Chapter 96 4. Peng Dehuai's hesitation

In the middle of the night on August 7, 1940, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army. Peng Dehuai was sitting in meditation, with his legs slightly crossed, his back slightly hooked, and a horse lantern was illuminating the texts and telegrams all over the kang... Between his knees, there was a telegram drafted by Zuo Quan marked "combat action order". It's been over an hour.From time to time, he tapped the telegram paper with the pencil in his hand, but he never signed the three words "Peng Dehuai". It's not easy to sign, the world will shake a few times once it is signed.

It has been more than three months since Zuo Quan went to the headquarters of the 129th Division. In April, the blooming mountain flowers have been replaced by the dense green gauze tents in the Qianli Plain, which is the golden season for the Eighth Route Army to show its talents.Since then, various plans have been discussed and discussed, and various tasks have been prepared and prepared. The opinions of the leaders of the divisions, military regions, and the Northern Bureau have also been unified. The battle preparation order was issued more than ten days ago. The so-called "All is ready except for the opportunity".But when things come to an end, it's not easy to sign a few simple words.A pencil is like a thousand weights...

Peng Dehuai was thinking: In addition to breaking the Japanese army's "cage" policy militarily, it is more and more necessary politically to carry out this campaign.Since the beginning of summer, the international and domestic situation has been sinister.In Europe, the French government capitulated to German fascism.After sweeping half of Europe, Hitler is marching into the English Channel in a big way.In Asia, Britain and France succumbed to Japan's pressure and successively closed the Yunnan-Vietnam and Yunnan-Burma highways in China's southwest, which made the already cloudy situation of China's war of resistance even more gloomy.In this context, the Japanese army was actively preparing to implement a policy of advance, gathering troops on various battlefields, and attempting to use the dual means of military oppression and political inducement to induce the Kuomintang government to surrender in order to spare troops to join the Pacific battlefield. On June 15, after capturing the important town of Yichang, the gateway of the Yangtze River into Sichuan, the Japanese army threatened to attack Xi'an and cut off the Northwest international traffic line.

According to the intelligence of the Chongqing Kuomintang government and various departments of the Eighth Route Army, a large number of Japanese troops outside the pass entered the pass, and the Japanese troops along the Jinpu line concentrated on the Longhai line.At the same time, Japanese planes crazily bombed Chongqing, temporarily causing a strong earthquake in the rear, and there were various reactions.In cooperation, the Japanese army secretly launched "peace talks" activities with Chiang Kai-shek through the so-called "strategic work", and used the fallen Wang Jingwei group to conduct propaganda and instigate rebellion within the Kuomintang camp.Under this kind of provocation, the Chiang Kai-shek government was vacillating, and the mist of compromise and surrender filled the air.Echoing this is the attack on the Eighth Route Army, saying that "the Eighth Route Army swims but does not attack", "only fights friendly troops, and does not attack Japan" and so on.Then, under such circumstances, a large-scale battle will be carried out, and its victory will have far-reaching significance in exciting the emotions of the military and civilians across the country, affecting the changing current situation, facing up to prejudices' understanding of the Eighth Route Army, and comprehensively attacking the Japanese army. .

However, as a military commander who fully grasped the overall situation in North China, Peng Dehuai had to take into account the unfavorable military factors and possible unfavorable consequences.This is organizing a huge and extensive battle in the enemy's rear, and all kinds of special difficulties are obvious: being separated from the support of the main rear, having no fixed battle line, surrounded by enemies on all sides, lack of weapons, ammunition, food and grass, exhaustion of personnel, The organization and communication among the various troops...all of these are important factors that affect the progress of the battle.Furthermore, even after victory, the impact of this has to be considered.Over the past few years, the Eighth Route Army has survived and developed in a difficult environment, and the Japanese army has increasingly taken the Eighth Route Army as its main combat target. This move is bound to set up a large tree on a high mountain to attract wind. I am afraid that survival and development in the future will be extremely difficult. many.

Also, what about Yan'an's reaction?What is the attitude of the chairman and the boss?For or against? The battle preparation order on July 22 was sent to Yan'an with "100,000 urgency", and there is no clear instruction so far.Is it acquiescence or another idea? Peng Dehuai also had to think about this question. However, this campaign plan has been a long enough process since its inception.It also contains a credit for Boss Zhu.In the first days when the Japanese army built roads and dug ditches frantically, Boss Zhu, Zuo Quan, and themselves were very anxious. The three of them often watched intelligence in the war room and studied until late at night.On the wall of the war room, the topographic map of North China occupies an entire wall, and the old and new railway lines and highway lines are deliberately outlined, densely intertwined and intertwined, like a giant net covering the anti-Japanese base areas.Perhaps, Bo Cheng's statement is more vivid: it is a cage.At that time, Boss Zhu reminded: The Japanese army’s road-building operation contained important strategic and tactical intentions, and it must be understood and dealt with as a whole.Before leaving, Boss Zhu also said: The traffic struggle will be the center of an era, and when the time is right, we will do it hard.Now, the time is ripe, and the plan is well-planned, with the reasonable suggestions of almost all the leaders of the Eighth Route Army integrated into Dacheng.Zuo Quan, Nie Rongzhen, He Long, Guan Xiangying, Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping and others all took a very positive attitude towards this.Preparations are also in full swing...

Thinking of this, Peng Dehuai still felt that the pen in his hand was as heavy as a weight! Peng Dehuai knew that this kind of hesitation was not his style; he also knew that since the machine had started, could it be stopped? Peng Dehuai couldn't help shaking his head and smiling, and finally wrote "Peng Dehuai" with a brush. At this time, the hour hand of the clock on the wall had already pointed to 5, and the sky was already getting a little bright.