"Taihang Wind and Bone"——Memoirs of Yang Yunxi 63

Coal kiln hilltop positions for the winter

The coal kiln ditch is in a not wide valley east of Dayingpan, and there is a coal kiln behind the valley. Many stone caves were dug on both sides of the seven or eight mile field in the valley mouth, up to three meters high, some higher, about six or seven meters wide, different shades, and some could accommodate a regiment. This is the cave that Yan Xishan was originally used as an arsenal, and after it was blown open with explosives, it was not built, it was very rough, and some stones fell down and injured people. These cave dwellings, feeding livestock, and also being used as auditoriums to show movies.

On the plains on the west side of the cave, there was the forward position, against the enemy field position south of the big camp. Due to the long time of garrison in winter, our trenches are also very exquisitely built. The communication ditch is relatively wide, and on both sides of the ditch are fire firing points and cave concealment departments, and the life combat system is divided according to the unit structure. The traffic trenches were numbered and the streets were named. Battle couplets were posted on the mouths of the caves during the New Year, showing the optimism of the revolutionary forces.

After some time, our position shifted to the top of the hill, which was similar to that of a coal kiln, and was also an enemy field position facing the slow downhill. The enemy has been trapped for a long time, can not eat oil, salt and vegetables, and many people suffer from night blindness. Therefore, when our side touches the enemy's positions at night to conduct reconnaissance, they are often helpless and grasp the "tongue" as the most convenient thing. The enemy soldiers did not have enough to eat, and often came to ask for food. Later, in order to disintegrate the enemy, in some trenches, we simply sent millet and rice with a burden, which has become an open secret. This was the form of Lenin's "battlefield party" during the October Revolution.

Hill attacks and "insert cut-off" tactics

In the later operation to clear the outskirts of Taiyuan, we swept away the enemy's mine array from the mountaintop position, inserted it between the Twin Pagoda Temple and the Black Cramp, seized the horses from behind, cooperated with the Nineteenth Corps, occupied the area south of the Dayingpan and the Twin Pagoda Temple, cut off the connection between the Black Tugh Heights and Taiyuan, and made the Heituo Heights form isolated and helpless, and could not be supplied. Ordering them to lay down their arms, he demanded: When the situation develops, he surrenders. We also had to provide them with food for their livelihood, and when we approached Taiyuan, they came down and handed over their guns.

It was difficult for the black lump to attack head-on, but under the blow of the "insertion and truncation" tactic, it had to surrender its guns.