In the last battle of the Anti-Japanese War, Su Yu recaptured the ancient city of Gaoyou, and the Japanese commander presented his ancestral sword

The ancient city of Gaoyou in the west of Jiangsu Province has a superior geographical location. It is located on the east bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, controlling Yangzhou in the south and the Huaihe River in the north. It has always been a battleground for military strategists.

On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, but the Japanese troops entrenched in the ancient city of Gaoyou were still resisting. The important task of liberating the ancient city of Gaoyou fell on the shoulders of Su Yu, commander of the Central China Field Army.

In the early morning of December 22, Su Yu and Tao Yong, commander of the eighth column, led military cadres at battalion level and above to inspect the terrain of Gaoyou and made specific arrangements for launching a general offensive. They planned to sound the alarm for the offensive on the evening of the 25th. horn.

Su Yu asked Tao Yong: "There are still three days of preparation time. Can the task be completed as scheduled?"

Tao Yong replied happily: "It's OK, sir, please rest assured. We'll see you in Gaoyou City on the 26th."

The Japanese troops in Gaoyou City worked day and night to repair the fortifications, and fired several shots outside the city from time to time. On the one hand, they demonstrated to our troops, and on the other hand, they also emboldened themselves. . A faded Japanese flag flutters at the top of Gaoyou City, like the setting sun in the western sky, barely alive.

After the Japanese Emperor announced his unconditional surrender, the Japanese army strictly blocked the news and did not let the lower-level soldiers know. Under the influence of the Bushido spirit, the Japanese army still maintained a strong combat effectiveness. In order to reduce casualties, while preparing for an armed attack, our army also uses psychological warfare to weaken the enemy's will to fight.

Our army organized troops to shout to the Japanese troops in the city: "You have been surrounded and have no way to escape. Why don't you surrender? The Emperor of Japan has surrendered. Who are you still working for?"

The Japanese soldiers guarding the city did not believe it and retorted: "Nonsense, how could the emperor surrender?"

So, our army played Japan's "Homesickness" while recording the emperor's surrender. The edict was read to the Japanese troops: "I hereby order the Imperial Headquarters of Japan to immediately order all armed forces of Japan and the commanders of the armed forces under Japanese control wherever they are stationed, and themselves and the armed forces they lead, to surrender unconditionally."< /p>

Our army also posted large slogans persuading surrender on rooftops outside the city, and used bows, arrows, mortars and other methods to send leaflets persuading surrender into the city, using various methods to destroy the Japanese army's will to resist.

On the evening of December 25, the sky was overcast and it was drizzling. The soldiers have already been gearing up, waiting for an order to attack the city from all directions.

When the time came, Su Yu decisively issued an order: "Launch a fierce attack!"

The soldiers braved the enemy's fierce artillery fire and scrambled on the rickety bamboo ladder, risking their lives. They climbed up the tower more than three feet high, broke into the streets and alleys of the city, and launched a thrilling hand-to-hand battle with the Japanese army.

Under the successive attacks of our soldiers, the Japanese army continued to shrink its forces towards the headquarters in an attempt to form a more concentrated and effective counterattack. The puppet troops were already in chaos and had no intention of fighting. They laid down their weapons and surrendered.

After several hours of fierce gun battles near the headquarters, the Japanese commander saw that the situation was over and had no choice but to raise the white flag.

After all the Japanese and puppet troops surrendered, Su Yu instructed Han Nianlong, director of the Political Department of the Eighth Column, to preside over the surrender ceremony.

When Han Nianlong arrived at the Japanese military headquarters, he saw a Japanese officer wearing a straight military uniform and holding a command knife standing there. He shouted to him loudly: "I am the supreme commander of the Gaoyou dispatched force of the Japanese Imperial Army. I will only negotiate with your highest representative."

Han Nianlong saw that the other party had no choice but to pretend, and said to him angrily: "I am the highest representative, and I now order you to surrender unconditionally."

This Japanese officer was Manabu Iwasaki, commander of the 90th Independent Mixed Brigade of the Japanese Army. He also wanted to bargain and said to Han Nianlong: "Our brigade center is in Nanjing. We agreed to leave Gaoyou and return to Nanjing. The ammunition in the city We can leave the heavy weapons to you, but for the sake of safety on the way to Nanjing, we will take away some of the light weapons." Han Nianlong was resolute and said without any room for negotiation: "No, now you and yours. The subordinates must disarm immediately."

Iwasaki Manabu felt very embarrassed, but he had no choice but to put the command knife on the table silently.

In the Battle of Gaoyou, our army annihilated more than 1,100 Japanese troops and more than 5,000 puppet troops, and captured 61 artillery pieces and more than 4,300 firearms. It was a complete victory. This battle is called the last battle of China's Anti-Japanese War by academic circles.

On December 29, Su Yu met with Japanese officers who had surrendered. When Manabu Iwasaki heard that the person in front of him was the famous Su Yu, he bowed deeply, held up a shining command sword in both hands and said: "I would like to dedicate this Ziyun sword passed down from our ancestors to To the famous Chinese general."