Devil's Army

Historically, before the fall of Zhengding County, the Japanese army carried out a large-scale massacre in the surrounding towns and villages.

The villagers of Anxia Village were driven to the cemetery in the north of the village and fired at with heavy machine guns for five minutes. The flesh and blood of the common people were immediately scattered everywhere.

The Japanese were still not satisfied and forced the women to jump into the well. Those who refused were tortured to death by the Japanese army. There were 268 households in Anxia Village, and 55 of them were killed.

After the Chinese army retreated, the Japanese army burned, killed and looted along the Beiguan Street, and the residents of Zhengding County became lambs to be slaughtered. The Japanese army also smashed the homes of ordinary people on the pretext of searching for missing soldiers and forced them to pay security fees. All pretty girls were taken away for them to play with.

According to records, a total of 1506 people were massacred by the Japanese army in Zhengding County and surrounding towns and villages.

Gaocheng County, next to Zhengding County, also fell after Zhengding County fell. There was a town called Meihua Town, which was an anti-Japanese fortress town. The anti-Japanese armed forces in the town fought a desperate battle with the Japanese army. In the end, they failed and retreated. However, the Japanese army also suffered heavy casualties.

After the Japanese army captured Meihua Town, they carried out a massacre of Meihua Town and surrounding villages for four days and three nights. 1547 residents were killed, and a large number of women were taken to the troops for their entertainment. Among them, four pregnant women who were about to give birth also failed to escape the clutches of the devils. The entire Meihua Town became a living hell.

When Wu Lang retreated, he ordered the second regiment commander to arrange for people to notify the villagers of Anxia Village outside Zhengding County to move. He also asked the second regiment commander to arrange troops to garrison near Meihua Town, waiting for an opportunity to annihilate the devils who massacred Meihua Town.

Soldiers from the Second Regiment went to Anxia Village and other villagers to notify them to go out and hide from the Japanese.

Many young villagers took their children and packed up their food and valuables to take shelter nearby. Some older villagers were unwilling to leave and were eventually killed by the Japanese invaders who entered the village.

Wu Lang left the Second Regiment to fight guerrilla warfare around Zhengding County, and he withdrew to Tongzhou with the remaining soldiers. The remaining troops of the 141st Division withdrew to Gaoqian Village for rest and recuperation.

On the same day, Zhengding County fell. In order to demonstrate its military power, the Japanese army held a grand entry ceremony. After the entry ceremony, the entire Zhengding County fell into a state of terror where everyone was in danger.

The next day, Gaoxian was captured by Itagaki Seishirō's 5th Division.

The Japanese troops of the Fifth Division split into several groups to sweep the surrounding towns and villages of Gao County.

The next battalion of the 41st Regiment of the th Division of the Japanese Army swept all the way to Meihua Town, Gao County.

The regiment stationed in Meihua Town was from the former 53rd Army of the Northeast Army. Led by regiment commander Lu Zhengcao, they took advantage of the favorable terrain and ambushed this large group of Japanese troops.

The arrogant Japanese army was suddenly ambushed by Captain Lu and became a mess, but they quickly suppressed Captain Lu's troops on both sides with their firepower advantage.

The Japanese mortars and 75mm mountain guns fiercely hit the soldiers of Captain Lu. The infantry also quickly rushed to the high ground on both sides of Meihua Town.

The commander of the Second Regiment, who had been lying in ambush near Meihua Town, ordered the First Battalion to seize the Japanese artillery position, and the others, under the personal leadership of the Second Regiment, surrounded the Japanese brigade.

The Japanese artillery unit was carrying out a fierce bombardment on Captain Lu's troops when suddenly fierce gunfire rang out from all directions.

The unsuspecting Japanese artillery defense forces were knocked down one after another, and the artillerymen hurried over to grab their guns, but were also knocked down one after another.

The Japanese captain was shocked when he heard fierce gunfire coming from the artillery position behind him. He quickly sent an infantry company to rescue them, but they were met with stubborn resistance from the first company of the first battalion.

The soldiers of the regiment commander Lu, who were unable to raise their heads due to the bombardment of the Japanese army, suddenly found that the Japanese army had stopped the bombardment. In addition, there were fierce gunshots and grenade explosions coming from the rear of the Japanese army.

Immediately afterwards, the soldiers of the Second Regiment launched a fierce attack on the Japanese troops that were attacking Meihua Town.

The Japanese battalion commander had to divide his troops to block the attack of the Second Regiment of the Anti-Japanese First Army.

After successfully capturing the Japanese artillery position, the First Battalion immediately lowered its guns and launched a fierce bombardment on the attacking Japanese troops.

This large group of Japanese troops, which were subjected to fierce bombardment by their own artillery fire, was immediately thrown into chaos and suffered heavy casualties.

The captain ordered another Japanese infantry company to support the original infantry company in seizing their own artillery positions, otherwise there would be no way to fight this battle.

Seeing that the gunfire from the direction of the Japanese artillery positions was becoming more and more intense, the Second Regiment Commander quickly arranged for the Second Battalion to go and provide reinforcements.

After a long siege on Meihua Town, the Japanese commander had to order his soldiers to retreat.

The Second Regiment Commander tried to escape from the Japanese army, and quickly ordered the Third Battalion to surround the Japanese army that was attacking the artillery position.

Under the command of a company commander of the Second Artillery Regiment, the mortars and mountain guns of the Japanese artillery positions continuously bombarded the two Japanese infantry squadrons in the encirclement.

At this time, the soldiers of Lu Tuan in Meihua Town also took the opportunity to attack and leave Meihua Town.

Less than a small group of the two Japanese infantry squadrons in the encirclement escaped under the desperate attack of the battalion leader. The rest were all annihilated.

The Japanese battalion commander fled to Gao County with the remaining soldiers and asked Itagaki Seishirō for help.

The second regiment commander ordered the soldiers to take away all the mortars and artillery shells, and to blow up all the small mountain guns and artillery shells.

The artillery commander said regretfully:

"Captain, this is a good thing. Are they all blown up?"

"We are now fighting guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. How can you fight guerrilla warfare with a small mountain artillery?"

"If I had known, I would have given all the shells of the mountain artillery to the Japanese," the artillery company commander muttered while arranging the soldiers to blow up the artillery.