Chapter 11 The tenth chapter builds momentum and fights, Liu Deng's army wins the Central Plains

The snowy Dabie Mountains are all white, and everything in nature is covered in ice and snow.However, those holly pines and cypresses that took root and embraced the mountains heard the sound of rushing water at the bottom of the frozen soil, smelled the breath of spring, and felt the surge of spring. February 24, 1948, Lantern Festival. That night, Deng Xiaoping will lead the "Front Finger" to Weizhai and join forces with the "Hack Finger". As early as February 7, the Central Military Commission requested Liu Deng to lead the headquarters and the main force of the field army to move out of the Dabie Mountains and enter between the Huaihe River, Longhai Road, Shahe River, and Funiu Mountain, and set up a command center on the southern line to uniformly command the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Army. The Field Army and the East China Field Army Chen (Shiju) and Tang (Liang) Group launched the Central Plains Operation.

On February 9th, which was the eve of the New Year's Eve, Deng Xiaoping called the Central Military Commission: In order to deal with the enemy's brutal mopping up and deploy the main force after the transfer, the main force of the field army must stay in the Dabie Mountains and fight the enemy in a circle. On February 22, Deng Xiaoping deployed work after the transfer of the main force in the Dabie Mountains, and demanded that preparations be made to counter the "clearance and suppression". Then, in the name of the Central Plains Bureau, he issued the "Instructions on Launching Guerrilla Warfare", requiring that after the transfer of the main force, the troops of the military region and The local armed forces should independently maintain the Dabie Mountains strategic position with more extensive and active guerrilla warfare.

After everything was arranged properly, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping reluctantly turned out of the Dabie Mountains. No one doubts that the foothold planted by Liu Deng's army here will never waver again! At this time, Liu Bocheng was already waiting in the field outside Weizhai Village.He was wearing a gray cotton-padded coat dyed with straw ash, which was made by himself in the Dabie Mountains, and some parts were worn white.People also look old.But he wears a belt around his waist, a military cap on his head, neat clothes and full of energy. Behind Liu Bocheng were two long lines of welcome teams.Liu Bocheng was pacing, his eyes fixed on the front. Although 75 days and nights is not a long time, it was the longest parting between Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping after all.

"Commissar Deng is here!" a soldier shouted.In the night, the horseshoes rattled. Liu Bocheng couldn't see clearly, so he took a few steps forward, stopped, and suddenly strode forward. Deng Xiaoping jumped off his horse and ran towards Liu Bocheng. The two hands were clasped tightly together. Language seems superfluous, and two pairs of clenched hands contain all the emotions.Time froze at the moment when these hands were held together. After a long time, Deng Xiaoping looked at Liu Bocheng's wrinkled face and silver-white hair, and said heavily: "Commander, you have more gray hair."

Liu Bocheng said humorously: "It's nothing. This time I have to deal with Chiang Kai-shek and Bai Chongxi when I come out of the mountain." After finishing speaking, Liu Bocheng looked Deng Xiaoping up and down: "Commissioner Deng, you... have lost weight." Deng Xiaoping smiled: "In short, we are all still alive. This is the most troublesome problem for Chiang Kai-shek." Liu Bocheng laughed heartily: "I remember when I entered the Dabie Mountains, I said that I, Liu Bocheng, don't want to die yet. I still want to keep one eye open and try to see who wins the battle in the Central Plains. Now, this day is not far away."

The troops who turned from the Dabie Mountains were crying.Strictly speaking, if it weren't for them still marching aggressively and neatly, it would be difficult to call it a "troop".The homemade cotton padded clothes are cracked, revealing the cotton with cotton seeds; the cotton cloth dyed with grass ash and tree sap has long faded, showing the "original shape" of red, green and flowers... Ragged clothes, haggard face, disheveled hair, beard like weeds, like a group of mighty "beggars".Behind this image lies the fact that before entering the Dabie Mountains, that is, in July 1947, the strength statistics of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army when they went out:

32,357 people in the first column, 31,000 people in the second column; 26,468 people in the third column; 26,322 people in the sixth column; 6,370 people directly under the Field Army, A total of 122,517 people went south. Persisting in the Dabie Mountain struggle until November 29, 1947, the Field Army Command reported its strength statistics to the Military Commission: 23,000 people in the first column; 19,000 people in the second column; 24,000 people in the third column; 22,000 people in the sixth column; 3,000 people directly under the Field Army; A total of 91,000 people. At this time, there were 31,517 fewer staff than before going south.

After the main force transferred out of the Dabie Mountains, the strength without supplementation: 15,363 people in the first column; 11,627 people in the second column; 15,384 people in the third column; 14,280 people in the sixth column; Excluding the team directly under the Field Army, there are still 56,654 people left. When the main force moved out of the Dabie Mountains, a group of troops from the military region and personnel dispatched to carry out local work were left behind, more than 10,000, even if this number was added, it would be less than 70,000. From a mighty 120,000 army to less than 70,000 horses, there is no need to give more examples and express more emotions.This cold number alone is enough to make people appreciate the hardships, hardships, bravery and sacrifices made by Liu Deng's army in order to realize the great strategic turning point.

From attacking Longhai to crossing the Yellow River in the south, from fighting in Southwest Shandong to rushing to cross the Ruhe and Huaihe Rivers, and then to the strategic launch of the Dabie Mountains and the anti-encirclement campaign, the commanders and fighters of Liu Deng's army stained the land of the Central Plains with blood, and also brought the national war from defense to war. attack. The blood is not shed in vain, and the sweat is not in vain. The season has entered March, and the wind in northern Shaanxi is still hard and cold.It snowed for two days in a row, and in the evening it suddenly cleared up, but the strong wind didn't stop, rolling up ice-like snow particles and whistling all over the sky, rushing towards the window lattice of the cave dwelling.

Mao Zedong's cotton-padded jacket was patched. He unbuttoned his collar, pulled down the scarf around his neck, held his hand around his waist, and held a cigarette in the other. His face was illuminated by the light, and he looked away from the telegram on the desk. The telegram was sent by Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping on February 12.In the past month, Mao Zedong read and read, unable to let go, and repeatedly studied the above content. The telegram said: Mao Zedong once again drew a thick line under the word "Xiangxi" with a red pen, took a puff of cigarettes, his face shimmered, and said to himself: "It's better to go west."

By the beginning of 1948, following the failure of the siege of the Dabie Mountains, Jiang's army had also suffered serious blows on other battlefields across the country.In order to cope with the increasingly fierce offensive of the People's Liberation Army, Chiang Kai-shek had to shrink the front line, changing from comprehensive defense to focused defense.In addition to attempting to continue to defend the Northeast and North China, for the Central Plains battlefield where life and death are at stake, we have tried our best to gather heavy troops to establish a key defense system: in the Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu areas between Jinpu, Longhai, and Pinghan, there is Gu Zhutong of the Xuzhou Command of the Army Headquarters. There are 17 reorganization divisions; there are 16 reorganization divisions of the Bai Chongxi Department of the Jiujiang Command Center of the Ministry of National Defense in the Dabie Mountains, Jianghan, and Tongbai areas; there is 1 reorganization division of Hu Zongnan of the Xi'an Sui Department in the Tongguan and Luoyang sections of Longhai Road.A total of 34 reorganized divisions totaled 540,000 people, accounting for about one-third of the combat troops of the Kuomintang army at that time.These troops are mainly active along the three railway lines of Jinpu, Pinghan, and Longhai, especially focusing on Zhengzhou, Xuzhou, and Wuhan, the hubs of these three lines. The reason why Chiang Kai-shek placed heavy troops on the Central Plains battlefield was determined by the national strategic situation at that time and the special strategic position of the Central Plains region.From July to August of 1947, since the PLA launched a strategic offensive, the front line has been advancing step by step to the areas ruled by the Kuomintang, the liberated areas have been consolidated and developed, and the strength of the PLA has grown day by day.In the Central Plains, the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army leaped thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains, turning the enemy's important but weak strategic rear into a strategic base for the PLA to continue advancing.The People's Liberation Army gallops between the Jianghuai River and the Han Dynasty. In the south, it can advance and retreat the Yangtze River, pinch Nanjing and Wuhan, and deter the center of the Kuomintang's rule;Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek had no choice but to give up his plan to besiege the Dabie Mountains and return troops to consolidate the railway lines and cities above the medium level. A nationwide strategic decisive battle is about to begin. The national war situation is a game of chess.Mao Zedong is like a chess master, with a macro perspective, with the courage of a military strategist, the insights of a statesman, and the romance of a writer, with a wave of his hand, it is like holding the moon for nine days, and he is about to take the second move.This is the second leap forward: Ling Su Yu led Huaye's three columns to cross the Yangtze River southward, directly attack Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi, and lead the liberation war to the rear of the Kuomintang ruled area. Now, Su Yu's army has assembled in Puyang, and is preparing troops for the southward crossing of the river. Looking at the battle situation in the Central Plains, Liu Bocheng decided to adopt the tactics of "pulling one hair and moving the whole body". He first chose Luoyang as the target of attack, so as to mobilize the enemy and cover the main force of the field army to come out of the mountain. Luoyang was the ancient capital of nine dynasties, located in the center of Shaanxi, Jin and Henan provinces, and has always been a battleground for military strategists.At present, it is an important military town on the Longhai Line and a strategic point connecting the Central Plains and the Northwest.Originally, Chiang Kai-shek sent the Pei Changhui Corps of the Xi'an Appeasement Office to guard between Tong (Guan) and Luo (Yang), and sent the 206th Division of the Youth Army to serve as the city defense of Luoyang. At the beginning of March, the Northwest Field Army won a great victory in Yichuan, and Hu Zongnan was in a hurry. Chiang Kai-shek transferred the Pei Changhui Corps back to Xi'an, and ordered the 206th Division to be subordinate to the Zhengzhou Sun Yuanliang Corps.Sun Yuanliang was forced by the Huaye West Corps to approach Xuchang and was busy defending Zhengzhou and had no time to look around. He only sent a small number of troops to Heishiguan in the east of Luoyang to serve as guards.This has resulted in the emptiness of the Zheng (Zhou) Tong (Guan) section of the Longhai Line. Liu Deng seized this favorable opportunity and decisively launched the Battle of Luoyang.The battle was carried out by the Huaye Chen Tang Corps and the Chen Geng Corps. On March 7, the participating troops acted suddenly in the rain.The eighth column of the Huaye Chen-Tang Corps on the right marched towards the east of Luoyang overnight, and occupied the important area of ​​Heishiguan at dawn the next day, preparing to block Hu Lian and Sun Yuanliang's western aid; the third column entered the east and southeast of Luoyang that night, preparing to attack the city .The ninth column of the Chen Geng Corps on the left attacked and occupied Xin'an and other places in the early morning of the 8th to block the possible eastward aid of the Pei Changhui Corps. The fourth column entered the west and south of Luoyang that night, and cooperated with the Huaye Third Column to form a siege of Luoyang. The attack began on the evening of the 9th. After five days and nights of fierce fighting, the fortified city of Luoyang was conquered on the 14th. Nearly 20,000 people from the 206th Division of the Youth Army defending the enemy were wiped out, and the major general Qiu Xingxiang was captured. There was a sudden sound of gunfire at the head of Luoyang City, and Chiang Kai-shek urgently ordered Sun Yuanliang and Hu Lian of Zhengzhou to rescue them quickly.It was a time of continuous spring rain in the mountainous area of ​​western Henan, and Hu Lian's corps trudged through the mud, suffering from wind, cold, hunger and fatigue, and the soldiers complained incessantly.Sun Yuanliang is a well-known "expert" in the preservation of strength in the Kuomintang army. He was afraid that the People's Liberation Army would set up an ambush at Heishiguan, and later he was afraid that Zhengzhou would be empty, so he only sent a small force to the west to bluff. On the 11th, Chiang Kai-shek heard that the east gate of Luoyang had fallen, and urgently ordered reinforcements from all walks of life to speed up their actions.In an attempt to claim credit, Hu Lian led the reorganized 11th division to march, but was blocked by the People's Liberation Army on the front line of Dengfeng, and did not reach the bank of the Yihe River in the southern suburbs of Luoyang until the evening of the 16th, but it was too late.Hu Lian attempted to organize a crossing of the river overnight and implement an anti-encirclement against the PLA's siege troops.However, it has been raining heavily for days, the river has soared, and there is no equipment for crossing the river. After tossing all night, Hu Lian failed to survive one soldier.Wang Yuanzhi, who was the brigade commander of the 11th Brigade of the 11th Division at that time, lamented in his diary: "The Yi and Luo rivers are near Luoyang, and they could have walked anywhere. Unexpectedly, there have been heavy rains and flash floods in recent days... this year is special. Except, if God wants to lose Luoyang to help the Communist army, how can human beings do it." After the Battle of Luoyang, the enemy troops in the Central Plains mobilized frequently and were passive everywhere, and the original strategic layout was disrupted. Soon, such a legend spread in the Central Plains area: It is said that Liu Deng's army came to aspire to the Central Plains when they attacked Luoyang;It means that the dynasty is going to change, and the people are going to sit on the throne! Ding is a kind of vessel used for cooking in ancient times. It is mostly made of bronze. It is round with three legs and two ears, and there are square four legs. "Zhuangzi·Xu Wugui" said: "I can make winter Cuan (sound 'Chang', cook with fire) cauldron and make ice in summer." In ancient times, the tripod was used as a treasure to pass on the country, and it was used as a metaphor for the throne and the emperor's career. "Song Shu Wu Dizhong" said: "Ding Zuo will be prosperous again." This refers to the change of dynasty. The story of aspiring to the top soon spread in the Central Plains.People commented one after another: "Whether it's true or not, legends or other things, but it represents public opinion." Some people say that public opinion is God's will.In short, it has been passed around, in a word, the dictatorship should fall apart, and the time has come for the Chinese Communist Party to lead the people to be the masters of the country. In mid-April, Liu Deng led the Central Plains Bureau and the leadership of the field army into western Henan and gained a relatively stable environment.They seized the opportunity to carry out training and supplementation. On May 9, the Central Committee decided to strengthen the leadership of the Central Plains Bureau, with Deng Xiaoping as the first secretary, Chen Yi as the second secretary, Deng Zihui as the third secretary, and 12 members including Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yi, Deng Zihui, Li Xiannian, and Su Yu as members.And decided to rebuild the Central Plains Military Region, appointed Liu Bocheng as commander, Chen Yi and Li Xiannian as deputy commanders; Deng Xiaoping as political commissar, Deng Zihui and Zhang Jichun as deputy political commissars.The Central Plains Military Region has jurisdiction over 7 military regions including Hubei-Henan, Western Anhui, Henan-Wansu, Western Henan, Tongbai, Jianghan, and Southern Shaanxi.The Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army was renamed the Central Plains Field Army, with seven columns under its jurisdiction, including the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, ninth, and eleventh columns. The strengthening of the Central Plains Bureau and the reconstruction of the Central Plains Military Region marked that the struggle for the Central Plains has entered a new stage. The situation in the Central Plains is developing in a direction that is beneficial to our army.The enemy's Xuzhou "suppressor general" rushed to the Nanjing base camp again and again, shouting that "the battle of Xuzhou is about to start." On July 7, the sky over Xiangfan was scorching hot.On the top of Wanshan Mountain, among the jagged rocks, half-person-high shrubs grow all over the mountain.Eight or nine men in gray and black military uniforms stood here for more than two hours. Eight miles away is Xiangyang City. A man with small eyes and a short stature who looked as strong as a small steel cannon put down the binoculars in his hand and asked the left and right: "What long-range and heavy artillery are there in Xiangyang City?" "Apart from the 82 mortars, the most powerful ones are the 8 chemical mortars." "Well, there is no long-range gun, that's good!" He shook off the sweat on his face, and asked again: "Can the heavy machine gun firepower on the enemy's mountain block our east-west attack road?" "The firepower on several main positions is blocked by the hills below, and we cannot directly block our offensive road. The biggest threats to the offensive road are Pipa Mountain, Zhenwu Mountain, and Wenbi Peak." "Ha! Ha!... Now Kang Ze is in our hands!" He smiled and clapped his hands violently. This person is Wang Jinshan, the commander of the Sixth Column.He was wounded in the Battle of Northern Henan, and just after he recovered from his injury, he received an order to attack Xiangfan. After defeating Luoyang, in order to mobilize the enemy and cover Suyu's army to gather in the Central Plains, from mid-April, the Central Plains Field Army launched the massive Wanxi and Wandong campaigns, which ended in early June.During this period, Su Yu of the East China Field Army led his troops across the Yellow River and went southward on May 31, entering southwestern Shandong.After the battles of Luoyang, Wanxi, and Wandong, and especially the advance of the East China Field Army into the Central Plains, fundamental changes took place in the Central Plains, and the liberated areas of the Central Plains were further consolidated and expanded.Under such circumstances, the enemy had to abandon many medium and small strongholds, and most of the troops were trapped in several isolated strategic locations such as Xuzhou and Zhengzhou.Among its three mobile corps, apart from the main reorganized 5th Army of the Qiu Qingquan Corps in southwestern Shandong, the Zhang Zhen Corps in Nanyang was severely hit, and the main reorganized 18th Army of the Hu Lian Corps in Shahedian and Zhumadian. , busy with coping, has also been considerably weakened.The Kuomintang's defense system in the Central Plains has been fragmented.At that time, the Kuomintang newspapers were in an uproar, and repeatedly exclaimed: "The war between Liangwan and the Central Plains has collapsed, and the situation in the Central Plains has become an unmanageable situation." In order to further develop the Central Plains war situation and cooperate with the main force of the East China Field Army to find and annihilate the enemy in the southwestern area of ​​Shandong and reorganize the 5th Army, the Central Military Commission instructed the Central Plains Field Army to clamp down on the enemy on the southern front. According to this instruction, Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi and Deng Xiaoping decided to launch the Xiangfan Campaign.Judging from the situation of the war at that time, Xiangyang was very important to Chiang Kai-shek.It is the barrier of Sichuan and Shaanxi, the backyard of Wuhan, and the outpost for defending the Yangtze River.If Chiang Kai-shek loses Xiangyang, not only will his rear of Wuhan be threatened, but once our army takes control of Xiangyang, it will be easier to cross Huguang from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River to the south and enter Sichuan and Shaanxi to the west.Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek deliberately sent his most trusted spy chief Kang Ze to Xiangyang as the commander of the appeasement area.Kang Ze is the most famous spy chief under Chiang Kai-shek and a member of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang.During the Second Civil Revolutionary War, Chiang Kai-shek sent him to Germany.After returning to China, he organized a ranger, mutilated the working people in the Soviet area, and massacred countless revolutionaries.After the Anti-Japanese War began, Chiang Kai-shek sent Kang Ze to organize the notorious Three Youth League to engage in terrorist espionage activities. On June 5, the Central Plains Field Army held a column leading cadre meeting in Yingxinzhuang, Nanyang, Henan.Under the shade of thick green trees, the venue looked very lively.As usual, Liu Bocheng sat neatly in the army and sat upright. He looked around with sharp eyes and saw that all the familiar faces had arrived. He asked Deng Xiaoping for a few words in a low voice, and then signaled to Li Da, who presided over the meeting, to announce the opening of the meeting.Li Da briefly explained the content and procedures of the meeting, and then announced: "Commander Liu is now invited to make a report!" After a burst of loud applause, the venue immediately fell silent.The participants originally thought that Liu Bocheng would first summarize the Wandong campaign. Unexpectedly, he talked about the situation and tasks at the beginning: "Comrades, the task of our Central Plains District is to lead the war to the Jiang administration area, and use the enemy's manpower and material resources to destroy the enemy. live force, and turn the area into a base for attacks east, south, and west." Then, he began to analyze the enemy's situation: "Five points in the strategic layout of the enemy's five groups... The Bai Chongxi Group is the last line of defense of its strategic defense, and a breakthrough at this point will definitely collapse. The enemy has three fears: one is afraid of entering the customs, and the other is afraid When crossing the river, there are three fears of entering Sichuan. There are two fears of the enemy in the Central Plains. On the joint defense line of Gu Zhutong, Bai Chongxi, and Zhang Zhizhong, the Hanshui area is its biggest weakness. This place can not only cross the river, but also enter Sichuan, and it is the enemy The joints are irreparable." Immediately afterwards, he made a wonderful description of the terrain: "There are three mountains in the Central Plains (Mount Tai, Dabie Mountain, and Funiu Mountain) and four rivers (Jiang, Huai, He, and Han). We rely on the three mountains to compete in the Central Plains and turn the four rivers into our land. The Yellow River and the Huaihe River have become inland rivers, and they should develop southeast with their backs on the Wudang Mountains. The Baihe and Han River basins are ancient battlefields. Yunyang, Junxian, and Fangxian were assigned to Henan, Shaanxi, Hubei, Nanzhang, Baokang, Gucheng was assigned to Tongbai, and Dangyang, Yuan'an, and Jingmen were assigned to Jianghan, which is the beginning of turning the Han River into our inland river. The Yangtze River will also become our inland river like the Yellow River." Later, he talked about the battlefield situation: "We have three good battlefields: one is Shahe, the other is Western Henan, and the third is Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi. Among the three battlefields, Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi are the best, with the support of Funiu Mountain and Wudang Mountain. There are forward positions in Tongpai and Jianghan, few water fortresses, and no mountains, which are suitable for troop movement and combat. On the enemy side, it is difficult for troops to move because of the obstacles of the Han River, the Yangtze River and Daba Mountain." After this thorough analysis, the field army's next combat direction is very clear. Therefore, Liu Bocheng finally stated his plan: "In the next battle, we will move to Xiangfan and Laohekou, first scout the situation, and then suddenly capture and defend the enemy to encircle and wipe them out." With one order, the troops rushed towards Xinye like an arrow leaving the string. Wang Jinshan, who is known as "Crazy Wang", is not a reckless person. After accepting the mission, he went to the front line to observe the terrain, and analyzed the situation of the enemy and ourselves with Wang Hongkun in detail. After careful planning, he took the periphery of Xiangfan in one fell swoop on July 2. old estuary. On July 4, the Tongbai 3rd division troops surrounded Fancheng on the north bank of the Han River, and the rest of the troops approached Xiangyang along the south bank of the Han River, completing the first phase of the campaign. On July 6, the second phase of the campaign began. Two days later, Wang Jinshan invited Wang Hongkun and several of his brigade commanders.He said: "I want to make an exception, ignore the mountains, and go straight to the west gate from the corridor below the mountain, and attack Xiangyang!" Xiangyang is a famous historical city, built on the hillside, with dangerous terrain.The north of Xiangyang faces Fancheng across the Han River, and the south of the city is surrounded by mountains, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is known as "Xiangyang made of iron, Fancheng made of paper".Military strategists have always believed that if you want to capture Xiangyang, you must first capture Nanshan; if the mountain exists, the city will survive, and if the mountain is lost, the city will perish.Bai Chongxi once sent the 23rd Brigade of the 85th Division to build a large number of fortresses at commanding heights such as Yangku Mountain, Hutou Mountain, and Cross Mountain in the south of the city, condescending and guarding against danger.After Kang Ze took office, he continued to make additions, modifications, and reconstructions, and densely planted mines on major traffic routes, blind spots and open areas to form a solid defense system. He boasted that "Xiangyang is as solid as iron." Wang Hongkun took a deep breath and said nothing.Historically, when attacking Xiangyang, they first seized the mountains and then attacked the city. Xiangyang's natural terrain is a safe way to attack the city. The Nakano headquarters appreciated Wang Jinshan's report on the combat plan of "abandoning the mountains and attacking the city, focusing on Ximen". Liu Bocheng smiled all over his face: "Xiangyang is already in my hands! This Wang Jinshan is really clever!" Chen Yi tapped the table with his fan and said, "This 'Crazy Wang' is still a master at playing dangerous chess!" Nakano immediately called back to Wang Jinshan: "I fully agree with the battle plan. The main force of Bai Chongxi was restrained in the front line of Zhoujiakou; as for Wang Lingyun in Nanyang, the second column has been sent to monitor and block it. It is guaranteed that the reinforcements will not reach Xiangyang within 10 days. The worries for the future can be completely relieved. I hope that according to the plan." Step up the attack." Wang Jinshan moved as soon as he received the order, and the battle arrangement was as follows: The first part of the 17th Brigade captured Pipa Mountain and Zhenwu Mountain, and concentrated its main force on Ximen to implement a major breakthrough; the 18th Brigade was on standby to insert into Dongguan to pinch the enemy; the 16th Brigade was the reserve team; the 12th Brigade in southern Shaanxi and the 3rd division of Tongbai Continue to feign attack on the southern highlands to confuse and contain the enemy. Wang Jinshan ordered the troops not to give up until the Xiangfan campaign was completely won. It would not be considered a complete victory if three tasks were not completed: first, capture ten thousand prisoners; second, capture the chemical artillery; third, capture Kang Ze alive. Li Desheng, the commander of the 17th brigade who slashed the "three passes", served as the commander of the city break.He took the deputy brigade commander all the way to the forefront, and after careful observation, he drew a plan of the bunkers, gun towers, and firepower points on the enemy's city, numbered them, and then divided the tasks according to the attack target and the firearm performance of his own troops. A careful and methodical battle plan came out. Wang Jinshan touched his beardless chin and smiled: "Ha! You Li Desheng are quite scientific!" Li Desheng, who had a broad face, was just in his early 30s at this time, and he replied blankly: "Liu Deng's soldiers!" This remark is very pertinent.Whether it is Wang Jinshan or Li Desheng, their deployment and tactics reflect bravery, fierceness, and accuracy, which is a typical fighting style of Liu Deng's troops. In the scorching midsummer, heavy troops were tightly surrounded outside the city, and the three brigades in Xiangyang City huddled together. Liu Deng's army approached the city, and Kang Ze was struggling in despair. At dinner, Kang Ze, who was in charge of the headquarters of the Yang Family Ancestral Hall, drank half a catty of Laobaigan and was drenched in sweat.The military situation was urgent, so he continuously sent messages to Chiang Kai-shek asking for help, waiting for the stars and the moon, but Chiang Kai-shek only sent a few innocuous telegrams of comfort. Things have come to this point, success or benevolence.Thinking of this, Kang Ze ordered the guards to close the doors and windows, and began to draft a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek: "You should stand up to the training in humble positions, persevere and calm, unite the army and the people, strictly enforce rewards and punishments, and vow to be benevolent if you fail, so as to achieve the mission of standing firm and waiting for help." He looked forward to the arrival of reinforcements in an instant.The more I look forward to, the more anxious I am. Is it really necessary to wait until the "latest" July 20th that the "principal" said in the call?Judging from the current situation, how can Xiangyang City stick to the 20th? The door opened, and Hu Xuexi walked in lightly. "Junzuo, it's very quiet outside the city." Kang Ze said nothing. Hu Xuexi was afraid that something wrong with the commander's heat, so he reached out to push the window. Kang Ze stopped: "No!" He turned around and went to light the lamp again. Kang Ze said again: "No order!" Hu Xuexi was at a loss, Guo Xunqi walked in quickly, and hurriedly said to Kang Ze: "Commander, there is no movement outside the city, it's not good!" Yi Qian, the deputy chief of staff who came in behind Guo Xunqi, echoed: "Could it be that the communist army is going to attack the city tonight?" As soon as the words fell, everyone in the room just felt dizzy, as if the roof was pressing on them.In an instant, the earth rang together, shaking the sky and shaking the earth. Yi Qian shouted in horror: "The city is really under attack!" Guo Xunqi faced the soaring flames outside the window and cursed: "Damn it, I haven't seen this kind of formation before, it's crazy!" Hu Xuexi said: "I was fooled, the Communist bandits attacked Ximen." The huge roar swallowed all sounds. Kang Ze pointed at Hu Xuexi, his lips moved.Hu Xuexi walked up to him and bent down. "Quick! How about asking Simon?" Hu Xuexi waved his hand, leaned into his ear and said, "I can't hear anything, wait for the artillery fire to reduce its momentum before asking." The artillery fire continued for more than 20 minutes, followed by intense machine gunfire. Hu Xuexi finally wanted to call the West City defenders.The city defense is still there, but the situation is very tight. Kang Ze looked at Guo Xunqi, and said in a very tactful tone: "Deputy Commander Guo, look at the two of us, which one should go to Xicheng?" "Of course, of course it's me." Guo Xunqi took Hu Xuexi out of the headquarters and walked to the crossroads. He was shocked when he heard gunshots not far away, and hurriedly contacted Xicheng, saying that a small opening was opened in the west city gate, and some Communist troops came in. There were not many people. ten. Guo Xunqi ordered: "Organize forces and block them with all our might. None of the communist troops entering the city will let them escape." Hu Xuexi asked: "Deputy Commander Guo, why don't you go ahead?" "Go ahead. Once Ximen is breached, it will all be over." Kang Ze was waiting for news at the headquarters when he stumbled into a man.When this person saw Kang Ze was sifting chaff, he cried loudly: "Report to the commander, I should die! Damn it! I lost the cannon, all my cannons! Their people came from somewhere..." The report of the commander of the chemical artillery company was like five lightning strikes, and Kang Ze was stunned at once.This is Kang Ze's trump card against the communist army.How is it possible without chemical cannons?Kang Ze immediately ordered Yi Qian: "Hurry up! Send someone to take it back, and it must be taken back, quick, quick!" Chemical artillery is Kang Ze's lifeblood, and the secret service battalion was ordered to leave.Not only did the chemical artillery not be taken back, but even the secret service battalion was "taken" in. Guo Xunqi and Hu Xuexi hurried back to the headquarters. "Ximen is finished." Guo Xunqi seemed to have exhausted all his strength and slumped on the chair. Hu Xuexi contacted Nancheng by phone, at first he said he couldn't stand it anymore, but when he tried again, the call was cut off. Except for the scope of the headquarters, everything outside is unclear.Kang Ze asked the guards to light the lamps, and with trembling fingers drew an urgent telegram, and distributed them to Chiang Kai-shek, Gu Zhutong, and Bai Chongxi: "Xiangyang has fallen, I have tried my best, and now I am still concentrating the last strength to stick to the core fortifications, waiting for help!" Kang Ze was disheartened: help!aid!aid!Everyone said to come to help, but no one sent reinforcements to arrive, so what's the use of asking and urging?He sneered, and stretched out the telegram he had just drafted to the candlestick. Guo Xunqi said: "I will go to the watchtower to command!" The seat of the headquarters is an old-style ancestral hall with no adjacent houses on all sides. There are very strong two-story watchtowers at the four corners, and a stronger three-story main watchtower in the center of the compound.The residences of the commander and deputy commander are connected with the central watchtower by tunnels.Kang Ze thought this secret tunnel was the safest, so he wanted to enter the tunnel.Before leaving, he asked the guards to find him a steel helmet. All the four gates of Xiangyang City broke through, and the sixth column received instructions from Liu Deng: "Kang Ze can only be captured alive, he cannot be carried, he must be alive!" Wang Jinshan said to the brigade commanders: "Kang Ze is a member of the Central Standing Committee of the Kuomintang and the chief of the top secret service. The information, secret messages, and codes obtained from him are extremely valuable. We must capture Kang Ze alive. Not even a piece of paper can be missed!" At dawn, Hu Xuexi, who hadn't closed his eyes all night, said to Guo Xunqi with a broken expression: "I just went to the top of the watchtower to see that white sheets were hung on the city wall and several strongholds in the city. We are completely finished, and only this slap-sized man is left." A piece of..." Guo Xunqi didn't answer, walked to the main hall of the commander's capital, and shouted to the troops guarding the headquarters: "Brothers! Our reinforcements will be here soon. Anyone who takes up a gun to defend the headquarters will be rewarded with a coupon of 100,000 yuan." .” He brought a large box of newly printed gold coupons and opened the box in public.At the beginning, the points were returned, and later they were simply let everyone take them casually. Kang Ze came out of the tunnel wearing a helmet, frowned in disgust, and went straight into the main hall. A telegram from Chiang Kai-shek came: My brother has never been in a big battle, but this time he is fighting against a superior enemy in Xiangyang, which can test his courage. Kang Ze didn't say a word, and ran towards the tunnel. The artillery fire of the attack was not too intense at the beginning, but it was overwhelming in a while.There was a pause in the sound of artillery, and the communist army shouted from all directions. The soldiers who were resisting were completely shocked by this momentum.The entire headquarters was shaken, and the morale of the army completely collapsed.One officer took off his hat and shouted: "We want to surrender! We can't die for them. Damn, they get rich and enjoy life in Nanjing. What are we doing?" Hundreds of people responded, "We want to surrender! We won't fight anymore!" As soon as the voice fell, someone in the yard shouted: "The Communist Army has entered the yard!" Kang Ze and others ran away.As soon as they got into the headquarters, Guo Xunqi and others were captured alive by the People's Liberation Army swarming in. Groups of enemy soldiers who put down their weapons walked out of the watchtowers and tunnels with their hands raised, but there was no Kang Ze. The head of the 54th Regiment, who led his troops into the headquarters, was in a hurry: "Kang Ze must be caught. If the spy leader cannot be caught, it will not be considered a complete victory. Find him! Dig three feet and find him!" The hidden places and tunnels of the headquarters were searched inside and out several times, but Kang Ze was still not found. Finally, by rummaging through the corpses, Kang Ze was found among the piles of dead people in the tunnel.In the light of dusk, the commanders and fighters looked carefully and saw that the American general's uniform was covered with blood and mud, his head, face, hands, feet were also covered with mud and the blood of the dead.The traces of smearing are very obvious, which is really a fool. Kang Ze lay there motionless, unable to push. The commanders ordered Kang Ze to stand up, but Kang Ze refused to stand up.A soldier was very angry and shouted loudly: "You big spy chief, don't pretend to be dead. If you don't get up again, I will beat you!" As soon as Kang Ze heard that he was going to be beaten, the hero didn't want to suffer the immediate loss, so he got up and murmured, "I surrender! I surrender!" Seeing his blood-stained, inhuman and ghost-like appearance, PLA soldiers brought a basin of water for him to wash.When Kang Ze saw the water, he picked up the basin and drank it. After the Battle of Xiangyang, Huaye launched the Battle of Jinan, connecting the three strategic areas of East China, North China, and Central Plains.The two main forces, Nakano and Huaye, completely controlled the initiative in the Central Plains and East China battlefields.The Central Plains is on the eve of complete liberation. So far, in the competition in the Central Plains, it has been decided who wins the game. The success stories from the front line were frequent, and Mao Zedong was very excited. He gestured and said: "The war of liberation is like climbing a mountain. Now we have crossed the slope and climbed the top of the mountain. The most difficult stage is over, and a new turning point in the war situation has arrived!"