The Site of the Battle of Caoguangtou

The Site of the Battle of Caoguangtou

The Site of the Battle of Caoguangtou is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Site of the Battle of Caoguangtou is located on a mountain ridge 300 meters west of Caoguangtou Village, Xingjiaye Township, Gujiao City. During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese invaders built a reinforced brick-and-stone stronghold here, featuring a main watchtower in the center, a tunnel to the west with over ten residential rooms, and several smaller bunkers around, covering an area of about 3,000 square meters. A small Japanese squad and over sixty puppet troops were stationed there. Leveraging the rugged terrain and the fortifications, the Japanese controlled a vast area of Caoguangtou and Yudaochuan, frequently carrying out raids, burning, killing, and looting without restraint. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, the people of the Caoguangtou area launched a head-on struggle against the Japanese and puppet troops, resolving to eliminate this thorn. Starting in March 1943, the Fourth Guerrilla Battalion of the Qingtai-Xu District and surrounding militias besieged the stronghold for six months. On September 18, Lü Huai zhong, deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Sub-district of the Jin-Sui Military Region, led the 6th Company of the 6th Regiment of the sub-district, the Qingtai-Xu Guerrilla Battalion, and militias from surrounding villages. Ascending the ridge via a path at the back of the mountain, with the help of insider puppet troops, they captured all the puppet troops in the Caoguangtou stronghold without firing a single shot. Then, moving through a tunnel into the main compound of the Japanese watchtower, they heavily surrounded the sleeping Japanese soldiers. Of the 23 Japanese troops in the stronghold, all were killed except one who escaped, and one mortar, seven light and heavy machine guns, along with various military, medical, and daily supplies were seized, completely destroying the enemy stronghold. The Battle of Caoguangtou was commended by Peng Dehuai, Vice Commander who was passing through the Eighth Sub-district on his way to Yan’an, and Liu Bocheng, Commander of the 129th Division. The Jin-Sui Military Region hailed it as a model battle and ordered all units to study it. Eliminating the Caoguangtou stronghold cut off connections between the Japanese and puppet strongholds such as Dongshe, Gujiao, and Xiehebao, liberating a vast area across Taiyuan County, Qingyuan, and Jiaocheng, facilitating transportation between mountainous and plains regions, and breaking the enemy’s —. In 1989, the site was designated as a cultural relics protection unit by the People’s Government of Gujiao City.

Caoguangtou Village: Introduction to Caoguangtou Village

Caoguangtou Village is located in the southern part of Xingjiaye Township and includes three natural villages: Caoguangtou, Xiānrénpíng, and Yánjiāyù. It borders Guantou in the north, Sòngjiāzhuāng and the Jiaocheng boundary in the south, the Taiyuan Forest Farm boundary in the east, and Lánggōu in the west. Situated at the intersection of the Yugu Line, Duguan Line, and Caoyuan Line, it enjoys convenient transportation. The village has a total population of 580, whose livelihood mainly depends on farming, making it a major agricultural village in the township.

… Detailed information about Caoguangtou Village ++