Judging from the development of modern history, the Chinese revolution has achieved a number of peasants, not the Chinese revolution, and those warlords with outstanding military achievements may only be peasants facing the loess and facing the sky for the rest of their lives; at the same time, these peasant-born warriors have also achieved the Chinese revolution through their own merits, and even influenced China's strategic pattern. This is the causal law of history.
Han Xianchu
Among these generals, the rural warrior who came out of the Dabie Mountains, The General Han Xianchu, was one of the most outstanding. In 1946, in the northeast battlefield, he set a precedent of "one division eating the enemy and one division"; in early 1950, when the liberation of Hainan Island was postponed at all levels, he vigorously advocated early fast fighting, thus taking Hainan Island before the outbreak of the Korean War, allowing the Chinese nation to avoid a huge risk; in January 1951, Han Xianchu commanded the 38th Army of the Volunteer Army to break through the 38th Line and occupy Seoul, because the speed of the volunteer army's pursuit was too fast, resulting in the famous "fierce dog." Lieutenant General Walker, known as Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army's 8th Group, was killed in a car overturn while fleeing.
On the left is Lieutenant General Walker
This is our general Han Xianchu, and today's "Khan Qing Said" mainly introduces his indelible historical merits in the Battle of Hainan Island.
On December 14, 1949, after the Fourth Field Army had completely annihilated more than 170,000 Bai Chongxi's group entrenched in Guangxi, Bai Chongxi fled to Hainan. Siye Lin Biao asked Chairman Mao, who was far away in Moscow, to prepare to use the 40th Army of Han Xianchu of the 12th Corps and the 43rd Army of Li Zuopeng of the 15th Corps to cross the Qiongzhou Strait and attack Hainan Island.
At this time, the Kuomintang troops fleeing the mainland were mainly entrenched in four coastal areas: Taiwan Island, Hainan Island, Kinmen Island, and Zhoushan Islands. Its military distribution is 200,000 people on Taiwan Island, 100,000 people on Hainan Island, 60,000 people on Kinmen Island and 120,000 people in Zhoushan Islands.
Before the Battle of Hainan Island, the battle situation was indeed not very optimistic, and Sanye's attack on Kinmen Island was unsuccessful, and the attack on Dengbu Island was again lost. In the Battle of Kinmen, nine thousand men went to the island and the whole army was destroyed. 2 regiments of dengbu island operation went up, killing and wounding nearly 1,500 people, but due to the decisive handling of the commander, they withdrew in time, and some people were withdrawn.
Under such circumstances of losing two successive sea crossing and landing operations, Siye wanted to cross the Qiongzhou Strait to fight Hainan Island, and Chairman Mao, who was far away in Moscow, felt that it was still necessary to make a prudent decision. After all, Hainan Island is not the same as Kinmen Island and Dengbu Island, kinmen and Dengbu are very close to the mainland, and the attacking forces can sail and land on the island under the cover of coastal artillery fire, but the Qiongzhou Strait is too wide, the narrowest point is close to 20 kilometers, and the landing point is far outside the range of the PLA's artillery fire, and there is no way to provide fire cover.
Chairman Mao instructed Shiye to fully absorb the lessons of Sanye's two failed landings on the island. On January 10, 1950, instructions were issued explicitly requesting that the operation on Hainan Island be postponed and that after full preparations, the Hainan Island problem should be resolved in the spring and summer.
Ye Jianying
On February 1, the Guangzhou Military and Political Committee held an operational meeting, attended by Ye Jianying, secretary of the South China Branch of the CPC, Deng Hua, commander of the 15th Corps, Lai Chuanzhu, political commissar, Hong Xuezhi, first deputy commander and chief of staff, Han Xianchu, deputy commander of the 12th Corps and commander of the 40th Army, and the main leaders of the 40th Army and the 43rd Army.
The meeting understood Chairman Mao's two important instructions on operational preparations for Hainan Island: First, "To attack Hainan Island, we must rely on modified machine ships to prepare from this direction." At the meeting, some people advocated going to Hong Kong to buy landing craft, trying to buy a hundred, and possibly buying two hundred. The initial budget is an average of HK$200,000 per vessel, for a total of HK$40 million. Second, "strive to solve the Hainan Island problem in the spring and summer." So it was decided that the battle would be postponed to June. Didn't Chairman Mao say that there are two seasons, spring and summer, then we will be in June?
Deng Hua
The reason for this decision, based on Chairman Mao's instructions, was because at that time there was a general idea among the troops that the whole country was about to be liberated and that it was possible to breathe a sigh of relief. Coupled with the failures of Kinmen and Dengbu, there was some wavering in the troops at that time, because the People's Liberation Army did not fight the transitional sea landing operation, and there is no successful precedent at present. Therefore, at that time, many grassroots cadres and fighters were complaining: We want to revolutionize to the end this time, the revolution has gone to the bottom of the sea, everyone is a dry duck, and the battle across the sea has not been fought.
However, Han Xianchu had his own different opinions. In his speech at the meeting, he pointed out that it is necessary to base ourselves on the existing conditions and advance the launching time of the campaign as much as possible. His reasons are as follows:
First, wooden boats can hit Hainan Island. New China has just been founded, where to get 40 million Hong Kong dollars, even if you can raise, Hong Kong was also Hong Kong under British rule at that time, will he help you buy landing craft to fight Taiwan? Obviously unlikely. Modifying the engine sailboat also has difficulties, the general car engine horsepower is too small, the ship can not use; the American ten-wheeled truck engine horsepower is enough, but the number is too small. Modifying these is time-consuming and laborious and difficult to solve in a short period of time. The only thing you can rely on now is to use wooden sailboats to hit enemy warships.
Second, after a period of sea training, the troops have basically mastered the skills of naval warfare, especially the success of several small detachments of smuggling, which shows that it is feasible for wooden boats to cross the Qiongzhou Strait. The morale of the troops is high, and the commanders and fighters are in a high mood of seeking war, so they should make a big fuss and carry out a general offensive to liberate Hainan Island in one fell swoop.
Wooden boats hit the hero ship of warships
Third, climatic reasons, wooden boats hit Hainan Island, can only go downwind, downwind and smooth water in Hainan only two periods, April and September monsoon, April once passed, Qiongzhou Strait ushered in the south wind period and typhoon period, and then can only wait until the monsoon in September, but also after 5 months, the night is long and dreamy!
Typhoons, in particular, must be considered. In 1281, Kublai Khan sent 100,000 men to attack Japan, and as a result, the typhoon engulfed this fierce army and wiped out the entire army. This is a famous example of what Japanese historians call the Battle of Hong'an, a typhoon that is also revered by Japan as a "kamikaze." In December 1944, the U.S. Navy's Third Fleet occupied the Philippines for a few years, but due to a strong typhoon, it was nearly destroyed, and its losses were second only to pearl harbor. Not long ago, in September 1949, when the 28th Army of the 10th Corps of the People's Liberation Army attacked Pingtan Island, it suffered a heavy loss from the typhoon, and after the troops landed on the island, a typhoon broke out, and both sides fought all day, and the ships were blown away by the typhoon and could not be reinforced, and the result was a very hard fight, and the casualties of the troops were very large.
Kublai Khan sent an army to attack Japan
Fourth, although Xue Yue had 100,000 people on Hainan Island, they were all reorganized after the mainland was crippled, and their combat effectiveness was limited. At the same time, not long after the enemy landed on the island, the circular defensive position had not yet been established, and the foothold was not stable. The commander of the Qiongya column also suggested that the enemy should fight while the enemy had not yet deployed coastal defense.
The meeting greatly recognized these views of Han Xianchu, and finally determined the campaign policy of "actively smuggling, combining small crossings in batches with the final landing." However, the campaign was still scheduled for June, requiring troops to be ready by the end of May.
Subsequently, the 15th Corps, which focused on Hainan Island, met on February 9 to make it clear that the task would be completed in 1950. Because, the 15th Corps believes that June is not very good, and it is good to fight at the end of the year. If that's the case, it's really that the cucumbers are cold.
After the meeting of the party committee of the 15th Corps was held, Li Zuopeng and Han Xianchu, commanders of the 43rd Army and the 40th Army, returned to the military headquarters with a completely different attitude; Li Zuopeng, in accordance with the requirements of the corps, passed on the request for the postponement of the combat time to the commanders at and above the regimental level; after Han Xianchu returned, he did not convey the order in violation of the order, and he did not want the troops to know that the combat time was postponed, and he was worried that the troops would slack off. This is also why when the campaign was launched later, the 43rd Army, which was originally scheduled to be the main attacker of the first echelon, only had more than one regiment, while Han Xianchu, who was the assist, went out with the whole army, and the assist became the main attack. That's because the troops of the 40th Army are always ready to pull out.
Han Xianchu did not convey the order to postpone the battle, that is, insisted on fighting. On March 20, Han Xianchu called the 15th Corps and the Shiye Command: "The main force is landing operations, and it is estimated that there is no major problem. "Can play!
At this time, the situation was that Chairman Mao would postpone it, Siye Lin Biao would postpone it, Ye Jianying of the Guangzhou Military and Political Committee would postpone it, and Deng Hua, commander of the 15th Corps Corps, would postpone it. The fourth-level superiors had to be postponed, and Han Xianchu, a military commander, couldn't push it! The telegram went up and didn't hear back. He didn't care if he didn't hear back, and continued to send reports.
On March 31, Han Xianchu called the party committee of the 15th Corps: "The conditions for large-scale sea crossing operations are ripe. "Continue unheeded. Han Xianchu also wanted to send a telegram, and Yuan Shengping, the political commissar of the 40th Army, did not sign a telegram with Han Xianchu, saying: "Old Han! We have sent telegrams several times, and the Central Military Commission knows it, and not taking a stance is an attitude! Don't send any more reports! To interfere with the determination of the superiors, we must be consistent with the central authorities! ”
Founding Lieutenant General Yuan Shengping
The political commissar did not sign the telegram, and Han Xianchu sent the telegram alone. At the beginning of April, Han Xianchu called the 15th Corps, Siye, and the Central Military Commission, demanding that the Hainan Island Campaign be launched immediately, and if the 43rd Army was not ready, it was willing to lead the main force of the 40th Army to cross the sea to fight, and we would fight down with one army. Han Xianchu was aggressive!
On April 10, Han Xianchu finally persuaded Lin Biao, who persuaded Chairman Mao, who informed Ye Jianying that the Central Military Commission had issued an order to attack Hainan Island on a large scale.
On April 16, the Battle of Hainan Island began. On May 1, the entire territory of Hainan Island was liberated. No one expected that Hainan Island would be liberated so quickly!
Sculpture reflecting the Battle of Hainan Island
On June 25, the Korean War broke out. On June 27, the U.S. Seventh Fleet cut off the Taiwan Strait. If the People's Liberation Army cannot defeat Hainan Island before June 27, it is very likely that the US Seventh Fleet will cut off the Qiongzhou Strait while cutting off the Taiwan Strait. Then the problems we are facing today are not only the Taiwan issue, but also the Hainan Island issue, and the more troublesome South China Sea issue, the strategic pattern will be unimaginable, and the strategic space will be greatly reduced.
After the Battle of Hainan Island, someone asked Han Xianchu: "Old Han, Chairman Mao didn't know that the Korean War was going to happen. Han Xianchu said, "Chairman Mao doesn't know, so where will I know, and I don't know!" I grasp one: wooden boats hit Hainan Island, can only go with the wind and water, do not fight in April, can only wait for September, but also after 5 months, the night is long and dreamy! ”
Oil painting reflecting the Battle of Hainan Island
At the crucial moment, Han Xianchu used the strength of a military commander to make the command department avoid a major strategic mistake when New China was just founded. No one knew the Korean War was about to break out! Han Xianchu could not have known. However, he is worried that the night is long and dreamy, and it is better to dry late than to dry early!
The fifth of the five key points of Sun Tzu's Art of War: "He who can but does not control will win." ”
Clausewitz said that in the face of the unpredictability of war, good commanders have two major elements: First, the eyes that can find a glimmer of light in the darkest moments. Second, the consciousness that dares to follow this shimmering light forward. The first reflects wisdom, and the second embodies will and boldness.
Han Xianchu's culture was not high, and he did not know why Clausevici was a xuren, but Han Xianchu accurately achieved the two elements of an excellent commander, and discovered the ability of a glimmer of light at the darkest moment -- wooden boats could hit Hainan Island and dare to follow this line of glimmer -- and under the circumstance that even Chairman Mao said that it was necessary to postpone, he sent out reports again and again, expounded the reasons again and again, persuaded his superiors, ordered his subordinates, and did not want to fight, as long as he wanted to fight, he had to beat Hainan Island down.
Of course, this battle affirmed the merits of Han Xianchu, not to negate the merits of other generals, but Han Xianchu's performance was more prominent, and he did play a more crucial role in the decision to dominate the early and fast strikes.
When the military rank system was implemented in the second half of 1955, the organization considered Han Xianchu's position and seniority, and reported the opinions of the general rank in the evaluation. Chairman Mao commented when reviewing: "Han Yougong, Zhongjin Shangshang." ”
Han Xianchu was promoted to the rank of general.