Baihuandong Battle Site

Baihuandong Battle Site

The Baihuandong Battle Site is located in Baihuandong Village, Dalingshan Town, with GPS coordinates: 22°54'55"N, 113°47'53"E, at an elevation of 42 meters.

On the evening of June 10, 1941, over 400 Japanese troops from the Nagase Unit stationed along the Guantai Line in Dongguan and more than 200 soldiers from the puppet 30th Division stationed in Houjie launched an attack on Dalingshan from two directions (the main Japanese force moved south from Dongguan City through Shangxia Shanmen and Jiling, while the puppet troops came from Qiaotou and Dajing), planning to converge at dawn to assault Baihuandong Village, the center of the anti-Japanese base in Dalingshan. When the enemy approached the vicinity of Baihuandong Village, they were spotted by the patrolling forces of the Third Battalion of the Guangdong People’s Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Forces. Under the command of Zeng Sheng and Wu Qiang, the Third Battalion swiftly mobilized for battle, with guerrillas and anti-Japanese self-defense teams from surrounding villages quickly occupying the high ground around the village. At dawn on June 11, as the two enemy forces arrived at Baihuandong Village, the Third Battalion and the self-defense teams took advantage of their unsteady footing and unleashed heavy fire to repel the attack. Caught off guard, the Japanese troops fell into disarray and hastily occupied a small hill to the left front of the village to hold their ground. At this time, the Humen Squad of the Third Battalion, stationed at Changzhenling in Dashazhen, advanced from Taigongling to the eastern side of Baihuandong and launched an assault on the Japanese forces. Under the cover of machine-gun fire, the Humen Squad swiftly broke through the Japanese defensive line and engaged them in close combat. The Dongzheng Squad of the Third Battalion, the Railway Squad of the Fifth Battalion, and the militia squads from Wengyao, Dawangling, and Youguling led by Zhang Qiweng also occupied the mountainous area behind Baihuandong Village. The Dahuadui and Shilong Squad of the Fifth Battalion, together with the militias from Dajing and Dahuan, took control of the Huangtoupai mountainous area behind Dahuan Village. Liu Yin, director of the Lianping United Township Office, led the self-defense squad and militias from Banship, Jiling, Fe’e, Lianpingwei, Shanggaotian, Dashiban, and Xinwuchang to occupy the mountainous area around Banship and Xinwuchang. Kuang Shishou led the Taigongling militia to hold their position in Dadi Village, thereby encircling the Japanese forces.

Once surrounded, the Japanese troops furiously shelled the anti-Japanese guerrilla positions and launched several charges. The guerrillas and self-defense teams held their ground, repelling the attacks time and again. The fierce battle continued until 3 p.m., when the Japanese attempted twice to break through by deploying smoke bombs, but failed. They then released carrier pigeons to seek reinforcements from the Japanese forces in Shilong. One of the pigeons landed to rest on the gate of Zhengwei in Dashazhen but was shot down by the local self-defense team. A request for help and a map were retrieved from the pigeon. As night fell, the enemy retreated to the Qiling Mountain area to hold their position and await rescue. The Third Battalion organized assault squads to launch raids on the Japanese, while nearby self-defense teams and civilians continuously harassed the enemy.

The next day, Japanese aircraft air-dropped food and ammunition to the besieged troops, some of which were intercepted by the anti-Japanese guerrillas. In the afternoon, over 1,000 Japanese infantry and cavalry sent from Shilong and Guangzhou, along with air cover, finally managed to rescue the encircled forces.

The battle lasted two days and one night, resulting in the death or injury of 50–60 Japanese and puppet troops, including the death of the Japanese battalion commander Nagase. The guerrillas captured over ten rifles and a batch of ammunition, and killed many enemy horses. The anti-Japanese guerrillas and self-defense teams suffered more than 10 casualties. This battle was referred to by the Japanese as “the most disgraceful engagement since their advance into South China.” After the battle, the Third Battalion held a victory celebration attended by thousands of people in Lianping. The Baihuandong Battle marked a major triumph for the Dongguan military and civilians since the beginning of the War of Resistance.

Due to industrial development, most of the Baihuandong Battle Site has been built over with factories and shops.

Baihuandong Village: Located 4 kilometers west of the Dalingshan Town government seat, Baihuandong Village borders Taigongling, Dapianmei, Dahuan, and Xiagaotian to the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast respectively. The western edge of its jurisdiction features the scenic area of Mashan Xianjing. The total area of the village is 4.5 square kilometers. It administers four villager groups, with a registered population of 1,286 and over 8,000 new Dongguan residents. In 2010, the village’s total collective income was 10.47 million yuan, with 7.44 million yuan available for disposal.

In 1989, the village comprised five natural villages: Dawei, Dongbiancun, Xincun, Weiding, and Dadi. The village had a total of 202 households and a total population… More detailed information about Baihuandong Village++