Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Bloody Sheep Mountain

July 1947 Southwest Shandong Kaifeng Northern Shaanxi Yangshanji is a large town with more than a thousand households.This ancient town lives next to a mountain named Yangshan.It runs from east to west and is five miles long. At the east end, there is a round mountain bag, which looks like an upturned head; in the middle, it is curved and long, like a bowed waist; Tail——From a distance, it looks like a little lamb with its head up, its tail pouted, its legs kneeling, its back bowed, and it is suckling. This side of water and soil has its own beginning, and it is the place where troops are stationed.Around Yangshan, the wall of the late Ming Dynasty is still well preserved; outside the wall, there are trenches more than ten feet deep on the east, south, and west sides, which were left when the Japanese invaders and traitors occupied China.After the 66th Division reorganized by the Kuomintang army entered Yangshanji, a solid deer village was built between the wall and the trench.Large and small, well-lit and dark bunkers and shooting holes are densely scattered in Luzhai, and the firepower can control the area around Yangshan Mountain a thousand meters away.Song Ruike, the commander of the 66th Division, is a person with a tactical vision. He skillfully uses the sheep's body and sheep's head commanding heights on the mountain to form a core position with the houses in the market town below the mountain.The hidden fortifications are layer upon layer, like an iron barrel, easy to defend but difficult to attack.In addition, Song Ruike made layouts in the villages and four fields two miles away from Yangshanji, setting up radial field positions.

The 66th Division is the elite lineage of Chiang Kai-shek, equipped with first-class weapons and equipment. Compared with Zhang Lingfu's 74th Division, except for a slightly smaller quota, its combat effectiveness is not inferior at all.The division commander Song Ruike graduated from the third phase of the Whampoa Military Academy, and stayed in the school as the chief of internal affairs because of his outstanding performance.After the Northern Expedition began, he made several reports requesting to join the Northern Expedition, but the school refused.He persuaded the school doctor, issued a certificate of "suffering from lung disease" and handed it over.The school superintendent also knew that this was a fake certificate, but was finally moved by his sincerity.At that time, Song Ruike was a passionate young man full of patriotism.He is not tall, gentle and fair, like a Shaoxing master, but he does not have the spirit of the green forest and the ranks of the army.He is a native of Shandong, from Qingdao City. Due to his poor family background, he dropped out of middle school and entered a factory as a security worker. He was later recommended by others to be admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy.

At the beginning of the Northern Expedition, Chen Cheng was the director of the preparatory office. He appreciated the shrewdness and enthusiasm of this "little white face" and "little man", and said, "Leave him with me." Since then, Song Ruike has been following Chen Cheng and became a "civil engineering department". The backbone of the army is greatly favored. When the civil war broke out, Song Ruike was in his thirties. He was brave and resourceful.He was the signatory of the "Central Plains Armistice Agreement". The ink was still wet, and he was the first to appear on stage, firing the first shot of a full-scale civil war.

On the battlefield in Southwest Shandong, although Song Ruike was not ordered to lead the three armies, he knew how to carry out Wang Jingjiu's orders, and how to choose the attack route and camp.As soon as he entered Yangshan Mountain, he began to build this fortress with mountains on one side and water on three sides, relying on danger. The 32nd and 70th divisions were completely annihilated; the 66th division was surrounded; overnight, Yangshan's field positions were cleared up.Wang Jingjiu ordered Song Ruike to break through, but Song Ruike did not move.He held a binoculars in a high and hidden stone house in "Sheep's Back", looking east, south and west, very calm.

At 19:00 on July 13, the second and third columns of Liu Deng's army swept away the outer positions of Yangshan.According to the combat deployment, the second column attacked "Yangwei", the third column attacked "Yangtou", and attacked Yangshanji from east and west.The road to attack is watery.When the troops blasted the Luzhai to attack the town, the "head", "back" and "tail" on the sheep mountain and the commanding heights in the town were all surrounded by firepower.The troops failed to attack and withdrew from the battle at dawn. On July 16, the two columns held an enlarged party committee meeting, readjusted and deployed their firepower, and launched another attack on the evening of the 17th.The 22nd Regiment of the 8th Brigade of the 3rd Column mainly attacked the "Sheep's Head". Go up, and finally cross the cliff and attack the "sheep's head".However, the "sheep's head" has little rock and solid soil, so it is impossible to build fortifications for a while.At dawn, the entire regiment was exposed on the mountain, with heavy casualties, unable to gain a foothold, and withdrew from the battle at dawn.The 19th regiment of the second column mainly attacked the "Yangwei". The situation was similar to that of the third column.In the end, only the three battalions were stuck on the fifteen hills of "Sheeptail" like nails, and the rest withdrew from the battle.

On July 19, our army invested three columns of troops and pressed towards Yangshan.Since the 14th, it has been raining continuously, and the foot of Yangshan Mountain has become a swamp. The water depth of the trench is more than two meters.The main attacking force attacked the "sheep's head" and "sheep's tail" again with difficulty, and repeatedly competed with the defending enemy for the hill. "Sheep's head" is the core of the sixty-sixth division's defense system, the key to survival.Song Ruike increased his troops and weapons, charged and counterattacked many times.The main attacking force also broke through the frontier from Zhennan and Zhenxi, wedged in depth.Song Ruike focused his firepower here again.The artillery fire fell down like a torrent, and the attacking troops fell down row by row, and batches were buried in the soil raised by the artillery fire.Zhou Fatian, commander of the sixth brigade of the second column, stood by a broken wall and shouted: "Machine gun! Machine gun! Hold it down!"

The shout drew a stream of bullets, which sent sparks flying from the stone at the base of the wall.The guard grabbed Zhou Fatian and dragged him into the trench, but Zhou Fatian flung it away; "You won't let me command? I'll shoot you for preventing you!" After saying that, he jumped out of the trench again and stepped forward to command. Inspired by the bravery of the brigade commander, the soldiers who were lying down rose to their feet... Chen Zaidao, the commander of the second column, braved the artillery fire and approached the forward position. The combat staff was so anxious that he shouted: "Commander, your position should not be here!"

A soldier found Chen Zaidao and shouted excitedly: "Comrades! Commander—" Before he finished speaking, a bullet passed through his chest, spraying blood a foot high, and his smile hadn't disappeared when he fell down.Chen Zaidao hugged him tightly, scarlet blood stained Chen Zaidao's front. The chief of the combat department told Chen Zaidao that more than a dozen brigade cadres had been injured, and the chief of the combat training department and the instructor of the second battalion of the 18th regiment had died.Chen Zaidao's eyes flickered, blood red. Before dawn, Chen Zaidao ordered the troops to withdraw from the battle.

He failed three times in a row.It was raining harder and harder.The water in the ditch flooded out, and the entire Yangshan Mountain was integrated into a country, a water town, and a sea of ​​blood, a vast ocean. Jinxiang is only 20 miles away from Yangshan. After the 32nd Division and the 70th Division were wiped out, Wang Jingjiu was afraid that the 66th Division would also be wiped out, and he was also afraid that he would be surrounded, so he climbed to Jinxiang every night. Observing the battle from the pagoda in the township, he commanded the howitzer battalion stationed in the north of the city to bombard the vicinity of Yangshanji.

On July 16, Wang Jingjiu passed on Chiang Kai-shek's order to once again ask the 66th Division to break through. Song Ruike replied: Chiang Kai-shek was deeply moved by Song Ruike's emphasis on the wounded at this time of crisis, and at the same time worried about Song Ruike's dangerous situation.He telegraphed Gu Zhutong and quickly dispatched five divisions to the southwestern part of Shandong to break Song Ruike's siege and wipe out Liu Deng. Gu Zhutong was flustered by the war situation in Shandong, and Chiang Kai-shek had five divisions in one transfer, which was really stretched.The soldiers in Xuzhou cannot be reduced, and the soldiers in Shandong cannot be transferred.After planning and planing, it is still necessary to dig out the reorganized 10th, 40th, 52nd, and 82nd Divisions in northern Henan, Shaanxi, Wuhan, and Luoyang and the 206th Division of the Youth Army to form the Fourth Corps, and Wang Zhonglian was appointed as the commander. sir.

Guo Rugui, Chief of the General Staff of the Army Command, disagreed with this: "Wang Zhonglian's greatest ability is selfishness and fraud. This person must not be reused." Gu Mingqi, Gu Zhutong's senior counselor, also said: "Last year Wang Zhonglian fought against Liu Bocheng twice, and both times he lost. Southwest Shandong has lost two divisions. The commander of the reinforcements this time is of great importance. I hope the commander-in-chief will think twice... " Gu Zhutong's expression turned ugly.He didn't think highly of Wang Zhonglian, it was just a helpless move.He asked angrily: "In the opinion of the two, which one is better than Wang Zhonglian?" Guo Rugui and Gu Mingqi were speechless. Gu Zhutong issued a transfer order, but he was still worried.Far water does not quench near thirst, and the Sixty-sixth Division is at stake. If there is a mistake, Chiang Kai-shek will not give up lightly.So he strictly ordered Wang Jingjiu to lead his troops to rescue the 66th Division, and at the same time sent planes to hover over Yangshanji to help Song Ruike in the battle. After receiving the order, Wang Jingjiu seemed to be suffering from a toothache. After taking a long time to breathe, he still felt that he could not go out in person, so he thought of the 199th Brigade of the 66th Division stationed in Jinxiang. Wang Jingjiu called Wang Shiqiao, commander of the 199th Brigade, and said, "You were cultivated by Mr. Song. Now he and his 66th brother are besieged in Yangshan. You should desperately rescue him. Your task It is to meet the sixty-sixth division to break through the siege, and not to come back if it is not received by Master Song, this is a deadly order." Wang Shiqiao stared at Wang Jingjiu as if he didn't understand what the commander said. "Understood?" Wang Jingjiu asked. "It's the same whether you understand it or not." Wang Shiqiao turned around and walked away quickly. Wang Shiqiao tragically led his 199th brigade to gallop at Yangshanji, walked for more than ten miles, and arrived at Shijiadian on the south bank of Wanfu River.On the other side of the river, Liu Bocheng had deployed the blocking forces of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Division 7 and the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Independent Brigade, with tight defense and intense artillery fire.The 199th Brigade was blocked on the south bank of the Wanfu River and could not move forward for several days. Wang Jingjiu used the radio to urge the battle every day, and every day it was "restricted to arrive at Yangshan at 12 o'clock on the evening of the same day, otherwise it will be engaged in military law"! On July 19, the shelling on the other side of the Wanfu River suddenly stopped. Wang Shiqiao said to his colleagues: "He opened his pockets and waited for us. He is obviously going to die, so let me commit suicide! If I am here, you will not be able to step down; if I commit suicide, you will find a way out." ..." After speaking, Wang Shiqiao drew out his pistol. Pressing the muzzle of the gun left and right, he said to Wang Shiqiao, "Anyway, we all die together. We might as well die together." At this time, the 58th Division of the reinforcements had arrived near the Wanfu River. Wang Jingjiu telegraphed to Lu Daoyuan, the commander of the division: "The reorganized 66th Division is Chen Cheng's basic unit. You must go to Yangshanji to relieve the siege, otherwise Mr. Chen will not Forgive you." At the same time, Wang Jingjiu ordered the 199th Brigade to be under the command of Lu Daoyuan. Under double pressure, the 199th Brigade crossed the river through the open "hole" on the opposite bank, and the first supervisory regiment of the 58th Division followed it across the river. Wang Shiqiao crossed the river and entered Wanfuzhuang, five miles away from Yangshanji.The ambush soldiers jumped up from both sides of the road, and the supervisory regiment of the 58th Division turned around and fled when they saw the situation; the 199th Brigade fought alone, and after half an hour, they were defeated.In the chaos, four of the six battalion commanders were killed, and one of the two regiment commanders remained.Wang Shiqiao suffered a head injury. Seeing the entire brigade's officers and soldiers caught in the net, he had no choice but to flee to the sorghum field north of Wanfuzhuang, where he hid until noon, bleeding from the head wound.He thought he would die if he went back, and he would die if he hid here, so he stepped out and surrendered to the People's Liberation Army. A regiment that Song Ruike sent to support the 199th Brigade was also wiped out. In the end, only the company commander Yao Hui of the 199th Brigade, a platoon leader, and two soldiers "killed" into Yangshanji. Listening to Yao Hui's narration, Song Ruike was speechless for half a day, until it was dark, and stood in front of the radio to dictate the message: "Principal, the 66th Division is sticking to Yangshanji to the death. It has run out of ammunition and food, and it is expected that it will be difficult to drive... ..." Chiang Kai-shek flew to Kaifeng to supervise the battle. It is said that he has no time to leave Beijing.On July 22, U.S. special envoy Wedemeyer was dispatched by President Truman and was about to arrive in China for inspection.It is related to the future of the Kuomintang government, and Chiang Kai-shek has been looking forward to this day.In three days, Mr. Special Envoy will come to China. There are a lot of preparations, and the things that need to be considered by the president are complicated.But he boarded the plane anyway. At the beginning of July, Yuncheng and Dingtao were lost, and the 55th Division was wiped out; the 70th and 32nd reorganized divisions were canceled in the first battle of the Sixth Battalion; It was cut off by the communist army attacking from outside; on July 17, the 11th Division of Nanma Reorganization in Shandong was suddenly attacked by Chen Yi's troops;The pain of the skin made Chiang Kai-shek emotionally impetuous and weak for the past few days; thinking of the battle of Meng Lianggu, the loss of the 74th Division, and the heroic death of his beloved general Zhang Lingfu, he was even more depressed. The elite of the two national armies of the division repeated the mistakes of the 74th division! Kaifeng, the small living room of Chiang Kai-shek’s residence. Gu Zhutong's forehead was covered with fine sweat, and he stood upright.There were only him and Chiang Kai-shek in the living room. Chiang Kai-shek asked: "Where are the troops you transferred?" "They are all on the road, galloping day and night, Lu Daoyuan has rushed to the vicinity of Yangshan..." "What about Wang Zhonglian?" "It has been raining heavily for days, and the vehicles and luggage are stuck in mud. I have already called to remind him that he must arrive at Yang--" Chiang Kai-shek stood up from the rattan chair: "Where is he now?!" Gu Zhutong panicked: "Wang Zhonglian's department is near Longfengji." "Tell him, if you can't make it to the sheep mountain on the 21st, military law will do it!" Chiang Kai-shek said angrily, "With my absolute advantage, I am always controlled by the inferior communist bandits. The biggest reason is the spirit of these stupid people." Depressed, always have delusions of self-preservation; neither the understanding of the same hatred nor the spirit of coordination; let the communist bandits rule with their hands, and seek humiliation and invite trouble..." Chiang Kai-shek suddenly hit his stomach with his hand, and his excitement caused stomach spasms. "Principal!" Gu Zhutong yelled in panic, and poured out a glass of water from the cool glass.Jiang Jieshi took the water glass, saw Gu Zhutong's trembling hands, and his tone slowed down: "Mo San, I have entrusted Shandong and Southwest Shandong to you. The trust in you is above others." "The students are incompetent and have failed the principal's cultivation and love..." "How did you arrange the eleventh division in Nanma? You sit." "Order Huang Baitao's 25th Division to climb over the Nine Peaks Ring Mountain, Huang Guoliang's 4th Division to cross the Yishui River, Li Mi's Eighth Army to abandon Linqu, and the three to join forces to attack Nanma and break the siege of Hu Lian's Eleventh Division." "Okay." Chiang Kai-shek pushed the water cup onto the coffee table and said, "Nanma is like this. I can't let Liu Bocheng go this time!" Chiang Kai-shek hurriedly walked to the sand table in the corner of the living room: "Didn't he want to eat my sixty-six division? Okay, let him eat it! The sixty-six division is an iron walnut, he is gnawing there, and I have five divisions here. Kill him from behind." As he said, he waved his hand, "I'll have a battle at Ju (wild) Jin (xiang) Yu (tai)!" Gu Zhutong also became emotional: "I have 30 brigades and 200,000 soldiers. If I can't defeat Liu Bocheng, I will drive him across the Yellow River!" "No! He must not be allowed to escape! This time I will destroy him in the giant, gold, and fish!" "The headmaster has a good idea. The complete annihilation of Liu Bocheng's troops will eradicate the great trouble in the Central Plains and ensure the Shandong battlefield." At this time, Chen Bulei, who came with Chiang Kai-shek on the same plane, walked in: "Is the chairman looking for me?" Chiang Kai-shek pointed to the rattan chair: "Sit." This "literary courtier" was dressed in white Hangfang clothes and trousers. As soon as he sat down on the wicker chair, Chiang Kai-shek said rashly: "Has that article been published?" Chen Bulei immediately understood what Chiang Kai-shek was referring to: "It has been issued, and it will be published in the newspaper the day after tomorrow at the latest." The article they were talking about was "The Return of the Yellow River Is Imperative" written by Chen Bulei under the direction of Chiang Kai-shek. This was a balloon released by Chiang Kai-shek to detect international public opinion.Since Liu Deng crossed the natural danger of the Yellow River, the whole country and even the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and the world were in an uproar, and Chiang Kai-shek was like a stick in his throat.The situation in southwestern Shandong continued to deteriorate. He was eager to try, planning to blow up the embankment of the Yellow River, flooding Liu and Deng, and allowing the Yellow River to participate in the war for the second time. An article signed by "Water Conservancy Experts" advocated the return of the Yellow River to its original state, and used it to throw stones to ask for directions. Chen Bulei replied to Chiang Kai-shek, and added unhurriedly: "Unless it is absolutely necessary, I think it is better not to take this move." Chiang Kai-shek said: "I am going to fight in the giant goldfish, just in case...that's all." Gu Zhutong didn't understand what they were talking about, and couldn't ask, so he sat there upright.Hearing Chiang Kai-shek call "Mo San", he hurriedly stood up. "Mo San, arrange a press conference for me." There were question marks in Gu Zhutong's eyes. He knew that Chiang Kai-shek was never happy to meet reporters.Chen Bulei also looked at Chiang Kai-shek suspiciously. "All Chinese and foreign journalists are required to participate." Chiang Kai-shek added. Almost at the same time, in Xiaohe Village in northern Shaanxi, Mao Zedong was standing in the yard, personally instructing the guards to build a pergola.The guards cut down a lot of willow branches, dug a hole, buried the willow poles, and erected them horizontally and vertically, making the roof of the shed look like a colorful building. The next day, the enlarged meeting of the Front Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China began under the pergola outside the cave dwelling. Lin Boqu, He Long, Peng Dehuai, Chen Geng and others attended the meeting. The sun in northern Shaanxi is even hotter in July, but thanks to the ventilation around the arbor, it is not very hot. Mao Zedong lightly clapped his hands: "Comrade Zhou Enlai, vice chairman of our Military Commission and acting chief of the general staff, please have a talk." Zhou Enlai: "Let's ask the chairman to speak first." "Alright." Mao Zedong paused for a while, talking in a very casual manner.He first talked about the current situation on several battlefields, then analyzed the comparison of the forces between the enemy and ourselves, and then said: "In order to speed up the process of victory, we must attack the main force to the outside, and hit Chiang Kai-shek's nose! This is a turning point. , the turning point from a counter-offensive to a big-stride offensive. The matter is very important, so you Zhuge Liang are invited. Chiang Kai-shek launched a "two-spear offensive", hitting Shandong with one fist and northern Shaanxi with the other, trying to force us to fight with him in North China. A decisive battle. But when his two fists stretched out like this, his chest was exposed. As for us, hold these two fists tightly, and then aim at his chest with a knife!" Zhou Enlai drew a circle on the map and continued: "This knife is Liu Deng's army. They have crossed the Yellow River and are making troubles in the southwestern part of Shandong. After annihilating the enemy's vital forces, they will advance into the Dabie Mountains by surprise and hit Chiang Kai-shek's chest. It can be said that this is a fatal blow to Chiang Kai-shek." "Then what about us?" Chen Geng shouted loudly, squatting on the stool. "This is what we want to discuss. Chairman, Bishi and I have the opinion that the Chen Xie Corps should not come to northern Shaanxi, but turn south and march to western Henan!" Zhou Enlai drew a circle on the map again, and He pointed out, "This is the second knife. These two knives must cooperate with each other. In addition, there must be a third knife." Ren Bishi took down the mahogany pipe: "Chen Su's corps is strong and strong, and it can be divided into two groups, one way to Jiaodong, dragging Chiang Kai-shek's 'right fist' as far as possible to the sea; the other way is to cross the Yellow River and march into Henan, Anhui and Su." He Long was also squatting on the stool, his pipe clicked loudly: "Liu Deng cut his chest, Chen Xie hit his ribs, Chen Su hit his back, three powerful knives!" Zhou Enlai drew a third circle on the map. Peng Dehuai moved closer to the map, and said, "Look, what kind of situation is this?" Lin Boqu pushed his glasses: "This is clearly the word 'pin'!" Mao Zedong stepped forward and pointed to the three circles: "It's a 'pin' formation. Our three armies will fight each other between the rivers, Huai and Han, and wipe out the enemy on the move. I'm afraid Chiang Kai-shek's life will be even more difficult!" Peng Dehuai said: "I hit Yulin, lured the enemy north, and dragged Chiang Kai-shek's 'left fist' to the edge of the desert." Mao Zedong: "Good! This is called 'coordination of the three armies and containment of the two wings'." Zhou Enlai: "According to this strategic deployment, we may implement a new strategic policy in the second year of the war, hold a national counter-offensive, and lead the war to the Kuomintang-ruled areas." Lively atmosphere under the pergola. Chen Geng drank a bowl of water, wiped the drops of water from his beard and said, "The central government's decision-making is wise!" Mao Zedong: "Don't speak too early, rely on facts to prove it." Zhou Enlai: "The central government decided that the Chen Xie Corps would be composed of the Fourth Column, the Ninth Column, the 38th Army, and the 22nd Brigade of the Taiyue Military Region, with Chen Geng serving as the former secretary. This Corps has no commander. , there is no political commissar, no corps command organization. Military and political orders are issued by the fourth column organization, and Chen Geng is in charge of full command." Chen Geng: "The task is still very heavy, and I will be a pawn crossing the river!" Mao Zedong: "The few battles you fought in southern Shanxi frightened Chiang Kai-shek. Now you cross the river and scare Chiang Kai-shek again. This time you will scare him crazy!" "He is not far from crazy now." Chen Geng is very confident. Mao Zedong stood up from the old wooden chair: "The central link of the overall strategy is the leap of Liu Deng's army to the Dabie Mountains. Chinese history proves that whoever wants to unify China must first control the Central Plains. Today, the Central Plains are competing, and history will be in our hands. .” The sky seemed to be bombarded by artillery fire, the heavy rain continued, and the raging wind rushed eastward and westward like crazy, whistling. Liu Bocheng came to the front line.His clothes were soaked and clung to his body, and the rain ran down his legs.Chen Zaidao and Chen Xilian stood facing Liu Bocheng, very close to each other. Liu Bocheng dropped his hat, which is a rare action for him. "The battle was too stupid! Too stupid!" The scar on Liu Bocheng's head was glowing purple due to anger, and his lips were bloodless from the cold rain. "No matter how high a commander you are, the authority How big is it, even if a password can make thousands of people stand at attention, you have no right to make even one soldier make a needless sacrifice! Annihilating three thousand enemies means self-defeating eight hundred. A commander not only has to bear The responsibility for the enemy's three thousand is also the responsibility for the self-injury of eight hundred! You can't just kill a person!" Liu Bocheng turned around, facing the heavy rain outside the window, his wide and thick back trembled violently. "Commander, the responsibility for not fighting a good battle lies with me." Chen Zaidao said. Chen Xilian: "The three verticals are in charge of the general offensive, and I am the commander in chief when attacking Yangshan Mountain. Commander, punish me!" Liu Bocheng turned around, panting still not calmly. Chen Zaidao looked ashamed: "Our main problem is to underestimate the enemy. After several victories in a row, we began to be careless. We underestimated the enemy's defensive capabilities and did not conduct detailed reconnaissance of the enemy's situation. For the first attack, the Fifth Brigade reported that Captured the 'Yangwei' - because it was dark, I was not familiar with the terrain. In fact, it only occupied a few small hills, and did not really occupy the 'Yangwei'. When I heard that the 'Yangwei' had been captured, I let the four The brigade attacked Yangshanji. As a result, after dawn, the enemy was condescending and counterattacked me with firepower. The troops were densely formed and were killed by artillery fire..." Chen Xilian said: "After we crossed the Yellow River three times, we have never had the opportunity to participate in the war. Brother troops attacked Yuncheng, took Dingtao, and fought Liuyingji, which aroused our eagerness to fight. High morale is a good thing, but Ignored the lurking impatience and recklessness, the reconnaissance of the enemy's situation was not detailed enough, and the fortifications were not strong enough..." "Just force it, don't you?" Liu Bocheng wanted to say something with the veins on his temples soaring, but his eyes fell on Chen Xilian's face.That face was much thinner than a few days ago, the beard was like a mess of grass, the eyes were bloodshot, and there were two lumps of yellow eye stains on the corners of the eyes.Liu Bocheng turned to Chen Zaidao again: he was covered in muddy water, barefoot, his trousers were rolled up high, and there were scars here and there on his two slender mud legs—that was the mark left by the war on this veteran soldier who was born and died... Lightning blasted on the roof ridge.Liu Bocheng took off his glasses and wiped the rain off them.He has been proud of his beloved generals who followed him to the north and south countless times. They retain the earthy and simple temperament in them, and show the courage, tenacity and majesty of military commanders everywhere. This is a generation of revolutionary soldiers created by the war. typical characteristics. "Haven't you slept for a few days?" Liu Bocheng put on his glasses, and his tone obviously softened, "The more victorious you are, the more careful you must be. After half a lifetime of fighting, you should know war." Liu Bocheng changed the subject and asked softly, "Why? Like? Is Yang Shan still fighting?" Chen Xilian's shoulders trembled, Chen Zaidao suddenly raised his head, and almost simultaneously shouted: "Hit! Of course!" Liu Bocheng handed over a telegram from the Military Commission: Liu Bocheng: "The central government is holding a meeting in northern Shaanxi, and has made further arrangements for us to advance into the Dabie Mountains and implement a central breakthrough. Chiang Kai-shek made us anxious. When we arrived in Kaifeng on the 19th, he threatened to fight us in Ju, Jin and Yu. , now there are five reorganized divisions and thirty brigades moving towards the southwest of Shandong. Do you think it is possible to capture Yangshan quickly?" Chen Zaidao: "The reinforcements dispatched by Chiang Kai-shek are still on their way, and the nearby Jinxiang enemy no longer has the strength to support the 66th Division. I think it is sure to take Yangshan quickly." Chen Xilian: "Song Ruike's Sixty-Sixth Division is indeed capable of fighting. This is a fact. But they have been besieged for ten days, and we have cut off their sources of soldiers, food, weapons and ammunition. The fierce fighting these days has consumed so much. If we conduct careful reconnaissance and readjust the offensive deployment, there will be no problem in annihilating the 66th Division." Liu Bocheng pondered for a moment in front of the map, and said: "After eating up the Sixty-sixth Division, we can get rid of the burden of chasing and lighten the burden of advancing into the Dabie Mountains..." He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and then stopped suddenly: "Then fight! Send Yesi's howitzer battalion and the artillery regiment of the first column to you. You have to reconnaissance carefully, and then study a plan and report it to the general headquarters. As soon as the sky clears, launch a general attack!" On July 24th, Song Ruike held a telescope and stood on the high ground to the north of Yangshanji to look out.What entered the telescope was a vast ocean, and within five miles to the east, south, and west were all fortifications built by the Communist Army.He raised his binoculars and looked ten miles away.Misty rain, poor visibility.He looked carefully, searching, hoping to see the shadow of reinforcements in his vision. On July 21st, Song Ruike received a telegram from Wang Jingjiu, informing that Wang Zhonglian's corps had arrived near Longfengji, and expected to arrive at Yangshanji on the 23rd, hoping to contact him; Because of the rain, the march was slow, and we could go to Yangshan on the 25th.Song Ruike has been in touch with Wang Zhonglian by radio since the evening of the 21st, calling every night.But Wang Bingtuan only responded by radio, but refused to inform the arrival location, and did not reply to the telegram. What made Song Ruike even more angry was the telegram from Liu Bingzhe, Wang Jingjiu's acting chief of staff: Song Ruike cursed "despicable" and tore the telegram to pieces. The raindrops became heavier, crackling on the raincoat.This wet world made Song Ruike feel that every joint was rusty, and his body was covered with moss, so damp and greasy that he wanted to peel off a layer of skin and smash every joint. In the distance, the horse neighed and wailed amidst the rustling rain.Killing horses again.A division has more than 20,000 mouths, and there is not even a grain of food left.There are countless horses, so why kill the horses? Yesterday afternoon, Wang Shuming, deputy commander of the Air Force, sent a plane to drop him a letter saying: According to President Jiang’s phone call, I told my brother that after a week of hard work, I failed to break through, and I will stick to Yangshanji and wait for help; but it is best to occupy Geling. , to make the occupied area larger so that food can be dropped by air, and it will be easier to stick to it. Song Ruike asked Li Zhuquan, the commander of the 37th regiment, to lead the troops to capture Geling. They rushed several times, as if they were rushing on the net, so they had to calm down and withdraw their troops. Song Ruike has studied the reasons why the common people support the Communist Party, and believes that "no crime in autumn" is the foundation of winning the trust of the people.Therefore, his troops did not allow burning, killing, looting, or plundering, and there was even a rule that young crops in the field were not allowed to be trampled while marching.Now that he couldn't hold it anymore, Xu Huantao, the brigade commander of the 185th Brigade, searched Yangshanji several times, competed with the people for food, and turned Yangshanji upside down.On the twenty-third day alone, fifty-eight cows in the town were slaughtered. Song Ruike, who thinks he can hold up half the sky with a single hand, no longer has the arrogance he had when he built the Yangshan fortifications. He began to doubt whether his decision not to break through was correct.At this moment, there is no way to advance, no way to retreat, and no food, grass and ammunition to stick to it.He pinned all his hopes on the reinforcements, but the reinforcements said every day, but they didn't arrive every day, and they only gave him spiritual comfort one by one. A shell roared towards Song Ruike and exploded a few meters away from Song Ruike, and the exploding shrapnel and gravel pierced his left arm.He called for the guard, but there was no response. When he turned his head, he saw the guard lying in a pool of blood, with his legs broken and his arms disfigured.Chief of Staff Guo Yulin ran up and was about to say something when he suddenly hugged Song Ruike, and the two fell into the muddy water. The shell flew past again.Song Ruike stood up and brushed the mud off the hat with his fingers. Guo Yulin reported to him: "Xizhaimen has fallen!" On the twenty-fifth, the sky cleared.The mist rises in the mountains and fields, boiling up.The sun is like an incandescent wax ball, and as soon as it climbs out of the mountain ridge, it is steaming and blowing towards the face. The trenches extending in all directions were filled with muddy water, and the soldiers ate and slept in the muddy water. The wounds were soaked white, festered, and pus and blood flowed out.At first, the cooks put the food on wooden boards and pushed it to each shift to deliver; later they simply floated the pot on the water, and pushed it hard, and the iron pot floated over by itself. The most annoying thing is the enemy corpses scattered all over the trenches, which have been soaked in water and rain all day long and are completely rotting, giving off a suffocating stench.The soldiers kept using their hands, shovels, and hats to drain the accumulated water in the fortifications.Someone was fainted by the steam and stench, and his comrades dipped some white wine with a towel and threw it under his nose to wake him up. Zhao Jinlai, commander of the tenth company of the nineteenth regiment of the third column, was notified to go ahead to see the terrain.He walked along the traffic ditch with a platoon of longmen, wading up to his chest in shallow water; swimming in deep water. When approaching the forward position, Zhao Jinlai saw the brigade commander Ma Zhongquan, and beside the brigade commander was a tall man watching with a telescope.The man was like them, shirtless and wearing shorts, the sun was shining on his back, and the shorts were soaked with sweat. Zhao Jinlai called "Report", the man turned around, and it turned out to be Chen Xilian, the commander of the column. Chen Xilian said: "The Tenth Company is an assault force. Comrade Company Commander, how are you preparing? Is the mood of the troops good? Are there any difficulties?" Zhao Jinlai stood at attention and saluted, Chen Xilian and Ma Zhongquan laughed.Only then did Zhao Jinlai remember his and the commander's attire, laughed too, and reported: "As long as the commander gives an order, we promise to complete the task." The commanders of the Ninth Company and the Eleventh Company also came, and Chen Xilian said: "You have attacked Yangshan several times, and I will listen to your opinions." Zhao Jinlai: "The arched part of the 'Yang Yao' is the highest point in the whole mountain. We should seize this commanding height first, so that we can gain a foothold on the mountain." "I think hitting the 'waist' is not more difficult than hitting the 'head'. The back road will not be broken. You can advance or retreat, and you can attack and defend. The last time you hit the 'head', you suffered from the precipice. You can't go up and down, and the backup can't catch up. .” The commander of the Ninth Company expressed his opinion bluntly. The company commander of the 11th company said: "I am afraid that the enemy's important headquarters are all in the bunker in Shitouzhai behind the 'Yang Yao'. When we attacked on the 19th, I found that the firepower there was particularly dense and the defense was particularly tight. As long as the 'Yang Yao' was occupied, We are equivalent to occupying the sheep mountain, and we can eat the 'whole sheep mat'." Chen Xilian looked at the three assault company commanders with admiration, and kept nodding. Ma Zhongquan said: "The commander has made a comprehensive reconnaissance of Yangshan, and decided to attack Yangshan first, and then attack Yangshan Ji. Your opinion is very good. To attack Yangshan, you must first ride on the 'Yangshank', which is the main peak. Then catch It's easy to keep the 'sheep's head' and cut the 'tail'." "You are the ones who directly lead the troops, and you are good at using your brains, very good." Chen Xilian said, and suddenly remembered something, pointing to Zhao Jinlai and asked, "Oh, that day, you were the one who shouted for me to change a fast horse, didn't you? " After crossing the Yellow River, the first, second, and sixth columns all started, and the task of the third column was to keep an eye on the enemy on the west road.The troops didn't know that there was still a tough battle waiting for them, so they were in a hurry.Chen Xilian passed by the tenth company on horseback, Zhao Jinlai shouted: "Commander, your horse should be replaced!" Chen Xilian asked strangely: "What's wrong with my horse?" The other columns took it away!" Zhao Jinlai didn't expect the commander to remember his words, and laughed: "Report to the commander, now you don't need to change your horse, our mission is very honorable!" "It's also very difficult!" Chen Xilian also smiled, "Treat Song Ruike well, and don't be impatient." Yangshan's "tail" was nailed during the second attack on July 17th.The 3rd Battalion of the 13th Regiment of the Fifth Brigade of the Second Column built fortifications under the situation of being attacked on three sides.The troops suffered heavy casualties, but the enemy was unable to recapture the fifteen small hills that had been occupied by the third battalion. It takes courage and wisdom to camp right under the nose of the enemy.He Futian, the commander of the third battalion, who did not change his face after eating a catty of old white dry, is also hot-tempered. He not only took down the whole battalion, but also led two platoons to seize the top of the mountain from the enemy every night. His mobilization is very simple. He rolled up his sleeves and slammed his hat: "Tonight, let's clean up a few hills! To be a soldier is to fight, and only those who dare to fight vicious battles are considered real soldiers! To be a soldier is to be like a soldier, and to be a brother-in-law is to be like a brother-in-law! What kind of soldier? What kind of brother-in-law? Let me show you!" He let a platoon cover and another platoon followed him.Before the soldiers saw clearly what the battalion commander was doing when he jumped up, the enemy sentry fell silently into the muddy water.The most powerful thing is that he can lead the soldiers to kill a company of enemies in ten minutes without firing a single shot, and occupy a mountain top.The position of the third battalion is expanding and strengthening like encroachment every day. He Futian also increased his political offensive.天一黑，他的战士就对着敌人的山包喊话：“蒋军兄弟们，你们拼死、挨饿为的啥？过来吧，咱解放军是为老百姓打仗的！咱们都是受苦人的子弟，是一家人。仔细想想吧，想通了就过来，枪口一转咱们就是亲兄弟！” 有的战士喊完话，就用迫击炮送炸药的办法，把馒头和宣传品投到对面的地堡上；看到有敌军士兵露出来，就喊：“拿吧！我们不打。过来还有肉吃呢！”真的爬出来几个抢馒头的。后半夜，两个三个的敌兵结伙儿往这边跑，每天都有。 天一晴，敌人的飞机就来了，嗡嗡地叫着，不是投炸弹，而是投食品、弹药。这是战士们最高兴的时候——运输机不敢低飞（有两架已经被机枪打下来了），双方阵地又相距很近，空投下来的子弹箱和麻袋装的大米、白面差不多都落在三营的阵地上。三营的弹药“补充”得几近饱和，还有了搭帐篷用的降落伞，南方籍战士特别满意有了大米吃。 三营在“羊尾”坚持了八天。七月二十五日，纵队司令员陈再道突然出现在三营。当时，何福田正在七连二排，他闻声忙钻出帐篷，差点跟陈再道碰了个满怀：“司令员，你怎么……” 陈再道紧紧握住何福田的手：“何营长，你们吃苦了！” 七连连长郭义堂本来就口吃，一着急，结巴得更厉害：“首……首长，这儿……离敌人太……太近，小……小心敌人冷……冷枪！” 陈再道钻进了战士们的帐篷…… 陈再道、陈锡联反复切磋了总攻方案，上报总指挥部。刘邓命令：七月二十六日总攻。 七月二十五日夜里大雨倾盆，一直下到二十六日黄昏。壕沟里灌满了雨水，掩体工事被冲垮。总攻计划无法实施，推迟到二十七日。 这天得到情报，蒋介石向顾祝同发出命令： 此时，王仲廉率领整编第十师、第二零六师、第八十二旅已抵冉固集，距羊山仅一天的路程；王敬久距羊山十里；鲁道源在万福河对岸，与羊山隔河相望。倘若援敌“主动接战”，进展迅速，不但会打乱解放军的总攻部署，甚至有将第六十六师接应出去的可能。 刘邓、二陈面对漫天风雨焦灼不安，如果第二天仍是大雨…… 天一破晓，满天云霞，斑斓似锦，火红的太阳从东方升起，将数日的阴霾驱尽。羊山集外的刘邓大军上下欢腾，对着太阳呐喊呼叫，如同在祭祀太阳神。 七月二十七日下午六时三十分，一颗绿色信号弹腾空而起。 榴弹炮、野炮、山炮、迫击炮万炮齐发，天上的流云急促地飞逝了。大地剧烈颤动，连人的脚都站不稳。开始还可见山上的敌人影影绰绰，渐渐烟雾把羊山、羊山集包裹起来，像一只死羊浸在沸水之中。炮火进行了四十分钟，“羊头”“羊腰”“羊尾”如同喷裂的火山，红透了。 步兵、炮兵、工兵各部队以及各友军统一协同动作，从四面八方突破了敌人的强固防线。 第三纵队第八旅旅长马忠全命令突击队向“羊背”进攻。第六十六师不愧是国民党军队的精锐，在经历了这样的狂轰滥炸后，抵抗仍是顽强的。突击战士一排排倒下，后面的又一批批冲上去，前进的每一步都沾满了鲜血。曾七次负伤的马忠全又被击中右臂，但他仍在弹雨中挥臂指挥。 第十九团十连连长赵金来带领突击队向“羊腰”挺进，接近鹿砦时，敌暗堡的火力点复活了，十几挺机枪在他们面前打成一道火墙。赵金来高喊：“骑上'羊腰'，消灭敌人！”一个横滚，接近暗堡，扔进几颗手榴弹，炸哑了几挺机枪。战士们一跃而起…… 前面是断岩。赵金来见断岩太陡，硬冲伤亡会更大，便命令一排长带二班从右侧迂回过去，占领断岩。 时间一秒秒过去了，仍不见一排长那边的动静。赵金来心里一急，爬起来就往上跑。通信员小王把他按住：“连长，全连都指望着你呢……有命令我去传达！” 小王飞跑上去。不一会儿，他爬回来，一身鲜血：“一排长牺牲了，二班控制了交通沟。” 赵金来命令：“史玉伦，你代理排长，带一班、三班上去，一定要把交通沟控制住！” 史玉伦是名冠全军的战斗英雄。定陶战役前，王克勤还跟他提出竞赛条件。两位英雄像刘邓大军的两面鲜艳的旗帜。羊山战斗打响前，史玉伦在日记上匆匆写道：“王克勤，今晚我为你报仇！你的竞赛条件我永远记得。等我的好消息。” 史玉伦头上缠着几道白纱布——那是十九日负的伤，左臂挽着一篮子手榴弹向前冲。他身边紧跟着一个瘦小的战士。他们接近交通沟了，突然史玉伦的身子猛地一震，中弹倒地。 赵金来的眼睛刹那间模糊了。 “为班长报仇，冲啊！”史玉伦身边的那个瘦小战士吼道。他是新战士，第一次参加战斗。现在他代替了史玉伦，带着两个班冲了上去。 控制了交通沟后，敌人为夺回阵地成连成营地往上拥。赵金来率领全连打退敌人五次反攻，子弹打光了，就甩手榴弹；最后，连手榴弹也没有了，赵金来就命令用石头砸。战士们有的几个人推着大石头往下滚，有的抱起石块往下扔…… 紧急关头，营长南峰岚带着十一连赶上来。南峰岚是赵金来十分敬重的领导。多少次了，每当仗打到最关键、最艰难的时候，他都神奇般地“冒”出来，扭转了危机。 “赵连长，你负伤了！”赵金来冒血的右肩没有逃过南峰岚的眼睛，他派人硬把赵金来送下羊山。 借助旅长的望远镜，赵金来看到他的连和九连、十一连在营长的组织下，正在开辟通路。炮火在延伸，南峰岚带着部队很快冲上了主峰“羊腰”。 赵兰田旅长随主攻团跟进登上主峰，把指挥所开设在山顶上。 忽然赵金来惊呼：“营长——” 望远镜里，一颗炮弹爆炸，南峰岚被掀起两米多高，又重重地抛向山下…… 第二纵队第五、六旅也在激战中。第十六、十七团由羊山集西北实施主要突击；第十八团由羊山集街道向东突击。羊山集内短兵相接，巷战激烈。对手相当顽强，第十八团每占领一个碉堡都要经过激烈拼搏。 团长李开道指挥用十二毫米高射机枪平射打地堡，这种机枪威力大，压制地堡的火力很灵，几发子弹就能打哑它。李开道光着头，袖子高高挽起，棕色的脸膛被烟尘涂抹得横一道竖一道。由于不住地呼喊，嗓子嘶哑得几乎发不出音。 整整一夜，羊山集火光通明，杀声震天。拂晓时，羊山全部被占领，羊山集守敌也大部被歼，宋瑞珂的三个警卫连也缴械投降了，但是不见宋瑞珂。 俘虏交代，集镇东北一幢带院墙的高楼内还有残部。周发田旅长判断那是敌第六十六师的指挥所，宋瑞珂很可能在那里。他草草地写了一封信，让一个俘虏送去。这封信劝告宋瑞珂停止抵抗，如果投降，保证他的生命安全。 这时，第十八团一营教导员韩镜的报告证实了周发田的推断。韩镜说：“部队查明，敌指挥所就在镇子东北面的一座大楼里。” 周发田命令韩镜：“立即派部队攻打！如果宋瑞珂投降，就带活的回来；如果敌人反抗，就干掉他们。记住，宋瑞珂就是死了，也要把他的尸体弄来。我一定要见见这个宋瑞珂。” 一九九一年秋天，笔者在上海黄埔军校同学会上见到了宋瑞珂。谈起四十多年前的那场战争，宋瑞珂回忆道： “七月二十七日晚十二点多钟，羊山的制高点被占领了，我知道我已经不能再守了。在这前一天，蒋介石还派飞机投来他的亲笔信。信中写道：'羊山苦战，中正闻之忧心如焚。望吾弟转告部下官兵暨诸同志，目前虽处于危急之时，亦应固守到底。援军日驰夜骋，不时即到。希弟信赖上帝庇佑，争取最后五分钟之胜利。' “我之所以坚持固守，希望正是在援军。可是二十五日已经到了冉固集的王仲廉怕钻刘伯承的'口袋阵'，部队跬步行进，每天只走十华里，直到二十八日六十六师被歼还没有见到他们的影儿。王敬久近在咫尺，但除了一次次欺骗的电告，并不肯接近羊山一步。我当时已经认识到'战不胜，守不固，非吾之罪，内自致也'。 “到二十八日中午，我给一八五旅打电话，电话不通；给十三旅打，电话线也断了。羊山已全部失去，羊山集东西已被突破，我知道大势已去。这时一发炮弹在附近爆炸，把我的头发烧着了。我拔出手枪要自杀，卫士金和甫一把将手枪夺了过去，说：'师长，你死了，我们怎么办？' “我心里很悲凉。仗打成这样，对不起跟随我多年的部下……这时候，外面的枪声越来越密集。我想，这仗如果继续打下去，无疑徒招更多的伤亡，便说：'再打没意思了，你们哪个出去告诉解放军，我们不打了。'中尉龚振华站出来，说：'我去。' “过了一会儿，龚振华带进一个解放军指导员。我和参谋长以下的参谋人员、一个旅长、八个团长被生俘。当我们走出大院的时候，一个执行押解任务的士兵端着枪，很高兴地看着我，说'师长，欢迎你'！我一看，原来是前几天投降过去的兵，身上的衣服还没换，只是去掉了帽徽和臂章……” 历时十二个昼夜的羊山之战胜利结束。此役歼敌一万四千余人，击落敌机两架，缴获野炮十二门、迫击炮十六门、各种小炮一百零二门，轻重机枪三百六十七挺、手提机枪一百五十八支、长短枪数千支，汽车三十六辆，电台七部，骡马四百多匹。 当宋瑞珂被押解走出羊山集时，第二纵队有个干部面滚热泪，愤恨难平，扬手打了宋瑞珂。事后，他很后悔，人家放下武器了，还打人家干什么？可是，当时他确实是难以抑制——多少好同志好领导负伤了、牺牲了。包括第五旅参谋长在内的团以上干部就有十五人负伤，营级干部伤亡三十二人，连以下伤亡更多。 一九八四年六月十六日，黄埔军校成立六十周年纪念会在北京人民大会堂召开，陈再道、宋瑞珂应邀出席会议。两位当年有过恶战之交的对手在数十年后又相聚了。 陈再道问身边的人：“听说宋瑞珂来了，他坐在哪儿？” 宋瑞珂闻讯，端着一杯红葡萄酒向陈再道走来。 陈再道端起一杯白酒迎上去。 宋瑞珂见陈再道手中的是白酒，转回桌旁，放下红酒，换上白酒。 两位将军走近了，止步，四目相对，同时举杯，一饮而尽。 谁也没提羊山。