1937 in the early autumn, the front-line troops in Nankou resisted the onslaught of the Japanese Sakahara Division. At the same time, the Japanese Tojo column also captured Zhangjiakou. Garrison 29 army Liu Ruming without a fight, yen hsi-shan 6 1 army counterattack failed. Zhangjiakou fell, and Nankou was in danger. The next target of the Japanese army is Shanxi, which Yan Xishan painstakingly managed in the Second World War.

Shanxi is surrounded by mountains, and the terrain is dangerous. It is known as the "roof of North China" and is called "the key to North China" by military strategists. Therefore, if the Japanese army wants to rule North China, it must first find Jinsui; If you want to pursue Jinsui, you must first strive for Taiyuan; If you want to compete for Taiyuan, you must first win Datong or Pingxing Pass.

Yan Xishan judged that in order to transport troops and arms, launch mechanized troops and give full play to their advantages, the Japanese army would inevitably point its edge at Datong. Accordingly, he deployed the Datong battle plan. However, the actual development of the war situation was that at the beginning of September, Tojo's column and the puppet Mongolian army broke through the national defense fortifications between Yongjiabao and Tianzhen defended by Li Fuying along the Pingsui line and reached Yanggao City. Danielle fled all the way to the south of Sanggan River, and the Japanese army captured Datong in September, while Sakahara's main enemy division directed at Pingxingguan, intending to copy the back road of Yanmenguan and then attack Taiyuan.

At this point, the Datong battle plan deployed by Yan Xishan was aborted. Although the troops in Yanmenguan area are numerous and useless, the troops in Pingxingguan area are empty and dangerous. Yan Xishan was forced to immediately set out to deploy the Pingxingguan campaign.

The Battle of Pingxingguan took place in mid-September of 1937. It was a battle in Taiyuan during War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's time. Led by Yen Hsi-shan, commander of the National Government in World War II, it lasted for one month. This is a medium-sized battle. After the Japanese invaders marched along Pingsui Road and occupied Datong, they divided their troops to attack Yanmenguan and Pingxingguan in an attempt to advance on Taiyuan. In order to cooperate with the friendly forces and stop the Japanese attack, the Eighth Route Army 1 15 Division, under the command of its division commander Lin Biao and deputy division commander Nie, was ordered to arrive at Pingxingguan area to gather and stand by, ambush the Japanese trench team, breaking the myth that the Japanese army was invincible, thus enhancing the anti-aggression ambition of the people of China and cracking down on the Japanese aggression.

Pingxingguan won a great victory, annihilating more than 65,438+10,000 enemies, destroying 65,438+10,000 enemy cars, 200 carts, seizing more than 65,438+10,000 rifles, more than 20 light and heavy machine guns, 53 war horses and a large number of other trophies. This is China's first great victory since War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression began. It shattered the invincible myth of the imperial army, inspired the people of the whole country and inspired their enthusiasm for the war of resistance. It effectively dealt a blow to the arrogance of the Japanese army, delayed the enemy's attack, and forced some enemy troops who had entered Hunyuan and Baoding to move in the direction of Pingxingguan, thus effectively supporting the operations of Pinghan Railway and Tongpu Railway, and supporting the offensive part of Guo Zongfen, who had fallen into the encirclement of the enemy, and avoiding the danger of annihilation.