I fought guerrilla warfare in the Yimeng Mountains during the Anti-Japanese War

At exactly midnight, the two Japanese major generals assembled their troops and set off. No doubt they were heading towards Mengshan.

The 1,800 main forces of the Lunan Detachment plus two companies of the guard battalion were responsible for blocking the Japanese troops on the Jinpu Line north of Lincheng, while the more than 20 guerrillas of the Lunan Detachment and the third battalion of the first regiment led by Li Ergou were responsible for blocking the Japanese troops north of Qufu.

The two companies of the guard regiment did not carry ordinary weapons. Each company carried ten mortars, ten anti-aircraft machine guns and twenty rocket launchers. Together with the main force of the Lunan Detachment, they set up a blocking position in Xiji Town, which was the only way for the Hashimoto Detachment to attack Mengshan.

Li Ergou's Third Battalion left one company to garrison Baoduqiao and Beizhuang, and the remaining four companies together with more than 20 guerrillas of the Lunan Detachment set up blocking positions in Jinzhuang Town west of Sishui City. The four companies brought forty mortars, twenty anti-aircraft machine guns and forty rocket launchers. All the soldiers understood that all the teams from behind to Mengshan had gone to Qingdao. Once the Japanese army was allowed to pass, they could attack Mengshan overnight.

At one o'clock in the morning, the team members in charge of reconnaissance came back to report that about 5,000 Japanese troops had left the Jinpu Line and were rushing towards Xiji Town. They did not carry any heavy firepower, and the team was lightly equipped and marching very quickly. They were expected to arrive in half an hour.

When the Japanese army came, Yang Qingfeng and Political Commissar Li suddenly felt a mountain of pressure. Looking at the two company commanders who stayed behind in the guard battalion, they realized that they had to fight to the death tonight. If they really let the Japanese army go, they would not be able to explain to either side.

"Captain Hu, Captain Song, the Japanese army has dispatched 5,000 troops and will arrive here in half an hour. Let's get ready!"

The company commanders of the two guard regiments got up from the ground, spat out the dry grass leaves in their mouths, and shouted to their troops:

"Don't lie down. Five thousand Japanese troops will arrive in half an hour. All of them will be in position and ready for battle. When the signal flare sounds, all firepower will open fire at the same time. We must deal them a fatal blow in the shortest possible time."

Soldiers from the two companies quickly joined the blocking position. The rocket soldiers carried rocket launchers, and the machine gunners had already set up machine gun positions so they could open fire at any time when the Japanese came. The artillery positions were also built, and the artillery re-checked the shooting standards.

Yang Qingfeng watched the soldiers of the two companies enter the position. He did not sense any panic from them. They were so calm that they did not seem like there were five thousand Japanese soldiers, but almost as if there were fifty Japanese soldiers.

Captain Song saluted Yang Qingfeng and calmly arranged the funeral arrangements.

"Captain Yang, we are carrying heavy firepower this time. Once an engagement occurs, the Japanese will focus on us. Our two companies have no intention of withdrawing from the position alive, so please do us a favor, Captain Yang."

Yang Qingfeng stood up.

"Captain Song, you tell me, I will not refuse if I can do it."

"If we all die in battle, it means the Japanese are determined to go to Mengshan. Captain Yang, don't fight to the death. Lead the team to retreat immediately. The Japanese will not pester you. Captain Yang, please rest assured. Although there are less than a thousand people on Mengshan, they are not something that the tens of thousands of Japanese can get their hands on. When you retreat, take our rocket launchers with you. Don't leave any behind. That thing must not fall into the hands of the Japanese. The order we rocket soldiers have received is that the weapons are there as long as the people are there, but the people are gone. Captain Yang, please take them away and return them. Please."

Yang Qingfeng was a little surprised. He originally thought that the two companies were here to assist in supervision, but he didn't expect that they were all determined to die. The slight dissatisfaction caused by being forced to block the attack disappeared, and he saluted Captain Song.

"Don't worry, Captain Song. I understand what you mean. The team has used up all their weapons, and we can't lose the rocket launchers. I will arrange someone to be responsible for this matter. Besides, our main force will not withdraw. Your captain has given us powerful firepower. If we run away after suffering a little loss, we will be unworthy of Captain Lengqiang's trust."

Captain Song didn't say anything. He saluted and entered the trench with a submachine gun. In the two companies of the Yimeng guerrillas, except for three heavy firepower arms, the rest of the soldiers were all equipped with submachine guns.

After more than twenty minutes, the sounds of the Japanese army's marching could be heard, including the running of infantry, the roar of mules and horses, the commander's scolding, and a mess of flashlight lights. The position suddenly became tense.

The trenches were designed on a slope, with the farthest location more than 200 meters away from the road where the Japanese army was marching, and the closest location only 70 or 80 meters away from the road. The Japanese army marched very quickly, and the vanguard had no time to search carefully. They just shone flashlights everywhere. This kind of vigilance method could not detect the ambush in the trenches at all.

Due to terrain and personnel restrictions, not all Japanese troops would enter the ambush circle. They would march in four columns, stretching the length of the team by running, and would ambush only half of their troops at most.

Ten minutes later, the search team with flashlights had already left the ambush circle, and the vanguard troops were about to leave the ambush circle. Political Commissar Li, who was in charge of surveillance, fired a signal flare.

Phew~!

There was a long, sharp sound, and the Japanese troops reflexively looked up. It was so bright!

Tsk! Tsk, tsk, tsk!

All in! All in!

Da da da da da da da!

Phew! Phew! Phew!

Chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck!

Tat tat tat tat tat tat!

More than two thousand ambushed soldiers opened fire at the same time, and the explosions of artillery shells and rockets illuminated the road.

The Japanese troops on the road were in a panic. The sounds of explosions, whizzing bullets, neighing of mules and horses, roar of commanders, sounds of lying down, sneak attacks, and counterattacks intertwined into a symphony on the road, accompanied by the flames and smoke of the explosions, as if the whole line was in chaos.

The Japanese soldiers on the road suffered countless casualties. They reacted and began to fight back under the artillery fire. In order to avoid the shells, they jumped into the ditch on the other side of the road.

boom! Boom boom boom!

"Landmine, there is a landmine in the ditch, don't jump, lie down and fight back."

It was too late. After a round of explosions, the Japanese soldiers who jumped into the ditch were all reduced to broken limbs.

The Yimeng guerrillas generally do not use landmines. This is a strict order from the captain. The Japanese are inhumane and are likely to capture civilians to step on the mines when they encounter a minefield. The situation tonight is special and the Japanese have no time to capture civilians. If the ambush team wins, they can naturally go to clear the mines. If the ambush team loses, the mines here will be of no use.

The Japanese army began to counterattack under machine gun and artillery fire. This group of Kwantung Army was quite powerful. They endured the panic of the sneak attack and lay on the road to shoot at the ambush team. Machine guns were set up and artillery began to build positions. However, these heavy firepower were targeted by rocket launchers and light and heavy machine guns. Whoever went up would die.

Captain Hiderai Hashimoto followed at the end of the team. He didn't understand what Commander Bin Shanyuan was thinking, but he knew that they might be ambushed at any time tonight. As soon as the flare was launched, Hiderai Hashimoto's heart shuddered. There was a burst of gunfire on the side of the road ahead. Hashimoto Hiderai immediately discovered that the ambush force was insufficient and immediately ordered the follow-up troops to attack the high ground on the weak side.