Chapter 7 Chapter 6: The Enemy Is Now, Everyone Will Defend Yan'an with One Heart

In March 1947, Nanjing was cold in spring, and the north wind was bitterly cold.Chiang Kai-shek's heart was as cold as the weather. He was determined to break his face with the Communist Party and was ready to fight with his back.As early as January 30, 1947, he instructed the national government to announce the disbandment of the military trio and the Executive Department of the Beiping Military Mediation Office. On February 27 and 28, he notified the CCP offices in Nanjing, Shanghai, and Chongqing successively It is limited to withdraw all negotiators and staff before March 5, announcing that the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have completely broken down.The U.S., which played a role in helping the tiger, also announced on January 29 that it had ended its contact with the military trio and the Executive Department of the Peking Military Mediation Office, and also withdrew the U.S. military observation team stationed in Yan'an on March 11.

Chiang Kai-shek, together with Bai Chongxi, Chen Cheng and Hu Zongnan, agreed on the combat deployment for Yan'an in Nanjing as follows: use Hu Zongnan to reorganize the 10th and 85th brigades of the 10th division, reorganize the new 1st brigade of the 76th division, and reorganize the 84th brigade of the 17th division. A total of 5 brigades, including the 28th Brigade of the Reorganized 36th Division and the 28th Brigade, served as garrison missions.With the reorganized 1st and 29th armies and the reorganized 15th and 38th divisions each with a total of 15 brigades with 140,000 people, the main attack is from the Yijun, Luochuan, and Yichuan lines to the north.The reorganized 18th, 81st, and 82nd divisions of Ma Hongkui, deputy director of Northwest Xingyuan, and Ma Bufang's divisions, a total of 10 brigades with more than 54,000 people, headed east from Ningxia Yinchuan, Gansu Tongxin, and Zhenyuan. The two brigades of the army, with a total of 12,000 people, cooperated from Yulin to the south to capture Yan'an.In addition, 94 combat aircraft were mobilized, commanded by Wang Shuming, deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force, to take off from Zhengzhou, Taiyuan, Xi'an and other places to bomb Yan'an and northern Shaanxi to assist the army in operations.All the troops were under the unified command of Hu Zongnan, and Hu Zongnan went with the troops. If necessary, Chiang Kai-shek could also go to the front line to guide operations.

This is undoubtedly a murderous battle plan. It includes Hu Zongnan's fame and even Chiang Kai-shek's success or failure.And all of this is in the hands of the Yan'an CPC Central Committee. The top-secret information sent by Xiong Xianghui pushed the work of defending Yan'an to a climax. On March 2, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting and decided to deal with Hu Zongnan's attack by fortifying the walls and clearing the country and actively withdrawing from Yan'an. On the 6th, the Military Commission ordered Chen Geng, Commander of the Fourth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Field Force, Xie Fuzhi, Political Commissar, Wang Xinting, Commander of the Taiyue Military Region, and Sun Dingguo, Deputy Commander, to immediately attack Hu Zongnan's back and occupy Yanxiang, Shanxian County, Mianchi, and Xin'an , Cooperate with the defense of Yan'an. On the 7th, the Military Commission sent a telegram to He Long, hoping to support the shells as much as possible and transport military supplies by car; Build a third line of defense in Jianjian, between Nanniwan and Shisanlipu and the area to the east. On the 8th, the Military Commission called Wang Zhen to lead the second column to the west of Yanshui Pass and gather near Yanchang.

All arrangements were in place, and on the 8th, a mobilization meeting for all walks of life in Yan'an to defend the border area and Yan'an was held. On the day of the mobilization meeting, more than 10,000 people came up to the bank of the Yanhe River. The dark crowd drove the cold air of early spring into nothingness.There were students, farmers, government officials, and school teachers in the crowd. Most of them came here automatically after hearing the news.The 38 caps in the hands of the soldiers, the red cherry guns held by the red kid, the shovels and hoes in the hands of the farmers, and the red flags fluttering in the north wind constitute an extraordinary picture.Since the Long March of the Central Red Army, the activities of defending the border area and defending Yan'an have not stopped. Especially since the late period of the Anti-Japanese War, "defending Yan'an" has gradually become the most frequently used slogan in the border area.

Standing on the rostrum, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai, Lin Boqu and others looked at the tens of thousands of people in the square, and were completely infected by their loyalty and enthusiasm for defending Yan'an.Yes, what a wonderful people!Ten years ago, the Red Army was saved with millet, and then the Eighth Route Army was raised with millet.Now, at the moment of crisis in Yan'an, they hold the most primitive weapons and act as loyal guards of the Party Central Committee.In two months, they donated 8 million shi of grain, rushed to make more than 80,000 pairs of military shoes, and boiled 150,000 kilograms of fire salt.Young adults and even women have joined guerrillas and established militia organizations.Now, the guerrilla has grown to more than 5,100 people, and the basic militia has 15,000 people, and technical training in bombing, shooting, and landmine burying has also been generally carried out.People who did not participate in the guerrillas and militias helped the border troops build defensive positions and rush to repair fortifications... What kind of military-civilian relationship is this?Blood is thicker than water!Are such good people still afraid of Chiang Kai-shek and Hu Zongnan?They are the strongest Great Wall in the border area!

Zhu De and other central leaders felt hot all over, and there seemed to be a torrent surging in their hearts. Looking at the faces covered with dust, several leaders felt a little bit of guilt in their hearts.In Yan'an, I lived with the masses day and night for more than ten years, ate millet porridge, opened caves together, engaged in production together, learned from Marxism-Leninism together, and fought against Japan together.Now that the enemy is here, I have to leave after patting my ass, I can't get through emotionally!At this moment, these few Communist Party members, who had not changed their colors, became emotional. They felt as if something was choked in their throats, and they felt their noses were sore and their eyes were moist.

"But is it okay if we don't go? Hundreds of thousands of enemies are rushing towards us, and we have less than 50,000 people. The ratio of 10 to 1, we can't go! But this is not fleeing, nor is it retreating. Abandon Yan'an now , in order to possess Yan’an forever in the future; the active retreat now is for the next better attack! We will come back, and we will definitely come back!” Zhou Enlai explained clearly the relationship between abandonment and possession, retreat and attack Chu.The villagers under the rostrum also understood the decision of the central government, shouting "We will come back, we will definitely come back" over and over again!

The problem of leaving has been solved, but after leaving, can we win the fight?It is said that he will come back, but can he come back?The villagers still have doubts about this issue and are very worried.You must know that during the more than ten years when the central government has been in Yan'an, the people of Yan'an have built Yan'an into their home to live and work in peace and contentment.Having children and living a comfortable life, I can't bear it!Peng Dehuai's words dispelled the worries of the villagers. Peng Dehuai said: "In 1935, Liu Zhidan had only 3,000 people. Later, Xu Haidong came here, but there were only 3,000 people. In the end, when the Central Red Army arrived here on the Long March, there were only more than 7,000 people. Our three forces plus There are only 15,000 people together, but how many enemies are there?" Peng Dehuai stretched out a finger, stroked the air twice and said: "101 regiments!"

"What kind of concept is that?" Peng Dehuai stretched out three more fingers: "300,000 people!" "300,000 people, comrades! The ratio with us is 20:1. But what is the result? We fought from Guanzhong to Shanxi, and then back from Shanxi, until we hit Ma Hongkui's lair. The defeat was crushing, Zhang Xueliang made peace and went to fight against Japan, Yan Xishan sat in Taiyuan and did not dare to come out, Ma Hongkui lost his troops, even Chiang Kai-shek almost lost his life in Lintong, and we were the ones who rescued them in the end. Now, the enemy's strength is not enough changed, but we are much stronger. Now we have 27,000 regular field troops, plus militias and guerrillas, a total of 50,000 people. In the east, the Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Suilian Joint Defense Army and the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Field Force No. The four columns can also cooperate with us on the outer line. More importantly, we have the Party Central Committee, the wise leadership of Chairman Mao, and the full support of the folks in northern Shaanxi. Do you think we can win?"

As demonstrated by Peng Dehuai's facts, the villagers were already full of confidence, and the answer of "can win" resounded through the sky with one voice. "Yes, we can win!" Peng Dehuai smiled, waving his callused hands and continued: "We won the battle 11 years ago, we won the battle now, and we will win the battle in the future. We not only have to fight back Yan'an, we still have to go to Chiang Kai-shek's lair. From now on, those with guns will take guns, and those without guns will take knives, defend the border areas, defend Yan'an, defend the Party Central Committee, and defend Chairman Mao!"

The rostrum shouted, like a mountain roaring and a tsunami shaking the earth. The dirt streets in Yan'an City are busy, and the work of strengthening the walls and clearing the fields is proceeding in an orderly manner.The wounded in institutions, schools, and international peace hospitals were being evacuated in an organized manner. The villagers led the cows and horses, and buried the last few catties of rice and oil in the ground.They vowed never to let Hu Zongnan get anything. Peng Dehuai and Wang Zhengzhu, deputy director of the First Bureau of the Military Commission, took an American jeep all the way south and went straight to Fu County to check the fortifications.It was March in Yangchun, and everything was recovering.But Peng Dehuai's mood was not as clear as spring.He only felt that black clouds were pressing down on the city, and a storm was coming. During the crisis in Yan'an a few months ago, Peng Dehuai had fully entered the role.Since then, he hasn't had a good meal or a good night's sleep.From the deployment of troops, the preparation of ammunition and food, to the arrangement of the wounded, and the evacuation of the masses, all matters are involved in everything.After repelling Hu Zongnan's attack on Yan'an, they rushed to Lishi, Shanxi Province in mid-December, and gathered He Long, Xi Zhongxun, Li Jingquan, Chen Geng, Luo Guibo and others in Gaojiagou to form a joint operation of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Troops and the Shanxi-Sui Military Region Troops. Joint Operations to Defend Yan'an Conference.Since this spring, as Hu Zongnan's offensive has become more and more fierce, Peng Dehuai has become more and more restless, often working all night long. Looking at the rolling hills outside the car window, Peng Dehuai thought of the battle in Xihuachi again. On the whole, the battle of Xihuachi was not a very good battle.Although 1,500 enemies were wiped out and the Kuomintang major general He Qi was also killed, the casualties of the field army were as high as more than 1,200.In the combat history of our Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia troops, 1,200 casualties is not a small number!What's more, at that time, the strength of the enemy and ourselves was very different. The battle of exterminating 1,500 enemies with 1,200 casualties was not a victory, but a failure, and it could even be said to be a big failure.As soon as the battle was over, Peng Dehuai patted the table: "Playing the piano indiscriminately! If we continue to fight with Hu Zongnan like this, how many times will we have to fight for this little property?" After the table was patted, he still felt angry and reprimanded Zhang Zongxun and Xi Zhongxun After a while.The Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army was very dissatisfied with our army's Xihuachi battle. Zhang Zongxun, Xi Zhongxun and the entire cadres of the 358th Brigade, the New 4th Brigade, and the 1st Police Brigade knew that the battle was not fought well, the enemy's situation was not thoroughly understood, and the opportunity was not seized. The troops suffered heavy losses.As soon as they withdrew from Longdong to Fu County, they held a review meeting. From the commander to every combatant, many of them had to reflect and criticize themselves. When Peng Dehuai arrived in Fuxian County just in time for this review meeting, his anger had dissipated a lot, and his tone of voice was much more relaxed.He said to the battalion-level and above cadres who participated in the review of the 358th Brigade, the New 4th Brigade, and the 1st Police Brigade: "This is our first battle against the enemy's large-scale attack on Yan'an. The Military Commission attaches great importance to it. Chairman Mao said that this battle can not only be delayed. And disrupt Hu Zongnan's plan to attack Yan'an, and we can also attack Guanzhong, threatening Hu Zongnan's attack on the back of Yan'an. Therefore, the central government places great hopes on this battle. You fought bravely and tried your best. It was basically achieved, but the casualties were too heavy, so this battle was not fought well. But it doesn't matter, after this battle, we found out Hu Zongnan's background, and also left a bloody lesson for ourselves, which will be useful for future battles It is beneficial. This is what Chairman Mao said, 'learn war from war'. As long as lessons can be learned, current failures can be exchanged for greater victories in the future." Peng Dehuai's emotional speech touched many cadres and soldiers present here.They all breathed a sigh of relief, and the sadness on their faces gradually dissipated.All of a sudden, the image of Peng Dehuai, who was blowing his beard and staring a few days ago, warmed up in their hearts. Peng Dehuai stopped for a while in Fuxian County, and then rushed to Jinpen Bay, a heavily defended area.This is Peng Dehuai's second visit to Jinpen Bay within 4 months, which shows the severity of the enemy situation and the importance of Jinpen Bay. A few days ago, during the routine reconnaissance of the reconnaissance company of our army teaching brigade, we suddenly found an American jeep in a dense forest near Linzhen. Several people were sneakily taking pictures and drawing maps.The soldiers of the reconnaissance company became alert and rushed over quietly. It turned out that several Kuomintang officers were here to conduct terrain reconnaissance.Soldiers from the reconnaissance company swarmed up, killed one on the spot, and the others fled, but a pile of documents were seized in the jeep, including a "Geography Survey Map of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Army Important Points".On the survey map, a 25-kilometer-wide dense forest area between Linzhen in the east and Fuxian in the west is specially marked with red pens, and various topography and landforms are also recorded.Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan were shocked when they saw it.Because this area is overgrown with thorns and wild grass, the teaching brigade did not take this place as a key defense. "Could it be that Hu Zongnan wants to break through the line of defense from here?" Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan hurriedly reported to the Military Commission.The focus of Peng Dehuai's visit to Jinpen Bay this time is to see this dense forest area. As soon as Peng Dehuai arrived, he got into the dense forest.The teaching brigade has found out that there is a place called Biaojiatai deep in the dense forest.It is said that it was a secret bodyguard station in the Qing Dynasty, and it was very prosperous.Today there are still more than ten families living here, and there are more than ten small roads in and out.Take a small path and climb over two mountains, which is Nanshan in Jinpen Bay.Arriving at Nanshan is equivalent to breaking through the defense line of the teaching brigade, and moving forward can directly approach Yan'an. Peng Dehuai, Luo Yuanfa, and Chen Haihan walked and watched. From time to time, hares came out of the dense forest, and they could hear the howling of wild animals.After flashing through a few nests of thorn bushes, and turning over a few small hills, a sheep intestine appeared in front of my eyes.Go further along the intestines of the sheep, and you will arrive at Biaojiatai. The gut of the sheep that Peng Dehuai walked on was very open. "Fortunately, we captured this topography map, otherwise we would have suffered a big loss. I always thought that people who eat the imperial food can't bear this hardship. Hu Zongnan is really good, so he just found this place. You set up defense here I haven’t found it for so long.” Peng Dehuai said while walking, “By the way, those scouts need to be praised and rewarded. They have made a great contribution!” On the way back, Peng Dehuai told Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan: "Several important mountain passes in this dense forest area need to be defended, and several fortifications need to be repaired quickly. Just in case. I guess, Hu Zongnan lost this military map. , the breakthrough will be re-selected. But no matter what, since it has been discovered that this is a loophole, it must be blocked.” Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan took a notebook and jotted it down for a while. Peng Dehuai's old gray cotton padded jacket had several holes poked by the spikes, exposing the white cotton, but he didn't care, he was still in high spirits and talked non-stop. "The central authorities, schools, and hospitals in Yan'an are being transferred, and the wounded and the masses are also being evacuated. But it will take time. Your task is to delay Hu Zongnan's time as much as possible and cover the safe transfer of the central authorities and the masses. The central government knows your difficulties. It is very big, so I entrusted me to come over to see you and give you encouragement. But it cannot solve your practical problems. The lack of troops, long line of defense, backward weapons, and insufficient ammunition are common problems. We are the only one stronger than Hu Zongnan Yes, our cadres and soldiers can endure hardships and share the same hatred. Therefore, the delay of Hu Zongnan mainly depends on the consciousness and fighting spirit of the officers and soldiers. But you must remember one thing, you must fight skillfully, and you cannot stick to it. Deal with Hu Zongnan in the mountains, trap them in a situation of fatigue and lack of food, and then find opportunities to eliminate them one by one. So you must preserve your strength and avoid exhaustion. This is the key to all problems. The battle of Xihuachi was not fought well, and casualties It’s too tragic. They are holding a review meeting, and hope that the whole army can learn some lessons. We must never forget the principle of Chairman Mao’s "victory with less, victory with weakness"!" Peng Dehuai stopped and looked meaningfully at the sunset glow floating in the western sky. When the evening wind blew, he couldn't help shivering. After standing for a long time, he suddenly turned around and asked, "How many days can you hold on?" Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan were still immersed in Peng Dehuai's previous speech.They felt that Mr. Peng's speech was too rich in content, and there were many things worth recalling.Peng Dehuai asked a question suddenly, but the two of them didn't react for a while. Peng Dehuai stared at them intently, very eagerly, and asked again: "How many days? How long can you last?" "5 days." Luo Yuanfa mustered up his courage, thinking that 5 days was long enough when each soldier had less than ten bullets. But Peng Dehuai was not satisfied. "Seven days, one week! How is it?" Gu Dehuai looked at them eagerly and asked again. Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan stood facing each other without answering immediately. 7 days, this is a heavy burden.But they know that this is an order from their superiors, and it is also an agreement between Mr. Peng and himself. "Okay, 7 days!" After a while, Luo Yuanfa and Chen Haihan answered loudly together, which not only contained the responsibility to the head of the Central Committee and the people of Yan'an, but also contained feelings for Mr. Peng, a highly respected old man. Peng Dehuai nodded straight at them, patted the shoulders of the two for a long while before slowly saying: "It's hard for you!" Hu Zongnan also took Xiong Xianghui's plan to attack Yan'an politically, envisioning a military contest with the Communist Party and at the same time fighting a battle for the masses with the Communist Party.He secretly vowed in his heart that he must make the battle of attacking Yan'an a model of the war to suppress the Communist Party.His so-called model is to win over the masses and use them to fight against the Communist Party.But he didn't know that the masses in Yan'an had united tightly around the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, building an unbreakable copper wall and iron wall. By March 10, the KMT reorganized the 1st Army, the heavy mortar battalion and the artillery unit crossed the Yellow River from Yumenkou and assembled near Yichuan after starting from Yuncheng in southern Shanxi; The assembly has been completed in the Luochuan area; the 3rd Military Region of the Air Force stationed in Xi'an has completed all combat preparations. In addition, the combat aircraft designated by Chiang Kai-shek to participate in the attack on Yan'an have received orders at any time in Zhengzhou, Taiyuan, Wuhan and other places.Deng Baoshan on the northern line, Ma Hongkui and Ma Bufang on the western line are also in place. The Kuomintang is ready for a joint land-air attack on Yan'an. Chiang Kai-shek's determination was to occupy Yan'an before the end of the Four Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Moscow, and to show the international community, especially the United States, that he had an incomparable advantage in the Communist Party, both military and political.However, the U.S. military observation team moved slowly and had not yet withdrawn from Yan'an. Fearing that it would hurt friendly troops, the date of the attack had to be postponed.This made Chiang Kai-shek very anxious. He repeatedly told Hu Zongnan that as soon as the U.S. troops withdrew, they would start attacking across the board. At midnight on March 9, the temperature in Xi'an dropped to several degrees below zero, and ice had formed on the streets.Hu Zongnan wore a special military overcoat and a leather cap, and under the escort of the guards and confidential secretary Xiong Xianghui, he came to Xi'an Railway Station very discreetly, from where he was going to take a special train bound for Tongguan (now Tongchuan) , and then change to a jeep to Luochuan to hold a joint military meeting of land and air generals who will attack Yan'an. The train was not moving fast, and Hu Zongnan sat by the window, looking at the faintly visible mountains outside the window, his heart was surging and his emotions were hard to suppress.Among the first-year students in Whampoa, he can be said to be the most successful one. He became the commander of the 1st Army in 1936, and later served as the commander of the 17th Army and the commander-in-chief of the 34th Army.After the defeat of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi, he led his army east out of Tongguan, and after winning the victory in western Henan, he defeated Tang Enbo, who had lost his city and land, and became the deputy commander of the first theater.Soon after, Chen Cheng, the commander of the same war zone, was ordered to serve in the Military Commission, and Hu became the acting commander of the first war zone as a matter of course. In August 1945, he officially assumed the post of commander of the first war zone. "King of the Northwest". In the eight years of the Anti-Japanese War, Hu Zongnan fought two big battles, the Songhu Battle and the Wuhan Defense Battle, and both ended in failure. Later, he served as Chiang Kai-shek's range captain and led the army to blockade the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region.Chiang Kai-shek quietly placed Hu Zongnan in the Northwest, intending to cultivate Hu Zongnan into a veritable "Northwest King".Now, Hu Zongnan has 34 well-equipped brigades with a total of 250,000 people.It controls parts of Shaanxi, Qinghai, Gansu, Xin and Ningxia and Shanxi in the Northwest, with Sichuan as the rear, modern means of transportation, and sufficient supplies of troops and supplies.With a lot of capital, Hu Zongnan completely became Chiang Kai-shek's military pillar in the Northwest.When Chiang Kai-shek focused his offensive on the Central Plains, Northeast China, and North China battlefields in the early days of the Civil War, Hu Zongnan in the ancient city of Xi'an did not receive much attention.With the changes in the national war situation in the past few months, the status of the Northwest has quickly become prominent, and Hu Zongnan has also come to the table in the Chinese civil war chess game. When they arrived at Tongguan, Hu Zongnan and his party put on homemade military uniforms and headed straight for Luochuan in a shabby-looking jeep.At this time, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Pei Changhui, Deputy Chief of Staff Xue Minquan, and Director of the Political Department Wang Chaofan had arrived earlier and established the "Advance Command Post", with Pei Changhui serving as the director.Chief of Staff Sheng Wen stayed in Xi'an to watch the house and was responsible for the contact between the war zone and the Ministry of National Defense. On the 11th, Luochuan suddenly lost its former excitement.The whole city is under emergency martial law, civilian vehicles are not allowed to pass, and ordinary people are not allowed to go to the streets.The heavily armed KMT sentinels and patrolling patrols at every corner of the street made Luochuan's atmosphere suddenly tense.The fellow villagers hid in the house and did not dare to go out for half a step.At that time, the Luochuan Middle School in the northwest corner of the city was full of Chevrolets and various American jeeps, and the forward military meeting convened by Hu Zongnan himself was going on in a cave dwelling in the middle school. Hu Zongnan was still dressed in the Sanyuan meeting.He sat in the middle of the conference table, and in the two rows were Pei Changhui, Xue Minquan, Liu Guoyun, Commander of the 3rd Military Region of the Air Force, Dong Zhao, Commander of the Reorganized 1st Army, Liu Kan, Commander of the Reorganized 29th Army, and the Staff Office and Communications Division. The commander, the commander of the 7th supply area, the division commanders and chiefs of staff of the troops participating in the war, as well as the chief of the special forces, etc., dozens of people crowded the relatively large cave dwelling. Hu Zongnan did not pace around and give an impromptu speech as usual, but stood straight in the center of the conference table, and issued a combat mobilization order according to the draft prepared by Xiong Xianghui in advance. "Under the chairman's order." After Hu Zongnan finished speaking, he deliberately paused to enhance the seriousness and solemnity of the mobilization order, while the generals present quickly stood up and stood at attention to listen to the chairman's order. "According to the order of the chairman, our ministry will immediately launch an attack on Yan'an. Yan'an is the lair of the Communist bandits, and the capture of Yan'an is of extraordinary significance both in military and political terms. The chairman entrusted me with this glorious mission Department, it is a good opportunity for our department to make contributions to the party and the country, and I hope that everyone here will work hard to make contributions to the party and the country." Every time a meeting is held, Hu Zongnan's opening remarks will be so empty, and the combat arrangements with substantial meaning are usually carried out by other people.This time, it was Xue Minquan who reported the battle arrangement. Xue Minquan walked quickly to the map, picked up a wooden stick, pointed on the map and said: "The regular army of the Communist bandit is guarding the 1st, 2nd brigade and an unknown brigade with a total of more than 20,000 people, plus miscellaneous places. The total number of troops is no more than 50,000. According to reconnaissance, the main force of the regular Communist army is concentrated in Linzhen Town, Jinpen Bay, and Laoshan, and another part seems to be in the vicinity of Yanchang County. The main force of the reorganized 30th Division is still in Shanxi Fen, Yuncheng and other places in the south are responsible for defensive tasks, and one part is in charge of river defense in the area of ​​Hukou and Yumenkou, covering the right side of our army. At the same time, the Ministry of National Defense has ordered Ma Hongkui to attack Qingyang and Heshui to support our army Combat. In combat, except for the aircraft from the 3rd Military Region of the Air Force, the combat aircraft in Zhengzhou, Taiyuan, Wuhan and other places can take off at any time to participate in the battle. The Air Force can have up to 100 aircraft in combat at the same time..." Several generals showed disdain on their faces. The "communist bandits" are just a little bit, is it necessary to mobilize so many teachers?Not to mention hundreds of thousands of ground troops, hundreds of aircraft were also sent to support.Even if the tens of thousands of troops of the "communist bandits" are eliminated and Yan'an is occupied, so what?How significant is a bare Loess Plateau to the national war situation? Hu Zongnan carefully observed everyone's expressions.When returning to Xi'an, Chiang Kai-shek repeatedly warned not to underestimate the enemy, to have a sense of urgency, and to think more about difficulties.At this time, he had already seen the pride of the army commanders, and interjected with a frown: "In terms of the number of troops and weapons and equipment, our army has an absolute advantage. But you can't take the enemy lightly. The Communist bandits are always cunning. Wars often come unexpectedly, this is one; second, the Communist bandits have lived in Yan'an for more than ten years, the terrain is familiar, and the masses have also been reddened, occupying the advantage of a favorable location and harmony; third, our army is here for the first time, and the terrain is unfamiliar, The environment is not familiar, and the soldiers and horses are exhausted, so there will be many difficulties. When I went to Nanjing this time, the chairman taught me that as a general, you should worry more and estimate the difficulties more. The chairman also said that fighting with the Communist army cannot So optimistic, it’s good to think of the bad in everything. I hope everyone here will remember the chairman’s teachings, don’t be proud, and don’t underestimate the enemy. The Third Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee is about to be held, and we have to present our achievements to the Plenary Session.” When Hu Zongnan was having a meeting in Luochuan, a group of American journalists came to Yan'an again, saying that they were going to cover the scene of the withdrawal of the US military observation team from Yan'an.As soon as these young Americans arrived in Yan'an, they became extremely active.All of them have read Edgar Snow's "A Journey to the West", and they have long been curious about the Chinese red that Snow described.After the U.S. military observation team took the plane and left, they were still walking around, looking around, and there was no sign of leaving immediately. Prior to this, Hu Zongnan had agreed with Liu Guoyun that the Xi'an Air Force would start bombing Yan'an as soon as the US observation team withdrew.Now, the U.S. military observation team is gone, but the reporters are still taking pictures and visiting everywhere, and they are also warmly received by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which makes them very troubled.They all know how powerful the reporter is. That mouth and that pen are more troublesome than a division or an army of the enemy.Especially Liu Guoyun, if the reporter publicizes the bombing of Yan'an by his air force after returning home, and add some vinegar, it will be enough to make public opinion go uproarious; The fate of the country is even more embarrassing. As soon as the U.S. military observation team left, Liu Guoyun asked Hu Zongnan if he would postpone it.Hu Zongnan didn't have as many worries as he did. He gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go ahead with the original plan. Damn it, just blow up a few Yankees!" The 3rd Military Region of the Air Force and Hu Zongnan's 1st Theater Command do not belong to the same system, they are parallel organizations. Hu Zongnan's speech to the Air Force generals is not as domineering as he is to his subordinates, and his tone is much more moderate.To a certain extent, Hu Zongnan could not offend the generals of the 3rd Military Region of the Air Force, and had to ask them for everything.However, although Hu Zongnan's tone was very gentle, Liu Guoyun had to listen.In the face of the big situation, no one has to listen to greetings, not to mention the deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force Wang Shuming and Hu Zongnan are classmates in the first class of Whampoa, and their personal relationship is extraordinary. After Hu Zongnan finished speaking, Liu Guoyun frowned and ordered Xi'an Air Force Base to carry out combat missions according to Commander Hu's request.However, behind Hu Zongnan's back, he immediately confessed to Deputy Commander Gong Yingcheng and Chief of Staff Lai Xunyan that during the extension of the event, the American journalists should just throw away the bombs to prevent accidental injury to the American journalists. In the afternoon of the same day, more than ten P-47 and P-40 fighter jets and B-52 bombers took off from the Xi'an Air Force Base of the Kuomintang, making a long-distance raid and carrying out a symbolic air strike on Yan'an. It has been 12 days since Peng Dehuai returned to Yan'an from Jinpenwan and Chafang, and the Kuomintang planes are still circling overhead.On this day, Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Ren Bishi, and Ye Jianying led some central government staff to leave Yan'an first. In addition, Mao Zedong and his group also moved from Zaoyuan to Wangjiaping People's Liberation Army Headquarters. On the way back to Wangjiaping, Peng Dehuai had a solemn expression.The Kuomintang air force has already dropped dozens of tons of explosives, and many places in Yan'an are scarred. There are many bombed houses on the side of the road that are smoking, and the Kuomintang bombers sometimes pass overhead.All this indicates that a fierce battle is quietly coming. In Wangjiaping, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai had just joined together.Zhou Enlai arrived in Yan'an two days before he bid farewell to Meiyuan New Village after receiving an ultimatum from the Kuomintang.It was the first time Peng Dehuai saw him. The two hugged and exchanged a few words of greeting. Mao Zedong looked at Peng Dehuai's funny face in that "unrecognizable" padded jacket and couldn't stop laughing, squinting his eyes and admiring it meaningfully.Peng Dehuai grinned and laughed a few times honestly, and the topic started from here. "Old Peng, your jacket has been caught like this, have you discovered a lot of new things?" Mao Zedong spoke first. Peng Dehuai found a stool and sat down casually, and said: "I went around the various positions, and there is nothing new. But I went to the dense forest to take a look. It's really dangerous, and there are several small roads leading to the mountain. Side. Luo Yuanfa and the others have already made arrangements and made key defenses at several important passes. This is no longer a problem." "How is the overall situation on the southern line?" Zhou Enlai asked. "Officers, soldiers and the masses are very determined to fight. As soon as they hear 'defend Chairman Mao', their enthusiasm immediately rises. The troops are also well prepared, and the fortifications are relatively solid. But there are two problems, one is ideological , Many officers and soldiers couldn’t understand the central government’s withdrawal from Yan’an, and they were unwilling to give up Yan’an. I talked to them, and some comrades made sense, but some didn’t work. Another problem was the weapons and ammunition. The guns have less than 10 bullets, and each gun has less than 20 shells. Luo Yuanfa and the others are quite anxious about this problem. Last time He Long was asked to send the bullets, I don’t know what happened. As for other problems, if they can be solved, I will solve them on the spot If it cannot be solved, call on them to use Chairman Mao's "resolute fighting spirit" to overcome it. They all express their understanding. Now, there are still two outstanding problems to be solved." Peng Dehuai said. "Speak!" Mao Zedong adjusted his sitting posture and said with a big puff of smoke.He knew that Mr. Peng was going to talk about the most critical question. "One is that the evacuation work of the government agencies and the masses in Yan'an needs to be accelerated, and the current speed is too slow. Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, I can't bear to throw it away, and I can't bear to throw it away. I have to take everything away. This is not acceptable. It is not useful. Stay, and the bulky ones also stay. I asked Luo Yuanfa to persist in fighting for 7 days, and he found it a bit difficult. Therefore, the evacuation work must be accelerated. Second, a unified command organization must be established to uniformly command this Yan'an defense battle. Now He Long is still in Shanxi, so I would like to make a suggestion that I will take the lead temporarily. Chairman and Vice Chairman Zhou, do you think it will work?" "I have no objection. What do you think?" Mao Zedong said to Zhou Enlai. Zhou Enlai shook his head to express that he had no objection, and said: "Mr. Peng always stands up in times of crisis, which is really rare!" Peng Dehuai waved his hand modestly, a little embarrassed: "I'm just in command temporarily, and He Long will be in command after He Long returns." Mao Zedong threw away the cigarette butt, swiped his hand in the air, and said: "The situation is urgent, so let's settle it. The troops in the border area are under the command of Commander Peng. We will send a telegram to Commander Zhu, Shaoqi, and Bishi to confirm, and then to the whole country." The army issued a notice to formally appoint him. Lao Peng, you should catch up on the job now. Do you have any requirements?" "No more. Just transfer Zhang Wenzhou from the Northwest Bureau to be the chief of staff, and give a few more staff officers and a few radio stations." Peng Dehuai replied very simply. "That's no problem." Mao Zedong replied very simply. "Then I'll make arrangements now." Peng Dehuai was impatient, and he would do what he said. Mao Zedong stepped forward to hold Peng Dehuai's hand, and said with some emotion: "Old Peng, you are pleading for orders in the face of danger to share the party's worries. Your daring is as bright as the sun and the moon, and your loyalty will last forever! The party and the people will remember you!" Peng Dehuai's cheeks flushed immediately, and he didn't know what to say for a while.