Liu Laozhuang's Eighty-Two Heroes

On March 18, 1943, 82 warriors from the 4th company of the 19th regiment of the 7th brigade of the 3rd division of the New Fourth Army fought in Liulaozhuang, Huaiyin, Jiangsu Province. In order to cover the safe transfer of the main force and party and government agencies, as a weak side with a disparity in strength, they tenaciously resisted more than 10 attacks by more than 1,000 Japanese troops. Although all 82 warriors died heroically, the Japanese army suffered a huge result of more than 170 casualties and more than 200 injuries. There are no mountains, hills, forests or swamps here, and there are no tall buildings to block the enemy. The asymmetric combat with troops and weapons and equipment against the enemy achieved extraordinary results under impossible circumstances and fought an unrestricted war. The Fourth Company blocked and pinned down the Japanese troops for more than 10 hours, successfully covering the safe transfer of the people in Liulaozhuang and buying time for the strategic maneuvering of the New Fourth Army leadership, the main force and the local anti-Japanese democratic regime.