In August 1947, the Third Vertical and Eighth Brigade participated in the Great Qing Hebei Campaign.First besiege Laishui, and then attack Zhuoxian, Liangxiang, and Liulihe.At this time, the Northeast Field Army launched a powerful offensive against the enemy north of Shenyang, and Chiang Kai-shek urgently ordered the 11th Theater of Peking to send reinforcements.The Central Military Commission ordered Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei to cooperate with the Northeast to fight against the enemies of Pingjin. In mid-October, in order to cooperate with the Northeast operation, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army Command decided to attack Baobei again.

If counted from the War of Liberation and after the liberation of Shijiazhuang, the third column has already made the fifth attack to protect the north. The tactic at that time was to adopt the method of digging out the fish, draining the water in the pool, the fish would be picked out, put in the water again, dodge, the fish went again, and then put in the water again...and so on.Even after the liberation of Shijiazhuang, the war was still fought in Baobei.Baobei is actually very small and narrow. It is only a section of the railway line from Xushui to Zhuozhou. It is easy to defend and not easy to attack. Why do you attack this place again and again?And it is not the enemy who attacks us, but we take the initiative to attack the enemy.Perhaps the strategic position here is important?That's right.The area around Baoding, with Taihang Mountain in the west and Qunchuan River Valley in the east, is an important place to protect the southern gate of the capital.However, the repeated attacks on Baobei were not because of the important terrain or the superior battlefield conditions here, but because it was a last resort.There is an important reason here, that is, North China must cooperate with the Northeast to fight.All combat orders to attack Baobei have the words to cooperate with our army in the Northeast.To cooperate with the Northeast, we must mobilize the enemy. The Pingjinbao triangle area has always been the enemy's strategic location in North China, and the focus is on this.We attack here, and only by attacking here can we mobilize the enemy.Xushui, an important town in Baobei, is located between Baoding and Beiping, 25 kilometers away from Baoding in the south, and is an important barrier to the north of Baoding.Once Xushui fell, Baoding would become an isolated city.Therefore, when Xu Shui was in an emergency, the enemy must dispatch rescue.Dabaobei is the best place to besiege the city and fight for aid.Therefore, although the terrain in this area is narrow and there is very little room for maneuver, it is not suitable for large corps movement operations, and the railways, roads and rivers here are criss-crossed, which is beneficial to the enemy and not to us, but it is always repeated again and again. There is war here.As soon as the war started, the enemy immediately gathered from the railway and road.

Prior to this, news of good news from the strategic areas of the brothers came frequently, and Jinchaji, which had already won the Zhengtai Battle, was gearing up to look for opportunities and prepare for a big battle of annihilation. At this time, the Kuomintang army in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei area, like the Kuomintang army in the whole country, had already gone on the defensive and concentrated in cities above the county seat.Originally, its mobile force was insufficient, and the Battle of Qingcang prevented several main divisions transferred to the northeast from making the trip, wandering between Jinghai and Tianjin, which made it even more stretched.However, the enemy was very cunning and stayed in the city. The Party Committee of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region decided to seize the weakness of the enemy's emptiness and strike while the iron was hot.

At that time, the enemies of Pingjinbao were all concentrated in the area from Tianjin to Jinghai on the Jinpu line. An enemy division is stationed in Laishui and Yixian County.There is an absolute advantage in dealing with the enemy's strength with three columns.Once you hit Baobei, it's like hitting a snake to the top of the seven inches. The enemy will definitely come to reinforce it. The east and west sides of the railway are vast liberated areas, and it is worthwhile to sit on the sidelines in this area. The main purpose of the second attack on Baobei was to besiege the city and fight for aid, mobilizing the enemy to fight mobile warfare.But the enemy reinforcements did not come, and the reinforcements from Pingjin and Baoding did not dare to come out.After more than four hours of fighting, Xushui was conquered again. According to the statistics of this battle, more than 8,200 enemies were wiped out, and the northern line of Pinghan Road was cut off, posing a direct threat to the enemies in Beiping and Baoding.

Before the Battle of Zhengtai, our army had a battle to protect the North.The two attacks on Baobei, plus the later one, not only pulled out a large number of enemy strongholds, but also mobilized the enemy.But the tune was tuned out, and the enemy was fined, and they hugged each other tightly, but they didn't separate.If it is too big, with the strength of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army, it cannot be eaten at all, and it is even more difficult to wipe it out. It is even necessary to evacuate after only a few days of each battle, otherwise it will cause great disadvantages. In the summer of 1947, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army completed its two-month training in Anguo and Dingxian. During this period, at the suggestion of Commander-in-Chief Zhu De, a new field army leadership was established.The Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region decided to falsely launch an attack on the Kuomintang Army in the Qing Dynasty and Hebei, and wanted to transfer the enemy to the West for aid.This battle wiped out more than 5,200 enemies.The stronghold at the bottom of the building that was not captured in the second Baobei campaign was taken down in this Qinghebei campaign.Later, because the enemy was aware of our army's combat intentions, he urgently ordered the enemy of the Western Aid to stand by, and ordered the enemy in the Hebei of the Qing Dynasty to stand by and wait for reinforcements.The sudden change of the enemy's situation, coupled with the heavy rain for days, our army voluntarily withdrew from the battle.This battle was not very ideal. If you want to say that you lost the battle, that's not true, it's just that this battle was "overwhelming".The soldiers said that instead of eating meat, they knocked out their front teeth.

Where will the next battle be fought? At this time, the time to attack Shijiazhuang was not yet ripe, and the conditions for attacking the Pingsui line or other directions were not yet available. However, in Baobei, due to the powerful offensive launched by the Northeast People's Liberation Army in mid-September, the three main divisions of the enemy in North China were successively transferred to the Northeast. As a result, the army was empty. Therefore, the reorganized field army of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region set its sights firmly on Baobei for the third time. Unexpectedly, a big fish was caught this time.

Still besiege the city and fight for aid. On the evening of October 11, 1947, under the unified order of the military region, the soldiers and civilians in the Jinchaji liberated area launched a full-line attack on the railway and highway north of Baoding.Overnight, the traffic was interrupted.When the enemy was in a hurry on all sides, the main force of the Jinchaji Field Army suddenly appeared in the area north and east of Xushui.Let the enemy have the illusion that our army is going to conquer Xushui with all its strength and cut off the Baoding and Beiping railways, thereby attracting the enemy to come to help.Three battle plans have been drawn up: one is that if the enemy comes to aid in Baoding, they will be wiped out in the area south of Xushui; , after preparing to inflict damage, turn westward to the Yaocun area of ​​Suicheng, forcing the enemy to disperse, in order to annihilate them one by one.Xushui is the gateway to the north of Baoding, the throat of the railway from Baoding to Peiping and Tianjin, and it is the enemy's most sensitive nerve in North China.Previously, the Second Column had attacked Xushui twice, and this time the Yesi handed over the task of attacking Xushui to the Second Column.Commander Chen Zhengxiang said that when enemies meet, they are extremely jealous.As soon as the battle started, our army quickly cleared the outskirts of Xushui's strongholds with the momentum of wind and clouds, and approached the city of Xushui.Day and night, densely packed traffic trenches tightly wrap Xushui City like thousands of nooses. On the evening of October 13, a red flare pierced the hazy night sky above Xushui City.In an instant, guns roared, bullets flew across the sky, and the sound of killing shook the sky.With the support of artillery and neighboring troops, our fourth and fifth brigades rushed straight to the city wall from the northwest and southeast respectively.Sure enough, after storming Xushui, the enemy became anxious, and called out 10 infantry regiments and a chariot regiment led by Li Wen to break the siege of Xushui along the line of Gucheng Rongcheng.Yesi ordered the third column and the seventh brigade to intercept the enemy between Xushui and Gucheng.For three days and three nights, the enemy's seven regiments under the cover of planes and cannons repelled more than a dozen attacks, and held their positions firmly.

Li Wen is a defeated general, he has fought many times, and he is well aware of the power of the PLA's mobile warfare, so he is very careful. When attacking, the five divisions advance together, and they will never go deep alone.The aid to the enemy hugged too tightly, although they were blocked, they were difficult to separate and eliminate for a while, forming a confrontation.The siege of Xushui City was not smooth. Xushui defended the enemy with high fortifications and American equipment, desperately defending the city. Chen Zhengxiang, the brigade commander of the second brigade, ordered several sieges to fail.In this case, it is obviously beneficial to the enemy to fight for a long time.In order to break this situation and gain the initiative in the war, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army adjusted its deployment and moved to the Yaocun area of ​​Suicheng, west of the Ping-Han Railway, according to the third planned plan, and the fourth column on the east side of the railway moved to the west of the railway. Together with the third column west of the railway, back against the mountainous area, flank the enemy's west flank, lure the enemy to divide his troops westward, and then annihilate the enemy in motion.

On the evening of the 17th, the troops on the east side of the road began to move. San Zong didn't move. Why didn't Sanzong move?The field army headquarters also ordered the three columns to withdraw from the battle, attack Laishui in the north, and turn the main force to the Dawangdian area in the west.The order telegram is as follows: The first battle of the Qing Dynasty after the establishment of the field army was not successful, and now there is a confrontation again. Our opinion is to attack Laishui with all three verticals.After receiving the telegram, the commander Zheng Weishan, who is very clever in fighting, discussed with the political commissar Hu Yaobang and the deputy commander Wen Niansheng, and they agreed that they could not withdraw now, and that it was not appropriate to fight Laishui at this time.Laishui is located in the north of Gaolinying, where the third column insisted on blocking in Baobei, about 80 miles away from the current position.To get out of the battlefield, it is necessary to bypass the enemy's position in order to attack Laishui in the north.This is very likely to be followed by the enemy, and the enemies in Zhuo County and Gucheng are bound to form a pincer attack on me and cause disadvantages.Several people immediately decided to call back the field army headquarters.

Zheng Weishan said, political commissar, write it down. Therefore, Hu Yaobang wrote down the suggestions for group discussion.The general idea is that we have not considered and are not going to consider hitting Laishui. Our opinion is to persist on the spot and strive for changes in the situation. In other words, temporarily stay in place to monitor the enemy.Zheng Weishan did not expect that this move would be very unfavorable to the next change in the battle situation.He wrote in his memoirs: At that time, we were all young and energetic, just talking about our own ideas?Complete disregard of the upper and lower relations.What is even more touching is that such a telegram, instead of being criticized by the head of the field department, was adopted by the head of the field department.Is this probably because our opinion itself is desirable?The head of Noji didn't care about our attitude and wording.

Soon, the Field Army Headquarters issued a revised telegram, leaving a small number of troops in the second column to take over positions outside the first and third positions, and its main force and the main force of the fourth column moved westward for standby.The main force of the third column and the command of the second column and the sixth brigade are still in the current area?Control the west side of the No. 2 position as an assault force, and need to build a number of defensive positions. At the same time that the field army began to transfer, the field army headquarters also began to transfer.Luo Ruiqing, the first political commissar, is attending the land meeting at this time. Pan Zili, director of the political department, has already set off with the political department. Among the five former members of the field army, only Yang Dezhi, the commander of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army, Yang Chengwu, the second political commissar, and the chief of staff The three of Geng Biao drove their horses together from Dongma Village in Rongcheng to the west. At that time, Geng Biao was thinking on horseback whether the enemy would divide his troops westward as we expected. If they didn't listen to our dispatch and still gather five divisions together, what measures should be taken to lure the enemy to disperse? Woolen cloth?When moving westward for more than 20 miles, there was a rush of horseshoes behind him, and the cavalry messenger sent an urgent telegram from Commander Nie. This is an enemy report, saying that Luo Lirong, the commander of the enemy's third army in Shijiazhuang, led the headquarters of the third army, the seventh division, and the sixty-sixth regiment of the sixteenth army to cross the Hutuohe River on the 16th, and was stationed in the northeast of Zhengding that night. Pucheng area. Continue northward on the 17th, today, and rest in the corner of Pu in the morning. You can enter the Xinle area. It is estimated that you will arrive in Ding County on the 18th and Fangshun Bridge on the 19th.Baoding enemy Liu Huanan is ready to respond.After Yang Dezhi finished reading, he immediately asked the combat staff officer Aftershock to spread the map on the ground.Knowing that Luo Lirong came out of Shijiazhuang on the 16th, several leaders of the field army were all happy. This is really a great thing that fell from the sky.Geng Biao said happily: Luo Lirong finally came out of the cave.Ever since Geng Biao formulated his battle plan overnight in Anguo, his target was directly aimed at Luo Lirong.However, although Luo Lirong's crab legs were broken off after Zhengtai, Qingcang, and Baobei battles, the conditions for attacking Luo Lirong to liberate Shijiazhuang were not yet ripe.I have been trying to lure Luo Lirong out of the cave, but he just can't get out alive.This time, how dare you leave your old nest and travel long distances? Geng Biao didn't know the real reason why Luo Lirong left Shijiazhuang at the time, but he knew in his heart that it seemed that the battle plan had to be changed immediately.No matter what the reason is for Luo Lirong to leave Shijiazhuang, he is always aiming at Baobei. If the enemy changes, we will change. If we still follow the established policy, we may be attacked by the enemy.We should stop advancing westward, turn around and head south immediately, and annihilate Luo Lirong in the movement. It seems that the wish to fight a big war of annihilation is about to come true. The commander Yang Dezhi, the second political commissar Yang Chengwu and Geng Biao had the same ideas, and soon they unified their thinking, and the next question was to choose the most ideal battlefield.In the open-air command post that had just been dismantled and was about to unfold, several generals put their heads on the map laid out on the ground, carefully checking the route of Luo Li's army. The area between Shijiazhuang and Baoding is all liberated areas, and the enemy is going deep alone, just looking for death.However, Fangshun Bridge is too close to Baoding, and the besieged enemy can easily cooperate with Baoding and the enemy north of Baoding in battle. It is not convenient for our army to quickly wipe out the enemy, so we can only wipe out the enemy south of Fangshun Bridge.Geng Biao said: We can neither let Luo Lirong reach Baoding nor let him reach Fangshun Bridge. We must choose the battlefield south of Fangshun Bridge, or even south of Wangdu. Yang Dezhi said: Yes, if he is allowed to approach Baoding, Liu Huanan, who is stationed in Baoding, will meet him. Yang Chengwu stared at the map and said: At least Luo Lirong should be stopped 50 miles south of Baoding to be sure of encirclement and annihilation.Otherwise, we're threatened in the back of our ass. The eyes of several people stayed on one point on the map. Breeze store! Yes, only Qingfeng shop! Further south, it is difficult for our troops to arrive, and the enemy can rely on Dingxian County, which will increase the difficulty for our army to wipe out the enemy.This is the place of Qingfeng shop.It is a liberated area with a good mass base and can strictly block news.At the same time, the enemy has no strong towns to rely on. Geng Biao pointed to the Qingfengdian area 15 kilometers south of Wangdu on the map and said: I think it is ideal to fight here.Geng Biao has served as chief of staff for a long time, and has developed a habit over the years. When talking about war, he always calculates the distance and marching speed of the enemy and ourselves. He measured it on the map. Qingfengdian is far from Baoding in the northeast and southwest Xinle, each 90 miles away, is exactly in the middle of the current location of Luo Lirong and Liu Huanan. If the battlefield is moved northward between Wangdu and Fangshun Bridge, it will be too close to Baoding, and the ambush troops will have worries.If the battlefield is moved to the south of Ding County, and it is too close to Xinle, when Luo Lirong's troops pass by, the main force of our army in Baobei will definitely not be able to arrive in time, which will lead to the failure of the ambush, and Qingfengdian is very suitable up.Qingfengdian is more than 100 kilometers away from our current position, and only 75 kilometers away from the southernmost army. According to the marching speed, if we work harder, we can strive to arrive before Luo Lirong at dawn on the 19th.In addition, although the Qingfengdian area is also a plain area, there are always some ups and downs, and there is a Tang River in the south. Once Luo Lirong crosses the river, our army will control the ferry and surround the enemy at a lower place, which is beneficial to the whole country. Annihilate the enemy.Geng Biao added: However, we must ensure that the main force of our army arrives at Qingfengdian before the enemy, otherwise... This is our difficulty, When the telegram was received, Luo Lirong had already set off for a day and a half, and he was in Xinle at this time.Xinle is only 75 kilometers away from Fangshun Bridge, and the enemy walked across it. At this time, the main force of our army is in the north of Xushui, and we have to bypass Baoding to reach the south of Fangshun Bridge. The farthest troop journey is at 120 kilometers. Can you walk 120 kilometers a day and night?I still have to eat, I still have to sleep... Under normal circumstances, this is impossible. But to win the war, we must make the impossible possible. The key is whether we can gain time?Get ahead of the enemy and we will be victorious. Several people immediately calculated the marching speed of the enemy and us in units of hours.At this time, Luo Lirong was 45 kilometers away from Qingfengdian, which was a one-day journey, which required us to walk more than 100 kilometers in one day.Forced marches must be implemented.Continuous forced march for 4 hours must ensure meals and proper rest.Geng Biao said with emotion: In the first three days and nights, whether it was blocking or assisting troops, they were fighting fiercely in motion, which consumed a lot of manpower, material resources, and energy. Is there still combat power after consumption? Yang Dezhi said, I don't think this is a big problem. The enemy's marching speed is inherently slow. In addition, the area from Xinle to Qingfengdian is a liberated area. When it gets dark, the enemy will never dare to march, but our army will travel day and night. Some buffer time.If we then deploy local troops and guerrillas to harass, we can delay the enemy's movements with greater certainty. Another problem is that at this time the three field army columns and tens of thousands of local troops are moving west. If they want to turn around and go south, they must explain the reasons for the overall change, which also takes every second and every second. Yang Chengwu said with confidence that as long as we clearly explain the reasons for changing the combat plan to each column and brigade, and let all commanders and fighters know the truth that "time is victory", then our iron feet will definitely rush to the front of the enemy.More than ten years ago, our Red Army snatched the Luding Bridge on the Dadu River. Didn’t we drive 120 kilometers in one day and one night?And it was mountainous at that time, and it was pouring rain. The conditions are much better now than then.I believe that our main force will cover a distance of about 100 kilometers in one day and one night. After that, Yang Dezhi, Yang Chengwu, and Geng Biao carefully studied the marching speed of the enemy and us, and even calculated the meal and rest time of our army during the march in detail, and finally made up their minds.The Field Army Command finally made a decision to withdraw three-fifths of its troops from the Baobei blockade and run to Qingfengdian. That's it.However, the combat plans of the field army were all approved by the Jinchaji Military Region.What should I do if the order is temporarily changed, and it is too late to ask for instructions?After discussing with everyone, Yang Dezhi decided to act while asking for instructions. The time was so urgent that it was impossible to wait for approval. The combat plan was issued almost from top to bottom, at 18:00 on October 17, 1947. In order to quickly annihilate the enemy, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army decided to use all four verticals (stop westward movement) and dispatch the sixth and ninth brigades immediately, and march southward at the same time to prevent and annihilate the enemy in Wangdu, Fangshun Bridge and the areas to the east and south . Drive in: Four vertical passes through Anxin (and to the west), Yangjiaqiao, and Dazhuang Town.Divide into multiple columns, aiming at Yangcheng, and arrived at the designated place at 12:00 on the 18th.The three verticals (Wen and Wang commanded the Ninth Brigade and the Sixth Brigade) passed through Mancheng Shunmin Village and Dagudian at 12 o'clock on the 18th to Fangshun Bridge and the south and east areas, selected fortifications, and waited to wipe out the enemy. Jizhong has ordered the Independent Eighth Brigade to march northward overnight from the Meihua area, tailing the enemy and preventing the enemy from fleeing south. After the combat plan was reported, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region issued instructions on mobilizing the main force of the field army to rush southward to wipe out the enemy, pointing out that if the time to go south to fight the enemy is short, you can first send a regiment to the south of Wangdu to stop the attack.He ordered the military and civilians of Jijin and Jizhong to use all efforts to delay Luo Lirong's northward march. The order is issued, but it is very difficult to convey the order to every unit that is hundreds of kilometers away, has backward communication links, and is constantly moving.At that time, Yang Dezhi's command post was in motion, and there was no radio station. Even if there was a radio station, it was not easy to contact the troops on the move. Take it off your back, hang up the map, and hang up the phone. For troops without telephones, the staff officers of the command post would ride separately to notify them on horseback. The nearby troops would be notified first, and then a relay method would be adopted.The near ones inform the far ones, and the far ones inform the farther ones. Yang Dezhi repeatedly emphasized to the comrades who conveyed the order: Hurry up!be quick! !be quick! ! !Zeng Siyu, the commander of the Fourth Column, was the one who had an idea when he passed by the Solitary Eighth Brigade. He called Chen Zhengxiang, the commander of the Second Column, and wanted to ask about the situation in Xushui, and only then did he know that the order had changed. Zeng Siyu is a commander who likes to run to the front in battle, and the wild secretary can't find him everywhere, so Chen Zhengxiang just notified him.It was easy for Chen Zhengxiang to get in touch because he didn't have the mission to go to Qingfengdian, but stayed where he was to fight in Baobei.At that time, Wang Shuliang, the combat staff officer, was on duty in the command post. He was an old staff officer, and everything was done in an orderly manner. He remembered that Geng Biao stood in front of the one-fifty-thousandth map and gave the task to Zeng Siyu, the commander of the fourth vertical who had just arrived, and then called Commander Sun Yi again, saying that we must rush to the front, and we must do our best to get to the front. Stop it, what do you want to do?This is a very good opportunity, and finally let us catch a fighter. After receiving the order, Zeng Siyu turned around and was about to leave when Geng Biao grabbed him and said, "Old Zeng, don't rush away, this march is harder than fighting, so we must pay special attention to publicity on the way."Your Four Columns propaganda team is very active.The other thing is to organize the containment team well. The key is whether they can arrive at the scheduled time, and the fastest ones go first. If you arrive one minute earlier, you will be more sure of victory. Please rest assured, Chief, we will definitely complete the task.Before Zeng Siyu could finish his words, his war horse was already neighing. He quickly got on the horse, and the horse roared away, leaving a wisp of light yellow smoke and dust that lingered for a long time. The 26th Regiment was at Baitapu in Baobei at that time, dug fortifications in the middle of the night, and repaired them very firmly.They carried the wood one by one, and borrowed the door panels from the fellow villagers, and built them into a bunker style, preparing for long-term combat.After the bunker was finished, the soldiers had just rested when the messenger came with an order, saying that it should be demolished immediately, and the wood borrowed from somewhere should be returned as soon as possible. Why don't you fight? The correspondent didn't know either, so he just said let's get it done quickly. Li Genyuan said that in a few minutes, the whole battalion assembled, and the battalion commander announced that there was a big piece of fat in the south. Let's walk fast so that we can eat it. Everyone has worked hard.Only then did the soldiers know that Luo Lirong had come out of Shijiazhuang.The battalion commander said in a few words, we must eat this big piece of fat meat, and leave immediately. All troops under orders set off. In order to ensure that the main force of the field army wins time and arrives at the predetermined battlefield before the enemy, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region has taken measures in two aspects: on the one hand, the enemy is delayed, and local troops and militias such as the Independence Eighth Brigade, Jizhong, and Jijin Military Region are actively harassing the enemy and Contain the enemy from the north of Shijiazhuang, neither advance nor retreat, block the front and intercept, harass, and delay the enemy's advance.In order for the main force to gain time to go south to encircle and wipe out the enemy.On the other hand, Commander Chen Zhengxiang of the Second Column and Commander Zheng Weishan of the Third Column unified command of the Fifth Brigade of the Second Column, the Seventh and Eighth Brigades of the Third Column, and the Seventh Brigade of the Central Hebei Military Region to resolutely block the enemy going south for reinforcements in the Xushui area.The rest of the main force all went south, marching forward at the speed of a forced march.The Fourth Vertical Brigade is required to bypass Baoding through Dazhuang Town and Fanjiaqiao in the east of Baoding, and advance to the Yangcheng Town area east of Wangdu before dawn on the 19th; the Second Vertical and Fourth Brigade enters the Wenren area south of Baoding and east of Qingfengdian from Gucheng The 2nd and 6th Brigade and the 3rd and 9th Brigade march southward from the west side of the railway, pass through Mancheng and Dagudian west of Baoding, and enter between Fangshun Bridge and Wangdu.While handing over the tasks, the Frontline Committee of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Field Army of the Communist Party of China issued an emergency mobilization order, calling on the entire army to turn their desire for a big victory into reality and wipe out the enemy resolutely, thoroughly and completely. An exciting battle plan is formed and put into action right on the roadside. Geng Biao looked at his watch. It was really fast. From receiving the telegram from Commander Nie to completing the battle plan, he didn't even catch his breath. Now, the troops are already on the way. On October 19th, during the march, the Four Columns issued an order to their troops about the Third Army to destroy the North and aid the enemy, saying that Luo Lirong was lightly armed and carried dry food for four days. The vanguard led the way with 200 cavalry, and the rear was covered by more than a hundred bicycles. Today, they have entered the Qingfengdian area of ​​Ding County. The Sixth Brigade and Ninth Brigade have arrived in Fangshun Bridge and Yangcheng Town, and the Fourth Brigade will arrive at Wenren on the 19th. When the War of Liberation began, the strategic areas of the brothers continued to spread good news, but Jinchaji could not be said to have played well, but it was always not enjoyable.You want to destroy the enemy, which is so simple, the enemy still wants to destroy you.Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei has the special situation of Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei. It is located in the plains. The enemy is guarding big cities like Beiping, Tianjin and Baoding. The legs are too few due to a large number of demobilization, and there is a taste of having more than enough snacks but not enough strength.After retreating from Zhangjiakou, although tens of thousands of enemies have been wiped out, they are always piecemeal, and they don't always have the appetite like brothers in the strategic area. In the previous period, we were always passive, including the Zhengtai campaign, throwing off the enemy to fight our own, and we were overwhelmed as soon as we made a move, always forming the main force against the main force.Moreover, Baobei was the first place to fight, and the place was too small to fight happily.For these, the cadres and soldiers of Jinchaji held a lot of breath. Today they finally have a good opportunity to fight a big battle of annihilation. Who doesn't gear up? Yang Dezhi, Yang Chengwu and Geng Biao brought only a few guards, rode horses, and galloped southward against the east side of Baoding.In the middle of the night, when we arrived in the southeast area of ​​Baoding, dozens of miles had already passed in this breath.Before the authorities could catch up, they made a phone call first, and Geng Biao was busy calling to contact the troops.Yang Chengwu and Yang Dezhi discussed drafting an emergency combat mobilization order. Yang Chengwu said that in this emergency situation, the combat mobilization order is even more important.This battle is of great importance and must be fought well.Annihilating so many enemies at once is a great shock to the enemy and a great encouragement to us.This is the first mass annihilation battle after the establishment of the field army, and it will inevitably have a great impact. Yang Chengwu believes that we should put forward bright and vivid slogans, convey them to the troops who are marching in a hurry, and turn them into a huge force for marching and fighting.When flying to capture the Luding Bridge, the emergency battle slogan was written on pieces of paper or on stones, and a "flying meeting" was held to communicate to every soldier and finally ensured the victory of capturing the bridge.The situation today is very similar to that time. It was a regiment then, but now it is several columns, all advancing together. Everyone is rushing to Qingfengdian. No one wants to lag behind, and everyone wants to fight for the top.If there are several emergency mobilization slogans, the effect will definitely be better. As the political commissar of the Fourth Red Regiment when he captured the Luding Bridge, Yang Chengwu was also extremely excited at the moment. Yang Dezhi agreed, and told Yang Chengwu that we should divide the work, Geng Biao collected information, I cook, you walk the horse, and by the way, drafted a slogan. The horse has been running for a long time, and there is no dry place on its body, and it is dripping with sweat. Yang Chengwu is walking the horse while deliberating on the content of the emergency mobilization order.Yang Chengwu went to war, and it didn't take much time to write articles. At that time, the drafting of important documents was mostly done by the leaders themselves.After walking the horse, Yang Chengwu's belly draft was almost finished.After dinner, Pan Zili, Director of the Political Department, and Qiu Gang, Director of the Propaganda Department, also arrived with the agency.Yang Chengwu dictated, Qiu Gang recorded, and soon wrote the first draft.Because he wrote it himself, Yang Chengwu kept the mobilization order. All commanders and fighters on the front line: Cooperate with the counterattack in brother areas, and the opportunity to win the battle has come!Concentrate all troops and firepower, strike fiercely!Dash!Chase!Played the three fierce fighting styles.Hit hard, hard, hard, and crush the enemy without any worries!Surround the enemy!Annihilate the enemy! Regardless of any fatigue, follow orders resolutely!Regardless of the night march, march in a hurry!No food, no water!No matter the day or night of fighting!Not afraid of difficulties!Don't complain!Don't neglect!If you can't move, you have to go!Crawl and roll and chase!Don't let the enemy go!All cadres lead by example, and Communist Party members play a special role. Give full play to combat mobility, go where there are enemies, go where there are gunshots, go where there are enemies that have not been eliminated!Each company, each battalion, each regiment, each brigade, and infantry artillery, under the unified order and command intention, showed a hundred times the initiative and worked closely together!Anyone who passively waits and sees is a crime!The enemy is stubborn and must be resolutely destroyed!The enemy is fleeing, must catch up and annihilate! Comrades!Resolutely, thoroughly, and completely annihilate the enemy!Capture the enemy commander Luo Lirong alive!Capture the enemy's division commander and regiment leader alive!Create an unprecedented victory in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, to see who has completed the most tasks, the best, and who has the greatest victory! Win the game!It's a game of handing in the guns and taking the prisoners!Make great contributions to the people! If you want to read it carefully, it seems that you can still scrutinize the wording.However, the fire-like momentum, before you finish reading, you can't wait to fly to the battlefield to take that tempting big victory.The radio waves broadcast the emergency mobilization order together with a handful of exclamation points. When the troops going south passed the east and west sides of Baoding, news came that Luo Lirong had settled down in Xinle. This is thanks to local troops and militias, who are doing everything possible to hold back the enemy.Nie Rongzhen sent Wang Ping, the political commissar of the Jijin Military Region, to rush to the front to unify the command and buy time for the main force to go south.After Wang Ping accepted the task, he ran away to death with a strong white horse in order to hurry. He borrowed another horse and ran with his life.Yang Dezhi said that this veteran comrade who had experienced many battles personally led an independent regiment and thousands of militiamen, which effectively delayed Luo Lirong's actions. The command post of the field army moved forward again. At dawn, on the main road, Yang Chengwu saw that the troops were divided into several groups and were rushing forward desperately.The political work cadres at all levels in the ranks held mimeographed or handwritten emergency mobilization orders in their hands, and shuttled through the marching ranks, talking about the enemy's situation and the significance of their actions. "The opportunity for us to fight the great annihilation battle has come!" "Don't be afraid of fatigue, and resolutely destroy the third army!" "If you can't walk, you have to go! You have to chase after crawling and rolling! Resolutely don't let the enemy go." ... The mobilization order that was just drafted has now become the actions of soldiers. Ever since the small strongholds around Shijiazhuang were constantly conquered, and the original railways extending in all directions were also cut off, Luo Lirong, as the military officer guarding Shijiazhuang, no longer wanted to defend it.On this "isolated island", supplies are very difficult, and there is only one road in the sky leading to the outside world.Although Wang Buming, deputy commander of the Air Force, and Xu Kangliang, commander of the Air Force in Beiping, sent the Air Force to Shijiazhuang for a joint land-air exercise to boost morale.But in fact, even the Supreme Commander Luo Lirong didn't have the energy to muster up. He wondered when Shijiazhuang would be wiped out by the People's Liberation Army. In February 1947, when Luo Lirong learned that the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region was going to attack Shijiazhuang, he was very nervous and felt that the troops were too weak.He immediately shrunk, leaving local teams to stay behind in peripheral strongholds like Lujingxing and other counties, and the main force withdrew to Shijiazhuang.Luo Lirong reported the situation to his old superior Hu Zongnan and asked for help, but Hu Zongnan's main force was also defeated in northern Shaanxi, and he had no troops to transfer. He replied that he could ask Beiping for more troops.He also said that since Shijiazhuang has an army and strong fortifications, its defense should be sure, otherwise it will only be destroyed.At the same time, Luo Lirong asked Li Zongren, the director of the Beipingyuan, and Sun Lianzhong, the commander-in-chief of the 11th theater, to send reinforcements.Because the troops in Peiping seemed insufficient, only one regiment was transported by air.Luo Lirong thought sadly, neither Hu Zongnan nor Li Zongren could save him.Soon, Zhengding, the last stronghold on the outskirts of Shijiazhuang, was also captured by the Jinchaji Field Army. From then on, Luo Lirong became discouraged. He thought that he was already in an extremely unfavorable situation, and there would be no good end for him to stay in this living coffin in Shijiazhuang. Originally, Shijiazhuang was not returned to Luo Lirong to take over.After the 16th Army and the 3rd Army of the 34th Army arrived in the Shijiazhuang area, they were transferred to the command of Sun Lianzhong in the 11th theater.Sun Lianzhong's original plan was to hand over Shijiazhuang to Ma Fawu, the deputy commander, and accept the surrender.Unexpectedly, Mafa Wu's 40th Army was completely wiped out by Liu Bocheng's troops on the road, and Lu Chongyi, commander of Mafa Wu and 30th Army, also became a prisoner.Chiang Kai-shek was afraid that the strategic point of Shijiazhuang would also fall into the hands of the Communist Party, so he asked Sun Lianzhong to hand over the surrender of Shijiazhuang to Li Wen.Not long after Li Wen's 34th Army entered Shijiazhuang, it moved to Beiping, and then the 16th Army also moved to Peiping, and the defense of Shijiazhuang fell to the Third Army. The Third Army is considered a veteran army in the Kuomintang army, and it has the longest history. On December 25, 1915, the National Defense Army formed by Cai E and others in Yunnan had the predecessor of the Third Army. Before the Northern Expedition, the Guangdong Nationalist Government ordered the formation of the Third Army, with Zhu Peide as the commander.The Third Army has always maintained the designation of the Northern Expedition, which is unique in the Kuomintang army.The weapons of the Third Army who had just arrived in Shijiazhuang were not very good, but Shijiazhuang made them fatter. Shijiazhuang has several military warehouses left by Japan and war supplies scattered throughout the city.After the People's Liberation Army invaded Shijiazhuang, some military warehouses remained untouched. While collecting weapons, the Third Army also recruited a large number of soldiers. On the one hand, it incorporated the Japanese and puppet troops, and on the other hand, it arrested local young and middle-aged soldiers. All the young farmers in the 20 miles around Shijiazhuang were arrested.当地老百姓传着这样的民谣，国军三要事：抓兵要兵，训练壮丁，义务警察，强迫集中，百姓负担，大大加重。伪军乱窜，特务横行，清查户口，查良民证，闹得百姓，昼夜不宁。鸡子吃净，大猪吃光，要了白面，又要杂粮，治得百姓，肚饿心慌。抗战刚胜利，由于国民党接收大员的搜刮，石家庄的物价就乘上了飞机，一日数涨，和距离石家庄不到百里的赞皇解放区物价相比，高出了7～12倍。到后来，发生了严重的粮荒，据从城里逃出来的两个士兵讲，石家庄的物价高得可怕，一个萝卜卖法币1000元，一斗小米卖8万元。蒋军已经把市内的两家粮店全部没收，并罚店主游街。流散在城附近的蒋伪人员，均不准进城，怕多了人口，多吃了粮食。一个逃亡地主闯进城后，竟被蒋军打死，尸体放在十字路口示众。而城里的老百姓，又不准出城，群众没有吃的，叫苦不迭。昔日繁华的石家庄车站，现已饿殍盈街，一片凄凉。 守着这么一个烂摊子不说，军事上也不景气。 在1946年国民党全面进攻阶段，向外进展，还能勉强保住华北地区的几条交通线，到1947年以后，迭次失败，就处处被动了。春天李文率十六军九十四军进犯平绥线，在怀来的下花园惨败，夏天又在新城附近失败，要保住平保线已经很不容易了。石家庄成了孤城，而解放军又有进攻保定，打断平保交通的企图。这样，就把北平彻底孤立了。蒋介石和孙连仲先后在北平商讨对付解放军秋季攻势的办法，确保平津保这三角地区。孙连仲到石家庄视察，对罗历戎和石家庄市长尹文堂说，要加强工事，固守石家庄来牵制敌人。并打开窗户说亮话，各个战场都吃紧，现在无兵可调华北，只能靠你们自己了。补给困难，又没有更多的兵力支援，罗历戎觉得守石家庄实在太危险。随着石家庄地区最后一个据点正定的被攻克，罗历戎就更觉得石家庄没有好下场了，想搬到保定去。 1947年10月10日，蒋介石在北平的怀仁堂召开了华北军事会议，有师长以上的军官40多人参加。先由各长官报告驻地的敌我情况，然后蒋介石讲话。蒋介石这时还是得意洋洋，说共军近来大叫改变战略，频频调动，不明真相者以为真的改变战略，根本不是那么回事。战争中处于劣势的一方，想变被动为主动就能取得主动，想不打战略防御就能转入战略进攻，天底下哪有这等便宜的事？战争的胜负说到底还是取决于战力，我们不要忘记，我们的战力比共军要强大得多。 聂荣臻已经自己招供了他打不了大兵团的正规战，他既没有这个本事，也没有这个力量。我们一打冀西他就慌了，到处乱窜，如果我们把重点进攻冀西的战略坚持下去，他不就毫无办法了？可惜我们不去坚持，反倒受其调动。现在很明显，保北大战即将开始。蒋介石说，聂荣臻在大清河北游荡够了，什么也没有捞到，他的上司一个劲催他打大仗打胜仗，他不得已才出此下策，他的主力集中在保北，好得很，不要麻烦诸位到处搜寻了，就在保北决战。把他的家底一举打个粉碎。 蒋介石要各路大军云集保北，不要怕，地方武装掣动就让他掣动，我们给他来个掣而不动。最后蒋介石要求将守备兵团和机动兵团分开，守备兵团不得多于1/3，机动兵团不得少于2／3。有了强大的机动兵团，守备兵团虽弱犹强，如不利出战就坚持防守，只消支撑三天，吸住更多的共军于城下，机动兵团就可赶到，以免东撞西撞到处找共军主力决战了。李宗仁要求各师长遵照总统的指示，很好地完成这次会议的任务，有计划有准备地做好秋季作战准备。 听了蒋介石的话，罗万戎觉得是个机会，向三十四集团军司令李文请求调到保定驻防。对这样的大事，李文不能做主。于是，在会议后的第二天下午，罗历戎同李文去见蒋介石，表示对校长的当面教诲非常感动，说前一段战事平平，就是没有重点用兵，机动兵团和守备兵团比例失调，自己捆住了自己的手脚。接着罗历戎报告了石家庄的防务情况，说明持久守备石家庄部队粮秣补充的困难等问题，是不是减少石家庄的守备力量，其余编进机动兵团。 罗历戎的意思是不行就放弃石家庄算了，当然这话他不能明说。因为在中南海怀仁堂的军事会议上，蒋介石突然站起来，挥动手臂训斥说，共产党走到哪里都能站住脚，都有饭吃，你罗历戎身为几万人的军长，又驻在石家庄这样天时地利兼得的好地方，却连饭也没得吃，一切要靠政府解决，多么可耻！多么无能！被蒋介石这样当着40多位高级将领劈头盖脸地骂了一顿，罗历戎再有天大的理由也不敢说什么了。 好在蒋介石强调机动兵团主要是此时东北战场正紧张，林彪的部队已经转入战略进攻，一个攻势接着一个攻势，杜聿明连连告急，蒋介石想从华北抽调部队却抽不出来，所以他一再强调要有机动兵团。没想到，让罗历戎钻了个大空子。 蒋介石问：石家庄有些什么重要工厂和物资？ 罗历戎说：工厂有纺纱厂、发电厂、机车修理厂等。还有机车百余辆。不过机器大都是陈旧的。 罗历戎是千方百计想放弃石家庄，而蒋介石是千方百计想保住石家庄。 蒋介石说：石家庄应该固守，那是华北的门户。这样吧，可将第三军抽调一个师到保定，加强机动部队。 这时李文说明保定需要机动部队，说同时可将二十二师六十六团一同调来。 蒋介石又问：北调部队由谁率领？ 罗历戎早就巴不得离开石家庄了，因为石家庄是华北的战略要点，罗历戎认为解放军知道石家庄空运频繁已有准备，才暂时没有进攻。但他已经感觉到守石家庄的下场不会好，解放军迟早会进攻石家庄的，就忙说由我带领他们北进。 蒋介石说：可以。但你们不能携带重武器，重武器包括汽车战车都拨给刘英。至于尔后部队的行动计划，你们再具体商量。 这样，三言两语，就做出了抽调第三军主力增援保定的决定。 在这个决定作出之前，解放军还没有进攻保北。不久，保北战役打响，孙连仲即命令第三军主力抓这个机会北上。 罗历戎就是这么出来了。 1947年10月12日，孙连仲派高参宋肯堂专程到石家庄送达命令限期作好战斗准备，四日行程到达保定。并附有一纸第三军开往河间的假命令，以防真实的行动暴露。罗历戎接到命令后，立即封锁消息外泄，石家庄外壕进出口的行人只准进不准出。这个措施还是起了一定作用的，在罗历戎离开石家庄一天多后，在阜平参加土地会议的聂荣臻才相信了这个情报。这使罗历戎在离开石家庄的前三天中还算顺利。 本来孙连仲是要派一个军南下接应的，罗历戎说不用，他说目前共军都集中在保北，路又不远。孙莲仲说路虽不远，可一路全都是敌区，被缠住就不好了。罗历戎说一路扫荡过去没问题，他为能脱离石家庄而心情正好，虽然从石家庄到保定要经过180余公里的解放区，但在这一片没有解放军的主力部队，解放军的主力部队刚刚在保定以北的徐水地区打响，插翅也飞不过来。等他们过来，他早已钻进保定这个乌龟壳里了。 至于定县以北地区虽然不那么保险，可能发生问题，但定县离保定只有一箭之遥，保定出来接应是很方便的。总之，一切万无一失。罗历戎有点得意洋洋，自以为神仙也算不出这一着高棋。孙连仲说，你还是赶快坐飞机回石家庄，连夜准备，差不多了就赶快北上，别夜长梦多。孙连仲一方面担心共军，一方面也怕蒋介石变卦，又一再嘱咐罗历戎要轻装，官兵都要轻装，营具和不急需的用品包括私人箱笼一律不要带，由他负责空运。 罗历戎走后，孙连仲还是放心不下，让宋肯堂回保定部署接应。宋肯堂对驻保定的暂编三十二师师长刘化南说，孙长官怕罗历戎这位老兄逞英雄误事，命你即刻开向方顺桥，摆出向南进军的态势，并向定县方向搜索，把情况随时报告绥署，倘第三军遭阻击，你师从路西插到敌背后，全力保障他们安全转移。孙连仲布置完了以后，还是不放心。他对罗历戎说，如果不行，部队还是空运吧，更保险些。罗历戎却没有这样胆小怕事，他的目的是离开石家庄，而不是急着参加什么保北大会战。他根本瞧不起聂荣臻的部队，说：孙长官你就放心吧，我走着过去，慢也慢不了多少。你叫保定准备仪仗大队迎接好了。 回到石家庄后，罗历戎并没有马上宣布调防命令，而是命令三十二师师长刘英四处搜罗粮秣，三天后才宣布，第七师北上，防务由三十二师接。刘英气得够呛。虽然都是第三军的师，都驻守在石家庄，但亲疏却大不一样。第三军在胡宗南麾下时，罗历戎和刘英都是胡的亲信，罗历戎在胡宗南当师长时是他的团长，跟他快有20年了，不过罗历戎在胡宗南面前还是不比刘英。胡宗南跟蒋介石一样都有一手，让部下互相监控。第三军调离陕北时，胡宗南没让罗历戎全建制走，让他留下了一个师，而把另一个师给了他，这个师就是刘英的三十二师，并指名要刘英担任石家庄的警备司令。罗历戎如何咽下这口气，反正胡宗南鞭长莫及，布防时他不得不遵照胡长官的意思让刘英担任警备司令，但命令三十二师出动扫荡，之后，乘虚把第七师挪进市区，接替了三十二师的防务，第三十二师执行任务回来城里已经没有位置了，只好布防郊区。城里只留刘英这个远离部队的空头警备司令。刘英没办法，只好把自己的办公室锁上，到郊区和自己的部队呆在一起。这回要离开石家庄，罗历戎当然要带走自己的第七师，这才把刘英的三十二师召到城里。 刘英想留下十六军的六十六团，罗历戎不给，说跟他们一起走。刘英气得密报胡宗南，说罗要置三十二师于死地而后快。远在陕西的胡宗南知道这是蒋介石定的，也没有办法。不过罗历戎在出发前，还是按蒋介石的意思办了一件好事，把两列铁甲车以及战车连、军部的炮兵连和汽车连拨给了守备石家庄的师长刘英，同时令第七师和六十六团在14日以前完成出发准备，发放冬季服装，并携带四日以上的粮秣。但是，罗历戎没有命令轻装，也没有命令以战备行军的姿态出发。相反，他把自己在石家庄的坛坛罐罐全都带上了，连军乐队以及军乐队笨重的乐器也一件没落。 罗历戎和第三军主力于10月15日午后1点浩浩荡荡地上了路。罗历戎他这是要一去不复返了。他对部下说，什么空运，营具他怎么可能给我空运，他哪里有那么多的飞机？我又不是三岁小孩。到了保定，要什么没什么，我找谁去？所以他不仅把笨重的营具装上大车，就是个人的私人箱笼也一点不落地全部带上，还带上了医院的医疗器械和剧社锣鼓行头，光骡马驴车就有200多辆，队伍拉得很长。好在开始三天虽然有点小打小闹还算无大事。第四天，也就是10月19日，开始由定县开往清风店，罗历戎忽然提心吊胆起来，这是最危险的一天，连续三天的大规模行军，很难说出发的秘密再成为秘密。但愿平安！ 下午3点左右，一架飞机由北向南飞来，罗历戎一阵哆嗦。他倒不是害怕飞机，飞机肯定是自己的飞机，只是这时飞来怕有什么不祥。他抬眼望着飞机，飞机围着第三军的行军队伍开始降低高度，一圈一圈盘旋，然后从银白色的机肚下钻出一个小小的袋子。这是一个通信袋，上面写着：“北上第三军指挥官请注意，我们发现大部共军南下距你们不远，即做战斗准备。” 罗历戎心说，别胡说八道了，共军在保北，又没插上翅膀，保南怎么可能有共军呢？本来他就对空军有成见，鲁南会战时，就是因为空军侦察有误才导致莱芜惨败，罗历戎经常拿这件事嘲笑空军。但他心里又有几分不安，也许说曹操，曹操就到了？宁肯信其有不可信其无，他马上命令做好战斗准备。没过20分钟，这边还在忙乱着，天上又飞来了一架飞机，同样投下通信袋—个，写着“我们发现共军大批密集部队南来，距离你们很近，请第三军急作战斗准备。”这一下罗历戎慌了神了，原先的骄傲此刻已经无影无踪。这一天本来是预定到望都宿营的，罗历戎立即命令改在清风店附近的东南合和南北合四个村庄宿营，并令各部队迅速构筑工事，准备战斗。同时用电报把空军的情报转报给了北平的孙连仲和李文，请他们速运弹药和粮食。 一个小时后，孙连仲派了两架运输机空投了弹药和饼干等物。 又一个小时后，枪声大作，由零星到稠密。 疲惫不堪，立足未稳，就遭到了迎头痛击。罗历戎这才相信共军主力已经到达方顺桥以南，被迫退在清风店地区的几个村庄仓促防御，并急电北平行辕和保定绥署请求派兵接应。孙连仲站在地图前，久久地凝视着平津保三角地，头上沁出细密的汗珠，左思右想，越想越害怕，嘴里不断地叨叨：共军冒这么大的风险不仅仅是为了一个第三军，而是要攻下保定，保定守军一出动，不就成了空城，正中了计吗？我不能出兵。孙连仲又想：救罗历戎，李文应该比我更着急，我们慌什么？所以决定保定不出兵，罗历戎成了瓮中之鳖，笼中之鸟。 清风店战役就这样开始