Campaign background
In 1948, the war of liberation in northeastern China entered a critical stage. In October of that year, the commanders of the Northeast Field Army, Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou (Lin Luo Liu), made an important decision: to capture Jinzhou first, so as to close the passage for the enemy in the northeast to flee south, thus paving the way for the liberation of the entire northeast. The strategic location of Jinzhou is extremely crucial, it is an important gateway from the northeast to North China, once captured, it can not only cut off the retreat of the Kuomintang army, but also provide space for strategic maneuver for the Northeast Field Army.
Tashan, a small village south of Jinzhou, became a necessary route for the Kuomintang army to reinforce Jinzhou due to its close proximity to the Bac Ninh Railway and Highway. Defending Tashan is of great importance to the Northeast Field Army, and it is directly related to the success or failure of the Jinzhou Campaign. If Tashan is lost, once the Kuomintang reinforcements merge with the Jinzhou defenders, it will bring immeasurable losses to our army, and may even lead to the defeat of the entire campaign.
Against this background, the commander of the Northeast Field Army decided to mobilize the troops of the fourth column and the first column to carry out a key defense of Tashan to ensure the smooth progress of the Jinzhou Campaign. Liu Yalou had great confidence in defending Tashan, and he firmly believed that our army would be able to resist the enemy's attack with its strong will and correct command.
Arrangement of the Tower Hill Line
In order to strengthen the defense of Tashan, the commander of the Northeast Field Army made a careful deployment of troops. The 4th Column and the 1st Column, as the main force, were transferred to the Tashan front line to build a strong defensive line. On the defensive position of Tashan, the four columns took advantage of the terrain to build multi-level fortifications, including trenches, bunkers, barbed wire, etc., forming a solid defense system.
Liu Yalou had great confidence in holding Tashan, and he believed that as long as the command was done properly, our army was fully capable of resisting the enemy's attack. In the stage of preparing for the battle, the commanders and fighters of the Fourth Column showed extremely high fighting enthusiasm and sacrifice, and they said one after another that even if they fought to the last man, they would never let the enemy cross Tower Hill a single step.
In terms of combat deployment, Wu Kehua, commander of the Fourth Column, and Li Tianyou, commander of the First Column, played an important role. In light of the actual conditions of both the enemy and us, they drew up a detailed battle plan and flexibly commanded during the battle, effectively resisting the enemy's repeated attacks.
Command structure and command
In the Battle of Tashan, Hu Qicai and Su Jing were assigned as the main commanders of the front line. As the deputy commander of the Fourth Column, Hu Qicai was responsible for directly commanding the defensive battle of Tashan. Su Jing, as the chief of staff of the Northeast Field Army, was responsible for supervising the progress of the battle and reporting the battle situation to Chief Lin Luo and Liu in a timely manner.
In order to ensure the victory of this battle, the leaders of the Northeast Field Army (referred to as the Four Fields) made an important decision: to send Su Jing to Tashan to sit in the town and assist in commanding the battle. Su Jing, as Lin Biao's right-hand man, was known for his resourcefulness and bravery, and his participation undoubtedly added a few points to the victory of the Tashan Resistance Battle.
Wu Kehua, then the commander of the Fourth Column of the Northeast Field Army, was one of the main commanders of the Tashan Blockade Battle. With firm will and excellent command ability, he successfully led the troops to resist the repeated attacks of the Kuomintang army. However, when Su Jing arrived at Tashan, Wu Kehua expressed dissatisfaction with his arrival, and even shouted, "Are you here to supervise the army?" ”
Commander Wu Kehua was not very satisfied with Su Jing's arrival. He believed that Su Jing's supervision might affect his command and even weaken the combat effectiveness of the troops. But with her rich command experience and excellent leadership skills, Su Jing quickly won Wu Kehua's trust and respect.
During the battle, Hu Qicai and Su Jing worked closely together to adjust the battle plan in a timely manner according to the changes in the battlefield situation, and effectively commanded the troops to resist the enemy's attack. Their outstanding command made great contributions to the victory of the Tashan Resistance Battle.
Battles between friend and foe
In the Tashan Blockade Battle, there was a clear gap between the forces and equipment of the enemy and us. The Kuomintang army had superiority in strength and was relatively well-equipped, especially its artillery and air force, which posed a huge threat to our army. However, with its stubborn will to fight and flexible tactical use, our army successfully resisted many enemy attacks.
During the battle, our army gave full play to the advantages of fortifications, using trenches, bunkers and other defensive facilities to effectively resist the enemy's artillery fire and infantry onslaught. At the same time, our army also adopted flexible tactics, such as night raids, ambushes, etc., to deal a heavy blow to the enemy.
At the critical moment of the battle, the commanders and fighters of our army displayed an extremely high spirit of sacrifice and heroism. They took the lead in a desperate struggle against the enemy, defending the Tashan defense line with their own blood and lives.
Internal contradictions of the enemy army
In the Battle of Tashan, the internal contradictions and inconsistencies of the Kuomintang army also became an important reason for our army's victory. Although Chiang Kai-shek attached great importance to the Tashan blockade, his subordinates had serious disagreements and inconsistencies.
As a high-ranking general of the Kuomintang army, Luo Qi's arrogance and tactical mistakes seriously affected the combat effectiveness of the Kuomintang army. Regardless of the actual situation, he blindly ordered his troops to carry out a frontal assault, but was stubbornly resisted by our army and suffered heavy losses.
In addition, factional struggles and entanglements of interests within the Kuomintang army also seriously affected the combat effectiveness of the troops. In order to preserve their strength, many generals were unwilling to go all out, and even escaped from the battle.
The heroic performance of our army
In the Tashan Resistance Battle, the commanders and fighters of our army displayed extremely high military qualities and heroic and tenacious fighting spirit. All the soldiers of the Fourth Column were not afraid of sacrifice in the battle, fought bravely to be the first, and defended the Tashan defense line with their own blood and lives.
At the critical moment of the battle, the commanders of our army took the lead and fought to the death against the enemy. With their practical actions, they set an example for the fighters and greatly boosted the morale of the troops.
In the course of the battle, our army also gave full play to the might of political work and greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the troops through powerful ideological mobilization and spiritual encouragement. According to statistics, among the nearly 200 people commended by the general order after the war, nearly 120 were Communist Party members, which shows the active participation and fearless dedication of Party members in the war.
Victory in the Battle of Tower Hill
After six days and six nights of fierce fighting, the Tashan Blockade ended in the victory of our army. Our army successfully held the Tashan defensive line and laid a solid foundation for the victory of the Jinzhou Campaign. During the battle, our army killed, wounded and captured more than 6,600 enemy soldiers, dealing a heavy blow to the Kuomintang army.
The victory in the Tashan Resistance Battle lies not only in the military victory of our army, but also in the political victory of our army. Through stubborn defense, our army successfully smashed the offensive plan of the Kuomintang army, greatly boosted the morale of the army and people in the liberated areas, and laid a solid foundation for the final victory of the liberation war.
After the battle, the commander of the Northeast Field Army highly praised the 12th Division of the Fourth Column. They believed that the 12th Division of the Fourth Column performed well in the Tashan Resistance Battle and made great contributions to the victory of the battle.
Post-war evaluation and commemoration
As an important battle in the War of Liberation, the historical significance of the Tashan Resistance Battle is self-evident. After the war, the party and the people spoke highly of the Tashan Resistance Battle. Chief Higashino's high praise for the 4th Vertical and 12th Division reflects the important position of the Tashan Resistance Battle in the history of our army.
In order to commemorate the martyrs who died in the Tashan Resistance Battle, the Tashan Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery was built on the site of the Tashan Battle in 1963. There is a monument to the revolutionary martyrs of Tashan in the cemetery, the front is engraved with the words "The revolutionary martyrs of the Tashan Resistance War are immortal" inscribed by Comrade Chen Yun, and the back details the course of the war and heroic deeds.
The history of the Battle of Tower Hill is also widely sung. Many veteran generals who participated in the war recounted in detail in their memoirs the process of the Tashan Resistance Battle, and their deep feelings for Tashan were overflowing. They believe that the Tashan Resistance Battle is a glorious page in the War of Liberation, and its contribution to the history of the Republic is indelible.
Personal memories and remembrances
General Wu Kehua, as one of the main commanders of the Tashan Resistance Battle, recounted in detail in his memoirs the course of the Tashan Resistance Battle. He fondly recalled the heroic performance of the commanders and fighters in the battle, and spoke highly of the soldiers' spirit of sacrifice.
The veteran generals who participated in the war also had a deep affection for Tower Hill. They often recall the days and nights in Tower Hill and are full of affection for every plant and tree there. They believe that the Battle of Tower Hill is the most unforgettable experience of their lives and their most precious spiritual wealth.
Under their impetus, the history of the Tashan Resistance was widely disseminated. Many literary and artistic works take the Tashan Resistance Battle as the theme, vividly reproduce the years of blood and fire, and stimulate the patriotic enthusiasm of the people.
epilogue
As an important battle in the War of Liberation, the historical and practical significance of the Tashan Resistance Battle cannot be ignored. It not only demonstrated the firm will and outstanding command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in decisive battles, but also served as a model for our party to effectively carry out ideological work and spiritual encouragement.
The victory in the Tashan Resistance Battle was the result of the people's army's heroic tenacity and unafraid of sacrifice, as well as the result of our party's correct leadership and scientific command. It not only won a major military victory, but also a major political victory, laying a solid foundation for the final victory of the Liberation War.