Chapter 7 Chapter 6: Anti-client is the main target, Xinghua Xueyu fights Siping again

Lin Biao went to the south of the Yangtze River three times with four guarantees, changing from passive to active.Du Yuming was ill in bed and ordered the defenders from all over the country to stand by and wait for help.The spring breeze is green again, the banks of the Songhua River, and the northeast land, apricot blossoms are in full bloom.The democratic coalition forces sailed south, Ke Huaide, forced Changchun, and the north and south were reconnected.The armies from all walks of life gathered under the city of Siping again, and Lin Biao wanted to get rid of his old hatred.Chen Mingren broke the boat.Zheng Dongguo sent troops to aid Siping, but Lin Biao hurriedly ordered his troops to withdraw.Three wars and four draws ended in failure.

The warm wind blows gently across the Songhua River. Pieces of birch forests swayed their branches slightly, the blue sky was silent, and the hills near and far were faintly green.Spring in Northeast China has really come. The Kuomintang soldiers guarding isolated cities sat helplessly at the top of the city.Sometimes they looked at the north, and sometimes at the blue sky.They have all received orders from the Northeast "Suppression General": stick to the city and not move out at will. Shenyang City is no longer noisy.A lifeless scene. Du Yuming, physically and mentally exhausted, relapsed again and was bedridden.He looked at the sunlight outside the window in a state of confusion, thinking quietly.Relying on the current army, it is getting more and more difficult to defend so many cities in the Northeast.Lin Biao's "three visits to the south of the Yangtze River and four guarantees to the riverside" has basically reversed the situation in the Northeast.Now, Lin Biao is the master of the Northeast, but he looks more and more like a foreigner.He weakly picked up the phone: "Pick up Xiong Shihui."

"Please wait a moment!" The operator answered immediately.Du Yuming had to discuss the next step with Xiong Shihui. But how does Xiong Shihui know what to do next?This smooth politician can only listen to Du Yuming's analysis in front of military issues, and responds with words such as "good" and "smart" from time to time. Du Yuming could only smile wryly: Now that the situation is over, what else is there to say?The two discussed for a long time, and finally found that there was only one way to go: send Zheng Dongguo, the deputy commander of the "Suppression General", to Nanjing to ask Chiang Kai-shek for help.

With Du Yuming's entrustment, Zheng Dongguo boarded the plane heading south with a haggard face.The clouds drifted gently under the plane, but Zheng Dongguo's mood became even heavier. When he arrived in Nanjing, as soon as he got off the escalator of the plane, Zheng Dongguo hurried to Chiang Kai-shek's official residence. Chiang Kai-shek received this senior general from the Northeast Front with a serious face.He listened quietly to Zheng Dongguo's report on the situation in the Northeast, but his brows became more and more wrinkled.After the report was completed, Chiang Kai-shek pondered for a while, and said coldly: "The situation in the Northeast is indeed very serious. You must stabilize the situation now. You can no longer send troops there. You have to figure out your own way."

Just as Zheng Dongguo wanted to explain further, Chiang Kai-shek waved his hand: "Needless to say, there are difficulties in the Northeast, and there are also difficulties in other places. Now there are difficulties everywhere. There are no two troops to be transferred to the Northeast anywhere. Even the 53 The army can't go back either." Chiang Kai-shek stood up and walked in front of Zheng Dongguo: "According to the current situation, our army temporarily adopts the policy of 'shrinking troops, focusing on defense, and maintaining the status quo' in the Northeast, and we will wait for deployment in the future. It is absolutely impossible to increase our troops now."

Zheng Dongguo was speechless. Du Yuming, who was lying on a hospital bed in Shenyang for infusion, was silent for a long time after hearing Zheng Dongguo's reply, and finally just let out a long sigh helplessly: "It seems that the spring of this year is not well prescribed." It was April 1947, and the apricot blossoms bloomed along the Songhua River again. The ice and snow melted, and the fragrance wafted for miles. Lin Biao sat firmly in Shuangcheng, carefully calculating the strength of both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.After vigorous campaigns against bandits and land reforms, the Democratic Alliance Army has established relatively solid base areas, and the people's support for the Communist Party has never been more enthusiastic.The local government has been established, and the rear base has also expanded.The farmers who turned over actively joined the army, and the troops and equipment were supplemented. The number of combat troops has reached 250,000, and the local armed forces are nearly 220,000, a total of 460,000.The Kuomintang has 360,000 combat troops and 120,000 local armed forces, a total of 480,000.The strength of the two sides is already quite close in number.However, because the Kuomintang army is well-equipped, and controls the large and medium-sized cities in the northeast and the railway and road transportation network, and at the same time divides the democratic coalition forces in the north and the south, it still has an overall advantage.

Lin Biao looked at Siping, which was the place that bothered him the most.This summer, it should be time for a snowstorm.He thought, this time, let the two parts of the democratic coalition forces of the north and the south come together and combine two fists into one hammer! On April 8, Lin Biao sent a telegram to Chen Yun, Xiao Jinguang, and Xiao Hua in South Manchuria: The Northeast Bureau decided to use our army's strategic main attack direction and main force in South Manchuria. Carry out large-scale battles, join forces from the north and the south, and concentrate in one place to ensure a fundamental change in the war situation in the Northeast.

"We must fight hard this year!" Lin Biao secretly made up his mind.He convened division-level and above cadres in Shuangcheng for more than ten days to prepare for the battle. At the beginning of May, the Northeast Bureau concentrated on studying Mao Zedong's "Current Situation and Our Tasks" to further unify their thinking and understanding, and passed the "Resolution on the Current Situation and Tasks in Northeast China" on May 5, which is the famous "May Five resolution". The "Fifth Five-Year Resolution" made a general estimate of the current situation in Northeast China, and believed that the forces of the enemy and ourselves in the Northeast region have undergone great changes in our favor. He led the people in the Northeast to carry out the land reform movement, basically destroying the remaining feudal forces of the enemy and puppet.Under this premise, the masses' enthusiasm for joining the army and the war was high, the main force was continuously replenished, and the initial base areas had been established.At the same time, the strength of the Kuomintang army has been greatly weakened. The 21 divisions of the 7 main armies of the Jiang army were annihilated by me. Every division of the army was wiped out by a regiment.This blow caused the morale of Jiang's army to drop rapidly, and the mobile troops felt insufficient, so they had to switch from offense to so-called "mobile defense".Our army gradually shifted from defense to counter-offensive.This puts forward a new task in front of the whole party in Northeast China, that is, to actively organize forces and make every effort to prepare for a major counteroffensive.Annihilate the enemy in large numbers, regain lost ground, and consolidate and expand the liberated areas.

The "Fifth Five-Year Resolution" is not only a situation analysis, but also a combat mobilization order to launch an attack on the Kuomintang army. "Cross the south and go down!" On May 8, Lin Biao sent a telegram. The first and second columns of the main force in North Manchuria and the independent 1st and 2nd divisions, a total of 8 divisions rushed to the bank of the Songhua River. More than 200 boats rowed through the waves, started from five ferry crossings, and crossed the Songhua River.The Democratic Alliance Army entered the Huaide, Gongzhuling, and Nong'an areas without making a sound.

The two columns moved forward, one heading towards Fanjiatun in the southwest of Changchun, and the other heading towards Huaide and Gongzhuling. On May 11, Liu Zhen, the commander of the Second Column, and Wu Faxian, the political commissar, reported to Lin Biao: We have obtained information that there are two regiments of the Kuomintang Army stationed in Huaide. "Initiate an attack immediately." Lin Biao's reply was crisp. At 14 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, the Second Column sent 4 divisions to rush 60 kilometers to take Huaide directly. In Shuangcheng, Lin Biaoku sat in front of the map, staring at Huaide, Siping, Changchun and other places.After sitting for a while, he picked up a pencil and drew a line near Huaide, without turning his head, he said: "Telephone Deng Hua near Zhengjiatun, take three divisions to attack Shuangshan to the north of Zhengjiatun, and contain Siping's troops." The main force of the 71st Army of the Kuomintang cannot go north for reinforcements."

In the early morning of the 14th, Liu Zhen of the Second Column sent back a telegram: Huaide had been surrounded by two divisions, and another division was heading to the Shilipu area, ready to attack and aid the enemy. "Well done." Lin Biao said flatly, "Inform Liu Zhen that we will launch a full-scale attack when backup arrives." Huaide is a small town located in the west of Changchun. At that time, the 90th Regiment of the 30th Division of the New 1st Army of the Kuomintang and the 17th Security Regiment were stationed, totaling 5,000 people. At dawn on the 14th, the enemy defenders at the head of Huaide City suddenly saw figures shaking outside the city, and had surrounded the whole city tightly. They yelled badly and hurriedly reported to Sun Liren that Lin Biao had crossed the south of the Yangtze River again. Sun Liren was at a loss: "Don't panic, don't panic!" In fact, he himself was already panicked, "The reinforcements will arrive immediately, and you will win if you hold the city without losing it!" Why did Sun Liren panic?He was afraid that the Democratic Alliance Army would turn around and attack Changchun, so he did not dare to send troops to help easily.In an emergency, he thought of Chen Mingren, and asked the 71st Army to go north, and he mobilized a few regiments to go south, attacking from two directions, and the siege of Huaide might be solved easily.So, he connected Chen Mingren's call... But the Democratic Alliance Army can't wait for Sun Liren's reinforcements.At dusk that day, the follow-up troops and artillery had already arrived, and the second column immediately launched a siege battle. After 20 minutes of artillery bombardment, Liu Zhen sent two divisions to attack from the northwest and southwest directions of Huaide respectively. It took only a few minutes to break through the city wall of the New 1st Army, break into the town, and start street fighting.The two sides came and went, fought several times, and fought fiercely until the afternoon of the 17th. All the defenders in the town were wiped out, and the Democratic Alliance Army occupied Huaide. At this time, the reinforcements sent by Sun Liren from the New 1st Army in Changchun and the reinforcements sent by Chen Mingren from the 71st Siping Army were still blocked on their way to Huaide.The Democratic Coalition Forces, which were specially responsible for attacking and aiding the enemy, were inserted in front of them like knives.The four regiments sent by the New 1st Army were blocked west of Changchun by the Independent Division of the Democratic Alliance Army, unable to advance half a step.The first and second divisions of the Democratic Alliance Army are concentrating their efforts, preparing to eat up the 88th Division of the 71st Army that has rushed to the Shilipu area south of Huaide. The 88th Division did not expect the Democratic Alliance Army to come so ferociously, and it was so far away from Huaide that it could not rescue them.The confrontation between the two sides lasted until the 16th, and the news that Huaide's situation was over reached the 88th Division.Seeing that the rescue was ineffective, the division commander Han Zengdong didn't want to make unnecessary sacrifices, so he hurriedly retreated.Who would have thought that Yi Zong had already bit him tightly, how could he let him escape so easily?When the 88th Division retreated with difficulty to the Dahei Linzi area 12 kilometers south of Huaide, Yizong launched a continuous charge and cut it into several sections.Afterwards, the first and second verticals surrounded the divisions in sections, pursued them fiercely, and fought from noon to dusk on the 17th. It took 6 hours to wipe out the 88th divisions in one fell swoop. Han Zengdong was killed on the spot, and only a few Kuomintang soldiers Fled to Gongzhuling by car. At Gongzhuling, Chen Mingren, commander of the 71st Army, was rushing over with the 87th Division.He didn't know that the 88th Division had been completely wiped out, and was about to take a short rest and go to rescue immediately, when he suddenly received a call from Du Yuming. Du Yuming shouted, "Where are you now?" "Report to the commander-in-chief, I am leading the 87th Division in Gongzhuling, and I am going to rescue the 88th Division!" "I think you are dying! The 88th Division has been wiped out, and Lin Biao has seven or eight divisions coming. You must return to Siping quickly!" Du Yuming hung up the phone fiercely. Chen Mingren was stunned and speechless.He couldn't believe that the entire 88th Division was over so quickly, but Du Yuming told him, and he couldn't believe it. At this time, gunshots were heard from afar.He had no time to think about it, and immediately issued an order: All troops quickly entered Gongzhuling Railway Station and returned to Siping. Hearing that they were going to flee for their lives, the Gongzhuling Railway Station was in a mess, thousands of people crowded each other and rushed to the front train.Sitting in the first-class compartment, Chen Mingren anxiously watched these panicked subordinates swarming up, and suddenly heard the sound of gunfire outside the station, and the Democratic Alliance Army had already entered the station! "Drive immediately, those who didn't get in the car wait for the next one!" Chen Mingren shouted with red eyes. The train started suddenly, and some soldiers who were crowded at the door and couldn't hold on to it were thrown out of the car one after another. Some sat there in despair, while others jumped up and continued to chase.The train drove out of Gongzhuling at high speed amidst the sound of crying and shouting. At this time, the Democratic Alliance Army was attacking the entrance of the station, and the Kuomintang soldiers who were left in the station continued to rush to board another train.After a burst of violent gunfire, the first column of the Democratic Alliance Army rushed into the station first.They immediately smashed the front of the train. Seeing that there was no hope of escape, the Kuomintang soldiers entered the battle with red eyes.Two hours later, all the troops that Chen Mingren left at Gongzhuling were wiped out.If it weren't for Chen Mingren's quick legs, his life might be in danger. "Chen Mingren lost his army and lost his general, and has fled back to Siping." The New 1st Army of the Kuomintang, which was blocked to the west of Changchun, was shocked when they heard the news. The troops of the Democratic Alliance Army followed closely behind, and pursued them step by step until they reached Changchun Airport.The rumbling sound of the artillery made all the Kuomintang soldiers in Changchun City tense, and the city immediately entered a state of emergency martial law. All major shops were closed one after another, and all the citizens panicked and went home, shutting their doors. But Lin Biao didn't want to attack Changchun at this time, and his eyes were fixed on Siping.After bombarding Changchun Airport, the No. 1 column continued to move southward, occupying Xinkaiyuan and Laokaiyuan successively, and destroyed the Zhongchang Railway and the two small stations of Hafu and Huoshilingzi in the Fanjiatun area, cutting off Shenyang. The traffic line with Changchun.After Ximan's Deng Hua troops joined forces with Erzong in Dahei Linzi, they took a short rest and went straight to Siping City. The progress of the Democratic Alliance Army was so smooth, which made Lin Biao very excited. On May 18, he reported to Mao Zedong the new battle situation in the Northeast, and put forward his idea of ​​preparing to unite the North and the South and coordinate the attack on the enemy.Mao Zedong agreed with Lin Biao's idea: strive to connect the north and the south into one piece in summer and autumn, and move to Rehe and eastern Hebei in winter and spring to eliminate the 13th and 93rd armies of the Kuomintang! Lin Biao mobilized people from all walks of life to besiege Siping, but did not attack. He was waiting for Nanman's troops. "South Manchuria must step up its offensive efforts to cooperate with the upcoming Siping battle." Lin Biao telegraphed Xiao Jinguang. At this time, Xiao Jinguang was besieging Meihekou.As early as May 13, when the first and second columns were attacking Huaide, Xiao Jinguang had led the third and fourth columns to attack two towns near the mouth of Meihe, annihilating one regiment of the 184th division and one of the temporary 21st divisions. More than 3,000 people from the Ministry cut off the railway line between Shenyang and Jilin in one fell swoop. Seeing that the traffic arteries were lost, Du Yuming immediately ordered Liao Yaoxiang to command the 22nd Division of the New 6th Army and 6 regiments of other troops to launch a counterattack. After two days of fierce fighting, the 22nd Division of the New Army was defeated and lost more than 1,500 people.Taking advantage of the victory, the South Manchurian Democratic Alliance Army took Xifeng and Dongfeng and surrounded the mouth of Meihe. Meihekou was identified by Du Yuming as one of the five strategic strongholds in Northeast China. Three railways from Shenyang to Jilin, Siping to Meihekou, and Hailong to Ji'an converge here. The city has a population of more than 10,000. To break out of the siege, we must live and die with the position. It was the 184th Division of the 60th Army of the Kuomintang stationed at Meihekou. The division was encircled by the South Manchurian Democratic Alliance Army in Dashiqiao in May 1946. Pan Shuodan, the division commander, led an uprising because he had no hope of asking for help.After the reorganization of the division, when the South Manchurian Democratic Alliance Army withdrew to Badaojiang in Tonghua, the deputy division commander Yang Hulun led more than 1,300 people to rebel and fled back to Huinan to restore the organizational system. Lin Biao hated Yang Hulun's rebellion.Therefore, before attacking Meihekou, he specially instructed the South Manchurian troops: Once the battle starts, they must resolutely annihilate the enemy, and never accept any uprising that has not been disarmed. This means: Meihekou must be attacked by force. On May 20, 1947, the 10th Division of the Third and Fourth Columns gathered around the mouth of Meihe.The combat deployment has been completed, the 10th division of the four verticals is the main attack, and the third vertical is the reserve team on the periphery to cooperate with the four verticals. The heavy task of attacking the fortress once again fell on the shoulders of the deputy commander of the Fourth Column, Han Xianchu.He took all the division-level leaders to conduct on-site reconnaissance in the frontier area. Meihekou is indeed an important military location that is easy to defend but difficult to attack.Here, the defense of the Kuomintang army is quite strong.The small highlands outside the city are their outlying positions, and the buildings around the city combine with bunkers, traffic trenches, and obstacles to form the second line of defense.In the railway factory and a residential area around it is the enemy's core position, where there are many hidden fortifications. "Seize the two small highlands in the west of the city first, and then attack the core position of the enemy army at the railway factory." Han Xianchu decided after reconnaissance, "The two main force regiments will be the main attack, and the artillery regiment will be responsible for support." On the afternoon of May 24, the offensive began, and the artillery of the Democratic Alliance Army roared and roared.The commandos took advantage of the momentum, blasted the barriers, and occupied two high grounds an hour later.Immediately rushed to the core position of the enemy.However, due to terrain constraints, the artillery fire of the Democratic Alliance Army could not support it.Although the Democratic Alliance Army continued to charge, it still made no progress and caused heavy casualties instead. "Change the main attack direction." That night, Han Xianchu re-studied the battle plan, "First take down the Meihekou Railway Station, and then attack the factory area along the railway." But attacking the railway station is still difficult. The Kuomintang army built two large bunkers on the side of Zhongshan Bridge, the main road in the south of the railway station, with fierce firepower and tight blockade.The Democratic Alliance Army charged five times in a row, all of which failed.The battle continued from the evening of the 25th to the 27th, and the two big bunkers were not damaged at all. Without solving these two big bunkers, there will be no progress in the battle.After careful observation, the Democratic Alliance Army found that the two sides of the big blockhouse were leaning against a row of private houses. Take this row of private houses as an issue.Han Xianchu sent a company to sneak into the side of the houses, break through the walls of the houses one by one, push them to the front of the bunkers, and blasted them three times in a row, finally sending the two big bunkers to the west. The railway station fell into the hands of the Democratic Alliance Army.Troops from all walks of life marched down the railway, firmly trapping the Kuomintang army in the core position in a small area. On the afternoon of the 28th, the final general offensive began.With continuous artillery fire and shouts of killing, the democratic coalition forces encircled and charged, and blew up all the barriers in sequence. The 184th Division had nowhere to escape and was finally wiped out.The Battle of Meihekou lasted for five days and four nights. The 184th Division of the Kuomintang was wiped out in one fell swoop, and the division commander Chen Kaiwen also failed to escape the fate of being captured. While Huaide and Meihekou were full of gunpowder, other places were also fighting again and again.The Sixth Column, another main force moving south from North Manchuria, formed the Eastern Front Corps with the cooperation of the 3rd and 4th Independent Divisions and two artillery regiments. It crossed the Songhua River on May 13 and passed through the east of Jilin. In Tiangang, Jiangmifeng and other places, a regiment of the Kuomintang's new 38th Division was wiped out in the Laoyeling area.Then turned to Hailong, the 21st Kuomintang Temporary Division stationed at Hailong abandoned the city and fled, the Sixth Column rushed to catch up, joined forces with the Independent 1st Division in Yantong Mountain and Shuangyang Town, and annihilated the 21st Temporary Division that had entered the encirclement on the spot.It successfully connected the liberated areas of East Manchuria and South Manchuria into one piece. The 11th and 12th Divisions of the Four Verticals and the Independent Division of South Manchuria, which were responsible for connecting the north and the south in the South Manchuria area, also took active actions.Within half a month, more than a dozen cities such as Tonghua, Andong, Xinbin, Kuandian, Pulandian, Zhuanghe, and Gaiping were successively recovered, ending the separation of Liaodong and Liaonan, and restoring a complete South Manchuria Liberated Area.Afterwards, the main forces of South Manchuria and North Manchuria joined forces victoriously, connecting the base areas of North Manchuria, East Manchuria, and South Manchuria to the south of the Songhua River.Lin Biao's strategic goal of combining two fists into one hammer has been achieved. Affected by this, the morale of the Kuomintang army was greatly low, and the generals were also panicked.In order to stabilize his position, Du Yuming was forced to abandon a number of small and medium-sized cities, concentrated and shrunk his troops in Shenyang, Changchun, Siping, Jilin and other big cities, and recruited citizens to overhaul the city defenses and wait for help. Northeast is tight, Lin Biao is ready to fight Siping again! The news flew against the spring wind and flew straight to the "Presidential Palace" in Nanjing.Chiang Kai-shek was so anxious that he felt restless, "I want to go to the Northeast myself." On May 30, Chiang Kai-shek flew to Shenyang.The generals who greeted him at the airport were far from the joyful expressions they had when they captured Changchun. They all showed anxiety, and the smiles on their faces could not conceal the guilt from the heart. In the large empty ward, Chiang Kai-shek sat beside Du Yuming's bed, took off his white gloves, looked at Du Yuming who was sick, and couldn't help sighing. Du Yuming repeated weakly: "The Northeast must increase its troops, otherwise it may be difficult to protect." "Take good care of your illness first." Chiang Kai-shek replied sadly, "The generals of the various armies temporarily reduced their forces to control the big cities. The current focus is to maintain the current situation, and other matters will be discussed later." The plane took off, and Chiang Kai-shek hurried back to Nanjing. When the plane passed through the clouds, Chiang Kai-shek couldn't help thinking to himself: Lin Biao was vulnerable a year ago, why is he so powerful now? At this time, Lin Biao, after learning the news that the North and the South had finally reunited, telegraphed the ministries: suspend operations, take a short rest, and prepare to attack Siping.Before the new round of Siping battle came, Lin Biao was overjoyed by Luo Ronghuan's return.Not long ago, Peng Zhen left Harbin due to the needs of the central government, while Gao Gang was busy working in the rear. There was no one to entrust the political work, mobilization training, and equipment logistics of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army. Lin Biao was worrying about this, and Luo Ronghuan fell from the sky . In fact, Luo Ronghuan came here just considering Lin Biao's current needs. Although he had stayed in the Soviet Union for 10 months to treat his kidney disease, his condition had not yet recovered. On May 22, after only two days of rest in Harbin, Luo Ronghuan came to Shuangcheng to work with Lin Biao. When he first arrived in Shuangcheng, Luo Ronghuan met Liu Yalou head-on, and the two held hands tightly. Luo Ronghuan asked: "How is it, Yalou? Have you learned a lot in the past year?" "Haha, old chief, it's really been a year. Are you cured?" Liu Yalou asked. "Nothing serious, nothing serious." Luo Ronghuan also laughed. This year, Liu Yalou was only 37 years old. He was recommended by Lin Biao and Luo Ronghuan in May 1946, and was appointed by the Central Military Commission as the chief of staff of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army.Speaking of which, Luo Ronghuan played a big role here. During the Long March of the Red Army, Liu Yalou was still a division commander of the First Red Army. After the Long March arrived in northern Shaanxi, he was sent to Moscow to enter a military academy for further study. He participated in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War. As a major, he became a liaison officer between the Democratic Alliance Army and the Soviet Army. In February 1946, when Luo Ronghuan was being treated at the Soviet Army Hospital in Dalian, Liu Yalou found him and strongly demanded to stay in the Northeast to participate in the battle.In this way, Luo Ronghuan strongly recommended Liu Yalou, making him a right-hand man next to Lin Biao. Now, the attack on Siping is imminent, and the three giants of "Lin Luo Liu" gather in Shuangcheng.Lin Biao was naturally happy. This time, Siping must be won.Lin Biao gritted his teeth secretly. Siping is an extremely important strategic location in the Northeast, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have launched two competitions for this.Now, Lin Biao has made all preparations, intending to win three wars and four draws, to seize the city, and to avenge the grudge of a year ago. At this time, it was Chen Mingren who had just wiped out a division guarding Siping.After many battles, Chen Mingren's troops still had the 71st Army's direct units, the 87th and 88th Divisions, and the 13th Army's 54th Division sent by Du Yuming for reinforcements.However, due to repeated blows, none of the regiments in the 71st Army were fully staffed. The former special service regiment, engineering battalion, artillery battalion, and communication battalion directly under the military headquarters were attacked by the democratic coalition forces in Huaide and Gongzhuling. There are only 1,700 people left, which is equivalent to the strength of a regiment; the 88th Division was almost completely wiped out in Huaide, and at this time it was merged with the temporary 3rd Division; It was attacked by the Democratic Alliance Army and lost more than half.In comparison, only the 87th Division is in a better situation.Adding up all the defenders in the city, there are no more than 18,000 regular combatants. In order to defend Siping City with limited troops, Chen Mingren racked his brains.In the end, he decided to concentrate the guard force mainly in the urban area, and only a small number of troops were deployed in the outer positions.The entire Siping City is divided into two halves by a railway that runs from north to south. The east area is a residential area for ordinary people, with relatively small and dilapidated houses; the west area is where Japanese residential areas and government agencies are located. There are many solid buildings that can be transformed into permanent fortifications.According to these characteristics, Chen Mingren divided the whole city into four defensive areas: the first area to the north of Tianqiao was deployed for defense by the 87th Division; the southeast of the city was the second area to be defended by the 54th Division; The 17th Security Regiment and other defenses; the west of the city is the fourth area, which is defended by the 88th Division.In the center of the west of the city, Chen Mingren set up a core defense area.It is backed by key departments such as the central bank, power bureau, municipal government, and oil depot, and in front of it is a large open area such as a sports field and Central Park.Chen Mingren set up the military headquarters in Japanese schools with strong buildings, and controlled the troops directly under the general headquarters and the general reserve of eight battalions in his own hands.In each garrison area, according to the terrain and the distribution of houses, large and small firepower points are built; each area is connected with each other, and each position is arranged with a first line and a second line. It is strictly forbidden to retreat to the second line.Set up inspectors and gendarmerie to monitor each unit, the general reserve has 20 trucks as a mobile support force, and all artillery is divided into four groups to assist in the defense of each area. While Chen Mingren was deploying his defense, Lin Biao was also mobilizing troops on a large scale to gather around Siping. From June 4th to 11th, 1947, Lin Biao successively ordered 7 divisions including the First Column of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, the Deng Hua Column, and the 17th Division of the Sixth Column and 5 artillery battalions of the military region to gather outside the city one after another.Li Tianyou, the commander of the First Column, was responsible for the unified command of the siege operations.The 10 divisions of the second, third, fourth, and sixth columns, 5 independent divisions, and 2 cavalry divisions, a total of 17 divisions, maneuvered in the south and southeast of Siping, preparing to block the enemy of northern aid from Shenyang.In order to fight this battle well, all the main forces of the Democratic Alliance Army have arrived. Li Tianyou did not dare to be careless in taking on this important task, and entered the stage of intense pre-war preparations.Li Tianyou was originally from Guangxi. He participated in the Baise Uprising, and later worked in Lin Biao's Red Army. He was promoted to division commander during the Long March.During the Anti-Japanese War, he served as the head of the 686th Regiment of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, participated in the Battle of Pingxingguan, and was sent to the Soviet Union to study in 1939 together with Liu Yalou and Lu Dongsheng.After returning to China, he went directly to the Northeast and won Lin Biao's trust.In order to fight the tough battle of Siping, he arrived at the Siping frontline command post on June 9, and started the pre-war work together with political commissar Wan Yi, deputy commander and chief of staff Li Zuopeng. According to Lin Biao's instructions, Li Tianyou decided to concentrate his forces and launch an attack from the southwest, northwest, and southeast of Siping at the same time, focusing on the western area of ​​Siping, because that is where Chen Mingren's command organization is located.To this end, Li Tianyou mobilized all the troops of Yizong and Denghua's column to station in the predetermined positions, and concentrated 88 of the 96 artillery pieces that could participate in the battle on the west side. On June 11, various troops began to clean up the periphery of Siping.Siping Airport, Xinlitun and Hongyao Fortress fell into the hands of the democratic coalition forces one after another. Although the Kuomintang army launched counterattacks on these strongholds one after another, they failed to achieve results because Chen Mingren shrunk his troops to Siping City. By June 14, the periphery of Siping had been basically cleaned up by the democratic coalition forces, and the battle to attack Siping City was about to begin. Chen Mingren, who had been familiar with Lin Biao's siege operations for a long time, walked to the top of Siping City in the light rain this afternoon. He raised his binoculars and made the last pre-war observation of the positions of the Democratic Alliance Army. As a downpour has just fallen, many positions of the Democratic Alliance Army have been soaked by rain, and some troops are temporarily reinforcing the trenches. Standing behind Chen Mingren, Xiong Xinmin, commander of the 87th Division, suddenly stepped forward and said, "Commander, look at the posture outside the city. The communist army is likely to attack the city tonight." Chen Mingren took the binoculars away from his eyes: "It's not possible, but it is inevitable to attack the city. According to Lin Biao's habit, after clearing the perimeter, he will definitely launch an attack that night. Let the planes bomb them for a while, and then let them learn something. It’s called the Japanese style of defending the city.” After finishing speaking, Chen Mingren walked down the wall with a wave of his hands. Although Lin Biao knew all kinds of tactics of the Kuomintang like the back of his hand, he really didn't expect that Chen Mingren would know how to defend the city with Japanese style.Because Chen Mingren fought offensive and defensive battles with the Japanese many times during the Anti-Japanese War, he had carefully studied the Japanese offensive and defensive tactics. Now, due to the small number of soldiers and the danger of the city, and seeing that the Japanese army buildings can be seen everywhere in Siping City, he decided to adopt the Japanese method of defending the city. To deal with Lin Biao. But Lin Biao didn't know what kind of Japanese defense technique it was.The rain is still pattering, and a fierce battle is coming quietly. At 16:00 on June 14th, the rain stopped for the first time.Suddenly there was a sound of planes in the air, and more than 20 Kuomintang planes lined up and arrived at Siping. There were several deafening explosions, and pieces of soil flew up from the front and artillery positions of the Democratic Alliance Army. "They are here to remind us not to forget to attack." Li Tianyou said with a smile looking at these planes. It was getting dark slowly, and the lights in Siping City were lit up for the first time. At 20 o'clock sharp, the signal bomb of the general offensive rose from the ground, piercing the silent night.The cannons of the Democratic Alliance Army fired together, and the Siping city was suddenly filled with smoke and flames everywhere.Columns from all walks of life rose up to attack, and broke through the Kuomintang army's defense line in less than an hour, first opening a gap in the southwest corner of Siping. "It's not good, the communist army has broken through the city wall!" The 88th Division reported to Chen Mingren. "Concentrate all firepower immediately to block the breakthrough of the Communist army, and at the same time organize the troops to launch a counter-charge!" Chen Mingren shouted on the phone. The fierce battle begins with the fight for this small breakthrough.The two sides continued to fight until the 16th, and the Democratic Alliance Army Yizong finally gained a firm foothold in the southwest corner of Siping at the cost of more than 3,000 casualties. Lin Biao was secretly surprised that the battle was so fierce on the first day of junior high school.He ordered the 17th Division of the Sixth Column to join the First Column, and began to attack Chen Mingren's core fortifications on the 17th. The strength of the democratic coalition forces in the southwest corner of Siping has been strengthened, but the advance is still very difficult.By the 18th, the main force of Deng Hua's column also opened a gap from the northwest corner.In this way, the democratic coalition forces simultaneously launched a fortified street battle against Siping West District from both the north and the south. Chen Mingren used the strong buildings in the western district to deploy a firepower network in depth, and ordered the officers and soldiers everywhere to stand alone and not to move their positions. On the street, no matter the enemy or us, they would shoot and kill pedestrians. Chen Mingren had already made up his mind to stick to Siping.Before the war, he made a will in public and carried out the coffin prepared for himself to show the public. At the same time, he warned all the officers and soldiers under his command: the Democratic Alliance Army has locked up Siping on all sides, and no one can retreat. A dead end. Therefore, the Kuomintang soldiers defended desperately, relying on powerful firepower to fight desperately. The Democratic Alliance Army had to pay a huge price for every step forward in Siping City. Fighting until 20:00 on the evening of the 20th, Chen Mingren's 71st Army headquarters was occupied, and all enemy troops in the Siping West District were wiped out.But after 8 days of bloody battle, the Democratic Alliance Army only occupied half of Siping.Although Chen Mingren was hit hard, the Democratic Alliance Army also suffered huge casualties.The 1st Division of the First Column and the 17th Division of the Sixth Column were exhausted from fighting, and the Deng Hua Column was also quite tired. Lin Biao was extremely anxious, but still decided to capture Siping at all costs. On June 21, Lin Biao sent a telegram to the heads of each column: The Siping battle has been fiercely fought for 8 days and nights since the general offensive began.Although I have occupied half of the city so far, the casualties have reached more than 8,000.It is now decided to pay 15,000 casualties, and take another week to fight this battle to the end! From June 21, Lin Biao ordered the attack on the Siping East District.He thought that after the bloody battle in the western district, there were not many troops left for Chen Mingren, but after two days of fighting on the 21st and 22nd, he discovered that the two sides were still fighting to the death, which was almost more intense than the battle for the western district. Chen Mingren adopted a more flexible tactic. When the first echelon of the Democratic Alliance Army rushed to the front, he organized fierce artillery fire against the second echelon behind, and then concentrated his strength and firepower to counterattack the first echelon, making it impossible for the Democratic Alliance Army to respond back and forth. However, when the Democratic Alliance Army occupied an area, he bombarded it with artillery fire and smashed all the houses occupied by the Democratic Alliance Army. In addition, Chen Mingren also used the trick he used in the street fighting with the Japanese during the Battle of Songhu. First, he had people lie in ambush on the overpass, and when the soldiers of the Democratic Alliance Army rushed past, they threw soybeans on the street, causing them to fall to the ground. At this time, let the defenders in the buildings on both sides of the street open fire on the ground. While the street fighting was going on, the planes of the Kuomintang army kept circling over the city, dropping bombs on any block that was lost.Siping Street is full of broken walls and ruins, almost in ruins. In order to keep Siping, Du Yuming also exerted all his strength.Before June 9, when he determined that Lin Biao was going to attack Siping, he began to use 44 transport planes to deliver 88 tons of ammunition to Chen Mingren; A transport aircraft, delivering a total of 305 tons of ammunition.Among them were more than 3 million rounds of rifle bullets of various types, 30,000 rounds of mortar shells, 6,200 rounds of mountain artillery shells, 1,300 rounds of howitzer shells, and 110,000 rounds of grenades. With sufficient ammunition guaranteed, Chen Mingren proceeded to equip almost any living person he could find.He armed provincial government officials, policemen, railway policemen, military depots, hospitals, stations, etc., as well as the security forces from outside the city, increasing the total number of Kuomintang troops by 1 within a few days. More than ten thousand people.Although these people may not be able to play much role in a field battle, Chen Mingren's tactic is to keep them in solid buildings one after another, regardless of whether they are green or white, and just keep sending out the ammunition at hand.From this tactical point of view, their role is almost the same as that of the regular army. In order to turn all places into strong positions, Chen Mingren ordered the demolition of all available factories and residential buildings. The grain and soybeans hoarded in the city were used as sandbags for fortifications, and soybean oil was used to ignite and illuminate.老百姓则被严格地限制在一定区域内，不许走动，有夜间行动者格杀勿论。老百姓一边要为国民党军修工事、运伤员，战斗打起来后却无处藏身，在炮火中伤亡惨重。 但陈明仁已管不了这些无辜的老百姓了，他一面焦头烂额地与民主联军作战，一面不断向沈阳和南京求援。 蒋介石在陈明仁对四平形势的大肆渲染下，震惊不已，下令调53军开赴东北增援，同时给杜聿明下了一道十分严厉的命令：限6月30日以前必须解除四平之围。 杜聿明正躺在病床之上，接到蒋介石的急令，吓得一跃而起，速令郑洞国前来商议解救四平之计。 郑洞国同样焦急万分，一提到四平，就抱怨起来：“眼下调兵救援四平，谈何容易？南满的共军正占据着本溪，我们一旦遣兵北上，他们必来进攻沈阳。” 杜聿明沉默不语，过了一会才说：“我看不如这样，既然53军已来到东北，就让他们先去打下本溪，除去了对沈阳的威胁后，再全力北上，解救四平。” “也许这样是上策了。”郑洞国点头同意，“就立即下令53军去打本溪吧，不知谁去指挥才好。” 杜聿明望着郑洞国微笑不语。 郑洞国立即明白了杜聿明的意思：“那我就不自量力，勉强一试吧。” 这样，郑洞国亲自指挥53军从沈阳南下直逼本溪，南满部队因大部已前往四平一带，本溪的力量严重不足，交火不久即退出城区。郑洞国占领本溪后，于6月20日赶到铁岭，调动了9个师的兵力，北上四平。其中，战斗力最强的新6军从开原一带北上，93军由昌图出发，52军的195师紧随93军之后，53军走在最后方，作为总预备队。同时，郑洞国请求杜聿明出动空军配合作战，并负责侦察民主联军的动向。 国民党军必然要北上救援四平，这早已在林彪预料之中。二纵、三纵、四纵以及独立2师根本就没有直接参与四平攻坚战，他们数日前即已埋伏在援兵必经的各大要道中，就等着打援了。 6月24日，当林彪得知国民党援军已经到达开原一线时，不禁暗叹了一口气。来自前线的伤亡报告一份接着一份，而要攻下整个四平却仍是困难重重。 他眺望着四平方向，仿佛目光已穿过层层阻隔，再一次来到四平城外。雨水正在默默滴落，冲刷着殷红的土地，汇集成血色的细流，逶迤流向远方，只在这片饱经战火的大地上留下一道道血的印痕。 风正在轻轻地吹起，落花满地，残红飘零。 “放弃四平！”林彪回过神来，重重地一拳击在桌子上。 他转移了战斗重点，下令四平前线只留下六纵、邓华纵队和一纵3师继续攻打四平东区，而将一纵的1、2师调出，南下配合打援。 几个小时后，林彪再次密令四平城内各部队：逐渐转入佯攻，尽量将兵力开到四平以南阻击援军。 6月25日，廖耀湘的新6军169师在八棵树一带突遭袭击，伤亡惨重。26日，昌图附近的93军也遭到重创。 但由于郑洞国不知林彪已改变进攻重点，急于解救四平之围，不敢恋战，火速北上，于6月29日终于赶到四平城下，林彪令四平东区的所有民主联军立即撤出。6月30日凌晨，一纵3师边打边走，成为民主联军撤出四平城中的最后一支人马，历时半个月的四平攻坚战结束了。 陈明仁在危急之刻迎来了郑洞国的大部队，不禁悲喜交集，泣不成声。 6月30日，蒋介石在南京接到四平已经解围的电报，更是惊喜不已。他激动地称赞道：“陈明仁以劣势兵力顶住了比他强大六七倍的共军进攻，真是奇迹！这无疑是黄埔将领中再次闪亮的希望之光，我要为陈明仁亲自授勋！” 陈明仁满怀感激地接受了青天白日勋章，看着报纸中连日来满篇介绍的“四平大捷”，也不禁沉入了兴奋之中。不想未过几日，却突然接到一纸撤职令，被免去了兵权。 撤职的原因是陈明仁贪污库粮。原来，在四平巷战激烈之时，陈明仁慌不择路，令部下将仓库里的粮食一袋一袋扛到大街之上，筑垒工事。战争之后，由于枪打炮轰，已无法全数入库。故有人趁机举报陈明仁自己将一部分库粮贪污了。 想到此事，陈明仁一阵苦笑：能想出这么恶毒的理由的，估计除了陈诚不会再有第二个人了。