Chapter 8 Chapter 08 Initiate a general attack to liberate Shanghai

(May 20, 1949) Su Zhang, and told the General Front Committee and the middle finger: 1. According to Deng Rao's report, the preparations for taking over Shanghai have been basically completed. It seems that as long as the military conditions permit, you can attack Shanghai. 2. In order to perfect the reconnaissance and deployment of troops, it seems appropriate to choose the time for the general offensive to be between Chenyou and Chenshi, or it can be postponed to around the east. How appropriate is up to you to decide. 3. As for the attack steps, it is appropriate to deal with Shanghai first and then Wusong. If Wusong's position is unfavorable, the attack can also be taken to attack the part that can be wiped out, and let the part not attack and let it escape from the sea.

4. The attack force must be sufficient. If you feel that the force is insufficient, you must adjust the force and then attack. 5. Full operational and tactical preparations must be made before the attack. Catch mice in Chen's porcelain shop of the Military Commission After 10 days of fighting, the 9th and 10th Corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army have tightly surrounded Shanghai from the east, west, and south, except that Wusongkou has not been completely closed.The next battle is to attack the urban area and wipe out the defenders. Since the People's Liberation Army attacked Wusong, Tang Enbo demolished the east wall to make up the west wall, and successively transferred three armies from the urban area to reinforce Wusong and Gaoqiao, leaving the urban area empty.This is very beneficial to attract the enemy to fight in the suburbs and keep the urban area intact.However, the narrow fronts on both sides of Wusongkou made it difficult for the People's Liberation Army to deploy its forces and give full play to its advantages. On May 17, the General Front Committee called Su Yu and Zhang Zhen, and reported to the Military Commission that in the case of the enemy firmly defending Shanghai, it seems that the attack should be carried out from south to north at the same time in terms of deployment.Because Suzhou and Henan are the weaker part of the enemy's defense, and multiple attacks can divide the enemy's momentum, it is easy for me to be effective. On the 18th, Su and Zhang proposed to attack Shanghai from all directions.On May 20, the Central Military Commission sent a telegram to Su Yu, Zhang Zhen and the General Front Committee: "It is reported that the preparations for taking over Shanghai are basically ready. It seems that as long as the military conditions permit, you can attack Shanghai. The attack steps should first solve Shanghai. If Wusong's position is unfavorable for attack, we can also attack the part that can be wiped out, give up a part that cannot be attacked, and let it escape by sea."

On the 21st, the Sanye Command issued the "Songhu Battle Attack Order". On the 22nd, the People's Liberation Army detected that the Kuomintang defenders planned to retreat from the sea. Su Yu immediately ordered all ministries to attack at the same time, quickly wiped out the Shanghai defenders, and decided to launch a general offensive on the night of the 23rd. The four armies participating in the general offensive immediately took active actions.On the 22nd, the 27th Army marched towards the urban area along the Qing (Pu) Shanghai Highway, occupied Hongqiao Airport on the same day, occupied Hongqiao Town, Longhua Town, and Longhua Airport on the 24th, and entered the edge of the urban area south of the Suzhou Creek.The main force of the 20th Army launched an attack on the Pudong defenders on the 22nd. On the evening of the 23rd, the defenders fled west across the Huangpu River. On the 24th, the PLA completely liberated the Pudong area.The vanguard of the 23rd Army entered the Caohejing and Longhua areas on the 24th.The 26th Army approached the urban area from Nanxiang, occupied Jijiaxiang, Shenjiaqiao and other places on the 23rd, and attacked Luyangqiao and Tangqiao.

On the 24th, the People's Liberation Army found out that Tang Enbo, who had boasted about going to Haikou, had taken Chen Daqing, the commander of the Songhu Garrison, and fled in a hurry to a warship outside Wusongkou to direct the retreat.Before leaving, he appointed Liu Changyi, commander of the 51st Army, as the deputy commander of the Songhu garrison, and asked him to command the remaining defenders to cover the retreat.Su Yu immediately ordered all the ministries to launch a pursuit immediately, boldly wedged into the depths of the enemy's army, and intercepted and wiped out the fleeing enemy.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China paid great attention to every major military action in the Shanghai Campaign.The Central Military Commission directed every step of military progress in a timely and powerful manner. On May 19, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China called the General Front Committee to inquire whether the attack on Shangmei could begin around May 25. .To what extent have you completed the preparations for taking over? Can you start attacking the city around Chenyou (May 25). When attacking the city, it seems that you should follow the advice of Su and Zhang and wipe out the enemies in Henan and Nanshi of Suzhou first. Then we will wipe out the enemies of Suzhou, Hebei and Wusong. Please consider meeting them together.”

On May 20, the General Front Committee replied to the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China: "Hao (19th) received a telegram to learn that the preparations for taking over Shanghai are basically ready, and Su and Zhang are deploying a rapid and comprehensive attack on Shanghai in order to resolve it as soon as possible." On the same day, Mao Zedong personally drafted a telegram for the Central Military Commission to Su Yu and Zhang Zhen, proposing the time and steps for the general attack on Shanghai: "(1) According to Deng Rao's report, the preparations for accepting Shanghai have been basically completed. It seems that as long as the military conditions permit, you can attack Shanghai.

(2) In order to perfect the reconnaissance and deployment of troops, it seems appropriate to choose the time for the general offensive to be between Chenyou (May 25) and Chenshi (May 31), or it can be postponed to Jidong (6 1st) or so.How appropriate is up to you to decide. (3) As for the attacking steps, it is appropriate to deal with Shanghai first and then Wusong.If Wusong's position is unfavorable to attack, we can also attack the part that can be wiped out, give up part and let it escape by sea. (4) The attack force must be sufficient. If the force is insufficient, the force must be adjusted before attacking.

(5) Full campaign and tactical preparations must be made before the attack. " On May 21, the Third Field Army issued an order to attack Shanghai. The order pointed out that since our 9th and 10th Corps and the 26th Army launched the battle against the outer enemies of Songhu on May 12, we have successfully occupied Fengxian, Nanhui, Chuansha, Wangjiagang Town, and Gujialu Town in the Pudong area, and controlled Gaoqiao. The coastal line to the south of the town cut off the ports where the Shanghai enemy fled to the East China Sea, and advanced to the Huangpu River to Gaohang Town, Linjiazhai, Donggou Town, Qingning Temple, Jinjiaqiao, Zhangjiangzha Town, Beicai Town, and Zhoupu Town , the line of Lintang Town; in the western Shanghai area we have occupied the line of Xinzhuang Town, Qibao Town, and Nanxiang Town, and are confronting the enemy on the line of Liujiahang, Yangjiahang, and Yuepu Town.In the past ten days, nearly 30,000 people (16,000 people have been captured) including all of the 8th Division, most of the 308th Division, the Coastal Defense Detachment, and the Security Brigade have been wiped out; all our units have approached the suburbs of Songhu, Enter the enemy's main position to fight.The enemy has completely shrunk to the urban area and the Wusong and Gaoqiao areas, and the enemy's defense focus is on Puxi rather than Pudong, Suzhou Hebei is more important than Suzhou Henan, trying to control Wusong, Dachang, Jiangwan, New Shanghai and the airport as the core positions , maintain the retreat at sea, use permanent fortifications to consume our army, in an attempt to continue to squeeze out Shanghai's resources, and prevent our army from quickly entering the urban area of ​​Shanghai. Shaking, while holding on to the main points, while rushing to transport funds.

The order stated that in order to capture Shanghai early, protect the materials, and take over the construction quickly, I decided to use the 9th, 10th Corps, and the 25th Army of the 8th Corps (the main force of the 24th Army should be assembled in Ningjiao to participate in the battle), the 26th Army, and the 7th Corps. The 23rd Army and the special forces column all attacked Shanghai step by step. First, they captured Pudong, blocked the enemy's escape route on the Huangpu River, and threatened the Shanghai flank. Then they captured the urban area south of Suzhou Creek, and at the same time captured Wusong and Baoshan, completing the encirclement of the enemy. Attack the enemy in Wusong to the north of Suzhou Creek, and Jiangwan to the south of Baoshan.

The order stipulates that the first stage: wipe out the enemy in the Pudong area, control the position on the right bank of the Huangpu River, and block the enemy's Huangpu River traffic and sea escape routes. The second stage: capture Wusong, Baoshan and the urban area of ​​Shanghai south of the Suzhou Creek, and complete the encirclement of the enemy in the area north of the Suzhou Creek. The third stage: The final gathering and annihilation may collapse the enemy in the north of Suzhou Creek, south of Wusong and Baoshan, on the left bank of Huangpu River, with Jiangwan as the center, and achieve the goal of attacking the entire Songhu area.

The order specifically stated that if any foreign warship disturbs the battle, the name and number of the ship should be identified and reported.Shelling of consulates, residences of foreigners and their vicinity shall not be allowed.If a foreign ship sails in our inland river and assists the Kuomintang with artillery fire or flees with Kuomintang soldiers and supplies, it should be resolutely sunk, and the name of the ship should be reported immediately.If the foreign ships are not hostile or are anchored at Huangpu, they are not allowed to shell.When I block the river mouth, foreign ships may sail out of the river with my consent, but they must be controlled by senior cadres, and the troops blocking the river should have strong troops and enough artillery to be ready to destroy any provocative actions by foreign ships. Unprovoked bombardment of foreign ships.And foreign nationals and consulates must be protected. Combat troops entering urban areas must strictly abide by and maintain urban policy discipline. When the order was issued, it was signed by Chen Yi, commander of Sanye and political commissar, and co-signed by Su Yu, deputy commander and second deputy political commissar, Tan Zhenlin, deputy political commissar, and Zhang Zhen, chief of staff. During the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong once said to Chen Yi: Entering Shanghai, the Chinese revolution will have to overcome a major difficulty. At this moment, the powerful army under the command of Chen Yi is ordered to occupy Shanghai. How will Chen Yi "overcome" this "difficulty"?This was a major event that attracted the attention of the world at that time.After much deliberation, Chen Yi vividly compared the liberation of Shanghai to catching mice in a porcelain shop, that is, the enemy must be resolutely eliminated, and Shanghai, the largest city in the country, must be well protected.He explained to the army leaders that simply occupying the city militarily is a small victory, and only when Shanghai is completely handed over to the people can it be a big and complete victory.He personally called the head of the combat force: we must achieve a complete military and political victory, and we must reduce losses to a minimum, so that Shanghai's urban buildings, factories, docks, etc. can be completely preserved. The commander has an order, and the soldiers obey. The 20th, 23rd, 26th, and 27th armies of the People's Liberation Army that participated in the attack on Shanghai's urban area first fought on the periphery of Shanghai, cleared obstacles, and then went straight to the urban area. The time for the final battle has come.Shanghai, the country's largest economic and cultural center city, is the crystallization of the hard work of the Chinese people over the past century, and it is also an important base for building a new China in the future.Before the war, Mao Zedong instructed: "Shanghai should be fought civilly, not with force." The front-line headquarters required commanders and fighters at all levels to avoid using artillery and blasting to protect the lives and property of Shanghai people and reduce damage to the city.The fighters vividly compared this special battle to "catching mice in a china shop". On the evening of the 24th, the 27th Army entered the urban area along Zhongzheng Road (now Yan'an Road) and Linsen Road (now Huaihai Road), and arrived at the Jockey Hall (now People's Park and People's Square) on the morning of the 25th.The 23rd Army entered the urban area from the direction of Xujiahui on the morning of the 25th.The main force of the 20th Army crossed the Huangpu River west from Gaochang Temple and entered the urban area south of Suzhou Creek.The troops of the People's Liberation Army adopted the tactics of leaping forward quickly, interspersed bravely, and encircled in a roundabout manner, which defeated the Kuomintang defenders in disarray and completely lost the ability to organize resistance.The defeated soldiers guarding the high-rise buildings disarmed and surrendered in whole regiments and camps.In just a dozen hours, by 8:00 am on the 25th, the urban area of ​​Shanghai south of the Suzhou Creek was returned to the hands of the people intact. However, the Suzhou Creek, tens of meters wide, brought the PLA's offensive to a halt.The Kuomintang army entrenched on the north bank of the Suzhou River used the river as a barrier and relied on tall buildings to block the river and the bridges on the Suzhou River with intensive firepower.Due to the inability to use artillery and other heavy weapons, the People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang defenders once formed a situation of confrontation across the river. After discussion, the commander of the 27th Army, who was in charge of attacking to the north of Suzhou Creek, decided to change its military tactics and make a feint attack below the Suzhou Creek. , Part of the main force crossed the river from the side after dark, attacked from west to east along the north bank of the Suzhou River, and copied the enemy's rear.At the same time, contact the underground party in Shanghai, launch a political offensive, divide and disintegrate the enemy, and persuade them to lay down their weapons to ensure the integrity of the city. With the active cooperation of Shanghai's underground party organization, the People's Liberation Army got in touch with Liu Changyi through relationships. On the afternoon of the 25th, Liu Changyi and his party arrived at the command post of the 27th Army on Hongqiao Road in three jeeps.Because Liu Changyi understood righteousness deeply, the negotiation went very smoothly.That night, Liu Changyi led the 51st Army to withdraw from the position north of the Mint Bridge, and assembled in the designated Jiangwan Dachang area. On the 26th, the People's Liberation Army advanced in multiple directions and inserted into the area north of Suzhou Creek.Some of the rest of the Kuomintang troops did not obey Liu Changyi and tried to resist.However, the offensive of various units of the People's Liberation Army was unstoppable like the autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, and the defenders of the North Station were wiped out at 3 o'clock on the 26th. In the early morning of the 26th, more than a thousand traffic policemen were captured near the Mint. On the afternoon of the 26th, it occupied Zhenru Station and Zhenru International Radio Station, and captured more than 20,000 Kuomintang soldiers when it developed to Jiangwan. On the evening of the 26th, more than 4,000 defenders along Changyang Road were captured. At dawn on the 27th, the remnants of the defenders near the Songhu Garrison Command were wiped out, and more than 7,000 people were captured.In this way, by the morning of the 27th, there were only more than 8,000 remnants of the 21st Army of the Kuomintang in the urban area entrenched in the Yangshupu area.As this enemy was forced to surrender under the powerful political offensive of the People's Liberation Army, not only the Yangshupu Power Plant and Water Plant were returned to the people intact, but the main urban areas north of the Suzhou Creek were also completely liberated. After the People's Liberation Army launched a general offensive, the Kuomintang defenders in Wusong, Gaoqiao, Yuepu, Yangxing and other places could no longer support them. At 18:00 on May 23, the 29th Army launched an attack on the small highland south of Yuepu.This small highland can not only threaten the Yuepu neighborhood, but also shield Wusong, Baoshan and Jiangwan airports.After the powerful artillery fire, the blasting teams of each battalion and company quickly contacted the enemy and blasted the obstacles. Then the infantry pierced the enemy's bunker like a sharp arrow, and by 8 o'clock in the evening, they all occupied this small high ground , It lifted a major obstacle for attacking Wusong. The 29th Army and the first part of the 33rd Army began to pursue Wusong and Baoshan at 17:00 on the 25th, and occupied Baoshan City at dawn on the 26th. The 25th Army pursued eastward along the south side of the Yue (Pu) Wu (Song) Highway at dawn on the 26th, and reached the Wusong Huangpu River at 8 o'clock.The Kuomintang troops gathered at the riverside wharf were scrambling to get on board and flee, and more than 8,000 people were captured as a result.Wusong Fortress was also captured by the army. The People's Liberation Army in Pudong also completely liberated the area on the 26th. At 19:00 on the 25th, the 31st Army launched an attack and broke into Gaoqiao Town.At the same time, the 30th Army, which was on the right wing of the 31st Army, also broke into Gaoqiao from the due east. By the morning of the 26th, part of the Gaoqiao defenders had been wiped out, and most of them had fled towards Sancha Port. annihilate.The People's Liberation Army, which occupied Pudong, immediately used long-range artillery to blockade the mouth of the Huangpu River. After the People's Liberation Army fighting in Pudong defeated the Kuomintang's 51st Army, it successively captured Jinjiaqiao and Qingning Temple from May 17, causing heavy casualties to the Kuomintang's 37th Army. On the 20th, the troops of the People's Liberation Army gradually advanced the offensive to the south of Gaoqiao, which was tantamount to stabbing Tang Enbo's "impregnable" defense system in Pudong.In order to secure the Gaoqiao area in Pudong, Tang Enbo hastily adjusted his deployment and dispatched the 95th Division to defend the southwest of Shanghai to Gaoqiao in an attempt to prevent the People's Liberation Army from entering the area south of Gaoqiao and remove the threat to the Huangpu River Estuary. According to the instructions of the 3rd Field Army and the 9th Corps on "taking advantage of the undecided deployment of the enemy, first annihilate the enemy in Pudong, block the Huangpu River and Wusongkou from the east bank of the Huangpu River, so as to completely eliminate the enemy in Shanghai", the determination of the leadership of the 31st Army of the People's Liberation Army is: Use the 92nd Division (less than the 276th Regiment) to strengthen the 272nd Regiment of the 91st Division and a part of the Army Artillery Regiment, first attack and annihilate the southwest of Gaoqiao, defend the enemy on the outer periphery of the south, and then capture Gaoqiao together with the 30th Army. On the evening of the 19th, the 92nd Division took over part of the 30th Army's defense from Zhangjiangzha Town to Gaoqiao Town, and launched an attack on the Kuomintang defenders on the evening of the 20th, successively capturing positions such as Yangjiazhai, Wangjia Wharf, Zhonghao and Chenjiadang. The Takahashi area is small in size, with intersecting water networks.Most of the roads and bridges were destroyed by the Kuomintang army. The movement of the troops was greatly restricted and it was inconvenient to deploy. The large-caliber artillery could not keep up. Great difficulties were encountered in the transportation of ammunition, supplies and transfer of the wounded.The houses in the villages in this area are sparsely built along the river ditches. After the People’s Liberation Army occupied them, there were no solid buildings to support them. In addition, it was rainy and the water level rose, which made it inconvenient for soil work. Submerged by water, it is inconvenient to cover and move, and light weapons are often blocked by mud and cannot be fired. However, the Kuomintang army has built reinforced concrete group forts, and there are trenches and traffic trenches between the various forts. These fortifications and barriers are equipped with heavy firearms, supported by artillery on the west bank of the Huangpu River, artillery fire from warships on the Huangpu River and outside the mouth of the Yangtze River, and covered by aircraft and tanks.Under such unfavorable circumstances, the People's Liberation Army Corps fought fiercely against the desperately struggling Kuomintang Army. On May 21, a reinforced battalion of the Kuomintang army set off from Gaoqiao with the support of the air force, navy and naval guns, led by tanks, and counterattacked the position of the 272nd regiment of Chenjiadang. The 3rd Battalion was the first to bear the brunt and was breached. The leader of the regiment decided immediately, and the deputy head of the regiment, Wang Linde, immediately organized a counterattack.Wang Linde ordered the 1st Battalion to cooperate with the 3rd Battalion to attack frontally, and at the same time ordered the 2nd Battalion to detour behind the enemy from the flanks. After receiving the task, the 2nd Battalion quickly stepped in, and the camera captured a group fort and several independent houses west of the road.At this time, the enemy quickly adjusted its forces and shifted its focus to flanking the 2nd Battalion, causing the 2nd Battalion, which had already wedged into the enemy's position, to fall into a heavy siege by surprise.The regiment headquarters ordered the 2nd Battalion to withdraw quickly. However, during the retreat, the 2nd Battalion was intercepted by the opponent's tanks and infantry. The battalion commander and deputy battalion commander were injured successively. After withdrawing, they were surrounded by the enemy and fought fiercely until midnight, most of them died heroically. Also on May 21, the Kuomintang army launched round after round of attacks on the positions of the 275th regiment of the People's Liberation Army, and the shells rained like rain. The battle lasted until the 23rd, and the Kuomintang army fought back violently against the 275th regiment with about 5 regiments in one day.Fighting until noon, the Kuomintang army broke through the Yangjiazhai position of the 1st Battalion of the 275th Regiment.The battalion commander Liu Jinwen organized the 1st company to counterattack the enemy and knocked the enemy back. The 2nd company was almost wiped out when fighting the enemy, most of the cadres of the company and platoon were killed or injured, and the troops withdrew from the position. A group of enemies broke in from the position of the 2nd company, and then entered the battalion headquarters.At a critical juncture, Yang Pinyi, the instructor of the 1st Battalion, ordered Yin Mingyi, the squad leader of the division, to act as the commander of the 2nd company, and organized the battalion headquarters and only more than 30 soldiers from the 2nd and 3rd companies to resolutely fight back against the enemy.At this moment, Wang Yaming, the deputy head of the regiment, led the guard squad to arrive, and together with the troops on the position, they repelled the enemy and restored the main position. Southwest of Xiaoyang's house, only 200 meters away from the regiment command post.Lin Feng, the deputy political commissar, organized the staff officers, officers, and scouts of the command post of the regiment, as well as the accompanying migrant workers who went to deliver ammunition but failed to return, to fight the enemy and repel the counterattacking enemy. At this time, the third echelon had entered the Pudong battlefield, and the 20th Army crossed the Huangpu River eastward to participate in the Pudong operation. The 58th, 59th, and 60th divisions launched offensives to Yangjing Town, Zhangjialou, Zhoujiadu, Tangqiao and other places respectively, knocking out the Kuomintang troops. The three divisions of the 37th Army of the Youth Army were surrounded by groups, sealing the back of downtown Shanghai. That night, the 31st Army Commander Zhou Zhijian, Deputy Commander Yao Yunliang, and Director Fang Zhongduo studied and decided to use the 275th Regiment as the front line of defense and stick to the front lines of Yangjiazhai, Zhonghao, and Sunjialou. The 272nd Regiment temporarily abandoned Chen Jiadang and transferred Arrive at the Wangjia Wharf and Caijiazhai areas, cooperate with the 20th Army to cut off the connection between the 37th Army of the Kuomintang and Gaoqiao, and form a situation where the Pudong defenders will be compressed to Gaoqiao for the final decisive battle. On May 23, the leader of the Ninth Corps conveyed the order of the Third Field Army: Zhou Zhijian, the commander of the 31st Army, will command the 30th Army and the 31st Army to seize Gaoqiao along the coast and river bank, and go straight to Sancha Harbor to cut off the Kuomintang army's sea attack. retreat. It was day and night, Zhou Zhijian and Yao Yunliang, the deputy commander of the army, invited Rao Shoukun, the deputy commander of the 30th Army, and the commanders of the divisions and divisions of the two armies and other relevant personnel to hold a pre-war meeting on the Takahashi operation at the army command post. Zhou Zhijian analyzed after conveying the tasks assigned by his superiors: "After several days of continuous combat, our army suffered heavy casualties. If our two armies carry out pincer attacks along the coast and the banks of the Huangpu River, we will not be able to concentrate our forces to quickly capture the highlands. bridge, inserted into Sancha Port, and blocked Wusongkou. It is possible to complete the task better if the method of breaking through in the middle is adopted. Comrades, please study it.” Gao Rui, commander of the 91st Division of the 31st Army, spoke first. He agreed with the commander's opinion and advocated "concentrate our forces, break through the center, and directly attack Takahashi!" After the meeting reached a basically unanimous opinion, the troops were deployed and coordinated, and ordered: the 271st Regiment of the 91st Division launched an attack from the southeast of Gaoqiao, the 274th Regiment of the 92nd Division launched an assault from the southwest of Gaoqiao, and the 273rd Regiment of the 91st Division launched an attack from the southeast of Gaoqiao. The regiment is a reserve team, and it will enter the battle at the right time after the Kuomintang army's position is breached, so as to increase the assault force, quickly insert into Sancha Port, and block Wusongkou.At the same time, units of the 30th Army attacked from the east side of Takahashi.In addition to the 278th Regiment of the 93rd Division guarding west along the Huangpu River, the 277th Regiment and the 279th Regiment attacked the enemy west of Gaoqiao to ensure the safety of the left wing of the main attacking Gaoqiao troops. The 271st Regiment of the 91st Division and the 274th Regiment of the 92nd Division are the two main regiments of the 31st Army, fighting side by side in many major battles.The predecessor of the 271st Regiment was the Special Service Battalion of the Shandong Military Region.After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, most of the regiment crossed the sea to the northeast to form the 41st Army, leaving only one company as the "seed" to develop into the later 271st Regiment.The 274th regiment is also very famous, not only for all the American equipment, but also for the number of more than 2,000 people.Throughout the War of Liberation, these two regiments have always been the pillars of the 31st Army. In any major battle, as long as these two regiments fight side by side, there will be no failure. On the night of May 23, the 3rd Battalion of the 274th Regiment, which was on standby in a village four or five miles south of Gaoqiao Town, received an emergency order to march to the outskirts of Gaoqiao Town immediately. The cadres and soldiers of the 3rd Battalion became excited, and everyone understood that this was about to fight Takahashi! After crossing the river, the 3rd Battalion did not fight a good battle.Entering Pudong, the brother troops have all gone to the front line one after another, and the 3rd Battalion has been waiting.Everyone knew that the 3rd Battalion was reserved for the toughest battles. That night, the task given to the 3rd Battalion by the army, division, and regiment was to capture an ideal position and hold on to it as a starting position for the attack on Takahashi. To the south of Gaoqiao Town stands a two-story building. The building is sturdy and tall, surrounded by barbed wire and dense deer villages.This is a double-layer firepower point of the Kuomintang defenders in the Gaoqiao position. It is condescending and directly controls a rice field in front of the Gaoqiao position and the starting position of the 274th regiment.There is a meandering river in front of the building. The river flows to the Huangpu River. The water level rises and falls with the tide. When the water is high, there is a vast ocean around. The Kuomintang defenders on the Gaoqiao position went to the second floor to defend.The river became the first natural barrier for the troops to attack Gaoqiao. The main attack position of the 274th regiment was located directly south of this building, separated by a paddy field, and the muddy water was knee high.In the muddy fields, people cannot lie down and lie down.It can be expected that if an attack is launched, it will be difficult for troops to break through the paddy fields.Opposite the rice field is the position of the Zimubao group in Gaoqiao Town and the two-story building tightly surrounded by barbed wire. In order to complete the tasks assigned by the superiors, the leaders of the 3rd Battalion led the troops to rush towards Gaoqiao in the dark, until they were tens of meters away from the Gaoqiao bunkers of the Kuomintang defenders. The troops lay down in a column on the spot, and the soldiers were ordered to use shovels and picks to work under their bodies.Gradually a hole is dug, and people kneel in it, and when the kneeling hole is dug deeper, people go in, and the distance between people is several meters.Before dawn, the 3rd Battalion dug a 150-meter horizontal trench in the shape of a "T" and a long trench with a length of 4 miles. As soon as it was dawn, the Kuomintang defenders in Takahashi launched a counterattack against the forward positions of the 274th Regiment, and dispatched planes and artillery to bombard them indiscriminately. The shells roared towards the 3rd Battalion's position, but due to the short distance, they all flew far over the "T"-shaped trench and exploded in the rice fields behind. The trenches of the 3rd Battalion seemed to be right under the enemy's nose, becoming a blind spot for shelling; the enemy planes dispatched and hovered over the trenches for a long time, and gave up bombing because they were too close to the main position of Takahashi. The Kuomintang defenders in Gaoqiao Town panicked and continuously dispatched tanks and infantry to counterattack the 3rd Battalion's position.Commander Zhou Zhijian, who had already reached the front of Gaoqiao, ordered that the troops located on the two wings of the 3rd Battalion's position must quickly advance the position at all costs, occupy the enemy's stronghold by camera, and ensure the safety of the 3rd Battalion and its trench passages. In the early hours of May 24, Wang Baotian, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 274th Regiment, led his troops into the position from the right wing of the 3rd Battalion. fighting.It was too late to repair the fortifications of the position, and the officers and soldiers of the 1st Battalion could only go down into the waist-deep ditch. The company commander of the 2nd company, Wang Chengbin, always fought at the forefront of the company. When encountering a situation, he pushed the brim of his hat, and the squad and platoon leaders behind him immediately formed a tacit understanding with him. The officers and soldiers of the 1st Battalion were trapped in waist-deep water, unable to walk or move, and fragments of shells whirred. The right wing of the 1st Battalion's position is the position of the 30th Army, and it is even more dangerous here.On the first day, the position of the 30th Army was counterattacked by enemy tanks, and the position was once lost.When a vacuum appeared on the right wing of the 1st Battalion, Wang Baotian broke out in a cold sweat, and he urgently ordered the communications team of the battalion headquarters to plug the gap.But after a few times, he figured out that this seesaw-like large-scale advance and retreat is a tactic used by the troops of the 30th Army of Youlin to defend the front of Takahashi-they retreated fast and counterattacked at an amazing speed, and the troops would immediately attack as soon as they counterattacked. Enter Gaoqiao Town. The 2nd Battalion of the 274th Regiment entered from the trench of the 3rd Battalion and attacked to the left to reinforce the 272nd Regiment and consolidate its position. Soldiers were soaked in thick muddy water and could not raise their heads—if they raised their heads, they would be hit by enemy bullets; nor could they sleep—if they fell asleep, they would be in danger of drowning.They could only stay awake, resting their heads on the mounds on either side of the trench.The skin on his body was soaked, he was holding a gun and a telephone, he was holding his food in a hat, small crabs and bugs were crawling everywhere, and the air was filled with the stench of corpses and excrement. The head of the regiment, Huang Guanting, and the political commissar, Chen Zongxiang, repeatedly urged the troops to hold on no matter what! From time to time, the Kuomintang defenders in Gaoqiao heard the sound of tinkling silver coins and shouts: "Two oceans! Two oceans!" "Rush again, five oceans!" In this way, the troops of the 274th regiment persisted for 2 days.On the 3rd day, the army ordered the troops of the 275th regiment to replace some of the exhausted troops.The 275th Regiment, which had been rested, was dispatched at night to attack the positions of the Kuomintang defenders in Takahashi in units of squads.The 2nd Battalion of the 274th Regiment also cooperated with the trench attack.That night, the position of the right-wing 30th Army advanced to Gaoqiao Town. The pressure on the 3rd Battalion of the 274th Regiment and the "T"-shaped trench pasted under the eyes of the Kuomintang army was relieved. Soon, the 271st Regiment, which was attacking side by side with the 274th Regiment, entered the position through this long trench, and the 274th Regiment gave up the right wing of the horizontal trench to the 271st Regiment for attacking the front. At 18:30 on the 25th, Zhou Zhijian commanded the People's Liberation Army troops to prepare for artillery fire against the Kuomintang defenders in Gaoqiao, and fired at close range with mountain artillery and 92 infantry artillery, destroying the permanent firepower of the Kuomintang army. At 19:00, a general attack was launched against the enemy. The 5th Company of the 271st Regiment took advantage of the moment when the artillery fire extended to capture the opponent's group fort. The 4th company broke into the town and occupied a building.Tian Jun, the deputy head of the regiment, led the second echelon to fight the enemy in street battles, occupied the bridgehead in the center of the town, wiped out a battalion of the Kuomintang defenders, and quickly crossed the river.In order to buy time and increase the assault force, after the breakthrough of the 271st regiment, the 273rd regiment entered the deep battle from the left wing of the 271st regiment.Rapidly developed an offensive to the north and northwest, and advanced along the north bank of the river. By dawn on the 26th, two battalions of the enemy were wiped out and more than 1,000 Kuomintang defenders were captured. The 3rd Battalion of the 274th Regiment broke into the town from the southwest after more than an hour of fighting. The 7th company and 3rd platoon, led by the platoon leader and combat model Cai E, blasted continuously and captured a group fort of the enemy.When it continued to develop in depth, it was attacked by the enemy. This platoon was brave and tenacious, and repelled the enemy's counterattacks 3 times. The 1st and 2nd battalions joined the battle, launched an offensive to the northeast and northwest, and wiped out more than 1,000 enemies. The 277th Regiment and the 279th Regiment of the 93rd Division successively captured positions along the river such as Lingjiazhai, Xitang and Qijiazhai west of Gaoqiao. While the units of the 31st Army were fighting fiercely, the units of the 30th Army on the right flank broke through due east of Takahashi and entered the depths. Fighting until midnight, the 30th Army captured the headquarters of the 12th Army of the Kuomintang. As Gaoqiao Town was completely occupied by the People's Liberation Army, the Kuomintang defenders in Pudong collapsed and fled to Sancha Port, Texaco Wharf, and Wusongkou River.The cavalry troops of our army entered Shanghai and the Kuomintang army was "defeated like a mountain." After the People's Liberation Army successively conquered Yangxing and occupied Gaoqiao and other places, the Kuomintang army was defeated everywhere. On the afternoon of May 24, Tang Enbo ordered the 123rd Army to take defense at Zhenru Station.Deputy Army Commander Ji Yuzhi said to Shan Dong, Commander of the 308th Division: "The matter is difficult to handle. The troops have not been organized. The Tang headquarters ordered us to take over the defense at Shanghai Zhenru Station immediately. I don't understand. We were asked to open Chongming County before. Why has it changed now? This kind of thing is really difficult to handle." Fang Houming, chief of staff of the division, said: "Don't say that the troops don't want to go, even Ji Yuzhi and Zhang Zhongxiu don't want to go. Tang Enbo is lying. The army commander has escaped because of illness. Everyone can leave. Why must they be sent to Zhenru Station? Go hand in your guns?" Fang Houming said here that the commander of the army had escaped due to illness, referring to Gu Xijiu, the commander of the 123rd Army, who took the opportunity to leave the military headquarters on May 18. On the evening of May 18, Gu Xijiu told Shan Dong: "I'm not in good health recently, and I want to go to the hospital to recuperate for a few days. I need to discuss everything with Deputy Army Commander Ji and Chief of Staff Zhang." At 6 p.m., the guard told Shan Dong: "Deputy Commander Ji and Chief of Staff Zhang are all wearing plain clothes." At 7:00 p.m., the 123rd Army marched to Zhenru Station.There were gunfire all night long.Shandong climbed to the highest platform of the nearby Jinmen Hotel and looked around. The northwest, west, and southwest directions of Shanghai were full of flames, and the place where the gunfire was loudest was near Zhenru Station.Shan Dong and his officers and soldiers did not know at the time that their army commander Gu Xijiu arrived at Wusong via the Songhu Garrison Command in the afternoon to board a ship and fled to Zhoushan. Less than three hours after the 123rd Army arrived at Zhenru Station, the division, regiment, battalion, and company lost contact. The deputy commander Ji Yuzhi saw that the momentum was not good, so he said to Xu Jitai, the commander of the 334th Division, "Your division commander Handle it yourself according to the situation." After speaking, Ji Yuzhi and Chief of Staff Zhang Zhongxiu fled in a jeep.Xu Jitai did the same. He ordered the heads of the regiments to deal with the situation according to the situation, and he also changed into plain clothes and slipped away. According to Shan Dong’s later recollections: “After the 123rd Army, the 182nd Division, and the 334th Division took over the defense at Zhenru Station, the People’s Liberation Army’s fierce artillery fire blew up the position, and more than half of the officers and soldiers were killed or injured. They all changed into plain clothes and fled for their lives.” At the beginning of the defense of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek had prepared a large number of ships near Shanghai, and planned to retreat at any time if it was impossible.Later, Liu Anqi's department guarding Qingdao was in an emergency, and Chiang Kai-shek ordered a large part of the ships near Shanghai to go to Qingdao to pick up Liu Anqi's troops.When Shanghai was in an emergency, the defense was weak, and there was no boat to retreat, so we had to abandon our troops and flee in embarrassment. On the afternoon of May 24th, Shi Youren, the commander of the 8th Division of the 54th Army, received an order from Shi Jue, Commander of the Songhu Defense: "Deploy the entire division on the second line of Jiangwan as a cover position, and leave the original defensive position to Gu Xijiu. The 123rd Army took over the defense." Shi Jue particularly emphasized: "All the troops withdrawn from the first line are not allowed to pass through the second-line positions without permission; especially the traffic police force has become unstable, and some have surrendered to the Communist Army. Prevent it from entering the defense line." This is an important deployment for Shi Jue to follow Tang Enbo's order to carry out the retreat and escape mission.Jiangwan is the throat leading to Wusong. Moving the 8th Division here not only facilitates the rapid withdrawal of the 54th Army, but also attempts to prevent the collapse of the army and endanger the entire retreat plan. The 5th, 6th, 11th, and 12th Corps of the Traffic Police were ordered to drive out of the urban area in 200 large trucks on May 19 to take over the defense of the 75th Army on the line west of Suzhou Creek at Shanghai Middle School, Railway No. 6 Bridge, and Caohejing Town. Guo Luzhou, Commander of Shanghai Southwest Defense.At this time, because Zhou Wenxin, the commander of the first brigade to which he belonged, escaped and had no command, they left their positions and retreated to the urban area.Among them, the No. 11 Traffic Police Corps withdrew to the Fuxin Flour Mill on the south bank of the Suzhou River and the Bank of China's First Warehouse on the afternoon of May 24, and collectively surrendered to the People's Liberation Army that night.The 12th Corps of Traffic Police withdrew from Huajing Township to East Zhongshan Road along Xujiahui Airport on the morning of May 24th in an attempt to detour to Mucheng in the urban area, but was blocked by the People's Liberation Army and fell into a defeat.That afternoon, Captain Jiang Jianzhong met Guo Luzhou, the garrison commander of Southwest Shanghai, who was fleeing on Junying Road.Guo Luzhou pretended to be inspecting the troops, issued Jiang Jianzhong 100 million gold-yuan coupons, and left by car.Seeing that the situation was not right, Jiang Jianzhong immediately disguised himself and fled to Wu Song.The 6th Traffic Police Corps was originally a reserve team, located near the Caohejing brigade headquarters. After the brigade headquarters withdrew in the early morning of May 24, the corps was dispersed in chaos.Captain Qi Jiguang led more than 200 people from the headquarters and the communication team to escape into the urban area. He arrived in Wusong on the 25th. On the morning of May 25th, the 20th Corps of the Traffic Police retreated to the front of the Jiangwan position of the 8th Division under the leadership of the commander.Shi Youren, the division commander of the 8th Division, inquired about the situation. The personnel of the traffic police corps reported that they had lost contact with the defense headquarters for several days.Shi Youren called Shi Jue to explain the situation, and Shi Jue replied, "Don't listen to their nonsense." That afternoon, Shi Youren received the general retreat order from Shi Jue.The gist of the order said: Shanghai has an urgent time and there is a shortage of ships. The heavy weapons, horses, and vehicles in the troops should be completely destroyed or thrown into the Huangpu River.All transportation units at all levels and the miscellaneous personnel of the headquarters at all levels shall be kept on the spot, and the combat commanders shall be withdrawn as much as possible.Regulations: The 8th Division and the 6th Division belonging to the 75th Army share the same ship and board the ship at the Wusong Qiujiang Wharf.石觉并在电话中告诉施有仁：不得把撤退消息告诉交警部队。 施有仁传达完命令，就乘吉普车开往虬江码头，被路上的车辆阻塞，无法通行。他以为是少数汽车抛锚，便下车徒步到前面观看情况，发现马路上停满了各式车辆，一直通到码头。一问才知道，由于解放军的炮弹已经打在码头附近，开车的司机和车上人员纷纷弃车，赶着上船逃命去了。 施有仁找到分配给第8师的船一看，部队还没上多少，船上已被乱七八糟的人挤满，连栈桥也无法挤上去，他只得由别人从船舷旁边扶上去。这艘船是排水量3000吨的货船，事前就装满了2000多吨的面粉。结果第8师的部队仅上了1000多人，而第6师只上了140多人。后面部队不断涌来，异常慌乱，完全失去了指挥，全都争先恐后抢着上船。有的被挤到水里，挤不上去的就用绳子往上吊，绳子一断还是掉到水里，一片鬼哭狼嚎。第8师第24团团长郭建佑看到老婆、儿子被挤落海中，郭建佑不知是去救人还是自杀，自己也跳进了大海。船的左侧水中已经落下不少炮弹，船上人员一再要求开船，同时船上人员也已满得无法再挤，施有仁同第6师师长决定下令起锚。船猛一开动，那些挤在梯子上的、挂在船体上的、吊在绳子上的许多人都掉落水中淹死。 没有被船带走的官兵在码头上呼天喊地，有的马上开始抢劫财物，这个刚把东西拿到手，别人又从其手中夺过去，相互间不断抢夺殴斗。有不少人在践踏中伤残，有的则被汽车压死压伤，争吵打骂，啼哭叫喊，乱作一团。 第21军原已在5月16日调至吴淞附近。5月24日夜，汤恩伯以调整部署名义，下令将非嫡系的第21军与嫡系之第52军换防。第21军接到命令后，即于25日拂晓至午后二时，接替了第52军的防务。在接防过程中，第21军看到江湾、吴淞道上各路军马人山人海，车辆物资堆积如山，秩序异常混乱，虽然知道军情已经紧张，但大多数官兵尚未察觉汤恩伯和第52军将立即撤退逃走。因此还是执行了命令。师长李前荣还率领各团团长到前沿察看阵地，督促部队加修工事，并和进攻的解放军进行了一段时间的阵地争夺。当晚8时，这个军的军长王克俊忽以电话通知前线两个师的团长以上主官，急往吴淞军部参加紧急会议。两个师的师长李志熙、李前荣率团长胡彤有、蒲其昌等赶至吴淞后，就由王率领他们连同军直属部队与其他少数亲信人物一起登船逃去。这时前线部队仍蒙在鼓里，继续抵抗，激战达数小时。后因解放军攻击猛烈，战况益发紧张，各部纷纷打电话寻找主官，才发现电话不通，主官情况不明。原来是团以上主官丢下部队不管，只顾自己逃命去了。 第54军军长阙汉骞于5月19日奉调高桥负责指挥浦东作战以后，相继将所属第8师、第198师调至高桥，而其所属第291师则仍留置于浦西大场地区。5月25日正午，第291师接到总撤退命令，要求急开江湾、吴淞间之张华浜码头上船。师长吴世英奉命后集合所属团、营长说：“现在情况紧急，我们就要走，根据上级指示，在阵地上的只救营长以上，部队都不要管了。能带走的都要轻装。不能带走的骡马、弹药、行李等一律销毁，不要被共军利用，部队行动愈快愈好。”各团当即行动，骡马大部被杀死，弹药行李等被抛入河内或池塘里。 去往张华浜的道路也已被车辆和乱军堵塞，市郊到处都有房屋在燃烧，溃散的官兵像热锅上的蚂蚁，纷纷逃亡。291师所属第873团团长何轩叶率部在离码头10多里处就被阻塞得进退两难。他一看势头不对，就扔下部队，和副团长、营长数人，带了一个警卫班向码头冲去，经过两个多小时才赶到码头。为防解放军的炮火，码头上不敢开灯，漆黑一团，一些船只为躲避炮击开到吴淞口外，以致有的部队和车辆停在码头附近不得上船，有的很快溃散，有的向吴淞追赶。这时张华浜码头尚停有一艘机器有故障的登陆艇，何轩叶等数人与别部乱兵共1000余人一同挤上该艇，强迫开行，一小时后，这所艇被迫搁浅在吴淞口。 汤恩伯、陈大庆、石觉的指挥机关于5月24日下午在吴淞上船。集结于高桥、吴淞间的第52、54、12等各军残部及各特种兵团于25、26日先后登船，逃亡舟山和台湾。国民党的整个上海防御至此只剩下苏州河沿线：青年军第37军残部、刚刚上任的沪警备司令部副司令刘昌义部及一部分交警部队。 这个刘昌义，出身于西北军，曾经担任过国民党的暂15军中将军长，率部与日军交过战。其后相继担任第19集团军副司令、第一绥靖区副司令，实际上失去了带兵权。1949年5月16日，当国民党第51军在浦东被歼后，汤恩伯将51军逃回之残部又重新拼凑，名为一个军，实际不到两个团，由刘昌义任军长。5月23日，汤恩伯、石觉、陈大庆准备撤逃时，让刘当了淞沪警备司令部副司令，并还委他兼北兵团司令。 “哪个北兵团？”刘昌义丈二和尚摸不着头脑。 陈大庆说：“根据汤总司令指示，51军、21军、123军组成北兵团，在苏州河以北组织防御。你就任这个北兵团司令，明天晚上，苏州河以南的几个军也要撤到河北，到时候上海的防御就要靠你了。” 刘昌义的心里明白，汤恩伯、陈大庆等人是要逃跑。什么北兵团，不过是为他们逃跑充当“替死兵团”罢了。21军是四川部队，123军是苏北民团改编的，51军是东北军，且又都是七零八落。“嫡系”部队要逃，让“杂牌”部队去送死，这是国民党的习惯做法。 五月二十五日凌晨一时，溃退的敌人如丧家之犬，龟缩在苏州河以北。他们凭借沿河的高楼仓库，以极其密集的交叉火力封锁各桥头、街口，阻止我军前进。在这种情况下，作战部队仍旧规定“不准开炮”、“不准使用炸药包”。这一来可真困难！ 几次硬攻都失利了。直到中午，我军还在与敌隔河相持。除了用武攻，还可以不可以用攻心战术呢？某师罗政委正在想着这个问题。 正巧这时候，党的地下组织派老田同志来了。罗政委与他接上了关系。同一条战线两个战壕里的战友相会，是何等的亲切！他们多么想将内心的喜悦、担忧、感受互相倾吐！可是，对面响着枪声，战斗任务要求他们迅速交换情况，商议对策。 “我们正面的敌人是五十一军，军长王秉钺已在川沙被我俘获。现在的军长就是淞沪警备副司令刘昌义……”罗政委一边介绍敌情，一边将望远镜递给老田。老田接过望远镜朝对岸造币厂大楼看去，大楼上那满布弹痕的沙包，敌兵一悠一晃的钢盔，以及从敌机枪眼里喷出的淡淡的火舌都看得一清二楚。他在思考着，没有讲话。看了好一会，才放下望远镜说： “五十一军……我们打过交道。” “晤？”罗政委很感兴趣。 原来，老田是我们党上海局“对敌策反工作委员会”的委员。他以印刷所老板的身份为掩护，结识了不少卸甲经商的东北军、西北军的老军人。这些军人大都忠于张学良和杨虎城将军，对蒋介石的倒行逆施不满。在他们联络下，一九四八年底，我党就对当时驻扎在杭州的五十一军做了大量的策反工作。一九四九年三月，五十一军被调至江阴、扬中江防。因一个当副军长的军统特务严密控制，策反未能得手。待工作有了进展，该军又被调回上海。上海交通发达，敌军麇集，加上白色恐怖严重，一直未遇到适当时机…… “那么刘昌义呢？”罗政委听了以后，又急切地问。 “我们知道他。”老田就象在他记忆的仓库里搜寻什么似的想了一下。“他是保定'讲武堂'毕业生，曾在东北军干过，又在西北军当过军长。'双十二'事变后，西北军被迫改编为'国军'。因为他不是蒋介石嫡系，始终不受重用，经常受嫡系排斥、欺侮。只是眼看京沪杭不保，才任命他为淞沪警备副司令，成了汤恩伯的替死鬼！”，老田笑了。罗政委听了，在房间里一面踱着步，一面思考着。突然，他停步问道： “刘昌义的情况我们是了解的。现在最重要的是，有没有跟刘昌义熟识的关系？” “有！我马上打电话请他来。”说着，老田就拿起了电话。打完电话，他们又认真地进行了分析，初步拟订了一个敦促刘昌义起义的计划，然后，用电话向聂风智军长作了汇报。聂军长听后很赞成，作了一些指示，最后热情地说：“希望你们成功！” 这短短的六个字，使老田感到温暖，又感到责任重大。他决心尽一切努力瓦解敌军，为保全上海作出贡献。 不一会，老田打电话请来的那人到了。他叫王仲民，原是东北军一个军官，抗战的时候跟刘昌义共过事，后来做过国民党国防部的少将部员。因为不是蒋介石嫡系，加上过去抗战稍微积极了点，便被蒋介石以“精简”的名义复员了。在那种社会里，复员等于开除，王仲民差点无衣无食。多亏他在上海海关当税务司的同乡介绍，才在海关关警中当了个队长。凡此种种，当然使他不满。一年多以前，他在寓居上海的东北军、西北军老军人中，是个有名的“牢骚满腹”的人。那时，经张学良将军的高参宁武先生介绍，他又与老田相识，为我党做了不少联络工作。他也知道，老田找他一定有急事，所以一见面就问： "What's up?" “对，请坐。”老田待他坐下，慢慢说道。“现在的形势你也看到了，不用多说。五十一军就在对面，我们请你到刘昌义那里去一次，做做工作。希望他以上海人民生命财产为重，放下武器。行吗？” “我……”听老田交待完任务，王仲民吞吞吐吐。 “你怕？” “我……我担心封锁线过不去。” 老田笑了笑：“我们停止射击。那边，你可以设法用电话联系一下。” “让我想想……”此时王仲民心乱如麻。为解放军当信使、做好事，他是愿意的。但一想到那横飞的子弹，万一被打死，老婆、孩子怎么办？想到这里，他又失去了勇气。 老田深知他的为人，并不去打扰他。王仲民走出门去，一边踱步，一边紧张地思考：自己半生坎坷，一事无成。在国民党军队里，除了受欺就是受气。现在真正为人民办事的机会到了，怎么又胆小起来了呢？ ... 半个小时以后，他折回来，口气坚决地说：“老田，决定了！我去。” “再考虑考虑吧！”老田慎重地说。 “不！考虑好了。我只有妻子孩儿两个亲属，如果我完了，请你们适当照顾，别无要求。”王仲民说着就要走，老田一把拉住他，笑着说： “瞧你，你怎么去？去说什么？怎么联系？不研究好，怎么去？”说得王仲民也不好意思地笑了。 老田将罗政委请来，为王仲民作了介绍。然后，跟罗政委一起，对他作了详细的交待。交待完毕，罗政委命令我军停止射击，并派两个参谋将王仲民先生送至桥口。 这时，踞于桥北大楼的敌人，见我军停止射击，摸不透什么意思，渐渐地也放松了射击。但出于神经脆弱，不一会又拚命射击起来。在这枪紧弹密的情况下，要想过桥是十分困难的。尽管王仲民一再高叫“不要开枪”，敌人听不见，还是照旧将子弹一个劲儿地往桥面倾泻。what to do?王仲民急出一身汗。忽地，他看到不远处有一家文具店，就叫开门，买了张大白纸，用毛笔写上“和平使者”四个大字；随即高举头顶，一边喊“不要开枪”，一边不顾一切走上桥头。敌人远远看见只有他一个人，手里还不停地挥着一件白东西，不知怎么回事，就暂停射击。待王仲民冲了过去，便有四个敌兵涌上来将他挟住，送去见“长官”。 刘昌义正在临时司令部一间屋子里踱步。此刻，他好比笼中鸟，瓮中鳖，左右为难：逃走吧，吴淞口已被解放军卡住，走不脱；抵抗吧，士气不振，战线不明，根本无法取胜……正在焦虑，副官报：“王仲民先生到！” 见了王仲民，他又惊、又喜、又疑惑，忙问： “哎呀，仲民兄怎么过得来？” “嗨！别提了，差点儿被打死，做冤枉鬼。”王仲民说着整了整衣衫。“国军”一路上的审问、解押，把那套海关制服弄得皱成一团。 “这种时候你来？……” “是啊，无事不登三宝殿。看！”说着，王仲民把那团揉破了的白纸展开。刘昌义见上面写了“和平使者”四个大字，心不由得一震，屏退副官，忙问： “是那边派你来的？”见王仲民点了点头，又说：“仲民兄，你胆子真大啊！” “胆小就不来了。再说，你现在是这儿最高司令官，我还怕什么？” “交情归交情。不过……你真是解放军派来的？你跟共产党到底是什么关系？”刘昌义问得很急，口气又重，王仲民有些火了： “怎么？不相信我？告诉你，我是看在朋友面上才冒死跑这一遭。既然你不信，再见！”说着，拿了帽子就要走。刘昌义连忙拉住他，赔笑说： “仲兄！既然来了，何必忙着就走？那边的意思？……” 王仲民见他有了意思，就把罗政委和老田交待他的一番话原原本本地说出来。那大意是：希望他认清大局，以民族利益为重，举行阵前起义。只要同意起义，解放军一定以礼相待。 听了这番话，刘昌义又激动，又惶恐，楞了半天没说话。王仲民乘机提起他俩抗战时的友谊，讲起“双十二”事变后，蒋介石对张、杨两将军的迫害，他们俩的受排挤受压抑，又讲起全国解放的形势……这些话，一句句都象锥子刺痛刘昌义的心。他蓦地抬起头来说： “仲民兄！如能设法见到共方代表，我一定考虑！” 王仲民高兴地应道：“行！我来联系！”说着，便走向电话机，拨起某师指挥所——小沙渡路劳工医院的电话号码来。 这时是下午两点。焦虑地守候在电话机旁的老田，一听电话铃响，马上拿起话筒：是王仲民！ 王仲民向他报告了情况，他立即请刘昌义接电话： “刘将军吗？我是共产党上海局'策反委员会'的代表，我姓田。” “久仰，久仰！”刘昌义声音有点紧张。 “我跟你们五十一军早有过来往啊……” “是啊，是啊，这，敝人明白。要不是军统控制太严，队伍早就拉过去了……” “现在拉也不迟啊！”老田爽朗地说。 “是，是。”刘昌义连声应道。 “那么，你愿意谈罗？”