The victory of Pingxingguan was the outbreak of the National Anti-Japanese War
The victory of Pingxingguan was the first victory of the Eighth Route Army after entering the North China Anti-Japanese battlefield, and it was also the first major victory of the Chinese army since the outbreak of the National Anti-Japanese War.
When the Eighth Route Army left North China and advanced into Shanxi, the Japanese 5th Division, with the cooperation of the Chahar dispatch army, was attacking along the Great Wall along Pingsui Road, attempting to attack Taiyuan southward, capture the hinterland of Shanxi, and cooperate with the North China Front from the right wing in the operation on Pinghan Road. China's 2nd Theater has formulated a battle plan to block the Japanese along the Great Wall. In terms of Pingxingguan, it is determined to gather heavy troops to annihilate the invading enemy, and asked the Eighth Route Army to cooperate with the side attack Japanese army. In order to cooperate with the friendly forces, defend Shanxi, and cheer up the military prestige of the Eighth Route Army, the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army successfully carried out the ambush at Pingxingguan and achieved a great victory in the first battle.
In early September 1937, according to the battle plan, the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army went to the vicinity of Pingxingguan. Pingxingguan is located in the northeast of Shanxi Province. It is a throat artery in the northeast of Shanxi Province. The peaks and mountains on both sides are continuous, steep and steep. On the left side are the commanding heights such as Dongrun Pool and Laoye Temple, and on the right side are the mountains such as Baiyatai. In front of the pass, there is a narrow channel extending from southwest to northeast, which is an ideal place for ambush and annihilate the enemy. On the 2nd, a part of the 21st Brigade Regiment of the Fifth Division of the Japanese Army attacked Pingxingguan from Lingqiu and occupied the Dongrun Pool area. On the 23rd, the 115th Division was determined to seize the weakness of the Japanese army's arrogance and lack of vigilance, take advantage of the favorable terrain in the northeast of Pingxingguan, destroy the enemy by ambush means, and hold a meeting of cadres above the company to conduct in-depth combat mobilization. Late at night on the 24th, the 115th Division took advantage of the dark night and heavy rain to secretly enter the pre-set battle positions such as Baiyatai. At dawn on the 25th, the follow-up troops of the 21st Brigade of the Japanese 5th Division Regiment took more than 100 vehicles and more than 200 heavy trucks, and drove from east to west along Lingqiu-Pingxingguan Highway. At 7 o'clock, the whole department entered the 115th Division's pre-ambush position. The 115th Division grabbed the fighter jets and immediately ordered the whole line to fire. When the enemy was in chaos, it launched an attack at the One of the 115th Division annihilated the enemy first and blocked it from moving south along the highway; one divided and surrounded the Japanese rear troops and cut off their retreat route; one rushed across the highway and quickly seized the Laoye Temple and the highlands north of it; one blocked the Japanese army's return to occupy Dongjochi in advance; one blocked the reinforcements sent by the Japanese 5th Division. After a fierce battle, the Japanese army was completely surrounded and won a great victory.
This battle achieved major results. The 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army killed more than 1,000 Japanese troops, destroyed more than 100 cars, more than 200 carriages, seized more than 1,000 rifles, more than 20 machine guns, one artillery, and a large number of military supplies, achieving the first major victory of the Chinese army since the beginning of the National Anti-Japanese War.
The victory of Pingxingguan was the first victory of the Eighth Route Army since it marched to the front line of the Anti-Japanese War. It wiped out more than 1,000 Japanese troops, destroyed nearly 100 vehicles, and captured hundreds of light and heavy weapons. It shows that the people's army led by the Communist Party is a force that cannot be ignored in the Anti-Japanese War.
