Going out of Baoshan to the west, crossing the branch of Hengduan Mountain, crossing the Nujiang River to the south, there are Songshan and Longling, which were the places of bloody battles in those years, and then crossing Gaoligong Mountain, which is the famous city of anti-Japanese war Tengchong. Continue to go southwest, cross mangshi, and reach Wan Ding, a border town between China and Myanmar, and Ma Pingchuan is already along the way. This is the marching route of the Chinese Expeditionary Force's counterattack in western Yunnan.
Blood and smoke have faded into history, but the hardships and swallowing mountains and rivers during it cannot be erased from people's memory. Recently, the reporter came to Baoshan and other places in western Yunnan to visit the surviving veterans of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, as if returning to that bloody age.
"Fried bridge! Blow it up and never let the Japanese cross the river! " Zhao Gui, an 84-year-old man, told reporters what he had been saying more than 60 years ago: "I don't know how many times I will say this one day. I am encouraging soldiers and cheering myself up. "
"17 years old, I was promoted to the sixth army bridge damage department staff. In order to prevent the Japanese army on the other side of the Nujiang River from entering Baoshan City, I was responsible for bombing bridges. I bombed 73 bridges, large and small, which was considered a' destruction king'. "
73 seats, when Lao Gui mentioned this unforgettable figure, his mood was very heavy, because "almost every time a bridge is bombed, someone can't come back"!
"The first time I participated in the blasting was at Niumu Bridge, more than 20 kilometers away from Huitong Bridge. At that time, in order to avoid being discovered by the Japanese army, we decided to act in secret. Everyone carefully came to Niumu Bridge with more than 70 kilograms of explosives on their backs, and then climbed to Niumu Bridge bit by bit. However, just as he was preparing to install explosives, a little soldier accidentally fell from the mountain ... what is the heart stuck in his throat? I really realized it at that time. Now think about it. Because once it is discovered by the enemy, if the task of bombing the bridge is not completed, it is impossible for us to come back alive. "
After placing explosives, everyone scrambled for the fuse, and finally a soldier was left by lot, and Zhao Gui and others evacuated to the east coast. "Before departure, it was clear that if the Japanese found out after bombing the bridge, they would commit suicide. If not, they will continue to retreat, but in the end the soldier failed to come back. " Zhao Gui said with tears.
Speaking of blasting Huitong Bridge, Zhao Gui was very excited: "In order to install explosives as soon as possible, each of us is like a crazy wolf, rushing to the bridge with explosives. A comrade-in-arms fell beside me, and blood splashed all over my face, but I rushed forward regardless. * * * Around 170 people sent explosives to the bridge. When Huitong Bridge was bombed, there were only 40 people left ... "
"I don't know if I made the right choice at that time, but I really want to hit the Japanese!" The 82-year-old Da Caiting said that he took the initiative to sign up for the 9 th Company of the 4 th Regiment of the 2 nd Division of the Chinese Expeditionary Force as a transport soldier when he saw the Japanese invaders killing everyone, burning down houses and doing all the bad things. "People say that you are still under 16 years old. Can you pick ammunition with tender shoulders? I said, you can, so can I! "
Da Caiting clearly remembers that on the second day of enlistment, he followed the troops to the Nujiang River. The shells sent to the front are almost half a meter long, but they are not very heavy, but they weigh 100 kilograms. Not to mention the red shoulders, which have worn off many layers of skin.
1June, 944, the Chinese expeditionary force began to attack Songshan. Da Caiting said: "Since the Japanese army captured western Yunnan for two years, Songshan has built strong fortifications, and our army's attack has been seriously hindered. On the way to transport ammunition, wounded and sacrificed comrades can be seen everywhere. At first, we saw that our comrades were still crying when they died, but our tears dried up with heavy casualties day after day. I don't know how many days in a row, we came to the front to transport ammunition and how many times we ran, even I can't tell. I only remember that I broke two poles when I attacked Songshan! "
Da Caiting said that in order to conquer Songshan, the Chinese Expeditionary Force decided to dig a tunnel under the Japanese fortress at the top of Songshan Mountain and blow up the Japanese fortifications with explosives. It has been dug for two months since late June. The tunnel is not wide, so you have to bow your back to get in. When they transport explosives into it, they can only hold them with their hands, not pick them with a pole. In this way, they manually put in more than 30 tons of explosives.
"On the day of bombing Songshan, we evacuated to the east bank of the Nujiang River. We didn't see the scene of the explosion, but we could hear the rumble and feel the earth shaking. We can imagine the scene of Japanese devils being blown up to the sky by sound. We really feel avenged! What a relief! " Da Caiting said happily, waving two fists. "In my eyes, the expeditionary force has no cowards, and everyone has a hard time fighting!" 92-year-old Yang Xu recalled his first battle, which is still fresh in his memory: "In May, 1942, our 36th Division 107 Regiment entered Baoshan, and the next day we fought the Japanese at Huitong Bridge. The Japanese army crossed the Nujiang River under the cover of heavy artillery, but we finally beat it back. We wiped out all the Japanese troops who crossed the border, and the casualties were not small. There are 147 people in Company 9 of Battalion 3 where I am, and only 72 people are left. Many people bandaged the wound and rushed forward. "
What impressed Yang Xu most was the counterattack in western Yunnan. "1when the attack on Songshan began in June, 944, the vanguard troops suffered heavy losses. In particular, our 7 1 Army suffered heavy casualties, and some people were killed in the whole company ... Many new soldiers can't even use guns, but they still bravely rushed forward. It's really one after another. " Yang Xubian said, wiping away tears.
"Later, we took the form of detour and sneaked into the Japanese trenches. I took a few soldiers in the platoon, suddenly hugged the little devil from behind, and killed a few guys with three times five divided by two. After a recruit killed the Japanese army for the first time, he ran to touch the face of the devil and said,' The Japanese are really hateful.' So far, I am most proud that no one in my platoon has stepped back! "
"It's a pity that when I attacked Tengchong later, the bullet hit my leg. At that time, watching the brothers fight for their lives, my first thought was: I will climb forward even if I hurt my leg! But I can't move anymore, and I have to go to Baoshan to recuperate! " When shaking hands with reporters, Yang Xu still had some regrets.