Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Hands-to-hand combat, the first setback in front of Shanhaiguan

Chiang Kai-shek thought that the sovereignty of the Northeast could be sold for a high price, and the Soviets said they wanted to take over the Northeast, so please go ahead.Du Yuming took over Yingkou aboard a U.S. warship with a happy face, but Yingkou had already been stationed with Chinese Communist Party troops.Chiang Kai-shek became angry from embarrassment, and there was a resurgence of war at the Great Wall Pass.As soon as Lin Biao arrived in Shenyang, he had his feet firmly on his feet, and then turned around and returned to Jinzhou.Du Yuming occupied several cities in a row, and Mao Zedong sent a telegram to Shubei to "get out of the way and occupy the hatchback".

The leadership of the Northeast Bureau has successfully crossed the Shanhaiguan Pass and gained a foothold in Shenyang! It was late at night in Chongqing.Negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have been going on for more than 20 days, but there is still no progress.Mao Zedong couldn't help but feel happy when he received this good news about the work in Northeast China.He strode to the window and opened the tightly closed curtain. The dense fog in the sky had gradually dispersed, and a few dazzling stars were particularly eye-catching. It seems that the opportunity to take a big move in the Northeast has come to fruition.Mao Zedong lit a cigarette, and amidst the smoke, he seriously considered the new personnel arrangement in his mind.

On September 19, Yan'an received a telegram from Mao Zedong: mobilize Chen Yi and Rao Shushi to Shandong, Luo Ronghuan and Xiao Hua to the northeast, and Lin Biao to Rehe. Holding this telegram from Chongqing in his hand, Liu Shaoqi couldn't help feeling excited. A stormy operation was about to begin. He immediately drafted the "Central Committee's Instructions on the Deployment of the Central Bureau's Strategic Guidelines on Developing Northward and Southward Defense" and issued it on the same day.The instructions said: "The negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are difficult to achieve results for the time being. The Kuomintang troops have already entered many large cities and major transportation routes, and may enter Beiping and Tianjin. Almost all the puppet troops are controlled by the Kuomintang. Rehe and Chahar Province, I must control it all, and I may control the entire Northeast. However, the Soviet Red Army will withdraw from the Northeast in early December, and I must quickly make proper deployments to ensure our party’s control of the Northeast.” Therefore, we now demand that “ The main force of Shandong and most of the cadres quickly dispatched to the east of Hebei and the northeast. The first step was to transfer 30,000 troops from Shandong to the east of Hebei to assist the Jireliao Military Region to eliminate the puppet troops, open up the work in Rehe, and completely control the east of Hebei, Jinzhou, and Rehe. , and completely prevent the recalcitrant army from entering Rehe in the northeast when the Red Army retreats in the future. Another 30,000 troops will be transferred from Shandong to develop in the northeast.” "The East China New Fourth Army will deploy 80,000 troops to Shandong and eastern Hebei to protect and develop the Shandong base area and the Jireliao area."At the same time, it was necessary to "establish the Jireliao Central Bureau and expand the Jireliao Military Region, with Li Fuchun as the secretary and Lin Biao as the commander. Luo Ronghuan went to work in the Northeast and changed the Shandong Bureau to the East China Bureau. Chen Yi and Rao Shushi went to work in Shandong."

As soon as the Party Central Committee issued this order, the whole country was busy, and troops from different regions set off one after another. Their goal was only one: to go to the Northeast! These troops either took the land route or the sea route, each showing its ability and vying to be the first.Teams of people rushed to the magical black land outside Shanhaiguan. According to ancient legends, there are three fairy mountains overseas in China: Fangzhang, Yingzhou, and Penglai.The Communist Party's army chose Penglai as the starting point for crossing the sea and leaving customs.

The first batch of large-scale troops to cross the sea from Penglai was the "Northeast Advance Detachment" commanded by Wan Yi.They boarded the ship in batches from Luanjiakou in Penglai, Shandong Province on September 24, and sailed straight to the sea. After nearly a week of slashing through the waves, they arrived in the Northeast one after another at the end of the month.Walking on the ground of Anton (today's Dandong), I met Xiao Hua from the Shandong Military Region.It turned out that Xiao Hua crossed the sea to Shenyang with an advance force of more than 1,000 people as early as early September. In order to cooperate with this large-scale crossing mission, he returned to Dandong in early October to take charge of the reception work.But the "Northeast Advance Detachment" led by Wan Yi with a total of more than 3,500 people did not have time to stop. Wan Yi patted Xiao Hua on the shoulder and said: "The big troops are still behind, we will take a step first .” Then it moved northward to the Panshi, Hailong, and Siping areas in the hinterland of Northeast China in mid-October.

As soon as Wan Yi left, the 5th and 6th divisions led by Wu Kehua, deputy commander of the Shandong Jiaodong Military Region, and Peng Jiaqing, director of the Political Department, also arrived in Zhuanghe by boat before October 20. Shandong troops have arrived in the Northeast in batches. Who will command them in a unified manner?Mao Zedong took a fancy to Luo Ronghuan. On October 24, the central government sent a telegram to Luo Ronghuan, commander and political commissar of the Shandong Military Region: "Lead the command organization lightly and go to the Northeast within a month." At this time, he was suffering from increasingly serious kidney disease. After receiving the order, he did not hesitate at all, and resolutely accepted this sacred mission.

Luo Ronghuan's kidney disease is getting worse, Mao Zedong is not ignorant.As soon as the Anti-Japanese War was won, Mao Zedong decided to send Lin Biao to Shandong to take over his job, so that Luo Ronghuan could return to Yan'an for medical treatment with peace of mind.But at this critical moment, in order to defend the Northeast and urgently needed talents, Mao Zedong had to change his mind and asked him to go north across the sea with his illness. On October 28, the second telegram from the Central Committee arrived, requesting that the second batch of Shandong troops marching northeastward should try to recruit as many as 50,000 troops and reach their destination only in November.Luo Ronghuan did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly arrived in Longkou on November 5, where Xu Shiyou, then commander of the Jiaodong Military Region, was waiting to see him off.

Luo Ronghuan held Xu Shiyou's hands tightly, but he was speechless: Maybe this will be a long-term parting.It took a long time for Luo Ronghuan to return to normal. He looked at the beloved war horse that had been with him for many years and said to Xu Shiyou: "This horse has been with me for many years. I don't know if I can use it when I go to the Northeast. Now I just want to use it." Give it to you!" Xu Shiyou was full of excitement.He knew that Luo Ronghuan missed the Shandong base he had created with his own hands, and he was reluctant to let his horse leave this land, so he took off the pistol from his waist, held it in both hands, and gave it to the old chief in return.The two parted in tears.

Luo Ronghuan boarded the ferry, dressed as a businessman, and rushed all the way to Dalian.Above the sea, there are waves and waves, and the waves are soaring into the sky.When the ship arrived in Lushun, a Soviet warship suddenly came oncoming. The captain of the Soviet army stood on the bow and asked to stop the ship for inspection. Seeing that it was a Soviet soldier, Luo Ronghuan separated everyone and walked to the bow: "I am Luo Ronghuan, commander of the Shandong Military Region, and we are all Chinese Communist Party troops!" The Soviet captain looked suspiciously at the simple "businessman" in front of him: "You are the commander of the Eighth Route Army? I can't believe it."

Luo Ronghuan looked down at his attire, and couldn't help laughing. He touched a group photo with Mao Zedong, and hurriedly took it out: "Look, this is Mao Zedong!" Captain Nasu nodded: "Yes, I know." Luo Ronghuan pointed at the person next to him again: "This is me!" The captain carefully looked at the person in the photo, then looked up at Luo Ronghuan, and suddenly smiled: "Yes, this is you! You must be a senior official if you can take a photo with Mao Zedong!" With a smile, he solemnly paid a military salute and said loudly: "Comrade Commander, please forgive me. You can land at any port other than Lushun and Dalian."

Luo Ronghuan understood that Dalian had been controlled by the Soviet army and no ships were allowed to sail, so he immediately ordered a change of direction, and arrived at Piziwo on November 6, officially setting foot on the land of the Northeast.Since then, the 2nd Division of Shandong Binhai District, the 3rd Division of Luzhong and the 3rd Police Brigade also crossed the sea to Liaodong. Under the personal leadership of Commander Luo Ronghuan of the Shandong Military Region, 60,000 troops successively advanced to the northeast, of which 45,000 troops crossed the sea and went north.The Shandong 1st Division is an exception. They changed to land for other reasons. The division commander who led the Shandong 1st Division to the north was Liang Xingchu, the commander of the "Long Live Army" who later became famous on the Korean battlefield, and Liang Biye was the political commissar.They originally planned to follow Luo Ronghuan to take the sea route, but when they were preparing to cross the sea on October 5, they suddenly received an urgent call from their superiors: The Kuomintang was sending three armies to attack Handan, and the Shandong 1st Division stopped crossing the sea and rescued immediately. Liang Xingchu immediately turned to the northwest after receiving the order, and when he reached Shanghe, he received another telegram: The crisis in Handan has been lifted, and the Shandong 1st Division is on standby.Liang Xingchu waited in Shanghe for half a month. Until October 20, the superior order arrived again: continue northward as planned, leave Shanhaiguan, and head to the northeast.Liang Xingchu made some calculations, and the overland route was the best choice.So they hurried to the northeast, left the Great Wall from Lengkou, and headed towards Jinzhou. Not long after the 1st Division of Shandong left Shandong, the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army led by Master Huang Kecheng and political commissar hurried over.This is a large team. Huang Kecheng's division is said to be a division, but it is actually larger than the army. It has 4 brigades and 3 regiments under its jurisdiction, with a total of 35,000 people. Huang Kecheng received the order to go north in Huai'an on September 23, so he set off on the 28th and arrived in Linyi, Shandong in mid-October. He hurriedly met his superior, Chen Yi, the acting commander of the New Fourth Army, and then Advance quickly to the north. Arrived at Yutian in the east of Jidong on November 5, and after passing west of Jinzhou, he arrived at Jiangjiatun on November 26 and met Lin Biao who was anxiously waiting for him.After exchanging pleasantries, the two learned that Lin Biao had also gone through hard work to get here. Lin Biao left Yan'an on August 24. At that time, he received an order to go to Shandong to succeed Luo Ronghuan as the commander of the Shandong Military Region.Therefore, he arrived at the Taihang Mountain base together with Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yi, Xiao Jinguang, Chen Guang and other dozens of people who had just attended the Yan'an Conference, and then went to Shandong with Xiao Jinguang and Chen Yi.Since they couldn't find any means of transportation at that time, several people had to walk all the way to leave Taihang Mountain. After walking for more than 20 days, they still haven't left the territory of Henan Province. On September 19th, the sun was scorching, and the scorching sun made people feel weak.Lin Biao and others were walking to Puyang, when they suddenly received an urgent telegram from the Puyang Military Division: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to establish the Jireliao Central Bureau and expand the Jireliao Military Region, with Li Fuchun as the secretary and Lin Biao as the commander. In this way, Lin Biao, Xiao Jinguang and his party had no choice but to bid farewell to Chen Yi and other New Fourth Army comrades, and diverted to the eastern part of Hebei. From Puyang to Jidong, the distance is long, and there are many hostile forces on the way.For this reason, the Puyang Military Division specially found a few horses and gave them to Lin Biao.But Lin Biao was not willing to ride by himself. At this time, Lin Biao's wife Ye Qun and his beloved daughter Lin Doudou, who was less than two years old, also accompanied them all the way. On this day, Lin Biao and his party were passing the Jinpu Railway, when suddenly, gunshots rang out from behind.Lin Biao thought that he had been ambushed by the Japanese army, and felt very bad. After reconnaissance, he learned that it was just a group of local puppet troops.Lin Biao's heart was relieved at this moment, and he continued to move forward while letting the people behind him fight back for cover. Not far away, Lin Biao suddenly found that a groom and a horse beside him were missing, and immediately asked to check the number of people.After a while, the results of the investigation came up, and when Lin Biao heard the results, his face turned livid: Lin Doudou, who was in the horse's pan, was gone! Hearing this, Ye Qun who was following behind burst into tears, but Lin Biao remained silent, and the entourage knew that the situation was urgent, so they immediately turned to look for it.Everyone anxiously looked around along the way they came from, until it was dark, and the subordinates finally found the familiar pan in a peanut field. Doudou was blinking her small eyes ignorantly, Lin Biao's tense face Only then did he show a faint smile. Lin Biao walked for more than half a month, and did not arrive in Sanhe County in eastern Hebei until the beginning of October.The Jireliao military region to be established by the central government will be located in this area.But Lin Biao hadn't caught his breath yet in Sanhe County, and received an urgent telegram from Mao Zedong on October 16: Go to Shenyang immediately! Mao Zedong returned to Yan'an from Chongqing on October 11 after signing the "Double Ten Agreement" with the Kuomintang.He unfolded the map, carefully studied all kinds of information, and finally concluded that: Now Chiang Kai-shek has transported a large number of troops to Qinhuangdao with the help of American warships. Once the Kuomintang deployment is completed, they will definitely attack Shanhaiguan and Jinzhou. Lin Biao cannot stay behind. In Jidong, we must rush to Shenyang immediately to assist Chen Yun in preparing for the battle! Lin Biao did not dare to delay after receiving the order, so he found a few donkeys in the local area, rode them north with Ye Qun, and arrived at Shanhaiguan on October 25.It was already October 29 when we arrived in Shenyang. At this time, the Northeast has become a whirlpool of revolution, and the powerful attraction has drawn a large number of civil and military generals from all directions into this black land. These include: the 2nd Southward Detachment that marched from the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region to the south of the Yangtze River on the eve of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, that is, the 359th Brigade's Yan'an left-behind troops led by the 359th Brigade Chief of Staff Liu Zhuanlian and Deputy Political Commissar Yan Fusheng; The 1st garrison brigade led by Wen Niansheng, commander of the 1st garrison brigade of the Jinsui Joint Defense Force, has a total of 6,300 people; the 32nd Regiment of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region led by Lu Zhengcao, commander of the Jinsui Military Region, has a total of 600 people; The 21st Regiment of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region has a total of 1,500 people; the Taiyue Detachment led by Zhou Huan has 600 people; The 1st Regiment of the Brigade has a total of 3,350 people and 1,000 people from the Yan'an Anti-Japanese Military and Political University; 1,069 people led by Zhu Rui, the principal of the Yan'an Artillery School, and Qiu Chuangcheng, a political commissar.In addition, the 31st Jizhong Regiment led by Chief of Staff Shake of the Jizhong Military Region, the 62nd and 71st Jizhong Regiments led by Zhou Renjie, and the 15th Jidong Regiment all poured into the northeast one after another. This is the first large-scale military mobilization in the history of the Chinese Communist Party.A total of 110,000 troops were transferred from the liberated areas to the Northeast, and more than 20,000 military, political, technical and local cadres were transferred to the Northeast. After Peng Zhen, Chen Yun and other central leaders arrived in Northeast China, members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Zhang Wentian and Gao Gang, as well as Lin Biao, Li Fuchun, Li Lisan, Luo Ronghuan, Lin Feng, Cai Chang, Wang Jiaxiang, Huang Kecheng, Wang Shoudao, More than 20 people, including Tan Zheng, Cheng Zihua, Wan Yi, Gu Dacun, Chen Yu, Lu Zhengcao, and Xiao Jinguang, also arrived successively. These leaders, together with more than 100,000 troops and local cadres from all sides, formed the core backbone of the Fourth Field Army that would dominate China in the future.In order to defend the Northeast, the Communist Party of China has made the greatest determination and invested a huge amount of force, taking the lead and gaining the initiative strategically. At the same time, Chiang Kai-shek was also dispatching troops, and a large number of elite troops continued to move northward by sea.The footsteps of the Kuomintang to snatch the Northeast have become louder and louder. The mountain rain is about to come and the wind is all over the building.Mao Zedong watched the Kuomintang's military strength in Tanggu, Huludao and other places marked on the map being strengthened day by day, and he couldn't help saying: "Chiang Kai-shek is about to reach out, and the troops in the Northeast must not be careless." On October 16, while ordering Lin Biao to go to the northeast quickly, Mao Zedong also telegraphed Peng Zhen, Chen Yun, Cheng Zihua, etc.: "Jiang's army that landed in the northeast and entered the northeast from any direction must be resolutely and completely wiped out. Whenever I arrive The units of Zeng Kelin, Wan Yi, and Xiao Hua in the Northeast must be quickly concentrated and reorganized, and they must make every effort to destroy Jiang's army. Except for those who have already dispersed, do not disperse any more. At this moment, our army must concentrate on fighting. If we can wipe out the vanguard of Jiang's army, then Only by fearing the follow-up troops can we buy time." "Wan Yi, Lu Zhengcao, Xiao Hua, and Li Yunchang should stay in Liaoning temporarily to command operations and train troops. Defeating Jiang's landing is the current central link, and everything else is this service." On October 19, the Central Committee once again instructed the Northeast Bureau: "Our party's policy is to concentrate the main force on the lines of Jinzhou, Yingkou, and Shenyang, and the secondary forces on the lines of Zhuanghe and Andong, and resolutely refuse to prevent Jiang's army from landing and annihilate all possible To attack, first defend Liaoning and Andong, and then control the entire Northeast, abandoning the previous policy of dispersal." After receiving the order, Peng Zhen and others urgently ordered the armed forces in various places to concentrate as quickly as possible to prepare for Chiang Kai-shek's military attack. At this time, the northeast is already a cold wind suddenly blowing, and the clouds are flying across.If the people's army is careless, it may be caught off guard.Mao Zedong sat in front of the map all day long, monitoring Chiang Kai-shek's military mobilization.Suddenly, he picked up a pencil and quickly drew a circle on the map: "Dalian! The Kuomintang must not be allowed to land in Dalian!" On October 27, Mao Zedong sent a telegram to Stalin on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, requesting the Soviet army to prevent Chiang Kai-shek from entering Dalian. When Stalin's answering telegram was sent, Mao Zedong was sketching the composition of the Northeast Military Command on a piece of white paper. On October 31, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China ordered that all troops entering the Northeast be called the Northeast People's Autonomous Army. Li Yunchang is the second deputy commander, Xiao Jinguang is the third deputy commander and chief of staff, and Cheng Zihua is the deputy political commissar. On November 2, Mao Zedong telegraphed the Northeast Bureau again, supplementing Zhou Baozhong as the third deputy commander, Xiao Jinguang as the fourth deputy commander and chief of staff, and Wu Xiuquan as the second chief of staff.In addition, a new Northeast Bureau, Beiman Branch, was established to be responsible for opening up the Northeast rear. The bureau was secretary by Chen Yun and deputy secretary by Lin Feng. After all the arrangements were over, Mao Zedong could not find Lin Biao. On October 30, he sent an urgent telegram to Peng Zhen: "Where is Lin Biao waiting now?" Lin Biao, the new commander-in-chief of the Northeast People's Autonomous Army, had just arrived in Shenyang on October 29 without a radio, and returned to Jinzhou immediately before he had time to rest. Because there were already gunshots in the Shanhaiguan area, Lin Biao didn't dare to stay when he heard the situation, and rushed to the front to command the battle. The war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party for the Northeast has kicked off in Shanhaiguan. On October 10, 1945, after 43 days of fighting with each other, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party finally signed the "Double Ten Agreement" in Guiyuan, Chongqing.Although the Kuomintang recognized the policy of peaceful unity and certain democratic rights of the people, it agreed to avoid civil war and to build a new China through peaceful cooperation between the two parties.But these terms are still floating in the air, and none of them can fall to the ground. The problem of the Chinese Communist Party's Liberated Areas is not resolved, and the problem of the Communist Army is actually not resolved.Moreover, the agreement that has been reached is only a dead letter before it is put into practice. Chiang Kai-shek had no sincerity to carry out this negotiation, so he had no sincerity to realize the agreement of this negotiation.While the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were going on, the bullets of the Kuomintang army continued to speak Chiang Kai-shek's innermost thoughts in the liberated areas. On October 11, Mao Zedong decided to leave Chongqing and return to Yan'an.In the early morning of this day, Chiang Kai-shek hosted a banquet for Mao Zedong for breakfast at the cave forest garden mansion. This was the last meeting between Mao and Jiang, the two historical giants. At 9:45 in the morning, Mao Zedong boarded the C-47 transport plane at Jiulongpo, and waved goodbye to the people who came to the airport to see him off.He has ignited the light of peace for the Chinese people, but Chiang Kai-shek is raising his foot, ready to stomp out this faint light of light. After a deafening engine roar, the plane carrying Mao Zedong and others pierced the blue sky and flew straight to the north... At this time, a group of free-flying birds were circling in the sky. With the sound of the plane, they suddenly flapped their wings and disappeared. After Mao Zedong was sent away, Chiang Kai-shek's mood suddenly became heavy.I don't know how much hindrance Mao Zedong will bring to me after his departure.News has been coming from the Northeast that the Communist Party's army and the Soviet Red Army are "colluding" and are expanding their strength there. But after all, the Soviet Union has signed the "Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance" with the Kuomintang government, so they will not do anything too outrageous.Thinking of this, Chiang Kai-shek immediately sent an order: Xiong Shihui should be ready immediately and set off to take over the Northeast tomorrow morning. You must reach out quickly, otherwise you will only catch a handful of ashes!Chiang Kai-shek thought so. So, what will Xiong Shihui catch when he goes to the Northeast this time?Chiang Kai-shek didn't think much about it, but he thought that no matter what Xiong Shihui could catch, he would never catch less than others. The reason why Chiang Kai-shek chose Xiong Shihui to go to the Northeast was the result of several evaluations and screenings.To go to the Northeast, first of all, this person must be someone who can exert influence on the Northeast in the political circle. Secondly, no, it should be said that more importantly, this person must not only have qualifications and talents, but also be a loyal follower of oneself. And Xiong Shihui just met these conditions. Xiong Shihui was already a member of the Tongmenghui as early as 1911. He and Chiang Kai-shek were classmates in Baoding Military Academy. Later, he was appreciated by Sun Yat-sen and was sent to the Japanese Army University for further study. After returning to China, he participated in the Northern Expedition. He personally promoted and became the chairman of Jiangxi Province. Xiong Shihui has his own reasons for gaining Chiang Kai-shek's trust.He has been extremely loyal to Chiang Kai-shek for decades.Especially when Feng Yuxiang rebelled against Chiang in 1930, Feng Yuxiang sent a special envoy to instigate Xiong Shihui, but Xiong Shihui not only resolutely refused, but also sent a telegram to condemn Feng Yuxiang.This alone has made Chiang Kai-shek grateful and unforgettable. Now, taking on the important task of taking over the Northeast, Xiong Shihui once again found a good opportunity to show his loyalty.After several days of preparation, he reported to Chiang Kai-shek his plan for taking over the Northeast that he had drawn up after careful consideration. This plan is divided into seven aspects: first, change the three northeastern provinces into nine provinces; second, implement the "Three People's Principles" as the general policy in the northeast; third, deploy some elite troops to station in the northeast for a long time; fourth, The original local puppet troops and miscellaneous troops in the Northeast should be recruited and trained; fifth, the Northeast should be used as the base of national economic construction; sixth, for the personnel arrangement in the Northeast, the cooperation of the middle and local factions should be sought to curb the expansion of the Communist Party's power ; Seventh, at the same time, it is necessary to strengthen diplomatic consultations with the Soviet government. After reading this plan, Chiang Kai-shek was silent for a while, but secretly admired in his heart: he really did not choose the wrong person. On August 31, 1945, Chiang Kai-shek announced in Chongqing: Northeast Xingyuan, chairman of the Military Commission, was formally established, and Xiong Shihui was appointed as the director of Xingyuan. On September 4th, Chiang Kai-shek appointed the chairmen of the Northeast provinces and the mayors of the cities.Later, under the recommendation of Xiong Shihui, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Zhang Jiarong as the chairman of the Northeast Xingyuan Economic Committee, and Jiang Jingguo as the special commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Northeast, responsible for dealing with the Soviet army. Always pulling Chiang Kai-shek's son Chiang Ching-kuo by his side is exactly Xiong Shihui's tactful embodiment. In fact, when Xiong Shihui was the provincial chairman in Jiangxi, he was the first to reach out and bring Jiang Jingguo, who had just returned from the Soviet Union, into his circle.This is exactly what Chiang Kai-shek thought: you must reach out quickly, otherwise you can only catch a handful of ashes! This time, when he went to deal with the Soviets, Xiong Shihui strongly recommended him, with the attitude of promoting talents without avoiding relatives.He tried his best to highlight the fact that Chiang Ching-kuo was familiar with the Soviet Union and the Russian language, and claimed that it was Chiang Ching-kuo who could not conduct diplomatic negotiations with the Soviet Union.Of course, Xiong Shihui was fiddling with his own little calculations in private: With Chiang Ching-kuo leading the charge, the Soviets should look at Chiang Kai-shek's face, and more importantly, if there was a problem with the receiving work, because Chiang Ching-kuo himself was already in it, I'm afraid It is not easy for Chiang Kai-shek to add more blame. On October 12, Xiong Shihui held the order of Chiang Kai-shek and led a Northeast Xingyuan reception group of more than 400 people to the Northeast Headquarters of the Soviet Army in Changchun. It was evening in Changchun, the setting sun was shining, and the whole city was covered with a dark yellow afterglow full of dilapidated appearance.The city is full of smog and strongmen, and Changchun has become a deserted city due to the lack of effective government management for many days. Xiong Shihui and others did not dare to stay longer on the street, hurriedly found a place to live, and went straight to the headquarters of the Soviet commander Malinovsky. The greetings are over, and the two parties are seated.Xiong Shihui went straight to the point and asked his senior officials to go to various large and medium-sized cities to formally take over. Malinowski smiled, then shook his head.At this time, the Soviet army had already received news that in September and October, the United States dispatched a large number of transport planes to help Chiang Kai-shek transport the huge forces of the three armies to the key defense areas in East China and North China.Moreover, about 50,000 U.S. Marines have landed in Qingdao, Tianjin, Beiping, and Qinhuangdao to help Chiang Kai-shek defend ports and airports.Originally, the Soviet Union signed a contract with the Chiang Kai-shek government in order to maintain more interests in China in the future, but now it seems that Chiang Kai-shek has completely fallen to the side of the United States, leaving no room for the Soviet Union at all. Therefore, Malinowski deliberately made it difficult for Xiong Shihui from the beginning of the talks, and opposed KMT officials to take over the city for various reasons.I don't want Xiong Shihui to be equally persistent. No matter what the Soviets say, I just want to accept it.In the end, the representative of the Soviet Union smiled secretly and said: Well, please go ahead! Xiong Shihui finally showed joy, and immediately dispatched various officials to the post.I don't want to think that in less than two weeks, all these senior officials returned in a state of embarrassment.It turns out that various cities have long been occupied by local powerful figures, and some are even fully armed. These lonely Kuomintang officials cannot gain a foothold at all. Helpless, Xiong Shihui had no choice but to re-enter the Soviet Commander-in-Chief and continue the negotiation.Jiang Jingguo and Xiong Shihui proposed to the Soviet side that the Kuomintang must send troops to ensure the success of the reception. They would take American warships to land in ports such as Dalian, Yingkou, Huludao, and Andong. They hoped that the Soviet side would provide assistance in accordance with the Sino-Soviet treaty. Malinowski immediately denied it: this was not based on the Sino-Soviet treaty, but violated the Sino-Soviet treaty, because Dalian Port will be commercialized, and military landings will never be allowed. As for Yingkou, Huludao and other places, the Soviet army It is also impossible to guarantee the safety of the Kuomintang army's landing, because the Soviet army still does not know the equipment of those ports.Therefore, if you want to listen to the Soviet Union's advice, then it is best for the Kuomintang army to enter the Northeast by land. "The Soviets are so unreasonable!" Chiang Kai-shek, who was far away in Chongqing, learned of the progress of the negotiation, his face was livid with anger.He asked Jiang Jingguo to resolutely strive to land in Dalian, and at the same time, reorganize the puppet Manchukuo army as soon as possible, and appoint puppet Manchukuo personnel to stabilize the situation in the Northeast. Want to appoint puppet Manchukuo personnel?When Su Fang heard this condition, his head shook like a rattle.Malinowski told Chiang Ching-kuo frankly: The Puppet Manchurians have always opposed the Soviet army, and the Soviet army will never tolerate them ruling in the Northeast. After many talks, Xiong and Jiang finally understood the position of the Soviets: as long as they proposed something, the Soviets would oppose it.There is no need to continue this meeting. Filled with anger, Xiong Shihui and Jiang Jingguo returned without success. Chiang Kai-shek, who was based in Chongqing, was even more angry: when the treaty was signed, the Soviet Union repeatedly promised to support its own national government, hand over the Northeast to itself, and promised to let the Chinese Communists obey the orders of the national government.But now, Xiong Shihui hit a wall when he first went to the Northeast.It seems that these tyrannical Soviets don't like the text, so I will send a general to let them see it! On October 22, Chiang Kai-shek ordered his confidant general Du Yuming to go to Chongqing to take orders. Du Yuming was a famous Kuomintang general trusted by Chiang Kai-shek.He was born in Mizhi, Shaanxi, and graduated from the first phase of Whampoa. He was not only brave in combat but also good at running the army. He had already shown his edge as early as the Northern Expedition.During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he served as the commander of the Fifth Army. In November 1939, the Japanese invaded and occupied the strategically important Kunlun Pass in Guangxi. Du Yuming commanded troops to fight fiercely with the Japanese for 18 days, encircling and annihilating the 12th Brigade of the 5th Division and the 12th Brigade of the Japanese elite troops, killing more than 4,000 Japanese soldiers, and his reputation spread far and wide. In 1942, he joined the Chinese Expeditionary Force to fight in Burma. Under extremely unfavorable circumstances, he fought bloody battles, broke through the encirclement of the Japanese army, bravely resisted the order of American General Swede, conquered Savage Mountain, and brought the troops back to Yunnan.He was later appointed commander-in-chief of the 5th Army and commander-in-chief of Kunming Defense.Du Yuming won the approval of Chiang Kai-shek both in terms of military exploits and in terms of loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek. Therefore, after Xiong Shihui hit a wall in the Northeast, Chiang Kai-shek decided to appoint Du Yuming as the commander-in-chief of the Northeast Security Command, and went to the Northeast to continue negotiating with the Soviet army on receiving matters. As soon as Du Yuming arrived in Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek immediately instructed: "This time you go to Changchun and directly contact the Soviet army headquarters, asking them to cover our army's landing in various ports in the northeast and take over territorial sovereignty in accordance with the Sino-Soviet treaty." Du Yuming had already heard that the Communist troops secretly entered the Northeast, so he proposed to Chiang Kai-shek: "If the Communist Army has indeed entered the Northeast, and the Soviet Army refuses to undertake the task of covering our army's takeover, then what should we do next?" Chiang Kai-shek paused thoughtfully, and then said: "You go to Changchun to meet with Malinowski first, and we will talk about other things later. According to the provisions of the treaty, they must assume the responsibility of covering our acceptance." On October 28, Du Yuming arrived in Changchun by plane.On the same day, I went to visit Marshal Malinowski.In view of the cold reception Xiong Shihui and Jiang Jingguo received, Du Yuming was prepared to deal with all kinds of difficulties.Unexpectedly, Marshal Malinowski's attitude this time was very friendly.When we met on the first day of junior high school, we smiled and said: "General Du led the Chinese army to take over the territorial sovereignty of the Northeast. The Soviet army welcomes you very much. We welcome you both by sea and by land." After specific negotiations between the two parties, Malinowski agreed that the Kuomintang troops would land at Yingkou, and provided Du Yuming with a map of the Soviet Army's location in Yingkou. Du Yuming was overjoyed and flew back to Chongqing quickly to report his credit to Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang Kai-shek was even more delighted.He told Du Yuming: The Nationalist Government had already discussed with the US side to use US ships to first transport the 13th and 52nd Army of the Kuomintang to Yingkou for landing.Now the 13th Army has arrived in Qinhuangdao one after another, and the 52nd Army is heading north from Haiphong, Vietnam.You should go to Qinhuangdao quickly, and take the US warship to Yingkou to command the landing. Du Yuming set off immediately, flew directly to Tianjin, and visited General Locke, commander of the US 3rd Marine Corps.Asking the US military to assist in maintaining the smooth flow and safety of the Tianjin-Qinhuangdao railway, Locke readily agreed. On November 3, Du Yuming boarded the US warship "Troll" in Qinhuangdao, and accompanied by Lieutenant General Babur, the commander of the 7th Fleet, sailed for Yingkou. At 15:00, the "Torol" arrived in the waters outside Yingkou Port.Because the ship was too big to enter the port, Du Yuming had to take a small boat to the pier instead. A Soviet lieutenant was waiting at the pier.Du Yuming followed closely with an interpreter and boarded the Soviet jeep, feeling a little nervous. "Where are we going now?" he asked the Soviet lieutenant through an interpreter. The Soviet lieutenant replied flatly, "Hotel." "Hotel? Why go to a hotel? We should go to the headquarters!" Du Yuming was a little surprised. "There is no longer the headquarters here." The lieutenant replied frankly. "Then what do you do?" Du Yuming asked anxiously. "I was ordered to meet you on the pier." The lieutenant replied. "I'm asking about your identity." "I'm the commander staying behind here." "Then do you have the right to handle negotiation affairs?" "That depends on the negotiation." "For example, the Chinese army landed here." Du Yuming had no choice but to explain clearly. "Then ask the Chinese army here." The Soviet lieutenant replied. "Where is the Chinese army here? We haven't landed yet." Du Yuming asked nervously. "The 18th Army has already taken over here, but others are used to calling them the Eighth Route Army." The Soviet lieutenant said unhurriedly. "Ah? They have already taken over? But they are not a legal army, and they have no right to go to the Northeast. I demand to go to your headquarters immediately!" Du Yuming was really anxious. "As I said just now, there is no longer the Soviet Army headquarters here. There is only one left-behind commander, and that is me." The Soviet Army lieutenant said. Du Yuming was almost too angry to speak.After parking at the hotel, Du Yuming suppressed his anger and questioned the Soviet lieutenant: "Why didn't your army follow the treaty? Withdrew before our army landed?" "We withdrew according to the withdrawal deadline stipulated in the treaty!" The Soviet lieutenant did not show weakness, "It was you who did not arrive on the date stipulated in the treaty. This is not our responsibility." "Then you shouldn't let the Communist Party's army enter the city." Du Yuming pressed another step. "We are only responsible for handing over this place to your army. After verification, they are indeed your 18th Army." The Soviet lieutenant replied. Du Yuming was speechless.The lieutenant then said: "Here, I am only responsible for escorting you in and out of the dock. If you have any other questions, you can contact the Chinese army stationed there, because the handover has been completed here, and we have no right to interfere any more!" Du Yuming's face was tense with anger, he didn't go into the hotel, but turned around and returned to the pier.He boarded the USS "Troll" in a small boat and headed home. On the warship, Du Yuming looked at the huge waves churning on the sea, feeling bitter in his heart.Thinking of Malinowski's performance in Changchun, he couldn't help but get angry: "How dare the Russians make international jokes!" Babur also shook his head, and turned to comfort Du Yuming: "The Russians never keep their promises. General Du need not be angry. With the backing of the powerful United States, you can command the army to enter!" "It seems that we can only use force." Du Yuming clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth. It turned out that the reason why the Soviet army readily agreed to Du Yuming's request was because they had already secretly handed over Yingkou and Huludao to the Northeast People's Autonomous Army.除了辽东半岛南部港口，苏军也把锦州以南至山海关的辽西通道地区转交给了共产党的军队。 11月5日，杜聿明满怀惆怅地飞回重庆，向蒋介石报告接收营口的遭遇。蒋介石再一次气得脸色铁青，他先是大骂一通俄国人，然后对杜聿明说：“我们一定要打进东北！你有把握率国军武力接收东北主权吗？” “给我10个军。我一定将东北共军全部消灭，恢复东北主权。” “10个军？现在调动10个军还是有困难的。这样，你先带两个军从山海关打进去。”蒋介石道，“这是一件大事，你最好还是先去军令部，同他们研究一个方案。” 杜聿明当即去了军令部。听说杜聿明要用两个军进攻山海关，军令部的人纷纷摇头：根据情报判断，山海关附近共有共军将近10万人，两个军怎么能够奏效？ 杜聿明立刻责问道：“哪来的情报？我刚从秦皇岛回来，据我亲自侦察，共军最多只有5万人。” 其实，当时山海关附近只驻有八路军李运昌部约3万人。 “我看用两个军进攻山海关也并不是什么难事。”杜聿明说，“不过，必须增加后续部队，否则无法向东北腹地挺进。” 军令部不敢明确对杜聿明的意见作出答复，只好让他再去请示蒋介石。 “先将天津以东划归东北行辕。”蒋介石权衡再三，的确抽不出更多的兵力，于是说：“你先指挥第13、第52和第94军首先攻下山海关。” 杜聿明领令，直飞北平，刚下飞机便接到何应钦的电报，令其率第13、第52、第92及第94军进攻热河，收复承德。 “胡来，我有要命在身！”杜聿明对何应钦的电令高声吼道，“委员长有令，拿下山海关！” 杜聿明调集部队，立志强攻山海关，一洗营口之耻，收回全东北。山海关，这个历代兵家必争之地，如今再一次笼罩在烽烟之中。 一架国民党军用飞机怒气冲冲地划破蓝天，留下漫天烟雾。 杜聿明乘着这架飞机离开北平，来到了秦皇岛。这是进攻东北最具战略意义的重要港口，为了占领秦皇岛，美国海军可谓是“功不可没”。早在1945年10月中旬，美国海军第7舰队就瞄准了这里，他们派出海军陆战队人员借口要解除日军武装和保护美侨财产，强行在此登陆。而此前就已占领了葫芦岛的冀东军分区沙克的部队由于未能及时发起进攻，无意之中却使国民党军队为接收东北建立了一个重要据点。 10月下旬，先后有20多艘美国军舰率先将国民党的13军三个师2万多人运送到秦皇岛。13军是蒋介石的嫡系部队，原归汤恩伯指挥。在抗战中，一直从河南撤到贵州，没打过硬仗，实力保存完好。这时担任军长的石觉在国民党将领中也算是小有威名。石觉毕业于黄埔三期，留校后曾担任黄埔四期即林彪那一期学员的队长。在第五次“围剿”中央红军、以及后来追击19路军时都曾充当了蒋介石的马前卒。抗战时期，先因在北平勇战南口而名声四扬，后又在台儿庄大捷中力夺关键的制高点崔家庄，被李宗仁感慨异常地称赞道：“天助我者，石觉也！”如今，石觉正担负着进攻东北的新任务，更想大显一番身手。 石觉的13军在秦皇岛立足刚稳，来自云南的52军2万多人又接踵而至。 国民党军队整军整军地不断北上秦皇岛的消息早已传至延安。毛泽东敏锐地感到：战争的脚步正在声声逼近，一场争夺东北的大战迫在眉睫。他及时地提醒罗荣桓等：“战争中心即将转入东北，必有一场恶战。”这个时候，中央军委也给林彪、彭真发出了指示：“11月至12月中旬将是蒋与我武装争夺东北的一次高峰，战场是在辽宁南部、锦州、热河、冀东地区。我必须集中可能的力量，争取这次战略性决战的胜利。” 事实正如毛泽东所料，战争几乎是随着国民党军队抵达秦皇岛同时发生的。从10月25日起，国民党小批军队就在美军的带领下，一次次前往山海关前耀武扬威。10月28日，他们终于要增大行动力度了。五名美军坐着吉普车带领几百名蒋军要求视察山海关。东北人民自治军二话没说，对着狂妄叫嚣的美军一阵扫射，吉普车像一只老乌龟一样被打翻在地，五名口吐狂言的美军一死二伤两投降。毛泽东在延安向美国提出强烈抗议：美军不承认错误，别想领回俘虏和尸体。 美国佬强硬了半天，还是不得不放下架子，乖乖地道了歉。此后再也不敢张牙舞爪了。共产党让中国人在美国佬面前扬眉吐气！此事在国内引来一片欢呼声。 但国民党没有欢呼。特别是杜聿明前往营口接收碰壁后，明令秦皇岛的国民党军加强对山海关的挑衅。 11月4日，国民党军派人到山海关向驻守在那里的沙克部队发出最后通牒，要他们让出铁路线50公里，退出山海关。沙克抓起文书，抛在来人的脸上：我看你是没睡醒，还在做梦！ 13军军长石觉大发雷霆：我现在清醒得很！11月5日，他率13军首先向山海关发起进攻。一时之间，山海关口，烽烟四起，一颗颗子弹嵌进了这座号称“天下第一关”的古老城头。 石觉将主攻方向定在山海关城西北的娘娘庙、二郎庙等制高点。在炮火轰击下，他们曾一度占领了这些制高点，突进到离山海关城北门只有500米远的地方。但沙克率领的东北人民自治军绝不示弱，经全力反击，又把石觉打回了5公里以外。 正在双方激战之时，山东渤海军分区司令兼第7师师长杨国夫带领7师三个团恰好赶到山海关前线。他们步行一个多月从山东来到这里，未想到没等出关，先遇到一场枪战。这7，000多人虽然在长途跋涉后正处于疲劳状态，一见战斗个个精神抖擞，迅速投入到战斗之中。杨国夫这位生于安徽霍丘、1929年就参加了红军的老革命战士更是身先士卒。 石觉正打得吃力，忽见自治军队伍中又多了一路人马，不敢恋战，急忙撤兵，不再发起新进攻，倒是全力地构筑起工事来了。 杨国夫正打得起劲，不想石觉突然撤出不打了，只好停了火，与沙克的部队欢聚一堂，略作休整。 可过了两天，石觉还是没动静，倒是把工事修得越来越坚固了。 这个石觉在搞什么名堂？杨国夫终于忍不住了。多年打游击战培养出来的机智在他的脑海里如一束火苗不停地跳跃。11月6日夜里，他派出两个营潜入石觉13军的89师阵地。这些擅长游击战的战士从中间地带深入敌军阵地内部，手榴弹爆炸声和枪弹射击声霎时响成一片，国民党军不知来了多少人，两侧的轻重机枪向着中间阵地一齐发射，猛打了一夜，天亮才发现是自己打自己。杨国夫的部队缴了1门炮、18挺轻机枪和50支步枪后早趁着黑夜从容撤回了。而不知情况的国民党军自相残杀了一整夜，此时已是伤亡惨重。石觉气急败坏：都给我撤回到秦皇岛去休整。 中国有句老话叫做祸不单行。如今这句老话正应在石觉的身上。正在窝火的石觉刚一到秦皇岛就遇到也同样在窝火的杜聿明。这一天是11月8日，天空中一片阴沉，杜聿明走进司令部就怒吼：石觉情况不明，冒然进攻，现在必须派出多股部队，详细侦察山海关的情况。 两天后，情况大体查明：中共约有3万人驻守在山海关、角山寺、九门口和义院口一带，主力则集中在山海关和角山寺两地。这些部队装备不全，火力薄弱，基本上都是未打过正规仗的游击队。而主帅林彪所率的部队尚未到达山海关。 11月11日，杜聿明召见13军军长石觉中将再商进攻山海关之事。 石觉显然已被杨国夫打晕了头，一听杜聿明说要再次进攻山海关，立即反对：“共军火力强大，不可轻易进攻，应加强工事，稳固防守，这才是上策。” 杜聿明大为光火，不想石觉的部下也同样不想再发起进攻。“我看你们是不见棺材不落泪！共军的实力我早已调查清楚，现在我就领你们这些胆小鬼去现场看看！” 11月13日，杜聿明亲率13军的团以上军官，前往13军遭到杨国夫夜袭的前线阵地视察。“你们自己看看，”杜聿明很平静地说，“共军根本没有炮火，所有的弹痕都是手榴弹留下的。” 返回后，他马上召集13军营以上军官开会：“共军”火力、战斗力并不像传说那样强大，“国军”在各方面都比“共军”强。为此，现正式下达作战命令：以13军主力4师、89师担任山海关正面主攻，以54师攻占九门口，52军的25师迂回进攻义院口，其余部队为总预备队。总攻时间定在11月15日清晨。最后，他重申了蒋介石的“连坐法”：胆敢作战不力、临阵脱逃者，必然严惩不贷，并将追究各级主官的责任。 军令一下，各级军官唯唯听命，再也不敢怠慢。 11月15日早晨，杜聿明亲自到九门口督战，指挥国民党13军54师运动到九门口，率先发起总进攻。此时，担任迂回任务的25师则向义院口进攻，以策应54师。在杜聿明的亲自督促下，这次13军的攻势异常猛烈，动用了大批的重炮猛轰自治军的山头阵地。 炮声如雷，枪弹若雨。面对新一轮的猛烈进攻，杨国夫奋起反击。但因双方火力悬殊太大，到中午时，九门口已被54师攻占。这一最险要的关口失守后，其他各关口都受到了动摇。黄昏时候，义院口也被25师占领。 杨国夫的队伍在这个时候确实无法与全部美式装备的国民党13军匹敌。他们一路从山东长途行军来到山海关，尚未休整就投入了战斗。部队中的战士们甚至连最起码的人手一支枪都达不到。时值11月，已是秋风萧瑟，这些战士们却仍穿着破旧的单衣单裤，有的人甚至还打着赤脚。再由于初至辽西，没有群众基础，老百姓早已躲藏起来了，没有人送饭送水，甚至给伤员抬担架的人都找不到。当杨国夫在血战之中得知九门口、义院门均已失守的消息后，他立即感到自己的部队有被国民党大军合围的危险。于是，杨国夫没有等待李运昌的命令，在11月16日早晨毅然下令撤出山海关，只留下少数人担任掩护。 16日早晨，13军向山海关正面阵地发起总攻。留守的自治军人员打了几枪也撤走了，杜聿明轻松获胜。当日下午，13军与52军的迂回部队在山海关以东会师，宣告国民党军已占领山海关，打开了通向东北的大门。 17日，毛泽东在延安通过新闻广播得知山海关失利，直接发电指示李运昌、沙克：必须死守山海关、绥中、兴城一线，时间至少三星期。 李运昌接到电报后，心急如焚，急忙回电：山海关至兴城一线只有正规部队不到1万人，而且战斗力有限，恐怕难胜此任。 中央马上改变计划，令李运昌、杨国夫部在锦州地区运动防御。“节节坚决抗退，既不死守，又不轻易放弃阵地”。同时命令正在向东北赶来的黄克诚、梁兴初改变路线，绕过山海关，迅速到锦西地区，“待敌深入锦西、兴城线，从敌左侧后突然攻击”。 毛泽东想打个快速反击，但杜聿明的速度更快。16日晚间他接到先头部队25师占领山海关的报告后，当即下令各部队第二天一早就出发，向绥中前进。17日早上，杜聿明乘吉普车亲临前线，监督13军快速前进。 下午15时，杨国夫师刚刚撤到绥中，还没喘口气，杜聿明尾随而至，立刻展开迂回包围。杨国夫站在高地上观察了几分钟形势，一阵摇头，自己根本没有阻击的能力，只得继续后撤。 此时天色近晚，国民党先头部队各自安营扎寨，正要休息。杜聿明火速赶到：“谁让你们休息了？全都起来，马上进军绥中城！” 当夜24时，天黑不见五指，只有寒风在野外号叫。国民党军长驱直入，进驻绥中。杜聿明直到此时才松了一口气，下令停止前进，原地休整。 就在杜聿明连连取胜之时，林彪却正在心急火燎地匆匆南下，奔往前线，从锦州指挥部一直跑到兴城、锦西一带才停住了脚。他无法再前进了，枪声已越来越近，而自己却没有可以指挥的部队。林彪无奈，自己来得太晚，只好在这里等着黄克诚和梁兴初的主力部队了。 刚在兴城落稳脚，一大批自治军部队就拥了过来。林彪以为是黄克诚或者梁兴初到了，再一细看，这群部队情绪低落，衣衫不整，原来正是退下来的杨国夫部。 “唉！”林彪暗叹了一口气。看来杨国夫部一时已难以再投入战斗了。林彪指示他们撤到后方，分散打土匪，休整部队，暂时不参加正规作战。 11月21日，山东军区1师8，000人在师长梁兴初、政委梁必业的率领下，终于赶到了兴城。这个师的前身是八路军115师的685和686团，是林彪的老部下。看到他们长途行军后疲劳不堪的样子，林彪不禁浓眉紧皱，忧心忡忡。现在的条件，不要说打胜仗，就是基本的作战条件都不具备。 于是，他立即给军委和沈阳的彭真、罗荣桓发电报：“连日我在兴城、锦州一带所见所闻，我部队已参加作战者皆极疲惫涣散，战斗力甚弱。新兵甚多，缺乏训练。梁师刚到，黄师尚未到达，远落敌后。各部皆疲劳，武器弹药不足而未得补充；衣鞋缺乏，吃不惯高粱，缺少费用。此外，自总部起各级缺乏地图，对地理形势非常不了解。通讯联络至今混乱，未能畅通。地方群众则未发动，土匪甚多。敌迂回包围时，无从知道。敌人利用我以上弱点，向我推进，并采取包围迂回。依据以上情况，我有一个根本意见，即：目前我军应避免被敌各个击破，应避免仓皇应战。应准备放弃锦州以及以北二三百里，让敌拉长分散后，再选弱点突击……目前黄、梁二师皆我亲自指挥，如能求待有利作战时，即极力寻求战机，进行侧面的歼灭战，此可能性仍很大，但亦不拟轻易投入战斗。” 随后，林彪带着参谋人员前往锦西江家屯，准备在那里迎接黄克诚。可是，黄克诚尚未到达，杜聿明却气势汹汹地扑来了。 自在绥中稍作休整之后，杜聿明抓紧战机，强逼13军、52军长途奔袭，沿着大路径直北上。 11月22日，国民党军先头部队到达兴城。正在这里休整的杨国夫师奉命主动撤离。占领兴城之后，杜聿明命令13军沿公路继续向前推进，52军2师则向锦西、葫芦岛进攻。守在葫芦岛沿岸的冀东31团见侧翼受到威胁，也不战而撤。于是，仅在11月22日这一天，国民党军便连占兴城、锦西、葫芦岛三处要地。 11月24日，杜聿明乘胜赶到锦州城下，立即下令52军为右攻击兵团，向大凌河东岸进攻。13军为左攻击兵团，主力沿塔山、高桥向锦州进攻，另分出一部则沿大小虹螺山道向锦州西边进攻。 当时，防守锦州的兵力十分薄弱，西线是原359旅分出来组建的警1旅的两个团，由文年生指挥。另外还有沙克的特务团，共五个连布防在女儿河一线，锦州城内则是李运昌的19旅。 外线防御部队初一交战，便已力不从心。城内的李运昌只好组织人力抢运枪支物资，炸毁了无法开走的几架日本飞机后，一路撤往黑山、阜新方向。11月26日晨，杜聿明完全占领了锦州城。 可杜聿明在锦州城中还没坐稳，高桥和千家寨方向枪炮声忽然大作，13军89师告急：国民党军的后路被共产党军队突然截断，驻千家寨的89师主力已被击溃，阵地大多失守！ “什么？”杜聿明吓出一身冷汗，“马上令54师回头增援，后面的195师要星夜北上！” 但杜聿明的命令刚刚下达，“共军”却突然撤走了。他虽然长出一口气，但也深感一味地孤军深入恐怕有危险。得到蒋介石的允许后，杜聿明决定在锦州休整二十几天，招兵买马补充正规军，以待进一步深入东北。 是谁在高桥和千家寨打响了突袭战呢？正是林彪。终于见到国民党军的林彪，现在已握有梁兴初的精兵，本想抓住机会给杜聿明点颜色看看。无奈电台功率太小，作战电报无法发出，所以打了一阵只好撤回了，继续等待黄克诚。 实际上，黄克诚恰恰在26日这一天带领着3师人马到达了锦西江家屯。但由于没有通讯工具联系，黄克诚找不到林彪。 与其在此无谓地着急，不如尽快投入战斗！黄克诚对属下说。于是，他带领各旅干部走上四处的高地，开始巡视战场，正观察着地形，忽听得背后有人喊：“黄师长！” 黄克诚回头一看，正是林彪派来寻找自己的李天佑。原来，林彪就住在离他只有20里地的村子里。 “原来是近在咫尺，却未能相见！”黄克诚紧握住李天佑的手，大笑着说道。 当日，林黄二人相见，倍感亲切。两位卓越的军事领导人一起商量起东北人民自治军的下一步行动。二人一致认为我军远道疲劳，又无根据地，在目前情况下不宜与敌硬拼，应迅速建立后方，站稳脚跟，发展壮大，以备将来与国民党军决战。林彪遂放弃原定在锦州侧面打击杜聿明的计划，带领部队后撤到义县、阜新一带。 时近12月，天气骤然变冷，林彪迎着寒风北上，心中自是别有一番滋味。他到了东北，一个胜仗还没打，就先丢了山海关，进而又放弃了整个辽西走廊。一路上，林彪仍然默默无语，正在盘算着如何向杜聿明报这一箭之仇。无奈双方力量对比过于悬殊，林彪一直撤到秀水河子，才得到机会给了杜聿明当头一棒。