In the famous Battle of Menglianggu, Zhang Lingfu's reorganized 70th Division was besieged, and the old Chiang Kai-shek once strictly ordered that "if there is any hesitation, if there is no hesitation, if the patrol is not forward or the assistance is ineffective, and there is a pause in the middle, so that the friendly troops are in danger, so that the 'communist bandits' slip through the net and escape, they will certainly avoid the battle with fear of bandits, and if the bandits harm the country to delay the war situation, they will be strictly punished for their crimes!" Hopefully, don't miss it. ”
Under the strict orders of Lao Jiang, Hu Lian, a Kuomintang unit on the outskirts of Menglianggu, led three reorganized divisions of the 11th, 59th, and 64th, Li Tianxia led two reorganized divisions of the 74th and 83rd and the 7th Army, and Huang Baitao led the 25th and 65th reorganized divisions and the 65th Division (brigade) to launch a frenzied attack, but the East China Field Army's reinforcements were too strong, and no matter how crazy they were, they could not attack it.
In the end, the reorganized 74th Division of the Nationalist Army was annihilated, the division commander Zhang Lingfu, the deputy division commander Cai Renjie, the 58th Brigade commander Lu Xing and other generals were killed, the 74th Division chief of staff Wei Zhenyu, deputy chief of staff Li Yunliang, 51 brigade brigade commander Chen Chuanjun, 57 brigade commander Chen Shuyun were captured, with a total loss of more than 30,000 people.
Zhang Lingfu's reorganized 70th Division was annihilated, and Old Jiang was very angry and distressed, such a big loss, he immediately had to find someone to get angry, so Li Tianxia became the culprit. There were Hu Lian and Huang Baitao who went to reinforcements, why was it Li Tianxia? Because, in the process of reinforcement, Li Tianxia changed the marching route drawn up by the Xuzhou General Crackdown, and was seen by the reconnaissance planes sent by the Xuzhou "General Crackdown" and thought that they were not advancing but retreating.
Tang Enbo then reported to Old Jiang, and in this way, Li Tianxia became the lord who could not be saved in the face of death. Old Jiang ordered: "Tang Enbo was removed from his post and investigated, and Li Tianxia was shot on the spot." However, Lao Jiang also understood that Li Tianxia's crime did not lead to death, and after Tang Enbo truthfully reported the course of the battle, Lao Jiang revoked the order to be executed on the spot, and a month later, on June 2, 1947, Li Tianxia was awarded the Order of the Third Class, and publicized that he was a great hero. Half a year later, Li Tianxia returned and was promoted to deputy commander of the First Appeasement District and commander of Taijingyang.