The location is very important and had to be played
The Central Plains, a place where soldiers from ancient times must fight. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chiang Kai-shek always attached great importance to the management of the Central Plains, especially the Dabie Mountains, and successively withdrew the main forces on the anti-Japanese battlefield into the Dabie Mountains, and by the time of Japan's surrender, the Kuomintang had actually controlled about 30 counties and districts in the entire Dabie Mountains.
After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized a large army to force the Dabie Mountains, and by the time the "Double Tenth Agreement" was promulgated, most of the Liberated Areas of the Central Plains were occupied by the Kuomintang. From the perspective of the Kuomintang, in order to seize the fruits of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the troops and government workers were mobilized to go north, and Wuhan was the only place to pass. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek decided to pull out the "nail" of the Central Plains Liberated Areas and clear the way for his northward and eastward advances.
From the perspective of the Communist Party, using the troops of the Central Plains Military Region to contain the Kuomintang troops can win precious time for the Communist army to seize the northeast, north China, and east China. Therefore, the strategic position of the Central Plains Military Region is very important. The CPC Central Committee demanded that the troops in the Liberated Areas of the Central Plains persist to the end even if they fight to the last person. One insists on fighting, the other resolutely refuses to leave, and war is about to break out.
The situation in the Central Plains Bureau was extremely grim and had to go
Xuanhuadian, a small town with an area of less than 300 square kilometers, is located at the junction of Eyu and Yu provinces, belonging to Dawu County, Hubei Province, bordering Xinyang Xinxian County to the east and Luoshan County of Xinyang City to the north. At that time, the troops in the Central Plains Liberated Area were about 60,000 people, and they were gradually reduced to a narrow area centered on Xuanhuadian, and the supply was very difficult.
The surrounding area centered on Xuanhuadian is mostly deep mountainous area, with a narrow land area and low grain harvest. By virtue of the armistice agreement, the Kuomintang sealed the Liberated Areas tightly, and personnel and materials, especially rice, flour and other necessities of life, were not allowed to enter. This made the already supply-stricken Liberated Areas even worse.
According to the Xinhua Daily at the time, "they ate bark and grass roots, ate porridge twice a day, the sick did not receive minimal nourishment and medicine, and the loyal secretary hanged himself because he could not raise supplies."
In June 1946, the Kuomintang openly violated the Hankou Agreement, mobilized 10 integrated divisions, and completed a secret encirclement of the Liberated Areas of the Central Plains of China on the 22nd. Chiang Kai-shek believed that the time was ripe for war, and planned to start the offensive on June 26 and launch a general attack on July 1, "within forty-eight hours, surround and annihilate in one fell swoop."
The Liberated Areas of the Central Plains have already sat on the crater, and the situation is extremely critical. In the face of the grim situation, the CPC Central Committee accurately grasped the movements of the Kuomintang troops, immediately analyzed and judged the situation, and ordered the Central Plains troops to take the initiative to break through.
On June 23, Chairman Mao instructed the Central Plains Bureau: "Agree to break through immediately, the sooner the better, do not have any worries; survival first, victory first... In the future, everything is up to you to decide, do not ask for instructions, do not delay the timing, and keep confidential... I hope to unite and struggle, and I wish you victory. ”
The "empty city plan" under the night, concealing the sky and crossing the sea
The Central Plains Bureau, which received the order from the CPC Central Committee, was brightly lit; Li Xiannian, commander of the Central Plains Military Region; Zheng Weisan, political commissar; Wang Zhen, deputy commander and chief of staff; after repeated study, they unanimously held that the current situation is extremely urgent, and only by adopting unique strategies and tactics to confuse the enemy can we achieve a successful breakthrough.
After the meeting, Li Xiannian summoned Zhang Tixue, political commissar of the Second Independent Brigade in Eastern Hubei, and the two talked in secret for a long time in the room. Li Xiannian held Zhang Tixue's hand tightly and said with a serious look, Then you will be wronged. It is a trick and a trust, and the night of the whole Xuanhua store becomes mysterious.
In the early morning of June 26, Zhang Tixue led a group of soldiers to unknowingly take over the guard mission of the Central Plains Military Region. At the same time, the Central Plains Bureau, the organs of the Central Plains Military Region, and the main forces began to assemble secretly in the defense zone and made preparations for a breakthrough.
At that time, the kuomintang and the representatives of the Us side who supervised the armistice had not yet left Xuanhuadian, but they had already received orders from the kuomintang to attack, and they wanted to continue to paralyze the military and civilians of the Central Plains Military Region again. Therefore, they were very vigilant and paid close attention to the movements of the Central Plains Military Region. In order to confuse them, Zhang Tixue organized the Military Region's Cultural and Labor Troupe to hold a "condolence evening" and performed on the day of the 26th. The summer night breeze of Xuanhua Shop is cool, the gas lights in the auditorium are hanging high, the music is sounded, and the sweet songs flutter freely in the night. Representative Mei Jiang sat in the front row C seat, leisurely watching the show. As everyone knows, the main forces of the Central Plains Military Region, which has already made all preparations, have been divided into two directions, east and west, and have quietly withdrawn from Xuanhuadian and are breaking through in the direction of the Pinghan Railway.
On the morning of June 27, the sensitive representative of Mei Jiang got up early and walked on Xuanhuadian Street, actually observing the movement. All the normal staff of the Central Plains Military Region Headquarters went back and forth, and they should go out to exercise, raise the flag and raise the flag, sweep the floor, and draw water, and they could not see any difference. However, Li Xiannian's absence from the condolence party still aroused the vigilance of the representatives of the United States and Chiang Kai-shek, who proposed to see Li Xiannian. But Li Xiannian had already thought of this step, and before the transfer, he specially made a postcard to give to the US representative White, and the payment was "Li Xiannian, commander of the Central Plains Military Region of the CPC and lieutenant general of the army infantry, personally presented it to xuanhua shop before noon on June 28." Zhang Tixue said that Li Xiannian was unwell and inconvenient to meet, but White, who saw the postcard, slowly dispelled his doubts. In order to further confuse the us deputies, on June 28, Zhang Tixue added the garrison personnel of Xuanhua Store. The entry of a large number of troops made White feel that the headquarters of the Central Plains Military Region was not unusual, and he was relieved a lot.
Li Xiannian (left) Wang Zhen during the Central Plains Breakthrough
Li Xiannian predicted that the Kuomintang troops would block the breakthrough troops east of Xuanhuadian, so they would make a plan to arrange for a brigade to contain the Kuomintang troops east of Xuanhuadian and organize a small force to move eastward, creating the illusion that the main force was moving eastward. In fact, Li Xiannian and Zheng Weisan led the Central Plains Bureau organs and the 13th, 359th, 15th Brigades, and cadre brigades of the 2nd Column from Xuanhuadian and moved westward, crossing the Pinghan Road on 29 July before the Kuomintang launched a general offensive, and won the first victory in the breakthrough campaign.
On the night of June 29, Zhang Tixue hosted a banquet for the representatives of mei and Jiang, but Li Xiannian's absence greatly disturbed the representatives of the united states and Chiang kai-shek. They asked Zhang Tixue why Commander Li Xiannian did not come to the banquet, and Zhang Tixue smiled mysteriously, saying that I would announce an exciting news in a moment. At the end of the banquet, Zhang Tixue suddenly announced that because the Kuomintang tore up the "Armistice Agreement" and launched a large-scale attack on us, our army was forced to move, and at present the main forces of our Central Plains Military Region have given up this land of right and wrong and crossed the Pinghan Line.
The representative of Mei Jiang was stunned and left the Xuanhua store powerlessly. Zhang Tixue immediately led the Edong Independent Brigade to quickly leave Xuanhuadian and disappeared into the vast mountains.
This empty city plan was a big drama carefully planned by Li Xiannian and specifically organized and implemented by Zhang Tixue, which won valuable time for covering the breakthrough of the main force of the Central Plains Bureau. The breakthrough of the Central Plains sounded the clarion call for the liberation of all of China, and this thrilling four days and four nights at that time became an eternal classic in the history of the liberation war.