Liu Guitang

Liu Guitang, Liu Kuei-tang, 刘桂堂,(1892-1943). Chinese bandit and soldier, involved in the Japanese attempt to control Chahar province in 1933. Noted for switchiing sides several times and returning to banditry. Later a during the Second Sino-Japanese War he commanded some puppet Nanjing Government puppet troops.

Liu Guitang became a bandit at the age of ten in the mountains of southern Shandong. Eventually he rose to command a large band of bandits, and eventually surrendered themselves to a Chinese army unit that absorbed them into its ranks, (a common recruitment practice of the time). Liu and his men were given new arms and equipment and then some time later deserted. They later were taken back by the army and deserted once again. Taken back again in 1931, and sent by General Han Fuqu to help garrison northern Shandong. After another desertion they were sent by the Young Marshal Zhang Xueliang to garrison Jehol against the Japanese and Manchukuoan forces in early 1933. There General Liu and his men immediately went over to the Japanese and Liu was made a Manchukuoan commander.

Liu Guitang, now under Japanese orders, was sent to the southeastern part of Chahar province in the Dolonor region with the object of causing trouble for the Chinese there. Liu then lead his estimated 3,000 troops further east to Changpei. Reported at the time as as a Japanese operation it may have been done by Liu without Japan's approval. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,769784,00.html Leng Pass, From the Apr. 24, 1933 issue of TIME Magazine]

In late June a force of two corps of the Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army under Ji Hongchang pushed northeast against Dolonnur. His southern corps under Fang Zhenwu advancing on Guyuan, held by Liu Guitang and his puppet army, persuaded Liu to negotiate with Feng to change sides in return for surrendering Guyuan and other places on the Bashang Plateau. Liu still commanded his force now called the 6th Route.

When Chiang Kaishek began to oppose and subvert the Anti-Japanese Army, directing Song Zheyuan to incorporate, disperse or suppress the Anti-Japanese forces still under Fang Zhenwu. The Anti-Japanese Army was considerably reduced by Song's activities. Fang Zhenwu as the new commander-in-chief ordered the army east to Dushikou. On September 10, Liu met with Fang Zhenwu, Tang Yulin, Ji Hongchang at Yunzhou (north of Chicheng). Together they decided to reorganize the Anti-Japanese Army, Fang Zhenwu was to be commander-in-chief, Tang Yulin deputy commander-in-chief, Guitang Right Route commander, Ji Hongchang Left Route commander, and the decision was taken to leave from Dushikou and advance south to attack Peking.

After the meeting in September Liu Guitang changed sides. He was given the title of Bandit Suppression Commander of Eastern Chahar, and given the command of three regiments stationed at Chicheng, Dushikou and Yunzhou. Liu's force then blocked Tang's troops from following the rest of the anti Japanese army south, leaving Fang Zhenwu and Ji Hongchang to continue alone to their defeat outside Peiking in October. [Guo Rugui http://www.wehoo.net/book/wlwh/a30012/04574.htm]

Over the next few months Liu and his men became discontented with their new employment. Liu's forces clashed with the local militia's when they tried to collect more taxes than were legally authorized. He tried to get his command posted to a more prosperous location where he not have difficulty getting food for his men. When Sung Che-yuan refused his request Liu and his men revolted on December 25, 1933 and sacked two towns. Under pressure from the forces of Tang Yulin, Liu's men loaded their loot on hundreds of commandeered camels and donkeys Liu and moved south into the newly created demilitarized zone in northern Hopei. He moved back and forth across it to avoid the Japanese and Chinese armies, neither of whom would employ him or his men anymore. By January 1st, 1934 his force attacked a town within 15 miles of Peiking. Troops of General Han Fuqu were sent against him and defeated Liu's force. Liu evaded capture and reached the Japaneses concession in Tientsin. There he was said to have once more offered his services to the Japanese. [Jowett pg.40]

It seems he returned to Shandong sometime later in the 1930s and during the Second Sino-Japanese War commanded a puppet garrison for the defense of Juxian in support of the Japanese attack on Linyi during the Battle of Xuzhou. He managed to become a Commander of over 1000 puppet troops for the Nanjing Government in Shandong province. It is claimed he was killed in combat with Communist guerrilla troops in November 1943. [zh icon [http://english.pladaily.com.cn/site2/news-channels/2005-05/27/content_214875.htm Pladaily English News ] ]

Notes

Sources:

* Jowett, Phillip S. , Rays of The Rising Sun, Armed Forces of Japan’s Asian Allies 1931-45, Volume I: China & Manchuria, 2004. Helion & Co. Ltd., 26 Willow Rd., Solihul, West Midlands, England.

* Military Tribunal for the Far East, Chapter 5: Japanese Aggression Against China]
* 中国抗日战争正面战场作战记 (China's Anti-Japanese War Combat Operations)
** Guo Rugui, editor-in-chief Huang Yuzhang
** Jiangsu People's Publishing House
** Date published : 2005-7-1
** ISBN 7214030349
** Online in Chinese: http://www.wehoo.net/book/wlwh/a30012/A0170.htm
*** 第二部分：从“九一八”事变到西安事变察哈尔民众抗日同盟军 1
*** Part II : from the "September 18 Incident" to the Xi'an Incident: Anti-Japan military alliance
*** [http://www.wehoo.net/book/wlwh/a30012/04574.htm µÚ¶þ²¿·Ö£º´Ó¡°¾ÅÒ»°Ë¡±Ê±䵽Î÷°²Ê±ä²ì¹þ¶ûÃñÖÚ¿¹ÈÕͬÃ˾ü 1 ] at www.wehoo.net
*cite news
author=
title=CHINA Generalissimos Last Straw
date=1933-12-11
work=Time Magazine
url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,746478,00.html
accessdate=2008-08-10
* [http://english.pladaily.com.cn/site2/news-channels/2005-05/27/content_214875.htm Demolition Master Ma Lixun, from PLA Daily Online]