The 4th Column of the Northeast Field Army is a brave and good fighting unit, which can fight both mobile warfare and obstruction warfare. Like the Battle of Xinkailing, the Battle of Meihekou, the Battle of Sibao Linjiang, and the Battle of Tashan Blockade, they played the military might of the first column. All this is inextricably linked to the commander of the column.
There were two successive commanders of the 4th Column, the first being Wu Kehua and the second being Hu Qicai.
After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the main forces of the Shandong Military Region rushed to the northeast, and the troops of the Luzhong Military Region and the Jiaodong Military Region formed the 3rd and 4th Columns of the Northeast People's Autonomous Army respectively. Hu Qicai served as the commander of the 3rd Column, and Wu Kehua served as the commander of the 4th Column.
In January 1946, the two units were merged into the 4th Column of the Northeast Democratic United Army, with Wu Kehua as the commander and Hu Qicai as the deputy commander, with more than 20,000 troops.
After the new formation of the unit, it encountered an important battle, and when encircling and suppressing a regiment of the New 6th Army, it suffered heavy casualties of more than 2,000 people, which was the unknown Battle of Shaling. Parallel to the Battle of Shaling was the Battle of XiushuiHezi, in which the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army won the victory of encircling and annihilating more than 1,500 people.
After the Battle of Shaling, the commander left the column due to illness and went to the rear for medical treatment, and his superiors sent Han Xianchu as deputy commander. Originally, Han Xianchu could take over the position of commander, but because of his new arrival, the first deputy commander Hu Qicai was more suitable to serve as the commander, and he was willing to serve as a deputy.
In May 1948, Hu Qicai served as acting commander and commander. Due to multiple injuries, which made him unable to take on work, he left the front line to treat his illness in Dalian. When he returned to the army in September, political commissar Peng Jiaqing went to the rear to recuperate.
In October, Du Yuming launched a heavy encirclement and suppression of the southern Manchuria region, Hu Qicai led 4 columns to lure the enemy deeper, and launched a bloody battle with the enemy's "Thousand Mile Ju Division", at this time the political commissar Peng Jiaqing could not take care of his illness, returned to the army and fought side by side with Hu Qicai, Han Xianchu and other leaders, and finally completely annihilated a whole division of the enemy army.
Hu Qicai led the 4th Column to fight fiercely on the front line, and after the former commander Wu Kehua returned from the rear, he was arranged to serve as deputy chief of staff and chief of staff of the Liaodong Military Region. After all, it was somewhat inappropriate for him to return to the Fourth Column.
In the spring of 1947, Hu Qicai was once again tortured by illness and left the Fourth Column, and the military side was taken charge of by Han Xianchu. During the summer offensive, Hutch returned to the army to fight. Despite being able to fight, the body does not allow it.
In August 1947, the national situation changed, and Liu Deng's army was ordered to go south thousands of miles to leap into the Dabie Mountains, and the Chen Su and Chen Xie cliques were at each other's corners, directly approaching the national unification area. The Kuomintang army also changed from an all-out offensive to a focused offensive, and the situation on the battlefield quietly changed.
After more than a year of fighting, the Northeast Democratic Coalition Army has opened up base areas and has a solid mass base and a large rear area, which can fight the enemy army to the death. As a unit that can fight a hard battle, the 4th Column needs a commander to stick to it all the time, and Hu Qicai's body is obviously unable to do it. To this end, the superior sent Wu Kehua from the 4th column. Deputy Commander Han Xianchu was transferred to the commander of the 3rd Column, and Commander Hu Qicai was demoted to deputy commander.
This is a little uncomfortable for Hu Qicai, who can fight. Recuperating on their own was to not be nervous about the war, and did not delay the battle. Demoting yourself to a deputy post, there is some unhappiness in my heart, and I believe that many people will encounter it. However, he still obeyed the overall situation and fully assisted Wu Kehua. The Tower Hill Blockade Battle, he sat on the front line of command is the best proof.