In the autumn of 1945, just two days after the end of the Shangdang Campaign, the Kuomintang concentrated more than 40,000 people from four armies to launch an attack on the Handan Liberated Area. The Eighth Route Army brigade hurriedly withdrew from Shangdang and rushed to Handan to meet the strong enemy, while the Taiyue column led by Chen Geng marched westward, attacking Zhao Cheng to cut off the Tongpu line, intercepting Hu Zongnan's army advancing northward, and planning the Battle of Handan.
On October 26, 3 regiments of the 10th Brigade went up the Qin River and crossed the main peak of Mount Taiyue to launch the Battle of Zhaocheng.
Zhao Cheng was located in a small basin at the foot of Huoshan Mountain, bordering the Fenhe River in the west, with convenient transportation, and the enemy established five strongholds to form a defensive system on the periphery. As soon as the 29th Regiment descended the mountain, the regimental commander Wu Xiaomin led the 1st battalion along the forest path, and suddenly launched an attack on the enemy during the march, quickly taking Gengbi and Dongmen stations, and capturing Nanguan and controlling the Fenhe Bridge. After nine hours of fierce fighting, the 10th Brigade captured Zhao Cheng, killing and wounding more than 300 enemy personnel, capturing more than 1,600 people including Zhang Duofang, commander of the enemy column, and capturing a large number of military supplies.
Chu Daming had just been promoted from regimental commander to deputy brigade commander and was ordered to be the commander of the city defense.
The Kuomintang government warehouse in Zhaocheng had a large amount of coarse cloth. Chu Daming, who was "monopolizing power," rushed over to the news, furrowed his brows, and circled around the door of the warehouse. Several cadres "fanned the flames" and sang songs after him:
"No food, no clothing, no enemies sent before..."
Their meaning is obvious: seeing that it is about to enter winter, the soldiers are two or three people sharing a bed of quilts, adding new recruits, not even a few people with a bed of quilts, everyone frowns, helpless, and now there is a large number of coarse cloth, isn't it God to help?!
Chu Daming was the first fierce general under Chen Geng, who could fight and loved soldiers. At this moment, he was heartbroken at the thought of the warriors rolling in the wind and rain and in the blood. Several of his cadres sang the song, and he stomped his feet and patted his chest to make a decision:
"Take out one-third of this batch of coarse cloth to make a quilt, and ensure that every two soldiers have a quilt and each cadre has a bed."
This point of affair can be said to be insufficient for the victorious division that shed blood and took his life to take Zhao Cheng, and it is also reasonable. However, in the eighth route army, any violation of battlefield discipline is not allowed. Liang Tianxi, political commissar of the 30th Regiment under Chu Daming, believed that the deputy brigade commander's approach did not conform to the discipline of "returning everything captured to the public" and reported to the brigade headquarters.
Therefore, the 10th Brigade decided to convene a party committee and invited Yang Shaoqiao, the secretary of the prefectural party committee where Zhao Cheng was located, and others to participate.
At the meeting, in response to the troops' use of coarse cloth as quilts, the brigade commander, the political commissar and the director of the political department all made self-criticism and took the responsibility on themselves.
"Wow—" Chu Daming, deputy brigade commander, stood up and grabbed the words: "You come to review, that is cursing me." The orders were given by me, and the responsibility was entirely on me. I went to review it with the commander and immediately informed the Supply Department not to issue it. ”
However, he seemed a little reluctant and said, "But... What has been sent down, how to deal with it? ”
Yang Shaoqiao, on behalf of the local government, attended the meeting as an observer and has been quietly listening, and at this moment he was deeply moved by the practice of the cadres of the 10th Brigade. He also stood up and said:
"Today you gave me a good opportunity to learn from the old Red Army troops, I saw with my own eyes that you fought crisply and neatly, and I also saw with my own eyes that you strictly observed the discipline of the battlefield and dissected yourself strictly. It is because we did not do a good job in our work, and we could not do our best to solve the quilt for the troops, and we felt ashamed in our hearts. As for the quilts, if they are not issued, they can just stop issuing them, and those that have been issued will be left to the cadres and fighters. ”
Chu Daming said excitedly: "Thank you very much for the support of the local government, all the money sent down is left to the soldiers, and the cadres are not allowed to ask for a bed!" ”
After the war, Chen Geng learned of this incident and praised: "Liang Tianxi defended the cadres from a strong sense of principle, and did the right thing. ”
This iron-faced and selfless Liang Tianxi, who was born in the old Red Army and joined the army only one year later than Chu, was awarded the rank of major general in New China.