Night Raid Battle Site of the Yangcha Fortification Area

Night Raid Battle Site of the Yangcha Fortification Area

The Night Raid Battle Site of the Yangcha Fortification Area is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Night Raid Battle Site of the Yangcha Fortification Area is located in Gouli, Yangcha Village, Taiwang Town, Ji’an City. There is currently one railway bridge, one bridgehead bunker built by the Japanese puppet regime, and one residence of Japanese engineers. This railway bridge is still in use today. The Laoling River flows through this area, with clear and pure water, serving as the main water source for downtown Ji’an. The Tongji Railway and the Ji–Xi Highway pass through here, offering convenient transportation.

The Yangcha Work Area was the Eighth Work Area of the Jian (now Ji’an) Fortification Area, managed by the Kinjing Group. The construction section extended from north of Yangcha Village to in front of Tukouzi. Beyond the vicinity of Yangcha Village, the terrain is relatively open, with mostly high mountains and dense forests on both sides of the railway, and the Laoling River meandering through the valley. The construction sites of the 11th and 12th Laoling River Bridges were also within this section. After the anti-Japanese guerrillas’ surprise attack on the Laoling Tunnel, the Japanese invaders strengthened the guard of the Yangcha Fortification Area, stationing and patrolling over 150 troops from the Puppet Cavalry 25th Regiment and the Japanese Guard Unit in the Yangcha Work Area.

On the evening of June 19, 1938, Yang Jingyu led over 700 soldiers from the First Army’s Training Regiment and the Second Division, divided into three groups, hiding in the dense forests of the Western Yangcha Mountain and Tukouzi area. Around midnight at 23:00, the three anti-Japanese forces simultaneously launched attacks on the Tongji Railway Tukouzi Tunnel construction site, the 11th and 12th Laoling River Bridge construction sites, and the Japanese Kinjing Group dormitory area in the Yangcha Work Area. The section of the Tongji Railway from Yangcha to Ji’an erupted in fierce gunfire and the roar of battle. The Japanese and puppet troops, awakened from their sleep and unsure how many guerrillas had arrived, hid in fortifications and hastily returned fire. On the western slope of Yangcha, the guerrillas’ machine guns and rifles fiercely raked the Kinjing Office with intense, rain-like gunfire, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese and puppet troops. Some guerrilla fighters rushed down the slope, circled to the eastern foothills, and launched a flanking assault on the Kinjing Office from the side, attacking from all directions. Gunfire and explosions rang out as the warehouses, workshops, and dormitories outside the office were quickly engulfed in flames. All external communication for the Yangcha Work Area was cut off, and any Japanese soldiers attempting to escape or resist were killed.

The 11th Laoling River Bridge Office, located 3 kilometers south of Yangcha Village, and the 12th Laoling River Bridge Takeuchi Construction Office were also fiercely attacked by the guerrillas. With strong support from the Yangcha forces, the guerrillas charged down from the mountains, blew open the barbed wire fences, eliminated the defending Japanese and puppet troops, stormed into the construction site and living quarters, capturing 8 Japanese and puppet engineering and guarding personnel, and liberating over 100 laborers. They burned down the bridge construction site and seized a batch of military supplies, food, and clothing.

Another group of about 150 guerrillas quickly surrounded the Tukouzi Tunnel and the East Asia Civil Engineering Company’s duty office, routed the guards, and set fire to the Tukouzi construction materials and the duty office. The guerrillas then swiftly occupied advantageous positions on the nearby hillsides near Tukouzi. Due to the telephone lines being cut during the battle at the Yangcha Work Area, the guard unit of the Ji’an Fortification Area did not send reinforcements. Victory was achieved on all three battlefronts. A total of 9 enemies who stubbornly resisted were killed (including 8 Japanese), and Japanese engineers such as Takeuchi and Kobayashi were captured (later released); over 700 laborers were liberated, causing the enemy losses amounting to 200,000 yen.

Around 23:00 on the night of June 24, 1938, Yang Jingyu commanded over 300 guerrillas from the First Army’s Training Regiment and others, setting out from Dongchagou to the Tukouzi area, launching another attack on the Tukouzi Tunnel construction site as well as the Ji’an Engineering Sub-bureau stationed in Donggang and the headquarters of the Puppet Cavalry 5th Regiment. At midnight that day, the guerrillas organized firepower and fiercely raked the northeast high ground toward the Ji’an Fortification Area. At the same time, intense gunfire also erupted from the headquarters of the Puppet Cavalry 5th Regiment. The full-scale battle to attack the Donggang Ji’an Fortification Area commenced. Under the cover of machine gun fire, the guerrillas maneuvered around to the flanks of the Donggang Police Station and the fortification area, engaging the enemy in close combat. Our guerrilla forces defeated the stubborn resistance of the enemy, successfully entered the Tukouzi construction site, and liberated 250 laborers, many of whom immediately joined the guerrilla ranks. Among the captives was a Japanese man named Fukuma Kazuo, who, when offered release, refused to leave and said, “It is wrong for Japan to invade China. I am also a suffering person and oppose this kind of action. That is why I want to join your ranks,” and “to fight against our common enemy.” Upon his earnest request, Yang Jingyu, considering that he was a laborer who treated Chinese workers well, accepted him. From then on, he happily joined the ranks of the First Army of the guerrillas.

This is an important anti-Japanese guerrilla battle site.

Source: Ji’an Municipal Party School

Yangcha Village: Yangcha Village…… Detailed information about Yangcha Village++