抗日名將呂正操在冀中

1937年，呂正操在兵家大忌之地創建了華北平原第一個抗日根據地，首任冀中軍區司令員。他是地雷戰、地道戰、平原游擊隊、敵后武工隊、回民支隊的指揮者和領導者，并發動10余萬人馬參加百團大戰，被毛澤東譽為“堅持平原游擊戰的模范”。

1931年9月18日22點20分，“九一八”事變爆發。

此后四個月內，我國東三省大部分地區淪陷，成了日本帝國擺脫本國危機、進而侵略全中國乃至東南亞的戰略要地。

東北軍年輕軍官呂正操，這位生于1904年的年輕軍官自小痛恨兇殘暴戾的日本侵略者，他17歲加入奉軍，不久被張學良送到軍校學習，畢業后留在張學良身邊當副官。1929年春末，張學良讓他返回戰斗部隊。國破家亡，呂正操在心里立誓：“不打跑日本鬼子，我決不再跳舞！”

回師創建冀中抗日根據地

1937年7月7日，盧溝橋事變，華北戰場一片頹勢，呂正操任團長的六九一團隨國民黨五十三軍南撤。此時，已加入中國共產黨的呂正操接到共產黨北方局指示：留在敵后，找地方黨開展抗日游擊戰。

在一次與日軍的惡戰中，呂正操團與軍部失去聯系。他立即召集團里的黨員和士兵代表開會，他對大家說：“時局變化不到半個月，日本人就占領了華北大片土地，但中央軍一味撤退。這種時候和日本人打，死了是烈士，活著是英雄！既然我們與軍部失去聯系，我看只有回師北上，到敵后打游擊！”他的意見得到了擁護，于是六九一團改稱人民自衛軍，呂正操被推選為司令。

此后呂正操率人民自衛軍走深澤，過安國，入博野，往蠡縣，打高陽，一鼓作氣北進，名震全冀中，不久，人民自衛軍被納入晉察冀軍區領導。呂正操被任命為冀中軍區司令、第三縱隊司令員、冀中公署主任。

軍機密電與百團大戰

1939年末，日本侵略軍為了保證其戰略交通線的暢通無阻，加緊對正太路的控制，意圖把山東、河北、山西三個地連在一起。正太路是華北敵軍運輸、補給的重要戰略交通線，也是對我根據地進行破壞的重要封鎖線。此時八路軍總司令朱德收到冀中軍區司令員呂正操在前線發來的軍機密電，報告了敵人的動向，接著，八路軍總部發布了《關于大舉破擊正太路戰役的預備命令》。

1940年8月20日晚10時，正太路第一戰役打響。晉察冀軍區、晉冀魯豫軍區等我一百零五個團，以正太鐵路為重點的大規模交通破襲戰發起全線進攻。彭德懷把此仗命名為“百團大戰”，晉察冀司令員聶榮臻對此戰有段精彩記錄：“我清楚地記得那一時刻的情景，真是壯觀得很啊！一顆顆攻擊的紅色信號彈騰空而起，劃破了夜空，各路突擊部隊簡直像猛虎下山，撲向敵人的車站和據點，雷鳴般的爆炸聲，一處接著一處，響徹正太路全線……整個正太路沿線和同蒲路部分地段，都淹沒在八路軍和人民群眾大破襲的火網之中。”此外，冀中區十萬以上群眾配合部隊進行破路和反擊。據呂正操回憶：“從8月20日至9月20日，冀中區平毀公路、鐵路500多公里，炸毀鐵橋、木橋20座，收電線13000多公斤，斃傷日偽軍1300多名。我軍傷亡400多名。”實現了阻擊敵人增援的首要目的。

接著，第二、第三戰役打響了。呂正操將冀中主力部隊指向被敵人侵占的廣大區域，冀中各地的民兵和百姓還冒著敵機低空掃射的危險，大規模地破壞鐵路、公路及其他附屬建筑物，“不留一條鐵軌，不留一根枕木，不留一座橋梁”，從根本上破壞敵人的交通線。

在整整3個半月的百團大戰中，我軍進行了大小戰斗1800多次，計斃傷日軍2萬多人、偽軍5000多人；俘虜日軍280多人、偽軍1.8萬多人；破壞鐵路450多公里、公路1500公里；破壞橋梁、車站258處，還繳獲了大批武器和軍用物資。

日軍在當時的作戰記錄中寫道：百團大戰是自開戰以來共軍采取與過去游擊戰完全不同的戰術，日方從未想到中共勢力竟能擴大到如此程度。

有六七分勝算就敢打

戰爭是瞬息萬變、你死我活的競斗，兩軍對壘如若沒有十分把握，也得有八九分勝算才能一搏，否則后果不堪設想。不過智勇雙全的將領，在敵強我弱的情況下也能險中取勝。被中央軍委譽為“平原游擊戰堅持村落防御戰的范例”的掌史之戰，是呂正操直接指揮的。

那天上午部隊正開飯，掌史村外突然響起了密集槍聲。呂正操立即下令：“部隊馬上進入工事。一、敵人進攻只許用步槍和手榴彈還擊；二、非緊急情況不準使用輕機槍；三、沒有上級命令不許出擊；四，絕不許用重機槍和迫擊炮，不能讓敵人摸清我們的實力，更不能暴露我們是冀中的主力和領導機關。要‘裝孫’示弱，同敵人打一場‘蘑菇戰’、‘頂牛戰’。”

不久，蓄意報復的400多個日本兵騎著東洋馬接近村莊，接著又調來增援部隊包抄了掌史村。

幾個壓不住火的營、連長接連跑到指揮部請求用重武器還擊，呂正操說：“不能妄動！一定要堅持到傍晚！絕不允許拿戰士生命去冒險。”

晚上7時左右，原野逐漸為黑暗籠罩，此時呂正操下令出擊，戰士們一個個如下山猛虎操起輕重機槍和迫擊炮向敵人猛烈開火。是晚9點戰斗結束，我軍以一個團的兵力保衛了領導機關的安全，此仗敵人傷亡300多人。

呂正操在冀中平原站住了腳，建立了受老百姓擁護的抗日民主政權，老百姓和軍隊水乳交融，軍民抗日士氣大振。冀中抗日民主根據地的實況，在《新兒女英雄傳》《荷花淀》《烈火金剛》《小兵張嘎》《敵后武工隊》《平原游擊隊》《回民支隊》《地雷戰》《地道戰》等影片中都有膾炙人口的描述。

與岡村寧次打“腳丫子閃電戰”

熟悉軍事地理的人都知道，6萬平方公里的冀中平原缺少天然屏障，歷來被兵家視為死地，尤其是面對擁有汽車、裝甲車、騎兵的敵人快速部隊，平原的地形更是有利于敵而不利于我。但是冀中地區戰略位置特殊，誰能保有這塊土地，誰就握住了勝利之神的手。

開始敵人并沒有把呂正操這位青年將領放在眼里，直至共產黨在冀中平原的第一個抗日根據地創立起來后，敵人才恐慌起來。冀中的抗日部隊和人民武裝不僅直接威脅著他們盤踞著的大城市，而且嚴重破壞了他們“以戰養戰”的陰謀。于是日軍任命鷹隼式的岡村寧次任華北方面軍司令官，對我根據地采取了割裂、封鎖政策，并利用各種手段制造無人區，妄圖切斷軍民聯系。

呂正操指揮冀中軍民以多種戰術與岡村寧次周旋較量：有時對敵人猛然襲擊，使之束手無策；有時避敵銳氣蓄盈待竭，使之入我彀中。并在游擊戰、運動戰的原則下，衍生出地雷戰、地道戰、開門戰、麻雀戰、交通戰等等，打得出神入化，美國駐華使館武官、美聯社記者韓森說：“明天，中國軍隊很可能以此為根據地，進而收復北平和天津，收復華北的失地，收復東北富饒的田野和森林。”

1942年5月1日，岡村寧次下了最大的賭注，集結9萬日軍和偽軍，配合飛機、坦克、大炮對冀中進行“十面出擊”、“鐵壁合圍”式的“五一大掃蕩”，妄圖兩個月時間摧毀冀中抗日根據地。這期間敵人在冀中8000多個村莊建軍事據點1753座，挖封鎖溝4187公里，把冀中區分割成2670多個小塊。此時呂正操和政委程子華將部隊巧妙地化整為零，組建成靈活機動的武工隊與敵人周旋。在“大掃蕩”的兩個月中，大戰272次。在與敵酋岡村寧次斗智斗勇中，呂正操從容對敵，勝利跳出敵人的包圍圈，以“腳丫子閃電戰”使岡村寧次的“鐵壁合圍”破產，創造了中外戰爭史上的奇跡。

抗日戰爭是中國從弱國地位站立起來的重大轉折。1945年9月2日，日本政府正式舉行了投降簽字儀式，號稱日本軍界鐵腕人物的岡村寧次低頭蓋下戰敗國印鑒。以后，呂正操挺進東北，作為非主力部隊參加了遼沈戰役和東北解放的工作，憑著創建冀中平原抗日根據地的赫赫戰功，1955年他被授予上將軍銜。人們尊稱他為“抗日名將”，對此年逾百歲的呂正操說：“我不過是戰爭的幸存者，老百姓才是真正的英雄。如果沒有冀中人民的英勇戰斗和流血犧牲，我們這些人能不能剩下來就很難說了。如今我們勝利了，絕不能忘記曾經付出無比重大代價的人民！”

War Hero Fought Japan Invaders in Hebei Province

Fang Xiaoning

Lu Zhengcao (1905-) was a colonel when the 691 regiment under his command retreated southward after Japanese invaders had launched the all-out invasion into North China after the incident of Marco Polo Bridge on July 7th， 1937.

It was on his way southward that Lu received an instruction from the North Bureau of the Communist Party of China that his regiment should stay in the enemy’s rear area and engage in a guerrilla war.

Though Lu was a regiment commander of the National Government’s army， he had been a secret Communist party member for a while and many of his officers and soldiers were communist party members， too.

Lu got his chance to carry out the instruction. After his regiment lost contact with the headquarters of the retreating 53rd Army as the result of a fierce battle， Lu immediately called a meeting of secret Communists and soldiers to determine on a course of action.

He spoke at the meeting， “In less than a month since the outbreak of the all-out war， Japan has occupied much of the north China. But the government troops keep retreating. We need to strike back at the invaders. If we die， we are martyrs. If we live， we are heroes. Since we have lost our contact with the headquarters of the army， I move that we go back north and fight a guerrilla war in the enemy’s rear area!?The regiment adopted his suggestion and changed the 691 regiment into People’s Self-Defense Army. Lu was elected the army’s commander.

Bravely， the regiment moved northward into the central plain area of the occupied Hebei Province. Shortly afterwards， Lu’s People’s Self-Defense Army came under the command of the Communist-Party-led Jin-Cha-Ji Military Area and Lu was appointed the commander of Jizhong (Central Hebei) Military Area.

The One-Hundred-Regiments Campaign

Toward the end of 1939， Japanese invaders wanted to tighten the control over the strategic Zhengtai Route to ensure its military supplies to the southward frontier. In order to achieve this military goal， invaders needed to keep their supply lines operational and open through the three provinces of Shandong， Hebei and Shanxi. Lu Zhengcao reported the intention of the Japanese troops to Zhu De， commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army. Lu received an order from the headquarters to get ready for a campaign to destroy the supply route.

At 22:00 on August 20th， 1940， 105 regiments under the Eighth Route Army launched a coordinated campaign along the Zhengtai Route. Within three and half months， more than 1，800 battles were fought， 900 kilometers of railways and 300 kilometers of highways were dismantled or destroyed， 258 bridges and railways stations were sabotaged， and over 20，000 enemy soldiers were killed or wounded. The Zhengtai Route was completely paralyzed.

The Battle at Zhangshi Village

Lu Zhengcao was a resourceful commander. The battle fought at Zhangshi Village is regarded as a model battle of village-based defense in guerrilla war in plain areas.

At the lunchtime one day， Lu and his regiment suddenly found themselves approached by about 400 Japanese cavalrymen. Lu immediately issued an order that no heavy weapons be used to fend off the enemy， that only rifles and hand-grenades be used， and that no sign be revealed to let the enemy become aware that they had run into the headquarters and the regiment. The Japanese force was hoaxed into thinking it was just a small unit of resistance forces. Some Japanese reinforcements arrived to tighten the siege， believing it was only a matter of time to annihilate the resistance force in the village.

The two sides held off till seven in the evening. Then Lu issued the order to strike out， using all the heavy weapons. The regiment charged. The battle lasted 2 hours. Over 300 Japanese troopers were killed.

Blitzkrieg Battles on Foot

The central Hebei Province is characterized by flatlands. People with military knowledge know that the place could have been a death trap for Chinese forces as Japanese troopers were highly mobile with their automobiles， armored vehicles and horses， for any frontal confrontation could have led to disaster for the resistance forces.

When Lu Zhengcao first led his resistance forces into central Hebei and set up resistance bases in the plain area， they were more or less ignored. But after the One-Hundred-Regiments Campaign， the Japanese invaders decided to strike back at the resistance forces in the heart of their occupied area.

On May 1， 1942， more than 90，000 Japanese troopers and their puppet army， with assistance of planes， tankers and cannons， moved in from all sides to annihilate the Chinese resistance forces under the command of Lu. The Japanese invaders planned to achieve their goal within two months. During the period， Japanese troopers set up 1，753 strongholds in the area of 8，000 villages， dug more than 4，000 kilometers of trenches to block and stop the movements of Chinese resistance forces. The whole area was cut up into 2，670 separate pieces. The campaign aimed to paralyze and annihilate the Lu’s army.

To offset the Japanese strategy， Lu Zhengcao broke his large troops into small guerrilla teams and let them vanish into villages across the area. The guerrilla units moved fast on foot from village to village. During the period， 272 large-scaled battles were fought. In the end， Lu outwitted the Japanese commander and Lu’s blitzkrieg battles on foot routed his counterpart’s iron-wall siege.

Lu was so successful and creative in leading the resistance forces to fight Japanese invaders that many victories of his troopers are now part of the country’s living memory due to popular movies and novels.

The military rank of General was conferred upon Lu Zhengcao in 1955 in recognition of his brilliant military achievements during the China’s Resistance War against Japanese Aggression.

(Translated by David)