In April 1948, the Chinese People's Liberation Army recaptured Yan'an, marking the Chinese People's Liberation Army officially entering a strategic counteroffensive against the Kuomintang forces. In September of the same year, the People's Liberation Army launched three famous battles: the Liaoshen Campaign, the Huaihai Campaign, and the Pingjin Campaign. In one fell swoop, more than 1.54 million kuomintang troops were annihilated. At this point, the total strength of the People's Liberation Army rapidly increased to 4 million, the total strength of the Kuomintang quickly dropped to 2.04 million, while the combat troops were only 1.46 million, and the troops were scattered, and many troops were stationed in various regions of Xinjiang and Taiwan.
Face 4 million People's Liberation Army and 3 million militia members massed along the 1,800-kilometer Yangtze River. The Kuomintang dispatched about 700,000 troops from 115 divisions to defend the Yangtze River, so it can be said that there is no way to defend the Yangtze River, and the defeat is a foregone conclusion.
During this period, in order to do a good job in the counter-offensive work of the fortress, the Jiangyin underground party organization did everything possible to transmit the instructions of the party central committee to the underground party of the fortress in a timely manner, during which two underground party members unfortunately died while transmitting information.
In accordance with the instructions of the underground party of the CPC, Wu Shouwen secretly passed on the instructions of his superiors to the comrades lurking in the headquarters, the artillery headquarters, and the wandering artillery regiment, and the lurkers stepped up the process of rebellion against the surrounding personnel and waited with excitement for the day of liberation.
On the night of April 17, 1949, the Einsatzgruppen captured a suspicious person crossing the Yangtze River on the surface of the 21st Army garrison.
Cai Jiansheng analyzed that he was an intelligence officer sent by the CCP in Northern Jiangsu to transmit intelligence to the Garrison Headquarters.
At this time, the CCP's four million troops had been assembled along the Yangtze River in the north of the Jiangsu Province, and Cai Jiansheng was well aware of the major threat posed by the Jiangyin Fortress to the PLA troops crossing the river, so the CCP would definitely order the Communists lurking in the fortress to take action.
The Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee is also well aware that the troops crossing the river will certainly pay huge casualties if they want to attack the Jiangyin fortress, so before the battle of crossing the river begins, they must plot against or destroy the combat effectiveness of the Jiangyin fortress.
The Central Military Commission instructed the Intelligence Department to convey the time of crossing the river and the central authorities' instructions on the fortress to the underground party organization of the fortress. Because the Einsatzgruppen cut off the communication channels between the UNDERground PARTY organization and the fortress, the Jiangyin underground party organization sent liaison officers several times to try to infiltrate the fortress garrison headquarters according to the instructions of the higher-level party organization, but all failed. In desperation, the Intelligence Department of the Central Military Commission dispatched He Changgen, a platoon commander of the reconnaissance platoon, to cross the Yangtze River to the garrison headquarters to convey instructions.
He Changgen is a combat hero of the Special Forces Column of the Third Field Army of the People's Liberation Army, who has made many achievements on the battlefield with his own kung fu. Just as He Changgen was crossing to the embankment of the garrison's defense area, he was suddenly discovered by the Patrol Ship of the Jiangyin Navy, wounded in a gunshot and captured.
Seeing that the Communists had frequently dispatched liaison officers to try to infiltrate the fortress garrison headquarters, Cai Jiansheng concluded that the millions of Chinese communist troops gathered on the other side of the river might take action in the near future, and immediately sent a telegram to the Ministry of National Defense, asking a brigade of troops to cooperate with the special operations team to arrest Wu Shouwen and other underground party members of the garrison corps.
When Cai Jiansheng received such an order, he couldn't help but beat his chest and sigh one after another:
"It's not that I'm incompetent!" The days of the party-state are really exhausted! ”
Wu Shouwen soon learned that a comrade had been arrested in the middle of crossing the Yangtze River. Recently, the family has sent a series of liaison officers to try to infiltrate the fortress, and it is estimated that there must be important instructions.
It was intended to organize a rescue operation, but after careful discussion of the rescue plan, it was found that the Einsatzgruppen was too tightly guarded, not to mention the rescue, and it was impossible for the rescuers to approach the Einsatzgruppen.
What to do? We can't wait any longer, once the Battle of the River Crossing begins and we fail to control the fortress in time, then we, the communists who have lurked down, will not only fail to live up to the great trust of the party and the people, but will also carry a heavy burden for a lifetime.
Wu Shouwen made a bold decision: immediately seize the command of the fortress headquarters by force and lead the fortress troops to revolt.
Wu Shouwen summoned Deputy Chief of Staff Wei Zhongnan, Director of the Logistics Department Huang Xinsheng, and Guard Platoon Leader Yang Hongliang, and Wu Shouwen deliberately left Aquatic to participate together.
"Comrades, today we are holding a meeting of a special party group, and although Aquatic is not yet a party member, my application to join the party has been submitted to a higher-level party organization, so I have decided to let Aquatic participate in this particularly important meeting of the party group without authorization."
Then Wu Shouwen informed everyone of the current victory of the Platon Army in the three major battles and the gathering of millions of PLA troops along the northern coast of the River.
"In recent days, the Einsatzgruppen has arrested three comrades who came to contact us in succession, especially last night, and arrested another comrade who crossed from Jiangbei, and it is estimated that there must be something very important at home to inform us." Wu Shouwen paused as he spoke.
"Is the Battle of the River Crossing about to begin?" Wei Zhongnan said.
"Gentlemen; once the Battle of the River Crossing begins, if we cannot control the fortress, we will be ashamed of the dead comrades and the soldiers who died as a result of the crossing. Therefore, I made a decision: immediately seize the command of the fortress command by force and lead the fortress troops to revolt in order to cooperate with our army's campaign to cross the river. Wu Shouwen said loudly.
"It's not difficult to take down the fortress command, but I don't know when the People's Liberation Army will cross the river, in case...?" Huang Xinsheng asked a little worriedly.
"I have already thought that an early uprising may not be able to catch up with the Battle of the Crossing River and be surrounded by the naval and land forces in Nanjing, but we can rely on the artillery group equipment of the fortress to last for at least ten days and a half months, in case it does not work, then the blowing up of all the facilities of the fortress will also ensure the victory of the Battle of the Crossing River." Wu Shou said confidently.
"Well, now that the captain has thought of it, let's do it!" Huang Xinsheng said excitedly.
"Captain, give your orders!" Wei Zhongnan said loudly.
"Captain, we are waiting for the day of the uprising, and you will give the order!" Yang Hongliang stood up and saluted.
"I would like to take the lead for all the big brothers!" Aquatic rubbed his hands and said excitedly.
"Okay, immediately notify the squad leader and above to go to the conference room for an emergency meeting." Wu Shouwen stood up and said aloud.
Outside the conference room stood two rows of heavily armed guards, and the conference room was brightly lit, and more than two dozen officers sat around the long table in the conference room.
In the center of the table was Wu Shouwen, the chief of the general team, and on the second side of the table were Lu Dashan, deputy chief of the general team, Zhao Qianjiang, deputy chief of the general team, and Gu Tiantong, chief of staff.
"Brothers;" Wu Shouwen stood up and said loudly.
"Today I would like to announce to you an important decision, in order to follow the trend, the Garrison Corps has decided to take over the command of the Fortress Command by force, lead the fortress troops to revolt, and join the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Of course, whoever does not want to participate can stand up now, I am not reluctant, but if you want to betray the brothers, then don't blame me Wu Shouwen for being rude. Wu Shouwen said loudly.
Like a thunderclap, the officers couldn't help but look at each other, and the scene was silent, but after the silence, the officers suddenly stood up and clapped their hands and cheered in unison.
"Uprising, uprising!" The cheers were endless.
"Good! I've been waiting for such a day! Lu Dashan, the deputy commander-in-chief on the side, shouted loudly.
Wu Shouwen could not help but be greatly encouraged to see that the officers not only supported the uprising, but also had high morale.
"Lu Dashan, Wei Zhongnan!" Wu Shouwen began to give orders.
"To!" Lu Dashan and Wei Zhongnan stood up and shouted loudly.
"You led the first brigade and the engineer battalion to immediately go to surround the wandering artillery regiment, and remember not to do anything unless you had to."
"Yes!" Lu Dashan and Wei Zhongnan shouted in unison in salute.
"Sun Yunfei, Huang Xinsheng!"
"To!"
"You led the second brigade to immediately surround the artillery headquarters, remember to encircle and not fight, and do not move until you have to."
"Yes!" Sun Yunfei and Huang Xinsheng shouted loudly in salute.
"Gao Dejiang!"
"You will immediately assemble the Third and Fourth Brigades to go with me to occupy the headquarters."
"Yes," Gao Dejiang shouted.
"The Quartermaster Department, the Logistics Department, and the General Staff Department are headed by Chief of Staff Gu Tiantong for the remaining defensive areas." Wu Shouwen whispered to Gu Tiantong, "You have been wronged to stay at the base camp." ”
"Captain, rest assured, I await your good news." Gu Tiantong said softly.
Then Wu Shouwen raised his hand and looked at his watch, it was already 10:30 p.m.
"I order that at eleven o'clock tonight, the troops will act on time!" Wu Shouwen gave a loud order.
"Guaranteed to get the job done." Lu Dashan, Wei Zhongnan, Sun Feiyun, and Huang Xinsheng shouted in unison.
To be continued