Ambush at Cheyuan Village in Qian'an

In 1944, with the development of the war, the Japanese army adopted the tactic of "long-distance raids, separate attacks and combined attacks" in eastern Hebei. At the same time, they often sent small groups of plainclothes teams to villages to sneak attack local staff of the anti-Japanese government.

In order to attack the Japanese and puppet troops, the Jidong Army Division dispatched some troops to cooperate with local armed forces in the attack. In the late summer and early autumn of 1944, the First Company of the Independent Battalion of the Jidong Army Division moved to Luanfeng United County for activities. One day, the troops were stationed in Gaochengzi Village (now Luan County). Liu Jianwen, the head of the Seventh District, came to the company headquarters to inform the Japanese plainclothes team stationed in Yangdianzi that they often disguised themselves to conduct sneak attacks and arrest anti-Japanese personnel. Company commander Liang Zhenyu and instructor Feng Wenzhi believed that the area west of Yangdianzi was an important anti-Japanese base area. The rear arsenal, clothing factory, health center, etc. of the Jidong Army Division were located there and must be defended. So it was decided to punish the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Yangdianzi. In order to understand the enemy's situation, Yue Zizhang, captain of the Lianhe County Armed Brigade, and Li Shusen, captain of the Seventh District Squadron, were invited to jointly study and analyze the enemy's situation. It was unanimously agreed that the actions of the troops cannot be disclosed, and the only way is to use a small number of people to lure the enemy out and then ambush the enemy without knowing our troops.

After the battle plan was determined, the troops marched 60 miles on the night of July 22 and arrived at Cheyuanzhai Village, the ambush site, four miles away from Yangdianzi before dawn on the 23rd. After everything was arranged, it was daybreak. The company commander sent two scouts, coordinated by the Cheyuan Village militia, to the edge of Yangdianzi Town to lure the enemy out, pretending to harass the Japanese and puppet troops. When they fired a few shots at the enemy watchtower and then walked back, the Japanese and puppet troops really chased them out. But the cunning Japanese army stopped after chasing them to the south of Yangdianzi. They fired a few shots at Cheyuanzhai Village randomly and then returned. The troops became impatient when there was no movement of the Japanese and puppet troops in the afternoon and decided to move. At this time, several Japanese soldiers in plain clothes appeared west of the temple in Cheyuan Village. When instructor Feng saw this, he quickly ordered the troops to quickly enter the yard and prepare for battle. Just as the soldiers entered the courtyard, the Japanese and puppet troops opened fire on the Eighth Route Army. The third platoon of commanders and fighters who advanced to the hospital threw several grenades at the Japanese and puppet troops. The Japanese troops were bombed and screamed. The battle started. The Japanese and puppet troops who had just entered the village fired machine guns at the Eighth Route Army while retreating.

At this time, Captain Liang led the first and second platoons to outflank the Japanese and puppet troops along the bank of the Shah River from the east side, and started a fierce battle with the Japanese and puppet troops. Instructor Feng commanded the third and fourth platoons to destroy the Japanese and puppet troops who entered the village, and then opened fire from the west of the Japanese and puppet troops. The Japanese and puppet troops were attacked from both sides. After more than an hour of fierce fighting, most of the Japanese and puppet troops were wiped out. Only a dozen Japanese soldiers escaped from the surrounding courtyard of Liu Qi's house in Cheyuanzhai Village. The third platoon leader Zong Xieyuan led the soldiers into the yard and fought with the Japanese troops with bayonets. The Japanese troops retreated to Liu's dye house and fired shots. Company Commander Liang led the first and second platoons to chase in and occupied the east courtyard where the Japanese and puppet troops were located. Fourth Platoon Commander Shi En used machine guns to suppress the firepower of the Japanese and puppet troops. Three rows of soldiers took ladders to the roof of the dye house, cut a hole and dropped several grenades. After the grenade exploded, the Japanese soldiers who were not killed still resisted. Several soldiers found several bundles of bean straw, lit them and stuffed them into the room. After a while, the Japanese soldiers were burned to death.

The battle at Cheyuan Village lasted more than three hours, wiping out 56 Japanese plainclothes members and seizing a batch of trophies.