Chapter 21 second quarter

After the battle of Yangshanji, Liu Deng's army took a brief rest, and on August 7, 1947, they marched southward from the southwestern area of ​​Shandong. The great strategic march of thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains has begun. On the second day after Liu Deng's army crossed the Yellow River, Liu Deng called a meeting of the leaders of each column to study the action plan for going south.It was in a classroom of a rural elementary school, and the walls were covered with military maps with red and blue arrows drawn on them. Deng Xiaoping's political commissar was as serious and calm as usual, and he spoke decisively.He pointed to the map on the wall and said:

"Now the enemy's offensive is focused on Shandong and northern Shaanxi. In Shandong, the enemy has used 60 brigades with 450,000 people; A hammer was placed in Shandong and northern Shaanxi, and our place happens to be a 'handle'. Now the task assigned to us by the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao is to cut off this 'handle' and lead the war to the Kuomintang ruled areas." At this moment, Liu Bocheng interjected: "Shandong has held down the enemy's head, and Shanbei has held down the enemy's legs. We are going to cut down the middle."

The vivid metaphor made all the leaders of the columns present laugh. Liu Bocheng went on to say: "In the past year, the balance of power between the enemy and ourselves has changed a lot, but the enemy's strength is still great. This determines that our strategic offensive method is not to advance city by city, but to jump. We must Drive straight into the enemy's den." He took out his handkerchief and wiped his inflamed eye, pointing to the map on the wall and saying: "Look, the Dabie Mountains are just like the 'doudu' worn by children. They are the southward protrusion of the Yangtze River. When we leap to the Dabie Mountains, we can threaten Nanjing in the east, Wuhan in the west, and the Yangtze River in the south. The enemy can then attract some of them to our side, and the burden on the Shandong and northern Shaanxi battlefields will be lightened."

Deng Xiaoping said again: "Our action is by no means a risky one, but a brave one. Chairman Mao pointed out that we may have three futures in the Dabie Mountains." At this point, he paused, glanced at everyone with sharp eyes, and said: "One is that after paying the price, it was untenable and returned; "One is to pay the price and not be able to stand firm, and to persist in the struggle around; "One is to pay the price and stand firm; "We want to fight for the third future, overcome all difficulties, and fight to gain a foothold there." After the meeting was over, the leaders of each column rode their horses and walked silently along the path in the field.The words of Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping are still ringing in their ears.Most of these veterans are members of the former Red 4th Front Army, and their hometown is in the Dabie Mountains.It has been more than ten years since the revolution came out, and almost no one has returned to their home.But now, what they miss and yearn for is not their long-lost homeland and relatives, but how to lead their soldiers to carry out this strategic mission of leaping thousands of miles forward, inserting a sharp steel knife into the heart of the enemy.

Thousands of troops, like countless off-string arrows, shot directly at the heart of the enemy.On the boundless plains of the Central Plains, Liu Deng's army did not encounter any of Chiang Kai-shek's regular troops in the early days, and those local reactionary armed forces, such as militias, had long since disappeared without a trace under the heavy pressure of our army's southern expedition. The sudden action of Liu Deng's army gave Chiang Kai-shek an illusion. He believed that his army was under pressure, and Liu Deng's troops could neither cross the Yellow River north nor dare to fight him decisively. South fled.

According to this conclusion, Chiang Kai-shek's action plan is just one word: "Chasing"! Chiang Kai-shek did not adopt the method of blocking the front and chasing after it at first. He was too confident. In his opinion, the road of Liu Deng's troops fleeing south was full of dangers. Needless to say, to attack Liu Deng's troops, these natural obstacles alone can drag down the troops. Indeed, the difficulties facing Liu and Deng's army are very serious.The enemy behind was very close. In some places, the enemy's vanguard was closely connected with our army's rearguard. In some places, the two armies were only separated by dozens of miles. The weather in August is sultry and hot, and it often rains heavily, which makes the whole body drenched.When they arrived at the campsite, they were busy digging air-raid trenches, finding equipment for crossing the river, and doing mass work while cooking and eating.

Under such circumstances, Liu Dengnan's determination to advance south did not waver in the slightest, and he asked the troops to persist and move quickly.Liu Bocheng said to the lower-level cadres: "Compassion does not lead soldiers. The hunger, thirst and fatigue of some people are exchanged for the warmth and safety of the majority. The difficulties and dangers at this time and place are exchanged for the victory of the liberated areas across the country. We must learn to calculate the big account and not catch the small pigtails." After passing the Longhai Railway, the troops quickly came to the front of the Yellow River Flooding Area.

The Yellow Flooding Area is the place that has been flooded by the Yellow River. In 1938, in order to prevent the advance of the Japanese army, the Kuomintang army dug the Yellow River at the entrance of Zhengzhou Huayuan, causing the Yellow River to flood and seize the Huaihe River.After the surrender of the Japanese invaders, the water of the Yellow River returned to its original course, but the flooded area was still full of water, making it difficult to move forward. In the sweltering heat of August, Liu Deng's army began to trek. The 2nd column led by Chen Zaidao was the left army in the middle. On the evening of August 15th, before the 2nd Zong set off from the area west of Luyi, various units sent people to explore the road and set up marks in the Yellow River Flooding Area.Some chose the way forward with the help of local people and guerrillas.When the troops were dispatched, it was raining again and again. At first Chen Zaidao and the leader of the column walked for a while in the middle jeep, but the walking became slower and slower, the wheels sank deeper and deeper, and finally they had to get out of the car and ride on horseback.Ma Shen walked in the muddy water with one foot shallow and one foot shallow, slowly throbbing, really anxious.Chen Zaidao simply got off his horse and waded through the water, but as he walked, the water got deeper and his knees were covered.Finally, he couldn't walk anymore, so he sat on the horse again.

After dawn, arrive at the Guoji area north of Dancheng County.After walking for one night, the journey was only 40 li.About 30 miles of them are waterlogged areas in the yellow flood zone.After dawn, when I turned my head and looked north, there was a vast ocean. The villages I saw had no people, and the houses that had not collapsed could only see the roofs.It was horrible.When Chen Zaidao was in the Red Army, he had crossed the grassland three times, and he could still see green grass when he crossed the grassland, but in this yellow-flooded area, he could not see any green color. The sun came out, and it was a rare sunny day.The soldiers who fell behind were still struggling to walk south.The artillery and supplies have not yet left the yellow flood zone, so the large troops had to wait for them to arrive before moving on.It was very difficult for the artillery to pass through the yellow flood zone: at the beginning, they pulled a few cannons forward in the mud, and they sank deeper and deeper; the animals broke their holsters, especially those big field cannons could not be pulled out; if the enemy The planes came, found the target, and the artillery battalion would be bombed.

The situation was urgent and no hesitation was allowed. Chen Zaidao ordered the cannon to be blown up. These field guns were seized from the Japanese army during the War of Resistance Against Japan. After fighting with our army, they played a great role and have always been regarded as treasures.When they heard bursts of explosions, the hearts of many officers and soldiers were about to be broken, and they cried bitterly. An artillery company commander really couldn't bear to blow up a cannon that had been with him for several years, so he took off the bolt, carved a mark on the cannon body, and buried the cannon in the soil.He thought to himself, as long as I am still alive, I must come to fetch it in the future.

It so happened that after two years, the artillery company commander finally found the gun again, installed the bolt he had kept for two years, and took part in a new battle. Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, like the soldiers, held sticks in their hands, stepped on knee-deep mud, and pulled mud with their feet.Under the leadership of Chief Liu Deng, the entire field army passed through the yellow flood zone within two days at the fastest speed. After passing the yellow flood zone, the front is the Shahe River.At this time, many people think that the enemy has been left behind and that they can take a rest.However, Liu Bocheng ordered the troops to continue to move forward and set up the pontoon bridge to cross the river within two hours. Some soldiers complained a bit, Liu Bocheng said: "Fighting against the water is taboo for military strategists. Cross the river quickly." While some soldiers in our army were still complaining, Chiang Kai-shek woke up from his dream and realized that his wishful thinking had failed and he had been fooled by the clever Liu Bocheng.Liu Bocheng's goal is to go straight to the Dabie Mountains, and he is going to stab the old nest of the Kuomintang government!Chiang Kai-shek became increasingly aware that the situation was not good. He angrily asked Gu Zhutong, commander-in-chief of the army: "Why can't you catch up with a tired division?" Gu Zhutong had no choice but to answer: "The road is not smooth, and it is difficult to travel with heavy vehicles and artillery." Chiang Kai-shek became angry: "Liu Bocheng can go, why can't you go? Hurry up and chase me! If you can't catch up with Liu Bocheng, don't write me a battle report!" Then he said viciously: "Even if you Liu Bocheng walks out of the yellow flood zone, you will never pass. But there are a few big rivers in front of us!" At this time, it was too late for Chiang Kai-shek to adjust his army to encircle him, so he had to urgently order Jiang Jun who was chasing Liu Deng to keep a close eye on him, and he also urgently adjusted the 85th Division to rush to the south bank of the Ru River to block the attack. The commander of the reorganized 85th Division was named Wu Shaozhou. He didn't dare to neglect, and he took the lead and rushed to the south bank of the Ruhe River.Deployed troops along the river, and when the pursuers from the north arrived, they joined forces to attack Liu Deng in the Ru River. When Liu Deng's army reached the north bank of the Ruhe River, the dust on the other side of the river was flying, and the Jiang army's infantry, artillery, and cars at the end were approaching from a distance. Although the Ru River is not wide, it is fast-flowing, and the silt on the bank is so deep that it can't cover it.Trekking is out of the question.There is no bridge on the river, and the boat cannot be found. If you don't cross the river as soon as possible, once the enemy on the other side has a firm foothold, it will be even more difficult to cross the river. In an emergency, our engineering unit braved the enemy's artillery fire to build a pontoon bridge on the Ru River. At night, the south bank was full of flames, and Jiang Jun occupied all the villages on the left and right sides of Daleigang and Xiaoleigang, set fire to each village, felled trees, and cleared the shooting area.It can be seen that Jiang Jun is determined to block all the passages going south. Enemy shells exploded on the side of the pontoon bridge from time to time. The pontoon bridge has been damaged several times and repaired several times. At the most tense moment of the situation, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping came to the forefront of Ruhe.Along with Liu Deng, Li Da, the chief of staff of the wild division, and others. In a small earthen hut, Li Da pointed to the map and introduced the enemy's situation to everyone: "After our army leaped southward, the enemy immediately pursued our troops with heavy troops. Now the three reorganized divisions of the Luo Guangwen Corps in the middle are the ones that are biting us the most. , is only 25 kilometers away from us, and they will arrive at about 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. In front of us are the enemy's 85th Division and 64th Brigade. They are trying to block our way at the Ru River. Eat us between Honghe." Following Li Da's introduction, everyone's eyes moved on the map. The arrows on the map clearly indicated that hundreds of thousands of Kuomintang troops were encircling from all directions. Deng Xiaoping, who has always been concise and concise, went on to say: "Now there is no other way out except to fight resolutely. If you can't cross Ruhe today, the enemy behind will arrive tomorrow." Just as he was talking, a staff officer came in and reported: The enemy behind has already caught fire with our rear guard. Deng Xiaoping said loudly: "We must resolutely fight at all costs!" Liu Bocheng spoke at this time: "As the saying goes: 'Meeting on a narrow road, the brave wins', today is when the two armies meet and the brave wins! From now on, no matter day or night, no matter how many enemy aircraft and artillery there are, we must use offensive means to deal with the attack The enemy, open a bloody path from here, and rush over!" What he said made everyone excited. The epigram full of wisdom of a military genius, "Meeting in a narrow road, the brave wins", is still echoing in the ears of the warriors many years later. The forced breakthrough began. The two assault regiments of the avant-garde brigade rushed across the pontoon bridge and headed towards the south bank in a four-way column, holding sharp bayonets. Nilou, Dayangzhuang, Wangzhuang, Chehengzhuang... villages were knocked down one by one. Lay down a village, and pounce on another village.All the officers and soldiers only had the word "advance" in their hearts, and they rushed towards the enemy like tigers descending the mountain. Liu Bocheng has been standing by the phone, listening to the good news one after another in front of him.At dawn, the Vanguard Brigade finally opened a hole in the defense line of the 85th Division reorganized by the Kuomintang Army, and tore a 6-kilometer-wide passage in the enemy's chest. Immediately after the Vanguard Brigade, the Central Plains Field Army Headquarters and directly subordinate teams, the Central Plains Bureau, Wang Jinshan's 6th Column, Chen Zaidao's 2nd Column and other troops rushed forward in an orderly manner.Bullets and cannonballs flew around them, no one flinched, and the army surged, heading straight to the south. Ruhe was left behind. After crossing the Ru River, there was no enemy in front of them, and Liu Deng's army quickly came to the Huai River. The Huaihe River is the largest river between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River in East China. It has always been a natural obstacle in military operations. The Huaihe River in August is in the rainy season, and the river is deep and the water is rushing. Behind Liu Deng's army, the 85th Division of the Kuomintang Army, which failed in the defense of the Ru River, hurriedly chased after it, trying to make up for its mistakes and save the defeat. If the Huai River cannot be crossed within two days, our army will fight against the water again. There are no bridges, no boats, and the river is wide. How can Liu Deng's army of more than 100,000 people cross the river? Liu Deng held an emergency meeting by the river overnight. Deng Xiaoping said: "Bo Cheng commanded the crossing of the river first; Comrade Ji Chun went to control the troops together; Li Da and I commanded the troops to block the attack." Liu Bocheng said: "What the political commissar said is a decision, act immediately." When Liu Bocheng reached the river, the Huaihe River in the morning light seemed unruly. Someone reported to Liu Bocheng: One day ago, the security regiment in Xi County was chased and beaten by our army, and Quan Yu, the 500 bandits who jumped into the river, was drowned. Liu Bocheng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.He got on a bamboo raft, held a bamboo pole in his hand, and concentrated on detecting the water depth. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide: he saw a horse drinking water on the bank, and suddenly broke free from the rein and jumped into the water.The groom desperately grabbed the horse's tail, trying to bring the horse back to the shore.But the horse was so strong that it dragged the groom into the water... Surprisingly, the groom was dragged to the center of the river without being submerged, and went up to the south bank with the horse safely! Liu Bocheng witnessed all this, and he shouted: "Quick! Tell Chief of Staff Li Da that there is no need to build a bridge! You can wade in vain!" On August 27, Liu Deng's army crossed the Huaihe River smoothly. As soon as our army had crossed the river, the 85th Division of the Kuomintang Army rushed to the Huaihe River. Teacher Wu Shaozhou thought: You Liu Bocheng can cross the river, so can I.So he immediately ordered the whole division to wade across the river. Unexpectedly, when the first person jumps into the water, he will be buried in the belly of the fish immediately.The engineers hurriedly measured the water level, and saw that the water level was rising steadily... Wu Shaozhou looked up to the sky and sighed: "God help Liu Bocheng!" Among the local people, there was such a legend: when Liu Deng's army crossed the Huaihe River, it suddenly snowed heavily that day, and the Huaihe River froze in a blink of an eye. When Liu and Deng's army crossed the river, the ice melted! This is reminiscent of the similar legends of the people on the bank of the Yellow River when Chen Geng's corps forcibly crossed the Yellow River. God helps others, and this was a factor in the victory of the People's Army that year.