General Wang Hongkun served under Liu Deng from the period of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression until the founding of New China.
In contrast, he did not have the fame of Generals such as Chen Geng, Chen Xilian, and Wang Jinshan, for a certain reason. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he served as deputy commander of the Ji'nan Military Region for a long time; during the Liberation War, he served as deputy commander of the Jinji-Hebei Luyu Military Region and commander of the Tongbai Military Region, and was responsible for rear work for a long time.
In September 1947, he led the newly formed 10 columns to the south to reinforce Liu Deng's army. During this period, he commanded local troops as well as field armies to fight.
He was once the commander-in-chief of the front line of the Xiangfan Campaign, leading the main force of the Tongbai Military Region, the first unit of the Shaanxi Southern Military Region, the 6th Column, etc., and annihilated 21,000 enemies in one fell swoop.
He once received orders from Liu Deng to lead the second column, the sixth column, the main force of the Tongbai Military Region, and the troops of the Jianghan Military Region to the south to break through the Pinghan Road and contain the enemy.
On October 6, the second longitudinal Chen Zaidao suddenly had a high fever and was unconscious. The superior leader asked him to temporarily leave the unit and treat his illness in the Tongbai Military Region, and the column was commanded by Wang Hongkun.
Speaking of the second vertical, Wang Hongkun is also very familiar with it. This unit was reorganized from the main force of the Ji'nan Military Region, and he served as the deputy commander of the Ji'nan Military Region during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and was more familiar with the situation of the troops.
The troops of the Tongbai Military Region commanded by Wang Hongkun were also reorganized from the troops of the Ji'nan Military Region. On September 1, 1947, the troops of the Ji'nan Military Region formed the 10th Column and arrived in the Tongbai area under the leadership of Wang Hongkun to open up a base area.
Many people in the two units are familiar with each other, and they were once comrades-in-arms who fought side by side, and they were very happy to be able to fight together again.
The southern front troops commanded by Wang Hongkun, the main forces of the Second Column, the Sixth Column, and the Tongbai Military Region, and the troops of the Southern Shaanxi Military Region attracted and contained Huang Wei and Zhang Gan's corps. The troops on the southern front were divided into two routes, with Wang Hongkun leading the second column and the troops of the Tongbai Military Region to the south to Jianghan and pulling the Zhanggan corps south; the sixth column and the Southern Shaanxi Military Region pinned down the Huang Wei corps to the west. In short, these two corps could not be allowed to go north to reinforce Zhengzhou.
At that time, the first column, the third column, the fourth column, and the ninth column were used as northern front troops to encircle and annihilate Zhengzhou.
In the end, several units successfully completed their tasks and created a very good situation favorable to our army.
At this time, the Huaihai Campaign was about to begin, and the Central Military Commission ordered the Second Column to go to the Huaihai Battlefield to intercept the Huang Wei Corps. Wang Hongkun led 2 columns into the Yuwan Su region to replenish winter clothes.
When Wang Hongkun was preparing to enter the battle, Liu Deng gave him an important task, and quickly returned to Tongbai to collect grain and grass in the Tongbai and Jianghan Military Regions. Because hundreds of thousands of people are fighting, the food problem is the most urgent need for the troops, and from a strategic point of view, grain and grass can determine the victory or defeat of the battle.
In this way, Wang Hongkun did not directly participate in the Huaihai Campaign, but made indirect contributions to the victory of the campaign.