Chapter 6 Chapter Four

Forewarned is forearmed, without prejudging the waste. Military strategists in ancient and modern China and abroad all know the importance of the military's initiative, and adequate preparation is an important part of mastering the initiative.Before the battle, they all understood and attached great importance to the significance of pre-war preparations.Xu Shiyou is a famous general who has experienced many battles. He knows very well that preparations are closely related to the victory of the battle.In order to realize that he severely punished the Vietnamese invaders, thoroughly completed the tasks assigned to him by the Central Military Commission, and wrote the last part of his war life history, he paid close attention to the preparation work.

According to the strategic intention of the Military Commission and according to the time stipulated by the General Staff, he first transferred the participating troops to the vicinity of the battlefield for pre-combat training.During this period, commanders at all levels and leading organs at all levels carried out various preparations. In the pre-war preparations, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and various headquarters, with the support of the masses and local governments at all levels, and through the concerted efforts of the Guangxi frontline commanders and fighters, a battle plan was drawn up, and soldiers and supplies were replenished. , carried out targeted pre-war mobilization and pre-battle training, and opened a command post and logistical supply, repair, and ambulance facilities.Various preparations cannot be said to have been fully carried out before the launch of the campaign, but it can be said that they are basically ready.

In mid-December 1978, Xu Shiyou instructed: "All troops participating in the war in the Guangzhou Military Region shall set off from their current residences and march towards the border areas of Guangxi according to the time specified by the Military Commission, and arrive on time without any mistakes." The headquarters communicates, and then organizes the various ministries and bureaus to complete their respective action documents, form the entire action plan, and organize the actions of each unit.Xu Shiyou believes that this time, except for one unit that marched on foot, the rest of the participating troops were motorized or transported by rail. This feature determined that roads and bridges became the main guarantee for this march.The main obstacles on the way are the East and West Rivers of the Pearl River. For safety and for the troops to pass quickly, Xu Shiyou decided to build pontoon bridges on these two rivers.These two rivers are relatively wide. The water surface of the Dongjiang River is about 400 meters wide, and the mainstream and tributaries of the Xijiang River are more than 1,000 meters wide. Bridge troops and equipment. For this purpose, a bridge erection plan was drawn up, and the organization and command personnel of each bridge were designated. After each pontoon bridge unit arrived at the designated location, the designated bridge erection commander organized and commanded the bridge erection.These engineers deserved to be the pioneers. It took 25 hours successively, and three pontoon bridges appeared on the Pearl River, and the bridging task was completed on time.

As the saying goes, soldiers and horses go first without using food and grass. This is a principle of military operations throughout the history.Xu Shiyou believes that now not only food and grass must go first, but because most of the army marches in by motor, fuel supply and repairs have become important conditions for a smooth march.The logistics department of the military region sent a large number of cadres and detachments to set up grain and oil supply stations, vehicle gas stations, repair stations, sanitation and epidemic prevention stations along the way to ensure the smooth march of troops from all walks of life.In order to communicate smoothly and command uninterrupted, the headquarters has formulated a communication plan, which stipulates that the 15-watt radio station should keep listening for a long time during the march, and no communication will be sent unless there are special circumstances.Commander Xu instructed: "Soldiers never tire of cheating! We must try our best to confuse the enemy. The left-behind radio stations above the brigade and above in the barracks still maintain normal transmissions to confuse the enemy. For wired communication, each unit sends personnel to set up a call point along the way. If something happens, it will be at this point For the sake of confidentiality, all units will use new code names after the operation begins.”

According to the marching plan approved by Commander Xu and the political commissar, this motorized marching is to form an echelon with the brigade as the unit.The troops set off successively in mid-December and marched towards their respective assembly areas in Guangxi.After receiving the order, each unit boarded the military area's enhanced ration vehicles and vehicles within its own organization, and set off from their respective camps. A brigade was like a long dragon of hundreds of kilometers winding towards Guangxi, and dozens of long dragons headed towards the border of Guangxi. assemble.It is clearly stipulated in the military region's action order that every unit passing through Guangzhou must have enough food, fill up the gas, and repair the car in the northern suburbs of Guangzhou before dusk, and pass through Guangzhou between 22:00 and 4:00 the next day. .According to Xu Shiyou's intention, we checked the situation of a brigade passing through the central area one night. This is already the fifth unit to pass through the urban area of ​​Guangzhou.I was standing on a high ridge by the side of the road, and there was an adjustment post sent by the army, and the order was very good.Everyone watched and discussed. Some people said that this camping training really looked like a regular army.Some people say it's not camping. In the past, camping never went to big cities.A ex-soldier in an old uniform said with confidence, I'm sure this isn't camp.Everyone turned to look at him, and someone asked: Why do you say this is not camping?The comrade said: "Have you checked carefully? This is the fifth batch. Each batch has the same car brand. Are these five batches the same unit?" The heads are all from Guangxi, I served as a soldier in Guangxi, I know, are these all from the Guangxi Military Region?" After I came back, I reported the inspection situation to Xu Shiyou the next day, and also talked about the discussions I heard from the masses.After hearing this, Xu Shiyou said: "There are many talented people in China!"

In addition to these dozens of long queues traveling on the highway, there are also hundreds of long train queues on the railway.Some trains carry large machinery: bulldozers, air compressors, excavators, generators... They are all fixed to the train carriages with cables, and the tires are padded with wood. Each machinery is managed by a soldier. Blowing the flute, galloping towards Guangxi.Some trains carry tanks, which are not uneven like large machinery, but are very neat. Not only are the tank bodies neatly arranged to form a straight line, even the height of the tank muzzles is also uniform. , It really looks like a bunch of big tortoises, lying on the flatbed of the train, its majestic posture gives people a sense of majesty, and it has the mighty beauty of an army.There are also horse trains, material trains, and sanitation trains behind them, rushing towards Guangxi one by one...

According to Xu Shiyou's order and according to the needs of this operation, the Air Force of the Guangzhou Military Region concentrated the participating aircraft at the Guangxi Airport Base as planned.The command post entered the command post of the Guangxi Air Force, and sent a command group to point to the tunnel before entering the military area.The anti-aircraft artillery units marched towards the relevant airports and bridges, and immediately occupied positions after arriving in place to cover the deployment and maneuvering of other ministries.The planes at Shenshen Airport flew to Guangxi Frontline Airport in groups like wild geese in autumn, and most of them entered Guangxi Airport at low altitude.

According to Xu Shiyou's instructions, the South China Sea Fleet dispatched a command group to enter the tunnel in front of the military area, and some ships maneuvered to the Beibu Gulf to control my country's waters.Some serve as reconnaissance and security, some cover oil platforms, and some perform mobile combat missions. In order to organize the advance of the troops, Xu Shiyou sent three deputy commanders and two deputy political commissars to the various units to help them work.The leaders of each unit went to the troops to grasp the weak links, and the cadres of the brigades and regiments went to the grassroots to guide the work, and personally commanded and passed through dangerous sections during the march, which ensured that the troops arrived at the assembly area on time and safely.After all the troops arrived, I reported the situation of the operation to Xu Shiyou.He said: "This operation is good, fast, punctual, and safe. Tell all units to be vigilant, put out the whistle, pay attention to secrecy, and abide by the discipline of the masses. Take a day off to recover your strength. The cadres look at the terrain, prepare, and do a good job of training. Tell Chief of Staff Zheng Bo, the training here must be combined with actual combat, no showmanship is allowed. Whoever plays showmanship will definitely lose the battle, and I will hold them accountable.”

According to the instructions of Commander Xu Shiyou, the former commander of the military region issued a written instruction on December 26 to prepare for combat. The main contents are as follows: The first is to require all troops to formulate a plan to prevent enemy sneak attacks.Strictly grasp the enemy's situation in the face, strengthen all kinds of combat vigilance, and strictly prevent the enemy from attacking from the air and harassing and destroying on the ground.The troops close to the border must build necessary fortifications so that they can enter the battle at any time, and all kinds of vehicles must be properly evacuated, concealed and camouflaged.

The second is to require cadres and agencies at all levels to familiarize themselves with the enemy's situation and the topography of the northern Vietnamese soldiers as soon as possible, survey and understand the terrain and roads around the station; The third is to pay close attention to the replenishment of troops, complete the expansion of troops on time, strengthen the repair and maintenance of weapons, equipment, and vehicles, and maintain a good technical state. The fourth is to do a good job in communication and communication to ensure smooth command.Pay attention to anti-rape and confidentiality, especially for troops close to the border, they should make fewer phone calls and use mobile communication and face-to-face assignments as much as possible.

Fifth, it is required to do a good job in all preparations for combat training as soon as possible.It is necessary to immediately organize recruits to throw live ammunition with grenades and shoot live ammunition with weapons in their hands.Each unit is required to conduct combat training in a targeted manner according to their respective combat tasks, and conduct exercises on similar terrain.Formulate and improve combat plans, clarify tasks, organize coordination, and study tactics. After the troops arrived in the theater, according to the requirements of the military region, in line with the principle of first-come first-training, urgent-use first-training, and emphasizing the key points, a lot of training was carried out before the battle.Zheng Bo, chief of staff of the military region, presided over a training meeting for combat, summed up experience, established models, and promoted the conduct of training for combat. The content of the combat training, the infantry focuses on shooting, bombing, demolition, earthwork, mine burying, mine clearance, anti-virus, air defense, self-rescue and mutual rescue, and offensive and defensive tactics of individual soldiers to the battalion. The artillerymen of the regiment and battalion carried out single-cannon and simple shooting, and the artillerymen of the brigade and above completed the shooting of the company and battalion; various technical soldiers conducted professional training; the cadres focused on the study of the organization, equipment and tactical characteristics of the Vietnamese army , Learned the organization and command of fighting in mountains and jungles, and some infantry regiments even conducted 4 to 6 days of rotation training for battalion and company cadres. For combat training, each unit pays close attention to the tasks of its own unit.The troops responsible for interspersed missions focused on training such as walking lightly on trails, foothills, countering ambushes, raids, attacking mountain passes, organizing motorized advances, and taking tanks.According to the combat tasks, the Nianjing Brigade focuses on the fast and good deployment, and focuses on the organization and command of cadres and the training of map recognition and use.Tactics focus on the comprehensive training of walking, eating and living for individual soldiers and units above the company.From the company to the regiment, they all choose to conduct 20-60 kilometers of walking and fighting drills with real soldiers and equipment similar to the theater.Each combat company has trained 3 to 5 key personnel who understand and use maps.All personnel have undergone battlefield rescue, mine clearance, anti-virus training and physical training.Focusing on light-packed interstitials, the brigade organized three equipment carrying experiments, providing relevant data for the implementation of wartime interspersed. The 63rd Regiment also chose the terrain similar to the interspersed area, set up the corresponding situation, and conducted a comprehensive test of continuous interspersed operations without a guide, without meals, and without rest, and insisted on carrying out 5-10 kilometers of armed cross-country every day.The units in charge of frontal assault focus on tactical training of strength and rivers, attacking enemy strongholds, and interspersed with encirclement. For example, the Pingxiang Brigade focused on individual and squad tactical training for attacking a solidly defended enemy, as well as platoon, company, and battalion live ammunition training. Tactical exercises, and organized a live-fire tactical exercise in which the head of the infantry regiment led an infantry battalion with the participation of tanks and artillery.Each unit has highlighted the most urgently needed and lacking subjects, starting with mountain climbing, cross-country, forest and overcoming river obstacles, and focusing on live ammunition, live explosions and real military exercises. Through training, the quality of troops has been significantly improved.The cadres at all levels of the South Group have undergone 35-40 days of emergency training, and are relatively familiar with the organization, command and basic tactics at their level.The Meng Ma brigade has been engaged in production and construction tasks for a long time in the past. It was expanded before the war with many new components. After training before the battle, the military quality of the troops has been significantly improved.Some regiments marched in mountains and jungles, increasing their speed from one kilometer to two kilometers per hour during the day, and from 0.5 to 1.5 kilometers per hour at night.Many cadres and soldiers reflected: "One month of emergency training is better than the usual months." The battle training is in full swing, and various combat support is also being carried out in an orderly manner. The Artillery Corps organized continuous surveys of terrain and battle formations, prepared shooting elements for the enemy's shallow, near and deep targets, and completed the shooting preparations.The artillery unit of the East Group opened 6 artillery observation posts, reconnaissance and handed over 39 targets, identified 35 enemy artillery pieces, 3 observation posts, and 4 company platoon support points.Organized 5 geodetic platoons, added 18 control points within the 338 square kilometers of the theater, organized survey positions, determined deployment, and stepped up construction of fortifications.Since January 5, the Shuikou Brigade of the South Group has dispatched artillery observation posts and reconnaissance units to conduct day and night observations to grasp the situation.The artillery handed over the coordinates of the target, sorted out and issued the coordinate error correction scale of the theater map and the target elements in the plan.Strengthen the 83rd Regiment of Zhouqiao in our district, and two battalions are responsible for fixed-point support tasks at the Mingjiang Ferry in Ningming, and the other two battalions are responsible for the mobile support tasks at Beijiang, Nakan, Chongzuo, and Pingerguan Bridge Ferry. In the ideological and political work before the war, make all combatants understand the reactionary nature of Vietnamese hegemonism.Various units generally organized cadres and soldiers to read materials on Vietnam’s crimes of aggression against Cambodia and anti-China issued by the military region and relevant articles and materials in central newspapers and periodicals; held exhibitions of evidence and pictures of Vietnam’s crimes against China; Some even took the troops to the front to make on-the-spot complaints against the fortifications built by the Vietnamese army on our territory, the landmines and bamboo sticks planted by the Vietnamese army, and the crops and houses destroyed by the Vietnamese army.The cadres and soldiers of the 1st Border Defense Regiment of the Guangxi Military Region brought the landmines, bamboo sticks, barbed wire, daggers, maces and other weapons used by the Vietnamese army to kill and injure our people, as well as the bloody clothes of our wounded personnel, to the venue of the prosecution. A large number of facts denounced the crimes of the Vietnamese army occupying our territory, killing our border people, and causing bloodshed, aroused the indignation of the cadres and soldiers, and greatly stimulated the fighting enthusiasm of the cadres and soldiers.The majority of commanders and fighters have written letters of determination and blood letters expressing: We must severely punish the aggressors, resolutely fight this battle well, and kill the enemy for the sake of severely punishing the Vietnamese invaders and defending the frontier! Although the preparations for the battle were urgent and time-consuming, due to the resolute execution of the orders of the Military Commission by all units, the high political awareness of the commanders and fighters, the careful organization of party committees, agencies and cadres at all levels, and the strong support of the local government and the general public, the start of the war was completed. Advancement, troop expansion, terrain survey, plan formulation, pre-combat training, combat readiness mobilization, and various combat support preparations basically met the operational requirements and laid a good foundation for winning self-defense counterattacks. In mid-December 1978, foreign media reported that Xu Shiyou arrived in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, for activities.Xu Shiyou was very vigilant when he heard the report. He said, "There are spies in Nanning! Otherwise, how would you know I'm here? Measures should be taken to seal the enemy's eyes and ears." The next day, Xu Shiyou found relevant comrades in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, as well as Guangxi Comrades in the military region, ask them about the situation.Comrades from the Guangxi Communications Department and the Nanning Railway Branch introduced: Since the organization of international transport, Vietnam has set up a railway handover office in Pingxiang, which often makes unreasonable troubles against my country. There are 19 people in total who handle the handover of goods and vehicles. The railway transfer station is 30 meters away. They are hostile and often observe the actions of our army. If the troops arrive in this area, they can see it.In addition, the international railway transport is still going on. The enemy will spy on our army on the train, and they can also observe the situation of our army in depth.If they have technical reconnaissance equipment, they can also monitor the far-reaching and deep situation of our army.Comrades from the Guangxi Military Region introduced: Small non-governmental trade is still going on on the border, and it is very convenient for enemy scouts to enter our country in disguise to conduct reconnaissance.After Xu Shiyou learned about these situations, he attached great importance to them and immediately instructed: "For the railway issue, send a letter to the central government and the State Council, proposing to expel the 19 Vietnamese people from the railway transfer station, and suggesting that the joint transport should be stopped. At present, the Vietnamese side is sending people The destruction of the railway, the Vietnamese army shooting, bombarding the railway, I have reasons to take action. Regarding the border trade issue, I should greet Secretary Qiao of the autonomous region and stop the trade. The provincial military region uses local troops and militias, as well as reconnaissance troops of various troops, to block the border. " According to Xu Shiyou's instruction, the headquarters immediately wrote a letter to the leading comrades of the Central Committee. After Xu Shiyou signed and signed it, the headquarters office sent deputy section chief Wu Guohua to deliver it to the General Office of the Military Commission at 21:00 on the 18th.The central government made a decision on December 23 to stop international railway transport and expel the Vietnamese railway transfer station in Pingxiang, eliminating a major hidden danger.Regarding the issue of stopping small border trade, I personally conveyed Xu Shiyou's opinion to the secretary Qiao Xiaoguang's office of the Autonomous Region.Secretary Qiao said: "We will resolutely implement it and handle it immediately." Regarding the border blockade issue, I first informed Commander Zhao Xinran of the Guangxi Military Region and asked them to propose a plan to block the border. Discuss plans to close the border.The Indian Chief of Staff of the Guangxi Military Region introduced their vision to us, and Zhao Xinran gave a detailed explanation.I think the plan is feasible. I only emphasized to them not to rely on the reconnaissance troops of the field army. Their main task is to reconnaissance the enemy's situation, and the rest agree with the plan of the Guangxi Military Region. On the way back to the West Garden, I thought: It is very important to keep secrets before the war, and Xu Shiyou grasped this important issue in time, and his measures were clear, powerful, and rigorous.Our large troops are moving on the road and will arrive one after another in a few days. At that time, our side of the border will be full of our troops.In order to implement Xu Shiyou's instructions well, we must block the border and stop joint transportation before the troops arrive, so that the enemy cannot see the real situation of our army.The most appropriate time is the day before the troops arrive.In this way, what the enemy sees is empty. One day later, all the troops participating in the battle gather at the frontier, which not only prevents the enemy's spies from seeing the main force of our army, but also gives the enemy the illusion that nothing happened.I shared these thoughts with the comrades who made the plan, and after calculation, it was proposed to block the border on December 25.I reported the idea of ​​blocking the border and the time when the blockade started to Xu Shiyou one by one.He said: "Very well, let's do it this way." Afterwards, I felt that this was a very practical preparation for the war between the two countries, but there was no explicit provision in our military regulations.Xu Shiyou grasped this problem, dealt with it very decisively and clearly, and blocked a loophole that is easy to be overlooked. Of course, we must be more vigilant, the enemy will always do everything possible to detect the situation of our army, and to plug this loophole, the enemy will use other means.Before the battle between the two armies, the enemy and the enemy always try to keep secrets and do everything possible to spy on each other's situation. This is common sense. Xu Shiyou has had the habit of hunting for many years.Security officer Hou Jianguo told me that Xu Shiyou has 3 shotguns and uses different shotguns for different prey.These guns are kept and cleaned by the security officer, and Xu Shiyou checks them every month. The bullets, firearms, and holsters are all checked carefully.In the past, Xu Shiyou fought by himself, but in the past two years, most of them were fought by guards.Whenever the guards hit the prey, he would jokingly say: "This is a sick bird." If the shot was not timely, he would say: "You are a big fool, don't shoot quickly." When he failed, he said: "You frightened it, this bird is going to be hospitalized." These words made everyone laugh. After we arrived in Nanning, he often used hunting as a cover to inspect the terrain and check the combat readiness of various agencies and troops.We traveled with him all over the mountains, villages, mining areas, and reservoirs, and visited many units to check and implement combat readiness. On this day, the anti-aircraft artillery units had arrived and all occupied their respective positions.Xu Shiyou proposed to check the situation of anti-aircraft artillery combat readiness.According to his instructions, our agency staff had a discussion first, and arranged where to look first and where to go later.Then I reported to him and proposed that from near to far, first look at the anti-aircraft artillery unit near the Yongjiang Bridge, then look at the city, and finally look at the airport and command post.He totally agrees. After breakfast the next day, we started to set off, a total of 3 jeeps.The first car is Deputy Section Chief Gong Cheng and Staff Officer Zheng Yanjia. They are the leading cars and walk in the front.The second one is the secretary Chen Dingyuan and I. It is a contact car to prevent going the wrong way and losing contact.The third car is Xu Shiyou's car.When the car came to the anti-aircraft artillery position of Yongjiang Bridge, we first came to the anti-aircraft artillery company position in the south of the bridge, and saw an anti-aircraft artillery company unfolded into a quadrilateral, with the muzzle raised by 70 degrees, pointing to the sky above the south.It seems to be warning the Vietnamese invading army very solemnly: If you dare to come, you will definitely be told to come and go! We came to a place a few hundred meters away from the position, stopped and walked towards the anti-aircraft artillery position.When the company commander saw Xu Shiyou, he ran over quickly, saluted Xu Shiyou and made a report.From his report, it is known that this is the position of a company of the Antiaircraft Artillery Division.Xu Shiyou saw that the artillery fortifications were dug shallow and not up to standard, so he asked the company commander: "Is your fortification deep enough?" "Report to the chief: not enough!" "Why not dig enough?" "The water table is high." "what?" "Dig further down and water will come out." "What are you afraid of when you get out of the water?" "Too much water is not easy to operate." "Will people die if it's not easy to operate?" Xu Shiyou said unhappily. "Yes, let's dig again!" said the company commander. "That's very good. You must dig up to the standard. If you hit someone, their plane will also hit you. If the standard is not enough, the casualties will increase!" Xu Shiyou said while walking. These few concise words of Xu Shiyou gave the company commander a standard ruler.This ruler is the requirement of war. When we fight the enemy, the enemy also fights us.Our artillery fortifications must not only be able to exert firepower, but also be able to conceal the body. This is the standard of the position. We crossed the Yongjiang Bridge and went straight to Park Hill, which is the largest park in Nanning.There is a zoo, a bird house, an aquarium, a gymnasium, an exhibition hall, an ancient fort and a monument to martyrs in the park. The terrain here is relatively high, you can have a bird's-eye view of the panoramic view of Nanning City, and the area is also large, so the anti-aircraft artillery team took a fancy to this place; the fly in the ointment is that there are too many tall trees, which is inconvenient for observation and shooting.According to combat requirements, it is necessary to clear the shooting area and cut down trees that hinder observation and shooting.But this is a park. It is not easy to cultivate the big trees here. There are trees that have been around for decades or hundreds of years. It would be a pity to cut them down.When Xu Shiyou and we were thinking about this problem, the battalion commander came over. "Are you the battalion commander?" Xu Shiyou asked. "Yes!" The battalion commander replied. "What's the problem here?" "There are too many people here, men and women." "Parks, men and women, of course. That's not what I'm asking." "Then there are too many trees." "What does it matter how many trees there are?" "Affects observation and shooting." "what to do?" "Prepare to cut a part." "what?!" "If you don't chop, you can't shoot." "Can you afford it?" "I have no money, the government will pay for it." "It doesn't matter if you have money. Such a big tree will not grow up in 10 years. If you cut it down before the war starts, the common people will scold us." "First make a plan to clear the shooting circle, and then cut after fighting." I interjected. "What do you think?" Xu Shiyou asked the battalion commander. "I think it's okay." "Can you make it?" "If you get the forecast, cut it off, it's okay." "Well, first make a plan, prepare tools, and appoint someone." "Do it," said the battalion commander. "Lead us to the positions of each company to have a look." Xu Shiyou said.We followed the battalion commander to a company's position. The depth and specifications of the position here are good.Xu Shiyou said with satisfaction: "The position of this company has been dug well, and it looks good, very good." "Let's go to another company." Xu Shiyou said. "Let's let the battalion commander lead the way." I said. The battalion commander led us eastward along the small highland. After walking for about 10 minutes, we saw another anti-aircraft artillery company, which had already occupied the position. The muzzle was also facing south.A hundred meters away, there were dozens of young people watching the excitement, all sitting on the grass on the high slope, watching and gesticulating and discussing.We happened to pass by this hillside, Xu Shiyou stopped and asked the people watching: "What are you doing?" "Look at the People's Liberation Army." A young man turned his head and answered. "What are they doing?" "Training to masturbate." Another young man said. "There are so many trees, can you hit them?" "Hit through the gaps in the trees," said the teenage boy. "Can't aim." A demobilized soldier said. "Just aim in the gaps in the trees." The child said again. "The plane is fast, and you have to aim in advance to hit it. The tree space is so narrow, it's not enough." The demobilized soldier said. "Then cut down the tree that gets in the way." A young woman said. "Is it okay to cut you off?" Xu Shiyou asked. "There will be no objections," said a student. "Why?" I asked. "In order to destroy the enemy's plane." The young woman said. "In order to win the war, defend Nanning City." Another young man said. We were talking to the masses when the commander of the antiaircraft artillery company found Xu Shiyou and immediately announced: "Stop the drill and stand at attention!"The company commander ran to Xu Shiyou to salute, report, and ask for instructions.Xu Shiyou asked on the spot: "What's your problem?" "No problem!" The company commander replied in a slightly martial tone. "Can this be fired?" Xu Shiyou said, pointing to a few big trees that hindered the shooting. "It's not easy to fight." The company commander whispered. "Is it hard to fight, or can't fight?" "can not fight." "Just now, why did you say it's okay?" "I heard that you are very strict, I dare not say there is a problem." "Only by reporting the situation truthfully can we win battles and be strict. Do you understand?" "I understand now." "What are you going to do?" "Just do what the battalion tells you." The company commander looked at the battalion commander and said. "You are the leader of the company, so you should have your own opinions. I have already discussed with your battalion commander. First, make a plan for cutting trees, find tools, and prepare people. If there is no war, don't cut them down; wait until there is an enemy plane in the air." Is it okay to cut down the trees that hinder the observation and shooting?" Xu Shiyou said in a tone of asking for opinions. "This is very good." The company commander said with certainty. "We are not going anywhere else. Your battalion will do as I just said. The whole battalion will be planned in a unified way, and trees will be cut down as little as possible. Other facilities must be well kept and cared for. We must take good care of every plant and tree of the people. After the battle, trees must be planted, compensation must be paid, and explanations must be made to the masses. There are many people here, so we must improve relations with the masses, do a good job of the three major disciplines, and the eight points of attention." Xu Shiyou said to the battalion commander. We left the park, passed through the outskirts of the city, and came to a piece of high ground around the forward command post of the military region. At around 11:00, we came to the top of the highest mountain, and when we looked around, we saw 6 highlands, which looked like 6 ancient cottages. The highest point we were in was located in the center, roughly in the shape of a plum blossom. The position of each company is like a flower petal, and it is also like an independent cottage. Due to the different terrain, the size and width are different, and there are slight differences, but in terms of facilities, they are generally similar. All friends and neighbors have built traffic trenches.Each artillery company's position has built access roads to the main road, and self-defense fortifications have been built around the position. A semi-underground living shed has been dug in the center of the company's position, and the roof is covered with rain cloth and straw mats. The communication trenches also lead to the artillery fortifications. Said to be complete. This area is a mountainous forest land, with the majority of Eucalyptus microphyllum, a considerable number of Eucalyptus macrophyllum, some camphor trees, and some unknown southern trees.Generally speaking, the terrain in this area is hidden.Due to the repair of fortifications, new soil and rocks were dug out, but they were more exposed.When we got to this high ground, we felt that this was a problem. Xu Shiyou picked up the binoculars, observed the surrounding terrain for a while, and said to me: "Bring this battalion commander here." "I'm already here." The battalion commander replied when he heard Commander Xu looking for him. "Your battalion is to cover the command post. You must protect the command post from bombing by enemy planes." "Yes!" The battalion commander replied in a tone of resolutely carrying out the order. "Look, can the enemy planes in each company's position be spotted?" "I can find out." "what to do?" "Pretend." "You're right, but you didn't do it thoroughly." "We continue to strengthen." "That's good, we have to make a tight camouflage, and start again if we don't do it thoroughly. Because if we don't do it thoroughly, it means that there is no silver three hundred taels here, and it will be more exposed!" "We're totally faking it." "What is thorough?" "It's the same as the original landform." "You answered very well, you must do it well. You carry it out." "Yes!" The battalion commander said with a salute. We watched as the battalion commander walked quickly to his command post.Xu Shiyou turned around and said to me: "This battalion commander said well, but did not do enough. This place is very close to our command post, and we will come to check it later. Let's see these today." I looked at my watch, it was almost 12 o'clock. In December 1978, the climate in Guangxi was very pleasant, neither cold nor hot, much like autumn in the north, with a gentle breeze and warm sunshine. This afternoon, a report was received from the Air Force Command of the Guangzhou Military Region, which said that the air force participating in the battle had arrived Qi, there is no accident, starting from tomorrow, all preparations before the war will be carried out, and we will be ready to perform various tasks given by the military region at any time. "What's the weather like tomorrow?" Xu Shiyou asked after reading the report from the Air Force of the military region. "Tomorrow will be fine." I replied. "Do we have anything urgent to do tomorrow?" "Not yet." "Then check the readiness of the Air Force." "Depart at 8:30 tomorrow morning?" "Can." The 3 jeeps we used to move around started on time at 8:30 and drove along Xiyuantong Wuxu Airport Avenue. After 40 minutes, I arrived at the airport. As soon as I entered the airport gate, I saw a neat row of planes on the apron on the north side of the taxiway, like a line, very long, very long, what a strict military appearance.There are 6 Yinyans parked on the west side of the taxiway, and they seem to be preparing to take off for flight training.The ground staff are working tensely but calmly.We didn't stop, and went straight to the command tower.When we were going up the stairs, we saw two fighter planes soaring into the sky one after another. This is a lead plane and a wingman, conducting small formation flight training.There was a deafening sound, wow——, like two rockets piercing into the sky. We walked into the command tower, and Xu Shiyou asked the commander in charge of command training: "When did you get here?" "Half a month." "Are all the equipment complete?" "It's all done." "How is the technical condition of the aircraft?" "The various aircraft have been overhauled and can perform their respective missions." "What are the troops doing now?" "Combat troops in training." "what about others?" "All prepare for battle." "When will it be ready?" "A battle is ready at any time." "That's good. You have to hurry up and make full preparations. Combat troops are mainly for training, as well as political and ideological work. The logistics of the Air Force is even more important. Aircraft consume a lot of fuel. This task alone is very heavy. There are plenty of ammunition, enough to eat and use!" Xu Shiyou turned around and said to me: "Where is the Air Force's anti-aircraft artillery unit?" "It's around the airport." I explained. "Let's go and have a look." Xu Shiyou said as he walked out. Our group got off the command tower, got into the jeep, led by Deputy Section Chief Gong, and drove to the air force's antiaircraft artillery position.Wow-wow-two Silver Swallows landed at the airport. When they came to the antiaircraft artillery position, the deputy division commander was already waiting there, saying that the commander of Guangkong had ordered him to wait, and he wanted to report the situation to Commander Xu.Xu Shiyou said to the deputy teacher: "We are here to check your preparations and understand what problems you have here. We can simply say a few words." The deputy commander said: "Our troops have arrived, and there have been no accidents on the road. The troops are training according to the instructions of the military region. The agency is drawing up an air defense plan and a logistics support plan." "How many days have you been here?" Xu Shiyou asked. "3 days." The deputy teacher replied. "Why don't you do fortifications and disguise?" Xu Shiyou said to the deputy division commander in a questioning tone. "This is a temporary launch position. After the plan is drawn up, we will enter the basic launch position. At that time, we will dig fortifications and camouflage." The deputy division commander explained. "When will the plan come out?" "Two more days." "What will you do if the enemy planes come to bomb you within these two days?" Xu Shiyou said seriously. "We will immediately dig fortifications and make camouflage." "By the way, you must hurry up and be unremitting. You are covering the air force base, and you may have combat missions at any time. You can't take chances. You must be strict with the troops and don't tolerate them. If you are tired, you will only kill people. Whether it is a basic launch position or a temporary launch position, fortifications should be dug for camouflage." Xu Shiyou's words were strict and beneficial. The deputy division commander was convinced, saluted Commander Xu, and left with a smile. Xu Shiyou asked me again: "Where else can I see? There is still time." "There are missile bases to see." "What missile?" "Surface-to-air missiles." "Is it from the Second Artillery or from the Air Force?" "It's from the Air Force, too." "Let's go and have a look." It was about 5 kilometers from the artillery position to the missile position, and it was already 11 o'clock when I got on the bus.This section of the road is very good, and it will be there in a few minutes.This is a small flat highland, with some temporary steel-frame houses built, like a small village, where the cook is cooking lunch. "Comrade Commander, the missile battalion arrived last night and is resting, Battalion Commander ×××." This is the battalion commander's report. "You arrived last night?" "yes." "Then take a rest first. The rest of the army is not just about sleeping, sleep for 8 hours, and study, conduct training, and hold seminars in the rest of the time." “我们正在安排计划。” “打算怎么安排？” “今天休息、洗衣服、修整阵地，明天开始战斗动员、战前训练。” “你们的任务主要是掩护机场，还要掩护南宁市，要把方案搞好，有准备总比没准备好。不打无准备之仗，有备无患。” 许世友和营长谈话的时候，导弹营的通信员端来开水请我们喝。徐世友看了看端水人，又看看周围没有村庄，就问端水的通信员： “水是在哪烧的？” “就在炊事班烧的。” “用什么烧的？” “用柴烧的。” “柴是买的吗？” “有买的，也在这野外捡了点。” “我们用柴要花钱买，这是我们解放军的纪律，从红军时就立下了这个规矩，叫三大纪律八项注意，所以群众拥护我们，打了很多胜仗。现在又要打仗，要想叫广西群众支持我们，必须严格遵守群众纪律，一点也不能违犯。” “捡点碎柴引火也不行吗？” “最好也留点钱，因为村子离这里很近，这些碎柴老百姓也要用的，我们用了，他们就用不成了，还是给点钱好。如果在老百姓用不着的地方捡点碎柴，那还可以，因为我们不捡，也是烂掉了。要特别注意遵守群众纪律，不拿群众一针一线，这点丝毫不能马虎。” 前面已经说过，许世友司令员那几天主要是以打猎为掩护，勘察地形、道路、桥梁、水库、河坝，了解与作战有关的问题。当然偶尔也得放几枪，打几个猎物，如果不真打几个，也就起不到掩护的作用了。 那几天跑的地方很多，去的方向也是反反复复，附近的地形都看了几遍了，又想去远一点的地方看看。这天下午带着猎枪出发了，形似打猎，实际是看水库附近的地形，了解水量有多少立方，如果被越南空军炸开大坝，这股水对南宁市有多大威胁，对我军飞机场有多大威胁，对我军行动有什么影响。 我们事先通知了水库领导同志，让他们下午3点钟，在水库的大坝上等我们，准备给我们介绍水库的有关情况。我们在家计算路程、计算时间，从我们住地出发，需要一个小时左右的时间才能到达，于是决定下午两点出发。 随许世友司令员行动的还是我们3辆吉普车，两点钟准时出发。龚副科长试图能力是很好的，跟我们行车多次，从来没有走错路的情况，这天也不知是怎么搞得，他提前下了大路拐进一条小路上去了。他这一拐错路，就不能起到带路的作用了。还好，我也带了一份五万分之一的地图，从这图上看，龚副科长是走错路了。跟随我的秘书陈定远同志，是参谋出身，识图能力也不错，他说：“怎么办，追回来吧？”我说：“不要追，我们带路吧，不然时间就不够了。” 我们到达水库的时间，正好是3点，水库的领导同志已经在水库的大坝上等我们了。下车后，许世友走上了大坝，看见水库十分壮观。一条520米长的大坝，完全是钢筋水泥结构，象一张弓一样向水的方向凸出。排洪道靠在大坝的西头，一条雪白的水柱飞落而下，由于落差高，落在坝底，溅起的水很象一朵巨大的白菊花。水库中的水很清，也很深，水面很平，斜阳射上去，闪闪发光，象一面偌大的镜子。库区周围一片葱绿，有叫不出名来的野花，有红色的、有黄色的、有紫色的，真象新疆姑娘织的地毯。我正沉醉在这美丽的大自然环境中，听到许世友司令员说：“龚副科长哪里去啦！” 我被突然惊醒过来，看了一下，龚副科长还没有来，我回答说：“他们走错了路，估计一会儿会追来。”因为我们这段时间经常在外边跑，每到一个地方都是龚副科长先说话，介绍地形、方位、以及过去的情况，现在的情况，这次许世友没有听到龚副科长说话，他向周围看了一下，也没有看到他，以为出了什么事故。我看出他的耽心，我说不会出什么事，他是个稳当人。我们正说着龚副科长就到了。许世友开玩笑说：“你还走错？我们怎么办啊！”龚副科长同许司令员熟了，笑着说：“识图能力不过硬啊！”许世友司令员微笑地看着他。我接过来说：“请地方同志介绍情况吧。”许司令员说：“那好。”水库的领导同志非常认真，介绍得很详细，说完后，许世友问：“这水库如被越军飞机炸破大坝后，对机场有什么影响？”水库负责人说：“肯定有影响，有多大说不清。”许世友又问：“对南宁市也有影响吗？”负责人说：“也会有的，但小的多了，因为远了。”听到这回答，大家心里才有了底。临走时，他和介绍情况的同志握手告别，并说：“谢谢你。” 我们上车时已是下午4点多了，许世友说：“一枪没开，一只鸟也没打，回去在哪里打几枪。”走出不远，听到树林中有鸟叫，我们就下了车，准备让保卫干事打它几只。正说着话，“乒！”枪响了，只见两只鸟象断了线的风筝一样摇摇摆摆地从空中降落下来，一看许世友司令员手里端着枪。大家说：“打得好！”猎物以到手，我们就上车从原路返回西园了。 第二天，许世友根据勘察水库的情况，告诉军区司令部、军区工程兵部采取措施，万一被越军飞机轰炸，要有对付的办法。告诉空军和高炮部队，要有保卫水库大坝的火力计划和部署。 我们军区前进指挥所工作人员已经进入坑道，这天我陪着许司令员视察指挥所的设施。这指挥所坑道位于南宁市郊区，离城约5公里，是自然山洞改造的。一上山，远远就看见一片绿树成荫、路径蜿蜒，令人感到风景区的优雅氛围。走了两公里，到了风景区边沿，一条只能通过一辆汽车的道路，左边是陡崖，右边是深沟，参天大树遮盖，使人感到有一股清新的凉气。走进风景区，啊！果然很美，山势陡峻秀丽；半山腰修了凉亭，有小路相通，栏杆相接；亭子向下200米处，一排自然洞，洞口藤葛盘绕；山脚是邕江，江水滔滔东去；洞外修了几间小屋，素雅协调；周围花草树木茂密，有高大的木棉树盖顶，有凤凰树夹在其中，有开紫花不知名的树在最底层；野花芳草漫山遍野。现在，院内停了几辆吉普车；发电机嘟嘟响；炊事班切菜发出的乒乓声；洞口有警卫战士荷枪实弹站岗；电话线拉满了树杆、墙壁；高射机枪架满周围山头；送信的摩托车来往穿梭，俨然是一个战地指挥所。我们顺东口走进坑道，只见作战部一科科长孙戈卿正在紧张地挂地图，参谋们架床铺、摆桌椅，通信兵装电话，一派繁忙景象。 我们沿坑道，到各部局、各指挥组走了一趟，回到作战室坐下来，许司令员说：“这个坑道太小，不如南京军区的指挥所，那里大；'文化大革命'一段时间，我就在那里，很安全。”提起“文化大革命”我又想起许司令员一个传奇故事。我就说：“听说，'文化大革命'中，'四人帮'指挥造反派去抓您，那些造反派明明看见你在房子里，进去以后就不见了。那些鬼东西们到处搜查，怎么也找不到。突然发现你在客厅的高墙上，贴墙悬空而立，那些无名小辈想突然袭击，绕道侧后，刚要去抓你，你又飞身而去，无影无踪了。”许世友听后笑着说：“你听到的这故事，变成了神话故事，我可不是神；不过，你讲得也有点影子。我在少林寺学武功时，有一种功叫睡桩功，练这种功，就有相似的情形。练法是，身子卧在凌空的又硬又窄连半个身子都容不下的木桩上，而且是贴墙而卧。这个情形和你刚才说的，贴墙悬空而立有点象，不过，一个是立，一个是卧。这个练功法，我也给别人说过，可能人们把这个情形，说成你讲的神奇故事了。”他回忆着说：“想起当年那种生活，是很苦的，也是很严的，在那么窄的桩上睡觉，一不小心就会掉下来。如果掉下来，被师父发现，就被打一顿，挨了打还不能哭，说是菩萨打的。当然，那里面是迷信统治，但那种严格也是很管用的，硬是练出睡觉如醒的功夫。不严格，这种功是练不成的，严师出高徒，苦练出硬功。” 许世友讲练武功的时候，总是联系军事行动，联系自卫还击作战，对人有所教益，这就是他长讲的传帮带。他说：“少林寺练睡桩功，目的是练出睡觉如醒的硬功夫，有一点动静就能知道，甚至有一股风吹来，就可以马上惊醒。练就这种功的好处是很多的，如果有人在你睡觉的时候来杀害你，你马上可以动手还击。我当红军时，那是游击环境，敌人随时都可能来袭击我们，那时我就用上了，敌人一有动静，我马上集合队伍，或打或走，来得很快。”他手指着值班参谋的床铺说：“这是值班参谋睡觉的地方，我们的参谋能不能做到睡觉如醒？恐怕不行，有的连电话响都吵不醒。那还有不误事的！” 许世友司令员的这种严格作风处处可见，对各种人员都要严格要求，他用讲故事的方式教育部下，要求值班参谋睡觉如醒。他觉得值班参谋职位不高，但他们管得确是军区指挥作战的大事，他们如果出差错，会有害于这次对越作战的胜利。 这些天来，他到各部队、各机关检查战备工作，都是严格要求，为了把这次战役打好，打出一个中越友好的局面，打出一个和平安定的中越边境。打好了，这可能是中越之间的最后一战，打不好，越军还会翘尾巴，我们还不得不再打。他要兢兢业业把战备搞好，严格要求各级人员各尽职责，共同努力，完成中央军委交给的作战任务。他要求军区前指组织好各军兵种的协同，协助他指挥好这次作战。 经过他亲自检查，他觉得各单位的准备工作已走上轨道，相信各单位会认真准备好。他下一步想重点抓对敌人情况的研究，把有关作战的各种情况掌握起来。