Chapter 53 1. The military must also cross the river

January 1949. The Huaihai Campaign ended successfully, and the remaining Kuomintang troops retreated to the south of the Yangtze River.The Central Military Commission decided that the People's Liberation Army must cross the river, and a "Northern and Southern Dynasties" could not be formed. For this reason, the Military Commission sent a telegram to the leaders of the Central Plains and East China Field Armies on January 12, stipulating that the two field armies should rest and reorganize in stages from the 15th to the end of March, complete all preparations for the battle across the river, and be on standby for dispatch.Subsequently, the Military Commission drew up the operational policy of the Battle of Crossing the River, and decided to establish the General Front Committee of the Battle of Crossing the River with Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi, Deng Xiaoping, Su Yu, and Tan Zhenlin.

This secret telegram was quickly passed to the hands of the five general front committee members, and they were all very happy at the time.They understand that the army crossing the river means that the day of national liberation is not far away. Then the Chinese People's Liberation Army was reorganized. The Central Plains Field Army was renamed the Second Field Army. Liu Bocheng served as commander, Deng Xiaoping served as political commissar, Zhang Jichun served as deputy political commissar and director of the Political Department, and Li Da served as chief of staff. It has three corps under its jurisdiction, with a total force of 280,000.

Chen Xilian, commander of the 3rd Corps, and Xie Fuzhi, political commissar.Jurisdiction over the 10th Army, commander Du Yide (concurrently), political commissar Wang Weigang; 11th Army, commander Zeng Shaoshan, political commissar Bao Xianzhi; 12th Army, commander and political commissar Wang Jinshan. Chen Geng, commander and political commissar of the 4th Corps.Jurisdiction over the 13th Army, Commander Zhou Xihan, Political Commissar Liu Youguang; 14th Army, Commander Li Chengfang, Political Commissar Lei Rongtian; 15th Army, Commander Qin Jiwei, Political Commissar Gu Jingsheng. Yang Yong, commander of the 5th Corps, and Su Zhenhua, political commissar.Jurisdiction over the 16th Army, Army Commander Yin Xianbing, Political Commissar Wang Huiqiu.The 17th Army, commander Wang Bingzhang, political commissar Zhao Jianmin; the 18th Army, commander Zhang Guohua, political commissar Tan Guansan.

The East China Field Army was renamed the Third Field Army. Chen Yi served as commander and political commissar, Su Yu served as deputy commander and second deputy political commissar, Tan Zhenlin served as first deputy political commissar, Zhang Zhen served as chief of staff, and Tang Liang served as director of the Political Department.There are 4 corps under its jurisdiction, with a total of 580,000 people. The 7th Corps has Wang Jianan as its commander and Tan Qilong as its political commissar.Jurisdiction over the 21st Army, Commander Teng Haiqing, Political Commissar Kang Zhiqiang; 22nd Army, Commander Sun Jixian, Political Commissar Ding Qiusheng; 23rd Army, Commander Tao Yong, Political Commissar Lu Sheng; 35th Army, Commander Wu Huawen, Political Commissar He Kexi.

The 8th Corps had Chen Shiju as its commander and Yuan Zhongxian as its political commissar.Jurisdiction over the 24th Army, Commander Wang Bicheng, Political Commissar Liao Haiguang; 25th Army, Commander Cheng Jun, Political Commissar Huang Huxing; 26th Army Commander Zhang Renchu, Political Commissar Wang Yiping; 34th Army, Commander He Jifeng, Political Commissar Zhao Qimin. Song Shilun served as the commander of the Ninth Corps, and Guo Huaruo, the political commissar.Jurisdiction over the 20th Army, Commander Liu Fei, Political Commissar Chen Shifu; 27th Army, Commander Nie Fengzhi, Political Commissar Liu Haotian; 30th Army, Commander Xie Zhenhua, Political Commissar Li Ganhui; 33rd Army, Commander Zhang Kexia, Political Commissar Han Nianlong.

Ye Fei, commander of the 10th Corps, and Wei Guoqing, political commissar.Jurisdiction over the 28th Army, Commander Zhu Shaoqing, Political Commissar Chen Meizao; 29th Army, Commander Hu Bingyun, Political Commissar Zhang Fan; 31st Army, Commander Zhou Zhijian, Political Commissar Chen Huatang. So what was the situation in the Yangtze River at that time? General Su Yu once made such a description in his war memoirs-the Yangtze River is the largest river in my country, and the downstream river is more than ten kilometers wide. It has always been called a natural moat.For me, the Yangtze River is no stranger. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, I led my troops to cross the river three times. At that time, the enemy was strong and we were weak. We could only adopt the tactics of following the enemy’s surprise and avoiding the reality, choosing the weak parts of the enemy. smuggling.This time the situation of crossing the river is very different. We can use the method of crossing the river openly and openly with a large force, which can be said to be solid.Our choice of this method of warfare is based on the strong advantages of our army. Our artillery fire is unprecedentedly powerful, capable of suppressing the enemy's firepower on the opposite shore, and within a certain range, we are also capable of dealing with the enemy's warships and air force.However, the enemy's troops and firepower are insufficient, and there is a huge gap in defense.Our army crossed the river with a wide front, and the enemy was hard to defend against, so that we were absolutely sure of success in crossing the river.However, water warfare is different from land warfare. In addition to the necessary preparations for land warfare, it is also necessary to conduct a careful investigation of the terrain, water conditions, and weather along the coast; make careful plans for the equipment for crossing the river; political mobilization and training, and make various preparations more fully, more solidly, more scientifically, and more rigorously.

Su Yu is one of the senior commanders of our army who are good at fighting tough and vicious battles. He is also very humble and good at uniting people. On April 30, 1948, Mao Zedong listened to Su Yu's report in Chengnanzhuang, Fuping, Hebei, and said that the central government decided to transfer Chen Yi to work in the Central Plains, and you will be in charge of Huaye in the future. Su Yu said: "Our Huaye cannot do without Boss Chen!" Mao Zedong said with a smile: "The central government has already decided that you will command the entire army after he leaves."

"Boss Chen can leave us, but I have to make a request." "Go ahead." "Comrade Chen Yi's position as commander and political commissar in Huaye will continue to be retained." Mao Zedong pondered for a while, then smiled and said to him: "You are a person who does not strive for fame and wealth, and I will follow you. Unity is a magic weapon for our army to defeat the enemy. You are very good at uniting all directions." Later, Chen Yi went to work in the Central Plains, and the command of Huaye was held by Su Yu, the acting commander and political commissar.

On January 26, 1949, Comrade Chen Yi rushed to Shangqiu to meet with several other members of the Front Committee of the Battle of Crossing the River after the enlarged meeting of the Xuzhou Huaye Front Committee to discuss how to cross the river. In a small village called Zhangcaiyuan, several front committee members were sitting together to hold a combat meeting. The thin Su Yu stood up and said to everyone: "I have mobilized before the war, and my morale is very good. I think the crossing of the river can also be carried out in mid-March." Deng Xiaoping smoked and said, "If you have any good ideas, please explain in detail."

Su Yu looked at everyone and said: "Crossing the river in March is a good time. Politically speaking, the enemy has not yet reached a consensus, and there are differences of opinion on war and peace. From a military point of view, the enemy's defense of the Yangtze River The deployment has not been completed yet, they are still formulating various plans, and the river defense system is not perfect. From the perspective of seasons, there is less rain in late March and early April, which is convenient for our army to fight. After April, the flood season in the south will come, rainy If it continues continuously, the Yangtze River will rise steeply, the water surface will be wide, and the current will be fast, which will cause many difficulties for us to cross the river."

Chen Yi entered the situation late, so he rarely expressed his opinion.After listening to Su Yu's analysis, he nodded and said: "Crossing the river in mid-March, in terms of time, we are a bit hasty, and the preparations may not be perfect." Tan Zhenlin went on to say: "Boss Chen's opinion is correct, our preparation time is a bit hasty, and this unfavorable factor must be taken into account." Deng Xiaoping was a supporter of Su Yu's point of view.He said: "It is very beneficial for us to cross the river in the middle and late March. Time can be bought. I think we can telegraph this idea to the central government." Chen Yi said: "You can set the time first, and then study how to proceed." Deng Xiaoping said: "How to cross the river involves how to fight and specific issues. According to our reconnaissance, the enemy once had a three-line deployment strategy in defense of the Yangtze River." Chen Yi put down his cigarette pouch and hurriedly asked, "Which third line is it?" Deng Xiaoping said, "According to what Bo Cheng said: advance equipment, direct equipment, and retreat equipment. Chiang Kai-shek said that the Yangtze River defense line is like a snake on the mountain. When it hits the tail, it hits the head. When it hits the head, it hits the tail. When it hits the middle, it hits both ends. " Tan Zhenlin, who was smoking, said: "In fact, the Kuomintang's forward equipment does not exist anymore. They used to emphasize that 'defending the river must solidify the beach'. The command post in Chu County, Jiangbei, has been cancelled." Su Yu said: "The situation is different now. We have an advantage. Our artillery can completely suppress the enemy's firepower on the other side of the Yangtze River. Within a certain range, we are still able to deal with the enemy's warships and air force. However, the enemy has insufficient troops and has a large gap in defense. " Chen Yi said: "This time, Chiang Kai-shek didn't care about his head and his ass. I don't think he can defend the more than 1,800-kilometer Yangtze River defense line." Deng Xiaoping slapped the pencil on the table vigorously, and said: "We will come to him to make a breakthrough across the board. On the wide front, we will use a large force to cross the Yangtze River, so that Chiang Kai-shek's Yangtze River defense line cannot be seen from the end to the end. In this way, Chiang Kai-shek's "long snake formation" 'It's going to become the 'Dead Snake Formation'." From March 21st, personnel from the General Front Committee, the Sanye Front Command, and the East China Bureau went south by train in batches and stationed in Sunjiaweizi in the southern suburbs of Bengbu. Sunjiaxuzi is a small village with about dozens of households, most of which are huts with earthen walls. The surrounding terrain is basically flat, except for a small mountain called Taoshan. Some sparse pines and cypresses grow on the mountain. Taupe rocks. The General Front Committee held an enlarged meeting here. The meeting made the deployment of crossing the river: the second and third field armies all began to cross the river on April 15. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Corps of the Second Field are the West Assault Group, commanded by Liu Bocheng, Zhang Jichun, and Li Da, and cross the river between Hukou and Zongyang; the 7th and 9th Corps of the Third Field are the Central Assault Group, commanded by Tan Zhenlin , crossing the river between the east of Zongyang and Jinhekou in Hexian County; the 8th and 10th Corps of Sanye are the East Assault Group, commanded by Su Yu and Zhang Zhen, crossing the river between Jinhekou and Jiangyin. After successfully crossing the river, the central and eastern roads were under the command of Su Yu. The key to this battle is that after crossing the river, the two armies of the Central and Eastern Routes quickly moved east and west, encircling a large number of defending enemies in Nanjing, Zhenjiang, and Wuhu in a pincer shape. The meeting also emphasized that we must also consider the possibility that the enemy will stick to the defense of the river, or attack us all the way when we cross the river to shrink and gather troops, and prepare for serious battles.Crossing the river affects international audio-visual and trends, and it is necessary to strive for stability. The terrain of the Yangtze River is very complicated, with many harbors and forks everywhere. At that time, east of Jingpu in front of the Third Field Army, from Taizhou to Haimen, there were many inland rivers near the two banks that could lead directly to the Yangtze River, and there were many exits into the river.Although the Kuomintang army blocked the ports on the north bank, there are still many ports that can be used. However, because there are many water networks on both sides of the Yangtze River, it is difficult for troops to land ashore without erecting and repairing bridges, which has formed many obstacles for the troops.Therefore, in the battle across the river, the movement to the river and the landing operation, it is necessary to organize detailed reconnaissance in order to facilitate the actions of the troops. Due to the impact of natural water flow and man-made increase in land area, the condition of the banks of the Yangtze River has changed greatly, and the banks of the Yangtze River have often moved.Some parts of the river bank on the 1/50,000th map have actually moved a lot.For example, Langshan Mountain in Nantong was several miles away from the river bank, but at that time the river had rushed to the foot of the mountain. There is a problem, that is, there are many sandbars in the Yangtze River, with different sizes. The larger ones have many residents, houses and trees on them. These sandbars can be used as springboards for crossing the river, but there are also disadvantages in doing so. On the one hand, because it had to cross the river twice.In addition, the soil on both sides of the Yangtze River is relatively soft, which is not convenient for setting up artillery positions. Therefore, the difficulties caused by the soil quality in the firing of cannons (such as the soft soil quality, which affects the change of gun positions after firing, etc.) must be studied and overcome in the pre-war training. , to improve combat skills. Although the second field and the third field have carried out transitional battles over the Yellow River in the past, the Yellow River is "faced with evil and kind", while the Yangtze River is "faced with kindness and heart with evil."To the east of Nanjing, the flow rate of the river is high. At the same time, due to the attraction of the moon to the earth, the river rises and falls once a day. The first and fifteenth day of the lunar calendar are high tides, and the eighth and twenty-third day are low tides.The ebb and flow of the tide directly affects the entry of ships into the river and landing on the shore, which is not conducive to large-scale military operations. It is indeed a mysterious place, and there are many ancient customs along the Yangtze River.For example, the sails of a ship should not be called sails, but canopy; chopsticks should not be placed on the rice bowl after eating, but should be placed on the table; "Jiang pig", the big one can knock the boat over, and the crew are forbidden to shoot, and they must not cause trouble; The General Front Committee of the Battle of Crossing the River also considered these when studying the combat plan. Deng Xiaoping said to everyone: "The Yangtze River has the characteristics of the Yangtze River. We have encountered many new problems this time." Su Yu put down his teacup and said: "It seems that our crossing the river this time is not an easy task. I have crossed the river several times in the past, but they were all small-scale smuggling under the concern of the enemy, which is different from this large-scale forced crossing." The enemy has built many fortifications on the south bank of the Yangtze River, and some fortresses are quite strong, such as Wusong, Jiangyin, Jiangning and other fortresses, which are not easy to break through." Deng Xiaoping was very addicted to cigarettes, and he hardly stopped smoking. He put down the cigarette and said: "The key point of the battle across the river is whether you can get to the other side. First of all, you don't need to attack these fortified fortresses. In the battle of crossing the river in history, Generally, when attacking Nanjing, the river crossing point is selected in the southwest or east of Nanjing, and there are more people crossing the river on the side, and fewer people crossing the river in the front. Chen Yi, who was reading the telegram, went on to say: "What Comrade Xiaoping said just now is good, and I completely agree. The key to crossing the river is to first break through the defense line of the Yangtze River. Chiang Kai-shek set up a 'long snake array' on the Yangtze River, known as 'three-dimensional defense' But his military strength is simply not enough. 700,000 people have to guard the front of 1400 kilometers, and he can't hold it. In order to cross the river successfully, we can avoid the fortress of the Kuomintang, and we will cross the river wherever we can ...as long as the troops are moved to the south bank, the problem will be solved." Deng Xiaoping picked up the cigarette again and said: "In 1947, our army went south. Before forcibly crossing the Yellow River, Bo Cheng conducted some research on the enemy's front-crossing tactics and distributed a document to the troops. The feedback was very good. However, these few days Boss Tian Liu is organizing troops to advance to the north bank of the river, so he did not come to this meeting, but he has a lot of research on the battle across the Yangtze River, and he once wrote a plan." Chen Yi said with a smile: "Boss Liu has studied at the Frunze Military Academy. He has a lot of research on military theory. Comrade Xiaoping, do you have his plan on hand?" "I brought it." "Well then, read it to us all." "Then I will follow the script." "Read slowly, our brains are not responding very quickly, we are all too tired." Therefore, Deng Xiaoping read Liu Bocheng's plan with a strong Sichuan accent... "According to our understanding, floating bridges cannot be built on the Yangtze River, only Caodu. The main means of crossing the river are wooden boats like windbreakers; Action, the enemy is already prepared, and it is not easy to sneak in a surprise attack; third, the Yangtze River is very wide, and the enemy on the shore has sea and air cooperation, which poses a greater threat to us crossing the river. How should we view these issues... "First, the enemy will estimate that we will go all the way from Xi'an to Chongqing, all the way to take Wuhan along the Pinghan Road, all the way to attack Nanjing along the Jinpu Road, and all the way to seize the Beijing-Shanghai line along the canal. Therefore, they must defend from Sichuan to Shanghai, counting The defense of a thousand miles of rivers is bound to be difficult, so we can only defend key points and main lines. If this is the case, there will be a large gap, which will help us to make false crossings in the main direction and attract the enemy. This method is often used to smuggle across the Yangtze River. Our basic tactics are to cross across the night with a wide front, hundreds of kilometers, and at the same time. This can disrupt the enemy's defensive deployment. In this case, some troops may Hindered, but for the most part, well-organized and well-prepared, you can force your way to success. "2. In order to save troops, the enemy must strengthen auxiliary defenses. They may set up mines in weak places and areas where the river is expected to cross the river, and strengthen the blockade of the river bank. Using the practice of the Japanese and puppet troops, they will build bamboo fences along the river, with a distance of several miles. Build bunkers, high dams, reduce traffic ports, block news, cut off north-south traffic, landmines may be planted on the shore, and all ships sail close to the south bank. For this reason, we must learn how to break barriers. "Third, about the tools for crossing the river. Most of the leading troops must use motorcycles in order to land quickly. It is estimated that the enemy may remove the equipment for crossing the river by motorcycles from the towns and ports on the north bank. If several of our corps cross the river at the same time, this tool must be used. Not enough, so in addition to actively repairing and organizing technical personnel training, the second kind of preparation must be made, that is, attention must be paid to seizure and collection control. Even merchant trading ships are not allowed to go away, or dismantled and buried. Register and wait for calls. At the same time, prepare a batch of equipment accessories, and dismantle some cars and other available engines when necessary. A large number of tools mainly rely on the tributaries, lakes, and ports on the north bank, and strengthen the requisition of ferries, business boats, fishing boats, etc. After the first team successfully landed, the ships from the south coast were released. This issue of tools became the main work in the preparations for the forced crossing. It was necessary to start investigation and statistics in an organized and planned way and make ideological preparations for use. "Fourth, the enemy will definitely use the only remaining aircraft to be active over the Yangtze River. This problem cannot be ignored. But the enemy's contradiction cannot be overcome because there are too few aircraft and the Yangtze River is too long. Which section will we focus on? For this reason We still have many conditions available: one is to cross the river at night, which reduces the effectiveness of the aircraft; one is that we control the entire north bank, and many tributary harbors can reliably park tools and concealed troops, and take all negative means to reduce damage. It is all anti-aircraft weapons and light and heavy machine guns, which are used to shoot air-to-air in an organized manner, forcing enemy planes not to fly low. This is mainly used in the daytime to defend our river-crossing tools, docks and troop assembly areas (as far as we know, there are not many enemy planes. , and outdated, the original three brigades in Xuzhou had only 18 aircraft, and they have now gone to Nanchang.) The troops can conduct special exercises during the preparation process. "5. How to deal with the enemy's ships? The enemy may use the merchant ships as combat ships and patrols, plus the navy's warships. In this case, the number is not a small number, but the lack of combat equipment on the merchant ships has little effect on me. Therefore, We must do a good job of investigating, identifying, and educating the troops. The enemy's line of defense is too long, and his forces will inevitably be dispersed. If we do not disperse, we will take advantage of loopholes. Most of the weapons are useless, and it is difficult to see at night. After our river crossing tools are launched into the water, they float like water gulls, so it is difficult for artillery fire to hit. In addition, I have several methods to deal with it. Put it one or two miles away, guard on one or both of our wings, measure the distance, and shoot as soon as you find the enemy's fleet no matter day or night. Use the threat of containment as the first line of cover." After reading this, Deng Xiaoping suddenly stopped, waved his hand and said, "No more! No more! After I ask Mr. Liu for his opinion, I might as well print a copy of the materials for you, so that you won't have to remember to forget everything." Chen Yi smiled, and he said: "When a book is so exciting, it is often necessary to listen to the next chapter to break it down. Comrade Xiaoping has the style of a storyteller, so let's print a copy for everyone." Deng Xiaoping smoked and said, "I'll do it when I get down, please wait." Everyone smiled and closed their notebooks, stood up and went to rest outside. This time, the General Front Committee held a total of five days. In the end, the General Staff Office compiled the minutes of the meeting into the "Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Operation Outline", which was reviewed by Deng and Chen, and finally revised by Deng Xiaoping. Its content is: The Military Commission also told Liu, Li, and Zhang: I hereby send the "Outline for the Implementation of the Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Campaign" to the Military Commission for instructions.General Front Committee.Attachment: "Beijing-Shanghai-Hangzhou Battle Outline" The Central Military Commission quickly approved the proposal of the General Front Committee. At the same time, it was also decided to send two troops of the Fourth Field Army south to Wuhan to contain the Bai Chongxi Group and cooperate with them to cross the river. At this time, Deng Xiaoping led the new formation to Yaogang Village in the southeast of Hefei. At the same time, Su Yu and Zhang Zhen also set off from Bengbu on the same day, braved the spring rain, and arrived at the White Horse Temple in the south of Taizhou on April 5. Tan Zhenlin also returned to the headquarters of the 7th Corps stationed in Lujiang, Anhui as scheduled. Lu'an, a small town in the west of Anhui Province, becomes lively in spring. The People's Liberation Army rushed over like a tide, and the enthusiasm to welcome the army was high. The red flags inside and outside the city were like a sea, and the singing was like a tide. Huge slogans such as "Fight across the Yangtze River and capture Chiang Kai-shek alive!" and "Support the People's Liberation Army and liberate the whole of China!" are posted everywhere on the street. Just as the teachers and students of Chengbei Elementary School flocked to the street to welcome the army into the city, the county magistrate brought the principal back to the school and said to him: "The People's Liberation Army needs a house to live in. You have a few days off to support the army crossing the river!" The principal said: "We should fully support the People's Liberation Army crossing the river. If the school doesn't have enough houses, I can mobilize teachers and students to give up their houses." "Let's talk about it according to the situation." The principal immediately gathered the teachers and students to mobilize. It was decided to reserve one classroom as a temporary dormitory for female teachers, and to give up all the other rooms. In the evening, there was a sound of horns, and two or three jeeps drove up in front of the school gate.A tall, bespectacled man stepped out of a car. After being introduced to them, they knew that he was the well-known Commander Liu Bocheng. Liu Bocheng had already been on the road for a day, he was led by the principal to the temporarily vacated office, and sat down to rest. Three guards moved his luggage into the newly vacated teacher's dormitory next door, where Liu Bocheng and his wife Wang Ronghua lived. Wang Ronghua returned to her hometown, and she was extremely excited.The long-awaited turnaround day has finally arrived.She is from Lu'an Hejiaji, and participated in the revolution as early as the Liuhe Uprising. Many comrades and relatives came to see her when she came back this time. Although Liu Bocheng did not go to Bengbu to attend the enlarged meeting of the former committee, he was not at all relaxed. He was a restless person and was always thinking about how to cross the river. Liu Bocheng is not only a very good senior commander, but also a military theorist.So after the liberation of the whole country, Mao Zedong did not let him be the mayor of Nanjing for too long, but ordered him to be the president of Nanjing Military Academy, the highest institution of higher learning in the Chinese People's Liberation Army. While resting in Lu'an, Liu Bocheng continued to study the tactics of crossing the river. He worked at his desk all day, and wrote the tactics of crossing the river in just a few days. People can see that he not only made some predictions about the specific situation of the battle across the river, but also proposed a solution. Matters needing attention in tactics for crossing the river "Research on the Operation of Crossing the River" and "Instructions for Tactics of Crossing the River in Front of the Enemy" have already been published as textbooks. Based on the recent situation, the following tactical precautions are proposed: First, the enemy's cover position on the north bank of the Yangtze River is composed of bridgeheads, fortresses, and Jiangxinzhou fulcrums. Their intention is to detect our deployment across the river as soon as possible, block the exit of our river crossing, and cooperate with their fleet and aircraft to delay our crossing of the river. Cover the defense implementation of the main position in the south of the Yangtze River. Second, we are engaged in the tactical training of crossing the river, the collection of boats and other equipment, especially the implementation of reconnaissance, etc. We must first sweep away the enemy's Jiangbei cover and reach the riverside before we can make further practical preparations.At this time, all troops should send cadres to observe, and use binoculars (or listen to audio at night) to find out the extent, current velocity, river continent, especially the terrain and fortifications on the south bank, and how the enemy is deployed.When, where, and how the discovered target acts, it should be registered as the basis for judgment and determination. This kind of observational reconnaissance is combined with combat reconnaissance, and its effect is even greater.The coordinated actions of infantry, artillery, and engineers crossing the river should also be implemented by relevant cadres in field reconnaissance. Third, when sweeping away the support points of the enemy's Jiangbei bridgehead, especially for the enemy who hinders our main crossing points, we should try our best to cut off their retreat, split their deployment, and quickly wipe them out, so as not to retreat to the south of the Yangtze River and increase their resistance in the future.If the enemy's garrisoned place does not hinder our main battle of crossing the river, or if it is difficult to attack with heavy troops, temporarily block it with a part of the army. Fourth, after seizing and controlling the Jiangbei bridgehead, we should start to organize our assault troops and cover troops across the river, and conduct on-the-spot reconnaissance and training.At the same time, organize air defense and shoot enemy ships with artillery to block the river. Fifth, whether the enemy blocks the exit of our boat or raft, whether to remove it directly, or open another ditch to drive the boat out of the river, or push the boat over the head of the dam and out of the river, must be decided according to the specific situation.But the rafts should be arranged in a concealed dock for air defense and easy sailing. Sixth, because the topography of the Yangtze River and its banks is constantly changing, it is not possible to rely solely on maps, but to conduct on-the-spot investigation and judgment, and make good use of them. (1) The narrow part of the river is easy to cross, and it is convenient for our shore fire cover, but generally the flow velocity is high. (2) If the width of the river is too wide, it is the opposite of the above item.If there is a shallow bottom in the river, especially if there are intricately arranged river islands, the enemy fleet is restricted by certain navigation routes and is vulnerable to our bombardment, so it can only guerrilla with small boats.I should seize these river islands separately, and use firepower to cover each other, and gradually jump across the Yangtze River, or only use the river islands as a cover to cross the river. (3) If the curved part of the river body protrudes toward our bank, we can organize crossfire to cover crossing the river. (4) There is often mud on the south bank, which makes it difficult to land on the shore especially under the enemy's short-handed firepower. This requires us to be good at organizing battles and laying reeds or planks to pass through it. (5) The lakes and swamps on the south bank restrict my landing maneuvers, and I can only use them as a cover.After I landed, I had to maneuver towards the unobstructed area. (6) If the landing place is steep, the leading troops must climb it with ropes and ladders, and then build piers and passages. Seventh, when we occupy the cover position on the south bank, part of our artillery should be transferred to the position on the south bank first, and the support troops will move forward to suppress the tank activity and prevent the enemy from counterattacking; or shell the enemy ship to cover the crossing of the river.At this time, the air-to-air shooting on both sides of the strait should be able to cover the crossing of the river. Eighth, the troops crossing the river from all walks of life should cross the river at the same time with a wide front and focused (against the enemy's weak point).Once the south bank is reached, that is, to control the main points, first sweep the enemy with sufficient force, expand the breakthrough area, and respond to the landing of friendly neighbors, and then (that is, mainly) the main force boldly penetrates and advances to the designated point, penetrates the enemy's depth, and intercepts the enemy's retreat. Annihilate it.Do not be held back by remnants of the enemy (or covering troops) on the way.These remnants of the enemy can only be wiped out or blocked by a force sent from the rear echelon.During the advance attack, each unit should have accompanying artillery and make great use of the power of flying mines (author's note: that is, using mortars or projectiles to launch explosive packages to blow up enemy fortifications) and explosions. Ninth, as soon as our army reaches the south bank, we should send an advance detachment to the main direction to find out the enemy's deep deployment and the situation of our army's advancing road. Tenth, in the battle of crossing the river and marching to the south of the Yangtze River, the political offensive against the enemy must be carried out in close coordination with the battle, so as to achieve the goal of disintegrating the enemy politically. On the night of leaving Lu'an, Liu Bocheng handed this instruction to Chief of Staff Li Da, and said to him: "Print some of it and send it to the commanders at the regiment level. We must let every commander fight the battle clearly. Let them know how to fight before they fight, so that many unnecessary sacrifices can be avoided." March 31. Liu Bocheng was checking the military map when Chief of Staff Li Da walked into the office with a telegram. "What's the good news?" Liu Bocheng looked at him and asked. Li Da handed him a telegram and said: "Commander, the General Front Committee has called and asked us to cross the river between Zongyang and Wangjiang. Move closer to Sanye in the east, take over the tasks left by Sanye, and prepare to attack Nanjing." After listening to it, Liu Bocheng smiled and said, "Okay! We should move forward. Inform the troops to set off tomorrow and enter Shucheng!"