Marshal Xu Xiangqian often put a sentence on his lips:
Tasks are more important than life!
", so on the battlefield, you can often see the figure of him with wounds on the battlefield.
In June and July 1948, in the Battle of Jinzhong, the main force under Xu Qianqian's command first captured Zhanglan Town, strangled the Jinzhong Fortress, and then pounded the North Camp, all the way to the breaking of the bamboo, and finally annihilated more than 17,000 enemy. On July 21, after cleaning up the Jinzhong battlefield, Xu Xiangqian took the First Corps of the North China Field Army to Taiyuan and surrounded taiyuan with heavy troops.
Figure | Xu forward
They first stood still, and then called the North China Military Region to inform them of the preliminary operational deployment. After the Central Military Commission approved the approval, it also instructed the whole army to take a temporary rest and recuperate, and there was still a matter of replenishing the number of soldiers. After receiving the order, Xu Xiangqian ordered to camp outside the city for a short rest, but at this time, Xu Xiangqian fell ill.
In fact, Xu Xiangqian's condition had early signs. Previously, when the Battle of Jinzhong came to an end, Comrade Xu Xiangqian could only sit on a stretcher and command the campaign. On the eve of the Battle of Taiyuan, the heroic commander was still hospitalized, and the battle horn sounded in advance prompted him to be discharged from the hospital in a hurry and take his illness into battle.
From February to July 1948, Xu Xiangqian had been serving as a commander in the frontline battlefield in Shanxi, and he had an old disease on his body, and he worked day and night, and did not have enough rest, resulting in the recurrence of his old wounds. Xu Xiangqian's health became more and more serious, and this matter was also known to Mao Zedong and other central leaders. On August 11, when Xu Qianqian was still on the Taiyuan front, the central authorities sent a telegram specifically instructing Xu Xiangqian:
Forward comrades, take advantage of the period of rectification to rest in the rear.
”
His superiors urged him to be treated as soon as possible, but Xu Xiangqian was concerned about the battlefield and did not want to leave the army, but his poor state may affect the morale of the soldiers. This truth, Xu Xiangqian, who has experienced hundreds of battles, also understands that in order not to drag the troops back, he decided to go to treatment, after all, the body is the capital of the revolution.
Xu Xiangqian was a well-known "model worker" in the party, and he paid attention to personal efforts in everything, and before he set off for Shijiazhuang to treat his illness, he deliberately left sufficient time to attend the inaugural meeting of the 15th Column of the First Corps of North China. At the meeting, he also made a speech, mentioning the upcoming Battle of Taiyuan, and Xu Xiangqian said to everyone passionately:
"The Battle of Taiyuan was not so difficult, and it was not so easy, taking Yan Xishan's existing troops into the wilderness, it would not take three hours, it would be completely destroyed!" But Yan Xishan is not a fool, during the Battle of Jinzhong, he still had a lot of money, so he dared to come out to meet the battle, and now the capital is less, and after suffering losses, he is also smart. Therefore, he wants to stick to Taiyuan, and the fortifications are built a lot, which is not easy to fight, can he not fight? You can't fight Taiyuan! When the beard is white, it must be beaten down. Saying that the beard is white means that we are determined, and we are not really going to hit the beard white! ”
Xu Xiangqian's words made everyone greatly excited, and Taiyuan was determined to win the first battle!
Xu Xiangqian arrived in Shijiazhuang in late August, and his condition could not be delayed, and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. After the doctor's diagnosis, the advice given was to let go of the work at hand and rest for at least three months.
The great war is imminent, the situation is urgent, Xu Qianqian, as a commander, must not temporarily pick a pick. He is also a personality who can't relax, and after being conditioned in the hospital for about half a month, he changed out of his hospital gown and prepared to go to Xibaipo in Pingshan County to attend the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
The national liberation war entered the stage of strategic decisive battle, and the People's Liberation Army successively launched an all-out offensive on the battlefields of East China, central Plains, and North China. At the same time, on the front-line battlefield in Taiyuan, the Huaye Army was also intensively preparing for the Battle of Taiyuan.
The Committee of Former Enemies of the Taiyuan Campaign, expected to launch an offensive on October 18, decided to gradually weaken the enemy with the tactics of "siege, disintegration, and attack, and then take Taiyuan in one fell swoop, and strive to end the battle in three months." ”
Mao Zedong
After reading it, he sent someone to hand over this battle plan, and Xu Xiangqian, who was still recuperating in the hospital, was in his hands. After Xu Xiangqian received the news, he immediately called Comrade Mao Zedong, and he directly applied to Mao Zedong: "Because the time is approaching, I have no time to rest, and I plan to rush to the front battlefield immediately on the night of the seventh day, and wait until I take Taiyuan to rest... I will resolutely complete the task, please rest assured! ”
Pictured| Mao Zedong
Unexpectedly, the Battle of Taiyuan was fought half a month ahead of schedule!
On October 2, 1948, Yan Xishan dispatched 7 divisions of troops to surround Taiyuan, trapped for several months, they could not hold back any longer, they tried to preemptively attack, took the opportunity to sneak into the PLA grain delivery team, wanted to destroy the rear supply line of the Huaye Army, the enemy attacked south in three ways.
Under the provocation of the Kuomintang army, the superior command HuaYe Army officially met the enemy, and the battle began ahead of Schedule on October 5. At that time, Xu Xiangqian, as a commander, was still in Shijiazhuang Hospital. The war was sudden, and he was extremely anxious in his heart, and he was discharged from the hospital in a hurry, hating that he could not immediately reach the taiyuan front.
A few days and nights, a group of people and horses were forced to temporarily rest in a small town in Taiyuan City, it was still early in the morning, the sky was not yet dawn, and the autumn wind was wrapped in cold air, making people feel cold. After several consecutive days of boat and car fatigue, Xu Xiangqian's body, which had not yet healed, could not withstand the bumps of the journey, and his condition suddenly worsened, and he began to cough non-stop, the headache was unbearable, and the whole person was very weak.
The guard had been around to take care of him, looking at everything in his eyes, and was very worried in his heart, and after consulting with other comrades, decided to stay in place for a few days. However, Xu Xiangqian was very concerned about the situation on the front line, and after only one or two days, he resolutely ordered his subordinates to leave, and the comrades saw that his appearance was slightly better, so they had to compromise.
Finally, on the 10th, Xu Xiangqian rushed to the general headquarters of the Taiyuan Campaign, eliminating a series of cumbersome matters and directly entering the state of battle. In order to fully understand the real situation between the enemy and us, Xu Xiangqian took advantage of the time for the army to renovate and convened an emergency meeting among his subordinates, the deputy secretary of the Taiyuan Former Enemy Committee
Zhou Shidi
And others made a brief report to Xu Xiangqian.
Figure | Zhou Shidi
After listening, in order to open a breakthrough on the outskirts of Taiyuan, Xu Xiangqian, who had rich combat experience, immediately decided to adjust the previous combat plan. Originally, everyone planned to attack from the southeast of the city, thinking that this deployment could end the battle faster.
Xu Xiangqian immediately said his thoughts:
The terrain in the southeast direction of the city is open, although it is conducive to the mobile operation of the troops, but the enemy's fortifications here are strong, and there are heavy troops guarding here, which cannot be easily obtained, and even after it is successful, it is difficult to form an absolute threat to the Taiyuan defenders. Judging from the terrain conditions and the enemy's defense priorities, to take Taiyuan, we must start from the mountain defense line east of the city.
At that time, our army was attacking the enemy in two directions, south of Taiyuan City and north of the city, and our army attacked rapidly and fiercely, and the enemy stubbornly resisted, and sent the main force. After Xu Xiangqian finished his remarks, the other comrades were all caught in thinking, the enemy's main force was not there, and they were anxious to fight in the north and south of the city, taking care of one or the other, our army could take advantage of its lack of preparation, launch a surprise attack, and kill the enemy army by surprise. As a result, the decision to take the lead in the Battle of Dongshan was unanimously adopted.
Fighters are rare and fleeting. Early in the morning of the 16th, Xu Xiangqian commanded the main force of the Taiyuan front and launched the battle to capture Dongshan, in which the battle for Dongshan was very fierce, and Xu Xiangqian still insisted on commanding at the front.
After many days of high-intensity work, his illness has worsened to the point that he cannot stand for a long time, and it will take several hours to fight, let alone a few hours, and in the later stages of the battle, Xu Xiangqian can only lie on a stretcher, go to the position to check the battle situation, and strongly command the entire battle.
When it came to the midfield renovation, he leaned on the stretcher to discuss with the commander, adjusted the strategy against the enemy in time, and told his comrades-in-arms that fighting is to fight bravely and skillfully, and to organize firepower and explosions.
The Battle of Taiyuan can be said to be a very special battle in Xu Xiangqian's command career, because most of the time he spent on stretchers. His original intention was to complete the command of the key battle in Taiyuan even if he strongly supported the sick body, but the actual situation did not allow it.
Soon after the battle for cattle and camels began, a panicked thing happened in the front-line command camp. At that time, Xu Xiangqian had been suffering from a high fever for several days, his whole face was very pale, and his comrades were frightened and hurriedly called a military doctor. But in the military camp, after all, the medical conditions are limited, after the doctor's preliminary diagnosis, it is speculated that Comrade Xu Xiangqian may be caused by pleurisy chest hydrops, and it is necessary to go to the hospital to confirm the diagnosis for better treatment.
Everyone present knew that the doctor's words were by no means alarmist. However, Xu Xiangqian listened, still very calm, he deliberately let people put the telephone landline at his bedside, so that any news progress on the front line can be reported at the first time, and he intends to continue to command through this phone.
Physical problems are not trivial, everyone together painstakingly persuaded him, but Xu Xiangqian lightly blocked back, he is a very stubborn person in his post. Mao Zedong and other leaders were very concerned about Xu Xiangqian's condition, and when he called the Taiyuan Front Committee, he specifically informed him that he hoped that Comrade Xu Xiangqian would be able to seek medical treatment as soon as possible, and that he could temporarily put down his work and recuperate for a while. Moreover, Mao Zedong also advised that if there is a need, come to the Central Hospital for treatment.
Treatment and recuperation are the most important things, everything is easy to do when the illness is better, and there are comrades such as Zhou Shidi in the front command. Zhou Enlai understood Xu Xiangqian's dedication and was worried that he would disobey everyone's words, so he immediately sent several old doctors to the Taiyuan front to see Xu Xiangqian.
Xu Xiangqian received their greetings from Mao Zedong and was greatly touched in his heart, but he still insisted, replying to the letter:
The task was heavier than life, and Taiyuan City could not leave the front line without being taken for a day.
Later, unable to resist everyone's persuasion, Xu Xiangqian could only compromise one step, but he resolutely did not leave Taiyuan and temporarily moved to a quiet village in Yubi Village, where he specially instructed his subordinates to regularly convey the situation on the front line to him the day before he left.
In the Battle of Taiyuan, the enemy and us were deadlocked for several months. In January 1949, after the Battle of Tianjin, Peiping was peacefully liberated, and the Liberation War ushered in a good situation. With the experience of the liberation of Peiping, the party also saw the hope of the peaceful liberation of Taiyuan.
The Central Military Commission sent a telegram to Luo Ronghuan, Nie Rongzhen, and Xu Xiangqian: "Deploy two artillery regiments in the northeast of Taiyuan and march directly toward Taiyuan, with Xu Xiangqian, Zhou Shidi, Chen Manyuan, and others commanding, controlling all airfields in Taiyuan, forcing the enemy to negotiate and strive for the peaceful liberation of Taiyuan." ”
However, contrary to his wishes, the enemy was self-conscious, not ready to accept the sincerity of the Platon, and still chose to make a final struggle. The Party Central Committee decided to launch an offensive and take Taiyuan in one fell swoop, and the Taiyuan Former Enemy Committee made operational arrangements and waited for the opportunity.
Coincidentally, on March 28,
Peng Dehuai
Having just returned from Xibaipo to the Northwest Battlefield, passing through Taiyuan, he intends to visit Comrade Xu Xiangqian, who is seriously ill. Peng Dehuai traveled in a low-key manner, and before coming, he did not inform the comrades in Taiyuan in advance, and when he and three or two retinues arrived at the entrance of Yubi Village, they were found by the comrades and invited into the house where Xu Qianqian lived.
Picture | Peng Dehuai
The two met, and Mr. Peng carefully inquired about Xu Xiangqian's condition, and the two of them made a detailed discussion about the situation of the Taiyuan Campaign. Previously, because they had several experiences of fighting side by side, they were well coordinated.
Mr. Peng and Xu Xiangqian talked very speculatively, and an afternoon passed quickly, and when Mr. Peng bid farewell to Xu Xiangqian, Xu Xiangqian had an idea in his mind: His physical condition was not good, and the Taiyuan Campaign was in a critical period, so it was better to let Mr. Peng sit on the taiyuan front!
The Northwest Campaign was suspended, and Peng Dehuai had no urgent tasks on his body, so Xu Xiangqian opened his mouth to retain Peng Dehuai, hoping that he could command the siege instead of himself. Peng Dehuai was a little surprised after listening to it, and he thought about it or pushed back: "
When I first arrived, I was not familiar with the situation between the enemy and the enemy.
Xu Xiangqian knew that Elder Peng was always modest, he had always been very concerned about the cause of liberation, and he must have been aware of the general situation of the Taiyuan Campaign.
Xu Xiangqian directly asked his subordinates to call the central government for instructions, and let General Peng command the Taiyuan Campaign. Mr. Peng no longer refused, and indignantly agreed to Xu Xiangqian's proposal and went directly to the Taiyuan front.
Just a day later, Yan Xishan, the taiyuan general, took advantage of the opportunity to go to Nanjing to discuss "major party-state affairs" and fled from Taiyuan City to Nanjing overnight. The Taiyuan defenders instantly became a leaderless idle army, and the army's morale was weakened, and the news quickly reached the ears of the Taiyuan Former Enemy Committee through the People's Liberation Army scouts.
Peng Dehuai and others knew that the time had come for the People's Liberation Army to attack Taiyuan in general!
On April 20, our army officially launched the siege of Taiyuan City.
At 2:00 a.m., under the command of Peng Dehuai, with the 18th Corps as the vanguard, charged into the front, and in just a few hours, it tore open a breakthrough in the enemy's encirclement. After that, the People's Liberation Army launched an all-out attack from the south and north sides, from the outskirts of the city. After four days of fierce fighting day and night, the city was breached and Taiyuan City was completely liberated.
In this battle, the People's Liberation Army annihilated more than 130,000 enemy troops, directly promoting the liberation of other cities in Shanxi. What is less known is that in the general offensive stage of the Taiyuan Campaign, the generals thought that Comrade Xu Xiangqian was still commanding the front line, but they did not know that most of the instructions were issued by General Peng in the name of Xu Xiangqian, mainly to stabilize the hearts and minds of the army.
The great war is imminent, the commander is changed, more or less will affect the battle plan, this is Peng Dehuai's idea. Xu Xiangqian knew Mr. Peng's personality and knew that he was a straight man who was not good at doing anything.
After the great victory in the Battle of Taiyuan, the news of the victory reached Xu Qianqian's ears for the first time, he was lying sick in bed, even if it was difficult to hide his illness, he could see the look of joy on his face, as if his body had healed a large half, and the whole person was full of spiritual qi. Other leaders congratulated Comrade Xu Qianqian one after another, and Xu Qianqian calmly replied: "In fact, Mr. Peng is picking up the burden." ”
After the battle, Mr. Peng retired and returned to the northwest battlefield in a low-key manner according to the original plan, and before leaving, he did not have time to see Xu Xiangqian again. After Taiyuan was declared liberated, Xu Xiangqian's body was not as weak as before after a period of conditioning, so he immediately applied to the central government to return to work, and Mao Zedong and others gladly agreed.
The Taiyuan Municipal Military Control Commission, led by Xu Xiangqian, was quickly formed, and they were mainly responsible for the handover of the city after the liberation of Taiyuan. How to let the citizens of Taiyuan return to normal life as soon as possible, or even a better life than the original, is the first question xu xiangqian thinks about.
At a meeting, he solemnly told other comrades, especially the Taiyuan Garrison:
When we attack taiyuan and liberate Taiyuan, we want the people to take over Taiyuan, and they are the masters of history.
In the more than a month after the liberation of Taiyuan, the People's Liberation Army entered the city, xu xiangqian has been fighting in the front line of urban construction, often in the lunch break, can see Xu Xiangqian with guards in the streets and the masses chatting, or visiting the people's homes.
For more than a month, under the leadership of Xu Xiangqian, Taiyuan quickly restored normal order, Xu Xiangqian successfully completed the commission of the central authorities, and the People's Liberation Army left an excellent impression in the hearts of taiyuan citizens.
Taiyuan was basically stable, and the corps participating in the Taiyuan Campaign, under the instructions of the central authorities, decided to go to the northwest on a chosen day. Before leaving Taiyuan, xu xiangqian deliberately took the time to send them off, and he stood in front of the soldiers and said excitedly: "We must bravely advance in line with the decision to lay down Taiyuan!" Wherever the enemy flees, we chase them. Wherever the enemy dares to resist, we will resolutely destroy it wherever it is! Plant the banner of the people's victory on the territory of all of China! After saying these blood-boiling words, Xu Xiangqian saluted all the soldiers with a standard and powerful military salute.
Xu Xiangqian had a title of "Marshal of Cloth" in the army, and the comrades who followed him understood the reasons behind it, and Xu Xiangqian was the leader of the army, and his people did not have any official frame. Marching and fighting, eating with their subordinates, never making special. My clothes were torn, I also picked up needle and thread to mend them, and when the weather was cold, I took time to knit sweaters for myself before resting at night.
Xu Xiangqian's family knows that he has a wool vest that he knits by himself, and once he wears it for thirty years, he usually doesn't talk much, and he loves to speak the Shanxi dialect of his hometown when he opens his mouth, and he has said such a sentence: "We must treat the warriors as our brothers and love them as our own children." It is forbidden to act arbitrarily and without tactics, causing unnecessary casualties. ”
Xu Xiangqian is famous for loving his subordinates, and simplicity is also Xu Xiangqian's precious quality. Subsequently, Xu Xiangqian lived in Taiyuan for another month or so, and under the arrangement of the organization, he moved to Qingdao, where Xu Xiangqian began a rare period of leisure and recuperation.
Until the founding of New China, Xu Xiangqian "came out of the mountains" again, and the party always remembered this hero of the Chinese revolution. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xu Xiangqian took over his first job as chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Once, Xu Xiangqian, as the leader of the team, was ordered to lead a military delegation to prepare for the Soviet Union. When they set out, it was summer, the weather was hot, and the delegates and accompanying soldiers were on the road in thin military uniforms, and only a civilian dress of ordinary clothing was prepared in their luggage.
After several days of hard work, the military delegation went to the Soviet Union to negotiate with the other side on the purchase of military equipment. Unexpectedly, the entire negotiation progressed slowly, no agreement was reached, the return date was delayed for more than four months, from the middle of summer to the autumn, the temperature in Moscow was several degrees lower than beijing, and the climate in September had a chilling feeling.
Everyone had never experienced the weather in the farther north, and suddenly their bodies felt very uncomfortable, and Xu Xiangqian asked everyone to put on the thickest clothes they had brought, but to no avail.
At that time, a comrade accompanying the team proposed to Xu Xiangqian that it would be better to make a winter for each person first
Thick coat
Xu Xiangqian naturally knew that no matter how strong his physique was, he was also flesh and blood, and he could not withstand the cold weather, but after all, the funds were limited, so it was bound to cost a large amount of national foreign exchange, and Xu Xiangqian fell into a dilemma.
After some deliberation, he came up with a solution. He asked the comrades of the Embassy in the Soviet Union to help him and sent a letter to the families of the members of the delegation, asking them to send their winter coats to the place where the delegation was staying in the Soviet Union. He specifically instructed:
I also have a coat at home, and you helped me get it.
Some of the people accompanying him felt that this was quite troublesome, so they put forward their opinions: "Mr. Xu, let's buy one in Moscow!" ”
After Xu Xiangqian listened, he just shook his head and refused: "Everyone has it at home, and I also have one at home, why buy it here?" The outer fabric is expensive, and the workmanship is also expensive. Nowadays, for every dollar of foreign exchange, we have to spend gold! National construction is exactly when money is needed, and the money that can not be spent is not spent as much as possible, and when it is rich in the future, the money that should not be spent cannot be spent indiscriminately. ”
Xu Xiangqian said these words to everyone, and everyone fell into contemplation, Comrade Xu Xiangqian's words are very reasonable, and his national feelings that always keep the country in his heart are even more admirable.
In June 1990, Xu Xiangqian was admitted to the Platon General Hospital for lung disease. Sick and painful, he is still concerned about the construction of the motherland, often let the secretary tell him about social current affairs, talk about those construction achievements, he always listens with relish, and the pain seems to be alleviated.
Comrade Xu Qianqian has made outstanding achievements all his life, and in his heart, the country and the people have always been in the first place, and he has always struggled for it, worthy of being a jie."
Marshal of the Cloth
”。