Chapter 116 8. Laiwu defended the enemy and wiped out most of them

On the evening of the 20th, the East China Field Army launched a full-line attack.The first column captured key points such as the mines and Xiaowa in the western and northern suburbs of Laiwu in one fell swoop, and repelled the fierce counterattack of the superior Kuomintang army under the cover of aircraft on the 21st and 22nd, which won the victory for the subsequent columns to rush to the battlefield. time.The head of the field army praised the department: "played a decisive role in the entire campaign" and made "the first contribution". (Su Yu’s summary speech on the Battle of Laiwu at the East China Field Army senior cadre meeting, March 8, 1947) At the same time, the 10th Column captured Jinyang Pass in the northwest of Laiwu; the 9th Column took control of Hezhuang and Qingshi in the northeast of Laiwu Guan area; when the 6th column attacked the silk-spinning mouth of the Laibei traffic throat, it was stubbornly resisted by the new 36th Division of the 12th Army of the defenders.After 3 days and nights of fierce fighting, although most of the town was occupied, the remnants of the enemy still held out stubbornly.Therefore, the main force continued to besiege the remnants of the division, and one division formed a blocking position in the south of the town to prevent the Laiwu enemy from retreating northward.At this point, the northward withdrawal route of the Kuomintang army in the Laiwu area was completely cut off.

The East China Field Army originally planned to divide and encircle the 73rd Army stationed in Laiwu and the reorganized 46th Division stationed in Yanzhuang, and annihilate them individually.However, before the deployment was completed, the reorganized 46th Division withdrew into Laiwu City on the 22nd.As a result, the East China Field Army adjusted its deployment again: the West Assault Corps was composed of the 1st and 7th columns and the 2nd column that was moving northward from the south line, and the East Assault Corps was composed of the 4th and 8th columns.If the Li Xianzhou Group sticks to Laiwu, it will launch a general attack on the evening of the 23rd; if the department breaks through to the north, it will attack and annihilate it in the area north of Laiwu.

The Kuomintang army shrunk into the city of Laiwu, surrounded by heavy soldiers from the East China Field Army, was in a panic.Li Xianzhou convened several senior generals to study countermeasures, some advocated sticking to it and waiting for help, and some advocated taking risks to break through.On the time and method of breaking through, they also hold their own opinions and cannot agree on what to do.In the end, Wang Yaowu, the commander of the 2nd Sui District, considered that the Li Xianzhou Group was guarding the isolated city and was easy to be wiped out.Breaking through the encirclement and withdrawing to the north can not only meet and rescue the defenders at the silk-spinning mouth, but also help to consolidate the defense of the Jiaoji Line, Zibo Mining Area, and even Jinan, so Li Xianzhou was ordered to break out of the encirclement.

On the morning of the 23rd, the Li Xianzhou Group assembled in the north of the city, with the 73rd Army as the left column and the 46th Division as the right column, preparing to break through in parallel.But before departure, Han Liancheng, the commander of the reorganized 46th Division, "disappeared", which added to the confusion of the breakout command. It turned out that Han Liancheng had established contact with the Communist Party as early as during the Anti-Japanese War.Before the start of the Laiwu Campaign, the East China Field Army sent cadres of enemy workers to work in the Ministry.According to the intention of the head of the field army, Han Liancheng adopted a perfunctory and procrastinating negative attitude towards Li Xianzhou throughout the campaign.At the critical moment of breaking through, under the guidance of enemy workers of the People's Liberation Army, Han hid in the city under excuses and gave up his command.

When the Kuomintang army in Laiwu began to break out of the siege, the East China Field Army adopted the tactics of "surrounding three ques and one" to lure the Kuomintang army to boldly march northward.After leaving the last stronghold of the mine in the north of the city, immediately occupy Laiwu City with a part of the 4th column and cut off the enemy's retreat.Therefore, the Li Xianzhou Group adopted the formation of 2 armies and 4 divisions advancing side by side. It originally hoped to shorten the depth, strengthen the assault force, and quickly break through the encirclement with one bang.However, there were too many people and few roads, and people, horses, luggage, and vehicles were crowded on the narrow roads, which made it impossible to maintain a normal marching formation, and instead affected the deployment of troops and firepower.

At about 10 o'clock, its vanguard arrived at the line of Qincun and Gaojiawa, and was blocked head-on by the 6th column of the East China Field Army.The east and west assault corps lurking in the mountains on both sides carried out a centripetal assault at the same time, quickly splitting the enemy into several sections.Wang Shuming, deputy commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang Air Force, personally led the team and commanded a huge fleet of dozens of aircraft to cover the breakout.But in the melee state where the enemy and the enemy are intertwined, there is nothing they can do. At 17:00 in the war, most of the Li Xianzhou Group was wiped out in a narrow area about three or four kilometers from east to west between Laiwu and the silk-spinning mouth, and only one or two kilometers from north to south.Han Jun, the commander of the 73rd Army, led more than a thousand people to break through to the silk-spinning mouth, and fled towards Boshan with the remnant of the newly formed 36th Division guarding the town. off area.

After Wang Yaowu learned that the Li Xianzhou Group was wiped out, in order to ensure the key points in Jinan, Weixian, and Qingdao, he quickly gathered all the troops along the Jiaoji line.The East China Field Army then regained the western section of the Jiaoji Railway and 13 county towns on both sides, controlling more than 200 kilometers of the railway.In this way, the liberated areas in Central Shandong, Jiaodong, and Bohai Sea were reunited and the rear base in East China was consolidated.