Chapter 46 Tight encirclement

The Third North China Corps suddenly moved eastward and approached Zhangjiakou. Sun Lanfeng, commander of the 11th Corps defending Zhangjiakou and chairman of Chahar Province, was terrified.Fearing that Zhangjiakou's direct line troops would be wiped out and their escape route to the west cut off, Fu Zuoyi hurriedly ordered Guo Jingyun, commander of his "ace" 35th Army stationed in Fengtai, to personally lead the 101st Division, 267th Division and the troops stationed in Huailai. Three divisions, including the 258th Division of the 104th Army, arrived in Zhangjiakou on the 30th in more than 400 vehicles.At the same time, Fu Zuoyi transferred the main force of the 104th Army stationed in Changping to Huailai to the west, and the 16th Army stationed in Zhuo County moved to Changping and Nankou to meet the emergency on the western front.

Chairman Mao learned successively in Xibaipo that the Three Corps of North China had surrounded Zhangjiakou, and as expected, Fu Zuoyi ordered the 35th Army to reinforce Zhangjiakou, achieving my goal of attracting the enemy from Pingjin to the west. He was very happy.On December 1st and 2nd, the Three Corps were telegraphed successively to encircle several enemy units and build a tight encirclement to prevent them from running away.Following Chairman Mao's instructions, Yizong occupied Xinzhuang Station with a regiment of troops and cut off the railway between Xiahuayuan and Xuanhua.So far, the Zhangjiakou enemy's one corps headquarters, two army headquarters, six infantry divisions, two cavalry brigades, two security regiments, and two infantry divisions and one security regiment in Xuanhua are mostly surrounded by three columns of our Third Corps or Contained in the Zhangjiakou and Xuanhua areas.

Our North China Third Corps and the enemy's 35th Army are old rivals.In October 1946, when the Thirty-fifth Army attacked Zhangjiakou, it was very arrogant and arrogant.But the good times didn't last long. One year later, in October 1947, our army launched a counterattack on the northern line of Pinghan Road.In early November, the enemy's thirty-fifth army rushed to the Laishui area to reinforce Laishui, which was surrounded by us, to defend the enemy.On November 12, our Second Column annihilated six to seven hundred people from the 101st Division of the 35th Army in Wucun and Gaoluo; at the same time, the 1st Column and 1st Brigade also attacked the headquarters of the 35th Army More than 600 people forced the enemy commander Lu Yinglin to commit suicide, giving the arrogant "ace" 35th Army a head-on blow.Therefore, when Guo Jingyun, the new commander of the 35th Army of the enemy, reinforced Zhangjiakou to defend the enemy this time, he relied on his advantage in "motorized" equipment and threatened to fight a decisive battle with our three corps to avenge Laishui.Soon after he arrived in Zhangjiakou on November 30, he couldn't wait to launch an attack on the first column in Zhangjiakou and Xuanjian and the sixth column in Wanquan area; With courage, two divisions and one cavalry brigade launched a fierce attack on the positions around Kongjiazhuang in our second column.

The enemy's frenzied attack bears the brunt of the Kongjiazhuang position at the forefront of the Fifth Brigade.They fought from seven or eight o'clock in the morning until three or four o'clock in the afternoon. They fought very bravely and tenaciously, defeating the enemy's attacks again and again.But the enemy relied on powerful artillery fire and engaged in crowd tactics. Like a gambler who has lost his eyes, the bets are getting bigger and bigger. Regardless of the corpses lying on the front of my position, one company was defeated, one battalion, one battalion After being defeated, a regiment came and attacked in turn.How could the commanders and fighters of the Fifth Brigade let go?Before the war, cadres above the platoon had heard the orders of the Central Military Commission and Chairman Mao, and issued "military orders". The commander of which unit the enemy ran away from was fully responsible and enforced the highest discipline.Therefore, as long as there is one person and one breath, they will never let the enemy pass through this position.However, under the enemy's repeated attacks, the fifth brigade suffered more and more casualties, and some positions on the front line were also broken by the enemy.

At this critical moment, Commander Yang Chengwu of the Corps came to our Second Column Command Post.After he had a brief understanding of the combat situation, he worked with us to study the deployment of the organization's counterattack.At this time, the sun was already in the west, and the enemy started to move from early in the morning. After seven or eight hours of desperate charging, although they won some positions, they suffered heavy casualties and had little stamina.Before dusk, it is the best time for us to organize a counterattack.Therefore, it was decided to send Chief of Staff Zhao Guanying to the Fifth Brigade Command Post to help organize a counterattack and regain the lost positions.

Before Zhao Guanying left, I specifically explained to him: "Tell Ma Long not to engage in red-eye tactics!" I am very familiar with Malone.He joined the Red Army since he was a child. Although he was only in his thirties, he has gradually grown into an excellent commander after a long period of revolutionary war training.Through his strong physique and vigorous style, we can see his bold character and vigor.He is brave and tenacious in combat, takes the lead in battle, and often goes to the front line to command in person.This time around Zhangjiakou to defend the enemy, he and the brigade political commissar Li Shuiqing were determined not to let the enemy slip through the fifth brigade's position.Now that the Fifth Brigade has lost part of its position, the pressure on Ma Long is of course great.I was afraid that Ma Long would get red-eyed, could not hold his breath, and would fight recklessly with the enemy no matter what, so I specifically asked Zhao Guanying to prevent Ma Long from engaging in "red-eye tactics".The command post of the fifth brigade was set up in a small village. Zhao Guanying rushed to the command post of the brigade. Outside, he saw that the 14th regiment not far away had deployed its teams.Lei Yilong, the head of the team, led the team directly under him to the front.The enemy continued to charge, the battle was extremely fierce, and the situation was critical.Zhao Guanying took a few glances outside, then immediately walked into the Fifth Brigade Command Post.

Sure enough, Ma Long was really red-eyed. Due to the enemy's continuous attacks, the troops suffered heavy casualties, the artillery shells were all fired, and the infantry's ammunition was not much; moreover, the reserve team had been used up, and there was no mobile force in hand to organize a counterattack. .what to do?Ma Long was about to go to the artillery position in person, and organized the artillery to counterattack with bayonets on their rifles.Just when Zhao Guanying arrived at the command post, he was overjoyed and eagerly asked Zhao Guanying to stay at the command post, and he wanted to go to the front in person.

At this time, troops from the Sixth Brigade could have been transferred for reinforcements, but the Sixth Brigade was responsible for the defense along the railway line, lest the enemy would take advantage of the opportunity to escape from the railway line. A column of friends and neighbors asked for help, organized a major counterattack, and strived to knock down the enemy before dusk and regain the lost position.After calm thinking, Ma Long agreed with Zhao Guanying's opinion.Zhao Guanying immediately called the first column commander Tang Yanjie and political commissar Kuang Fuzhao.They readily agreed, and ordered a battalion close to the Fifth Brigade's position to be under the command of the Fifth Brigade. They fought northward from the east bank of the small river at Kongjiazhuang and Laoyazhuang. The two forces joined together. After a fierce battle, the enemy was finally counterattacked. up.

As the sun set, the gunshots in the field gradually fell silent, and the afterglow of the sunset glowed the battlefield red.In front of the position, the enemy left thousands of dead bodies, but they still couldn't break free from the snares set by our army.The five brigades of heroes still stand firm on the ground. The enemy hit a wall in front of our second column in the southwest direction. On October 2, they turned to the Shalingzi position in the southeast first column to attack, but were also repelled.On the third day, they swooped again at the Kongjiazhuang position of our second vertical, but it was the end of a strong turn, and they were quickly repelled.

On December 4th, Fu Zuoyi flew to Zhangjiakou in a hurry, held a meeting of senior generals, encouraged his generals, adjusted their deployment, and returned to Peiping that day.But the next day, he suddenly learned that our Northeast Advance Corps had conquered Miyun and was heading towards the Pingzhang Line.In order to protect Pingjin, Fu Zuoyi urgently ordered his "ace" 35th Army to immediately withdraw to Peiping.On December 6, the enemy's 35th Army (leading the 101st Division and the 267th Division) fled eastward in panic in more than 300 vehicles, because the main force of our troops was deployed in the northwest and southwest of Zhangjiakou, east of Zhangjiakou The weak forces in the area caused the enemy to quickly pass the Zhangxuan line.Fortunately, at this time, they were discovered by the 12th Brigade of the Fourth Column of the Second North China Corps, and they blocked the enemy head-on in Xinbaoan.On the 8th, the main force of the Second North China Corps arrived and surrounded the enemy's 35th Army in Xinbaoan.

On the evening of December 6th, Yizong accepted the lesson of the enemy's 35th Army fleeing eastward, and went out to Zhang Xuan Line to occupy Shalingzi and the airport. The 71st Division (temporary 31st Division) captured the enemy's division commander, took advantage of the victory to liberate Xuanhua, and effectively cut off Zhang Xuan's road. In response to the first column's attack on the Zhangxuan line, my second column, together with the sixth column, marched towards the urban area of ​​Zhangjiakou.Our Second Column occupied the line from Kongjiazhuang to Dashizhuang; the Sixth Column occupied the Wanquan, Huangtuliang, and Xuanpingbao lines that were once occupied by the enemy's 35th Army, pushing the enemy defenders outside Zhangjiakou into the urban area and tightening the barriers to Zhangjiakou. Surrounded, waiting for the order of the general offensive.