunity to deal with them severely“
Upon hearing this, Commander He burst out laughing and repeatedly said, "Very good, very good. There are plenty of opportunities to deal with the enemy!" He called us closer to the map and pointed to a densely packed mountainous area, saying, "Huai Bei has transferred you here I bent down and saw a long red arrow pointing directly towards the famous historical pass - Yanmen Pass.
When analyzing the current situation, Commander He mentioned that the Battle of Xinkou is underway. The enemy passes through Yanmen Pass from Datong every day, constantly delivering ammunition to the front line of Xikou. This is an important transportation line for the enemy, but they are very arrogant, thinking that that area is already the rear, and their vigilance is quite negligent. We need to take advantage of the enemy's weaknesses, mobilize the masses in that area, seek opportunities, and give the enemy a blow! Subsequently, Political Commissar Guan also gave instructions. Finally, Commander He repeatedly teased us: we are now fighting against the Japanese invading army, not the Nationalist army during the civil war. We must be quick in tactical thinking and adhere to the principles of mountain guerrilla warfare set by Chairman Mao. After arriving at the destination, it is necessary to closely contact the masses and carry out reconnaissance work. Having received the task assigned by our superiors, Political Commissar Liao and I rode our horses with excitement and quickly returned to our base.
Who is unhappy about going to war? The troops immediately rushed towards Yanmen Pass. Along the way, you can see the atrocities of the enemy everywhere: many villages and towns have been reduced to rubble, and countless compatriots have been slaughtered. Only one county in Ningwu has been killed countless times, and almost every family's laijiao has become a pit for the Japanese army to bury people alive; Many water wells are filled with the bodies of men, children, and women who were stabbed to death with bayonets and then raped and killed again... Blood debts need to be repaid with blood. The soldiers' eyes are red, they refuse to rest during the march, and they don't want to eat when they stay. The team rushed towards Yanmen Pass day and night, wearing stars and moon.
After three days of rapid marching, the troops arrived at Laowo Village, six or seven kilometers southwest of Yanmen Pass. After being stationed, it was indeed discovered that enemy cars occasionally drove past Yanmen Pass. Occasionally, the rumbling sound of artillery could be heard from the south. We dispatched personnel to conduct reconnaissance along the highway.
Laowo Village is surrounded by mountains on all sides and is very secluded. But almost all the people in the village fled to avoid the Japanese army. Following the instructions of the division leader, we immediately organized a work team to search for the masses for information dissemination. At the same time, we dispatched troops to assist the masses in the autumn harvest. On the second day, I was harvesting a small wheat field with a platoon, and a middle-aged man in his 60s walked towards us trembling, rubbing his eyes as he walked. I walked over and headed towards. Fellow villager, what's on your mind? "The elderly parents let out a sigh and rubbed their tearful eyes, saying How do you know! The soldiers of the Kuomintang only know how to steal things from the common people. When they meet the devils, they run faster than anyone else like mice and cats. The devils come here and burn and kill, otherwise the common people will have no way out“
The reputation of the Eighth Route Army spread like wind. In less than two days, the people who had fled to various places gradually returned and got along well with us. They automatically guide the scouts and help us gather intelligence; Whenever there is any movement of cars on the highway, they come running to report to us. In just a few days, we not only became familiar with the terrain around Yanmen Pass, but also mastered the rules of enemy cars passing by.
On October 16th, the masses sent intelligence that the enemy in Datong had assembled a convoy, with many cars loaded with weapons and ammunition, resembling passing through Yanmen Pass and Nanhaixinkou. During these months, enemy convoys pass by every four to five days, indicating that the good news is reliable. We will immediately convene a meeting of cadres at or above the company level to mobilize. At the meeting, political commissar Liao asked everyone, "What's the situation? Do you think we should fight?" Just as political commissar Liao finished speaking, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, Wang Xiangfa, stood up excitedly and said, "I want to express my opinion. I will never forget the heinous crimes committed by the enemy in Ningwu. In the courtyard where JLL's troops were stationed, there were 8 people in the L family, 7 of whom were killed. One child under the age of 3 was also stabbed to death with a bayonet. Now there is only one old lady who was beaten to death. She cried uncontrollably and held us, asking us to avenge her whole family. This is the enemy of her family and the whole Chinese people! " He became increasingly angry as he spoke, his face turning pale.
Then, he spoke with a hundred times more fervor: 'It is my determination, and also the determination of all our comrades in the camp, to demand that the enemy avenge the fallen compatriots with blood for blood.' Comrade Hu Juesan, the political instructor of Company N, also stood up and said, 'On behalf of all comrades in the company, I request that the superiors entrust us with the most arduous task. We must turn Yanmen Pass into a ghost gate for the Japanese invading army!' The atmosphere at the venue was serious and tense, and the cadres expressed their determination to become assault teams. Finally, Political Commissar Liao said, "Yes, we must seek revenge for our fallen compatriots! We must use the enemy's bloody massacre of Ningwu as a material for mobilizing the troops to fight, and stir up a wave of revenge throughout the entire regiment
At dawn on the second day, Political Commissar Liao and I took our officials to see the terrain. When we arrived at Heishitougou and climbed up to the top of the mountain, we saw a winding road that winds down from Yanmen Pass and forms a big circle from west to east. To the west of the road is a cliff, to the north is a steep slope, and not far south along the road is a stone arch bridge. This is truly an ideal terrain for setting up a ambush., Political Commissar Liao and I discussed for a while and decided to ambush the L and 3 battalions respectively on the steep slope north and south, with the 3 battalion as the main attacker, and the 1 battalion sending 1 company to guard the direction of Yangmingbao. The 11 companies of the 3 battalion will ambush on the west side of the bridge, cutting off the enemy's escape route. Our overall plan is to make a sudden move together and strive to eliminate all enemies in the Heishitou Gully. After the task was assigned, everyone went back satisfied.
On the 18th, when the rooster was crowing its head, the troops followed the rugged path and penetrated the stone wall ditch. The night before dawn was particularly quiet, with only occasional gunshots coming from the south. After entering the battlefield, everything was prepared and we waited for the enemy's large fleet of cars to come over the mountain.
Although I have gone through many battles, this is the first time I have waited in such a prepared manner for the Japanese fascist army. Now we are fighting against the Japanese invading army, not the Nationalist army during the civil war. The instructions of Commander He rang in my ears again. I was a little nervous. In order to prevent any mistakes, I decided to go to the battlefield again to check.
The soldiers all showed a mysterious smile when they saw me. At this moment, I noticed that several clerks and cooks had also come up, so I was surprised and asked them, 'What, have you also come up?'?, They mischievously replied to me, 'It's everyone's responsibility to fight against the Japanese, Captain. This is the first time we've fought against the Japanese army, and it's not good not to participate.' Some even said, 'Big Brother's troops have suffered a lot for the Japanese at Pingxingguan, and this time let him taste our strength.' I wanted to hear their determination and deliberately said, 'Don't think too easily, you know this is a convoy!' Upon hearing this, the soldiers rushed to say, 'Don't forget about one convoy, even ten convoys. If you don't believe me, we'll fight!' Seeing the high morale and thoughtful preparation of the troops, I returned to the command post with peace of mind. The sun rose high, and I stood on the mountaintop using a telescope to observe. I saw that the road was deserted and there was no movement. Some soldiers became impatient and occasionally looked up. I will immediately notify each battalion Be patient and absolutely prevent exposing yourself.
Around 10 o'clock, a cloud of dust suddenly rose from the northern highway, followed by the faint sound of a car's motor. The soldiers couldn't suppress their inner joy and whispered, "Here, here!" Everyone lifted the grenade cover and focused on the road to the north.
The enemy's car drove over without any hesitation. On the seeker's car sat the enemy officer with a sword hanging from his waist, providing cover for the troops. He occasionally looked around with binoculars. The enemy convoy was getting closer and closer, and the enemies in the car were all arrogantly shouting 'wow wow wow'. What arrogant Japanese fascist bandits! I suppressed my anger and as soon as the enemy car drove into the narrow Heishitou ditch, I immediately issued the order: 'Strike!' Comrade Wang Xiangfa swung his shotgun forward and led the entire battalion towards the enemy. Rifles and light and heavy machine guns roared together, and the enemy ammunition truck was hit, making a loud noise. Suddenly, the Black Stone Head Gully was turned upside down,
The enemy was attacked with lightning speed, jumping off the car one by one, but some died before they could even jump off. After a moment of chaos, the enemy reorganized and attempted to counterattack with guns in hand. But before they could disperse, the warriors of Company 11 rushed onto the highway. Both sides engaged in fierce hand to hand combat. Our soldiers bravely fought against the enemy, some even using the "ghost headed knife" they had used during the 25000 mile Long March to fight against the enemy. Instructor Hu Juesan led three platoons to rush over, but suddenly saw one soldier surrounded by three enemy soldiers. He swung his big knife and rushed forward, killing two soldiers in a row and stabbing the remaining one. He continued to charge forward, but saw that most of the Japanese army had been eliminated, with only a few still stubbornly resisting. Suddenly, he found one lying under the car. Comrade Hu Juesan wanted to catch someone alive, but as soon as he took a step, he was hit in the chest by that guy. Comrade Hu Juesan gathered all his strength and finally shouted. With a loud voice, 'Comrades, fight fiercely and avenge the fellow villagers of Ningwu...' After speaking, they sacrificed themselves with honor. New and old grudges are burning in the hearts of the soldiers. They shouted 'Revenge for the instructor!' Sweep the remaining enemies fiercely. The gunshots gradually faded away. The gunpowder on the highway was thick and pungent, and the bodies of enemy soldiers were lying haphazardly, some of whom were dismembered by the ammunition on the vehicles. Hmph, this milling machine is the result of a barbaric and brutal aggressor! In the Black Stone Head Gully, there was a joyous atmosphere. The soldiers were excitedly cleaning up the battlefield, and nearby villagers also came happily to help us transport the spoils of war. I walked around and saw a soldier pounding a car with a shovel. As he pounded it, he said angrily, "I want you to run again. I want you to run again. I said to him with a smile," How can we finish with so many cars? "Political Commissar Liao also said," Don't smash them. They should blow them up! There was a lot of noise and smoke and fire. Soon the enemy's car was burning under Yanmen Pass. Just then, the 1st battalion of the security force reported that the enemy reinforcements of Yangming Castle were coming. We quickly evacuated from the battlefield as scheduled.
This ambush temporarily cut off the road traffic from Datong to Xinkou, effectively cooperating with the Nationalist army's defense against the Japanese army in Xinkou.
When we reached the top of the mountain, we saw dozens of cars approaching from afar near Yanmen Pass, and a group of enemy soldiers were searching along the road; Two enemy planes appeared in the sky, hovering over Heishitougou, consisting of burnt cars and the bodies of the 'Imperial Army'. Thinking about it, the pilots on the enemy plane must be able to see what kind of nonsense their 'martial arts' are!
Our guerrilla warfare has arranged graves for the enemy everywhere!