Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Expansion of the Offensive, the Outer Line Corps Advances into Henan, Anhui and Su

At the beginning of August 1947, at the Nanjing official residence meeting, the military and political officials talked a lot: "Wang Jingjiu was beaten up by Liu Bocheng." "Wang Jingjiu can be regarded as a general among the generals of the state government, but he was dumbfounded when he saw Liu Bocheng. He spread out the four armies one by one and formed a 'one-word long snake formation', which was stretched for 45 kilometers. Liu Bocheng It was divided into four sections, fortunately Wang Jingjiu and Lu Daoyuan were together..." "He is not as good as Commander Hu. Hu Zongnan formed a phalanx, a method called 'snake shedding'."

"That's a lesson learned from being beaten by Peng Dehuai." "Wang Zhonglian was really afraid of being beaten by Liu Bocheng. The chairman of the committee asked for an attack. Wang Zhonglian adopted a 'steady defense' policy, and moved forward after all the troops had arrived." "Crying 'Look for the main force of the Communist Army' all day long. Our main reorganized 74th Division was wiped out in Menglianggu and the reorganized 66th Division in Yangshanji. Where is the main force of the Communist Army, and how many were we eliminated?"

Suddenly, Chiang Kai-shek walked in angrily, and all the officials stood up and paid attention.Gu Zhutong, commander-in-chief of the Xuzhou Command of the Kuomintang Army Headquarters, and Guo Rugui, chief of staff, followed behind.Gu Zhutong and Guo Rugui came to Nanjing to report on their duties. They felt uneasy because Liu Deng's army forcibly crossed the Yellow River and launched the Battle of Southwest Shandong.Then, in the battle of Yangshanji, the 66th Division was completely wiped out and the commander of the Lieutenant General Song Duanke was captured. Chiang Kai-shek yelled at Wang Zhonglian, and ordered Gu Zhutong: "Wang Zhonglian failed in reinforcements, dismissed for investigation, and escorted to Beijing. Luo Guangwen took over as commander of the 4th Corps. Tang Yongliang, commander of the reorganized 32nd Division, escaped. Immediately investigate and deal with it!"

Chiang Kai-shek took Wang Zhonglian's knife to quell the dissatisfaction of the ruling and opposition parties about the defeat in the southwestern Shandong war, and at the same time kill the chicken for the monkey to see.After the general mobilization order was issued, it was a bad start and it was difficult to save face.The battle report issued by the Communist Party is to wipe out 4 military headquarters and 9 and a half divisions, and completely wipe out the main force of American equipment.As the supreme commander, he couldn't help but become angry from embarrassment. Still angry, Chiang Kai-shek walked towards the map.Gu Zhutong and Guo Rugui quickly followed.

"Where is Liu Bocheng?" Chiang Kai-shek turned his face and asked. "Liu Bocheng is between Yuncheng and Juye; Chen Yi's troops also crossed the canal to join Liu Bocheng. Recently, it rained heavily in southwestern Shandong, and the river surged, hindering our troops' actions..." Guo Rugui replied cautiously. "Order Qiu Qingquan to advance to Yuncheng with the 5th Army, and Europe Zhen 3rd Corps to transfer here." Chiang Kai-shek glanced at the area and continued to order: "Order Wang Jingjiu to cross the Wanfu River and advance to Dushanji. Zhang Gan and Luo Guangwen The Corps is approaching the water castle."

"Yangshan is full of corpses of the 66th Army, no one buried them, and the smell is unbearable..." Hou Teng, director of the intelligence department, said sadly. Chiang Kai-shek glared at Hou Teng, and continued to issue orders: "7th Army and 48th Army, immediately drive north from Shangqiu after getting off the bus. I want to defeat Liu Bocheng and Chen Yi's main forces in the southwestern part of Shandong. All ministries will arrive at the scheduled location on the 5th. Encircled and deployed." Gu Zhutong reminded very carefully: "It has been raining heavily in Southwest Shandong for days, the river is soaring, and the Yellow River is about to collapse for thousands of miles. Our army's operations will be affected."

Chiang Kai-shek was silent for a moment, and said stubbornly: "It is better for the Yellow River to rise. I ordered Liu Ruming to continue to move forward after occupying Dongkou, and indeed control all the ferries on the south bank of the Yellow River to stand by." On August 4, 1947, Xunjian Temple in Zizhou County, Shaanxi Province. In a dilapidated house, Mao Zedong was flipping through bulletins of the enemy's situation. The Battle of Southwest Shandong opened the prelude to the strategic offensive.Mao Zedong felt very excited, sweeping away the tiredness of marching for days.Now, Liu Deng's army has completed the deployment of leaping into the Dabie Mountains. This action is related to the progress of the liberation war.

How to ensure the success of Liu Deng's army leaping into the Dabie Mountains?Mao Zedong decided that the first, third, fourth, eighth, and tenth columns of the East China Field Army would be temporarily commanded by Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping. A telegram was quickly sent to the East China Field Army Command.Telegram instruction: "Please consider that Comrade Su Yu will take the main artillery force to the southwestern part of Shandong as soon as possible, and unified command of the five columns of Chen Shiju, Tang Liang, Ye Fei, and Tao Yong to actively support Liu Deng's battle. Whether Liu Deng's southward battle can be successful depends half on Can Chen Tang Yetao's five columns play a big role?"

East China Field Army Command. Su Yu took the telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission from Chen Yi, read it twice, walked back and forth a few steps, and suddenly turned to Chen Yi and said: "Mr. Chen, Huaye's main combat direction and command center of gravity in the future will be on the outer line. Would you please go west with me to strengthen leadership? Now, the strength of the five columns on the western front has declined. In order to further concentrate our forces and achieve the goal of fighting In view of the superiority above, the sixth column must be transferred to the western front. In addition, the strength of the second, seventh, and ninth columns remaining in Shandong can control the enemy. It is recommended to form the Eastern Corps to carry out internal combat missions. By Tan Zhenlin and Xu Shiyou The two comrades are united in command."

"Okay, let's do it." Chen Yi immediately agreed.So Chen and Su jointly telegraphed the above opinions to the Central Military Commission. On August 6, the Military Commission replied: "It is agreed that Chen Su will lead Ye Zhi and Liu Zong to the southwest of Shandong, and Tan (Zhenlin), Li (Yu) and Xu (Shiyou) will form the Eastern Corps." The sooner the better."On the same day, another telegram pointed out: "Although the various ministries in East China have not fought a few battles this time, they have completed the huge task of concentrating their forces and dispersing the enemy. Our army is stronger and our leadership is stronger, which is extremely beneficial for us to strive for new victories."

According to the instructions of the Central Military Commission, Chen Yi and Su Yu immediately organized the Huaye command organization and troops to start various preparations for an outside attack.The westward route determined by their research is: cross the Yellow River north to Huimin area in Shandong, cross the Jinpu line from near Yucheng, and go to Yanggu and Shouzhang areas.This road is the old liberated area and the rear of our army. There is no resistance to the enemy, and the march is safe and concealed. On August 11, the Huaye Command crossed the Yellow River at the Panzhuang Ferry.After arriving in Huimin, most of Yezhi continued to advance towards Liaocheng, and the headquarters temporarily stayed in Huimin to urge the rapid transfer of troops, supplies and ammunition to the west so that the Western Corps could be replenished as soon as possible. On August 16, the Central Military Commission inquired about Chen and Su's next battle plan.At this time, Chen Yi had left Huaye Qianzhi to go to the Bohai Navy area to handle rear work. After Su Yu received the telegram, he analyzed the situation of the enemy and ourselves, and thought about the best course of action.He knew that regarding the actions of the Huaye West Corps, the Central Military Commission had given clear instructions, requiring the Huaye columns to clamp down on the enemy from the opposite direction of Liu Deng's army. However, the current situation has changed.Chiang Kai-shek mobilized 8 reorganized divisions (armies) and 18 brigades with about 140,000 troops in an attempt to divide and attack the main force of Liu Deng's army, which was resting in southwest Shandong.When Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping learned of this situation, they immediately decided to end their rest ahead of schedule, and on August 7 they suddenly went southward in concealment to carry out the strategic task of advancing into the Dabie Mountains.After Liu and Deng's army crossed the Longhai Road, they were blocked by a large number of enemy troops and pursued, and they were in a critical situation. Su Yu believed that in order to support Liu Deng's army more effectively, the combat area of ​​Huaye West Corps must be extended to the south of Longhai Road.In this way, not only can it meet the current operational needs of holding back the enemy and responding to Liu Deng, but it can also create conditions for the three armies to cooperate in the strategy of the Central Plains in the future. On August 18, he reported his thoughts and suggestions to the Central Military Commission and the East China Bureau: "Chen Yi went to Bowei a few days ago and returned, and only reported his personal opinions as follows: Judging from the recent situation, the enemy may follow Liu Deng. If Yes, Liu and Deng are struggling. We should make every effort to hold back some enemies. Therefore, the Western Corps should take action on the southwestern Shandong and Longhai lines. Only in this way can we effectively hold back the enemy and find and wipe out weak enemies. If this plan can be effectively implemented, it will not only hold back some enemies from going south, but also force some of the enemies on the Luzhong and Jiaoji lines to go west. If not, It will also reduce the burden on our Luzhong and Jiaoji lines, and reduce the possibility of the enemy invading the hinterland of Jiaodong and Yantai... We plan to open the situation in Taixi, and after meeting with Chen Shiju and Tang Liang, we will center on the west bank of the canal. We also telegraphed Luzhong, Lunan, Subei, Suzhong, Bohai, Jiaodong and other military regions as well as Rao Shushi, Li Yu, Tan Zhenlin and other comrades, explaining that the East China Field Army should start a large-scale counterattack in early September, and ordered all military regions to immediately concentrate their forces Attack the enemy's rear organs and supply lines, and eliminate the home return regiment and security regiment, so as to cooperate with the main force's powerful counterattack." Mao Zedong replied on August 24, pointing out: "Comrade Su Yu's opinion in Qiaoyou's telegram is extremely correct. The combat scope of the Western Corps is stipulated as the south of the Yellow River, the north of the Huai River, the west of the Canal, and the east of Pinghan. Please refer to it (Chen Shi) Ju Tang (Liang), Ye (Fei), Tao (Yong) and the Sixth, Tenth and Pao Zongs are resolutely implemented." In this way, "Chen and Tang must not go out of the south of Longhai lightly" and "Chen Su's six verticals must be from the inside." "The decision to restrain the enemy further clarified the strategic mission of Chen Su, Liu Deng, and Chen Xie's three armies to jointly manage the Central Plains, and perfected the strategic layout of "cooperation between the three armies and containment by two wings". In his reply, Mao Zedong pointed out: "In the first year of combat, our East China Army has shown itself to be the army with the largest record in all regions of the country. In July, there were a lot of reductions in personnel, which did not harm the overall situation. I hope you will rush to Southwest Shandong as soon as possible, and unify the command The Western Corps will cooperate with the local Corps to complete the great task entrusted to the East China Army by the Central Committee. I believe that you will be able to complete this task." After receiving Mao Zedong's telegram instructions, Su Yu repeatedly thought about how to fight the first battle and seize the initiative in the war after entering Southwest Shandong.After repeated thinking, he planned two plans to wipe out the enemy. First, after crossing the Yellow River, join Chen and Tang, hold a meeting, rest for a few days, replenish ammunition and supplies, restore the strength of the troops, and fight another battle.In this way, the preparations are sufficient, and the post-war arrangements can be more careful.However, if the Six Columns, Ten Columns, and Special Columns cross the river, if the enemy finds out, they may approach cautiously, or even stick to it so that it is inconvenient to encircle and annihilate. Second, on the second day after Chen and Su led their troops to cross the river, the Chen and Tang troops lured the enemy to an appropriate area 30 to 40 kilometers south of our point of crossing the river, gathered three columns, and surrounded the enemy's reorganized 57th division or reorganized 5th division. In the 68th Division, another column clamped down on the enemy's reorganized 5th Division; Chen and Su hurriedly led the Sixth and Tenth Columns to join the battle.In this way, the enemy can be surprised, it is easy to win, and it can quickly open up the situation in the southwest of Shandong, and go south in time to support and cooperate with Liu Deng's army.But the preparations before the war were hasty, and there was no time to hold a meeting to coordinate. If the fight is not good, it will be unfavorable to the battle situation. At this time, Chen Yi had returned to Huaye Qianzhi from the Bohai Navy area.Su Yu reported the above two plans to Chen Yi.Chen Yi asked: "What plan do you propose?" "plan B." Chen Yi thought for a while and said: "This battle is of great importance. For the sake of prudence, it is advisable to seek the opinions of Comrades Chen Shiju and Tang Liang first." Su Yu immediately planned to consult Chen and Tang by telegram, and then telegraphed to the Central Military Commission. On August 30, Mao Zedong sent a "top-secret" telegram to Chen and Su. The telegram said: "At present, the central link is to take active actions in the north and south of Longhai, wipe out and seize the 5th Army and 57th Division, capture all weak positions, and directly Aid Liu and Deng...Now Ou Zhen, Zhang Gan, Luo Guangwen, Zhang Zhen, Wang Jingjiu, and Xia Wei's ministries are all pressing hard on Liu and Deng. Liu and Deng are likely to be unable to gain a foothold in the Dabie Mountains. Tang actively wiped out the enemy, you should immediately cross the river and fully cooperate with Liu and Deng." Chen Yi received the telegram and remembered that Mao Zedong had sent a very secret telegram to Liu, Deng and Huadong at the end of last month, stating that "Northern Shaanxi is very difficult", which already reflected the serious situation of the leaders of the CPC Central Committee.But from the current telegram, he felt Mao Zedong's very anxious mood even more.So he judged the situation and said firmly to Su Yu: "We will resolutely implement the chairman's order, adopt the second plan, and strive to strike early." Therefore, Chen and Su sent electricity to Chen and Tang, ordering them to implement the second plan. At the same time, they issued the "Xizi No. 1 Order", which stipulated the date of crossing the river and the combat operations of each army.The Huaye Office, Yezhi Force, Sixth Column, and Tenth Column began to cross the Yellow River south on the evening of September 3, and completed the crossing on the 4th. Gathered near Echeng on the 5th and joined the first and third columns. On the 6th, the battle layout of the first, third, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth columns, special columns and the eleventh columns of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan in the north and south areas of Shatuji was completed. Shatuji is located in Shandong Province, and it is a little-known small market town.However, the area around it is historically known as the birthplace of ancient battlefields and peasant uprisings.Yuncheng in the north of it is the hometown of the famous military strategist Sun Bin. The Battle of Maling, which he commanded to reduce the stove to lure the enemy and wipe out Pang Juan, took place between Yuncheng and Fan County.Heze to the west of it, known as Caozhou in ancient times, was the birthplace of the Huangchao peasant uprising that shook the rule of the Tang Dynasty.Song Jiang, the leader of the peasant uprising army at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, is said to have been born in Yuncheng County. On September 7, Duan Linmao, the lieutenant general of the enemy's 57th Division, never dreamed that he was about to be wiped out. Before the reorganization of Jiang Jun's 57th Division, it was the 98th Army, which was defeated by Hua Ye. In the Battle of Tianmu Mountain in June 1945, all the troops of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Military Regions commanded by Su Yu were wiped out, and then restored and rebuilt.In the Battle of Subei in December 1946, the East China Field Army commanded by Chen and Su annihilated an entire brigade.This time he was fighting in the southwestern area of ​​Shandong, he became arrogant, arrogant and careless, accompanied by Qiu Qingquan's 5th Army's rampant attack, and had already entered the vicinity of Huanggu'an in the southwest of Yuncheng. Su Yu seized the opportunity and immediately ordered the troops to launch an attack. He ordered the third and sixth columns to attack from north to south, from Shatuji and Shuangmiao;The enemy reorganized the 57th Division, and the northern offense was blocked. When they found that the situation was not good, they immediately retreated to the south. They were attacked by our tenth and eighth verticals and had to retreat to the Shatuji area. In the area of ​​sand and soil collection, the terrain is flat and open. The vast number of commanders and fighters of our army fought bravely on the open ground without concealment, braving heavy artillery fire, marching forward bravely, and their morale was very strong. That night, the north and south flanking troops joined forces on both sides of the enemy and completed the encirclement of the enemy's 57th division. At this time, Su Yu considered that using three, six, and eight verticals to encircle and wipe out the enemy in Shatuji was enough to complete the task, so he ordered the first column, which was in charge of the preparatory task, to withdraw from the blocking position and move northward to Liuzhuang and Huanggu'an. , Ling Sizong also withdrew from the battle and moved to the Longguji area.Let them monitor and guard on the one hand, and on the other hand prepare for the next step to continue to wipe out part of the 5th Division of the enemy reorganization. On September 8, the enemy desperately broke out from the sand and soil in all directions and organized a counterattack.After a day of fierce fighting, except for Dawangzhuang and Weizhuang which were occupied by the enemy again, all the enemies on the periphery of Shatuji were wiped out by our army. Shatuji is a large village with a very strong wall and an outer moat.Outside the village is flat sandy land, easy to defend but difficult to attack.The enemy relied on this wall to stand firm and wait for reinforcements. At 6 pm on September 8, our army launched a general offensive against the enemy in Shatuji.After more than half an hour of artillery preparation, the third column first broke through the sandy wall from the north, entered the village, and started street fighting with the enemy, and the fighting became more and more fierce. At 2 o'clock in the morning on the 9th, the eight verticals broke in from the southeast, and the six verticals broke in from the northwest corner.The three columns gradually narrowed the encirclement, and the enemy counterattacked frequently, but they were all repelled.At this time, while attacking more violently, our army launched a political offensive to urge the enemy to lay down their arms.So the enemy soldiers who broke through the siege surrendered one after another.Seeing that the situation was over, Duan Linmao led more than a hundred guards and fled in disguise. Not far from the village, he was captured by our army. The enemy lost command, and was defeated like a mountain, and batch after batch raised their hands and surrendered.By 3 a.m. on the 9th, the battle to attack and annihilate the reorganized 57th Division ended in victory. While attacking and annihilating the reorganized 57th Division, the blocking battle to the south of Yuncheng was fierce.Our ten columns and one of the six columns used field positions to block the crazy attacks of the enemy's reorganized 5th, 84th, and 68th divisions.When the reorganized 5th Division suffered repeated setbacks in its attacks, under Chiang Kai-shek's strict order, three regiments were dispatched at a time, and with the support of aircraft, artillery, and armored vehicles, they stormed our frontline positions at Balihe and Houmiao.Our army fought bravely, inflicted heavy damage on the enemy, and wiped out two companies of the enemy army with the spirit of seeing red with bayonets, and repelled the enemy's attack.The front-line positions of Balihe and Houmiao have always been in the hands of our army, ensuring the victory of the battle. Such an all-out attack could not make the Communist army's blocking line take half a step back. The enemy's reorganized 5th Division felt that the situation was extremely bad, and the next one to be wiped out might be their turn, so they dared not send reinforcements The sand gathered, and hurriedly retreated to the south of Ding Lichang, and immediately built and strengthened fortifications on the spot. Once the enemy's reorganized 5th Division retreated, the reorganized 84th Division did not dare to reinforce it, and turned around and fled towards Juye City. The sand and soil set battle was played cleanly.The headquarters of the enemy's reorganized 57th Division and the two brigades under its jurisdiction were all wiped out, and considerable damage was done to the aid enemy.Nearly 10,000 enemies were wiped out, including more than 7,500 captured enemy Lieutenant General Duan Linmao, Major General Luo Jueyuan, and Wang Lizhi. They captured more than 20 howitzers, field artillery, and mountain artillery, hundreds of light and heavy machine guns, and a large amount of ammunition and weapons. other military supplies.Our army suffered only 3,300 casualties. Chen Yi and Su Yu reported to the Central Military Commission: "Our army started in the south of Yuncheng on Yuri, and carried out operations to suppress the 5th Army and annihilate the 57th Division. After a day and two nights of fighting, the 57th Division has been wiped out in Shatuji, and only a few Breaking through in the east, we are pursuing. After 10 days of entanglement with the 5th Army, the 57th Division was arrested. At the same time, we defeated the reinforcements of Liu Ruming's two brigades and the continuous attack of the 5th Army for 6 days. Our army's morale was very high, and we moved quickly. Offensive, deal a devastating blow to the 5th Army." On the 11th, the Central Military Commission replied: The great victory of Yuncheng Shatuji in annihilating all the 57th divisions is of great significance to the development of the entire southern front. After the war, Ji Yin, a war reporter from Xinhua News Agency, interviewed Duan Linmao, who was covered in mud and dressed in soldier uniform, and his subordinates, major general Luo Jueyuan, brigade commander, and deputy brigade commander Zhang Yubin.He reported in "Talks of the Defeated General": Now, the senior Kuomintang generals in front of us said to me: "Our command is completely wrong. We are deaf and blind, the situation is unclear, and we are completely passive. Your army seems to be directing us. Of course we will definitely lose!" "The Communist Party will not only command its own troops to fight," Zhang Yubin, deputy brigade commander of the 117th Brigade with a bald head and short beard, stood up and interjected, "Some people say that he can also command the enemy. I think this is true." The emotions of these captured Jiang army generals are obviously different from those of the captured generals in the past.When fighting in the Yimeng Mountains, the captured generals of the Jiang army did not admit defeat, and often attributed the failure to accidental mistakes, saying: "It is accidental that we suffered losses, and this time we fell into your tricks." Now it is different, They were convincingly defeated, and what they were eagerly looking forward to was to send them to the north of the Yellow River to eat millet.Ji Yin said: "Isn't this remarkable change in the mood of the captives reflecting a fundamental change in the situation of the war from one side?" The victory of the Battle of Shatuji marked the second turning point in the East China War. It not only fundamentally reversed the passive situation of Huaye in Southwest Shandong, but also created conditions for the restoration and construction of the base area in Southwest Shandong, and opened the way for the march to Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu. It also forced Chiang Kai-shek to dispatch four divisions from the Dabie Mountains and Shandong's inner battlefield to aid Southwest Shandong, effectively cooperating with the actions of Liu Deng's army and our army on the Shandong inner line. After the Battle of Shatuji, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China instructed the Western Front Corps in a telegram on September 11: "Create a solid base between the Yellow River, Huaihe River, Canal, and Ping-Han, and assist Liu Deng and Chen Xie in creating the Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces. The big base area, assist Rao Litan in defending the Shandong base area, and assist central and northern Jiangsu to restore the base area." He also pointed out: "You are in the middle of the four major base areas mentioned above, and your victory has great strategic significance." Accordingly, the Western Front Corps decided that Song Shilun, the commander of the Tenth Column, and Liu Peishan, the deputy political commissar, would command the Tenth Column and the Eleventh Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. The first, third, fourth, sixth, and eighth columns and the twelfth column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, which had just crossed the Yellow River from northern Henan to the south and was about to be transferred to the Dabie Mountains, advanced into the border areas of Henan, Anhui, and the Soviet Union. Xie Group jointly opened up the Central Plains Liberated Area. The border area of ​​Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu refers to the area south of Longhai Road, north of Huaihe River, west of the Canal, and east of Pinghan Road, with an area of ​​about 60,000 square kilometers and a population of about 20 million.After the outbreak of the full-scale civil war, it was occupied by the Kuomintang army, and the local armed forces led by the Communist Party continued to fight. They established three special agencies and the Henan, Anhui, and Soviet military regions affiliated to the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan military regions. There are already 25,000 armed forces. strength, but most areas are still under the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang.The task of the Western Front Corps advancing into Henan, Anhui and Su was to continuously annihilate the vital forces of the Kuomintang army, shrink the Kuomintang ruled area, expand the new liberated area, connect with the Liu Deng Field Army in the south, and the Chen Xie Group in the west, so as to connect several liberated areas in the Central Plains into one . At 24:00 on September 24, Chen Su issued an order to march into Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, and reported the relevant actions to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China the next day, and also reported to Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, Xu Xiangqian, Teng Daiyuan, Rao Shushi, Li Yu and other friends. The commander of the neighboring force was notified. Beginning on the evening of September 26, Chen Yi and Su Yu led the third, fourth, and sixth columns to pass through the Nanyue Longhai Road in the Dangshan and Mamuji sections. Chen Shiju led the first and eighth columns and the twelfth column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Field Army passed Both sides of Minquan crossed Longhai Road. The Huaye columns dispersed operations in the area south of Longhai Road and north of the Huaihe River, demarcated the area, and aimed at annihilating and mopping up small groups of Kuomintang local troops and reactionary armed forces.After the columns were deployed, they quickly occupied more than a dozen county towns and opened up a large area of ​​new districts. Mao Zedong was very happy to learn that the main force of Huaye was going south. On September 30, he instructed Chen Su: "It is a good policy for you to advance in two ways. At least for a month, focus on fighting and dispersing weak enemies, mobilize the masses, understand the situation, and then concentrate on the situation. Considerable forces, fight larger-scale battles with certainty and preparations.... You and the Shiju headquarters will temporarily establish base areas separately. In the future, depending on the situation, each will leave a column to develop the base area locally, and concentrate 3 columns to fight larger-scale battles. Only in this way can we force the enemy to disperse and create favorable conditions for fighting." After more than a month of fighting, the Huaye West Front Corps wiped out more than 10,000 local armed forces of the Kuomintang in early November 1947, conquered 24 counties including Qixian County, Boxian County, Shuicheng, Yanling, and Mengcheng, and dozens of important market towns.25 democratic county governments were established, and 3 military divisions were established in the areas south of the Shahe River and north of the Huaihe River.The Liberated Areas of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu are more than a thousand miles from east to west and more than a hundred miles from north to south. It has become one of the main battlefields for our army to carry out strategic offensives. At this point, the entire Central Plains war situation has been reversed, and Chen Su's army's outside attack posture has been fully opened, and echoed with the actions of Liu Deng's and Chen Xie's armies, forming a strategic pattern of the three-way army operating the Central Plains.The People's Liberation Army has shifted to a strategic offensive across the country, and the Kuomintang army has shifted from "focused offensive" to "comprehensive defense." At this time, Chiang Kai-shek gathered 6 reorganized divisions to form a mobile corps, relying on the Longhai and Jinpu railways, maneuvering and diverting troops, entangled with the main force of Chen Su's army; Prevent the People's Liberation Army from gaining a foothold in the Central Plains. Chen Yi and Su Yu decided to adopt a new combat deployment. In addition to using a force to continue the task of opening up and expanding the liberated area, they would concentrate the main forces of six columns to launch assault battles on the Longhai Road and Jinpu Road in order to weaken the enemy's mobility and break through North-south and east-west traffic created conditions for maneuver operations in the vast areas of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu.They formed 6 columns and the Henan, Anhui and Soviet Independent Brigades into 3 corps respectively, together with 150,000 migrant workers in the liberated areas on both sides of the railway, and launched a massive attack from mid-October to mid-November. In this Longhai and Jinpu battle, more than 11,000 enemies were wiped out, more than 200 kilometers of the Longhai Railway were destroyed, the enemy's traffic lifeline was cut off, and the enemy's strategically important Xuzhou was threatened.At the same time, the troops charged with the task of opening up new areas fought repeatedly, wiped out more than 10,000 enemies, captured 24 county towns and vast rural market towns, and mobilized the masses extensively to carry out land reform and establish people's political power, making the Henan, Anhui, and Soviet liberated areas by three The partition quickly expanded to 6 partitions. On November 8, Chen Yi left the Huaye command organization, first went to the Huaye rear base to inspect the work, then went to the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Central Bureau to discuss logistics and supply issues, and was later ordered to report to the Central Working Committee of Xibaipo and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in northern Shaanxi. . The attack of the three armies of Liu Deng, Chen Su, and Chen Xie did disrupt the Kuomintang army's defense of the Central Plains. Chiang Kai-shek hurriedly summoned Defense Minister Bai Chongxi. Chiang Kai-shek said to Bai Chongxi: "Jiansheng, you set up the forward command post of the Ministry of National Defense in Jiujiang. Under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense, you will take charge of the military and political power in the five provinces of Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, and Jiangxi, and command the battle against Liu Bocheng." Bai Chongxi didn't refuse or refute, but put forward a condition: "The Central Plains soldiers will be commanded and mobilized by me. Otherwise, please be smart." Chiang Kai-shek replied happily: "Okay! The Central Plains soldiers will be commanded and mobilized by you." Bai Chongxi had his own plans. Since he was asked to come out to solve the Dabie Mountain issue, he also wanted to take the opportunity to seize military power and capture Chiang Kai-shek's direct troops into his hands. Bai Chongxi set up a forward command post in Jiujiang, and ordered the mobilization of 33 brigades to carry out a comprehensive siege to Liu Deng's army in the Dabie Mountains; at the same time, 11 brigades were used to deal with Chen Su's army, and 22 brigades were used to defend the Longhai and Pinghan lines gist. The front lines of Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu, the headquarters of the East China Field Army. Deputy Commander Su Yu learned that Chiang Kai-shek ordered Bai Chongxi to command the battle against the Dabie Mountains, and Bai Chongxi dispatched information on the attack on the Dabie Mountains by 33 brigades, and was studying the next battle plan with Chen Shiju. Chen Shiju stared at the map and said sarcastically: "Chiang Kai-shek is cutting flesh to mend sores." "It hurts to cut flesh, and it's uncomfortable to mend sores. Sores can't be healed well." Su Yu was confident, pointing to the map and said: "The reason why the Kuomintang can continuously mobilize soldiers to besiege the Dabie Mountains is that it has railway lines as a rapid If the means of transportation destroys the main railway line, it will also weaken the enemy's ability to maneuver and divert troops, thereby achieving the goal of destroying the Kuomintang army's encirclement and suppression of the Dabie Mountains or carrying out other attacks. We should quickly adjust the deployment of our various ministries and concentrate our forces In the area near the two main railway lines of Longhai and Pinghan, which are controlled by the Kuomintang." Therefore, Su Yu sent a telegram to the Central Military Commission on December 8: "In order to directly cooperate with the Dabie Mountains, we must immediately turn to the Xu (Chang) and Zheng (Zhou) sections of the Ping-Han Line, or attack Kaifeng, so as to mobilize the enemy on the southern line." Mao Zedong and other leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China paid close attention to the development of the situation in the Central Plains. As soon as they received Su Yu's telegram, they conducted detailed research and decided to cooperate with the Chen Su and Chen Xie armies in the battle. On February 9th, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China instructed Su Yu: "It is appropriate for the Su Department to attack the Zhengxu section of the Pinghan Dynasty and cooperate with Chen Xie to attack the Xuxin section. After the Zhengxu battle is over, the seal will be opened and the Zhengzhou, Longhai, and Zhengzhou will be completely destroyed. Lan Feng Duan seems to be convenient." Su Yu immediately convened the members of the headquarters, conveyed the spirit of the central government's instructions, and decided after research that the troops under his command would be divided into three corps, and cooperate with the Chen Xie Group to carry out the Battle of Pinghan Road.As planned, each unit started a major attack on the wide fronts of Pinghan and Longhai Roads. The first column was led by Ye Fei, with the cold cloak, marched west all the way, successively conquered Shuicheng, Guoyang, Boxian, Luyi, Zhecheng and other vast areas, and repelled the enemy's reorganization in Fanjiaqiao, Muyangzhuang, Guangwu Temple and other places The troops of the 5th Division and the 75th Division followed and entangled, and arrived at Zhuxian Town, an important place south of Kaifeng, on December 11. On the 12th, the first column conquered Zhuxian Town in one fell swoop, and took advantage of the victory to capture the nearby Bagang Town, eliminating the local stubborn armed forces. On the 13th, according to the order of Huaye Qianzhi, the column launched a raid on the Zhongmu-Baisha section of the Longhai Line, and captured Zhongmu City in one fell swoop, cutting off the lifeline of the enemy's east-west transportation again.Subsequently, the column entered the Wangchuan area to gather and stand by. The third column, led by He Yixiang and Ding Qiusheng, rushed from the Shuicheng area to Pinghan Road, overcame the obstacles of the Yellow River flooding area, and arrived in the Xiaozhao area north of Xuchang on December 12. The focus of the third column's combat mission is to attack Xuchang. Xuchang's status is very important. It is located in the middle of Pinghan Road. It is a historical ancient city. Since the Three Kingdoms period, it has become a place for military strategists to fight for.Today, it has become an important base for Chiang Kai-shek's Central Plains battlefield.Capturing Xuchang will not only cut off the enemy's logistical supplies, but also supplement ourselves and the Pinghan Road.However, due to the strong city of Xuchang, surrounded by moats, bunkers, and heavily guarded by the enemy, it is really not easy to capture. On the evening of December 12, in a simple private house, the commander of the third column He Yixiang, political commissar Ding Qiusheng, deputy chief of staff Ma Guansan, director of the political department Liu Chun, etc. studied in detail the task of destroying the railway. The 8th Division, which was the main offensive task, started the attack on the periphery of Xuchang as planned.The 22nd Regiment of the division captured Xuchang Nanguan with a battalion, the 23rd Regiment captured Xiguan, and the 24th Regiment captured Beiguan with a company, basically controlling the periphery of Xuchang and surrounding Xuchang City.Since then, the division has strengthened its reconnaissance and control of the enemy's situation in Xuchang City. Just as the commanders were analyzing and studying the combat plan, the reconnaissance troops sent by the 8th Division captured a prisoner outside Xuchang City, and found out from him the basic defense situation of the Kuomintang army in Xuchang City. It turned out that there were more than 8,000 people stationed in Xuchang, including the remnants of the 1st Cavalry Brigade of the Kuomintang, the reorganization of the 26th Division Special Service Battalion, the reorganization of the 115th Regiment of the 40th Division, the Division Special Service Battalion, and the local security team.After the enemy learned that the People's Liberation Army was approaching, they were strengthening their fortifications and preparing to hold on. Wang Jiwen, the commander of the 8th Division, immediately called and reported this important situation to Commander He Yixiang of the column. He Yixiang was very happy when he heard this, and immediately asked the 8th Division to take the enemy prisoners to the location of Zongzhi for further inspection. about the situation. According to the enemy situation provided by the captives, only the 8th Division was insufficient to attack Xuchang.After exchanging opinions with political commissar Ding Qiusheng, He Yixiang and Ding Qiusheng decided to revise the original plan and besiege Xuchang with the main force of the 7th and 8th divisions at the same time. On the night of December 14th, three green flares were fired over Xuchang City, followed by rumbling cannons, gunshots and shouts of killing resounding through the sky.The commanders and fighters of the attacking troops of the 7th and 8th divisions bravely launched a general attack on Xuchang defending the enemy. The commanders of the third column, such as He Yixiang, were in an extremely restless mood. They either stood outside the command post, listening to the rumbling gunfire, watching the progress of the battle, or sitting by the telephone, waiting for the news of breaking through Xuchang. "The 8th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 23rd Regiment has broken through the wooden bridge and blasted open the west gate. The troops are developing an attack from the west gate to the city, and the 24th Regiment is following up." Commander He Yixiang and others finally got the 8th Division. Teacher Wang Jiwen's report. "Good fight, the 8th company fought well!" Commander He said excitedly, and instructed Commander Wang Jiwen: "Now we must quickly and resolutely attack in depth with all our strength. Please call the 22nd Regiment at the South Gate. Follow up from Simon." Immediately afterwards, He Yixiang wanted to call the 7th Division again, and asked He Jian, the commander of the 7th Division, to order the main force of the 21st Regiment at the north gate to quickly follow up from the west gate, fight eastward along the north city wall, and cooperate with the 8th Division to carry out street fighting. Expand the results of the battle and annihilate the stubborn defenders. The 21st Regiment of the 7th Division was transferred west immediately after receiving the order. After arriving at the west gate, Zhou Yaocai, the deputy political instructor of the 6th company of the regiment, commanded the assault squad to climb the city wall from the west gate, reconnaissance and fight while fighting from the northwest section to the northeast corner. They went down to more than 200 small bunkers and bunkers in the enemy's city, captured more than 300 people, seized 9 machine guns, more than 200 rifles, and 3 American-made anti-aircraft guns, and there were no casualties in the whole squad.In addition, a part of the 21st Regiment also captured the enemy's field artillery position and captured 6 field artillery. The Battle of Xuchang ended around 12 noon on the 15th. More than 8,000 defenders were wiped out, more than 70 artillery pieces of various types, nearly 100 cars, and a train full of ammunition were seized, and several large military supply warehouses were taken over.These trophies became important supplies for the Huaye Outline Corps, making the unit even more powerful in subsequent battles. When the People's Liberation Army broke the road and besieged Xuchang, the enemy defenders in Xuchang City once again called for emergency to Nanjing. Chiang Kai-shek was reported to be restless, fearing that the Ping-Han Line would be cut off and destroy his plan to "encircle and suppress" Liu Deng in the Dabie Mountains, so he urged the 5th Army and the 75th Army The division went west for reinforcements desperately.However, it was blocked by the sixth and eighth columns of Huaye in the area north of Zhecheng and Taikang, and the attempt was shattered. The fourth column disregarded the enemy's aircraft attack and crossed the Yellow Flood Area. On the 14th, it wiped out the 1st Brigade of the Kuomintang Cavalry and a regiment in Guantingzhai, and wiped out more than 1,200 Xinzheng defenders. Song Shilun and Liu Peishan commanded the Tenth Column and the Eleventh Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army to attack the Kaifeng and Liuhe sections of the Longhai Road.The Tenth Column captured Lanfeng on the 15th, wiped out more than 2,000 defenders, and occupied Luowangzhai Station. On the 22nd, it completely wiped out the 5th Brigade of the 24th Division in Liuhe.So far, 13 counties have been captured.Controlled and destroyed 185 kilometers of railways, wiped out more than 16,800 people from the Kuomintang army and security regiment, and captured 13,000 people under the deputy commander of major general security and major general brigade commander. The actions of the People's Liberation Army to control the Xinzheng and Luohe sections of Pinghan Road did not make the Kuomintang army give up its plan to besiege the Dabie Mountains.原在豫西的第5兵团司令官李铁军率整编第3师（欠1个团）、第20师沿平汉路先后北援，并令郑州的整编第4l、第47师南下，试图南北对进，打通平汉路。 粟裕当即奉令南下，与陈赓及其率领的部队会师，于12月25日对刚抵西平以南之祝王寨、金刚寺地区的第5兵团部及整编第3师发起猛烈进攻，全歼第5兵团部及整编第3师共9，600余人。俘兵团少将参谋长李英才、少将副师长路可真、少将旅长雷自修、谭家范等，兵团司令官李铁军率数十骑突围逃脱。国民党军打通平汉路的企图未能实现。 国民党军整编第20师抵确山以北地区，得知整编第3师已被全歼，忙于28日缩回确山固守。粟裕率部和陈谢集团第四纵队随即围攻确山，严重威胁国民党军进攻大别山的重要补给基地信阳。这就迫使国民党军不得不从大别山抽调整编第9、第l0、第11师等13个旅的兵力回援平汉路。 鉴于调动敌人的目的基本达到，确山短时间内难以攻克，陈谢集团于31日主动撤围转移漯河西南地区，西线兵团第三、第四纵队转移沙河以北休整。至此，平汉路战役结束。 从12月13日至31日，陈粟、陈谢两路大军歼敌4.5万余人，破路400余公里，斩断了国民党军事运输大动脉平汉路南段，夺取了国民党的屯兵基地许昌、漯河、驻马店等重要城镇，并再次破击了陇海路，孤立了国民党河南省府开封，严重威胁国民党战略指挥中心郑州，打乱了国民党在中原的军事部署，使国民党军围攻大别山的计划未能实现。同时使豫皖苏、鄂豫皖和鄂豫陕三大解放区连成一片，与刘邓大军靠拢在一起，创造了集中兵力打大仗的成功战例，并为进一步集中兵力打大歼灭战创造了有利条件。