Chapter 222 2. The idea of ​​finding and annihilating the enemy and reorganizing the 5th Army

On May 5, the Central Military Commission issued a short-term combat plan to the East China Field Army, requiring the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th columns of Huaye and the 11th column of the Central Plains Field Army, a total of 6 columns, all assembled in the Central Plains The major battles were fought in the Huanghuai area. On the Kaifeng-Xuzhou section of the Longhai Road and its north and south areas, the main goal of the operation was to find and annihilate the enemy and reorganize the 5th Army, and strive to annihilate five or six to eleven or two enemies within 4 to 8 months. brigade.At the same time, the Huaye 2nd Corps was instructed to move towards the Jinpu Road line, and to annihilate and contain the enemy's reorganized 12th Division, 72nd Division and other departments;

The annihilation of the reorganized 5th Army was in line with the strong desire of all Huaye commanders and fighters at that time.Since Chiang Kai-shek launched the civil war, the army often took the lead in attacking the liberated areas of East China and the Central Plains battlefield. It was both arrogant and cunning.The Huaye commanders hated it so much that they gritted their teeth.Therefore, when it was proposed to fight against the enemy and reorganize the 5th Army, the troops were excited and eager to fight, with the feeling of "destroying this dynasty". On May 14, Zhu De, Chen Yi, and Su Yu presided over an enlarged meeting of the Huaye Front Committee.Chen Yi conveyed Mao Zedong's instructions on the current situation and policy, and notified Huaye's decision to adjust the leadership.In the afternoon, Zhu De, accompanied by Chen Yi, cordially met with representatives of the combat heroes and fighters of the 1st Corps, and expressed greetings from the Party Central Committee to everyone.

The soldiers were very excited to see the beloved Commander-in-Chief Zhu.Some soldiers said: "When I saw Commander-in-Chief Zhu, I died and closed my eyes." That night, the 1st Corps held a meeting of cadres above the regiment, and Zhu De made an important speech.He fully affirmed Huaye's great contribution in the War of Liberation, described the current situation and the party's principles and policies, and emphasized the importance of implementing policies and discipline.Regarding Huaye's next combat mission, he said: The main task is to eliminate the two main forces of the Kuomintang—Qiu Qingquan's 5th Army and Hu Lian's 11th Division.

How to eliminate these two main forces?Zhu De said: "I thought of a way for you, which is to use the method of 'catching a big fish'. When you catch a big fish, don't be impatient, don't pull it up immediately, because you are impatient and pull it up. The big fish has just taken the bait, and you haven't caught it yet. Tired, pulling hard will often break the fishing line. You can swing with it slowly, swinging around in the water, and pull it up again when you get tired, so you can catch this big fish. To No. 5 The army must use this method, the method of "leading". When it attacks, I will retreat, block it if conditions permit, and not block it if conditions do not. After dragging it until it is very tired, and its ammunition is almost exhausted, I will stop it again. Use a large force to attack and destroy it. You must make up your mind to catch one or two such big fish." ("Selected Works of Zhu De") Boss Zhu's vivid metaphor left a deep impression on the Huaye cadres and became a famous fish in Yudong. The guiding ideology of the battle.

On May 21, the Central Military Commission issued operational instructions to Chen Su and Liu Deng to annihilate the Fifth Army.The main point is: "I can cross southward from the Linpuji and Yuncheng areas on the 1st, 4th, and 6th around the 25th, and first annihilate several enemies on the southwestern Shandong and Longhai lines, resulting in concentrated 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th troops. , 8, and 11, etc., are the conditions for the six columns to fully annihilate the 5th Army, and the central goal of the summer operation is to annihilate the 5th Army." "Liu Deng is responsible for restraining the 18th Army, so that it cannot be aided by the East." "Chen Yi will not participate in this battle. It is possible to quickly go to the west of Henan with Deng Zihui and a large number of cadres to meet with Liu Deng, and establish the Central Plains Military Region and the Central Plains Bureau to work regularly." Coordinated operations on the Jinpu line." ("Chen Yi Chronicle")

After receiving the instruction, Chen Yi ended the training in Puyang on the 30th, and led 4,700 cadres with Deng Zihui to detour to Baofeng, Henan, and joined Liu Deng.Su Yu dispatched troops to prepare to cross the Yellow River and go south to join the Chen Tang Corps, which had returned east after the Battle of Luoyang, to fight with the 5th Army.