Chapter 145 5. Seven days and nights of bloody battles against more than 100,000 enemies

Seeing that the East China Field Army stopped advancing southward, the Kuomintang army launched an offensive across the board in mid-April.In addition to one part of the 1st Corps defending Linyi, Tancheng, Xin'an Town and other places, the main force actively "cleared and suppressed" the areas east of Linyi, Tancheng, Xin'an Town, and Haizhou in an attempt to prevent the East China Field Army from going south to Central China, and waited for an opportunity to cooperate with the 2nd Corps , The attack of the 3rd Corps.The main forces of the 2nd and 3rd Corps actively advanced towards Xintai and Mengyin in an attempt to occupy the Yimeng mountainous area, forcing the main force of the East China Field Army to retreat to a corner of the coast, and then fought a decisive battle with them.The 3rd Corps guarded Tai'an with a force.

In order to disperse the strength of the Kuomintang army, the East China Field Army formulated a plan for the Taimeng campaign in mid-April in order to annihilate its main force and go south to open up the Central China battlefield: Chief of Staff Chen Shiju commanded the 1st, 3rd and 10th columns to besiege The left wing of the Kuomintang army and the isolated Tai'an garrison reorganized the 72nd Division, attracted the reorganized 75th and 85th Divisions from Dawenkou to the north and wiped them out, and lured the Kuomintang troops who invaded Xintai and Mengyin to return to aid, and then concentrated the field army The 5th Army and the reorganized 11th Division, the main force to search for annihilation and return aid in batches, were located in Dawenkou and Taipingyi areas; the 2nd and 7th columns were assembled at Qingtuo Temple and Shuanghouji under the command of Tan Zhenlin, deputy political commissar of the East China Field Army. In the east area, the 7th column is waiting to go south to central China; the 4th, 6th, and 9th columns are assembled in Xintai and Mengyin areas, waiting to attack; the 8th column enters the mountainous area south of the Linci Highway and annihilates the reorganized 64th division main force.

Tai'an, located at the hub of Xuji section of Jinpu Road, enjoys convenient transportation. It is an important town in central Shandong and an important military location.The reorganized 72nd Division defending Tai'an was originally the elite of the Sichuan Army, equipped with Japanese equipment, and good at defense. It governed the 34th Brigade, the newly reorganized 13th, and the newly reorganized 15th Brigade, with a total of 28,000 people.Its deployment: use the main force of the 34th Brigade (less than the 3rd Battalion) to defend the urban area, and use a part to deploy at key points outside the East, South, and North Passes, as well as at the southern foot of Mount Tai, Hanjialing, Motianling, and Yuhuangding; newly compiled No. 13 Brigade (belonging to the 37th Regiment) attached to the new 15th brigade, the main garrison city, north of Xiguan Christian Church, south of Yuying Middle School, and west of the mosque, Niangniang Temple, Tai'an Station, Haoli Mountain, Yunshanzhuang to the east of the railway line Huojiayao Main point; the division headquarters is in the city.On various key points, the reorganized 72nd Division has built relatively solid fortifications and defended them firmly.

On the night of the 22nd, the 10th column and the three howitzers that strengthened the column launched an attack on time, successively captured the strongholds around Tai'an, and surrounded the city.But on the 24th, the 75th and 85th Divisions of the Kuomintang Army in Dawenkou and other places did not dare to send aid to Tai'an even though they were close at hand. The East China Field Army then decided to increase the 8th Division of the 3rd Column and a part of the 9th Division to cooperate with the 10th Column on the night of the 24th to accelerate the capture of Tai'an and annihilate the 72nd Division of the defenders.Attack from the north, east and southeast of Tai'an with the 10th column; attack from the southwest and northwest of Tai'an with the 3rd column.After fighting all night, they controlled most of the four passes in Tai'an.

Wang Liusheng, who served as the political commissar of the 8th Division of the 3rd Column at that time, later described the division's participation in the war and the capture of the main points of Haoli Mountain: The Kuomintang army's attack "adopted a dense and horizontal deployment, starting from the Jinpu line in the west, reaching Linyi in the east, and With the cooperation of planes and tanks, they yelled to drive us to "jump the Yellow River", pressing towards the north day and night. The formation and fierce flames really seemed to overthrow Mount Tai and trample Mount Yimeng. We walked all the way north, cadres , The soldiers muttered: "What's the matter, do you really have to cross the Yellow River?!" "After Mount Tai, go north to Jinan Prefecture, and you will be the Yellow River!" Until they stopped at the foot of Mount Tai, some people smiled and said: 'It's going to be cut from Tai'an.'".He also said: After the Battle of Lunan, the division mostly fought as a blocker and played a "supporting role". . (Wang Liusheng: "At the Foot of Tai'an", "A Spark Starts a Prairie Fire" Selection 8, pp. 441, 443)

Haoli Mountain, 7 miles away from Tai'an City, overlooks Tai'an City and guards the Jinpu Railway.The 72nd Division of the Kuomintang Army sent heavy troops to hold on to this commanding height.After the 1st Division of the 8th Division went into battle on the evening of the 24th, it immediately launched a strong attack on Haoli Mountain. After fierce fighting in the middle of the night and repeated attacks, although it suffered heavy casualties, it still failed to win the main mountain.The department changed its tactics and launched an attack again. It adopted the tactics of small group movements, mutual cover, and alternate advances to destroy the enemy's mother-child fort. It took only 30 minutes to capture Haoli Mountain, and then occupied the railway station, laying a solid foundation for the large forces to attack. The city removed a major obstacle.

On the evening of the 25th, a general attack was launched on Tai'an City.The 28th Division of the 10th Column first rushed into the city from the east gate, and then the 29th Division and the 3rd Column also rushed in from the South Gate and West Gate. The Division Headquarters and the newly reorganized 13th Brigade and the 34th Brigade have a total of more than 20,000 people. They captured Lieutenant General Yang Wenquan, Major General Yang Bengu, Major General of the Newly Reorganized 13th Brigade, Major General Song Zhuqing, Major General Chief of Staff Han Ming, and There are more than 15,000 officers and soldiers of the 34th Brigade, including Major General Li Zeyao, Major General and Chief of Staff Liu Xinfu.

The reorganized 72nd Division is the elite of the original Sichuan Army. On the 24th, the division commander Yang Wenquan also assured Gu Zhutong that he would resolutely defend Tai'an.He never expected that in less than two days, he lost Tai'an and became a prisoner himself. The Kuomintang government was extremely concerned about the situation in Tai'an. Wang Yaowu, Chairman of the Shandong Provincial Government and Commander of the Second Appeasement Zone, often telegraphed the situation to Zhang Qun, President of the Executive Yuan.It was not until April 30 that he reported: "On April 22, the enemy invaded the vicinity of Tai'an." The official in charge of the Executive Yuan couldn't laugh or cry when he saw it, but he instructed: "It is reported that Minister Bai of the Ministry of National Defense reported in the Legislative Yuan on May 1. , Tai'an has already fallen into the enemy's hands, but the telegram from the province on April 30th reported that the enemy had begun to invade Tai'an, and the telegram only arrived on May 2nd, so this information will inevitably lose its military confidential value Hey!" (KMT "Shandong Provincial Government's Anti-Communist Military War Situation and Intelligence")

Tai'an was captured while resolutely blocking the powerful reinforcements of the Kuomintang army.In this regard, the East China Field Army made a detailed record in the "Overview of the Taimeng Battle": From April 20th to 27th, on the front of the Yunmeng Mountain foothills from Jiepai in the east to Guanshan 100 miles in the west, our army A heroic blocking battle was launched. After 7 days and nights of bloody battles, the 8th and 9th columns blocked the violent land and air attacks of more than 100,000 enemy troops, especially Yuntai Mountain, Tiantai Mountain, Heishan, Baima Pass, Zijin Pass, etc. The land was lost and lost, and the battle became more intense. More than 4,000 people were killed and injured by the invading enemy, which guaranteed the victory of the attack on Tai'an.

Conquering Tai'an, annihilating the main force of the 72nd Division and blocking the reinforcements of 100,000 troops was the first victory of the East China Field Army against the Kuomintang Army's key attack on Shandong. The evaluation of this campaign was very high, and it was called "Tai'an Great Victory".