Chapter 111 When the war was tense, Peng Dehuai returned home

The battle situation is changing rapidly.Since the fourth battle, the offensive and defensive situation has been turned upside down, and the offensive and defensive momentum has also changed. First, the U.S. military has launched an offensive, and it is attacking across the board; Second, the U.S. military can also defend. Under such circumstances, if we continue to fight according to the original tactics, we will suffer a big loss, and the enemy must change and we must change. how to change? Still have to talk to Commander Mao Zedong. On February 16, when the battle situation was tense, Peng Dehuai urgently called Mao Zedong, requesting to return to Beijing to report on strategic issues.

On February 19, Peng Dehuai returned to the headquarters of the Volunteer Army, and after explaining his work to Deputy Commander Deng Hua, he prepared to report back to China. On the evening of the 20th, he drove northward in a jeep. On the way back to China, the story of Peng Dehuai's dangerous crossing of the Datong River became a good story among the generals of the volunteer army. Yang Feng'an, Peng Dehuai's secretary, described this unforgettable scene. On the evening of February 19, 1951, Secretary Yang and Mr. Peng traveled northward in a jeep and arrived at the Datong River.

The river is full of ice floes, making it difficult to cross the river. Peng Dehuai asked: "Staff Yang, what's the best idea?" Secretary Yang said helplessly: "There is a way that there must be a road before the car goes to the mountain, but now we have no bridge when the car goes to the riverside..." Mr. Peng said: "Didn't the bridge be destroyed by enemy planes? You can see that the Datong River Iron Bridge in the distance is only a skeleton." While speaking, the enemy plane flew over the Datong River again.Several flares were dropped, illuminating the surface of the river like daylight, and they continued to shoot and drop bombs blindly.

How to cross the river? In anxiety, Mr. Peng pointed with his finger and said, "There are people crossing the river over there." They saw a team of volunteer soldiers sending bags of grain to the large ice floes on the river, and then went down the river, using the ice floes instead of ferries. Mr. Peng walked over and said to the volunteer soldiers transporting food: "You have worked hard, you use the ice platoon as a boat!" The soldiers said: "It's not hard, it's fully automatic, drift along the river for a while, and then you will reach the other side. Someone will pick you up there, and you will move the supplies to the other side when you reach the other side."

Mr. Peng said: "Okay, let's cross the river by ice raft." Secretary Yang said, "This is too dangerous!" Mr. Peng said: "Soldiers are the profession of the brave. As long as we choose the big ice floes, we can float across the river without any problem." Secretary Yang said anxiously: "You are the commander, your safety is related to the overall situation!" Mr. Peng said: "Commanders and soldiers are equal, and they must have the revolutionary spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death, and disregard life and death in order to overcome difficulties."

Mr. Peng asked the driver to drive the jeep onto a large ice floe, and the ice drifted slowly along the river.When the flow reached the opposite bank downstream and touched the ice on the bank, the driver drove ashore. After crossing the river, Mr. Peng said humorously: "We are a rebel army, walking on behalf of the heavens, and the old dragon king will also escort us to protect us from crossing the moat!" After all, he laughed. Later, when Secretary Yang told the matter to Deputy Commander Deng Hua and Deputy Commander Hong Xuezhi, they were astonished as if they were hearing a thrilling story.

Peng Dehuai returned to Beijing, and Mao Zedong waited at Xinliu's residence. After the two met, Mao Zedong learned that Peng Dehuai hadn't had lunch yet, so he asked him to eat first.He also said that if Boss Peng did not eat, he would not listen to the report. Peng Dehuai went to the cafeteria, took a few mouthfuls of food in a hurry, and then came to explain the situation on the Korean battlefield to Mao Zedong in detail. After listening to the detailed report, Mao Zedong pondered for a while and made two comments: First, the central government is very concerned about the plight of the volunteers on the Korean front;

Second, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea can be won quickly if it can be won quickly, and if it cannot be won quickly, it will be won slowly. This is what Peng Dehuai wanted when he returned to China this time. This time Peng Dehuai returned to China to report, which deepened Mao Zedong's understanding of the war against the United States and aiding Korea.Since then, the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea established the concept of protracted warfare. This time, President Peng also specifically reported Mao Anying's sacrifice to Mao Zedong.