Chapter 42 Chapter Ten Sweeping Suiyuan for Three Thousand Miles

Suiyuan was a weak link in the defense system of the North China enemy Fu Zuoyi Group at that time.Since March 1948, our army in North China has launched powerful offensives against the enemy in Chahar, Suiyuan, Shanxi, and Hebei provinces in coordination with counter-offensives in various battlefields across the country, and recovered southern Chahar, western Shanxi, and eastern Hebei. A large area of ​​land wiped out more than 170,000 enemy troops, and the enemy in North China fell into a passive situation.Fu Zuoyi was forced to concentrate his main force on the eastern section of Pingcheng, Beining Railway and Pingsui Railway to ensure Pingjin; Suiyuan only left more than 40,000 people scattered for defense, which was relatively empty.The Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao have insight into the overall situation and foresight. As early as July 1948, when our army in North China launched the Baobei Campaign, it had already begun to deploy the westward advance to Suiyuan.On July 30, under the order of the Military Commission, our second column and the first and sixth columns formed the third army, ready to undertake the task of marching into Suiyuan and managing Suiyuan.On August 3, Chairman Mao personally summoned Nie Rongzhen, commander of the North China Military Region, and Yang Chengwu, commander of the Third Corps, at the central garrison of Xibaipo, Pingshan County, Hebei Province. instructions and arrangements.

In August and September, the Three Corps held a meeting of cadres above the regiment level in Yi County. Commander Nie Rongzhen came to the meeting and gave a mobilization report, conveying Chairman Mao's instructions. Regarding the situation at home and abroad, the situation between the enemy and ourselves on the North China battlefield, and Chairman Mao himself, he decided that our army The great strategic significance of advancing to Suiyuan was analyzed in detail, and requirements were put forward for the troops.Commander Nie said humorously to the cadres: "We want to make Fu Zuoyi the 'troop commander' of our army's will. Whether we can achieve this depends on whether your Three Corps beat him in Suiyuan or not."Commander Nie's report greatly encouraged everyone, and the comrades were gearing up with high fighting spirit.Then, Commander Yang Chengwu specifically deployed the combat missions and analyzed the favorable conditions and possible difficulties of this expedition.He especially emphasized that this operation was far away from the base area and went deep into the enemy's lair. The enemy's situation and roads were unfamiliar. Under the reactionary rule, life is very poor, and supplies in the war zone are scarce, especially food shortages. Our army travels long distances and marches thousands of miles. In terms of material supply, marching operations, and mass work, we will encounter many problems that we cannot encounter when fighting on the inside. and difficult.If our army wants to gain a foothold in Suiyuan, we must be prepared to starve for three days and eat grass for two days.Commander Yang called on all regiment and above cadres to carry forward our army's glorious tradition of hard work, learn from the Red Army's revolutionary spirit of climbing snow-capped mountains and crossing grasslands, overcome all difficulties and hardships, and resolutely complete the marching tasks entrusted by Chairman Mao.Chairman Mao's instructions and the speeches of the two commanders made everyone fully mentally prepared and determined to overcome difficulties.

As soon as the meeting was over, the leading comrades of the second column and I rushed back to the station immediately to start various preparations for the march.After the Battle of Baobei, the commander of the column, Chen Zhengxiang, was resting due to illness and was unable to go out with the army. Chief of Staff Zhao Guanying was ordered to lead the advance team of the Corps, which had already set off early. The only leaders of the column were me, deputy commander Han Wei, and Liu Guoliang, director of the political department.In accordance with the spirit of the Yi County Conference of the Corps, the three of us studied the specific preparations for the westward march, made a general division of labor, and then went to the army separately.The whole column (less than the fourth brigade) quickly started pre-war preparations.The brigade and the regiment held swearing-in meetings and mobilization meetings respectively, carried out situational education, complaints, and "sarcasm root" education, established a firm belief in the army that "the victory of the whole country is in sight" and fought for the interests of the people without fear of hardship or sacrifice. The idea of ​​having the courage to attack the enemy-occupied area; in the military, according to the characteristics and geographical conditions of the enemy army in Suiyuan, tactical and technical training such as mobile warfare, fortified warfare, and cavalry combat were carried out; Prepare accordingly.The Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao were very concerned about our westward marching troops, and specially allocated a large amount of silver dollars and cloth, and sent a large number of cadres from Jinsui District to solve the logistics supply problem during the march.The care of the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao greatly encouraged the troops, and made the majority of cadres and soldiers more confident in marching to victory.

On September 5, the arduous Suiyuan march began.Our second column started from the Mancheng area in the west of Hebei, and marched towards Fanzhi and Daixian in the north of Yanbei.In order to carry more food and ammunition, each soldier carried a load of seventy to eighty catties. During the rainy season, the autumn wind and bitter rain continued, and the roads were muddy and difficult. Many comrades had blood on their shoulders and blisters on their feet. Some of them were so swollen that they couldn't wear shoes, but they still insisted on rushing to the team.Cadres at all levels played an exemplary and leading role and marched with heavy loads like soldiers. Leading cadres gave up their mounts to sick patients and walked with the troops themselves.The brigade commander Ma Long and others personally carried the oil pickers from the kitchen to the mountain climbing competition with his comrades, and shared joys and sorrows with the soldiers, which deeply moved everyone.Cadres and soldiers encouraged each other. This kind of mass ideological and political work played a great role and greatly accelerated the marching pace.After the troops arrived at the assembly area, the Third Corps and the troops of the Jinsui Military Region led by Political Commissar Li Jingquan joined together and held a meeting of the former committee in Mixi Mazhuang, Shuo County. The terrain and other conditions were reported, and the combat plan for storming Guisui City was studied in detail on the sand table.The various troops conducted live-ammunition shooting, siege combat actions, and combat command training around the city of Shuo County day and night.At that time, there were three infantry divisions, one cavalry brigade, an independent cavalry regiment and local security forces defending the enemy in Suiyuan, with a total of more than 40,000 people. Conduct mobile defense.Based on this, Commander Yang and Political Commissar Li are determined to seize Fengzhen, Jining, Guisui and other key points resolutely and bravely first by means of raids, so as to control the Pingsui Railway from Fengzhen to Chasuqi, and then to Suinan and Suibei develop.The specific deployment is: the eighth column of Jinsui led by Yao Zhe and the second brigade of the first column to attack and wipe out the enemy in Jining; Occupy favorable terrain in the east of Jining and Fengzhen, and prepare to fight against the enemy who comes to aid from Beiping.The first column (less than the second brigade), the sixth column and my second column are approaching Guisui and preparing to attack the city.

After the meeting, the troops I belonged to issued the "Emergency Mobilization Order to Attack and Return to Sui", which clarified the direction of march among the troops.The commanders and fighters were all in high spirits, and their letters of determination and invitations to fight were submitted to leading agencies at all levels, vying to take on the main task of attack and the vanguard of climbing the city.From time to time in the marching team, there were battle songs and short and powerful chants of "Go, comrades, catch up! Come on, comrades, keep up! Victory is at our feet. We must grit our teeth and overcome difficulties before we can win the battle." Slogans.During the marching intervals, the troops, regardless of fatigue, took every opportunity to learn the party's urban policy, ethnic policy, religious policy and our army's discipline, and became familiar with the customs and habits of the ethnic minorities in Suiyuan.On September 12, the troops crossed the Yanmen Pass and entered the Yanbei mountainous area outside the Great Wall. The mountains became more steep and steep, and the roads became more rugged; .Some people slipped and fell in the team from time to time, and many comrades fell covered in mud and mud, but no one complained.The column has only one wish: according to Chairman Mao's deployment, overcome all difficulties, march bravely, fight to Guisui, and liberate Suiyuan.