Chapter 10 Chapter 9

On October 2, 1949, the reverberation of the founding gun salute of New China reverberated across the land of China.Our East Route Army, which participated in the liberation of Guangdong, launched an attack on the Yu Hanmou Group according to the scheduled deployment.The Guangdong campaign officially began. The actual battle started on September 23rd.On this day, the 45th Division of the 15th Army of the Advance Division of the 4th Corps, with the cooperation of the 2nd Detachment of Beijiang, the Guangdong-Jiangxi-Hunan border column, launched a raid on Nanxiong, an ancient city in northern Guangdong, and wiped out part of the 186th Division of the 63rd Army defending the enemy. Nanxiong was liberated on September 24.At the same time, under the struggle of the 2nd Detachment of Beijiang, Rao Jimian, the magistrate of Shixing County and head of the county's self-defense corps, led an uprising of more than 1,300 people, and wiped out about two regiments of the 39th Army of the Kuomintang Army.The liberation of Nanxiong and the uprising of the Shiheung Self-Defense Forces caught the enemy by surprise and took the lead, which greatly deterred the defending enemy in Guangdong, and at the same time cleared the way for the 4th Corps to attack Qujiang.

The 4th Corps passed through Dayu in southern Jiangxi (now Dayu) and Rucheng in southern Hunan, and attacked the enemies of Lechang and Qujiang in northern Guangdong.The troops need to cross the five mountain ranges that lie at the junction of the four provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Guangxi.The winding and majestic Wuling Mountains are one of the steepest mountains in southern China.The hardships and hardships encountered by the troops passing through the Wuling Mountains were no less than a fierce battle. Mu Xin, a reporter from the 4th Corps, recorded the situation at that time:

"Except for the Guangdong-Jiangxi highway that splits the overlapping mountains, all the roads are difficult and dangerous. The army on the right passed through the junction of Hunan and Jiangxi, and passed one of the peaks of the Five Ridges - Chest Mountain. The local residents have a song describing it. Ballad: "The chest is small when passing by, and it is three feet and three feet away from the sky. People must bow their heads when passing by, and horses must take off their saddles." A certain regiment passed Lingziao, one of the main peaks of Dayuling. Qi Dahai, the chief of staff of the regiment, personally observed the road and led The blasting team used explosives to open up the road. The army in the middle climbed another peak, Guanyin Mountain. It has always been said that it is a terrible miasma zone. The soldiers drank wine, ate garlic, and walked over wearing masks.

"Among hundreds of miles of mountains, the daytime is often a vast expanse, and it's hard to tell whether it's rain or fog. The winding road stretches under the steep rocks and steep walls. Try the narrow path that is only one foot wide. People walk along it, and they can't see the top of the mountain; only Under the misty mountain mist, there are green mountains under the swaying dilapidated grass path. Sometimes, the road passes through the forest with towering old trees, and people are still sweating from the heat at the bottom of the mountain. However, it was as cold and windy as a severe winter. It was in these barren mountains and deep forests that few people visited, thousands of troops and horses of the southward army passed by in an endless stream. In the ranks of heroes, there was a euphoric singing.

"Climbing a regiment in a certain part of Shilingzi'ao, after a day's trek to the destination, there were only three thatched huts, and the troops had to camp. At that time, the sky was overcast and the cold wind rustled the woods. It had just rained the day before, and the underground It is very humid, and the water is still flowing in the small valley. The political department of the regiment issued a mountain instruction: "Attention must be paid to the discipline of the masses when camping. The shed should be set up on the hillside in a sheltered place on the hillside and in a place with little humidity. Thick grass should be laid and the roof should be covered." , the cadres are in charge of inspections, and get up in the middle of the night to cover the soldiers with quilts...'It rained again in the middle of the night, and the rain and the piercing cold made the soldiers stand up and light up the night fire to wait for departure. The next day's road was even more difficult , Troops often have to wait for the blasting team to use explosives to open the way before they can move forward. After the night fell, they continued to advance on the narrow and rugged path. A pack mule fell down on the dangerous path, and four or five little ghosts hurriedly climbed the thorns and climbed down the ravine. Everyone surrounded the animal, hugged its head, and lifted its tail to help it up. When the mule broke down, the people put the things on the saddle on their shoulders and moved forward.

"Another troop climbed the fifteen-mile-high Chest Mountain. The huge artillery brigade performed amazing miracles. The soldier Liang Zhanfa carried two wheels weighing 130 catties from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, and helped others. The 170-jin cannon barrel was also brought up. Many soldiers carefully led the animals, while struggling to carry the gun carriage or wheels. When they encountered the most dangerous place, they gathered together and tried everything possible. way to get the animals and everyone through safely. Artillery soldier Zhang Futang said proudly: "The road is not as long as our legs, and the mountains are not as high as our feet." 'When they crossed Chest Mountain and passed through Guidong County in Hunan Province, the residents of the whole city were stunned at the huge artillery force.An old man surnamed Li said to the advancing team: "I have lived for more than 60 years, and I have never seen cattle walking on Chest Mountain, and you can walk such a large army. You are really experts in the world." '" The 15th Corps marched along Ganzhou, Nankang, and Xinfeng in Jiangxi, via Dayu and Longnan to Wengyuan and Xinfeng in Guangdong. The champion of the field reporter of the Corps moved with the vanguard. He wrote the following with his own experience report:

"High mountains can't hold back the steel-like torrent. The powerful People's Liberation Army stepped across the Wuling Mountains, climbed countless cliffs, steep slopes, deep mountains and dense forests, and marched victoriously towards Guangdong. "On the Guangdong-Jiangxi Highway, from Ganzhou to Qujiang, stretching for hundreds of miles, dust is flying everywhere, and happy singing is flying everywhere. Our team condensed into a giant, and rushed to Guangzhou, the bandit's nest, with fast and brave steps. American-style large trucks, loaded with military supplies and heavy weapons, galloped past the infantry, honking their horns from time to time, as if urging people to move forward; words of encouragement were issued from the radio receivers in the ranks and the agitation sheds set up by the propaganda team by the roadside , kept jumping into the ears of the soldiers, the excited will and the strength of perseverance permeated the hundreds of miles of ranks; the same words sounded in everyone's hearts: complete the great march of history!

"The team stepped into the gate of Guangdong - Meiling Pass. When the boundary markers of Jiangxi and Guangdong were in sight, there was a burst of cheers in the ranks: 'Look, we have reached Guangdong!' So, military flags, heroic award flags, countless All the flags fluttered in the wind, reflecting the clouds in the sky. These red flags flying all over the sky symbolize the heroic historical facts of the People's Liberation War and reflect the heroic spirit of the soldiers. Look, those are award flags: here is the "Three Downs to Jiangnan" ', there are the "Heroes Company" and "Steel Company" played in the Battle of Western Liaoning, followed by "Victorious Entry" and "Southern Model". From the pockets, the fighting heroes and the people's heroes took out their medals, Hanging up solemnly, the brilliance of victory appeared on Shen Yi's face, they patted their chests at the same time, promising with confidence: 'Let us bring the glory to Guangdong!'

"The broadcast tube rang again: 'Comrades, please remember! Today is September 30th. Tomorrow is October. Heroic October, we will enter Guangdong on the first day!' Everyone listened to this meaningful speech On the radio, the scene of our army sweeping the Northeast last year and annihilating all the Jiang bandits emerged before my eyes. The enemy trembled when they heard it in the heroic October, but for the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, it was a force that encouraged them to move forward. The soldiers encouraged each other with confidence:' Go forward! The faster you walk, the faster you will win." Many people are counting on their fingers: If they walk twenty miles a day, Guangzhou can be liberated a week earlier.

"...the people of Guangdong, who have been ravaged by the bandit army, warmly welcome their army. Women help to pick up soil, repair roads, cook tea and deliver water to every household along the way, hold the hands of soldiers, and accuse Jiang bandit army of burning, killing and prostitution when they fled. The crime of looting. The soldiers were asked to liberate the whole of Guangdong as soon as possible to avenge them; the soldiers gave them a satisfactory answer. Now, these thousands of people's soldiers who have been tempered and tempered are rejoicing in the new situation. They have overcome the weather. The heat is difficult. Some soldiers who grew up in the north, because they are not used to the heat in the south of China, sometimes pass out, but as soon as they wake up, they jump off the stretcher or the back of their companions and continue to move forward. A certain company A soldier even persisted in marching for eight hundred miles while sick.

"When we arrived in Guangdong, our team expanded even more. The brother troops who persisted in the guerrilla warfare in South China put on neat uniforms and new weapons, and joined hands with the field army and marched side by side. When we approached Nanxiong, we heard the sound of gongs and drums far away. It turned out that the commanders and fighters of the Second Field Army were warmly welcoming the arrival of the Siye brothers: bowls of tea were delivered to the commanders and fighters, cigarettes were delivered to their mouths, and bleached towels were used to help wipe sweat. The fellow villagers saw this This kind of friendly and united situation showed a moved look, and said softly: "Brothers are not so good!" Now, these three brother troops are converging together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and bravely rushing towards the Guangzhou." Guangzhou is referred to as Sui for short, and is also known as Wuyang City.It is the capital of Guangdong Province and the largest city in South China with a population of about 1.52 million. It is not only the political, cultural and water and land transportation center of South China, but also one of the few modern commercial and financial centers in China.The Kuomintang reactionaries are unwilling to hand over such an important city to the Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army.On the one hand, they mobilized their forces in an attempt to resist, and on the other hand, they formulated a plan to destroy Guangzhou. Between July and August 1949, Chiang Kai-shek secretly ordered Mao Renfeng, director of the Security Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, to blow up all factories, hydropower equipment, and traffic bridges in important coastal cities.The Kuomintang secret service in Guangzhou also put forward the slogan of "general retreat, general strike, and total destruction". The valuable equipment and food that can be moved away are transported away. Li Jilan, the commander of the Guangzhou Garrison, is a military special agent. In September, Hu Lingying, the deputy head of the technical team of the Mao Renfeng Secrecy Bureau, led a sabotage team from Taiwan to Guangzhou. Under the command of Li Jilan, they planned to destroy important facilities in Guangzhou.The Kuomintang Guangzhou Appeasement Office also issued a top-secret plan to destroy the Guangdong-Han Railway in late August.A certain unit of the enemy's 39th Army was responsible for the execution.The destruction of the entire southern section of the Guangdong-Han Railway is divided into three periods: the destruction of the section north of Qujiang is the first period; the section north of Yingde is the second period; the south of Yingde is the third period. Before arriving, "timely" and "thoroughly" paralyzed the Guangdong-Han Railway.The plan also required that all rolling stock and equipment be transported to Dashatou, Guangzhou, for transshipment to Taiwan, and that explosives be placed in 12 important bridges and tunnels, including Yingde Bridge, Qujiang Bridge, Jiangcun Water Bridge, and Gaolian Village Tunnel. . At the same time, some anti-communist diehards were unwilling to fail and planned to deal with the People's Liberation Army to the end. Together with Wu Tiecheng, secretary-general of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party, he openly called on Guangdong's "green forest heroes" to cooperate with the "government". Li Fulin, a warlord, negotiated and organized the bandits in the Pearl River Delta and the whole province to make a final struggle, trying to turn Guangzhou into a world of terror. At this critical moment, the Guangzhou underground party organization of the Communist Party of China led the people of Guangzhou to fight resolutely against the crazy actions of the enemy in accordance with the instructions of the South China Branch Bureau to shift the focus of work to "welcome liberation, protect factories and schools, and prepare for takeover".Underground Party comrades risked their lives by secretly printing Party documents such as "Manifesto of the Chinese People's Liberation Army," "On the People's Democratic Dictatorship," "Carrying the Revolution Through to the End," "Abandon Illusions, and Prepare for Struggle." The news of the victory of the army was recorded, mimeographed into leaflets, and distributed to the masses, so that the broad masses of the people realized that the collapse of Chiang Kai-shek's regime had become an inevitable trend.Many citizens learned about our party's line, principles and policies from these propaganda materials, which strengthened their trust in the Communist Party and hoped that the PLA could enter Guangzhou as soon as possible.In the name of peripheral organizations such as the "Underground Students' Federation", "New Economic Association", and "Friends of the Guangzhou People's Liberation Army", the Guangzhou Party Organization of the Communist Party of China issued letters to the city's workers, women, economic workers, university and middle school teachers, The open letter from students and parents exposed the crimes of the Kuomintang reactionaries who were dying and deliberately sabotaging Guangzhou, and called on the people of the city to take active actions to protect factories and schools and welcome the new students in Guangzhou with practical actions. Liberating Guangzhou as soon as possible is the common wish of the commanders and fighters of our participating troops.The 127th Division of the 43rd Army's "Frontline News" reporter Yu Zhenying kept a diary every day at that time, and recorded the "fiery and fierce fighting life" of the soldiers of the Southern Expedition on the spot. His diary on October 2 was written as follows: "... Today's Vanguard is the third company that has repeatedly made great achievements. I will go to their company and act together with the sharp knife squad. There are 12 people in this squad. The deputy squad leader leads a combat team to the front. The submachine gun is opened. The light machine guns were on top to meet the door, and the rifles were inserted with bayonets. The soldiers were full of energy, and their eyes shone with alertness. In the ranks of the sharp knife squad, there was no talking or laughing, only the sound of rubber shoes being trampled on stones. 'Ring. "Squad leader Jiandao is a farmer who turned from the Northeast, and he speaks with a strong local accent. During the small break, sitting on the soft grass, he told me that the comrades in his class are most willing to be pioneers. "'Why?' I asked. "'Hee hee, thanks to the fact that you are a reporter, I can't guess this matter yet.' He told me secretly: 'Think about it, Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, what should we give as a gift? It’s not that you want to win more battles, capture more prisoners, and hand in more guns. But there are not many enemies, and maybe you won’t be able to fight when you walk behind. In this case, you think, who doesn’t want to be a vanguard and meet the enemy Good first shot." "He told me the secret in his heart. This is the simple thought of an ordinary soldier, and it is also the most beautiful and purest thought..." At this time, the battlefield situation was also extremely favorable to the Eastern Route Army.Since the 12th Corps of our Middle Road and the 13th Corps of the West Road launched the Hengbao Battle in mid-September, in order to gather the main force for a decisive battle with our army in southern Hunan, Bai Chongxi hastily dispatched the 46th Army and the 97th Army, the main force of the Guangxi Clique, which were originally located on the Hunan and Guangdong borders. As a result, the enemy army in central and southern China split into two isolated groups in southern Hunan and Guangdong, and the so-called "Hunan-Guangdong joint defense line" collapsed. Our army has created favorable conditions for annihilating the enemy one by one. Li Zongren was shocked when he heard the news that our army had crossed five mountains and entered northern Guangdong at a rapid speed. On October 4, he called Yu Hanmou, Xue Yue and others to a meeting to study how to strengthen the defensive strength of the Guangzhou outpost Yingde.The meeting decided to transfer the 39th Army, the main force, from Qujiang to the area south of Yingde, leaving the 63rd Army to guard Qujiang. Qujiang, also known as Shaoguan, is located in the upper reaches of the Beijiang River. It controls Guangzhou in the south and Hengyang in the north. It is the gateway to northern Guangdong.Such an important military town, why did Yu Hanmou only leave one army guarding here alone?The direct reason is that the Kuomintang Army Command gave him an order at this time: "With the 21st Corps (administering the 39th and 50th Armies), the 4th Corps (administrating the 23rd and 70th Armies), The 63rd Army and the 109th Army first tried their best to cover the evacuation of Guangzhou government personnel and materials, and then moved to the Xijiang area." Another reason was that he himself had no intention of fighting again.Liang Shiji, the former chief of staff of the Guangzhou Appeasement Office, later analyzed it this way: "Yu Hanmou retreated from northern Guangdong, Huaxian retreated, retreated to Guangzhou, and retreated straight across Hainan. He never fired a single shot, neither rebelled, surrendered, nor resisted at all. Blindly running away. There are probably several main reasons for this: First, there are few soldiers, so it is impossible to talk about fighting; Second, being restrained by the people's armed forces in various places, some troops should be allocated to 'suppress'; Third, the internal instability of the army, everyone is brewing uprisings for their own way out; Fourth, there are many contradictions in all aspects, which restrain each other (especially the contradictions between Yu Jiang, Li Jiang, Yu Xue, etc.). After Liang Shiji repeatedly persuaded him, "You lost Guangzhou during the Anti-Japanese War, and the people of Guangdong scolded you. Now, you should not offend the people of Guangdong when you are about to die."Guangdong is our hometown, so we can't let it rot. If we go straight away, maybe we can leave some room for the understanding of the common people. At the same time, after Lingbai rebelled against Chen, he took refuge in the "central government", and he personally worked as a high-ranking official for many years, made a lot of money, and his pockets were heavy, and he could live a lifetime as an overseas residence.So someone told him to revolt, and he sighed and said: "If you do this (referring to non-resistance), just go by yourself." 'He wanted to slip the burden by himself and walk away. " According to the deployment of Ye Jianying and Chen Geng, the 4th Corps of the Right Route Army was originally scheduled to complete the siege of Qujiang on the night of October 8. Unexpectedly, the marching speed of the various armies was unusually fast. On October 6, the 14th Army commanded by Commander Li Chengfang and Political Commissar Lei Rongtian attacked and occupied Lechang, the 13th Army commanded by Commander Zhou Xihan and Political Commissar Liu Youguang occupied Renhua, and the 15th Army commanded by Commander Qin Jiwei and Political Commissar Gu Jingsheng Occupy Zhoutian.Facing our army's three-sided attack, the 63rd Army defending Qujiang was afraid of being wiped out, so they abandoned the city and fled south that night. On the morning of the 7th, when the leading troops of our 15th Army arrived at the East River Dam of Qujiang City, they were catching up with the last retreating troops of the enemy and set fire to the Shaoguan Highway Bridge. The platoon leader Jin Keming immediately led three squads of soldiers forward, guarding , while fighting the fire.Regardless of the fatigue of the 120-mile night march, they used buckets, vegetable pots, tea mugs, and hands to scoop up water. They struggled to put out the fire, and finally rescued the bridge, allowing the follow-up troops to pass through and liberate Qujiang City. Qujiang was liberated, and the gates of northern Guangdong were opened.Braving the heavy rain, the various armies pursued bravely along the road leading to Guangzhou. On October 9, after the 14th Army occupied Ruyuan, it attacked Yingde.The 45th Division of the 15th Army defeated a part of the enemy's 39th Army in Shakou and approached Yingde.At the same time, after occupying Guandu and Qingtang, the 43rd Army of the 15th Corps of the Left Route Army advanced towards Fogang.The 44th Army occupied Xinfeng.The Liangguang column of the Central Route Army occupied Longchuan and marched south. Our army is divided into three groups, advancing by land and water, and the scene is very spectacular. When reporting the scene of the 14th Army's southward advance, a front-line reporter wrote: "The army advances by land and water along the Beijiang River and the railways, highways and steep mountain paths on both sides of the river. , galloping southward day and night. On the Beijiang River, thousands of large and small wooden boats stand side by side with hundreds of miles of land troops on both sides, flying bright red military flags, and majestic singing sings in harmony. At night, the lights on the boat and the red and green electric lights flicker like stars, and countless oars and sculls stir the river to advance bravely.On the night of October 4th, strong winds blew up and the boats were wobbly. Some boats had already been submerged in the river. The warriors gathered fifty-three boats tightly together and continued to advance in the wind and waves.The soldiers on the ship kept changing the boatmen, and Deputy Commander Wang Qiming also rowed the oars himself.They suggested: 'Don't let the oars stop for a minute. 'The troops marching along the mountainous area to the west of the Beijiang River overcame great difficulties, often eliminating one-meter-high weeds and thorns to find their way forward.Sometimes the clothes were torn, and the hands and feet were stabbed to bleed, but in order to win, the people's soldiers endured all hardships. On October 7th, when passing through Niumeiling, which is 25 miles south of Ruyuan, the soldiers carried guns and luggage, and continued to march along the mountain road less than a foot wide.When marching at night, handkerchiefs were used to tie backpacks and pull each other, and ropes were tied to the waists of horses for timely rescue.They spent two nights camping among the wormwood in the barren mountains, cooking with washbasins and tea mugs.Master Zha Yusheng and the soldiers held up umbrellas and talked to each other: "As long as we can annihilate more enemies, as a gift to the establishment of the Central People's Government, these difficulties are nothing!" '" Although Yu Hanmou had already made up his mind to withdraw to the south, abandoning Guangzhou was a matter of great importance. He would not dare or be willing to withdraw from Guangzhou until the last moment.Therefore, he placed the 39th Army, which was retreating southward, in the Yingde and Fogang areas, and the 63rd Army in Qingyuan, together with the 50th and 32nd Army defending Conghua and Huaxian, and the 109th Army stationed in Zengcheng. together.Guarantee the so-called "last line of defense" of Guangzhou". In order to encourage the frightened subordinates, Yu Hanmou and Xue Yue also held an "anti-communist" meeting in Guangzhou, declaring that they would "defend Guangzhou to the death" and "decide Live and die with Guangzhou". In fact, only they know what they think. After Chen Geng learned of the above situation, he decided not to give Yu Han a chance to breathe, and ordered the various armies to strike while the iron was hot and launch a full-line attack.Regardless of fatigue and hunger, all the troops traveled day and night and made long-distance raids.The 45th Division of the 15th Army of the 4th Corps occupied Yingde County at 22:00 on the 9th. On the 11th, Lianjiangkou Station was captured again.Annihilated more than 870 defenders. On the 12th, the 40th Division of the 14th Army rushed to Qingyuan, and the defenders fled upon hearing the news. The 40th Division entered Qingyuan County on the 13th without bloodshed. In the fierce pursuit of our army, the enemies abandoned the city and fled south. Only the enemy in Fogang made a decent resistance.Fogang is located on the north-south main road in the central part of Guangdong, more than 100 kilometers away from Guangzhou, surrounded by high mountains and dangerous terrain, and is one of the most important outer barriers of Guangzhou.Defending the enemy is the 307th Regiment of the 103rd Division of the 39th Army. This regiment was established in Yantai, Shandong in 1948. Most of its soldiers were desperadoes who had been defeated by the landlords.This group of enemies believed that their combat power was quite strong, and the head of the regiment, Wang Jiazhen, was young and vigorous, so they were determined to defend Fogang to the end. The enemy regiment headquarters is located on the mountain north of Longxi Village.The main force is deployed on the banks of the Shijiao River, north of Longxi Village, south of Zhangtianpo, west of Lianhuagang, and northwest of Kemujing, on the highlands on both sides of the Fogang River; its 2nd battalion is stationed near Xiaokeng in the west of Fogang County. On the 168 highland in the north, about 5 kilometers away from Fogang County, it is prepared for reinforcements when the main force retreats.The enemy has built field fortifications such as bunkers, outer trenches, traffic trenches, and deer villages on all the high grounds occupied by the enemy. After the head of our 43rd Army learned of the enemy's situation, he immediately ordered the 127th Division to attack the enemy in Fogang. On October 8, under the leadership of Master Wang Dongbao, the division marched towards Fogang at a speed of 160 kilometers day and night on the rugged and muddy mountain. On the afternoon of the 10th, the 379th, 380th, and 381st regiments entered the Shilong area of ​​Fogang, and with the cooperation of the local guerrillas, they immediately went into battle and quickly completed the division and encirclement of the enemy. The predecessor of the 127th Division was the 16th Division of the Sixth Column of the Northeast Field Army. The army is famous for its strong combat effectiveness. This time, it encountered the first battle of the liberation of Guangzhou. The commanders and fighters were all gearing up and striving to be the first. At 7 o'clock in the morning on October 11, the 7th company of the 380th regiment captured the small highland southeast of Lianhuagang and wiped out 1 enemy platoon.The 2nd Battalion of the 379th Regiment also captured the 158th Highland northwest of Kemujing and wiped out 1 enemy company.However, because the enemy's other main positions were prepared for defense, they were determined to defend to the death. Not only did they reject our army's persuasion to surrender, but they arrested and killed two soldiers and underground party cadres who went to persuade our army to surrender with letters.Our army launched several attacks, but they were suppressed by the enemy's intensive firepower. The enemy in Guangzhou dispatched several planes to assist the battle that day, dropped ammunition and promotional materials on the besieged enemy to boost their morale, and strafed our positions.Due to the long-distance raid, our soldiers were exhausted, and the artillery had not yet arrived, so we had to surround the enemy tightly while making preparations for the final annihilation of the enemy. On the afternoon of the 11th, the artillery battalion of the division arrived and immediately deployed the artillery array. At 16:00, Commander Wang Dongbao ordered a general offensive.Our army bombarded the enemy's position with fierce artillery fire, and the sound of artillery, gunshots, charge horns and shouts of killing shook the valley.Under the cover of artillery fire, our commanders and fighters rushed to the top of the mountain regardless of the thorns piercing their skin and flesh, and seized the position on the top of the mountain.The 379th regiment captured the 117th highland of Kemujing, wiped out more than 70 enemies, and the remaining remnants fled towards Longxi; the 2nd Battalion of the 380th regiment took swift and violent actions to capture the enemy's main position north of Longxi and captured part of the enemy.Under the cover of artillery fire, the company responsible for the assault mission captured the enemy's main position in 8 minutes; the rest of the enemy's position was still resisting, but under the violent bombardment of our army's artillery fire and the brave impact of the troops, the enemy panicked and fell into chaos. When our army captured the 154 highland north of Fogang County, the recalcitrant enemy finally despaired. Our army took advantage of the momentum to pursue and kill them. After 30 minutes of fierce fighting, they conquered 4 hills and forced the enemy to collapse across the board.At this time, the 1st Battalion of the 380th Regiment acted bravely, inserted into Longxi and captured all the more than 80 enemies who were trying to escape.At 19:00 in the evening, Fogang County announced its liberation. After annihilating the main force of the enemy's 307th regiment, the 1st and 3rd battalions of our 379th regiment launched an attack on the enemy entrenched in the Xiaokeng area at 18:00 that day. After 1 hour of fierce fighting, one battalion of the defending enemy was wiped out.By the morning of October 12th, the 127th Division had achieved an overall victory in the battle to liberate Fogang.A total of more than 200 enemies were killed, more than 2,000 officers and soldiers below the head of the enemy group Wang Jiazhen were captured, and all their American weapons and equipment were seized.In this battle, 56 soldiers from the 127th Division sacrificed their precious lives, and more than 200 commanders and fighters were honorably wounded.After the war, the various units of the 127th Division that participated in the battle to liberate Fogang received the award flags of "Victorious Southward March", "Victorious March" and "Strong Soldiers Marching into Guangzhou" awarded by the Corps. On the eve of retreating to Guangzhou, the Kuomintang army blew up the Haizhu Bridge, which connects the two banks of the Pearl River in Guangzhou.But at this time, the battle of Hengbao has reached the most tense and critical moment.In order to concentrate its forces to eliminate the Bai Chongxi Group, the Siye headquarters had new considerations for the next move on the Guangdong battlefield. At 7 o'clock on October 10, Lin Deng, Tan Xiaozhao called the Central Military Commission to report the situation of the enemy and the enemy in the two battlefields of Hengbao and Guangdong: "The main force of the seventh army and the forty-eighth army retreating southward from the Hengbao line I have surrounded the area north of Qiyang. The enemy's combat power is very strong. The other armies of the enemy are also returning to the north to help. Our Thirteenth Corps is advancing eastward from the Zhijiang River, but it will not be able to catch up for a while. And I have no troops north of Qiyang The absolute certainty of quickly destroying the enemy. Therefore, the battle north of Qiyang will take a long time to be resolved." "The enemy on the Shaoguan-Guangzhou line is retreating west of the railway, and Guangzhou will definitely give up." Based on the above situation, Lin, Deng and others proposed to the Military Commission: "It is suggested that the Chen Geng Corps should move from the current location (the Yingde and Shaoguan lines) along the highway to the Guilin and Liuzhou lines, so as to increase the plan to eliminate the enemy in Guilin. At present, it seems that The focus should be on concentrating our forces to wipe out the White forces. Otherwise, we will disperse our forces in various provinces and concentrate the enemy's forces in the future, which will greatly delay the battle. Whatever happens, we hope to resume soon." On the point of eliminating Bai Chongxi's main force as soon as possible, Mao Zedong and Lin Biao are completely consistent.At 23:00 on the same day, Mao Zedong sent a telegram to Lin Deng Tan Xiaozhao in the name of the Military Commission and told Ye Jianying, Chen Geng: "Telegram at seven o'clock on the tenth. (1) You have seized the four divisions of the Guangxi Army to the north of Qiyang, and the rest of the enemy troops are returning to help. It is possible for our army to wipe out the main force of the White Army in the Hunan-Guangxi border area.I am very relieved to hear that. (2) I fully agree with your proposal. The Chen Geng Corps will go straight from Shaoguan and Yingde to Guilin and Liuzhou, cut off the enemy's rear, and cooperate with the main force to gather and wipe out the white bandits.If this plan can be realized, the combat time can be greatly shortened, please order it to be implemented immediately. (3) The Deng Hua Corps and Zeng Shenglin Pingping's Ministry took Guangzhou independently.How to deploy, Ye, Fang, Deng, and Lai consulted by telegram. (4) If necessary, the second field troops currently in Xiangtan may be ordered to participate in the battle against Bai in the Qiyang area. " On the morning of the 11th, the battle of Hengbao entered a state of intense heat, and the battle situation was still unclear. At 10 o'clock, Lin, Deng and others called the Central Military Commission again, stating in detail the reasons why Chen Geng's corps would go west and not attack Guangzhou for the time being: (1) It can be seen from many actions that the white bandits' combat policy is to gather their most elite main forces, and use erratic methods to seek our weaknesses and attack.Its troops are very effective and move very fast.If we do not annihilate this enemy, we will not be able to disperse our forces to mobilize the masses and maintain traffic.If scattered, it may be broken by each of them.If concentrated, but the force is not enough to wipe out the main force of the enemy, it may be surrounded by them and our communication will be cut off.If the Guangdong enemy joins up with this enemy, or is close to cooperate, it will be more difficult for me to deal with this enemy. (2) According to the above situation, in order to annihilate the white bandits, our troops must have absolute superiority, and attack the enemy from at least two or three directions, resulting in a situation of encirclement and suppression.At the same time, we must try to prevent the enemy in Guangdong from getting closer to the White Bandits, so as to divide the enemy and annihilate them one by one. (3) Our opinion: In order that the enemies of Guangdong will not return to Guangxi, I should not continue to attack Guangdong for the time being, but use the large cities and important areas of Guangdong as tools to attract the enemies of Guangdong.At the same time, it will allow us to concentrate more superior forces to fight against the enemy in Guangxi, and we will be able to break through from various aspects and layers (the enemy has a strong ability to break through the encirclement. In the past few days of combat, we have repeatedly blocked and attacked at various levels, and the enemy can still break through a part of the encirclement. ) encircled, blocked, and attacked the enemy in Guangxi.First achieve the annihilation of the enemy in Guangxi, and then with the cooperation of the military and government, use the four-field troops to solve the enemy in Guangdong. (4) If we take Guangdong at present, the bridges along the Yuehan Road will suffer serious damage.The mountainous bridge project is huge, and it is by no means that traffic can be restored in the short term. It will cause serious difficulties for Guangzhou Coal and Grain.Financially, we will also lose money at the beginning, and we must also disperse our military forces militarily, and the concentration of the enemy's forces will only result in greater gains in political influence, but the actual gains and losses are not worthwhile.Therefore, we suggest that neither the Chen nor Deng corps continue to advance southward, but that Deng's two corps keep an eye on the enemy in Guangdong and concentrate their forces to frequently wipe out the enemy's scattered troops.Chen Geng's troops marched westward to participate in the Guangxi campaign.As long as the two enemies are wiped out, many enemies can strive for a peaceful solution (if they do not want a peaceful solution, they can easily be resolved by force).Therefore, the annihilation of the enemy in Guangxi has become the central link of the whole war.But if we do not have much strength and cannot encircle, detour, block, and attack the enemy from various aspects and layers, the enemy may flee to Guizhou and even Sichuan in the future, and retreat with the local enemies and Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangdong. At that time, it is not as advantageous to attack the enemy with a larger force at that time if the second field alone or the fourth field joins in to deal with it. (5) Most of the four main enemy divisions north of Qiyang have not yet broken through and are now engaged in fierce fighting, but the enemy is very tenacious.The other enemy armies, according to secret messages, originally planned to go north for reinforcements, but they have now stopped at Dong'an, Lengshuitan, and the Lingling line, and have not moved north.In our opinion, no matter whether the enemy north of Qiyang can be wiped out or not, it is still inappropriate for our army to capture Guangdong at present, so as not to facilitate the concentration of the enemy and the separation of us. (6) The above opinions are expected to be replied by the Military Commission immediately. At the same time, Lin Deng, Tan Xiaozhao called the heads of the 4th and 15th Corps, Ye Jianying, Fang Fang and reported to the Military Commission: "If there are no enemies surrounded by you and there is no reliable possibility of capturing the enemy, then Chen Deng All units of the two corps should stop on standby immediately, and do not advance southward for the time being, but if a certain unit has surrounded the enemy or is sure to surround the enemy, then a certain unit can continue to advance, and the rest of the troops remain on standby.” Under the excellent situation where the army pursued the victory all the way and Guangzhou was just around the corner, the leaders of the Eastern Route Army were really a little puzzled and surprised when they suddenly received such instructions. At 13:00 on the 11th, Ye, Fang, Chen, Deng, and Lai jointly sent a telegram to Lin Dengtan and the Central Military Commission to express their opinions.The tone of the telegram was very tactful, but the reasons were quite sufficient: We discussed the Military Commission's reply to your telegram at 23:00 on the 10th, and put forward the following comments for your consideration: l. We agree with the policy of the Military Commission and the Four Fields to seek to wipe out the main force of the White Bandits on the border of Hunan and Guangxi. 2. The current situation is that the 4th Corps has advanced into the Qingyuan area. Today, at Lianjiangkou, 60 miles south of Yingde, our vanguard troops are encircling and wiping out two enemy regiments. Today, the 15th Corps is encircling and wiping out an enemy regiment in Fogang. The Corps is marching more than 130 miles a day to Guangzhou. 3. In this case, in order to carry out the task of cutting off the enemy's rear, the Fourth Corps, for example, has a straight-line distance of 1,300 miles to Guilin, which is not as fast as the Eighteenth Army, the Forty-sixth Army, and the Thirteenth Corps in terms of time.Therefore, in our opinion, it is better for the Fourth Corps to go straight to Sanshui, transport by water without stopping after taking Guangzhou, and take Nanning directly via Wuzhou. 4. The Hu Lian Corps was added in Guangzhou, and the Fourth Corps did not participate. Only the two armies (six divisions) of the Deng Lai Corps and Zeng Leilin's sub-corps were delayed.If the Fourth Corps were to advance to Guilin and Liuzhou immediately, they would actually still have to gather their troops to re-mobilize. On the one hand, the distance would be too far to keep up, and on the other hand, Guangzhou would not be liberated quickly. 5. Maybe this is a partial view. You plan from the overall perspective and think it is necessary. Once the order comes to us, we will resolutely implement it. Please repeat. On the evening of the 11th, the overall situation of the Hengbao Campaign had been decided. The good news of the annihilation of the four elite main divisions of Bai Chongxi's department not only greatly relieved Lin Biao, but also partially changed his views on the Guangdong Campaign. At 21:00, Lin Deng, Tan Xiaozhao called the Central Military Commission Bing Ye, Fang, the leaders of the 4th Corps and the 15th Corps: "(1) The four enemy divisions (the 171st and 172nd Divisions of the Seventh Army, the 38th and 176th Divisions of the 48th Army) that were surrounded by us in the north of Qiyang have mostly been destroyed after four days of fighting. Annihilation, a small group broke through and scattered in the woods on the mountains. I am searching the mountains now. (2) Regarding the issue of the Guangdong campaign, our opinion has been detailed. Telegram at 11 o'clock today.As long as the enemies in Guangdong do not engage in direct combat with us, we still advocate not capturing Guangzhou for the time being, so as not to facilitate the concentration of the enemies in Guangdong and Guangxi.At present, the Deng Hua Corps is only staying in Guangdong to fight mobile warfare, and wipe out the enemy's vital forces. At the same time, it is stepping up the repair of the Guangdong-Han line from Shaoguan to Yingde, so as to facilitate transportation after the recovery of Guangzhou and solve the problem of Guangzhou's grain and coal.However, if the enemy is defending Guangzhou or our army may seek to destroy the enemy's vital force in Guangzhou or outside Guangzhou, the Chen and Deng Corps will continue to advance to Guangzhou to achieve the goal of destroying the enemy. (3) Before the enemy's attempt to attack Guangdong was confirmed and whether our army could capture the enemy was confirmed, the two corps of Chen and Deng continued to advance to Guangzhou as originally planned. " While this telegram was still being transmitted, Mao Zedong issued an instruction to reply to the previous telegram by Lin Deng and others at 24:00 on the 11th: "Telegram at 10 o'clock on the 11th. 1) Regarding the transfer of the Chen Geng Corps from Shaoguan to Guangxi directly on the line of Yingde, I have replied this morning that you agree to do so, please order the Chen Corps to implement it. (二)关于不要迫使广东之敌退入广西一点，我们认为也是对的，因此十五兵团暂时不应进攻广州。除以一部位于韶关、英德一带外，主力似应由英德以北向西南攻占德庆、高要一带，割断两广联系，使广州处于孤立地位。如果能做到这一点，则广州一带之敌在我十五兵团与曾生林平等部东西威迫之下，有可能发生内变，向我接洽投降或改编。如果是这样，则我仍可能早日解放广州，这对于以干部及某些物资接济广西是有利的。 (三)关于十五兵团是否可以早日去占领德庆、高要一点，请叶方与邓赖商酌电告。 (四)曾生林平等部似宜进至新丰、龙门、佛冈一带，不要去惠州以南。 " 同一时间，毛泽东还电询叶、陈：“英德、佛冈地区集中之敌十一个师，现在是否仍在该处，有无围歼可能。如该敌已退，则退往何处，望告。” 电报发出后，毛泽东又仔细研究了四野前后两电和叶、陈等人的意见，陷入沉思之中。12日凌晨2时，他致电林彪：“因为据你们十日七时电，白崇禧全力增援祁阳以北之敌，该敌已完全陷入被动地位，有在湘桂边界聚歼白匪主力之可能，故我们同意你们以陈赓兵团由现地直出桂林抄敌后路之意见。但据你们十一日十时电，敌原拟增援之兵力，现已停止于东安、冷水滩、零陵之线，并未北进。 似此，无论祁阳以北地区之敌被歼与否，白崇禧均有可能令其主力退至广西中部、西部及西北部，背靠云贵，面向广西东北部及东部，采取游击战术，不打硬仗，与我相持，我军虽欲速决而不可得。此时，因陈赓已入广西，广东问题没有解决，广西问题亦不能速决。如我军向广西中部、西部及西北部迫进，则白匪退入云贵。如四野跟入云贵，则不能分兵解决广东问题。 如四野不入云贵，则解决白匪的责任全部落在二野身上。因此请你考虑这样一点，即在桂林、柳州以北，祁阳、宝庆以南地区采取围歼白匪的计划是否确有把握，如确有把握，则你们的计划是很好的；否则我军将陷入被动。为了使问题考虑成熟起见，目前数日内陈赓兵团以就地停止待命为宜。 " 毛泽东的顾虑，反映出一位战略家在驾驭全局时的精密与谨慎。这时，林、邓等人11日21时的电报也来了。毛泽东阅后，于12日6时又致电林彪并告叶、陈、方、邓、赖及二野刘邓：“你们十一日二十一时电的意见很好，即如敌守广州或我军有可能在广州或广州以外求得消灭敌人有生力量时，则陈邓两兵团仍继续向广州前进。但请陈邓注意先以必要力量直出广州、梧州之间，切断西江一段，断敌西逃之路，不使广州敌向广西集中。如查明广州一带之敌向广西逃窜时，陈赓兵团即不停留地跟踪入桂。如广州一带之敌并不向广西逃跑，则陈邓两兵团仍执行原计划占领广州不变。” 毛泽东的指示，高瞻远瞩，迅速统一了前线指挥员们的思想。林彪于12日14时致电毛泽东并告叶方、陈郭刘、邓赖洪，明确表示：“本日二时电示，所考虑的诸点甚为正确。目前由于白匪改变计划，已中途停止未再北进。祁阳以北战斗已结束。陈邓两兵团业已深入广东内地从化一带。在此情况下，陈兵团西移，已无及时堵住白匪后路把握。故昨日下午及夜间已先后两电要该两兵团继续向广州前进(昨日中午曾已电他们，除了已抓住敌人和可能抓住敌人的部队继续南进外，其他部队停止待命)。大约还有六至八天可占广州。如敌未能退得及时，我军仍有可能歼灭敌人。目前则极力争取此种可能。” 12日18时，林邓谭萧赵电告陈郭刘并叶方、邓赖洪等：“我们完全同意毛主席本日六时电所指示的三条。陈邓两兵团行动应照该电第一条所指示方针执行，望具体部署与指导。” 实际上，陈邓两兵团的作战行动一刻也没有停止，两路大军齐头竞进，风卷残云般地跟踪追击南逃之敌。13日10时，叶剑英、陈赓等致电林彪并呈毛泽东：“本日分局会议，我们遵照林邓谭萧赵十二日十八时电，坚决执行毛主席十二日六时电指示方针。现各路正围攻从化、花县(写此电时已解放)、琶江口之敌，得手后即直趋广州。届时，敌如坚守市郊阵地，则作有准备的进攻。否则各路不停留的打进去，以便迅速恢复秩序减少破坏。为了截断向西退路。我十四军本日到达清远后，将继续占领三水”。 至13日，广州以北以东地区之敌，除广九线上第109军主力逃向潮汕地区外，109军之一部及广州外围从化、花县等地区之敌均相继缩回广州。粤汉线上南逃之敌，大部逃向三水、四会地区。我15兵团之43、44两军先头均于13日夜迫近广州市近郊。 这时，广州城里的敌人早已是风声鹤唳，草木皆兵，纷纷作鸟兽散。李宗仁回忆：“十月十日国庆时，广州已微闻炮声。国民政府各机关早已决定迁往重庆，由民航机分批运送，笨重物件则循西江航运柳州，再车运重庆。十月十二日共军已接近广州市郊，我本人才偕总统府随员乘机飞桂林，翌日续飞重庆。” 从13日凌晨开始，按照顾祝同的指令，余汉谋指挥广州守军向西江地区撤退，市内只留下少数部队作掩护，并进行爆炸、放火，破坏桥梁、仓库和飞机场等设备。14日，国民党军工兵用400多箱黄色炸药炸毁了珠江上的海珠桥，酿成了骇人听闻的“海珠桥血案”。事后据目睹者谈：“匪军炸桥时，桥上来往的行人车辆不计其数。 但在一声巨响后，桥上的一切立即化为乌有，桥下无数只大小船艇，也都变成了支离的木板，腾空旋转或顺水而下，周围的行人都被炸得粉身碎骨，有的被炸落一半头部抛到街心，有的肚肠外溢在水面颠簸浮荡。硝烟中江水变成一片血海，电线和电杆间也都挂满碎肉片和女人的长发，有的受伤后被抛入江心，有的悬在断桥上……呻吟号哭，惨绝人寰。”这是国民党反动派对广州人民欠下的一笔血债！为了及早解放广州人民，歼灭残敌，第15兵团司令员邓华、政委赖传珠于14日12时下达攻城指示：第43军以一部攻占白云山、五雷岭等山头阵地，主力沿广州至花县公路向广州市区攻击前进：第44军一路沿广州至增城公路，一路沿广九铁路向广州攻击前进。各部“迅速插入市区后注意抢占码头、海关、铁桥及歼灭首脑机关”，“先进入市区者即负责维持秩序，看守物资，严防捣乱破坏”。 10月14日是广州人民永远不会忘记的日子。当日17时，我43军第128师第382团首先进入广州，歼灭了未及撤退的国民党军第50军第107师及联勤部队2000余人，第44军第132师第396团也于21时进入广州。随后，我军后续部队源源入城，在15日拂晓前占领了广州全市。 解放广州之战从10月2日开始至14日结束，东路军仅仅用2天的时间，就提前完成了中央军委、毛泽东关于10月下旬的原定计划。这一胜利，充分显示了参战部队全体指战员旺盛的战斗意志和高昂的精神士气。建国以后，陈赓大将在谈到解放广州之战的特点时说：“这次追击作战，两个兵团齐头竞进，各部队每天行程都在一百三十里以上。在我这种猛烈的追击下，敌人虽已在许多重要桥梁上安放了炸药，准备破坏桥梁，迟滞我军前进，但是大部来不及爆炸，我们的追兵即到，准备炸桥的敌军不是当了俘虏就是仓皇逃散。为了抵抗我军的猛烈进击，敌人还企图在清远、源潭一线布置防守广州的最后防线，但这种部署尚未完成，又为我分路追击的部队所击破，部署防御的敌人转而溃逃，广州的敌人也不得不仓皇逃走。” 1949午10月15日，华南分局在给华中局、中共中央的关于解放广州的报告中，高度赞扬了英勇善战的两兵团官兵，报告说：“此次入粤作战两兵团齐头竞进，一号由赣南出动，八号开始赴粤北作战，十四号晚即占广州，李宗仁14日晨飞渝，我军14日晚即到，行动迅速，出敌不意，两个兵团都赶到。”报告特别赞扬了第4兵团，“现第四兵团已开始向西转进，继续入桂作战，他们打下广州不进广州，可敬，惟队伍拉得太长，拟在高要、三水、佛山三点集结休整几天。我们已在港准备了一批物品，给予物质慰劳。提议军委、四野给予精神鼓励，借以保持士气，继续战斗。”