There is a scene in the TV series Armageddon (Episode 20). After the fall of Jinzhou, Chiang Kai-shek convened a meeting at Huludao to hold Que Hanqian, commander of the Eastern Advance Corps, accountable: "I would like to ask you a good question, what is the situation in Tashan?" I think you deliberately postponed it and refused to attack with all your might. Que Hanqian felt very aggrieved, bluntly saying that the communist army had faith and could unite, while the nationalist army, on the other hand, only had advantages in vain, but in fact dismantled each other, and it was strange that they were not defeated. Chiang Kai-shek was very angry, called Que Hanqian a "traitor", and even ordered him to be pulled out and shot. Gu Zhutong, the chief of staff, hurriedly stopped it and asked people to take Que Hanqian down first.
During the Liaoshen Campaign, Chiang Kai-shek convened a meeting in Shenyang
Of course, the actual situation is somewhat different from the facts, after all, film and television drama is an art, unlike documentaries, it should be allowed to be moderately processed. In fact, during the Liaoshen Decisive Battle, Chiang Kai-shek visited Huludao twice. Huludao is located in the north of the Bohai Sea, the west coast of Liaodong Bay, between Qinhuangdao and Yingkou ports, surrounded by the sea on three sides, adjacent to the land on one side, from northwest to southeast into the sea, the middle is particularly narrow, resembling a gourd, so it got its name.
According to the "Observation" magazine published at that time (September 11, 1948), Fan Hanjie, deputy commander-in-chief of the Northeast "Suppression General" and director of the Jinzhou Command Post, "used Qin (Huangdao) and Hu (Ludao) as air holes to the outside, and internally used Jinzhou, Jinxi, and Huludao as bases, and set up a rear headquarters in Qinhuangdao to control the Luandong region"; the article also commented: "However, Fan Hanjie's defense area is a long strip in the coastal area inside and outside the Guanxi, and it is easy for the communist army to cut off contact." The defensive forces of Suizhong and Xingcheng were very thin, and judging by the situation, Fan Hanjie did not attach too much importance to railway traffic, and pinned all his hopes on the sea between the ports of Qin and Hu. "It's true. The more effective 54th Army was deployed in Huludao rather than Jinzhou, which seems to be based on this consideration.
Chiang Kai-shek and Que Hanqian
The commander of the 54th Army, Que Hanqian, zibayun, a native of Ningyuan, Hunan, graduated from the fourth phase of the Whampoa Military Academy and belonged to the Chen Cheng system of the Central Army. On October 1, Chiang Kai-shek sent a telegram to Encourage Han Qian: "When I came to Beiping yesterday, I have decided to send powerful troops to reinforce Jin and Hu. Brother Wang's strict supervision of the ministry, hard work, and the completion of the mission are for the most important." On the afternoon of the 6th, Chiang Kai-shek summoned officers at or above the regimental commander in Huludao for a lecture, and since the 39th Army and the 92nd Army were still waiting for transportation in Yantai and Tangshan, most of the colonels were from the 54th and 62nd Armies.
"It must be known that I did not hesitate to withdraw from Yantai, transferred the 8th Army, and ordered the 92nd Army, the 62nd Army, the 95th Division and other 6 divisions around Tianjin to gather in this area, that is, to succeed in this offensive." The victory or defeat of this war is related to the survival of the entire northeast, and you must have the determination to kill yourself and become a benevolent person. This time, with both air force assistance and naval coordination, it is certain that the communist army can be destroyed. Chiang Kai-shek dispatched heavy troops to form the EastWard Advance Corps, with Hou Jingru, commander of the 17th Corps, as the commander, and before Hou arrived, he ordered Que Hanqian to unify the command of all departments.
The Battle of Tower Hill simulates a sand table
Later, the People's Liberation Army captured Jinzhou, and the Nationalist Army's Eastward Advance Corps was never able to cross Tashan. On the morning of the 16th, Chiang Kai-shek came to Huludao again, pointed to the map and angrily rebuked Que Hanqian: "Tashan is so close, how can the enemy do so many strong fortifications and obstacles so quickly?" The Que army was stationed in Huludao and should have discovered this situation long ago, so why not obstruct and sabotage it? According to Xie Yi, chief of staff of the 62nd Army, Chiang Kai-shek was furious, pointed at Que Hanqian, wanted to shoot him, and scolded: "Are you a Huangpu student? It's locusts, it's locusts! The crowd was so frightened that they did not dare to move, nor did they dare to speak out.
Therefore, Que Hanqian defended himself by the lines added by the screenwriters, can meet, he was frightened and did not dare to move, who has the courage to say what "undefeated is strange". Everyone present was silent, the scene was very embarrassing, and finally the overseer Roach rounded the field: "Please stop the president's anger, everyone has contributed." In this operation, the army, navy, and air force could not coordinate, the combat vehicles could not be used in time, the troops had suffered heavy casualties in combat, and some fortifications in Tashan were recently built at night. ”
Chiang Kai-shek on Huludao
Shi Youren was then deputy commander and chief of staff of the 8th Division of the 54th Army, and some of the hidden secrets he revealed in his later writings may answer Chiang Kai-shek's questions:
At that time, the value of the gold yuan coupons fell by a day, and the senior Kuomintang generals were eager to profit, and the salaries were not paid in time, they were replaced by gold bars, pressed for a week and a half and then sold, and the profit was more than five times. I remember that when the soldiers were paying, they received worthless gold round scrolls and shouted at the street in front of the officials, 'How much money you give Lao Tzu, Lao Tzu will fight you how much money the battle'! ”
If the EastWard Advance Corps jumps over Tashan, it may be able to give the WestWard Advance Corps a huge encouragement, and the People's Liberation Army will inevitably fall into a dangerous situation of being attacked by the enemy on its back for a long time. When the edifice of helplessness is about to fall, the senior generals of the Nationalist army have their own thoughts, the morale of the army is unprecedented, Chiang Kai-shek is running east and west, it is difficult to support alone, personal will cannot stop the people's correct choice after all, and the development of history is always rolling forward.
bibliography:
1. Edited by the Cultural and Historical Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: Personal Experiences of the Liaoshen Campaign: Memories of Former Kuomintang Generals, China Literature and History Publishing House, 1985
2. Jin Chonghe, "Decisive Battle: How Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek Responded to the Three Major Battles", Sanlian Bookstore, 2020 edition
3. Hu Pingsheng, "Servant Wind and Dust: Chiang Kai-shek's Six Northern Tours after the War (1945-1948)," Taipei, Yuanhua Cultural Creation, 2018 edition