Chapter 160 2. Secret and thoughtful preparation

In late May 1947, the Liu Deng Field Army took a rest immediately after ending the counteroffensive in northern Henan.In accordance with the requirements of the Central Military Commission for transferring to outside-line operations, the troops concentrated their time and carried out various preparations for transferring to outside-line operations. In terms of ideology, the entire army has generally carried out education on the situation, tasks and policies, so that cadres and soldiers can clearly understand the great situation that the climax of the Chinese revolution is coming. On June 3, the Political Department of the Field Army issued the "Outline of the Report on the Current Situation and Guidelines and Tasks". On the 10th, Commander Liu Bocheng and Political Commissar Deng Xiaoping held a meeting of heads of columns in Shilin Town near Anyang to convey the spirit of the Yetao meeting of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Central Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and discuss various preparations for transferring to outside operations.

The Liu Deng Field Army is ready to go, but there are still too many things to do.Since Liu Bocheng's meeting in Stone Forest, he has been even more nervous to manage this thrilling military operation day and night. To implement a breakthrough in the center and switch to outside operations, we must first break through the Yellow River defense line of the Kuomintang troops. For this reason, on the eve of the crossing operation, Liu Bocheng wrote a detailed "Tactical Guidance for Crossing the River in Front of the Enemy", pointing out that the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army's The premise of the second river crossing operation is:

1. The water potential before the summer flood season; 2. In the situation where the enemy Liu Ruming's troops (who were once defeated by us) organized a river defense blockade on the south bank with a width of 300 miles; 3. Under the strong cover of guerrilla warfare in the old liberated areas on the South Bank; 4. In the situation where I have already prepared the equipment for crossing the river. In order to make the battle across the river truly foolproof, Liu Bocheng asked the Intelligence Department of the General Staff and other departments to collect intelligence extensively, to know ourselves and the enemy, and to seek speed while maintaining stability.The specific deployment is also carefully planned, taking into account a variety of situations that may arise at any time.

According to Yang Guoyu, Director of Military Training of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, and Chai Chengwen, Director of Intelligence of the Staff Department, recalled: In this regard, Liu Bocheng instructed the troops: Our army must prepare secretly and thoughtfully for the operation of crossing the river in front of the enemy, and implement it suddenly and boldly; in command of crossing the river, the troops on the south bank (including local armed forces and militia) should attack the enemy on the river defense with their backs , to cover the main force of our army to cross the river and land.The main force of our army should take advantage of the darkness at night to suddenly cross the river with a wide front, aiming to seize the enemy's weak point, break through its depth, and then try to attack the enemy boldly from south to north from the enemy's side and back, press the enemy on the river bank, and annihilate the enemy one by one. most or part of it.

The "secret and thoughtful preparation" mentioned here was indeed seamless at the time. If more than 100,000 regular troops want to cross the Yellow River to fight, they must first surprise the enemy.This requires a high degree of secrecy, and at the same time, it is necessary to divert the attention of the enemy. Of course, military operations related to cover are essential. Liu Deng's field army crossed the Yellow River south to implement the major strategic task of the central government's breakthrough. The preparation work was indeed not easy, because an army of more than 100,000 people had to cross the surging Yellow River during the flood season!

Liu Bocheng himself wrote in his memoirs: After my field army accepted the mission, the whole army was excited about it and immediately prepared for the battle across the river.The masses in the base areas also actively prepared a large amount of food, vehicles and stretchers for the troops to go to the front line.