Chapter 37 6. Peng Dehuai, Mao Zedong's point general in the final siege

February 1949. The original North China 1st Corps, which besieged Taiyuan, was changed to the 18th Corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army by the order of the Central Military Commission. Xu Xiangqian, commander and political commissar of the Corps. Deputy Commander and Deputy Political Commissar Zhou Shidi and Wang Xinting. Chen Manyuan, deputy commander and chief of staff. Hu Yaobang, Director of the Political Department. At the same time, all the original columns of the Corps were changed into corps.It is compiled as: The 8th vertical is the 60th Army, commander Zhang Zuliang, and political commissar Yuan Ziqin.Jurisdiction over 178 divisions, 179 divisions, and 180 divisions, a total of 9 regiments.

The 13th vertical is the 61st Army, with Army Commander Wei Jie and political commissar Xu Zirong.Jurisdiction over 181 divisions, 182 divisions, and 183 divisions, a total of 9 regiments. The 15th vertical is the 62nd Army, with Army Commander Liu Zhong and Political Commissar Lu Ruilin.Jurisdiction over 184 divisions, 185 divisions, and 186 divisions, a total of 9 regiments. At this time, the Battle of Pingjin had ended, and the situation in China had undergone fundamental changes. The Central Military Commission decided to send the Huaye 19th Corps and 20th Corps to Shanxi to complete the task of liberating Taiyuan together with Xu Xiangqian Corps.

On March 17, the participating corps entered Jin one after another. The Central Military Commission also decided to establish the General Front Committee, whose members were Xu Xiangqian, Luo Ruiqing, Zhou Shidi, Yang Dezhi, Yang Chengwu, Chen Manyuan, Hu Yaobang, and Li Tianhuan. Secretary of the General Front Committee: Xu Xiangqian.Deputy Secretaries: Luo Ruiqing, Zhou Shidi.Preparations for the siege are underway. At this time, the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Party was successfully concluded in Xibaipo. The condition of Xu Xiangqian, the commander-in-chief of the Taiyuan front line, became more and more serious. After the news reached Mao Zedong, he was very anxious. At this time, he thought of General Peng Dehuai who was about to go to the Northwest front line.

It was an early morning after the rain. A round of red sun was rising from the eastern horizon, and the gentle golden light was sprinkled on the village road. The weeds on the roadside were covered with crystal dewdrops. I have already walked towards the field with the head on my shoulder. In early spring and March, the temperature has obviously risen, but when you are in this small village in the north, the cold wind in the morning light is still very strong, and people are still wearing rather bloated cotton clothes. Mao Zedong went for a walk by a grove at the entrance of the village with his hands behind his back. Zhou Enlai and Peng Dehuai also came here one after the other.

"Good morning, you two!" Mao Zedong said, waving his hands a few times in the air. "It's still early, Chairman." Zhou Enlai smiled and came under a small tree to exercise back and forth with his hands on his waist.Peng Dehuai strode forward without making any movements, perhaps this was a habit the general had developed on the battlefield.He is an unsmiling person, his big round face is always tense, always giving people a sense of majesty.He came to Mao Zedong and said: "This year's spring has come early! The dead trees on the hill ahead have begun to turn green."

Zhou Enlai said with a smile: "This is called a dead tree in spring." "You don't compete for spring, you just report spring. The situation is gratifying! Our people will be bathed in this beautiful environment of spring!" Mao Zedong stared at the distant mountains with his hands behind his back, full of emotion. He turned around and handed Peng Dehuai a cigarette, and Peng Dehuai took it, bowing his head to strike a match. Taking a puff of cigarette, Peng Dehuai raised his head and asked: "The chairman's eye circles are so red, didn't you have a good rest last night?"

"How can I sleep! We are still carrying two big burdens." "The chairman means..." "One is Suiyuan and the other is Taiyuan. It's impossible not to throw away these two burdens!" Zhou Enlai went on to say: "In my opinion, the Suiyuan issue can be put aside for a while. The Taiyuan issue will be resolved quickly. The situation in the Northwest is also very serious. We can no longer disperse our troops." Peng Dehuai said: "Comrade Qianqian is there to deal with Yan Xishan. In my opinion, Taiyuan will be conquered soon." Mao Zedong said: "The problem is not that simple. My General Peng, you know that Xu Xiangqian has been sick for the past year. Commanding the battle, and now he has received a report that his health is very bad, I am afraid he can't hold on anymore!"

Zhou Enlai looked at Peng Dehuai and said: "You have to relieve the chairman's worries. We all need to be stationed in Peiping lightly." Peng Dehuai said: "The task given to me by the central government is to march into the Northwest and wipe out the horses..." Mao Zedong threw away the cigarette butt, looked at Peng Dehuai and said: "The Battle of Taiyuan has entered the final stage of siege. I would like to ask you to go to the front line of Taiyuan before going to the Northwest, and take over from Comrade Qianqian to carry out the late siege command. Do you agree?"

"I can go, but I have to make a condition first." "Okay, tell me!" "Comrade Qianqian is still the commander-in-chief of the front line. I am only going to assist him. I will issue all orders in his name." "Yes, General Peng does not claim credit, and Comrade Qianqian does not claim credit. I think this condition can be agreed." Mao Zedong went on to say: "After Taiyuan is liberated, Zhou Shi's 18th Corps and Yang Dezhi's 19th Corps will be under the command of Yiye, so you can take them to the Northwest." Mao Zedong suddenly asked Peng Dehuai: "Do you still remember the poem I gave you in northern Shaanxi?"

Peng Dehuai said, "I remember." Mao Zedong took a deep puff of cigarette and recited the poem very emotionally: The mountains are high, the roads are far and the pits are deep, and the army is galloping. Who dares to slash immediately, but I am General Peng. Mao Zedong looked at Peng Dehuai and said: "I still send you this poem. When you arrive at the front line in Taiyuan and encounter special circumstances, you must act decisively and strive to lead your troops to the Northwest battlefield as soon as possible." Peng Dehuai said with a smile: "Please rest assured, Chairman, I will do my best, but you have to change this poem!"

"How do you change it?" "But I, General Peng, have gone too far with this sentence. The victory ahead is the credit of our commanders and the masses of the people!" Mao Zedong laughed again... The 19th Corps and the 20th Corps led by Yang Dezhi and Yang Chengwu have been ordered by the Central Military Commission to assemble in the Huangshui area near the outskirts of Taiyuan. Xu Xiangqian, the commander-in-chief of the Taiyuan front, was a very respected revolutionary senior to Yang Dezhi. They met in Yan'an after the Long March.When Yang Dezhi learned that Xu Xiangqian was recuperating in a small mountain village in Yuci, he urged his horse to come here to visit the old chief. Xu Xiangqian was sitting on the kang reading the newspaper, when he heard the sound of horseshoes outside the door, the guard walked in and said: "Report to the commander-in-chief that a guest has come to see you." He put down the newspaper, slipped down the kang and asked, "Which one is it, please come in!" Yang Dezhi has already walked in. Xu Xiangqian smiled and stretched out his hand and said, "Oh! Comrade Dezhi, welcome to the 19th Corps. I didn't expect to come so soon." Yang Dezhi asked: "How is Mr. Xu's illness?" "It's not a big problem, it's still an old problem." "You've lost a lot of weight." "I am a person who is not born fat, and I have this unlucky body." "Be more careful." "Thank you for your concern for me. The conditions here are very difficult. There is nothing to entertain you, a guest from afar. There is only a cup of tea. We sit on the kang and talk." Yang Dezhi took a cup of tea. Xu Xiangqian looked at him and said: "I am from Shanxi, and Yan Xishan is also from Shanxi, and I am an authentic fellow from Wutai, but I just don't care about local concepts. Let's fight this Shanxi native together, and we must fight well. , knocked him down." Yang Dezhi said: "I have this determination, but our 19th Corps has not fought many major battles in the past, and has even fewer difficult battles. It lacks experience in fighting big cities. I hope you can give me more instructions." Xu Xiangqian waved his hand and said: "You are too modest, your Shijiazhuang is playing well! The commander-in-chief said that it is a 'breakthrough', and the new security guards are also playing very well. Of course Shijiazhuang is completely different from Taiyuan When we fought Shijiazhuang, we gained a complete advantage in the whole of North China. Now? The three major battles of Liaoshen, Huaihai, and Pingjin have ended victoriously. Comrades Bo Cheng, Xiaoping, Chen Yi, and Su Yu will lead the army to cross the river. Chiang Kai-shek first 'Summation', and then 'retirement', the overall situation has changed greatly. This is a difference! The other difference is that Shijiazhuang is a 'city below the city', and Taiyuan is an 'upper city', or it can be said to be 'in the city' The city's miles! Its defense system has been repeatedly repaired by Yan Xishan and the Japanese. It should be said to be quite strong. Yan Xishan once said that Taiyuan City has a "hundred-mile defense line". Some of our comrades said that this is bragging. In my opinion, Yan Xishan is not completely bragging on this point." "I also heard that Taiyuan's defense system is extraordinary." "Does your regiment have artillery?" "There is a battery." "How about the equipment?" "They were all 'sent' by Chiang Kai-shek. The gun models are not uniform, but overall they are okay." "That's good. To attack a city like Taiyuan and our future operations, we can't rely on explosives alone. We need cannons, we need tanks, and we need powerful weapons!" At this moment, a guard brought a few pills for Xu Xiangqian to take. Yang Dezhi asked again: "What is the disease?" "The doctor said it was pleurisy, but it's not a big problem." "You still have to pay attention!" "It's okay, I can persevere." "I heard Mr. Peng is passing through Taiyuan?" "Yes, the central government has sent a telegram, and he can help me when he comes. The chairman said, 'Who dares to slash immediately, but I am General Peng!' When he comes, we will be sure of victory." "Please also give more instructions to our corps." "It's good that you and Cheng Wu are here. The 18th Corps, 19th Corps, and 20th Corps of our North China, the three brothers have come together. As long as we unite with sincerity, we will be invincible and march forward bravely." March 1949. Our People's Liberation Army has surrounded the old city of Taiyuan layer by layer, and a big war is about to break out. In a very simple bungalow, the General Front Committee is in a meeting. Zhou Shidi, Yang Dezhi, Yang Chengwu, Luo Ruiqing, Chen Manyuan, and Li Tianhuan were all present, because this was the first meeting after the meeting between the two armies. They used to fight in different battlefields and rarely saw each other. Today's opportunity came, before the official meeting , the top generals of these three corps gathered together to ask questions about health and friendship, and the atmosphere was very good. Xu Xiangqian was not in good health and was still recuperating in a nearby hut. With a file in his arms, Hu Yaobang walked in with small steps and said to Xu Xiangqian: "President Xu, everyone is here, please preside over the meeting." Xu Xiangqian stood up and asked: "We are three corps fighting together, we must maintain a good relationship with brother troops, this is a big deal, I asked you to make a document and send it to our corps, have you done it? " Hu Yaobang hastily opened the document package, took out a document, and said, "I have drafted an eight major code of conduct, which will be distributed to all units soon, please give your instructions." Xu Xiangqian took the document and glanced at it briefly, and said, "Please read it, I will listen." So Hu Yaobang stood there and read: 1. Be open-minded and learn from brother troops at any time. 2. Be proactive in coordinated operations and not compete for military exploits. 3. When marching troops meet, they should take the initiative to give way; when garrison troops are together, they should take the initiative to give way to the house, and do not compete for furniture or purchases. 4. When the brother troops are in trouble, try to help them. 5. Be kind and courteous when speaking, and do not quarrel with brother troops under any circumstances. 6. It is not allowed to use weapons, ammunition, equipment and other materials of fraternal troops without permission. 7. We must humbly accept advice and suggestions from fraternal troops. 8. When fraternal troops violate policies and disciplines, they must submit opinions through the organization, and discussions behind the scenes are not allowed. After listening to Xu Xiangqian, he nodded and said: "The Eight Principles are feasible. You are the director of the Political Department of our Corps, and you have a heavy burden. Under the current situation, the unity of all troops is particularly important. You must make it clear to everyone that political Ideological work must be done well, this is the magic weapon of our army.” Hu Yaobang accompanied Xu Xiangqian to the conference room. The generals who were talking and laughing suddenly stood up and applauded. Xu waved forward: "Please sit down, everyone, you have worked hard." Everyone is still applauding. Xu Xiangqian walked over to shake hands with Yang Dezhi, Yang Chengwu, Luo Ruiqing and others one by one. Several young soldiers poured water for the chiefs with iron teapots. The meeting officially begins. Xu Xiangqianqiang, who was as pale as paper, presided over the meeting vigorously.He stroked his left chest with one hand, looked at everyone and said: "First of all, on behalf of the 18th Corps, I welcome the arrival of the 19th Corps and the 20th Corps. From today onwards, under the command of the Central Military Commission, we will work side by side to complete the task of liberating Taiyuan. The Military Commission appointed me as the commander-in-chief. This battle is up to all of you Let's fight. Everyone is invited to come here today. The first is to welcome each other and meet each other. The second is to jointly study the plan for attacking the city. Next, I would like to invite Comrade Zhou Shidi to introduce Yan Xishan's defense situation in Taiyuan. After we are done, we will discuss the attack plan .” Zhou Shidi stood up, took a big step back, turned around and walked to the front wall beside him, picked up a thin peach stick more than one meter long, pointed to the main map of the Taiyuan campaign hanging on the wall and preached: "After the Battle of Jinzhong, Yan Xishan's military deployment changed a lot. Almost all the defenders were placed on the front line of Taiyuan City. Now he has 6 armies, 17 divisions, and a total force of about 72,000. Among them The situation of defensive deployment is mainly based on the periphery of the city wall. Within the range of 7 miles to the east, 20 miles to the west, 10 miles to the south, and 30 miles to the north, it is divided into 5 defense areas, with 13 main divisions. The commander in chief of the northern area is Han Buzhou , with jurisdiction over 3 divisions and 8 regiments; Northeast District Commander Wen Huaiguang, with jurisdiction over 2 divisions and 8 regiments; Southeast District Commander Liu Xiaozeng, with jurisdiction over 2 divisions and 6 regiments; Southern District Commander Gao Zhuozhi, with jurisdiction over 2 divisions and 6 regiments. Zhao Gong, the commander-in-chief of the Western District, has 4 divisions and 11 regiments under his jurisdiction. In addition, there are more than 20,000 people defending the city with two divisions and troops directly under the Sui Department; more than 10,000 people in seven regiments with the 30th Army and the 83rd Division. It is a mobile force; with a total of 900 guns from the personal training artillery regiment, howitzer regiment and 4 independent battalions, it is divided into 10 artillery teams and distributed in various defense areas outside the city." After listening to his explanation, everyone began to discuss. Xu Xiangqian said: "In the end to conquer Taiyuan, our army is currently investing in the 18th Corps, 19th Corps, 20th Corps and Jinzhong Troops, the 7th Army of the First Field, and the Artillery Division of the Four Fields, totaling more than 200,000 people. In terms of strength, our army is If you have an absolute advantage, how do you call to ask everyone to express their opinions.” Because the 18th Corps is very familiar with the situation of the Taiyuan defenders, Zhou Shidi, Chen Manyuan and others expressed their opinions most enthusiastically, talking about many specific ways of fighting.Yang Dezhi and Yang Chengwu arrived here for the first time and asked about the terrain of Taiyuan. They didn't say too much, but stated that they would obey the command of the General Front Committee, unite sincerely, fight side by side, and resolutely complete the task. An hour later, the General Front Committee preliminarily decided that this battle would still adopt the tactics of insertion and division, first clearing out the remaining enemies on the periphery, and then concentrating its forces to attack the city.Determine the specific deployment of each unit is: Use the 20th Corps, 1 division of the 7th Army, and one division of the Four Fields Artillery Division to break through from the northeast and northwest, try to penetrate the new city of Zhangzitou, cut off the enemy's retreat in the northern area, and destroy them. If successful, they can attack the city from the factory area in the north. Use the 19th Corps, 3 brigades of the Jinzhong Military Region, and a part of the Four Field Artillery Division to attack in separate routes, break through Yangjiabao from the south of the city all the way, and then develop eastward, and cooperate with the 18th Corps to attack Yanjiafen. The enemy in the south of Tasi and Dayingpan; the other route breaks through the Xiaowang Village on the west bank of the Fen River, and cooperates with the 20th Corps to go down along the Fen River to encircle and annihilate the enemy defending in the west area, and then attack the city from both sides of Shouyi Gate in the south of the city.With the 18th Corps and the 7th Army?The two regiments of the Ge Division and the Four Field Artillery Division were divided into two groups on the left and right. They feigned attacks in the Yangjiayu, Naoma, and Songya areas in the east of the city, and responded to breakthroughs from the north and the south. Haojiagou, after succeeding, attacked the city from the north to the south through the gate. The total attack time is April 15. At this moment Peng Dehuai came. Outside the city of Taiyuan, the two armies confronted each other, and both the enemy and us were stepping up to build fortifications. Because the two sides are very close, most of the soldiers of the 18th Corps are from the Jinzhong area. When shouting at night, the opponent's position can be heard in a local accent, which creates favorable conditions for our army to disintegrate the enemy.In order to reduce losses, on the eve of the war, our army launched a political offensive against the enemy. Comrade Xu Xiangqian has such a record in his memoirs: "At that time, most of the enemy and us were from Shanxi, and almost all the newly recruited soldiers were from the counties in central Shanxi. We disintegrated the enemy's work and took advantage of this unique condition. Before shouting and talking, listen to the other party's accent first to understand them. Where is the family, and then send soldiers and migrant workers from the same county and township to make propaganda to each other. The positions of the two sides are very close, and the conversation can be heard clearly. Some talk about it, it turns out to be relatives, friends, neighbors , it will be more enthusiastic, easier to touch the heartstrings, and get the effect." It is said that people often came running from the opposite position with guns at night and joined the ranks of the People's Liberation Army. After Peng Dehuai arrived in Taiyuan, he went to a place called Yubi Village to visit Xu Xiangqian. The old comrades-in-arms reunited, and the two were very excited.Xu Xiangqian took Peng Dehuai's hand and said: "It's great that you're here! I can't hold on any longer." Peng Dehuai asked with concern: "How is your health recently? The chairman and the Party Central Committee are very concerned. This time I went to the northwest to visit you by the chairman's order." "I already know that after Taiyuan is captured, the 18th Corps and 19th Corps will be under your command and go to the northwest to fight. I completely agree. Now I have pleurisy again, and my body is so weak that I can't go to the front line. You just stay and command the siege, and leave after taking Taiyuan." "Yes, but you are still the commander-in-chief, and you still issue orders and announcements in your name." "How can this work!" "The chairman also agrees to do so." "You can ask Zhou Shidi to find out about the situation on the front line, instead of going to the front line yourself." "I get to feel the situation at the front line, so I don't want to fight an uncertain battle." "It's too dangerous to do that." "no problem." Peng Dehuai, who was covered in dust, braved the gunfire and came to the front line again. He is a very responsible general.After Zhou Shidi, Yang Dezhi and others reported the deployment situation, he insisted that they take him to the forefront to observe the position. They had no choice but to accompany President Peng to go forward. When they came to a hillside and just spread out the map, they heard the sound of missiles. When they fell more than 30 meters behind them, the air waves knocked the small tree in front of them upside down. Mr. Peng got up from the ground and patted the dust off his body as if nothing had happened. Yang Dezhi broke out in a cold sweat, and said, "Mr. Peng's place is too dangerous, you can't go any further." "It's okay." Zhou Shidi said: "If something goes wrong with you, how can we explain to Mr. Xu and the Party Central Committee? Please retreat." "You guys are just worried about me. If you don't go to the frontier, how can you win the battle with just a map phone? Once a fight starts, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are in our hands. If the command makes a mistake, how many people will be killed? Bleeding!" Peng Dehuai walked one more hill, and finally pointed to the foggy Taiyuan City and said: "If you want to conquer this city, you must first take down these nearby hills." Peng Dehuai returned to the command post and immediately sent a report to the Central Military Commission, reporting the final plan for the 24th siege. On the 19th, the peripheral battle in Taiyuan had already started. Three days later, my 18th Corps, 19th Corps, and 20th Corps had completed the task of outflanking the enemy as planned, and Yan Jun was in a mess.When soldiers approached the city, Yan Xishan was really afraid. He kept saying that he would live and die with Taiyuan, and even sent someone to transport a coffin from his hometown a month ago, but it was all for people to see.In order to escape, he found a way for himself a week ago, and sent someone to Nanjing to ask Acting President Li Zongren to send him an invitation telegram, so as to find an excuse to escape from Taiyuan. At this time, Li Zongren really sent a telegram, saying that there was something important to discuss, so Yan Xishan fled in a hurry before he even had time to get a change of clothes. Before leaving, he summoned all the senior generals to speak: "Deputy President Li telegraphed me to Nanjing to discuss the state affairs. I had no choice but to leave here temporarily. I hope you can withstand the attack of the communist army. As long as you can persist for a week, I will bring the flying brigade. At that time, I will send Xu forward. The troops were fried into meatloaf." He handed over the power of guarding Taiyuan to his nephew Liang Huazhi, Sun Chu and Wang Jingguo. His lover Wu girl sent him to a small military airfield with red and swollen eyes, crying and saying: "You can't leave me alone, I want to go with you..." "What are you crying for? Are you crying for my funeral? I'm not dead, and I'll be back in two or three days." "You're lying." "Nonsense, if you leave with me, the morale of the army will be in turmoil, understand? I will take no one with me, and I will go alone. Youhua will take care of you, don't worry." Miss Wu suddenly fell to her knees and hugged Yan Xishan's thigh, begging: "Let's go together!" The plane's engines were already running. Yan Xishan winked at Liang Huazhi who sent him off: "Get her out of here, she's crazy." Liang Huazhi bent down and hugged the fifth girl, Yan Xishan kicked his legs vigorously, and got off the plane. The fifth girl fell into Liang Huazhi's arms, with tears streaming down her face, struggling with disheveled hair, watching the plane pass through the clouds... 5:30 am on April 24, 1949. The Front Committee issued an order for a general attack. In an instant, the flames of Taiyuan City were soaring into the sky, the sound of cannons rumbled, and the shouts of killing came and went one after another.More than 1,000 cannons of our army fired at the same time, and the enemy fled with their heads in their arms. At this time, news came that my million-strong army had crossed the river. Peng Dehuai sat in the command post with a smile on his face. In just four and a half hours, Taiyuan City, which Yan Xishan had painstakingly managed for 38 years, was conquered by the People's Liberation Army. A group of senior generals such as Wang Jingguo and Sun Chu, the commanders of the city defense, were captured. At noon the next day, when Yang Dezhi and others went into the city to clean up the battlefield, they did not find Liang Huazhi and Fifth Miss.Peng Dehuai said: "Search for me, they can't escape." What is more dramatic is that two charred corpses were found in the basement of Suishu Garden, a man and a woman, naked. It can be seen that these two people still did not give up their impure thoughts of pleasure before they passed away. After having sex for a while, they hugged each other tightly and committed suicide.They are the spy chief Liang Huazhi and Shanxi beauty Yan Huiqing. Another city is back in the hands of the people. Peng Dehuai said to everyone at the celebration meeting: "I have finished my work in Taiyuan, and I will lead the 18th Corps and 19th Corps to cross the Yellow River west to liberate the Northwest..." Xu Xiangqian, who was seriously ill, took Peng Dehuai's hand and said with a smile: "Boss Peng, with your help, the burden of Taiyuan has finally been thrown away. I have asked the chairman for leave and will go to Qingdao to recuperate. The 19th Corps will be handed over to you!" The hands of the two generals were tightly held together. Then Peng Dehuai embarked on a new journey with Zhou Shi's 18th Corps and Yang Dezhi's 19th Corps...