Chapter 31 5. Siping was surrounded by the Kuomintang army in an arc

On April 7, the battle outside Siping started.Under the command of Liang Huasheng, the deputy commander of Northeast Security, the 1st New Army of the Kuomintang, which occupied Changtu, attacked northward along the Zhongchang Railway. On April 8, after the new 38th Division of the New 1st Army occupied Xinglongquan and Liutiaogou, they were surrounded by 12 regiments that had been concentrated by the Wanyi Column and the 1st Division of the Democratic Alliance Army, as well as the 8th Brigade and 10th Brigade of the 3rd Division. In the fierce battle, due to the lax encirclement, only 4 entire companies of the New 38th Division were wiped out, more than 1,200 people were killed and wounded, and more than 350 officers and soldiers were captured.This was the first serious injury suffered by the New 1st Army after it arrived in the Northeast.

The left wing is the 87th Division and the 91st Division of the 71st Army of Chen Mingren's Department (Chen Mingren's commander is still in Shenyang), which invaded and occupied Faku on April 4. Both the left and right wings of the Kuomintang army were blocked, and progress was slow.At this time, it has exceeded the deadline for Chiang Kai-shek to occupy Siping, but it is still far from Siping.Liang Huasheng was extremely anxious, and kept asking Xiong Shihui for emergency reinforcements.Xiong Shihui was so anxious that he couldn't sleep at night, so he had to send Zheng Dongguo to the Kaiyuan command post on April 10 to replace Liang Huasheng.

The New 1st Army was beaten down a bit, and Sun Liren sent an urgent telegram to Zheng Dongguo, saying: The further they advance, the more they feel that the troops are insufficient, and it will be difficult to conquer Siping within the time limit. Just when the Kuomintang army was at a loss, the Democratic Coalition Army learned that the 71st Army of the Kuomintang, which was advancing northward, attempted to detour to Bamian City and Siping Street.The enemy army set out from Faku to Bamian City and had to pass through Dawa.As a result, the Democratic Alliance Army concentrated the strength of about 14 regiments including the 1st Division, 8th Brigade and 10th Brigade of the 3rd Division, Wanyi Column, and the Independent Brigade, and ambushed in the area around Dawa.In addition, a troop was sent to change into plainclothes and go deep into a market near Dawa to prepare with the local people. Plainclothes armed forces filled the market.

A leading regiment of the 87th Division of the 71st Army of the Kuomintang dispersed and rested immediately after arriving at the market, and the market was bustling with transactions as usual.While the Kuomintang officers and soldiers were eating and drinking, suddenly there were gunshots from far and near, and the inside and outside cooperated. The enemy was caught off guard, and all the vanguard regiments were wiped out.The 87th Division was beaten to pieces, and the division commander Huang Yan fled south in a hurry.The Democratic Alliance Army troops cleaned the battlefield that day and voluntarily withdrew at night.The 71st Army of the Kuomintang occupied Dawa on the second day (April 16), and occupied Laosiping Street on the 18th.

So far, Siping has been surrounded by the Kuomintang army in an arc, and the railway traffic between East Manchuria and West Manchuria has been cut off.