Chapter 355 3. The battle plan that the enemy puts high hopes on

Just as the Central-South Liberation Army was preparing to go south in three routes, Bai Chongxi also promulgated the combat plan in Hengyang on September 10 with Wu Dingzi No. 2862. In order to achieve the purpose of long-term combat. According to this combat purpose, Bai Chongxi planned to use the 17th Corps to defend the Hunan-Guizhou border area, transfer Anjiang and Luxi to the west with the 103rd and 100th Corps to ensure the safety of the left wing; The 97th Army and the 125th Army of the 11th Corps were responsible for the defense of Shaoyang, Hengyang Highway and the area north of it, delaying the southward advance of the People's Liberation Army; the five armies of the 3rd, 10th, and 11th Corps were concentrated in the Hengyang to Chenzhou area. The 7th Army is located in Hengyang, the 48th Army is located in Leiyang, the 58th Army is located on the west bank of Zhushui east of Hengyang, the 46th Army is located in Yongxing, and the 56th Army is located in Chenzhou. The 46th and 18th armies of the People's Liberation Army; the 126th army is located in the Dong'an area and serves as the battle reserve.

In order to implement the above-mentioned combat plan, Bai Chongxi requested that all troops participating in the battle in Hengyang and Chenzhou should be assembled before mid-September; a large number of trains and cars should be controlled on the railways and highways between Hengyang and Chenzhou, so as to facilitate the flexible transfer of troops from the north to the south. Create local advantages; Hengyang Airport should concentrate a large number of aircraft to cooperate with ground operations to destroy the PLA's superior artillery to make up for the lack of artillery power; clear the fields on both sides of the Yuehan Road to cut off the PLA's supplies to facilitate operations; in the decisive battle During this period, the troops on the defensive side should stick to their positions in order to win the main battle; form commandos and "guerrillas" to go deep into the mountains behind the PLA to attack the PLA and support the main battle.

Bai Chongxi had high hopes for this combat plan, believing that as long as the counterattacks to the east of Heng and Chen were successful, the People's Liberation Army's offensive could be curbed and the goal of "protracted combat" be achieved, and the decline could be "recovered, people's hearts moved, and international audio-visuals transferred", and thus won US aid. (Quoted from the Military History Research Department of the Academy of Military Sciences: "History of the National Liberation War of the Chinese People's Liberation Army", Volume 5, Military Science Press, August 1997 edition, pages 372-373)