War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, where was the first shot?

? Who fired the first shot of the Eighth Route Army in the Anti-Japanese War?

1September, 937, the Eighth Route Army 1 15 Division marched into Shanxi Lingqiu, and Sha Fei took photos.

On September 25th, 1937, the Eighth Route Army 1 15 Division broke the myth that "the Japanese imperial army is invincible" and won the first victory of the Eighth Route Army against Japan. However, Pingxingguan was not the place where the Eighth Route Army fired its first shot in the eight-year anti-Japanese war.

It was not the infantry of 1 15 division who fired the first shot of the Eighth Route Army's anti-Japanese war, but the avant-garde company commander Fan Changbiao of the cavalry battalion of 1 15 division and all the officers and men he led.

Fan Changbiao, the company commander of the Red Army cavalry and the second company commander of the Eighth Route Army 1 15 Division cavalry battalion, is in Yan 'an.

Where are the swords and horses kept? Who is Fan Changbiao? Why did the first shot of the Eighth Route Army's Anti-Japanese War be fired by Fan Changbiao, the avant-garde company commander of the cavalry battalion of the 1 15 division, at Daoma Pass, which is more than 30 miles east of Pingxing Pass? To know the details, we must start with the formation of the Red Army Reconnaissance Section of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army.

1June, 934, before the Red Army's Long March, Liu Zhong, head of the Red Fifth Army Corps and political commissar, was transferred to the newly formed Red Army Reconnaissance Section. When the Reconnaissance Division was established, in addition to deploying excellent reconnaissance and combat personnel, it also placed an army plainclothes reconnaissance team of more than 30 people under the direct command of the Reconnaissance Division. Fan Changbiao, a native of Changting, Fujian Province, was born in 19 12, joined the Red Army in 1930, experienced five counter-campaigns in the Central Soviet Area, and was then the vice captain of the plainclothes reconnaissance team of the Red Army Corps.

After the Long March began, Fan Changbiao walked in the forefront of the Red Army reconnaissance troops led by Liu Zhong. Fan Changbiao's plainclothes reconnaissance team is the vanguard of the vanguard of the Central Red Army. They not only disguised themselves as various identities, but also risked their lives to explore the road, spy on the enemy and collect intelligence. They often risk their lives to meet the enemy, and even participate in the "death struggle" as the backbone of the fighting. 1935 10 when it broke through Wujiang river, 1935, Fan Changbiao joined the commando team because of his bravery and good water. He dived across the river, fought alone with the commando soldiers, captured the enemy bunker, killed the enemy battalion commander and occupied the ferry position, which made great contributions to the Red Army's breakthrough in the natural barrier of Wujiang River.

The Red Army rushed across the Wujiang River.

Later, in the battle of Dadu River, Fan Changbiao once again created a fighting legend with great courage and superiority. Before crossing the river, Zuo Quan, chief of staff of the Red Army Corps, led the Second Advance Team of the Red Army, passing through Lugu, Yuegangcheng and Shajingguan, and taking Dashubao Ferry on the Dadu River to attract and contain enemies defending the Dadu River, such as Anshunchang and Luding Bridge. Liu Zhong led the undercover reconnaissance team of the First Red Army Corps and the reconnaissance company of the Second Red Division to Lugu on May 1935. There is an extremely dangerous Xiaoxiangling Pass from Lugu to Yuecheng. There is a suspension bridge at the pass, guarded by a platoon of Sichuan Army Liu. It can be said that one bridge passes through the customs and the bridge is in the way. In order to successfully capture the Pass Suspension Bridge, Liu Zhong personally led Fan Changbiao and 10 plainclothes soldiers. Under the leadership of an old local herbalist, they climbed mountains, ditches and cliffs, and went around to the enemy post near Xiaoxiangling Pass Suspension Bridge. Taking advantage of the enemy's surprise that only one enemy soldier was guarding the bridge, Fan Changbiao and two soldiers approached the enemy soldiers at the bridge head and suddenly rushed out to strangle them. Immediately, Fan Changbiao and a class of squad leader Chen led a team into the enemy post, captured all the enemy troops guarding the pass, and took control of the suspension bridge and the pass in one fell swoop.

After seizing Xiaoxiangling Pass, Liu Zhongling led his troops into full play and was in high spirits, threatening a battalion of Sichuan Army defending Yuegang City to abandon the city and flee. Then, in order to seize another pass that is easy to defend but difficult to attack on the way to Dashubao, Liu Zhong, Fan Changbiao and other leading soldiers put on the captured Sichuan Army costumes and went straight to the pass with the captured Xiaoxiangling Sichuan Army platoon leader. Unexpectedly, when I was approaching the pass, I suddenly met with the plain clothes team of Sichuan Army with more than ten people. In an emergency, in order not to disturb the enemy guarding the pass, Liu Zhong and Fan Changbiao faced the muzzle of the enemy plainclothes team without fear and calmly responded, not only making the enemy plainclothes team mistakenly think that they had met one of their own, but also taking the initiative to lead the way to the pass. Liu Zhong and Fan Changbiao led the plainclothes team to rely on wisdom and courage to make a surprise attack. They captured all the enemy plainclothes teams and a squad of enemies guarding the mountain pass, and seized the Jedi Mountain Pass, which is called "one man guards it, and the lords can't cross it" without firing a shot.

On the way to the Long March, Fan Changbiao participated in the major battles of the Central Red Army, such as breaking through four blockade lines, crossing Wujiang River, seizing Zunyi, crossing Chishui River, crossing Yimin District, crossing Dadu River, crossing Jin Jia Mountain, crossing the prairie, breaking through Lazikou and fighting hard in Wuqi. Moreover, he led the team across the grassland three times, and carried out and completed arduous and glorious tasks such as escorting Chairman Mao and receiving Commander-in-Chief Zhu.

1935 Before and after the Wuqi Campaign in June, the Red Army captured a number of war horses, and the reconnaissance detachment of the Red Army Corps set up a cavalry reconnaissance company. 165438+ 10, the cavalry reconnaissance company was expanded into a cavalry battalion, and Fan Changbiao was appointed as the company commander of the cavalry battalion.

Entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, the Red Army and the Red Army in northern Shaanxi, the three main forces of the Red Army led the cavalry with a personal letter from Chairman Mao to Zhu De and He Long, food and clothes. , to Jingning, Huining, Gansu, and meet the Red Army and the Red Fourth Army.

1936 In the first half of the year, the Red Army Cavalry Battalion was expanded into a cavalry regiment when the Central Red Army marched eastward to the Yellow River.

1In July, 936, the Red Army Cavalry Corps was renamed as the Special Detachment of the First Corps of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army (Cavalry Detachment), and Liu Zhong was appointed as the commander and political commissar of the Special Detachment.

1In August, 937, the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and all cavalry units of the Red Army Corps were downsized into cavalry battalions. The original Red Army Cavalry Corps was reorganized into 1 15 division cavalry battalion, and Fan Changbiao was appointed as the second company commander of the cavalry battalion.

On August 22nd, 1937 cavalry battalion followed 1 15 division to the anti-Japanese front in North China via Shanxi. In order to ensure the safety of the flank of Pingxingguan, the cavalry battalion was ordered to enter the Shanxi-Hebei border region east of Pingxingguan and arrived at Weizi Village, Tangxian County, Hebei Province on September 22nd. On September 23, the battalion commander Liu received an urgent telegram from the headquarters, ordering the cavalry battalion to arrive at Tumaguan, a strategic place, at 8 am on September 24 for protection.

Location map of Lingqiu Pingxingguan in Shanxi Province and Daomaguan and Laiyuan counties in Tangxian County, Hebei Province

Daomaguan was called Hongshangguan in the Warring States Period and Changshanguan in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Yang Liulang led the army in Song Dynasty. Because of the steep mountain road and the collapse of riding, it was also called Daomaguan. Daomaguan is an important pass to control Hebei Plain to enter the ancient road "Lingqiu Road" in northern Shanxi. From Kansai to Lingqiu Heping Pass, down the Tanghe River to Gu Dao, and out of Taihang to Zhongshan (now Dingzhou, Hebei). Maguan, Juyongguan and Zijingguan, also known as the "inner three passes" of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty, have been battlegrounds for military strategists since ancient times. Daomaguan is more than 30 miles away from Pingxingguan/KLOC-0 in the west, nearly 100 miles away from Laiyuan County in the north, and Yimaling, 40 miles away from Laiyuan County in the west, forming two dangerous passes to control Pingxingguan in the west. At that time, the cavalry battalion that captured Daomaguan and the independent regiment of 1 15 Division that captured Yimaling were responsible for the defense of the east wing of Pingxingguan battlefield, containing the Japanese army and helping the enemy.

Daomaguan is divided into upper city and lower city. The existing lower city in the valley and the original upper city on the mountain have been abandoned.

Weizi Village, Tang County, where the cavalry battalion is located, is only more than 30 miles away from Daomaguan, but it is only a narrow mountain road that can only be ridden by one person, which brings inconvenience to the cavalry's hurried March. On the afternoon of September 23, Liu Yilian, the battalion commander of the cavalry battalion, was the pioneer company, and each company went to Daomaguan one after another. Fan Changbiao led Erlian to trudge all night in the dark, and finally arrived at Daomaguan at 7: 00 a.m. on 24th according to the stipulated time limit. Daomaguan Guancheng is divided into upper and lower cities, with the lower city under the mountain and the upper city on the mountain. Uptown has long been deserted, leaving only a part of the broken rampart exposed on the ground. When Fan Changbiao led Erlian to Maguan, he found that the upper town of Maguan had been occupied by the Japanese army.

Fan Changbiao ordered the whole company to dismount and hide, and at the same time prepared to attack the Japanese army in Shangcheng, and immediately reported the enemy's situation to the battalion commander Liu. Battalion commander Liu reported the enemy's situation to HQ, and according to Lin Biao's orders, even if Fan Changbiao led the second company to attack and defeat the Japanese army, he must recapture the Daomaguan Pass.

At that time, a dozen Japanese soldiers occupied Daomaguan Shangzhen, and another 100 Japanese soldiers were climbing Shangzhen from the northern slope of the Great Wall. The enemy's situation is urgent, and it is urgent. Fan Changbiao immediately made a battle deployment. He personally led two platoons to attack Shangcheng, and ordered Li, the deputy company commander, to take a platoon from Daomaguan to bypass the east of Xiacheng and then outflank the enemy. He must seize the position on the upper city when the enemy on the northern slope has not climbed the Great Wall. Then, with the gunshot of Fan Changbiao, the second company and the second platoon began to launch a rapid attack on the Japanese army in Shangcheng, taking the lead in occupying the position on the east side of Shangcheng. At the same time, Liu, the battalion commander, ordered another company's cavalry battalion to quickly seize the commanding heights next to Shangcheng, so as to prevent the Japanese from climbing along the northern slope of Shangcheng.

Under the leadership of Fan Changbiao, the 2nd Company and 2nd platoon, whose main task is to attack uptown head-on, occupied the position on the east side of uptown and continued to attack, violently attacking Mangchong and seizing the fortifications in the middle of uptown. The Japanese soldiers who retreated to the fortifications on the west side of Shangcheng, carrying 38-type guns with bayonets, roared and kept shooting at the second company soldiers who occupied the fortifications in the middle of Shangcheng to cover the Japanese reinforcements who climbed up from the north slope of the Great Wall. Fan Changbiao knew that the fighter plane suffered a slight loss, and the Japanese army on the north slope had not climbed uptown. He immediately ordered the resisting Japanese army to attack the west side of uptown according to the danger. Liu Chongzhi, the platoon leader, braved the arrogance of the enemy and went forward bravely. When he led the soldiers to charge with Japanese soldiers' dense bullets, he was unfortunately killed by the enemy. The soldiers of Erlian killed their eyes, went wave after wave, and were fearless, and finally captured the Japanese fortifications on the west side of Shangcheng. At this point, the cavalry battalion occupied all the positions in the upper town of Daomaguan and turned to stop the Japanese army from rushing up along the northern slope.

While Fan Changbiao led two platoons to attack the Japanese army in Shangcheng, Liu, the battalion commander, ordered the company occupying the commanding heights next to Daomaguan to continue shooting at the Japanese army on the north slope. On the northern slope, the Japanese army saw that Shangcheng was lost and did not retreat. Instead, we concentrated our firepower and constantly launched a crazy charge on Uptown. When the fighting was extremely fierce, Liu Yunci, the reconnaissance squad leader of the cavalry battalion, aimed at an enemy commander and killed one of them. The enemy suffered a slight setback, but still stubbornly attacked the residential area.

The Japanese army had nothing to be afraid of, thinking that those opponents had fought for a few days and then fled. However, what the Japanese army didn't expect was that the opponent it faced this time was an opponent that the Japanese army had never fought. The class and platoon leader are basically Red Army soldiers who have experienced the 25,000-mile Long March. Cavalry battalion soldiers beat off the enemy and charged many times in a row, but because of poor equipment and limited ammunition, they have mounted bayonets and are ready to hand-to-hand combat with the enemy in the most intense battle. Gunfire rang out from behind the enemy on the north slope. It turned out that a platoon led by Li, the deputy company commander of the second company, had detoured from Kanto and occupied the highland on the hillside on the north bank of the Tanghe River, leaving the Japanese army on the north slope of Tumaguan in an unfavorable situation of being attacked on three sides. Battalion commander Liu immediately commanded the whole battalion to attack. Seeing that the situation was not good, the Japanese army was afraid of being wiped out and had to abandon the war and flee.

In the Battle of Daomaguan, the cavalry battalion of 1 15 Division killed more than 20 enemies and wounded more than 40 enemies. Four people were killed and six injured in the cavalry battalion.

At 8: 00 a.m. on 24th, after the cavalry battalion set off at Daomaguan, 1 15 division's independent regiment soldiers met the Japanese small cavalry at the waist station west of Yimaling at noon on 24th. Japanese cavalry was killed. Two of them stepped back. It was discovered that Yimaling had been occupied by the Japanese army. At 4 p.m. on 24th, Yang Chengwu, head of the independent regiment, respectively entered the position of Yaozhan on the west side of Yimaling and the position of Sanshan Town leading to Guangling and Laiyuan. After the dawn ambush on the 25th, the independent regiment also started the battle against Yimaling, blocking Laiyuan and Guangling Japanese reinforcements at around 7 am on the 25th.

Judging from the scale of the battle and the result of annihilating the enemy, the battle of the cavalry battalion of 1 15 Division is far less than that of the Guanping ambush and Yimaling blockade. However, from the point of view of combat time, at 8: 00 am on September 24, the "Battle of Falling Horses" started by Fan Changbiao, the pioneer of cavalry battalion, and officers and men of Erlian Company was the first shot of the Eighth Route Army's anti-Japanese war.

The Battle of Shimonoseki opened the prelude to the great victory of Pingxingguan, and fired the first shot of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army led by China's * * * production party in eight years, which made the Eighth Route Army the first battle example to defeat the Japanese invaders. Many years later, General Li Zhongqi, then deputy battalion commander of the cavalry battalion of 1 15 Division, wrote a poem to commemorate the battle of Shimonoseki:

Lugou bonfire is connected to the Central Plains, and the first battle of the Anti-Japanese War is Pingxingguan.

Since ancient times, the military strategists have been fighting for it, and the iron-blooded soldiers are quick to whip.

The bloody battle alone is still fierce, and the former enemy of Liulangbei is frightened.

Don't say that I am braver than the sages. The Great Wall is full of horns.

After the Battle of Shimonoseki, the cavalry battalion of 1 15 Division made great contributions to the establishment and defense of the base area of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. At the beginning of 1940, the cavalry battalion was expanded into the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region Cavalry Corps with four battalions. Liu, the former battalion commander, was the head of the cavalry regiment, and Fan Changbiao, the former company commander of the second company, was the deputy head and the battalion commander of the first battalion.

1942 65438+ 10, Fan Changbiao went to Yan 'an to study at Kangda University.

1April 942 12, Liu, one of the founders of the red army cavalry, commander of the battle of maguan, born in Changting town, Fujian province, was born in the same year and joined the red army. He was only 29 years old and died of overwork.

1943 10, 30-year-old Fan Changbiao was transferred from Kangda to the Shanxi-Chaji Military Region as the head of the cavalry corps.

1in March, 944, the cavalry regiment was reorganized in Tangxian County, Hebei Province, and formed a field brigade with the brothers. In April, he went to northern Shaanxi to participate in the battle to defend Yan' an. Later, Fan Changbiao served as the head of the Northwest Cavalry Corps of the Eighth Route Army, the deputy brigade commander of the Northwest Teaching Brigade, and the deputy commander of the First Field Army 16 Division. From 65438 to 0952, Fan Changbiao was transferred to work in other places because of too many physical injuries during the war.

65438+10.6 On June 6, 2000,1/kloc-0.5 led Fan Changbiao, the vanguard of the Long March, an anti-Japanese pioneer, a revolutionary fighter and an old Red Army, who fired the first shot of the Eighth Route Army War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and fought for the people's liberation of China and the construction of a new China all his life, at the age of 88.

Comrade Fan Changbiao, member of the Standing Committee of Shanxi Provincial People's Congress and provincial leader.

This article commemorates the 75th anniversary of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory and the 90th anniversary of Comrade Fan Changbiao's participation in the Red Army.

Jia was born in Taiyuan on July 29th, 2020.

Documents and materials referenced and quoted

General Liu Zhong and the Three Fates of Ya 'an (Liu Gang)

"Meet the brave in the narrow road and win-a classic display of revolutionary heroism at an important historical juncture" (author Shuang Shi)

A Brief History of the Cavalry Corps in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region (edited by the Editorial Committee of the Third Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei People's Anti-Japanese Struggle)

Memoirs of Yang Chengwu (Yang Chengwu)

Little-known Battle of Luomaguan (Hebei Daily Wang Sida)

"The victory of Pingxing Pass should include the blockade of the waist station" (author Zhao Zhiqiang)

On-the-spot report of Japanese blocking Yao Zhan (including the battle of Shimonoseki) (Jiang)

The Battle of Waist Stand (Zhong Jiaopan)

"On the way to the Long March, the' Biaozi Army' in Changting, Fujian actually came from the same town" (author Wang Jian)

Memories of cavalry in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region (Series 26 of Shanxi Literature and History Materials Written by Fan Changbiao)

Thanks to Fan Changbiao's children and other family members for their valuable information.

(Author: Jia? Military writer? Member of Chinese Tang History Society,)