How strong is the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army? Why is it said to be the best unit?

How strong is the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army, and why is it said to be the best unit?

During the Anti-Japanese War, the 386th Brigade was one of the main brigades of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army.

Chen Geng’s original name is Chen Shukang. Born on February 27, 1903 in Quanhu Village, Longdong Township, Xiangxiang City, Hunan Province. In 1916, he joined the Hunan Army as a soldier. He left the Hunan Army in 1921 and worked as a clerk in the Railway Bureau in Changsha. He participated in the patriotic movement and received help from party members He Shuheng and Guo Liang, and accepted the ideology. Joined the party in 1922. In May 1924, he was admitted to the first class of Huangpu Military Academy. After graduation, he stayed at the school as company commander and deputy captain, and participated in battles such as pacifying the merchant group and the Eastern Expedition against Chen Jiongming. In October 1925, during the Second Eastern Expedition, he lost the battle near Huayang and was pursued by the rebels. Chiang Kai-shek, who went to the front line to supervise the battle, was so flustered that he was afraid of being captured by the rebels. He drew his gun and attempted suicide. Regardless of his personal safety, Chen Geng rescued Jiang by dragging him with a strap.

In August 1937, the 31st Army of the Fourth Front Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was reorganized into the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army in Fuping County, Shaanxi Province, with a total of about 5,700 people. Chen Geng was appointed as the brigade commander, Chen Zaidao was appointed as the deputy brigade commander (later Xu Shiyou), Li Jukui was appointed as the chief of staff, and Wang Xinting was appointed as the director of the Political Department (originally called the Political Training Department). It has jurisdiction over the 771st Regiment, which was adapted from the 91st Division of the 31st Red Army, and the 772nd Regiment, which was adapted from the 93rd Division of the 31st Red Army.

On February 11, 1939, the Japanese army mobilized a force of more than 2,000 people in 70 vehicles, dispatched 5 aircraft to cooperate, dispatched tanks, and towed heavy artillery. The armored vehicles had stickers saying "Specially attack the 386th Brigade." "Slogan, search for the organs and troops of the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army along the way.

At this time, the 386th Brigade has moved to Qiu County. The Japanese convoy pursued Qiu County again, and the 386th Brigade moved to the vicinity of Jianzhong, north of Guantao. When the Japanese army pursued Jianzhong, the 386th Brigade had crossed the Wei River and moved to Guan County. The Japanese army followed and pursued for seven days, but still failed to catch up.

Chen Geng led the 386th Brigade to race against the Japanese cars on foot. Each time, he maneuvered and moved to another place on the night of camping. The Japanese army never caught up with the 386th Brigade, and finally had to return without success. Later, Carlson, the military attaché of the US Embassy, ??came to inspect the 386th Brigade. He couldn't help praising the 386th Brigade: "The 386th Brigade is the best unit."

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he led the Taiyue Column (later changed to Shanxi-Hebei) The Fourth Column of the Luyu Military Region) participated in the Shangdang Campaign in early 1946. As a representative of the Kuomintang, he participated in the three-person group in Linfen and Taiyuan to mediate the military conflict between the Kuomintang and the Kuomintang and supervise the implementation of the armistice agreement by both parties. After the all-out civil war, he led the fourth column and the Taiyue Military Region troops to fight in southern Shanxi, and successively carried out the Wen (Xi) Xia (County), Tong Pu, and Lin (Fen) Fu (Shan) battles, annihilating 30,000 Kuomintang troops, including the so-called The first reorganized brigade of Hu Zongnan, the "No. 1 Division in the World", then led his troops to march westward. From November 1946 to January of the following year, he collaborated with his brothers to launch the Luliang and Fen (Yang) Xiao (Yi) campaigns to annihilate the national army. More than 20,000 people.

In April 1947, he commanded the offensive in southern Shanxi and wiped out 15,000 enemies. In August, he and Xie Fuzhi led the main force of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army to forcefully cross the Yellow River and advance into western Henan to open up Henan. In the Shaanxi-Hubei Liberated Area, he cooperated with the field armies of Liu (Bocheng), Deng (Xiaoping) and Chen (Yi) Su (Yu) to carry out strategic offensives in the Central Plains. In the Huaihai Campaign, he led the fourth column to cooperate with brother troops to cut off the Tianjin-Puzhou Railway in the southwest of Xuzhou. , participated in the encirclement and annihilation of the Huangwei Corps.