Chapter 14 Chapter 14 The Third Strike, Beaulieu
The sun poured down through the clouds, and the greenness of the mountains and the pink color of the slopes suddenly hit Peng Dehuai's eyes.He jumped off the horse and unbuttoned a few buttons in the morning breeze, oh, the old coarse cloth coat can no longer cover it!At this time, cooking smoke was faintly floating in the valley below the hills, and the troops got up to cook one after another.
Over the past few days, the soldiers have worked hard enough, fighting for more than 20 hours in a row. After withdrawing from the position, they followed by a rapid march of thirty or forty miles. It was not until 1:00 last night that they arrived at this place called Hou Xujiapiao. Small village.The cave dwellings are limited, and many companies camp in the corners of the mountains.The battle was in a hurry, and some people didn't even bring their quilts, so they just rolled in the earthen nest and had a good sleep, that's Amitabha.There is nothing special about the stomach. The little miscellaneous grains collected, including chaff, tree roots and bark, have been cleaned before going to bed. What can we hope for when we start cooking?Hungry, Peng Dehuai led the horse and walked slowly down a goat track on the side of the slope.
Come face to face Zhang Zongxun.He shouted all the way: "Boss, you are really, I told the brats not to wake you up, why did you wake up, and you only slept for a while!"
Peng Dehuai grinned and said, "I camped in the middle of the night, and I don't know the details, so come out and have a look!" He casually pointed at the sunny slope, "Spring is here!" As they spoke, the two walked together.
Zhang Zongxun told Peng Dehuai that according to the report just sent by the scouts, the 65th Brigade, 123rd Brigade of the 36th Division of the enemy, and the 12th Brigade of the 17th Division had arrived at the Sanlangcha East and West Highlands yesterday. Camped on those two high grounds.Early this morning, a small group had occupied Heishan Temple, and the main force began to move in the direction of Qiangjiamao and Zhangjiaping.
Hearing this, Peng Dehuai stopped suddenly: "Isn't that approaching my teaching brigade?" Zhang Zongxun nodded.He came to Peng Dehuai precisely for this matter, and informed the teaching brigade of the situation before going out.
Peng Dehuai's eyebrows were knotted into knots, and after pondering for a long time, he slowly let go of the knots and said: "I think the enemy is still blind and doesn't know the details of our army. The troops should not act rashly. Take the time to train and train the soldiers well." .Like the teaching brigade, the field battles are good, but the tough battles are not so good, you can work harder!" He thought for a while, then waved his hand suddenly, "Tell Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan, I will go to see it in a few days They train!"
Zhang Zongxun couldn't stop agreeing, and then talked about the withdrawal of the first and second column troops from their positions, the situation of hiding camps, and the plan to carry out short-term military training in the next step.They talked and talked, and they had arrived at Yesi's resident before they knew it.I saw the small mountain village, which was still as quiet as death the night before, bustling inside and outside the kiln.
Upon hearing the news that the People's Liberation Army had entered the village, many villagers returned home from the deep mountains early in the morning.They brought back food, livestock, and laughter, making the cooking class of each company the most prosperous place.Some of the soldiers were cleaning their weapons, some were helping fellow villagers renovate their cave dwellings, they were too busy penning sheep and pigs, and some saw that the sun was shining and the weather was warm, so they took off their shirts, caught lice, and then put the clothes on. The raw wool jacket was slapped and seamed again and again... This scene moved Peng Dehuai and Zhang Zongxun from the bottom of their hearts.
The troops of the 36th and 17th Divisions of the Kuomintang entered the northern and southern highlands of Qiangjiamao and Zhangjiaping at noon that day, and were already approaching the teaching brigade.Brigadier Luo Yuanfa and Chief of Staff Chen Haihan were sweating, but for some reason, the enemy stopped and stopped moving forward.How did they know that in a certain ravine a stone's throw away, there are whole camps of life and death enemies hidden, and of course they can't expect that Peng Dehuai, the highest commander of the West Field, will ride through the gorge under their noses. Passed by and went straight to the teaching brigade camp to watch the training.
That was over a week later.After breakfast, Chief of Staff Chen of the Teaching Brigade took several staff officers to Xiaoyaodianzi, where the Second Regiment was stationed, to watch the training. As soon as he reached the entrance of the village, he suddenly saw five or six galloping horses galloping towards the end of Pingchuan.The colts turned around a forest on the mountainside, and everyone could see clearly, isn't the one running in the front the boss Peng?
"Boss Peng is here!" Chen Haihan shouted in surprise, and a group of people rushed up to greet him excitedly.
Peng Dehuai reined in the reins, and asked with a smile on his horse, "Are you welcoming or blocking visitors?"
Chen Haihan took care of himself and found that several people were stuck in the middle of the road, so he showed embarrassment, and hurried everyone to the side of the road, saying: "It's too sudden, boss, we didn't know that you were going to pass here in advance."
"Passing through here... It seems that you don't welcome me!" Peng Dehuai deliberately sullen.
Chen Haihan was anxious: "Where is it, we hope to be with Mr. Peng all day long."
"Well, we're not leaving." Peng Dehuai said, waved to the chief of operations and several staff officers behind him, jumped off the horse first, and then shook hands and saluted everyone with a smile on his face.Seeing that Chen Haihan was in a hurry to report to Brigadier Luo and the troops, he immediately raised his hand to stop him and said, "Chen Haihan, what are you doing? It’s good to avoid the stereotypes and bad habits. Don’t be alarmed by anyone, let’s go and take me to the training ground!”
On the road, Chief of Staff Chen carefully told Peng Dehuai that this place was near the Yangma River where the smoke had not cleared.The wandering field divisions of the Kuomintang Army are less than 20 miles away.He scolded with eyebrows and eyes: "Boss, you are too careless. Even if you come, you should say hello in advance. We will send someone to pick you up, in case you run into the enemy..."
Peng Dehuai didn't say a word, just grinned, as if these scoldings were tickling, and it was very comfortable to listen to.When Chen Haihan finished speaking, he put on a stern face: "That's the way to meet, let's talk about work!" One sentence made the sweat on Chief Chen's head come out.
Therefore, Chen Zhengse reported that according to the instructions of the headquarters, after the Battle of Yangmahe, they caught three things. One was the summary of the battle, and they summed up three experiences: the leadership of the battle was decisive, the timing was accurate, and the troops moved quickly.There are two more lessons, one is continuous fighting, insufficient mental preparation; the other is the organization of the stretcher team, which is not meticulous enough...
"Is there any sign of pride and complacency?" Peng Dehuai interrupted the report.
This question made Chen Haihan's heart skip a beat: Boss Peng is really accurate!It turned out that since the troops withdrew from Yan'an, they had always been unconvinced, thinking that it was shameful to always let the enemy run away.Hope to fight to the death one day.The Qinghuabian battle wiped out this dissatisfaction, but a small number of commanders and fighters, in turn, regarded Hu Zongnan as a paper tiger, vulnerable, and complacency gradually grew.When the battle of Yangmahe was won, this emotion became even stronger!Since Mr. Peng hit the nail on the head, Chief of Staff Chen honestly admitted this.
Peng Dehuai stopped and stood on the side of the road, folded his pockets with both hands, was silent for a while, and said: "There is a famous general in the United States named Patton, who is very good at leading troops. He once said something like this, 'The army is a special group, it is often It changes according to the change of the commander. 'Whether the troops can fight, whether they can withstand procrastination, whether they can withstand hardships, whether they can keep a calm mind after winning a battle, and whether they dare to check themselves when they are defeated, All of this is related to the commander. Why do military strategists from all over the world require the commander to be a role model for soldiers? This is the reason. Because soldiers watch you every day, you change a little bit, It will all be reflected in the troops... I am not satisfied with your report just now. You have not found the root cause of the complacency of the troops. In my opinion, we must first investigate from the brigade commander, chief of staff, regiment commander, battalion commander, and company commander. You guys There is no complacency, it’s just that the soldiers have it, that’s strange, you liar, I don’t believe it!”
Peng Dehuai said, walking forward on his own.Chen Haihan whispered behind him: "Boss is right! Our commander needs to check..."
"I'm not asking you to do an inspection, but to let you understand this truth." Peng Dwai paused, "How can a commander not want his troops to win a battle? But after winning a battle, he can't be satisfied. He has to do everything possible to find the shortcomings in the victory. Keeping a calm state from beginning to end, such a commander will never be defeated. After winning a battle, he will raise his tail and hold his head high; after losing a battle, he will hang his head down and sigh. Idiot! Stupid! We should all be able to do this.”
Chen Haihan followed Mr. Peng silently.Although these words were not aimed at him specifically, he couldn't help but feel hot on his face.Several years later, he recalled this incident and said with deep emotion: "Anyone who has been in contact with Mr. Peng knows that no matter whether he is furious, yelling, or patiently reasoning, he can make you feel his attitude clearly. The sincerity makes you feel that he really cares about and loves people from the bottom of his heart, puts himself in the shoes of others, and thus moves you, makes you feel ashamed, and makes you unforgettable forever. This kind of sincere and heartfelt love is probably the most famous among people. So don't be afraid of him being 'rough', and don't care about the reason why he's 'straight'!"
The training ground of the Second Regiment is not far away, but this journey is very long for Chen Haihan.Finally, I heard people yelling at the training ground, and two soldiers came to face each other. They seemed to have injuries on their bodies, and one of them had a bandage on his head.After asking, I found out that both of them were sent back from the training ground by the team leader. The taller one was Gao Youguang, from Henan, and the shorter one was Zhao Shuanhu, who lived in Mizhi, northern Shaanxi.Gao Youguang and Zhao Shuanhu were upset, and they bumped into Boss Peng and Chief of Staff Chen. They didn't want to hide, or they didn't hide, so they stood on the side of the road and saluted with their chests out.
Peng Dehuai returned the courtesy and asked, "Where did you two get injured?"
Gao and Zhao Qi replied, "Yangmahe."
"Why don't you go to the rear hospital for treatment?"
Gao Youguang pulled the gauze from his head and said angrily, "Mr. Peng, look, what kind of injury is this? Just rubbing such a piece of skin, the small hole on the back has long been flattened, what should I eat?" , Lying where there is thunder, a lot of feet and hands, why do you go to the rear? Isn’t the superior often saying that minor injuries can’t go to the line of fire—isn’t it, boss, you can comment..."
Peng Dehuai listened quietly.Chief of Staff Chen was in a hurry, for fear that this fiery young man from Henan would say something unpleasant, he coughed and winked.Who knows, it didn't work at all, Gao Youguang's voice grew louder the more he talked.When Gao Youguang finished speaking, Peng Dehuai asked Zhao Shuanhu, "Do you have anything to say?"
Zhao shook his head.Peng Dehuai moved forward and parted Gao Youguang's hair, checked the injury, and asked Zhao Shuanhu to take off his shirt to look at the bullet hole on his shoulder.Afterwards, Peng Dehuai said like an old doctor: "I hurt a bone, and it's still quite serious. You need to treat it well, so don't run around. The leader is right to criticize you!"
Gao Youguang pouted: "Boss, you don't understand the situation, this lawsuit is unjust..."
Peng Dehuai asked puzzledly: "A lawsuit, what about a lawsuit?" He pointed at Zhao Shuanhu who was speechless, "Tell me the truth."
So, Zhao Shuanhu stammered and told the story.
It turned out that the Second Regiment held a martial arts competition for the whole regiment today.Last night, Gao and Zhao felt itchy to go to the platoon leader.The platoon leader couldn't stand the "mushroom", and decided without the approval of the company commander to allow the two slightly wounded to participate in this contest.Unexpectedly, as soon as we assembled in the morning, the battalion commander found out, "picked it out to show the public" on the spot, and criticized the company commander for his lack of nose and eyes.Although the company commander was angry, in front of the whole battalion, he had no choice but to accept the criticism honestly, but Gao Youguang and Zhao Shuanhu were not convinced, and pestered the battalion commander saying, "You can't go to the line of fire if you are slightly injured", "What should you do if the enemy comes" and waited for a long time. After some theory, the battalion commander was speechless to answer, so he closed his eyes and let them squeeze into the team and take them to the competition field.The head of the regiment, Wang Jilong, found out about the matter. Without further ado, he pulled Gao and Zhao out of the team and immediately forced them to go back and lie down.
"Unexpectedly, I met again on the way back..." Zhao Shuanhu blushed and before he finished speaking, Gao Youguang grabbed the conversation and begged softly: "Boss, look at this matter... Go talk to my regiment leader." Tell me?"
A smile appeared on Peng Dehuai's face, and he took a soldier's hand, standing there for a long time, not knowing what to say.Finally, he turned to Chief of Staff Chen Haihan and said, "Did you see that? The Party and Chairman Mao have such fighters. Are you afraid that a strong enemy will not be able to defeat them?"
Chief of Staff Chen was also deeply touched.Peng Dehuai pulled two soldiers: "Okay, comrades Gao Youguang and Zhao Shuanhu, I, Lao Peng, want to help you today, and it depends on whether your regiment leader Wang will give you face. But there is one thing, the recovery of the wounded is the top priority, and the regiment leader did it right. This is an attitude responsible for the revolution!"
Gao Youguang and Zhao Shuanhu were overjoyed and giggled dumbly.
Peng Dehuai said: "Are you laughing? Let's go!" He winked and pulled them towards the arena.Along the way, he asked the details of the two people's injuries.
Seeing the head of the regiment Wang Jilong, Peng Dehuai explained Gao Youguang and Zhao Shuanhu's demands, pointing out that the two of them showed the true qualities of the people's soldiers. "Now, I have brought the two of them back, and I ask Commander Wang and comrades to approve them to participate in the competition!" Mr. Peng finished speaking, and raised his hand to salute Commander Wang and the soldiers in line.
All the people present were stunned, and Wang Jilong didn't know what to do.After a long time, Wang Jilong turned his head and shouted at the queue: "Thank you Mr. Peng for your trust!"
Immediately, this sentence became the slogan of all the soldiers. Gao Youguang and Zhao Shuanhu hurriedly saluted Mr. Peng and ran into the queue amidst the sound of the slogan.
In the afternoon, after the martial arts competition ended, the Second Regiment held a party committee meeting with one central topic, how to follow Mr. Peng as an example, do ideological work in depth and meticulously, and sincerely care for and care for the soldiers.
Before leaving, Peng Dehuai left a few words: "As commanders, we should always know what the soldiers think and do, and what we can do for them..."
These words quickly entered the small books of the teaching brigade cadres.Especially Chen Haihan, who couldn't sleep well all night, sat cross-legged on the kang with brigade commander Luo Yuanfa, lit a cigarette, and chatted until the rooster sang three times, and the sky dawned, and the soldiers' songs rang out in the ditch Come: "The red flag is fluttering, the magpies are chirping, and the river is green. The two battles were fought well, and the two brigades of the enemy were all wiped out. The news of the victory spread everywhere, and everyone laughed..."
After losing two battles in a row, Hu Zongnan was a little confused. "Taking Yan'an" for more than a month, he "carefully" organized four "big sweeps", fully expecting to continue to make a few big achievements, and put a few more satellites for the eagerly awaited masters of the Ministry of National Defense. Things backfired, losing one Li Jiyun and another Mai Zongyu, the "great cause of fighting chaos" was too horrible to look at, and it was really impossible to give a decent explanation to the "old man" in Nanjing.
Chiang Kai-shek's life was also very difficult.The battlefields in Shandong are in constant tension, and Shanxi and Henan are in dire straits.Chen Geng's army swept across southern Shanxi, and the vanguard had advanced into Yongji County by the Yellow River, only one step away from Xi'an, Hu Zongnan's base camp.But Hu Zongnan was still there anxiously looking for the main force of the Communist Party army in northern Shaanxi. He was talking about "fighting to the death" and "solving the northern Shaanxi issue in the first battle".Now, Lao Jiang's mouth was stiff, and he was confused. Apart from the frequent calls to Hu Zongnan to exert pressure, he didn't have any brilliant ideas.
Nightmare often knocked on Hu Zongnan's door in the middle of the night, and the "Northwest King" couldn't sleep for the whole night.Qing Huabian got into the "pocket array" in a daze, it was entirely because of his own will; the sheep, horse and hippo stumbled, and after careful consideration, it was not unrelated to him.
On the third day after the war, the Xinhua News Agency editorial said that the capture of the 135th Brigade meant that a historical turning point had arrived. Does this sentence mean that he is about to go downhill?Although this is red propaganda, it is an indisputable fact that the military strength of the opposing sides has undergone subtle changes in the short term.The Kuomintang Central News Agency broadcast the so-called "National Army in the south of Wayaobao, annihilating more than 10,000 main forces of the Communist Army He Long..." Heaven knows, Hu Zongnan didn't want to think about it.
Well, Peng Dehuai, don't you ever miss a shot?Hu Zongnan twisted his mind.In the earthen kiln where he couldn't see his fingers, because of his hard thinking and meditation, there were bursts of dry heat.
Soon, the heat wave passed, and I couldn't catch it even if I wanted to.After all, this small corner of Yan’an is not comparable to the Dongcangmen Mansion in Xi’an. If you want anything, you have to go outside the cave to get up at night...
April in northern Shaanxi is really not like April, and the cold air is still deep in the open air, not to mention it is in the middle of the night.
Hu Zongnan returned to the kang in a cold body, even yawning.For some reason, he thought of Yangmahe's defeat again.This is the price of sanity!Now, he confidently determined that the main force of the Communist army was in Wayaobao, and retreated in the direction of Suide and Mizhi, showing signs of crossing the Yellow River eastward.Therefore, Dong and Liu were strictly ordered to set out from Panlong with nine and a half brigades on April 26, and pass Wayaobao to the Suide and Mizhi areas to hold on tightly.
In addition, Hu Zongnan also ordered Deng Baoshan in Yulin and the 28th Brigade, the main force stationed in Yulin to monitor Deng's miscellaneous troops, to also go south like a few counts, to Mizhi and Jia (Jia) counties.From this, he easily conceived an exciting "reunion", and explained along the pole: open the Yan (An) and Yu (Lin) highways, drive the Communist army across the Yellow River, and predict that in May, heroes will be born. Suide City entertains Chinese and foreign journalists.Hu Zongnan thought about it, and felt his whole body warming up again.He was pleasantly surprised that his enthusiasm had not cooled down, so he picked up the special line of the Operation Department and asked, "Is there any news from the Dong and Liu Departments?"
"Report sir, it rained in Qingjian yesterday afternoon and the road is muddy. Dong and Liu have set up camp on both sides of Qingjian River!"
This is not the news that Hu Zongnan wanted to hear. He said in a rough voice, "Damn it, what kind of soldier are you calling yourself if you shrink back when it rains? Take it slow. By the time we get to Wuding River, the main force of the Communist army will have already crossed the Yellow River." La! Send my order: Dong and Liu's corps will set out immediately, rain or shine, if Mizhi and Suide are not captured within three days, military law will be enforced!"
"It seems that Hu Zongnan is determined to drive us across the Yellow River?" Mao Zedong specifically asked Zhou Enlai and Peng Dehuai to say, "We crossed the Yellow River so that he can spare Jinnan and replace Lao Peng to confront Chen Geng." , This wishful thinking is well done. It's a pity that we don't cross the Yellow River, what can Hu Zongnan do?"
Mao Zedong has always been confident in defeating Hu Zongnan based on northern Shaanxi.As early as the end of March, when the central government decided to stay in northern Shaanxi, he sent a telegram to Peng Dehuai, Xi Zhongxun, He Long, and Li Jingquan saying: "The central government led hundreds of people to stay in northern Shaanxi. The people and the terrain here are good and very safe. At present The main enemy is Hu Zongnan, as long as this enemy is broken, the situation can be changed, and it is possible to break this enemy."
On March 29, after splitting the Political Bureau of the Central Committee into two groups in Zaolingou, Qingjian, Mao Zedong called Zhou Enlai and Ren Bishi and others who had stayed in northern Shaanxi to hold a special meeting in Qingyangcha, Jingbian, and left the central government in northern Shaanxi. According to the needs of the military struggle, the 806 people were organized into four brigades, code-named "Nine Detachments", with Ren Bishi, whose alias was "Shi Lin", as the commander, Lu Dingyi, who was aliased as "Zheng Wei", as the political commissar, and Ye Zilong. Liao Zhigao served as the chief of staff, and Liao Zhigao served as the director of the Political Department.In addition, I and Zhou Enlai also started to use an unfamiliar name, one named Li Desheng and the other named Hu Bicheng.Since then, "Mao Zedong" and "Zhou Enlai" have disappeared from the radio waves.
At first, Mao Zedong's appetite was not great. If the Northwest Field Army can eat up a regiment of the Hu army in the northern Shaanxi battlefield for a month, it will be considered a victory.Unexpectedly, Peng Dehuai's moves were so hot, and Hu Zongnan was so generous. In just twenty days, two brigades of Hu's army (less than one regiment) were killed, which surprised Mao Zedong.He had to re-evaluate and predict the situation of the Kuomintang-Communist War.The Xinhua News Agency editorial entitled "A Turning Point in the War Situation—Comment on the Annihilation of Jiang Jun's 135th Brigade" was actually read by Mao Zedong.The two sentences he added in the revision are very intriguing. The first sentence says: "It can be expected that within two or three months after the start of April, Jiang's army will change from offensive to defensive, and the People's Liberation Army will change from defensive to offensive." The second sentence said: "The development of historical events is so unexpected that Chiang Kai-shek's occupation of Yan'an will mark the demise of Chiang Kai-shek, and the abandonment of Yan'an by the People's Liberation Army will mark the victory of the Chinese people."
Hu Zongnan was indeed a little bit impatient after losing, and the chief of staff Sheng Wen even suggested to abandon Yan'an-of course, Hu and even Chiang Kai-shek would never agree.In Hu Zongnan's view, the offensive this time should be foolproof. There are Dong and Liu armies in the south, Deng Baoshan and the whole twenty-eight brigade in the north, and the Ning and Qing troops in the west have been pushed to the east of Longdong. Blocking a Yellow River, this is Li Hongzhang's way of destroying the Nian Army!Even if your communist army undergoes seventy-two changes from heaven to earth, and falls into such a dense net, how much hope of survival is there!
However, Hu Zongnan forgot that there is another trick in the thirty-six strategies-crossing the sea with the sky.The so-called "net" he laid out with all his strength just kept the CCP alive.Zhou Enlai said humorously: "This is very good. Comrade Peng Dehuai should help Chief Hu. First of all, he doesn't know the way. You should send someone to be his guide. He wants to find our main force and has a big appetite, so we have few people." Not enough, we need to get more people to take him to Suide and Mizhi. Of course, our main force can’t go for a ride with him. He’s going, we’ll stay…” Zhou Enlai blinked mysteriously, and pressed a button with his fingertips. The place name of Taohong - Panlong Town.He said: "There are one, six or seven brigades here, and there is a lot of oil and water!"
Panlong is the new target selected by the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China for the Northwest Field Force.It is an important town in the northeast of Yan'an. Hu Zongnan set up an ordnance and military supply base here, with guns, ammunition, flour and quilts piled up like mountains.After defeating Panlong, Hu Zongnan's parade in northern Shaanxi could not be sustained.Therefore, Hu Tedi appointed his confidant, the 167th Brigade, to be stationed.The brigade is the main force of the first division of the direct line and is well-equipped.Brigadier Li Kungang, who used to be Hu Zongnan's chief of staff, is arrogant, extravagant, ruthless, and with a throne like Panlong under his buttocks, he doesn't take ordinary people seriously.Peng Dehuai aimed at Li Kungang.He saw through Hu Zongnan's heart and said: "If the 167th Brigade is lost, Hu Zongnan will probably cry!"
In fact, on the day when Dong Zhao and Liu Kan's large forces set off from Panlong and Yongping to the north, Peng Dehuai and Xi Zhongxun made up their minds - "when the enemy approaches Suide, surround and wipe out the enemies of Panlong" .Taking into account the opinions of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, let the enemies marching northward run with all their strength, and only move Panlong when they have reached Suide or Qingjian in the east. The small number of troops drawn by the brigade, combined with the Suide division and the third vertical and fifth brigade of the Jinsui Military Region next to the Yellow River, created the illusion that the main force of our army retreated to Suide and attempted to cross the Yellow River eastward.But the real main force quietly disappeared around Panlong, ready to take advantage of the opportunity to deal with Li Kungang.
In just a few days, a large number of ships gathered along the banks of the Yellow River along the Mizhi and Suide lines, and the posture of thousands of sails racing across the Yellow River was put on display.The 359th Brigade and other troops who were ordered to be "guides" dug countless pits for picnic stoves on the way from Panlong to Mizhi and Suide, and discarded discarded quilts such as broken shoes and socks, and lost them all the way.The nine-and-a-half brigades of Dong Zhao and Liu Kan decided that they "bited the tail of the main force of the Communist Party's army", and set out from Panlong in overwhelming numbers.Except for the "nails" deliberately set by the 359th Brigade, they encountered almost no resistance.So, traveling long distances for seven days and seven nights, I feel very good about myself.
Finally arrived in Suide City, Dong Zhao was overjoyed and drafted a telegram for the first time in person to report victory to Hu Zongnan who had returned to Xi'an to command by remote control: "The Communist army was defeated...the national army regained the strategically important Suide, and Deng Baoshan of the 22nd Army The Ministry has also gone south to cooperate, and the occupation of Mizhi is imminent. The two departments will join forces immediately, and the Xianyu Highway will be opened. All my troops will attack from the north and the south, oppressing the main force of the Communist Party to the west bank of the Yellow River, and annihilating it in one fell swoop..."
What an exciting blueprint this is. Even Dong Zhao himself couldn't help raising his glass intoxicated after listening to the telegram read back by the staff.
However, when Hu Zongnan received this telegram, his face was not happy.He has learned enough about Dong Zhao's boastful talk.Therefore, he asked Dong Zhao to convey his "greetings" to the soldiers of the whole army with good words, and at the same time he said calmly: "Report the results of the battle quickly..."
This army can hold Dong Zhao general.In fact, Suide, like Yan'an, is also an empty city, and the people can't even be seen, let alone confronted with the People's Liberation Army.However, Dong Zhao still repeated his old tricks and let a division and a brigade rush into the city to create the news that "the first brigade in the world will make great achievements again".Up to now, he had no choice but to climb along the pole, bite the bullet and come up with a good news: "A brigade stormed Suide City, killed 20,000 enemies, and the remnants of the enemy fled to the northeast..."
Hu Zongnan couldn't believe it when he saw it, threw the telegram on the ground, and ordered Sheng Wen to quickly investigate the reason, whether the main force of the Communist army slipped away again and occupied an empty city.The results came out quickly. "Empty city is not, but..." Sheng Wen seemed to have something hard to say.Hu Zongnan's eyes turned red anxiously: "Could it be that they didn't capture the main force of the Communist army?!"
Sheng Wen nodded painfully.
Hu Zongnan slumped on the seat, speechless for a long time.Didn’t the air force clearly discover that the main force of the Communist army was retreating towards Suide, and none of the ships on the banks of the Yellow River along the line between Suide and Mizhi moved?Could it be that they can fly with wings... Hu Zongnan sighed and said to himself: "This Dong Zhao should be killed!"
The rare rain on the northern Shaanxi plateau is still falling.Wearing a patched gray earthen cloth military uniform, Peng Dehuai walked briskly on the rugged mountain road.Behind him is a group of brigade commanders, political commissars and combat staff officers.Around Panlong, the troops of four brigades including the 1st Brigade, the 358th Brigade, the 4th Brigade and the 4th Brigade from the 2nd Column, and the New 4th Brigade have been ambushed. Staff, survey the terrain again.
"War is desperate, and you have to think about all kinds of situations," Peng Dehuai said to everyone while walking, "Let's say it's raining a little on this mountain road, and the enemy has replenished enough food in Panlong, and their stomachs are full. If you don't be lazy, you can go to Suide and Mizhi today and tomorrow. Calculated in this way, it will take a total of seven days. Comrades, pay attention, they have gone for seven days! That is to say, as soon as our side started, Dong Zhao and Liu Kan The time to return to aid is seven days. However, the weather will be better at that time, and the road will be easier to walk. It is estimated that they will rush back in less than seven days. And it will take four days at least for us to fight Beaulieu, so , time is still very tight! Everyone hurry back, hurry up and get ready, hurry up and not behind. In any case, the attack mission will be completed on April 30, and the attack will start on May 1. This advance supply base makes it impossible for the enemy's northward troops to return to the reinforcements, and both ends are lost!"
During the speech, Panlong Town had a panoramic view.This place is 45 kilometers away from Yan'an. The town is located in the center of a small basin, which happens to be the triangle point where the two rivers meet.Surrounded by mountains, the terrain is steep, easy to defend but difficult to attack.In particular, the two mountain beams in the east and west of the town protrude from multiple commanding heights to guard the town street, which is very effective.There are only three access roads in the town, reaching Yongping and Qingjian in the east, Yan'an in the south, and Wayaobao and Suide in the north.The location is important and the place is narrow, so the garrison force should not be too many, but it must be strong.In addition to dividing his troops to guard the pass, Li Kungang also built peripheral fortifications on the surrounding mountains.These fortifications are sparsely connected to sixteen villages, responding to every call, and the firepower can support each other...
Peng Dehuai analyzed the terrain before and after, and said: "Comrades, don't underestimate Li Kungang. He is a tiger-like character. He graduated from the sixth phase of Whampoa and was a "high-achieving student" in the mainland. He used to be Chiang Kai-shek's attendant and staff officer. Therefore, Hu Zongnan regarded him as a god and praised him to the sky, saying that he was "intelligent and brave, with great talent and general strategy". Otherwise, how could he be called a great King Kong under Hu Zongnan! To be honest, this People still have two skills. They don't want to die in battle, their marksmanship is top-notch, and they have extraordinary arm strength. It is difficult for ordinary people to become his opponent. Hu Zongnan put such a "general" in Panlong, so he dared to brag about it. Daniel, said that Beaulieu is 'impregnable as gold'.
"However, I can tell my comrades that Panlong Town, which is 'impregnable as gold', has long been fortified and cleared. There are no residents, and there is no plant or tree to use. As you can see, the outer defense is based on Dongshan Jiyumao as the commanding height. It must be defended to the core. The guard force is a unit directly under the enemy's 167th Brigade. It includes an engineering company, a transport company, a signal company, a secret service company, a health platoon, plus the 449th infantry regiment, and a battalion of mountain artillery. In addition, there were more than 1,000 people from the Baoji militia corps who were escorted to raise Panlong, and they were also pulled up the mountain. These people, without training, can be said to be "crowds" and cannot be considered combat effectiveness. Li Kungang assigned the entire peripheral defense task to Give full command to Xiao Bolian, the head of the 449th Regiment, and he lies in the town as the "Supreme Emperor". This man is a lustful person. He sees women dying, and the troops are poorly restrained. It is a 'den of thieves'. These are beneficial to our victory..."
From the perspective of the enemy's situation, these are not the only favorable conditions for the victory of the Northwest Field Army. The most important thing is that Hu Zongnan is self-willed and impulsive.If it is said that he put a noose around his neck, then the tightest and deadliest thing is the practice of kissing one part and not one part intentionally or unintentionally, which made Hu Jun feel calm inside. In waves, grievances are reciprocated, and there will be no peace in the end. Often, with an inadvertent thought, thousands of troops will be buried immediately.This kind of failure that touches the root is seen by everyone, and no one can save it.
It was an evening a few days ago. Dong Zhao's 90th Division of the First Army was ordered to pursue the "main force" of the Communist Party's army to replenish supplies from Panlong.Not long after setting off, it was discovered that a large number of People's Liberation Army troops were moving from north to south on the edge of Dachuan, a few kilometers west of the headquarters, near Wangjiawan.Deng Zhongmei, commander of the leading brigade of the 90th Division, was horrified when he saw this situation. Didn't it mean that the main force of the Communist army had all gone north?How could there be such a large troop reverse movement?He immediately reported to the division commander Chen Wu: "Master, if my estimation is correct, this is the real main force of the Communist army! They have not gone far, they are still on the front line of Ansai and Qinghuabian, and... have other plans !"
Chen Wu is a battle-tested veteran.He climbed up a hill in a leisurely manner and watched it quietly with a telescope for ten minutes.Indeed, it was a neat marching column of the People's Liberation Army.They are quietly and hastily moving southward, obviously organized and premeditated... Chen Wu frowned and thought for a while, and squeezed out a few words from his teeth with a sullen expression on his face: "Paulong town……"
Of course the smart Deng Zhongmei understood Chen Wu's judgment, she nodded knowingly immediately, and reminded with the chief of staff: "Master, this kind of military affairs should be reported to Dong and Hu as soon as possible... otherwise..." How could Chen Wu Don't understand the pros and cons?However, he pretended to be confused and asked: "Report? Who is the report?" After thinking for a while, he said coldly, "Don't be sentimental, can people listen to what our 90th Division says? Only the First Division of the First Army! Why do you have such a bad memory? When occupying Yan’an, the old men were bleeding, and who is the one who asked for credit and received the reward?”
"But, if you miss the military situation, you will..." Deng Zhongmei was worried.These words made Chen Wu angry a little bit, he raised his eyebrows, and showed a serious expression: "Who misunderstood the military situation? Is it you or me? A joke! I only know how to carry out the orders of the military seat, go north to chase the enemy, and dare not neglect, Others, we don’t know anything! We didn’t see anything!” Chen Wu walked around the spot vividly, and suddenly a smug expression appeared on his face.He walked slowly to Deng Zhongmei, and said earnestly: "Don't worry, brother, Panlong Town is defended by an elite division of 'invincible' and 'peerless'. There are flying in the sky and chasing on the ground. It’s clear enough, do you still need me to worry about it? Let’s go, don’t waste time, it’s important to command the troops to hurry!” The military order is like a mountain, what else can Deng Zhongmei say?However, Chen Wu's order is tantamount to pushing Li Kungang into the abyss...
In fact, Peng Dehuai's Northwest Field Force Command was only 1 kilometer away from Hu Jun at this time.At the moment when Chen Wu and Deng Zhongmei were standing on a high place watching and discussing for a while, Peng Dehuai, who was lying on the cold kang pondering the map, was worried all the time.The scouts reported every five minutes; the guards loaded their guns and mounted their horses, lying in the ditch next to them, so nervous that they did not dare to breathe. Work, looking at Boss Peng's face from the corner of his eyes.The face was always calm, without any disturbance.This unforgettable evening seems to be longer than a year.Finally, the scout ran over with a smile: "Report, the enemy has passed!"
彭德怀抬起头，微微咧了一下嘴，继而从土炕上一跃而起，说：“好嘛，大路朝天，各走一边。敌人向北，我们向南，各走各的路，各办各的事啰！”
正好，与敌人擦肩而过，成为警卫员们接下来夜行军的谈资。有小鬼就吹开了：“我说嘛，咱彭老总是个啥人？有他站在这儿，敌人还能咋的？腿都不听使唤啦！”彭德怀来了兴致，也加入进来：“见你的鬼哟，当心把牛皮吹炸了！不过，敌人也真是傻瓜，不动脑子，要是稍微往山下弯几步，不就捉住我彭德怀了吗？”有小鬼忙问：“老总，你当时怕不怕？”彭德怀说：“我要是怕，你还不得尿裤子啊！”大家一听都哈哈笑起来。彭德怀却不笑，掏出怀表看了看，吩咐张文舟参谋长：“给各部发个报，要求加快步伐，总攻时间尽量靠前，务必达到突然、勇猛的效果！”
彭德怀在说笑间，心里一直精密审视着那张悄然撒开的罗网。此时此刻，除正面担负攻坚任务的部队外，独一旅三十五团和警备第七团已经组成“南进支队”，专门负责破袭延安以南的公路，扫清临真、南泥湾地区敌人的地方武装；在关中分区活动的部队，也正向咸榆公路的洛川、耀县地段出击，以牵制延安以南的敌人；三五九旅主力把董钊、刘戡九个半旅带到绥德之后，自己来了个“隐身法”，钻到永坪东北热思湾地区，瞪大双眼监视着盲目乐观的董、刘，随时准备阻止绥德、清涧可能回援的敌人；教导旅赶到青化砭以北，任务是阻击来自延安和延长两个方向的敌人增援。同时，他们还扫清了青化砭外围一些地方杂色武装，建立起巩固的支撑点，准备在必要时助蟠龙主攻部队一臂之力。
蟠龙顿成瓮中之鳖。在风卷云飞之际，一纵三五八旅、独一旅和二纵独四旅、新四旅以迅雷不及掩耳之势，突然把蟠龙包围得水泄不通。按照彭老总的预定决心，一纵主力由西北向东南方向发起攻击；二纵两个旅分别自东北、北面两个方向向西南及南面攻击，主要攻占制高点集玉峁。最后各部队会聚街区，直捣李昆岗巢穴。4月30日，一切部署停当。5月1日便是发起攻击的时间了，不曾想当夜又哗哗下起滂沱大雨……
西北野战部队旅以上干部会就在雨中召开。彭德怀甩着一脚烂泥巴，反反复复跟大家讲攻击发起后部队土工作业所需要注意的问题。天公不作美，进攻时间要推迟，既增加了彭德怀的心理压力，也为他赢得了研究战法、精雕细琢的时间。守敌火力工事都布设在险峻的山地上，部队没有攻坚火炮，夺取敌前沿据点别无省力的办法，只有靠挖地沟摸到人家身边放炸药包来解决问题。这样笨的战法，要避免大的牺牲几乎不可能。但是彭德怀提出“啃硬骨头不许伤牙齿”的要求，说：“如果说青化砭、羊马河两仗我们吃了两块肥肉，那么，蟠龙这一仗要准备啃骨头，要切实作好攻坚打硬仗的各项准备。把战士们都发动一下，开诸葛亮会嘛！我就不信没么子好主意！”
贺炳炎、廖汉生和王震等几位纵队领导都纷纷表态。然后，各自开小会去了。一纵决心以三五八旅和独一旅同时由西北向东南出击，用短平快的办法，出其不意地突破敌人外围防御之事。三五八旅先攻歼北山田子院之敌，再继续向蟠龙北山发动进攻；独一旅（含八团）在右翼出击，先把老庄南北山头上各敌人阵地拿下来，然后向辛店北山的小庙梁攻击。任务明确后，张宗逊跑过去问黄新廷和王尚荣：“你们两个旅长，有困难没有？”
还能没有困难？黄新廷吸口凉气，眼睛盯在地图上，五指插进军帽里面挠着头，与王尚荣互相看了看，憨憨地笑了。这笑是大家所熟悉的，它比“坚决完成任务”这样的话似乎更有分量，所以张宗逊也跟着露出笑容。倒是站在一旁的廖汉生心里不踏实，说：“这一仗不是好干的，可不能轻敌哟！”他蹲下来指戳地图，“这么丁点儿的小镇，那么多面粉、那么多军服，枪支弹药装了几十孔窑洞，是胡宗南的命根子。我们替人家想一想，狗急了要跳墙啊，一定要教育部队准备打硬仗！把这一仗打好了，比吃掉胡宗南几个旅还有意义哩！”
黄新廷和余秋里、王尚荣和颜金生都简单表示了一下决战的信心，并且把本旅打法及兵力部署复述一遍。张宗逊注意到两个旅的接合部保障都体现出高姿态，至于部队动员，干部战士雪片似的请战书之类，那都是意料中的情节，也就无须多问，唯有黄新廷发言提到什么“膏药战术”，让他精神一振，急忙追问：“快说说，快说说……”黄新廷脸上含着一丝自得，却不说话，而是朝余秋里神秘地扬了扬下颏。
余秋里将一只空袖朝怀里掖一把：“我讲就我讲！我们的'诸葛亮会'都开过了，大家分析认为，敌人主阵地是高大的核心地堡和一些土寨子，打攻坚仗，我们缺少重炮，人工爆破量会相当大，牺牲也就可能很大。所以，战士们动脑子想了很多办法，比方说，把粉状炸药装到干粮袋子里，捣紧它，每人身上拐它几个。敌军火力射击时，我们就搞对壕作业，一步一步贴紧敌碉堡，把炸药袋子统统挂到敌人的碉堡上去，就像贴膏药一样……”
“战士们就叫这个方法为'膏药战术'！”黄新廷忍不住插嘴，“我们已把前沿一些小据点都清干净了，准备顺着山势展开攻击，首先夺取田子院，进而向纵深发展，夺取控制街区的主阵地，直捣敌人一六七旅指挥部。”余秋里意犹未尽地补充道：“我们的口号是：夺取蟠龙镇，保卫陕甘宁！”张宗逊看着三五八旅这两名年轻指挥员既纯真又成熟的叙述，很是满意。他兴奋地叉着腰，胸中平添几分豪气：“这一仗，我有信心！今晚明晨，雨一住就动手！”
终于迎来5月2日。雨后的蟠龙镇，群山笼罩着一层薄雾。季节到了，又有一场透雨，山上显出草色青青。红日是从指战员们心窝里冉冉升起的，簇新的阳光格外明净，迎头飘洒下来，把这座陕北小镇映照得十分妩媚而生机盎然。大战料也为时不远，整整一天，朗日和风，山上山下静得出奇，直到黄昏时分，才突然之间枪声四起。老战士们一听枪声就明白，敌我双方的外围战接上火了！
跟彭德怀预计的情况相差无几，最初十几个小时里，重点方向攻击行动，进展速度很不理想。一整夜土工作业爆破，只拔掉敌人几个前沿据点，连外壕攻击都没有成功。彭德怀处在两难境地：继续强攻，牺牲太大，难以奏效；偃旗息鼓，调整部署再攻，时间可能又来不及。要知道，董钊、刘戡一旦回援，九个半旅兵力至多七天即可压向蟠龙！
各路战报一份接一份：独四旅十四团在新四旅七七一团协助下，向集玉峁发起攻击，经数次冲击，因不能压制敌人暗火力点，障碍始终未能扫除，外壕无法通过，进攻受阻；七一四团以及刚刚配属独一旅的八团，占领了老庄、新庄科等高地，部队本该乘胜前进，分别向小庙梁和磨盘山发展战果，但因准备不足，协同不好，火力也不紧凑，七八个小时的攻击不见起色；三五八旅……彭德怀立断：停火休整，总结再战！
战场喧嚣突然安静下来，但这已让李昆岗惊吓非常。从各个据点报上来的情况判断，李昆岗料定蟠龙外围共产党军队不下五个旅的兵力，加上习惯性余数，他决定在上报胡宗南时称“共产党军队主力约八个旅围困蟠龙”。这份告急电报让胡宗南简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。在阅读那行天文数字的时候，心里就早已把李昆岗骂个狗血喷头。这也难怪，一小时前，董钊的“捷报”上还言之凿凿地说中共主力受到重创，“残敌”已向绥德“东北方向逃窜”，怎么可能瞬息之间又出现在蟠龙？这个李昆岗就喜欢夸大其词，岂有此理！先摆一摆再说吧。
胡宗南的自信，丝毫没有减轻彭德怀的压力。无论如何在目前这种情况下中断攻击行动，延长作战时间，都不是一件轻松的事。彭德怀充分估计到风险。正因如此，他要稳中求进。他在午夜的门槛上细碎地踱着步子，想象各旅各团此时此刻将作怎样的部署调整——指战员们献计献策、指挥员的判断与行动……
彭德怀决定，跟三五八旅黄旅长通一次话。黄新廷是个不愿意张扬却能不声不响拿大主意的人，不管战场情况怎样变化多端，他总有自己一套办法，从来就没有束手无策的时候。从眼下土工作业效果看，三五八旅方向，进展速度也是最令人满意的。而且——这也是最重要的，在彭德怀下达停止攻击、巩固既得阵地的命令之后，据说黄新廷并没有完全执行！那来自某一个方向略显单薄的枪声，在彭德怀心中形成了一连串的反应。
战斗刚打响时，三五八旅阵地上就出了个小情况：平白无故拥上十几个陕北汉子，说什么也要跟部队一块上。当时七一六团正在实施“膏药战术”，满阵地射击的射击、装药的装药、挖壕的挖壕，忙得一塌糊涂。有位小战士急了，冲那些汉子嚷嚷道：“哎呀老乡，这是打仗，又不是种庄稼，还兴搭把手什么的！”
一个陕北老汉听到这话不乐意了，瞪着眼喊起来：“打仗咋的？我打鬼子那会儿，你还在哪儿哩！真刀真枪我见过。后生子，小瞧我，当年贺老总还表扬过我哩！”
无意间提到贺龙的大名，干部战士立马肃然起敬。贺龙是这支部队的一面旗帜，谁的心里都在飘扬。大家换了口气，性子也平和了许多，老同志长老同志短地招呼起来。团长储汉元让人把这班陕北汉子领到二连：“你们就算二连一个班吧。干脆，交给一班长得了！”
二连一班班长李子华是个共产党员，雇工出身，左云人，仗打得精熟，又勇敢又机智，前不久配合羊马河歼灭敌一三五旅那一仗，他一个人一挺机枪挡住敌人一个连的冲击。见连上把十几个老乡交给自己，李子华欢喜不迭。一班正在对壕作业，人手像金子。李子华把庄稼汉排上号，编到作业队伍中。这下力量可强了！二连当面七个明暗火力点，一班在天黑前就炸掉三个。而包括十几个陕北庄稼人在内的一班全体战友，完好无损，连皮都没碰着。
仗打得正在热乎劲上，七一五团二营六连阵地又跑出几位老太太。其中一个上来就冲连长双膝一跪，眼泪一把鼻涕一把：“官长，快救救我的女娃……”一了解，才得知几个老太婆都是蟠龙镇人，被李昆岗的队伍撵出家门四处流浪。听说解放军要打蟠龙，几十里地赶来。下跪的那位大娘有两个女儿，一个15岁，一个17岁，被国民党兵糟蹋后，又弄进兵营，到现在下落不明。
六连战士郝万龙也是陕北人，一听乡亲们遭罪，心里就难受得不行。他泪流满面地告诉大娘：“您放心，我拼上这条性命，也替您老人家把仇报了！我是绥德西边的郝家沟人，要是死了，烦您老托人给我家里捎个信……”这话说的！几位老太太哭成一团，说：“官长，枪子儿长着眼，像你这么好的人怎么会死？老天都不容啊！”哭着，她们就拐起小脚抱炸药往前送，用衣襟兜土筑工事，帮着炊事班生火做饭。战斗打响后，郝万龙当了突击队员，一马当先冲进一座土寨，里面有敌一连人。郝手里握着两颗手榴弹，拉环扣在小指上，大声喊道：“不想死的，举起手来！”结果，一寨子敌兵全都成了俘虏。
王树山是七一四团刚从青化砭战斗中解放过来的战士，才满20岁，在国民党军三十一旅当了三个月的运输兵，这次打蟠龙他实际上是第一次真刀真枪上火线。开始有点儿紧张，枪炮一响，也顾不得许多了，背上炸药袋一溜烟冲了上去。他连续两次把炸药送到敌人的碉堡上，后一次因为躲闪不及，胳膊上负了伤，血咕嘟咕嘟直冒，他用绑腿简单捆了捆，抱起一袋炸药还要上。排长一把按住他：“王树山，你不能上了，休息一下！”王树山死也不肯，可着嗓子喊：“让我上，我要报仇！”
王树山的仇大家都知道。他的父亲是饥荒年景被活活饿死的，保长歹心不遂就害死他的母亲和一个不满10岁的弟弟，一大家人就剩下他孤苦伶仃一个了。正没活路时，他又被国民党抓了兵。青化砭解放过来后，王树山时常对战友们说：“我与蒋介石有血海深仇！”他决心在蟠龙战斗中“拿出一条命来拼一拼”，所以上来就冲到最前面。战斗最后阶段，王树山把腰带紧了紧，狮虎般地直扑敌营，一口气抓到三个俘虏，缴获三支步枪。
那已是两天后的事了。其实，部队奉命整训期，三五八旅战术上也做了些小的修补。黄新廷坚持不让部队完全停下来的原因，在于他认定对壕作业是接敌的唯一办法。于是，主力始终沉下心来埋头苦干，切实一步步逼近敌铁丝网、外壕和火力碉堡。与此同时，他将配合行动的攻击部队进行了编组，一直不间断地轮番佯攻，即便是彭德怀下令停火，这种佯攻也没有中止。敌人被打得人困马乏，火力也消耗得差不多，刚开始的那股势头一点一点打下去了。
5月3日整整一昼夜苦干，到4日拂晓，效果大为明显。抵近敌人阵地，办法就多了，七一六团七连有个班长叫王有才，靠连续打手榴弹掩护搭梯爬上敌人寨墙……消息一阵风似的传开来，各部队都铆足劲挖呀、掏呀。正在东面主阵地集玉峁脚下血战的二纵独四旅和新四旅，借着有限的炮火掩护，一鼓作气冲到敌人外壕和铁丝网跟前，顿时，手榴弹大显神威！
王震说：“只要集玉峁一拿下，整个蟠龙镇就算控制住了！”他的下一道命令就是“活捉李昆岗，收复蟠龙镇”！国民党官兵当然也懂得这一点，驻守这个制高点的敌四九九团二营五连，在解放军还没冲到前沿阵地时，就已三心二意，乱成一窝蜂。
此刻，独一旅二团和八团进攻正面的磨盘山阵地，近处爆破一片轰隆隆山响。八团三营八连担任主攻，连长是个精明干练的年轻人，叫张金榜。张连长身上那股风火劲，四年前在陕北米脂大练兵时，就已声名很响。其时，他是有名的练兵模范，刺杀、射击、投弹和战术指挥，样样提起来让人吐舌头。这次八连打主攻，是王尚荣旅长亲自点将。王旅长问张金榜说：“你行不行？不行我换别人。”他知道张金榜最不能听这种话。张金榜没有吱声。他平静地接受了任务，甚至看都没有看王旅长一眼。他知道王旅长不喜欢听豪言壮语。
天麻丝亮，张金榜就把副班长以上的骨干带到前沿，最后一次仔细察看地形。回到阵地天还没大亮，班、排长不散，接着研究打法。八连任务是以最快速度攻占磨盘山，保证大部队如期夺取蟠龙镇。张金榜掂着分量跟大家说：“磨盘山是蟠龙南边最要紧的一座高山土寨，不把磨盘山搞到手，部队咋进镇？就是进了镇也展不开，在人家眼皮底下，全成了活靶子，大家想想，那个牺牲该有多大？”班排长们都表示，八连就是打得一个都不剩，也要完成任务。张金榜吼道：“胡说，八连损失也是部队的损失，一个都不剩了，还完成啥任务？”接着，他目光炯炯地宣布突击队名单。
张金榜决定由三排担任突击队，一排竖梯子，二排做预备队。他盯住三排长王正林的脸看了好一会儿，大声补充道：“左右都有友邻配合，就看谁的指挥好、出手快！”五班杨义泉站出来请求参加突击队。他是代表全班战友说话的，特别强调“我们班有经验”。五班长所说的“经验”，是指前不久攻打老庄山战斗中，该班担任突击队抓到17名俘虏、缴获18条枪这件事。三排几个班长不乐意了，王正林排长站起来说：“五班长，上次你们打得漂亮我承认，可我们排也不是孬种啊！连长选咱当突击队，千斤重担咱挑得起，你等着瞧吧！”
总攻开始了，双方各种火器全都用上，打得难分难解。张金榜瞅准时机，手一挥，三排长王正林立即带领突击队员跃出阵地。他们猫着腰从弹雨中间穿过去，一个突袭，直扑磨盘山主峰。但是，敌火力实在太猛，王排长他们没冲出几步，就有两个队员中弹倒下，此时，架梯组也出动了。他们几个人一组，又拖着梯子，目标更大，好几个战士相继负伤，倒在血泊中不能动弹。
what to do?张金榜看在眼里，额上滚动着豆大的汗珠。如果按原计划硬拼下去，牺牲将会更大。他转头对指导员说：“咱们仗不能这么打，得立即改变计划！”说着，冲三排副排长李广义喊：“看见了不？刚才一阵扫射，敌火力点全都暴露了，右侧是敌人防守疏忽的地方，你带一个班上去，要快速隐蔽，出敌不意！”李广义心领神会，就近选择九班，手一挥：“九班跟我上！”
“一排长！”张连长调头吩咐一排长袁士民，“重新组织掩护火力，把大个子和吴贵合的机枪拉上来，火力往前延伸，压住敌人阵地，要不顾一切封住敌人枪眼，手榴弹别乱扔，集中使用，瞅准敌人火力打，打他的土寨子，要猛！要狠！掩护竖梯子！”
大个子机枪手叫高洪国，也是大练兵那阵子打出来的好汉，力气大，技术又精，挺大的身坯，却灵活得像只猴。听到连长和排长的命令，他当即就同副射手吴贵合拖着机枪往前运动，一直靠近到离寨子只有200米的地方才卧下来，一口气掏出个射击依托工事，转身，汗淋淋的双手带着泥巴，抱起枪就扣扳机。这当口，袁士民排长也已将全排手榴弹集中起来，组织几个“贺龙投弹手”，拉开导火索往寨子上投，一颗接一颗，一连甩出30多颗，颗颗都砸在敌人的工事里面，随着震耳欲聋的爆炸声起，寨墙上燃起一片火光，敌人哇哇乱叫，枪声慢慢稀疏下来。
战机往往存在于瞬间。一排战士张富根和张友和，趁着烟雾一跃而起，三步并作两步就冲到寨墙跟前，协力一送，把云梯架上了墙头。五班长杨义泉眼疾手快，脚底生风，掂起早已压满子弹的步枪，大喊：“同志们，跟我上，为劳苦大众报仇的机会到啦！”自己飞身上了云梯。战士们立刻像离弦之箭，冲到云梯旁边。就在此刻，难题来了：由于寨墙太高，梯子太短，爬到顶端的战士们因为距离太大，怎么也上不了城墙。
手榴弹烟消云散，一个班赤裸裸地暴露在寨墙下面。杨义泉急得从云梯上跳下来大喊：“原地卧倒！”声音未落，敌人火力马上转移过来，情况万分危急。匆忙之中，杨义泉想利用刺刀在寨墙上挖脚蹬，可一试，不行；又想几个人叠罗汉，试了试，更不行。正在无计可施时，偶然发现寨墙上有棵嫩绿的小松树，差不多靠近梯子顶端，杨义泉来不及多想，也不管它结实不结实，立刻把梯子靠上去，一气爬上顶端，伸手拉出树枝，奋力一跃，终于登上寨墙。他人到手到，顺势甩出三颗手榴弹，敌人的机枪手即刻血肉横飞。寨墙下面，一排战士一个接一个照杨义泉的办法，爬上了寨墙。
杨义泉神魔鬼道把寨子里的国民党兵惊呆了，他们全副精力都集中在这个方向