On this day, 84 years ago, May 9, 1941 (April 14, 1941, the lunar calendar), senior China generals were killed one after another in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. On May 9, 1941, in order to occupy strategic locations in southern Shanxi, the Japanese army mobilized 6 divisions and 3 brigades with a total of more than 100,000 troops to launch an attack on the southern Shanxi (Zhongtiaoshan) area. China's First Theater Area tenaciously blocked the Japanese army with seven armies, but the losses were heavy. The Japanese army occupied Zhongtiao Mountain on May 27. According to Japanese statistics, the China army captured 35,000 people and abandoned 42,000 bodies; the Japanese army only killed 673 people and injured 2292 people. When Chiang Kai-shek talked about the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan, he had to admit that it was "the greatest shame in the history of the War of Resistance." This battle was the only large-scale offensive campaign launched by the Japanese army on the frontal battlefield in North China after the Battle of Taiyuan in November 1937. It was also a battle in which the China army paid a heavy price for lack of preparation. Commander Tang Huaiyuan, division commanders Shi Zuoheng, Cunxing Qi, and Wang Jun died in the line of duty. However, China's army is not afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice, tenaciously escapes the siege, and persists in guerrilla warfare. The patriotism and national integrity they have shown make people feel that despite defeat, they are still proud. Wang Jun, commander of the 27th Division, on May 9, 1941, Wang Jun, commander of the 27th Division of the 80th Army, died while fighting the Japanese army in Zhongtiao Mountain, southern Shanxi. Wang Jun was born in 1902 in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province. He was admitted to Whampoa Military Academy in the winter of 1924. In 1929, he served as battalion commander of the 17th Route Army. In 1932, he participated in the "encirclement and suppression" of Liu Zhidan's Red Army Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas. In 1935, he was promoted to brigade commander. In November 1937, after the fall of Taiyuan, he led his troops to serve as the Yellow River Defense Force and fought against the Japanese army. In 1939, the unit was reorganized into the new 27th Division of the 80th Army of the First Theater Area. He served as deputy division commander and later promoted to division commander. In the spring of 1940, he was ordered to lead his unit into the Zhongtiaoshan area in southern Shanxi. Tang Huaiyuan, General of the Third Army, on May 13, Tang Huaiyuan, Commander of the Third Army, led his troops to fight the Japanese army in a bloody battle during the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan. After the battle, he ran out of ammunition and committed suicide and died for the country. He was 57 years old. Tang Huaiyuan was from Jiangchuan County, Yunnan Province. Graduated from Yunnan Jianwu Hall. In 1911, he joined the League and participated in the Revolution of 1911. Later, he served successively as platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander. In 1930, he served as deputy commander of the 12th Division of the Army and brigade commander of the 35th Brigade. Later, he led his troops to fight against the Red Army many times. In 1932, he was promoted to commander of the 12th Division. In 1936, he served as deputy commander and division commander of the Third Army of the Army. After the Lugouqiao Incident, he participated in battles in Gaobeidian, Yishui, Laiyuan, Baoding and other places, and fought fiercely with the Japanese army in the Battle of Niangziguan, with outstanding military achievements. In 1939, he was promoted to commander of the Third Army. Lieutenant General Commander of the 12th Division Cunxingqi On May 13, Cunxingqi, commander of the 12th Division of the Third Army, led his troops in a fierce battle with the Japanese army during the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan. He was shot eight times and died heroically. Cunxingqi was from Tengchong County, Yunnan Province. In 1909, he was admitted to Yunnan Jianwu Hall. Joined the League in 1910. At the end of 1915, he participated in the War of Defense and fought against the Beiyang Army. Participated in the War of Protection of Law in 1917. In 1926, he participated in the Northern Expedition. In 1927, he was promoted to deputy brigade commander of the 34th Brigade of the Army. Later, he served as chief of staff of the Third Army of the Army, chief of staff of the "Bandits Suppression" General Command Headquarters in Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, and participated in the war to "encircle and suppress" the Red Army. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he served as commander of the 34th Brigade of the 12th Division. Soon, he was promoted to commander of the 12th Division of the Third Army and was ordered to guard Zhongtiao Mountain in southern Shanxi for four years. Liang Xixian, Deputy Commander of the 22nd Division, Liang Xixian, Major General Deputy Commander of the 22nd Division of the Army (Shaanxi Tongguan). This month, Liang led his troops to resist on the front line from Sijiao to Wangyuan in Xia County, risking his life and death more than ten times. On the 9th, he retreated to Taizhai Village and continued to fight against the Japanese army. In the end, Liang saw that the entire division had been killed and injured, so he threw himself into the Yellow River and died for the country. Chen Wenqi, Chief of Staff of Major General of the 24th Division, Chen Wenqi, Chief of Staff of Major General of the 24th Division of the Army (native of Putian, Fujian). On the 7th, the Japanese army released poison gas on the garrison positions. On the afternoon of the 9th, the rest of the division moved to the vicinity of Taizhai Village and continued to engage in fierce battles with the Japanese army. At the most critical moment, Chen Zhenqi shouted: "If I am invincible, if there is an enemy, there is no me!" He led the rest of his troops to fight the enemy, but unfortunately died heroically. Ma Zhaolin, a veteran of the Anti-Japanese War: The fiasco of the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan is the greatest shame in the history of the Anti-Japanese War. If we mention the most humiliating battle in the history of China's Anti-Japanese War, it is undoubtedly the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan in history, also known as the Battle of Southern Shanxi. In this battle, the Chinese army captured 35,000 people and abandoned 42,000 bodies. However, the Japanese army only killed 673 people and injured 2,292 people. Even Chiang Kai-shek, the commander-in-chief of the national army, had to admit that the Battle of Southern Shanxi was "the greatest shame in the history of the War of Resistance." The Battle of Zhongtiaoshan, also known as the Battle of Southern Shanxi, was called the Battle of the Central Plains by Japan. This was the only large-scale battle against Japan by the Kuomintang army on the frontal battlefield in Shanxi after the Anti-Japanese War entered a stalemate stage. After the Hundred Regiments War, the severely injured Japanese army further believed that the Eighth Route Army, which penetrated deep into its rear, was the biggest cancer for public security in North China and must concentrate all efforts to eradicate it. However, the existence of nearly 200,000 Kuomintang troops in the Zhongtiaoshan area held back the three divisions of the Japanese army. If they were eliminated first, the Japanese army would be able to move freely. At that time, they would be able to deal with the Communist Party's Eighth Route Army with all their strength, so they decided to launch the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan. Zhongtiao Mountain is located in the southern part of Shanxi Province, close to the border areas of Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi provinces and the north bank of the Great Turn of the Yellow River. It is about 170 kilometers from east to west and about 50 kilometers from north to south. It is the only large and prominent position maintained by China's frontal battlefield north of the Yellow River after the fall of North China. It connects to Taihang Mountains and Taiyue Mountains in the east and Luliang Mountain in the west. It protects Tongguan in the west, Xi'an and Luoyang in the south, and connects Tongpu Road in the north. It is the strategic hub of North China, the Central Plains and the Northwest. The Chinese garrison is 16th Division, with approximately 150,000 people. The Japanese army has six divisions, nearly four mixed brigades, and three aircraft flight regiments, with a total strength of about 100,000 people. The roadmap for the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain still has many favorable conditions for the China garrison. The vicinity of Zhongtiao Mountain has been the frontline area of both sides since the outbreak of the civil war. In the three years before the outbreak of the battle, they faced each other. However, the national army had never built better defenses, and it was only when the battle broke out that it rushed to fight. On May 7, 1941, the Japanese army on the outskirts of Zhongtiao Mountains, with the support of aviation, began a full-scale offensive from three directions: east, north and west. Judging from the entire battle,"China's defenders were passively beaten everywhere, with no proactive spirit at all, no favorable conditions existed, and no even the ability to fight back." The roads were rugged, transportation was difficult, and the mobility of troops and supply transportation were inconvenient. None of the troops had food reserves. Only four days after the official war started, Liu Maoen, commander-in-chief of the 14th Group Army, called Chiang Kai-shek, saying,"The army has been on a hunger strike for three days. There are strong enemies all around us. The officers and soldiers are fighting bloody on an empty stomach, and the situation is extremely pitiful. If we don't make preparations urgently, we may be scattered." Weapons and equipment are backward, and artillery is extremely short. The Japanese army has 500 artillery pieces of a caliber of more than 75 millimeters, but China's garrison has only one artillery piece per division on average. They are simply unable to block the mountain pass roads, let alone break the Japanese blockade. The Japanese air force posed a great threat. Communication lines and communications were often cut off. On the first day of the operation, most of the headquarters above the division level were attacked. The Japanese army used a large amount of poison gas bombs during its offensive, making it impossible for the China garrison to hold on and deal with the enemy for a long time. In addition, the treatment of various troops in the garrison was inconsistent, which seriously affected the unity and cooperation of the troops. There is also a big taboo for military strategists. Because Zhongtiao Mountain in southern Shanxi has repeatedly defeated invading enemies, they often claim that Zhongtiao Mountain is strong in gold, have no fear, loose thinking, and negligent vigilance. In view of the above-mentioned factors such as the morale of the troops, weapons and equipment of both sides, the results of this battle can be imagined. While the Japanese army clamored that it had "achieved the goal of eliminating the main force of the enemy and received results rare since the Incident," Chiang Kai-shek lamented that the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan was "the greatest shame in the history of the War of Resistance." However, this battle was undoubtedly the most tragic. 42,000 of the 150,000 soldiers of the National Army who participated in the war were killed by the Japanese army's guns. Among them, no less than hundreds of generals and school officers were killed or injured. A group of famous National Army generals such as Wang Jun, Tang Huaiyuan, and Cunxing Qi emerged who died and sacrificed their lives for the country. On May 9, 1941, Wang Jun, commander of the new 27th Division of the 80th Army of the Chinese Army, died while fighting the Japanese army in Zhongtiao Mountain, southern Shanxi. Wang Jun was born in 1902 in Pucheng, Shaanxi Province. He was admitted to Whampoa Military Academy in the winter of 1924. In 1929, he served as battalion commander of the 17th Route Army. In 1932, he participated in the "encirclement and suppression" of Liu Zhidan's Red Army Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas. In 1935, he was promoted to brigade commander. In November 1937, after the fall of Taiyuan, he led his troops to serve as the Yellow River Defense Force and fought against the Japanese army. In 1939, the division was reorganized into the new 27th Division of the 80th Army of the First Theater Area, first serving as deputy division commander and later promoted to division commander. In the spring of 1940, Wang Jun was ordered to lead his troops into the Zhongtiaoshan area in southern Shanxi. On May 13, Tang Huaiyuan, commander of the Third Army, led his troops to fight the Japanese army in a bloody battle during the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan. After the battle, he ran out of ammunition and committed suicide and died for the country. He was 57 years old. Tang Huaiyuan was from Jiangchuan County, Yunnan Province. Graduated from Yunnan Jianwu Hall. In 1911, he joined the League and participated in the Revolution of 1911. Later, he served successively as platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander. In 1930, he served as deputy commander of the 12th Division of the Army and brigade commander of the 35th Brigade. Later, he led his troops to fight against the Red Army many times. In 1932, he was promoted to commander of the 12th Division. In 1936, he served as deputy commander and division commander of the Third Army of the Army. After the Lugouqiao Incident, he participated in battles in Gaobeidian, Yishui, Laiyuan, Baoding and other places, and fought fiercely with the Japanese army in the Battle of Niangziguan, with outstanding military achievements. In 1939, he was promoted to commander of the Third Army. On May 13, Cunxingqi, the commander of the 12th Division of the Third Army, led his troops to fight fiercely with the Japanese army during the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan. He was shot eight times and died heroically. Cunxingqi was from Tengchong County, Yunnan Province. In 1909, he was admitted to Yunnan Jianwu Hall. Joined the League in 1910. At the end of 1915, he participated in the War of Defense and fought against the Beiyang Army. Participated in the War of Protection of Law in 1917. In 1926, he participated in the Northern Expedition. In 1927, he was promoted to deputy brigade commander of the 34th Brigade of the Army. Later, he served as chief of staff of the Third Army of the Army and chief of staff of the General Command for the Suppression of Bandits in Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian, and participated in the war to "encircle and suppress" the Red Army. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he served as commander of the 34th Brigade of the 12th Division. Soon, he was promoted to commander of the 12th Division of the Third Army and was ordered to guard Zhongtiao Mountain in southern Shanxi for four years. Liang Xixian, Major General Deputy Commander of the 22nd Division of the Army, and a fellow officer in Shaanxi. On May 7, 1941, Liang Xixian led his troops to resist on the front line from Sijiao to Wangyuan in Xia County, risking his life and death more than ten times. On the 9th, he retreated to Taizhai Village and continued to fight against the Japanese army. In the end, Liang Xixian saw that the entire division had been killed and injured, so he threw himself into the Yellow River to die. Chen Wenqi, Chief of Staff of Major General of the 24th Division of the Army, is from Putian, Fujian. On the 7th, the Japanese army released poison gas on the garrison positions. On the afternoon of the 9th, the rest of the division moved to the vicinity of Taizhai Village and continued to engage in fierce battles with the Japanese army. At the most critical moment, Chen Wenqi raised his arms and shouted: "I am invincible, but there is no enemy but I." He led the rest of his troops to fight against the Japanese army, but unfortunately died heroically.