Chapter 81 4. Liu Bocheng deployed to beat Zhu Huaibing

Since Zhu Huaibing withdrew to the south of the Wushe Highway, he did not stop his activities. Instead, he built fortifications everywhere, occupied high ground, and built blockhouses.These actions of his were not defensive measures against the Japanese, but hostile actions against the Eighth Route Army.In order to break the Kuomintang army's attack on Taihang and southern Hebei, the Eighth Route Army headquarters decided to deal with Zhu Huaibing, a "friction" expert. At this time, the conditions and timing for the Eighth Route Army to attack Zhu Huaibing were also available and mature.Because, in order to preserve and develop its strength, the Sun Dianying Department of the Kuomintang, which is active in this area, has adopted an attitude that no one will be offended.After the Eighth Route Army's campaign against Zhu Huaibing was launched, the troops chasing and annihilating Zhu Huaibing were blocked by Sun Dianying's troops on the way. Zhou Xihan, chief of staff of the 386 brigade, stepped forward to explain that after the Eighth Route Army was exclusively attacking Zhu Huaibing's troops, Sun's officers immediately ordered them to clear the way.Another Kuomintang unit, Pang Bingxun, was located in the Yincheng and Xihuo areas south of Changzhi.Among the three main forces of the Kuomintang, these two are relatively restrained. Only Zhu Huaibing, who claims to be the main force of the Kuomintang Central Army, is always ready to move.

In view of the above situation, the leaders of the 129th Division held a meeting to study the specific combat plan.At the meeting, Deng Xiaoping instructed: "Zhu Huaibing is the vanguard to attack us. According to the current situation of the recalcitrant army, our combat intention should be: concentrate the main force to wipe out Zhu Huaibing's troops, monitor Lu Zhonglin's and Sun Dianying's troops, and win them over as much as possible." neutral." Since the combat area involved Cixian, Wu'an, Shexian, and Linxian, this battle was also called the Ciwu Shelin Battle.

The 129th Division has a total of 13 regiments, which is about three times the strength of Zhu Huaibing's troops.The combat deployment is: 13 regiments are divided into three columns of left, middle and right, attacking in separate directions, adopting encirclement and interspersed tactics, inserting into the depth of Zhu Huaibing's department, and directly attacking the depth of Zhu's defense. After the battle plan was formed, Liu Bocheng also instructed: "The key to this battle is speed. It is too late for Zhu Huaibing to run away, and it is too late for other recalcitrant troops to rescue. The success or failure of this battle is related to the entire situation of the War of Resistance in North China. Therefore, all troops have We are strengthening political mobilization and clarifying the significance of this battle, and we must not be afraid of fatigue and resolutely destroy them regardless of anything!"

Here Liu Bocheng put forward the slogan "Don't be afraid of fatigue" with great foresight.Because he knew very well that if he wanted to beat the pain and defeat Zhu Huaibing's troops, it must be a difficult and difficult battle. "To catch a thief, first to catch the king" and "To hit a snake at seven inches", these ancient proverbs have long been deeply imprinted in the hearts of every Chinese.Zhu De, Peng Dehuai and other leaders of the military region studied the "king" and "seven inches" of the Kuomintang army's operation.They believe that defeating "friction" expert Zhu Huaibing means capturing the "king" and hitting the "seven inches".This is the first time that the Eighth Route Army has confronted the well-armed Central Army since the Anti-Japanese War behind enemy lines.

At that time, the 129th Division launched the crusade against Shi Yousan in Hebei, Shandong and Henan at the same time. It felt that its troops were insufficient. In addition to using troops from Taihang, Taiyue, and southern Hebei to crusade against Zhu Huaibing, it also asked the headquarters of the 18th Army to transfer some troops from Jinchaji and Central Hebei. There are a total of 13 regiments, and Li Da, the chief of staff, is appointed as the commander-in-chief of the rebellion. List of Eighth Route Army participating troops and their commanders: Commander of the Right Hebei Column: Zhou Xihan

1st Regiment of the 386th Brigade Division Special Task Force Commander of the Central Column: Li Da Youth column: Yiliangpin Jinchaji advance team: Chen Zhengxiang Jizhong Garrison Brigade: Wang Changjiang Commander of the Left Hebei Column: Wang Shusheng Advance Detachment: Zhang Xianyue Ranger commander: Gui Gansheng Independent Guerrilla Detachment: Gui Gansheng According to the combat intentions of Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, Commander-in-Chief Li Da divided the combat tasks of the troops as follows: 1. The independent detachment uses two regiments as rangers, commanded by Gui Qiansheng, and enters through Lujiazhai to the south bank of the Zhanghe River between Guantai and Zhanghe River. It chooses narrow roads and builds strong fortifications to intercept Zhu Jun who may flee across the Zhanghe River. .

2. Part 1 of the 1st Regiment of the 386th Brigade and an independent detachment. The special task force of the division headquarters is a right-wing column, commanded by Zhou Xihan, to cut off the traffic behind Zhu Jun, attack from south to north, and assist the central column to eliminate the main force of Zhu Jun; marched on March 2 To the north of Rencunji, continue to extend northward to Ganquan and Nanwangzhuang on March 3, select key passes and build fortifications; and send enough troops to extend to Wangjiazhuang and Liangchakou to attack enemies who may flee to the southwest. 3. The Youth Column, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Advancement Detachment, and the Jizhong Garrison Brigade with two artillery companies attached form the central column, which is the main force of the offensive army and is under the unified command of Li Da. Anziling, Nanpo, Nanzhuang, Wangjinzhuang, Liujiazhuang, and Gutai, the junction of the division and the newly formed 24th division, quickly wiped out the 280th regiment of Zhu Jun's 94th division; Attack the headquarters of Zhu Huaibing's 97th Army and its main force, the 94th Division, at Liangchakou and east of Huayuan, and adopt a policy of fighting for the new 24th Division. If they are stubborn, they will be wiped out together.

4. The advance detachment is the left-wing column, commanded by Wang Shusheng. It arrived at the Tianjing area on February 29, approached the 94th Division, actively harassed and exhausted the enemy; Cooperate with the central column to eliminate it.