Chapter 64 11. Inventory

In the Battle of Dingtao, at the cost of 3,500 casualties, our army wiped out 4 brigades including the reorganized 3rd Division, killed and injured more than 5,000 people, and captured more than 12,000 people.6 tanks, more than 200 guns of various types, more than 4,300 rifles and a large amount of ammunition were seized.This battle defeated the pincers of the Kuomintang army's pincer offensive on the West Road, and dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Kuomintang army to attack the liberated areas. This influential battle was hailed as a model battle of "concentrating superior forces and annihilating the enemy one by one".

In Yan'an Cave, Mao Zedong received Liu Bocheng's report on the results of the Dingtao Campaign.Mao Zedong said with a smile: "Comrade Bo Cheng is good at fighting dangerous battles, which made me sleepless for several nights. We have few troops and poor equipment, but Comrade Bo Cheng's equipment is good. As soon as Chairman Jiang called, he Zhang Open the bag and the guillotine are waiting." At 13:00 on September 7, 1946, Mao Zedong sent a telegram to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, saying: "Congratulations on your great victory in annihilating the entire 3rd Division, and I hope you will order the whole army to reward you."

The victory of the Battle of Dingtao boosted the morale of the People's Liberation Army on all battlefields. Four days later, on September 12, 1946, the "Liberation Daily" published an editorial entitled "Jiang's Army Must Be Defeated", commenting on the victory of this battle and its impact: ... This is another major victory after the breakout victory of our army in the Central Plains and the great victory in the Soviet Union. These three victories played an important role in turning the situation around for the entire southern front of the PLA.The situation that Jiang's army must be defeated and our army must win has been settled.

On September 13, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued another circular stating: This time, 50,000 troops from Liu Deng's army attacked the enemy's 3rd Division with 9,000 brigades and two brigades. From the evening of the 3rd to the morning of the 6th, one brigade was dealt with, causing panic across the board. The other brigade broke through on the afternoon of the 6th. , I solved it in half a day. On the morning of the 7th, reinforcements from the two brigades of the 47th Division arrived, and I took another day to deal with the two brigades.In addition, one part each of the 41st Division and the 74th Brigade has been resolved.This experience tells us: first, we must concentrate our troops five times or four times or at least three times superior to the enemy's, first wipe out one or two regiments of the enemy, boost the morale of our army, cause the enemy to panic, and then wipe out the enemy after success Break through the second and third parts.Don't be greedy for too many things and disperse your forces.

Hu Lincong, Sun Zhen’s chief of staff, commented on the situation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party after the Battle of Dingtao in his memoirs: After Liu Zhi was transferred, when Zhao Zili talked to me about the tragic annihilation of the 3rd Division, in addition to admitting that it was a mistake to underestimate the enemy and the principle of "not defending unless the one regiment is not defending, and not attacking unless the third regiment" was wrong, And said with emotion: "The old is old, the young is small; there is nothing to rely on, no one to take care of, and this result is inevitable!" identity and went to the United States.Due to the usual conflict between He and Chen, now that Chen Cheng is in power, he takes the opportunity to withdraw Liu. He Yuan is in the United States and has no way to speak for Liu in front of Jiang, so he has no choice but to let him replace him.

From this battle, the victory of the People's Liberation Army commanded by Commander Liu Bocheng, the annihilation of the 3 brigades of the 5th Sui District of the Kuomintang, and the dismissal of Liu Zhi all indicate that the Kuomintang reactionaries will eventually perish and the people's revolution will eventually win the victory of the whole nation. win!