Chapter 54 Chapter Thirteen

In the winter of 1949, the leadership of the 19th Corps was ordered to station in Xi'an, which also served as the Shaanxi Military Region, and the 65th Army was stationed in Ningxia (also the Ningxia Military Region) to take on the task of suppressing bandits and guarding; the 64th Army moved to Gansu, The Baoji area was responsible for the task of building the Bao (chicken) Sky (Water) Railway; the 63rd Army moved to the Sanyuan area for training, and supported the construction of the Bao-Tian Railway with part of its troops.While completing their main tasks, the armies generally carried out large-scale production campaigns, carried out military training and political and cultural studies, and supported local governments in completing tasks such as land reform, democratic governance, and production construction.

After turning from war to a peaceful environment, I, who have spent more than 20 years in the military, did not breathe a sigh of relief. With years of struggle experience, I am still prepared for danger in times of peace, and have been watching the changes in the situation of class struggle at home and abroad.When I noticed that in a peaceful environment, the commanders and fighters gradually developed the idea of ​​"letting horses go to the south mountains, disarming and returning to the fields", and yearning for the small peasant life of "a cow on 30 acres of land, wives and children on a kang", I deeply felt that this kind of peaceful and paralyzing thinking has a negative effect on the troops. Construction poses great dangers. Immediately carry out general education on the situation and combat readiness tasks in the army. Commanders and fighters are required to review Chairman Mao Zedong's speech at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and deeply understand the teaching that "the People's Liberation Army will always be a combat team". During production and labor, you must always hold the weapon in your hand tightly, and seize the time to learn the skills to kill the enemy.

On June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out. While invading North Korea, the U.S. imperialists armedly occupied Taiwan, our territory, and continuously violated our territorial waters and airspace with their navy and air force, stepping up their armed provocations against our country.Facing the rapidly changing international situation, I often remind everyone: "There must be a war with US imperialism!" In fact, I have long been mentally prepared for this war.During the year when Commander Yang Dezhi and I lived in Xi'an, we each lived in two dilapidated small bungalows with our wives and children, living a simple life as in wartime.Driven by our leading cadres, subordinate cadres at all levels have never considered running their own comfort zone, and have always maintained a state of being ready for battle.

At that time, in order to improve the military and political quality of cadres and strengthen the construction of the army, based on my years of experience in running schools, I asked my superiors for approval. Based on the former North China Military and Political University), the 19th Corps Military and Political Cadre School was established in Xi'an. From the summer of 1950 to the summer of 1952, it trained three battalions, Company and platoon cadres and some educated youths have trained more than 5,200 military and political cadres, medical and logistics cadres.This large number of cadres made great contributions to improving the combat effectiveness of the troops, ensuring that the grassroots backbones were continuously enriched in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and to strive for victory in the war.At the same time, due to the strengthening of the education and training of the troops, the troops maintained a high morale and their combat effectiveness was further improved.

On October 1, 1950, when celebrating the first National Day of New China, our Corps dispatched an infantry division of the 63rd Army to Xi'an to accept the leadership of Commander Peng Dehuai of the First Field Army and the party, government and army of the Northwest Region The review of the 19th Corps reported the achievements of the 19th Corps in the construction of a regularized and modernized revolutionary army, showing the strong combat effectiveness of our army and the determination to defend New China. "The tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop".Just as our Corps wiped out the gangsters in the Helan Mountains, and completed 53% of the earthwork tasks on the most difficult section of the Baotian Railway - the construction of more than 4.64 million cubic meters of tunnels and roadbeds; On September 15, 1950, the U.S. invasion force landed in Incheon under the banner of the United Nations Army and quickly crossed the 38th parallel. , Burning the flames of war to the borders of our country.The fraternal Korean people are at a critical juncture, and the security of the motherland is seriously threatened.

On the afternoon of October 4th, Commander Peng Dehuai was ordered to fly to Beijing on a special plane sent by the Central Committee. On October 5th, Yang Dezhi and the leaders of the Corps received an urgent telegram from Comrade Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Military Commission: The 19th Corps December Five days ago, they arrived at Yanzhou, Tai'an, and Tengxian County in Shandong Province on the Jinpu Railway Line to gather and stand by, preparing to defend the Northeast frontier and resist US aggression and aid Korea.After receiving the order, I immediately presided over the research of the Party Committee of the Corps, resolutely implemented the instructions of the Central Committee, issued a mobilization order, and organized the troops to carry out various preparations in an intense and orderly manner.

After receiving the mobilization order, the armies immediately took action, put down the steel drills, shovels, hoes, sickles and books, picked up the guns and backpacks, and quickly concentrated on mobilization education in units of divisions.At that time, most of the commanders and fighters of the army had participated in the battle of marching into the Northwest. When they heard the call of the Party Central Committee to "resist US aggression, aid Korea, and defend the country", they all geared up and handed over letters of determination and war letters, signed by all the commanders and fighters. , Unanimously submitted a letter to the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao requesting to join the DPRK and participate in the war, and the mood for war was very high.

On November 22, Yang Dezhi and I led the leading body of the corps to leave Xi'an and march towards Chongzhou. The armies, led by Deputy Commander Ge Yanchun, traveled by car or marched thousands of miles to Zouxian and Tengxian to gather at the end of the month. standby.Not a few days after the Corps arrived in Yanzhou, Yang Dezhi and I received a notification from the Military Commission that Commander-in-Chief Zhu De summoned the two of us in Beijing to explain the mission face to face.After arranging our work, we rushed to Beijing immediately.Boss Zhu met us in Zhongnanhai, and asked in detail about the army's staffing, weapons and equipment, military and political quality, organizational discipline, and ideological dynamics, etc., and said: "Old Peng has been here for more than two months. Not bad, but quite difficult. He sent back some telegrams, the chairman is satisfied, and Comrade Kim Il Sung of North Korea is also satisfied. You can take a look and understand the situation. Lao Peng is familiar with your 19th Corps, and he will appoint your troops Entering the DPRK. So the chairman and Comrade Enlai asked me to talk to you, learn more about the situation, and supervise. See if you still have any problems that need the help of the central government to solve?"

Yang Dezhi reported to Boss Zhu that the Corps was planning to hold a meeting of cadres above the regiment level recently, to further in-depth combat mobilization, and to study the learning, command, political work, and logistical support of modern combined arms operations in light of the characteristics of the Korean battlefield and the US military.Then, I reported to Boss Zhu: "After the troops received the mobilization order to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea, after being educated about the situation and tasks, their morale was relatively high. The first time I went abroad to fight, the main opponent was the US imperialism, which was armed to the teeth, and it was fighting a modern three-dimensional war. The cadres and soldiers generally had no idea. Some grassroots cadres and soldiers who have been "liberated" in the army still have feelings of fear of the United States. They are afraid of American imperialist planes, artillery, tanks, and atomic bombs, and are afraid of the outbreak of World War III. This meeting of cadres above the regiment wants to focus on solving This ideological question is to establish the idea of ​​hatred, contempt, and contempt for American imperialism, to stimulate the fighting spirit of "dare to fight and win", and at the same time to study the political work under the conditions of modern warfare. If Commander-in-Chief Zhu can go to Shandong to participate in this meeting, Giving an instruction will be a great encouragement to all the commanders and fighters of our corps." Commander-in-Chief Zhu readily agreed.

Within a few days, Commander-in-Chief Zhu arrived in Yanzhou and reported the situation and tasks to cadres above the regiment.Mr. Zhu brilliantly analyzed the international and domestic situation and the favorable situation on the Korean battlefield after the two victories of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. win.At the same time, he warned everyone not to be satisfied with the existing preparations and the strong fighting spirit of the troops, but to put out all kinds of difficulties and work together to find a way to solve them. In this way, when they fight against the enemy on the Korean battlefield, they will be sure of victory.

During the meeting, Boss Zhu inspected some troops stationed in Jiuzhou, and accepted our request to write the title of the "Frontline News" of the 63rd Army.Before returning to Beijing, Boss Zhu gave each of the cadres above the division level a copy of Suvorov's famous military book "Introduction to Corps Tactics" translated by Liu Bocheng. He signed the title page of each book with his own hand. The book was also inscribed: "Comrade Zhimin, study hard" and signed.Commander-in-Chief Zhu's care and teachings were a great encouragement and encouragement to all the officers and men of our corps before the expedition, which strengthened everyone's confidence and courage to dare to fight and win. At the meeting of cadres above the regiment level, I made a report on "Political Work Issues Concerning Going Abroad to Fight".After analyzing the situation of the Korean War and describing the significance, purpose and conditions for the volunteers to go abroad to fight, and the conditions for winning the war, the report focuses on the characteristics and possible difficulties of wartime political work, as well as the requirements and implementation methods of wartime political work.I emphasized that at present, it is necessary to continue to carry out mobilization and explanation work in an in-depth and correct manner, explain to the troops the justice of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, establish hatred, contempt, and contempt for US imperialism, and increase hatred of US imperialism; Our aid to the Korean people is an actual action to defend our country; we must continue to publicize the great victories and combat experience of the Chinese People’s Volunteers fighting side by side with the Korean People’s Army after entering North Korea; The spirit of struggle requires everyone to carry forward the spirit of internationalism, love every plant, tree, mountain, and river in North Korea, support the Korean People's Government, support General Kim Il Sung, and take the initiative to do a good job of unity with the Korean people and the People's Army; explain The hardship of the war and the prospect of victory, mentally prepare for a big fight and a long fight, face up to difficulties, overcome them, and strive for the final victory. In my report, I also asked party committees at all levels to pay attention to logistics and political work, and to pay attention to the work of the enemy army and the work of the people's movement; finally, I particularly emphasized that wartime political work should carry forward the style of seeking truth from facts, adopt the method of unified leadership and decentralized control, and give full play to political The accuracy and tenacity of the work ensure the victory of the war.For this reason, I reiterated that in 1948 when I was the political commissar of the second column of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army, I proposed that wartime political work must cultivate the experience of "five to" and "five fast" styles, requiring political organs at all levels and Political cadres must achieve "five to" and "five fast".After the meeting, the Political Department of the Corps also reprinted the report I made in 1948 and distributed it to the company for the reference of cadres. The cultivation of the "five to" and "five fast" style of work has enabled political organs and political cadres at all levels to quickly transfer from a peaceful environment to a state of war, and better play the role of political work. As early as October 1950, when our corps received the order to participate in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, I agreed with Commander Yang Dezhi, Deputy Commander Ge Yanchun and other comrades to transfer more than 20 people from the department, government and post agencies in time. The cadres formed a "study group to North Korea" and appointed Zhao Bin, the deputy director of the Mass Work Department of the Political Department, to go to North Korea to understand the local customs, people's feelings and the experience of the troops who went abroad to fight in the early days.After they came back from studying, I organized cadres above the regiment to listen to their reports, and printed and distributed the investigation materials to the troops. This played a very good role in in-depth political mobilization and various preparations for going abroad to fight. At this time, the Movement to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea was surging across the country, and thousands of young people enthusiastically signed up to join the volunteer army.Our Corps has successively recruited 30,000 to 40,000 new recruits (including a group of new Korean fighters), and the weapons and equipment have also been updated and supplemented, which has greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the troops.In order to adapt to this situation, all armies, in line with the requirement of "reorganizing the organization quickly", carried out organizational adjustments in a timely manner. According to the principle of "preferring the weak rather than lacking" and appropriately adding deputy posts, all cadres at all levels, especially grassroots cadres in companies and platoons, were fully equipped. Adjust and match the backbone of the party and regiment members of each squad, platoon, and company to ensure that the training before the expedition and the victory in the first battle after entering the court are done well. On the eve of entering the DPRK, I instructed the Political Department of the Corps to draft and issue the "Rules for Combat in North Korea".These include: nine rules for observing policies and disciplines; ten rules for solidarity; and seven rules for preferential treatment of prisoners.The code provisions contain both principles and specific provisions, which are practical and feasible.For example, in the "Code of Compliance with Policy and Discipline", there are provisions such as "do not enter private houses privately, do not take anything from the people", "do not negotiate privately, and do not mobilize human and animal power casually"; , some opinions were put forward by the organization, do not talk behind your back", "actively cooperate in combat, do not fight for prisoners, do not fight for capture" and other provisions; The captives explain our policy" and other provisions are easy to understand and easy to remember.The rules are issued to all shifts, and everyone is required to keep them in mind and strictly abide by them.On the way in, I often braved the wind and snow, stood by the roadside, randomly tested the passing company instructors, and urged them to memorize them and put them into action. On February 3, 1951, after our Corps issued the "Instructions for Moving into Political Work", we immediately boarded the train and headed north.After receiving the instructions, each army held a solemn swearing-in ceremony with the regiment as a unit: "Resolutely respond to the call of 'Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Defend the Home and the Country', swear to defend the Korean people, defend the motherland to the death, and defeat the wild wolf of American imperialism!" , The grand oath resounded through the top of Mount Tai, shaking the land of Qilu, showing the selfless and fearless heroism of the Chinese sons and daughters.Immediately, all armies drove northward with the leading organs of the corps and rushed to the front line of the Anti-American War. On February 4th, the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government held a grand banquet and party in Tianjin, entertaining some cadres above the regiment level of our Corps, and seeing off the leading troops of our Corps. The next day, Commander Yang and I rushed to Beijing at the call of Premier Zhou Enlai. Premier Zhou met us in Zhongnanhai.Premier Zhou said: "The commander-in-chief came back from Yanzhou and reported the situation to Chairman Mao. We are satisfied with your work. I invite you to come to see you. You left the motherland to defend the motherland. I am in Beijing for See you off." The Prime Minister also urged that when you arrive in North Korea, you must love the mountains, rivers, plants and trees in North Korea, respect the North Korean people, and educate the troops to strictly implement the three major disciplines and eight points of attention.I reported to the Prime Minister: "We have included these requirements in the "Rules for Combat in North Korea". From now on, we must follow the instructions of the Prime Minister, supervise and inspect, and implement them." There are also two corps commanded by Comrades Yang Yong and Yang Chengwu, both of which have glorious traditions and strong combat effectiveness. I once said that you should take out your "San Yang" and call it "San Yang (Yang) to open the stage." (Thailand)!'" "Sanyang Kaitai" is a homonym of the allusion "Sanyang Kaitai", which means auspiciousness and blessing, and it entrusts the Prime Minister's expectation of the 19th Corps' victory in the expedition.Later, as Premier Zhou said, Yang Chengwu led the 20th Corps of the Volunteer Army into North Korea to participate in the war.After Yang Chengwu returned to China, Yang Yong succeeded Zheng Weishan as the commander of the 20th Corps. He participated in the counterattack in the summer campaign in 1953 and won brilliant victories. As early as the late period of the Anti-Japanese War, from the winter of 1944 to the early days of the War of Liberation, I served as deputy political commissar and political commissar of the Jizhong Military Region and Jizhong Field Column where Yang Chengwu was the commander. Combat (in October 1972, I was transferred to the Fuzhou Military Region as a political commissar, and in the spring of 1977, Yang Chengwu was also transferred to the Fuzhou Military Region as its commander, and we worked together again). In the winter of 1946, Yang Dezhi and I were simultaneously transferred to the second column of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region as political commissar and commander. We fought and worked together for more than a year; in June 1949, I was transferred to the The 19th Corps, where Yang Dezhi was the commander, served as a political commissar. Together with Yang Dezhi and other comrades, he led troops into the Great Northwest, decisively fought Lanzhou, liberated Ningxia, and later participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. In the winter of 1952, I was transferred to work at the Volunteer Army Headquarters. I successively served as the director of the Political Department of the Volunteer Army, the deputy political commissar, and the political commissar. Commander, etc., we are working together again.At the beginning of the five campaigns, Yang Yong entered the DPRK to participate in the war. He successively served as the commander of the 20th Corps of the Volunteer Army, the deputy commander, and commander of the Volunteer Army. I worked with him again. In the past ten years, I have worked well with the "Three Yangs" successively. They supported each other, cooperated with each other, and sympathized with each other in the combat command, military and political training of the troops, and the completion of various tasks, and successfully completed various tasks.Although I have not told other comrades what Premier Zhou said about the "Three Yangs", I understand in my heart that the "Three Yangs" were good at fighting in the revolutionary war years. The Party Central Committee, Chairman Mao and Commander Zhu, and Premier Zhou I have high hopes for the "Three Yangs", so when I served as their political commissar, I always warned myself to do a better job in the party's work and live up to the expectations of the Central Committee. On February 10, our Corps and the 64th Army arrived in the Andong (now Dandong) area, while the 63rd Army and the 65th Army marched to Phoenix City and Benxi, Liaoning, respectively, to assemble and stand by.The Yalu River Bridge between Andong and North Korea's Sinuiju is the only railway bridge leading to North Korea in my country. Due to the indiscriminate bombing of enemy planes, it is often repaired. It is very difficult for the entire Corps to pass through this bridge. According to the research of the Corps leaders , with the strong support of the railway corps, the logistics and transportation department, and the Korean people, except for the Corps command agency driving across the iron bridge in a few designated carriages, the three armies of the Corps from February 16th to 21st from February 16th to 21st The temporarily erected Jiulian City and Changxun and Shanghekou pontoon bridges passed by, and they crossed the Yalu River with a pair of iron feet "arrogantly and vigorously" and rushed to the forefront of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. As soon as I set foot on the land of North Korea, I saw that the beautiful rivers and mountains of North Korea were ravaged by the iron hooves of the American invaders, and there were ruins, scorched earth and broken tiles everywhere; on the fertile fields, there were many bomb craters and weeds. What I saw was also ruins, and I couldn't see a complete building or a standing tree. If it wasn't for the guidance of the guide, I wouldn't know that it was the prosperous capital of the past.The scene in front of me is in sharp contrast to the prosperous scenes that I heard along the way in North China and Northeast China a few days ago, and the people live and work in peace and contentment.However, I also saw the moving scenes of the North Korean people building bridges, repairing roads, delivering food, ammunition, and rescue and transporting the wounded for the People's Army and Volunteers day and night, enduring hunger and cold, regardless of the enemy's bombing and shooting. Li sympathized with the misfortune of the Korean people and admired the strong and indomitable fighting spirit of the Korean people.I immediately seized this good opportunity to educate the troops, and instructed all the troops to consciously and purposefully organize troops to visit the towns and villages that were the most ravaged by the enemy during the march, and asked the Korean people who suffered the most to complain about the atrocities of the enemy. The teaching material is connected with the peaceful and happy life of the people of the motherland, deepens the hatred of the commanders and fighters against the American imperialists, and has a deeper understanding of the consistency of resisting the United States and aiding Korea and defending the country, and further motivates the troops to avenge the Korean people, defend the motherland, and defeat the American aggressors. Determination. During this thousand-mile march, the troops were in a foreign land, unfamiliar with the roads, language barriers, enemy planes harassed, and bandit sabotage. In addition, due to the difficulty of material transportation, all equipment and supplies were carried with them. The average load per person was 35 to 40. Ten kilograms, up to forty-five kilograms, march forty kilometers a day.Due to the in-depth political and ideological work, the troops are emotionally stable and their morale is high.The commanders and fighters braved the severe cold of minus 20 to 30 degrees, braved the wind and snow, traveled at night, and mostly camped in the snowy fields. They overcame various difficulties and arrived at the temporary assembly place in Xili, Yinshan, on February 20. On the 17th, before returning home to report, Commander Peng Dehuai took time to visit the troops at the assembly point of our Corps.After Yang Dezhi and I briefed Boss Peng on the situation of the troops, we asked him for instructions on the missions of the troops.Mr. Peng said: "The fourth campaign is coming to an end, and we generally don't plan to use you. How to fight the next campaign, I will go back to China and ask for instructions before assigning your tasks. Now, you must familiarize yourself with the situation as soon as possible, and the troops will strengthen their pre-war training. Get ready for the next battle and fight the first battle." Boss Peng returned to China to report, and after listening to Chairman Mao's instructions on the strategic policy, he returned to the front line in only one week, and soon determined the plan for the fifth campaign with Comrade Kim Il Sung.Our Corps took advantage of this opportunity to rest and reorganize in the Xili area of ​​Yinshan for nearly ten days. On March 7, it was ordered to continue marching southward, and arrived at Shibianli, Nanchuandian, and Xinxi Daping in the north of Kaesong around March 15. Assembled in the area, the Corps was stationed in Duzhuang Cave to stand by. On March 17th, the Corps conducted a marching summary in Duzhuangdong, commending a group of advanced companies that marched thousands of miles without any loss of personnel, and highlighted the 65th Army's "Model Lu Shunbao Company" and the 64th Army's "Model Leading Troops" The company commander Liu Chenzhu and other exemplary units and individuals who unite and help each other, love soldiers, and serve soldiers in the march have established a good atmosphere of unity and fighting in the army, mobilized the troops to seize the time to carry out pre-war training activities, and prepare for new combat tasks .