During the Anti-Japanese War, there were five main forces, namely the New First Army, the New Sixth Army, the Fifth Army, the Seventy-fourth Army and the Eighteenth Army. These troops performed well on the battlefield of resistance against Japan and were known as the mainstay of the world.
However, in addition to these five main forces, there is also a unit known as the "sixth main force of the Anti-Japanese War", that is, the 13th Army. So, how did this mysterious army become the main force?
And what about its strength? Let's unravel its mysteries together.
As early as after the September 18 Incident, the entire territory of Northeast China had fallen, but Japan did not stop invading China. They tried to "boil frogs in warm water" and gradually annex the whole of China.
To this end, Japan began to gradually encroach on the territory of Kannai: on January 3, 1933, Shanhaiguan fell; On February 25, the Japanese attacked the Great Wall; On March 4, Rehe fell; On March 9, the bloody battle at Xifengkou; On May 7, the Japanese army attacked eastern Hebei, and Beiping was surrounded on three sides ......These acts of aggression put the whole of North China in danger of falling.
In order to resist the Japanese invasion, the 13th Army was formed, with Qian Dajun as the commander, Sun Yuanliang as the commander of the 88th Division, and Tang Enbo as the commander of the 89th Division. This unit was established as a result of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and is also famous all over the world for the War of Resistance.
In the Great Wall War of Resistance, the Chinese people showed a heroic and unyielding spirit and successfully stopped the Japanese invasion of North China. After the end of the Great Wall Anti-Japanese War, Tang Enbo, the former commander of the 89th Division, was promoted to the commander of the 13th Army, and continued to be stationed on the front line of the Great Wall, always vigilant to prevent any movement of the Japanese army.
Soon, the 13th Army ushered in a severe test, that is, the Lugou Bridge Incident, which marked the beginning of Japan's full-scale war of aggression against China. After the Lugou Bridge Incident, Beiping was occupied by the Japanese army, and they began to attack south.
In order to break the plan of the Japanese army, the Nanjing Nationals formulated the strategy of the War of Resistance between the North and the South, and decided to launch the Battle of Nankou in North China and the Battle of Songhu in East China, in order to stop the Japanese attack and seize the initiative in the war.
Nankou, an important pass of the Great Wall, has a vital military geo-strategic position. Especially on the line from Nankou to Zhangjiajie, the intersection of the four provinces is the last easy and difficult pass on the battlefield against Japan on the entire northeast front.
On August 2, 1937, the Battle of Nankou officially began, and the Japanese army first tested it with a large bombardment, and then mobilized more than 70,000 people to launch a fierce attack. The defenders of the south entrance bravely returned fire and successfully withstood the Japanese attack.
However, the Japanese army did not retreat because of this, but concentrated its firepower, dispatched more than 30 tanks, more than 30 aircraft, and more than 60 field artillery pieces, and increased the strength of two divisions on the 13th, boasting that it would be able to occupy the Nankou area on the 13th.
The officers and men of the 13th Army, with the determination of "swearing to the death and not retreating", showed their unyielding and heroic spirit. In the Battle of Nankou, their whole army fought bloodily, repeatedly rushed and killed, and the battle was extremely fierce.
The Nanjing National** had given the 13th Army the task of holding out for 15 days, but they held out for 20 days, successfully blocking the Japanese attack and keeping them out of the south pass.
This feat could even be called a "great victory" at the time, you must know that it took less than a week for the Japanese army to capture Beiping.
The Thirteenth Army paid a huge price in the Battle of Nankou, but also won the opportunity to fight. In the Battle of Taierzhuang, they successfully flanked and cut off the rear road of the Japanese army, lifted the encirclement of Sun Lianzhong, and contributed to the victory of Taierzhuang by the squadron.
In 1939, the Japanese army planned to strike at the main force of the squadron, and the 13th Army became a target again. In the Battle of Suizao, they successfully repelled the attack of more than 3,000 Japanese soldiers with an ironclad defense, and more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers were killed.
These brilliant achievements made the 13th Army famous, and their bravery and tenacity also became the pride of the squadron.
After this battle, although the 13th Army did not participate in large-scale battles again, they remained stationed in the central Henan region to confront the Japanese army. During this period, in the face of the continuous attacks of the Japanese army, the 13th Army was extremely brave, successfully repelled the invasion of the Japanese army many times, and held the position in central Henan.
However, in 1944, Japan mobilized 150,000 troops and planned the Battle of Henan-China. In this battle, Yuzhong was lost and suffered heavy losses. However, we can still see the outstanding performance of the 13th Army from this battle.
At that time, part of the troops of the 13th Army was stationed in Fuyang, and their presence successfully pinned down the Japanese army and greatly reduced the losses of the squadron. At the same time, in this battle, the Japanese army dispatched more than 600 armored vehicles to besiege the 13th Army, but the 13th Army successfully broke through.
In the following battle, the 13th Army participated in the Battle of Xiangxi and achieved a great victory in Xuefeng Mountain, destroying more than 30,000 enemy troops. Since 1933, the 13th Army has been sticking to the front line of the Anti-Japanese War, thwarting Japanese attacks many times, and making important contributions to the victory of major battles.
The Thirteenth Army, as the sixth main force, deserves its name. However, during the War of Liberation, the 13th Army became the leader of the Kuomintang reactionaries, attacked our PLA, and was finally completely annihilated by our army.
This tells us that it is not its combat effectiveness that determines the fate of the armed forces, but their starting point and mission. Therefore, we must not forget history, cherish peace, and safeguard national unity and stability.