In August 1947, Hu Zongnan was very happy, and on the basis of advanced radio direction finding instruments and aerial reconnaissance, he confirmed that the main force of our Northwest Field Army had been compressed in the Mizhi and Jiaxian areas, including Chairman Mao, and the head organs of the Cpc were also among them.
This judgment made Hu Zongnan overjoyed, and he believed that the main force of the Northwest Field Army had fallen into a desperate situation. To the south were the armies of Dong Zhao and Liu Jie, to the north were Zhong Song's reorganized 36th Division, to the east was the mighty Yellow River, and to the west was the Wuding River, which had flooded heavily due to torrential rains for several days.
This time, Chairman Mao's wings could not fly out of this heavenly net. Hu Zongnan stood up violently with a pat on the head, pointed at Sheng Wen, chief of staff, and said: "This is really a golden opportunity, in this battle we must wipe out the PLA in northern Shaanxi, and we must succeed in the battle, so that Chairman Jiang will also be happy." ”
Sheng Wen hurriedly flattered: "The commander is really far-sighted and insightful, and we should act immediately." ”
Hu Zongnan could not hide his excitement and said in a loud voice: "Yes, we must not let the communist army cross the Yellow River and escape." Dong Zhao and Liu Jie were ordered to lead the army north, and Zhong Song was ordered to march south day and night, forming a situation of attack between the north and the south, encircling the communist army in the Yulin and Mizhi areas, and completely annihilating the headquarters of the communist army and Peng Dehuai's northwest field army. ”
Hu Zongnan shook his fists and vainly tried to do an earth-shattering event that made Principal Jiang greatly praise himself. Dong Zhao and Liu Jie received the order to leave overnight, and the soldiers broke north in two ways, seeking a decisive battle with the Northwest Field Army.
Zhong Song, who had bid farewell to Yulin, was still in a state of self-satisfaction, and he said arrogantly: "The People's Liberation Army can eat other troops, but it cannot eat my 36th Division." This time going south, we will certainly be able to do a great job for the party and the country, and our reputation will go down in history. ”
When Zhong Song was proud, he couldn't imagine that Peng Dehuai's sharp eyes had already stared at him, and he had stared at Hu Zongnan's ace main force to reorganize the 36th Division. Now, Zhong Song led a lone army out of Yulin, providing a wonderful fighter for the Northwest Field Army.
When the Northwest Field Army retreated from Yulin, it was ready to destroy the 36th Division. Peng Dehuai ordered the 2nd Column to set out for Changle Fort with great fanfare to confuse the enemy, and the rest of the main force quietly hid at Guide Fort not far from Yulin City.
As soon as Zhong Song left the city, the Northwest Field Army was ready. However, Zhong Song slid like a squid and slipped into the Fish River Fort instead of returning to Debao.
On August 14, 1947, Chairman Mao sent a telegram to Peng Dehuai: Zhong Song's Kuomintang reorganized 36th Division must pass through Zhenchuan Fort, its purpose is to occupy Mizhi County, and if the concentration of forces to fight Zhong Song, it is a good time to attack Zhong Song in the area east of Guide Fort and Zhenchuan Fort.
Peng Dehuai immediately commanded the 2nd and 3rd Columns, the Teaching Brigade, and the New 4th Brigade to cross the mountains and mountains to Zhenchuan Fort, ambushed on both sides of the road, and prepared for battle.
The 36th Division was a subordinate unit of the Central Army, with division commander Zhong Song, subordinate to pei Changhui's 5th Corps, under the jurisdiction of the 28th, 123rd, and 165th Brigades. The division was originally subordinate to the reorganized 29th Army, and was transferred to the northwest battlefield and the southern Jin and western Henan battlefields.
In the Battle of Shajiadian, the division headquarters of the division and all the 123rd Brigade and the 2 regiments of the 165th Brigade under its jurisdiction were completely annihilated by the People's Liberation Army, and the entire 36th Division after the reconstruction was still commanded by Zhong Song. In the Battle of Yuncheng, the division was annihilated by a regiment by the People's Liberation Army, and in the spring of 1948, the reorganized division was incorporated into the 5th Corps of Pei Changhui and participated in the Battle of Longdong in Xifu.
Our army was ready for an ambush, but zhong song was afraid of ambush and did not dare to take the road, so he led the 36th Division to cross the Wuding River from Yuhe Fort and enter Zhenchuan Fort. The ambush was unsuccessful.
On August 15, the Kuomintang reorganized 1st Army and the reorganized 29th Army met at Suide, and Dong Zhao led 3 brigades of the 1st Division of the 1st Army to remain in Suide; Liu Jie led the 5 brigades of the reorganized 29th Army and the 90th Division of the 1st Army, and advanced rapidly in the direction of Yexian County. On the 16th, it reached the vicinity of Wulongpu, and the distance between the north and south of the reorganized 36th Division at Zhenchuan Fort was less than 100 miles.
On August 17, the Northwest Field Army gathered covertly in the northeastern part of Zhenchuan to prepare for battle. The generals of the Northwest Field Army held a military conference in a cave to study strategies for annihilating the enemy.
Peng Dehuai said: "Zhong Song, a person who is plain and self-conscious, is now proud of his own merits in helping Yulin, and he is even more rampant. In the art of war, it is said that arrogant soldiers will be defeated. We must seize the opportunity of his lone army to go south to destroy him. ”
Zhang Wenzhou continued: "Although the 36th Division is a mechanized unit, it is already a tired division after a long journey, and its combat effectiveness has been weakened, and it is time to learn a lesson. ”
Wang Zhen walked to the map, pointed at it, and said: "Our army is now facing a vast desert in the north, the Yellow River in the east, and the Wuding River and Liu Jie's army in the west and south. The current situation is that the enemy is on the side of the water, which is a big taboo for soldiers, and it is necessary to be careful and cautious in fighting a big battle in the cracks. ”
Peng Dehuai then said: "Wang Zhen is reasonable, how to fight?" How to play? Study it carefully. This battle is risky, but if it is not fought, our army will not be able to get rid of its predicament, and if it is not fought, the situation of Chairman Mao and the front committee of the Central Committee will be even more dangerous. ”
Zhang Xianyue said: "Yulin City has not been attacked, the warriors are all on fire, General Peng is confident, and we also have the determination to win." ”
At this time, the combat staff officer reported: "General Peng, according to the latest information, the Kuomintang 36th Division has moved again. ”
The generals gathered in unison, and their eyes fell on the telegram in the hands of the staff officers. Originally, Zhong Song divided the 36th Division into two echelons, with Liu Ziqi's 123rd Brigade as the front echelon, moving from Zhenchuan Fort to Wulongpu. Zhong Song himself led the rest of his troops along the Jinji River towards Shajiadian.
Wang Zhen looked at it and laughed: "This Zhong Song is really hot in the brain, this is stretching over his ass to let us hit it." What else are we polite about? ”
Zhang Wenzhou analyzed: "It seems that Zhong Song wants to meet Liu Jie quickly." ”
Peng Dehuai said decisively: "We must not let them join." Now the 36th Division's lone action machine must not be lost, and we must make a quick decision. ”
In the early morning of August 18, Commander Peng Dehuai of the Northwest Field Army issued an operational order. Our army concentrated the strength of 5 brigades, entered the predetermined position, and prepared for battle.
Following Hu Zongnan's order to "pursue quickly and not miss a thousand-year opportunity", Zhong Song led the rear echelon of the division headquarters and the 161st Brigade to march on the road west of Shajiadian.
He excitedly calculated that the main force of the communist army had been compressed between Jia County, Mizhi, and Yulin Counties, and Dong Zhao's 1st Army and the 1st Division of The List had occupied Suide and Mizhi. Liu Jie's 5 brigades blocked the large and small crossings along the Yellow River, and in such a situation, as long as our 36th Division swung south, the main force of the total annihilation of the communist army was like probing for things.
If you are lucky, you can still catch a prisoner, that is a piece of Qigong, and then Hu Zongnan will also give me three points. Zhong Song thought obliviously, unconsciously drilling into Peng Dehuai's ambush circle,
Peng Dehuai stood on the top of the mountain, holding up a telescope to observe the movement of the enemy army. With Peng Dehuai's "fight"! The Northwest Field Army engaged the enemy on fire, but suddenly the dark clouds rolled and the storm came unexpectedly, and Zhong Song took the opportunity to take his remnants of the defeated generals and retreated to Shajiadian with a rolling belt.
Peng Dehuai wiped the rain from his face and said, "Unfortunately, this heavy rain saved Zhong Song's life." This battle concerns the security of the Central Committee and Chairman Mao, and we must order all units to be prepared to fight a hard battle, and the war will start when the rain stops. ”
When the 36th Division, covered in mud and chicken-like, retreated to Shajiadian, Zhong Song woke up from his daydream and felt something was not quite right, and the scouts sent also reported that there were many signs of the movement of large communist troops.
It seems that the main force of the Northwest Field Army is around. Thinking of this, Zhong Song couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, and urged the soldiers to rush to repair the field fortifications Zhong Song hurriedly prepared for the battle, Liu Jie did not care, or led the army north to search for the main force of the communist army.
According to Peng Dehuai's judgment based on the enemy situation he had mastered, Liu Jie and Zhong Song did not understand the operational intentions of the Northwest Field Army, so they adjusted their deployment on the spot and ordered the new 4th Brigade to block Liu Ziqi's 123rd Brigade, which was returning to reinforcements.
In the early morning of August 20, the heavy rain for several days came to an interesting halt, and the loud charge of the Northwest Field Army sounded on the hill; the 1st and 2nd columns, in close coordination, launched a fierce attack on the nationalist reorganized 36th Division and the 165th Brigade in the areas of Zhangjiadian and Changxinzhuang.
For a time, the sound of gunfire was loud, and within a radius of more than a dozen miles from Shajiadian, the rushing and killing of the soldiers of the Northwest Field Army was earth-shaking.
Zhong Song in the Shajia store was panicked and flew to Hu Zongnan and Liu Jie like a snowflake of distress telegrams, and Hu Zongnan did not expect that the People's Liberation Army had such combat effectiveness, so he let Zhong Song stick to help on the one hand, and on the other hand ordered Liu Jie to rush to the rescue.
At the same time, Zhong Song urgently ordered Liu Ziqi to lead the front echelon and also withdrew to Shajiadian. At this time, Liu Ziqi and his 123rd Brigade were only about 15 kilometers away from The Shajiadian where Zhong Song was located, but there was a high mountain in the middle, and it was easy to withdraw.
Liu Ziqi listened to the close gunfire in the direction of Shajiadian, knowing that there were many fierce people and few ji, but he did not dare to disobey the military order, so he had to take the 123rd Brigade and go forward with a hard scalp.
Unexpectedly, just halfway through, it fell into the pocket of the Northwest Field Army, the new 4th Brigade attacked from the front and right, instructed the brigade to kill from behind, and the commanding heights around it were all occupied by our army, and Liu Ziqi was only left to be beaten.
The pockets of the Northwest Field Army were getting tighter and tighter, the 123rd Brigade was squeezed into a narrow strip by artillery fire, it was useless to rush left and right, it was useless to turn back and retreat, there was no way to retreat, Liu Jie sent reinforcements to reorganize the 55th Brigade, not even a ghost shadow could be seen, everything was irreparable, Liu Ziqi faced the muzzle of the Soldiers of the Northwest Field Army, raised his hands.
The artillery fire of the Nationalist reorganized 36th Division could not stop the heroic PLA soldiers. In the Battle of Shajiadian, the soldiers of our army were moving towards the forward position. Positions were captured piece by piece. Zhong Song was no longer arrogant, and there was nothing he could do but send a telegram for help.
When Hu Zongnan of Yan'an saw that the situation was urgent, he sent an ultimatum to Liu Jie: "If Master Zhong has any accidents, ask you!" ”
At 1 p.m., in order to eliminate the 36th Division before Liu Jie's reinforcements arrived, Peng Dehuai issued a mobilization order.
"All commanders and fighters: The complete annihilation of the enemy's 36th Division is the beginning of our northwestern battlefield, from strategic defense to strategic counter-offensive. It was the beginning of our recovery of Yan'an and the liberation of the Great Northwest. For the cause of the people's liberation, continue to carry forward your infinite heroic spirit, immediately destroy the enemy's 36th Division, capture Zhong Song alive, and call on you to complete your combat mission before dusk today. ”
Commander Peng Dehuai's mobilization order was immediately conveyed to all the commanders and fighters of the Northwest Field Army, and the soldiers were greatly boosted in morale, bravely competed for the lead, and rushed toward Shajiadian, causing the Kuomintang soldiers to raise their hands and surrender. The main positions were all occupied by our army.
The reinforcements led by Liu Jie were blocked by the 3rd Column of the Northwest Field Army and the 4th and 6th Regiments of the Suide Military Sub-district, and they could not move at all, and could only look at Shajiadian and sigh.
At dusk, the headquarters of the reorganized 36th Division and the 165th Brigade could not expect reinforcements and were unable to resist. Seeing that the defeat had been decided, Zhong Song and Li Riji, the commander of the 165th Brigade, changed into the costumes of ordinary people and fled under the cover of night.
In this campaign, the Northwest Field Army annihilated more than 6,000 people of the Kuomintang reorganized 36th Division, the 165th Brigade, and the 123rd Brigade, captured Li Ziqi, the brigade commander of major general of the 123rd Brigade, setting a precedent for annihilating an integrated division of the enemy, smashing Chiang Kai-shek's key offensive against northern Shaanxi, and reversing the situation in the northwest battlefield. Since then, the Northwest Field Army has changed from passive defense to active counter-offensive.
When Chairman Mao heard the news of the victory, he stood up with great joy and asked the guards to bring wine. Peng Dehuai personally called Chairman Mao to report.
Before he could finish speaking, Chairman Mao rushed to say, "Old Peng, this battle has been fought well!" At this time, this game of chess in northern Shaanxi will live, and the whole country will also live. Tomorrow I will visit you with Comrades Enlai and Bishi and congratulate you! ”
When they heard that Chairman Mao, Vice Chairman Zhou, and Comrade Ren Bishi were coming to see everyone, the commanders and fighters jumped up with joy. Peng Dehuai instructed all units to seize the time to clean up the battlefield, accurately calculate the captured and captured weapons and materials, and report to Chairman Mao in person tomorrow.
The next day at breakfast, Comrades Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, and Ren Bishi soon came to the headquarters of the Northwest Field Army. Peng Dehuai led cadres at and above the regimental level who were holding a meeting to greet them at the entrance of the village.
Mao Zedong clasped Peng Dehuai's hand and said, "Old Peng, you are thin, you are too hard!" ”
Peng Dehuai said: "Chairman, you are working day and night for the war in the whole country, and you are marching again, and you are working even harder!" ”
Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, and Ren Bi shook hands and greeted the cadres at and above the regimental level who came to welcome them one by one. The cadres could not help but feel the supreme glory when they could see Chairman Mao and the head of the Central Committee in the interval between the tense battles.
Chairman Mao sat down in the middle of the rostrum without Peng Dehuai's suggestion, and then he said, "Comrades, have you seen it?" The victory in the Battle of Shajiadian was a real turning point, and from today onwards, we have taken back the initiative in the war from Hu Zongnan!" Before that, he was chasing us and chasing us. Now it's time for us to single out his key point. ”
Speaking of this, Chairman Mao smiled, and the cadres present also smiled heartily.
Chairman Mao went on to say: "But we still have difficulties, and there is still one enemy that must be defeated, and that is hunger! As the saying goes, people are iron, rice is steel, and a meal is not eaten hungry and panicked. We've all tasted the taste of hunger. In northern Shaanxi, there are few people and little grain, and the masses of the people are too bitter. The next step is to fight out, to fight in the Jiang Guan District, to fight at the door of Hu Zongnan's house, he has already prepared rice and white noodles for us, do you want to eat it? ”
"Think!" Everyone laughed out loud in one sentence.
The battle at Shajiadian ended in the laughter of victory, and the troops returned to the garrison to eat, but the soldiers of the cooking squad were worried.
The battle on the northwestern battlefield is getting smoother and smoother, but there is less and less food. Both cadres and soldiers, in a state of semi-starvation all day long, there is a kind of "money and rice" in the local area, which is to make porridge with black beans, bran, bark and wild vegetables. However, even with this kind of money and food, the troops cannot often eat the troops hungry, as long as it is green, almost what to eat, the central authorities are hungry along with it, and Chairman Mao also eats wild vegetables and bark like everyone else
Peng Dehuai deeply felt that there were two enemies in the northwest battlefield, except for Hu Zongnan, who was hungry. Neither of these enemies should be taken lightly.
"The soldiers and horses have not moved, and the grain and grass have gone first." This is the experience summed up by thousands of years of war, and Chairman Mao, who is familiar with military books, naturally attaches great importance to the issue of logistical support, and before the Yan'an Security War, he ordered the troops to reserve more and save more, but the war was continuous, and no matter how much economy was saved, it was still impossible to supply.
In the past two years, the rain in northern Shaanxi and northern Shanxi has been uneven, the drought has been severe, and the grain harvest has only been forty or fifty percent of the harvest of the harvest in the good years; moreover, Hu Zongnan's troops have invaded northern Shaanxi, burned and plundered all the way, and the damage has been extremely serious, making the already barren land even more barren.
The situation of soldiers and horses and horses has made the people hide everywhere, and they cannot care about sowing seeds at all. The people's children and soldiers could not compete with the masses for grain to eat, and when they thought about it, Chairman Mao could only play the card of He Long.
Jin Sui has always been regarded as the rear of northern Shaanxi. When Peng Dehuai commanded the troops to gallop across northern Shaanxi, they asked for grain, people, and guns. Only to find He Long, commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia and Jin-Sui Joint Defense Forces, who is in charge of the rear!
He Long gave his full support, and not only personally sent the 1st Column, 2nd Column, and 3rd Column across the Yellow River, but also sent a large number of guns and ammunition several times in succession during Peng Dehuai's three battles and three victories, ensuring the victory of the battle.
In mid-August, Chairman Mao sent an urgent telegram to He Long: "Go to the counties to vigorously mobilize grain, and as long as 7,000 to 10,000 kilograms of grain are raised, we can ensure the completion of the battle plan." ”
Telegram after telegram, like a thousand pounds of burden, pressed on He Long's heart. Whether or not we can ensure the supply of grain has become the key to victory in the liberation war in the northwest battlefield!
He Long understood the importance of food. At that time, the Northwest Field Army had grown to 60,000 people, and there were about 20,000 people in the central and Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region organs, troops, schools, and guerrilla units. The monthly grain needs of these 80,000 people is not a small amount.
During the battle between the Northwest Field Army and the southern part of Huzong, He Long in the rear took on the heavy task of raising grain, including the grain needed by the troops and local workers of the Jinsui Military Region in Hedong, but the two districts of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Jinsui combined had a population of only more than 4 million, and they were equally barren, so it was not easy to raise grain in the local area.
In the end, He Long made up his mind to "borrow grain." Where to borrow? To the Brothers Liberated Area!
In September, through Zhou Enlai, He Long demanded 100,000 stones of grain from the Jinji-Hebei Luyu Liberated Area. But the road is far away, so who has the strength to go and transport grain?
He Long sent Xue Lanbin, director of the Logistics Department of the Northwest Field Army, to form a transport team with more than 1,000 teachers and students from Yan'an University in Jinsui. Along the way, men, women and children from all over the way did not need to mobilize more, and when they heard that the grain was transported to Chairman Mao, everyone helped carry the truck and contributed their own grain, and the scene was very touching.
In order to protect these "life roots," He Long meticulously organized a grain protection team, beat the grain-grabbing troops sent by Yan Xishan to the ground, and smoothly delivered the grain to the edge of the Yellow River, where Ren Bishi took it over and transported it all the way to the garrison of the Northwest Field Army.
Before the winter of 1947, the Northwest Field Army prepared to fight south. They are in dire need of clothing for the winter and funds for a long southward journey. Peng Dehuai once again sent a telegram to He Long. He Long thought of a good way to get the merchants to sell the local specialties of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia, especially the Jinsui district, to the Guotong district, so that they could quickly raise the money and materials they needed.
He Long appointed Zhang Dazhi, deputy political commissar of the Suimeng Military Region, as the commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Jinsui guerrilla army. He was not afraid of the flames of war, the road was far away, and he took two cavalry regiments, one to Guanzhong and one to Jinnan, and sold the local specialties and exchanged them for various materials needed, such as cotton, cloth, shoes and socks, or into gold, silver dollars, and so on.
Exchange good supplies and money, do not have to be shipped back. As long as you encounter the troops of the Northwest Field Army on the road, you need money to give money, you want things to give things, you just need to make a receipt. Zhang Dazhi was active for a winter in exchange for a large amount of money and supplies, until February 1948, successfully completed the special task given to him by He Long.
It is really not easy for hundreds of thousands of troops to fight for a long time in northern Shaanxi, a place that is short of grain, money, and all kinds of materials. To some extent, the northwest battlefield is fighting grain!
Hu Zongnan's hundreds of thousands of troops were not only dragged down by Peng Dehuai, but also starved by his own stomach. In contrast, the PLA laughed louder. They not only have a general Peng Da who is fiercely sword-wielding, but also a strongly protected He beard!
In accordance with the strategic decision of the central authorities and Chairman Mao, Chen Xie's corps crossed the Yellow River south, attacked western Henan, directly attacked Tongguan in Shaanxi, and threatened Xi'an. Guanzhong is in a hurry! Xi'an is in a hurry!
When Hu Zongnan's backyard caught fire, Chiang Kai-shek broke out in a cold sweat and flew to Xi'an overnight, personally deployed defenses, and quickly mobilized troops from Yuncheng, Yulin, and other places to deploy troops on the front line of Xi'an, Tongguan, and Luoyang.
Hu Zongnan judged the situation and couldn't help but think of sheng Wen's suggestion: abandon Yan'an, shrink the troops, and wait for work. But this cannot be done in any way.
At present, the military situation in the whole country is deteriorating day by day, and Chiang Kai-shek can only make political articles on Yan'an. In the end, Hu Zongnan could only make a decision according to Chiang Kai-shek's intentions: he withdrew a large number of the main forces to Yan'an and near Guanzhong to rest, so that he could get closer to Xi'an to ensure the safety of Xi'an's rear, and at the same time sent troops to hold Suide, Qingjian, and Wayao Fort as a barrier to protect Yan'an.
This move was immediately opposed by senior staff around him.
Liao Ang, commander of the reorganized 76th Division stationed at Qingjian, even jumped to his feet and objected: "It's just fooling around!" No wonder everyone says that Hu Zongnan can only be a platoon leader, and I think he can be a squad leader at most! ”
Yes, this deployment is too dangerous. Suide, Qingjian, and Wayao Fort became lonely, and it was really easy for the People's Liberation Army to eat the defenders of these 3 cities. Besides, these 3 cities are far away from Yan'an, how much of a barrier can they play?
Liao Ang's statement is indeed not unreasonable, but Hu Zongnan's reasoning is even harder. These 3 cities are important strongholds in the hinterland of Yan'an, and if these 3 cities are abandoned, it is equivalent to giving up the entire northern Shaanxi. In this way, it is equivalent to admitting defeat, and how can Chiang Kai-shek and the Ministry of National Defense spare themselves?
On August 26, Dong Zhao led the main force from suide north of The Xianyu Highway south to Yan'an. On the 28th, Chairman Mao sent a telegram to the Northwest Field Force, and the whole army immediately turned to the front of the enemy to block the enemy's southward advance. On the 29th, the Northwest Field Army was also required to march in a hurry for 3 to 4 days to rush to the line of Shizuiyi, seize the opportunity, and kill the enemy.
Peng Dehuai immediately let some of his troops rush south and set up an ambush at the fork in front of the enemy. The other part pursued behind the enemy. On September 1, the enemy army came to the fork village in a mighty way. Suddenly, gunfire rang out from the highlands on both sides of the road.
For a time, bullets and grenades continued to explode in the enemy group, and the enemy army was beaten to pieces. In this battle, Hu Zongnan's main force 8 brigades were surrounded by the Northwest Field Army, and if they could be annihilated in one fell swoop, it would end the war in northern Shaanxi at once.
However, the enemy was several times more numerous than our army, and they were all well-equipped main forces, and on the 3rd day they gradually occupied some high ground on both sides of the road, and the two sides were deadlocked.
Standing on a high place, Peng Dehuai put down his telescope and said to the staff officer next to him: "It seems that we can't eat such a big meatball now, order the troops to retreat." ”
After 3 days of fierce fighting, although the Hu army was not completely destroyed, more than 4,000 casualties were captured, and morale suffered another major blow. The army's heart was shaken, and it was impossible to live in fear, and the emperor fled south in a hurry.
In this way, Suide, Qingjian and Wayao Fort have become several dead cities on the Loess Plateau. The operational arrows of the Northwest Field Army began to extend towards these locations. After more than half a year of fighting, the Northwest Field Army was much larger than when it had just withdrawn from Yan'an.
At present, Peng Dehuai already has 5 columns in his hands: the 1st Column has jurisdiction over the 358th Brigade and the Du 1st Brigade, with Zhang Zongxun as the commander and Liao Hansheng as the political commissar.
The 2nd Column had jurisdiction over the 359th Brigade and the 4th Independent Brigade, with Wang Zhen as commander and political commissar and Peng Shaohui as deputy commander.
The 3rd Column had jurisdiction over the 2nd Brigade and the 5th Brigade, with Xu Guangda as commander, Sun Zhiyuan as political commissar, and He Bingyan as deputy commander. This column was transferred to the Northwest Field Army at the end of July, when He Long was instructed by the Central Military Commission.
In September, the Central Military Commission set up the 4th Column, with Wang Shitai as commander and political commissar, and Yan Yu as deputy commander. It has jurisdiction over the 1st Garrison Brigade, the 3rd Garrison Brigade and the 6th Cavalry Division.
Luo Yuanfa of the 6th Column was appointed commander, Xu Liqing was appointed political commissar, and Zhang Xianyou was appointed deputy commander. It administers the Teaching Brigade and the New 4 Brigade.
Peng Dehuai divided the troops into two roads, and the internal and external lines fought in coordination and cooperated with each other. The 2nd column and the 4th column formed an outer line corps, all under the command of Wang Zhen, and the task was to open up the Huanglong base area, which not only solved the grain difficulties, but also confused the enemy, so that Hu Zongnan mistakenly believed that the main force of the Northwest Field Army had advanced south. The 1st, 3rd, and 6th columns remained on the inner line, each breaking through the enemy in the isolated strongholds north of Yan'an and preparing for reinforcements.
After Receiving the order, Wang Zhen commanded the 4th Column, which was already in Guanzhong, from Baishui north to Huanglong, while he led the 2nd Column to quietly bypass Yan'an, over DalaoShan and Xiaolaoshan, and came to Nanniwan.
For Wang Zhen, this is a revisit of the old place. When the northern Shaanxi base area carried out a large-scale production campaign that year, Wang Zhen's 359 brigade built this area into a good Jiangnan in northern Shaanxi. But now, the Nanniwan that Hu Zongnan left for Wang Zhen was already beyond recognition.
The stele inscribed with the inscriptions of Chairman Mao and He Long has been torn down, and the slogans painted on the walls have long been shoveled and cannot be seen clearly. At that time, the auditorium of Lu Xun Art Academy's performance of "Fishing and Killing Family" and "Three Dozen Zhujiazhuang" was smashed, and the door frames and windows of the houses were torn down and fortified.
The crops are overgrown with weeds, and the whole of Nanniwan is desolate. The soldiers of the 359th Brigade recalled the scene of the harvest in the past, recalled the scene of Chairman Mao and Commander-in-Chief Zhu inspecting Nanniwan, and then looked at Nanniwan, which had been destroyed by the Kuomintang soldiers, and a cloud of anger rose in everyone's heart.
Wang Zhen led his troops from Nanniwan and took the stone fort with a single blow, at this time, Wang Shitai's 4 columns had also entered the Huanglong Mountains. After the victory of the "Second King", the first target was Hancheng.
Hancheng is the ferry port on the west bank of the Yellow River, the hub of trade and transportation between Jin and Shaanxi provinces, and is rich in materials. After the 2nd and 4th columns conquered Hancheng, they were greatly replenished. When the warriors heard that they were going to fight the Yellow Dragon, their spirits were greatly invigorated, and they were ready to make a big fuss about the Yellow Dragon.
Peng Dehuai saw that his vision had initially come true, and he reassuringly set his sights on Qingjian City.
Located between Yan'an and Suide, Qingjian City was the key point of communication on the Xianyu Highway to Yulin in the north and Xi'an in the south, becoming a nail threatening the central hinterland of our army, and was now garrisoned by the nationalist reorganized 76th Division.
Lieutenant General Liao Ang, commander of the division, took advantage of the dangerous terrain here, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and built strong fortifications within a periphery of tens of square kilometers, with pillboxes, barbed wire, trenches, and mines layer by layer. Beacon Hill to the west of the city was the core position, where there was not only reinforced concrete fortifications, but also an artillery position. Liao Ang personally inspected the fortification positions, and he proudly boasted to Hu Zongnan: Qingjian is impregnable.
On 1 October, the 3rd Column and the Instruction Brigade captured the cities of Yanchang and Yanchuan. The 1st Column captured Thirty Mile Shop south of Qingjian, cutting off Qingjian's connection with the enemy in Yan'an, and the time was ripe to besiege Qingjian.
On October 2, 1947, Peng Dehuai sent a telegram asking the Central Military Commission: Is the enemy's 430 regiment changed to the 701 regiment in Qingjian City? If the regiment is in Qingjian City, there are more than 6,000 people, which is not easy to conquer, and if it has been transferred, it is determined to capture Qingjian.
The Central Military Commission called back on the same day: According to the information we have obtained, the 430th Regiment has gone south with the 90th Division and can try to capture it.
On October 6, the battle outside Qingjian City began. The crisp sound of gunfire broke the silence of the autumn night. Our army's offensive was fierce, but the enemy occupied favorable terrain and stubbornly counterattacked. The 1st column and the 3rd column carried forward a brave and tenacious fighting style, and quickly swept away Ma Qiyuan, Zhonglou Mountain and other places, and glued with the enemy on Beacon Mountain.
Liao Ang no longer had self-confidence at this time, the telegram for help had already been sent, and he was restless in the command post, waiting for the news from Xi'an.
Here, the chief of staff had just got the call back in his hand, Liao Ang snatched it up, and after looking at it quickly with wide eyes, he threw the telegram to the ground, gritted his teeth and said: "All the eyebrows are burning, and Hu Zongnan also said that the main force of the communist army has gone south." Following such a commander, there is only one way to die! ”
Chief of Staff Liu Xuechao quietly picked up the telegram, which originally read: According to the inspection of Qingjian City, there is only 1 brigade of the enemy's headquarters, not the main force, and you are still holding on to the current situation.
Seeing that there was no hope for help, Liao Ang could only summon up his spirits, brandish his pistol, and urge all positions to hold, especially Beacon Hill, which was a place that must be defended, Liao Ang firmly believed that as long as this core position was still there, Qingjian City could be controlled in his own hands.
Beacon Mountain is high, surrounded by cliffs several inches high, natural cliffs, coupled with Liao Ang's many manual cuttings and even more steep, the enemy's defensive firepower is also dense and powerful.
The 358th Brigade, which was responsible for the main offensive task, had limited shells in its hands, and had been repelled several times, and the casualties were very large, which was a great disastrous for Peng Dehuai, who threw the red and blue pencil and turned his head to go outside the door.
Zhang Zongxun, commander of the 1st Column, quickly caught up and asked, "General Peng, where are you going?" ”
"I went to see Beacon Hill and think of a way not to let the warriors sacrifice in vain!"
"Mr. Peng, it's too dangerous, you can't go." Zhang Zongxun listened, so nervous that he didn't know what to do.
"Here you are the commander-in-chief of the siege, and you can sit in the seat." Peng Dehuai walked as he spoke, and soon he could no longer see the figure.
The brigade command post of the 358th Brigade was set up on the forward position, and Brigade Commander Huang Xinting and Political Commissar Yu Qiuli saw Peng Dehuai and hurriedly greeted him and shook hands. Peng Dehuai did not wait for them to speak, took Huang Xinting's hand, and said as he walked: "Go, go up to the front and look at it!" ”
Huang Xinting and Yu Qiuli were shocked when they heard: "Mr. Peng, this place is dangerous!" ”
Peng Dehuai also ignored it, and walked to the front of the position in one breath, and saw that some of the soldiers were bundled with explosives packages, and some were preparing ladders. After taking a closer look, he stood on a high place and looked at the enemy position.
At this point, the gunfire in the forward positions never stopped, and the bullets flew around with a roar. Huang Xinting saw this situation and waved to the two fighters around him, and the 3 people stepped forward without a word, and even pulled Peng Dehuai down with a hug. Before Mr. Peng could lose his temper, a piece of shrapnel landed on the place where he had just stood, and the yellow earth that had been lifted fell on everyone.
Personally observing the situation, Peng Dehuai immediately summoned the leading cadres of the 359 Brigade to discuss how to adjust the firepower deployment, and at the same time held democratic meetings in various battalions and companies to sum up lessons learned and prepare for another battle.
Liao Ang in Qingjian City couldn't hold his breath anymore, desperately sent a telegram to ask for help, and finally even Used Sima Yi's famous sentence: "If you can fight, you can't fight, you can't keep, you can't go by code, you can't fight, you can't defend, you can't go, the other two things are only death and surrender!" ”
This time, Hu Zongnan really believed that Qingjian was in danger, and immediately sent Liu Jie to lead troops to help. At the same time, it also let the plane fly over Qingjian, drop grain and bombs, and even dropped 3 billion French dollars for Liao Ang to motivate the soldiers. This did give Liao Ang a glimmer of hope. But he did not know that Peng Dehuai had already ambushed the New 4th Brigade in Ganguyi and was waiting for Liu Jie to appear.
On October 9, the 1st Column attacked Beacon Hill again. This time, the 716th Regiment was used as a commando team, and the regimental commander Chu Hanyuan personally led the sharp knife company, determined to complete the task. The warriors dug many bulletproof craters in the steep walls and climbed up step by step. At the same time, concentrate artillery, make full use of limited shells, exert power, and support the infantry's attack.
Taking advantage of the night, the 9th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 716th Regiment touched the top of the hill and successfully removed the 4 small pillboxes to the south. Immediately afterwards, the 2nd Regiment of the 1st Independent Brigade also captured a large pillbox to the north. Chu Hanyuan immediately organized the 1st and 2nd battalions to attack continuously, and after a night of fierce fighting, he finally took Beacon Mountain, while Chu Hanyuan stayed on the top of the mountain forever.
After liberation, the mountain was renamed Hanyuan Mountain, and the people will never forget the warriors who shed their blood for it.
After launching the attack for 3 days and 3 nights, Xu Guangda led the 3rd Column to qingjian city. Xu Guangda and Liao Ang were classmates at the Whampoa Military Academy, and 20 years after they broke up, the two faced each other again on the battlefield.
Looking at Qingjian City, which was armed to the teeth, Xu Guangda thought in his heart: Although the outskirts of Qingjian have been cleared, there are still quite a few troops in the city, liao Ang is lucky, stubbornly resisting and waiting for reinforcements, if it is a strong attack, our army will certainly suffer heavy casualties.
Finally, Xu Guangda took out a pen and paper and wrote a letter to Liao Ang, knowing the stakes and persuading him to surrender. If Liao Ang can descend, the soldiers will not be bloody. Even if Liao Ang refused to surrender, at least it could shake the hearts of his army.
Liao Ang took Xu Guangda's letter and silently read it over and over again. Even Liu Xuechao, chief of staff, and Zhang Xin, commander of the 24th Brigade, did not notice when they walked in, and their mouths were still gently reading: "The qingjian is precarious, and the destruction of the city is imminent." I remembered the friendship with you, and I could not bear to see your city destroyed and died, so Chen said what was at stake and advised my brother to recognize the situation, get lost and return, and abandon the dark to the light. Our Party's policy has always been to not blame the past and to reward meritorious service. If you can lead an uprising and save lives from destruction, it is a great blessing for my people, and I hope that my brother will think twice. ”
Looking at Xu Guangda's letter, Liao Ang felt like he had overturned a five-flavor bottle, and he didn't know what it tasted like. His blood pressure was rising, his heart was in turmoil, and he didn't know whether to descend or fight for a while.
Suddenly, the image of Xu Guangda, the primary school brother in the Whampoa Military Academy, flashed in his mind: although he was young, he was extremely intelligent and capable, and his speech often made amazing remarks, which was admired by everyone in the class.
At that time, although he and Xu Guangda were not the closest friends, they also felt like each other, and they were one of the limited number of people he admired the most at that time. If it were not for the dispute between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, each of which was its master, he and Xu Guangda would probably become the closest friends.
Now, when danger is in the head, life and death are at the same thought, Xu Guangda has not forgotten his brother, a letter is sincere and sincere, pointing out the future, he fully believes that Xu Guangda is not playing any political rhetoric, what he said is completely the truth.
However, after 20 years of military service, it can be said that he has gone straight up to the top, deeply trusted by the top, and also developed an arrogant temper.
You know, surrender is the greatest shame for a soldier! Moreover, he also held a fluke mentality and hoped that Liu Jie's reinforcements would arrive.
At this time, Zhang Xin reported: "Division, now that the communist army has begun to attack the city, should we organize forces to break through?" ”
Liu Xuechao said: "The breakthrough is too risky, Liu Jie's army has reached the southwest area of Qingjian City, and it is just around the corner." ”
Zhang Xinyi was anxious and shouted loudly: "When did Liu Jie succeed in rescue?" If you don't break through, you can only sit back and wait. Otherwise, we will simply accept the proposition of the communist army and surrender! ”
Liao Ang learned that reinforcements were approaching, and he became tough again, strictly resisting and refusing to surrender.
Seeing that Liao Ang had no intention of surrendering, Xu Guangda commanded his troops to attack the city in an all-round way. Liao Ang originally thought that as long as he relied on strong fortifications to stick to it, once Liu Jie arrived, the Northwest Field Army would definitely retreat, just like Yulin, and he would turn the crisis into safety.
He almost counted the time to live his life, every minute and every second was tormented, but he did not expect that Liu Jie had arrived in the southwest of Qingjian, but there was no news of progress. Originally, at this time, in order to ensure the capture of Qingjian, Peng Dehuai sent the Teaching Brigade to the south and cooperated with the New 4th Brigade to jointly block Liu Jie.
On the evening of the 10th, the Northwest Field Army launched a general attack on Qingjian City, and the offensive became more and more fierce, and soon the East City Gate was breached. The defeated Nationalist soldiers poured into the city in a disorderly manner.
As the gunfire drew nearer, the officers of the divisional command post, one by one, panicked and began to pack up their things and prepare to flee.
Liao Ang's mood was extremely bad, remembering the 3 billion Legal Tender, his anger did not hit a single place, and asked the guards to burn it. Looking at the raging fire in the courtyard, Liao Ang's face was like dead ash.
Zhang Xin and Liu Xuechao looked at the commander of the first division, who was usually as majestic as a tiger, and what they did in a critical moment, and they both felt that the general trend had gone. The two of them quietly discussed, is it time to break through or surrender?
Zhang Xin, a military attaché, whizzed out his pistol and said anxiously, "It's too late to break through now." If we don't succeed, we will become benevolent, and we will fall into a desperate situation, and it is time to be loyal to the party and the state. ”
Liu Xuechao pulled him aside: "Slowly, the matter has come to this point, we have all done our best, and there is nothing to regret." Brigadier Zhang, let the brothers go on their own. I heard Li Kungang say that the People's Liberation Army really treats prisoners preferentially, and you and I don't have to worry anymore. ”
After a day and night of fierce fighting, Qingjian was finally conquered, annihilating more than 8,000 Kuomintang troops. Xu Guangda led the headquarters into the city, and met the soldiers with a group of prisoners. Xu Guangdalma stood on the side of the road to check.
When he saw one of the captives, he pointed at it with one hand and said, "You look up!" The prisoner looked up, and it was Liao Ang.
"Liao Ang is out!" Xu Guangda said sharply.
Liao Ang lowered his head again, looked at the ground, and took two gentle steps forward.
Xu Guangda jumped off his horse and said to Liao Ang in a peaceful tone, "Master Liao, have you seen the letter I wrote to you?" ”
Liao Ang still bowed his head and did not say a word.
Xu Guangda said, "It seems to have received it." Seeing that we are Whampoa alumni, I wrote you that letter. Our policy has always been to treat prisoners leniently and not to blame in the past. You, as a teacher, must have heard of it earlier. But why do you want to kill yourself? ”
"Chiang Kai-shek's reactionary rule is about to collapse, and Hu Zongnan has shrunk xi'an, seeing that he is unable to protect himself, but you still have to fight for them." You see, how many of our warriors have been sacrificed in this city, and so many of your brothers, all of whom are sons of the people! Did you go to the Whampoa Military Academy to study just to kill the people? ”
The more Xu Guangda spoke, the more excited he became, and Liao Ang said in a trembling voice, "I am guilty! I'm guilty! ”
Xu Guangda stopped, waved his hand, and said, "You go, reflect well in the prisoner of war camp, I am waiting for you to become a new person, and you can do something useful for the people in the second half of your life." ”
"I must! I must! Liao Ang said in a loud voice.
After cleaning up the battlefield, the Northwest Field Army withdrew from Qingjian on the afternoon of the 11th. The new 4th Brigade and the Teaching Brigade, which were responsible for blocking the attack, also evaded the road and let Liu Jie pass.
At night, Liu Jie came to the outside of Qingjian City, watched Qingjian City in darkness, quietly, and couldn't help but stomp his feet and sigh.
From the occupation of Yan'an, Liu Jie became the leader of the fire brigade. Whenever the Hu army had troops in a hurry, Liu Jie was ordered to rush to the rescue, but he was always defeated because of the obstruction of the Northwest Field Army, and it was he who was finally reprimanded. This time it was again.
Liu Jie outside Qingjian City was afraid of being ambushed by the communist army, and did not even dare to enter the city, so he sent a report to Hu Zongnan on the spot. Hu Zongnan, seeing that Qingjian had ended up with such a result, also panicked, and simply ordered Suide's defenders to retreat south with Liu Jie's army. At this time, I can't care that I will be reprimanded by Chiang Kai-shek, after all, it is important to preserve my strength!
By now, Hu Zongnan no longer had the heart to fight, and he moved his command post to Xi'an in frustration, and Yan'an let Liu Jie garrison and withdraw the main force to the south of Yan'an to rest.