On November 6, 1948, the Battle of Huaihai began. The Kuomintang Huang Baitao Corps, in the area of Xin'an Town, east of Xuzhou, immediately abandoned its original position and moved closer to Xuzhou. The main force of the East China Field Army pursued closely, and the two sides were only one day away.
The 5 corps of Huang Baitao's corps retreated west in two ways.
On November 10, except for Huang Baitao's 63rd Army, which was chased by HuaYe at YaoWan, the remaining four armies crossed the canal and reached the Nianzhuang area. Huang Baitao hurriedly summoned the commanders and division commanders to discuss the next move.
As a result, Chen Shizhang, commander of the 25th Army, Wang Zejun, commander of the 44th Army, Zhou Zhidao, commander of the 100th Army, and a group of division commanders all spoke in unison, advocating moving toward Xuzhou without stopping and moving overnight, and repeatedly emphasizing "going one mile early and one mile early." Because the various armies were chased, blocked, surrounded, and intercepted by the People's Liberation Army, with heavy casualties, one slow step would fall into a catastrophe.
Unexpectedly, only Liu Zhenxiang, commander of the 64th Army, was different.
He insisted that the troops should not go further west, and demanded that "they fight the communist army to the death in the same place." He patted his chest and said, "What are you afraid of!" The communist army did not grow three heads and six arms, and it was not the same to fight here and back to Xuzhou! ”
Among the several corps of Huang Baitao's corps, the 64th army has the most horses, the best equipment, and the strongest strength, which can be described as a decisive role. As soon as Liu Zhenxiang said this, Huang Baitao also became hesitant.
When everyone saw Liu Zhenxiang speaking so loudly, they all thought that he was "full of soldiers and loyal to the party-state" and was a real hero and a good man.
In fact, this Liu Zhenxiang where is what they imagined! His courage is much smaller than that of the generals.
Why would such a timid general have to fight the People's Liberation Army to the death on the spot?
Originally, according to the plan of the Ministry of National Defense of Nanjing, "guarding the river must defend Huai", after Huang Baitao's corps retreated to the outskirts east of Xuzhou, Liu Zhenxiang's 64th Army was stationed in the Tushan area near Xia Pi. This tushan was the place where Guan Gong surrendered to Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period. At that time, Guan Gong was protecting Liu Bei's two wives and was surrounded by Cao Cao's group on Tushan Mountain. Guan Gong was unable to imagine it, and was finally forced to surrender to Cao Cao. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there is a section entitled "Three Matters of the TuntuShan Pass Convention". As soon as Liu Zhenxiang heard that he was a soldier here, his heart was terrified! I was most afraid of going to guard tushan and became a Guan Gong.
To this end, he said privately to his cronies: "Tushan can't even keep Old Master Guan, can I keep it?" ”
In order not to defend Tushan, he hardened his scalp at Huang Baitao's military conference and vigorously advocated that the troops should not withdraw westward. As for "fighting to the death with the communists", in fact, he is just saying big words and daring.
However, because Liu Zhenxiang was strong, Huang Baitao did not dare to offend and was undecided.
The crowd will quarrel and argue endlessly.
Just at this moment, someone suddenly sent a handwritten handwritten instruction dropped by the planes sent by lao Jiang, in which he reprimanded Huang Baitao: "The great war has not started, and more than 10,000 troops have been lost. Immediate rest should be taken and action should be taken. ”
Liu Zhenxiang listened, as if he had caught a life-saving straw, and was more rational and strong, saying loudly: "What? Does the president mean not to go west again! ”
As soon as he shouted, Huang Baitao immediately ordered the troops to take a short rest in the area of Nianzhuang and consider the next move later.
In this way, the 70,000 horses of Huang Baitao's corps stopped at the mill. As a result, that night, Huaye's main force rushed through the canal one after another, and together with the three columns coming from the Hanzhuang and Taierzhuang canals, they blocked and chased after each other, and tightly surrounded Huang Baitao's corps.
The next day, Huang Baitao wanted to escape to the west again, which was completely impossible.
Afterwards, Huang Baitao regretted it and stomped his feet and said: "Nianzhuang is only 120 miles away from Xuzhou, which is a day's journey." If we don't delay this day, we can completely rush back to Xuzhou. Providence, Providence! ”
After the People's Liberation Army surrounded Huang Baitao's corps, after 10 days of fierce fighting, it finally annihilated all 70,000 people of the Huang Corps in the Nianzhuang area, and Huang Baitao himself died. And what about Liu Zhenxiang, the commander who did not want to defend Tushan and insisted on "fighting to the death" with the People's Liberation Army in the area of Nianzhuang? He was also captured alive by the People's Liberation Army and taken prisoner.