Chapter 7 Chapter 6: Surround Beiping, Cut off Jintang

When Fu Zuoyi's 35th Army of the Ace Army and the 11th Corps defending Zhangjiakou were annihilated, that is, as the Zhangjiakou area was occupied by the People's Liberation Army, the entire line of Pingsui was liberated, and the hope of the enemies of Peiping fleeing west was dashed.In a hurry, Fu Zuoyi had to shrink the defense area again, abandoning Tangshan, Lutai, Nankou, Zhuoxian and other places, and strengthened the defense of Ping, Tianjin and Tang.At the same time, the possibility of the enemy fleeing south by sea has greatly increased.Therefore, the Central Military Commission sent a telegram to Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Nie Rongzhen, asking them to quickly conquer Tanggu first and then Tianjin, cut off the enemy's escape route to the east, and turn Peiping into a helpless island.

On December 24, 1948, when Fu Zuoyi was heartbroken over the annihilation of his 11th Corps in Zhangjiakou in Beiping, Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing was in an unprecedented crisis of internal struggle. On this day, Bai Chongxi, the military and political chief of Central China, sent a "Hai Jing" telegram from Wuhan, which was forwarded by Zhang Qun and Zhang Zhizhong to Chiang Kai-shek. At the same time, Cheng Qian, the chairman of Hunan Province and director of the Changsha Appeasement Office, also called Chiang Kai-shek, asking Chiang to step down to facilitate peace talks. The news spread like wildfire, and the reporter of the United Press in Shanghai issued a special news that Chiang Kai-shek was about to step down that day.

This is tantamount to a political earthquake, making the precarious Jiang family dynasty worse. Chiang Kai-shek was desperate. He had never been in such pain since the Northern Expedition.The power of the Guangxi faction was not a concern at all, but he knew that behind Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi, there was a stronger force, that is, President Truman and Secretary of State Marshall in Washington. As early as when Marshall came to China to mediate, Chiang Kai-shek did not have a good relationship with him.The retired five-star general did not expect that after a stumble in China, his official career would be prosperous, and he would become the Secretary of State as soon as he returned to China.President Truman obeyed his advice, which deeply influenced Washington's China policy.As early as August 1947, the Americans were considering the issue of Chiang Kai-shek's resignation and began to look for a new replacement.At that time, U.S. special envoy Wedemeyer blatantly issued a statement at Chiang Kai-shek's official residence that "China's revival needs a charismatic leader", making no secret of the U.S. authorities' disappointment with Chiang Kai-shek.In September of the same year, American Ambassador Leighton Stuart was ordered to inspect North China.Afterwards, he reported to Secretary of State Marshall that: Chiang Kai-shek, who symbolizes the rule of the Kuomintang, has been declining in popularity. Among intellectuals in North China, he is even regarded as a figure in the past, while Li Zongren is in high status.

With the support of Leighton Stuart, Li Zongren openly wrote to Chiang Kai-shek in October of this year, requesting to run for vice president. In the spring of 1948, when Li Zongren's struggle with Sun Ke, Chiang Kai-shek's nominated vice-presidential candidate, was heating up, Stuart reported to Marshall: Forced to be on the defensive in every battlefield, the morale of the people has been extremely damaged.Such startling circumstances call for inspirational leadership, which has so far been slow to emerge.The situation became more and more urgent, and the Generalissimo had to make a decision, but he was limited by his prejudices and failed to take positive reform measures.In our opinion, it seems impossible to say that a solution through peace talks, including prompting the chairman to withdraw from the political arena, is impossible.

On April 29, Li Zongren defeated Sun Ke and was elected vice president. This is a clear symptom of the rise of the Guangxi faction.At that time, someone said: "On the battlefield, Chiang Kai-shek was defeated by the Communist Party; at the National Congress, he was defeated by Li Zongren." Chiang Kai-shek regarded the "little Zhuge" Bai Chongxi as the most senior person in the Kuomintang. He could not tolerate Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi joining forces in the court, so he released Bai Chongxi to Wuhan. Leighton Stuart reported to Marshall: "Bai Chongxi was dismissed as Minister of Defense, presumably because he helped Li Zongren in the election...he seems to suspect that the 'Gui faction' conspired against him."

Bai Chongxi didn't want to go to Wuhan to take up the post, but once went to Shanghai to work as a "residential residence". Chiang Kai-shek sent lobbyists several times to persuade him to take up the post, but they were all rejected.Later, Huang Shaohong, another important figure of the Guangxi Clique, came out, and after some advice, "Little Zhuge" was so happy that he hurried out of the mountain. Huang Shaohong said: "You have been in Nanjing for the past few years. No matter how great you are as an official, you are just a bird in a cage. Now, Chiang Kai-shek has let you out, so why don't you hurry up and fly away. There are several troops in Guangxi in Central China. You should go and get them out as soon as possible. Once it is under control, once the time is right, if you let Delin (Li Zongren) come out to take charge and advocate peace talks, wouldn't it be good for you in one fell swoop?"

During the days when Bai Chongxi was sitting in Jiangcheng, Chiang Kai-shek made two bets. One was that the elite corps betting on the battlefield lost everything, and the other was that he bet wrong on the US presidential election. The Americans secretly supported Li Zongren and dismantled him, and he hated it in his eyes. No matter how many billions of dollars in military equipment the Truman government provided, Chiang Kai-shek still could not thank Truman and Marshall.Just as Truman and Marshall made no secret of their disappointment with him, Chiang Kai-shek was also very disappointed with his "big benefactor". In the summer of 1948, Chiang Kai-shek sent Chen Lifu to the United States to donate a large sum of money to help New York Governor Dewey run for president.

At that time, Chinese in New York generally believed that Dewey would defeat Truman with an absolute advantage, which was why Chiang Kai-shek bet on Dewey.After Chen Lifu returned to Shanghai, he also published a talk on "News World", claiming: "If Dewey is elected, he will aid China militarily and take an extraordinary approach in the war against communism." Unfortunately, Dewey was not elected. On November 7, the results of the general election came out, and Truman was re-elected as president.Chiang Kai-shek lost his gamble again. On November 9, a frustrated Chiang Kai-shek had to write to Truman to congratulate him on being elected president.In this letter, Chiang Kai-shek asked Truman to issue a declaration "in support of the Nationalist Government's operational objectives."Truman bluntly declined.

On November 28, Soong Meiling flew to the United States and tried her best to lobby people in the U.S. government and opposition parties in an attempt to turn the tide and make the U.S. authorities continue to support Chiang Kai-shek's anti-communist war.Marshall and Truman didn't show any face to the First Lady of the Eastern Empire, and refused all of her requests in a begging tone. Soon, the U.S. embassy in China released the wind, saying: "The only way out for the Nanjing government in the future is to negotiate peace with the Communist Party, and Chiang Kai-shek's resignation is a prerequisite for peace talks."

Without the support of the United States, Chiang Kai-shek would not only lose the war, but also his presidency would not be secure. On December 17, he sent someone to tell Li Zongren that he was going to go to the field, and tested Li Zongren's attitude. Li Zongren did his part, saying that he was "willing to preside over the great affairs for advocating peace talks." After that, Li and Bai talked on the phone every day to study the policy after replacing Chiang Kai-shek.Unexpectedly, as the days passed, Chiang Kai-shek remained silent. Bai Chongxi finally couldn't bear it anymore, sent out the famous "Hai Jing" telegram, and began to force Jiang to go to the field.

Chiang Kai-shek had to consider the issue of "retiring to the field". Of course, he would not be willing to hand over power to the Guangxi faction.Retiring from the "front desk" to the "behind the scenes" and returning to the "front desk" at the right time is a major feature of old Chinese politics.Chiang Kai-shek knew this well. He had retired twice before and came back twice, playing politics around.This time was no exception. Before retiring, he made intensive personnel arrangements to prepare for behind-the-scenes manipulation. On December 30th, Bai Chongxi "forced the palace" again, and sent another "Hai Quan" telegram: In today's situation, war is neither easy nor peace is difficult. Concerned about the urgency of time, it is fleeting. Contemptuously convey the sincerity of peace to allies and the people of the country, so that external forces support peace, and the people support peace.If the other party accepts to use this to get out of the predicament and create new opportunities, it will benefit both in one fell swoop... Time is not with me, please pray as soon as possible! On New Year's Eve, Chiang Kai-shek invited more than 40 Nanjing dignitaries to hold a dinner at his mansion on Huangpu Road.The ballroom was brightly lit, and the Christmas decorations hadn't been removed yet.This is the last grand welcome party held by the Jiang Dynasty in Nanjing.The crumbling regime made it impossible for everyone to be as happy for the arrival of the New Year as in previous years, and the banquet was always carried out in a dull and depressing atmosphere. Chiang Kai-shek's expression was very strange, with a fake smile on his face, which was more unbearable than crying.When he was clinking glasses with others, no one dared to look him in the eyes, and everyone had a premonition that something big would happen tonight. Sure enough, after the dinner, Chiang Kai-shek said with a stern face: "The situation is serious now, and some people in the party advocate peace talks. Regarding such an important issue, we have to say something. Now we have prepared a statement and are going to publish it on New Year's Day. Now I invite Yue Jun (Zhang Qun's words) read it aloud, and I hope everyone can comment on it." Zhang Qun took the proclamation from Chiang Kai-shek and began to read: "... For the past three years, the purpose of political discussions has always been peace; that is, the purpose of mobilizing against chaos is also peace. However, today's situation is peace for war, and the people's misfortune for good. The key lies not in the government, nor My compatriots' one-sided hopes for the government can be achieved. I also know that the decision on this issue lies entirely with the Communist Party. Whether the country can turn danger into safety, and whether the people can turn disaster into blessings, depends on the Communist Party's change of mind.... As long as there is peace in the CCP Sincerity can be clearly expressed, the government will meet with each other openly, and is willing to discuss with us the specific methods to stop the war and restore peace....As long as the peace agreement does not harm the independence and integrity of the country, but helps the people to recuperate and live; as long as the sacred constitution It is not up to me to violate it, and the democratic constitutional government will not be destroyed by this. The national system of the Republic of China can ensure that the legal system of the Republic of China will not be interrupted; the army has a solid guarantee, and the people can maintain their free way of life and the minimum standard of living.  …Only hope for peace If it can be realized as soon as possible, there will be no worries about personal entry and exit, and only the public will of the people will be followed.” After Zhang Qun finished reading Chiang Kai-shek's "New Year's Announcement" on "Going to the Field for Peace Talks", the audience was silent and silent. Chiang Kai-shek first asked Li Zongren who was sitting on the right: "Brother Delin, what's your opinion on the announcement?" Li Zongren said without hesitation: "I have no disagreement with the president." CC members Gu Zhenggang, Zhang Daofan and others made generous statements: "The president cannot step down for the sake of peace. Stepping down will lead to demoralization and demoralization, and the consequences will be unmanageable!" Chiang Kai-shek shot his eyes at the Huangpu generals in Xu costumes, but no one expressed their opinion.Chiang Kai-shek was very disappointed. These guys who usually talked about the "principal" didn't even have a word to persuade them to stay at the critical moment.When Gu Zhenggang said tearfully: "The president must never resign!", Chiang Kai-shek took the opportunity to lose his temper, pointing to Gu and said: "I don't want to leave, but your party members want me to resign; I want to resign, not because of the Communist Party. , but because of a certain faction in our party!" After Chiang Kai-shek finished speaking, he left the banquet hall angrily.Everyone looked at Li Zongren, and Li Zongren straightened his body with an unfathomable look. The next day, Chiang Kai-shek's "New Year's Announcement" caused a sensation in the entire city of Nanjing through the shouting of newsboys.Well-informed foreign journalists have already spread this explosive news to the rest of the world. On the same day, Chiang Kai-shek invited Li Zongren to talk and said: "As far as the current situation is concerned, of course I can't do it anymore. But I must make arrangements before I leave, otherwise, it will not be easy for you to take over. Please tell Jiansheng (Bai Chongxi) to understand this truth and stop Hubei and Henan provinces. The Senate should not issue any more telegrams, so as not to shake people's hearts!" On the first day of the new year, it was widely rumored in Beijing and Shanghai that Chiang Kai-shek's "New Year's Announcement" was caused by the "forced palace" of the Guangxi family. On the map of the frontline headquarters in Pingjin, which took up almost the entire wall, two bright red arrows with fan-shaped tails pointed to Tanggu and Tianjin. The telegram from the central government came, which read: first hit Tanggu, then take Tianjin. Tanggu is located at the estuary of the Haihe River in the southeast of Tianjin, about 45 kilometers away from Tianjin. It is an important port in North China and the only outlet for the Kuomintang army in North China.It not only controlled the coastal outpost of Tianjin, but also the sea gateway of Peiping.In order to ensure this estuary and escape by sea when necessary, Fu Zuoyi designated Tianjin and Tanggu separately as the Jintang Garrison Area, with Hou Jingru, commander of the 17th Corps, as the commander, and Chen Changjie, commander of the Tianjin Garrison Area, as the deputy commander to carry out key defenses. In mid-December, when the Northeast Field Army entered the pass, according to Mao Zedong's deployment, it first captured the Junliang City between Tianjin and Tanggu, cutting off the connection between Tianjin and Tanggu.Hou Jingru, commander of the Seventeenth Corps defending Tanggu, immediately strengthened Tanggu's defense upon seeing this.According to the narrow terrain of Tanggu, he placed the 93rd Independent Division of the Kuomintang and the Third Brigade of the Traffic Police on the front of Tanggu, sent the Fifth Security Regiment to defend the north and northeast of Tanggu, and deployed the main force of the Eighty-seventh Army in Xingang In the deep zone, the 318th Division is the mobile force.In addition, he moored dozens of warships including the capital ship "Chongqing" led by Ma Jizhuang, the commander of the Kuomintang Navy's First Fleet, in the Bohai Bay. retreat. The outline map of the second phase of the Pingjin Campaign On December 20, Lin Biao called Deng Hua, Commander of the Seventh Column of the Northeast Field Army, and Wu Fushan, Political Commissar: "The main force of the Seventh Column is gathering near Beitang, and one will approach Tanggu for reconnaissance. You will be in command of the Battle of Tanggu. Those who participated in the attack The strength of the troops will be determined after the enemy's situation is clarified. I hope that you will carry out detailed reconnaissance and put forward the overall operational proposal. If the enemy of Tanggu advances to Junliang City to meet the enemy of Tianjin to break through, you must be ready to fight at any time." On December 21, the Central Military Commission sent a telegram to Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou: "Sooner or later to attack Tanggu, the decision will be made based on whether our army can bombard Tanggu harbor and completely block Tanggu from Dagu or near Tanggu. If it cannot be completely blocked, the enemy in the area will There is still the danger of fleeing by sea (according to reports from foreign news agencies, the Kuomintang has a group of warships near Tanggu), so our army should spare no effort to eliminate the enemy in Tanggu as quickly as possible. If Tanggu harbor can be completely blocked by artillery fire If the enemy cannot escape, they can calmly deploy their attacks without haste, and generally capture Tanggu by the end of this month or the first ten days of next month." On December 25, Deng Hua and Wu Fushan called Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou to report the topographical situation in Tanggu: "The east is the Bohai Sea, and the south is the Haihe River. I can't surround it on all sides, and it's hard to block the Haikou with artillery fire. The enemy can resist the sea, but it's really hard to cut off the enemy's retreat and wipe out the enemy. "Except for the Bohai Sea and the Haihe River, there are many ditches. Although they are about a foot wide, the water is as deep as the belly, and the tide is even deeper. Except for the original bridge on the railway track and a small road east of the railway, the rest are difficult to pass, and the enemy can rely on the ditches. Shou. "There are intermittent houses in the south of Beining Road, which are relatively close. The northwest and the sea are grasslands and salt fields. They are vast and flat, wet and muddy, and ditches have water, which is inconvenient for troops to deploy and attack. "The city streets are long and narrow. Although they can fight side by side from west to east, there is a limit to the deployment of troops, and they form a flat push. It is best to cut the enemy into several sections from the south to the north. But the terrain on the ground is very bad. It is a small road, but there are more rivers and ditches, so it is impossible to become the main attack. Therefore, it is difficult to cut off the enemy's retreat in the city and divide the enemy in Xingang. "There are also many rivers, ditches and marshes in the city, and there are many intermittent open spaces in the city streets, which are convenient for the enemy to deploy in-depth strongholds. I am making continuous breakthroughs, which is laborious and time-consuming, and the enemy's land and sea artillery fire can cooperate. "The current combat situation requires fighting Tanggu, and it needs to be fast, but judging from the terrain, it is very difficult to fight. You must be fully prepared. If you are too hasty, you will fight recklessly. For example, fighting on the beach is expensive and takes a long time, and it cannot be wiped out. Enemy. This is the first big battle we have entered the customs, so we must be cautious and fully prepared. The second column, the ninth column, and the artillery must be assembled tomorrow, so it is better to postpone the attack time to the end of the month, preferably the beginning of next month. According to our estimates, Tanggu is the only way out for the enemy in Pingjin, and there are fewer chances of fleeing without fighting. And we can fight Tianjin and Beiping. Anyway, if we fight late or early, it is difficult for the infantry to cut off the retreat. It is better to be fully prepared and carefully organized. We must do everything possible to overcome difficulties and complete the task. Please give instructions and guarantee that we will resolutely implement it.” Lin Biao forwarded the report of Deng Hua and Wu Fushan to the Central Military Commission, and at the same time sent Liu Yalou to Tanggu for field inspection. On December 16, Lin Biao called the Central Military Commission, suggesting to postpone the attack on Lianggu: "There are many signs of the enemy's breakout in Pingjin, Tanggu and Dagu are currently blocked by water too much, and the troops cannot be used, so the attack time on Lianggu is planned to be delayed." Postpone. If you have any instructions, please let me know." At 22:00 on the same day, the Central Military Commission replied, stating: "Since there are many signs of the enemy's breakthrough in Pingjin, and it is difficult to attack Lianggu at present, we should postpone the attack on Lianggu, and please consider retreating our troops approaching Lianggu. The enemy may not run away if they see that I do not attack. After a few days, the seaside will be frozen, and then consider whether to attack. The enemy only has 5 divisions, so it doesn't matter if they run away from the sea. "The two enemies of Pingjin and Tianjin should strictly guard against breaking out and escaping. After the four verticals arrive, please consider whether the troops are sufficient. If not, you should transfer Yang Chengwu's department or even Yang Dezhi's department to participate in the Pingjin battle. You should consider the Pingjin and Tianjin enemies breaking through at the same time. Annihilate the entire deployment of the two enemies on the occasion of breaking out. "If the two enemies of Ping and Tianjin do show signs of breaking out, they should resolutely abandon the attack plan against the two gus, move the main force of the two gus to between Ping and Tianjin, and only use one part to cut off the connection between Jintang and Jingu, so as to change the current situation. The situation of equally dividing the forces (this is a deployment based on the fact that the enemies of Ping and Tianjin will not break out of the encirclement). "Please order Yang Chengwu's troops to rest and stand by in Zhangjiakou. Yao Zhe, Wang Ping, Mengqi and Chaqi can prepare to cut off between Guisui and Baotou, but don't dispatch them for the time being. "Yang Luo's division may continue to encircle Datong unchanged, or stop the plan to besiege Datong and prepare to move eastward, please decide. "Don't let the representative Fu Zuoyi go, and stop his communication with Fu Zuoyi. "The enemy in Pingjin may take advantage of our troops to disperse and break out within a few days. Please send a telegram of the entire plan to deal with the enemy's breakout immediately." At 24:00 on the same day, the Central Military Commission called Lin Biao and Liu Yalou in order to prevent the Pingjin enemy from breaking out to the south: "What is the situation of the Yongding River Bridge? Have you sent troops to control the Marco Polo Bridge? If the Pingjin enemy broke through to the south, how would you deal with it? We believe that under the current circumstances, the Pingjin enemy is unlikely to break through to the west. There is a possibility of concentrating in Tianjin and then joining Tianjin and the enemy of Lianggu fleeing from the sea. However, since we have sufficient strength to be located between Pingjin and Lianggu, the enemy will not be able to succeed. We believe that the enemy of Lianggu escapes from the sea. If you run away, the enemies in Ping and Tianjin will break out to the south, meet in Shijiazhuang or Dezhou, and then go south along Pinghan Road or Jinpu Road. This is more likely. If your plan to build a large number of bridges on the Yongding River cannot be quickly Realize that the Yongding River has become an obstacle for your deployment and pursuit, and the south is the emptiest side of us, and the danger of the enemy breaking through in this direction is the greatest. At the same time, because Du Yuming has not yet been wiped out, we Liu, Deng, Chen, and Su cannot deploy a blockade. This danger is even greater. Therefore: (1) please use the necessary forces to control Lugou Bridge, Jinghai, etc. as soon as possible; (2) please quickly erect most bridges on the Yongding River." On the 27th, Liu Yalou reported to Lin Biao: "Tanggu is sure to be captured, but it is not easy to completely annihilate the two enemies. The most likely thing is to annihilate one part and flee the majority. The result is not worthwhile." He proposed that the main task of our army is to always be ready to block the enemy in Beiping and break through. He suggested that five columns should be deployed around Tianjin, and two or three divisions should be used to deal with the enemy in Lianggu.If the enemy is defeated and the encirclement is broken, nine columns will be concentrated around Beiping and Tianjin to block and annihilate the enemy.If the enemy is defeated without breaking through, after the preparations for the attack are completed, attack and wipe out the enemy in Tianjin first. On the same day, Lin Biao called the Central Military Commission, suggesting that the attack on Lianggu should be suspended and Yang Chengwu's troops should be dispatched to the vicinity of Peiping: "After the Zhangjiakou enemy was wiped out by us, Fu Zuoyi must have estimated that our western troops would attack Beiping with all their strength. Therefore, the enemy may try to use our attack on Lianggu to break out of the siege. Although we will not attack Lianggu for the time being, the enemy's confidence in breaking out will be even smaller. But there is still the possibility of breaking through before our two Yangs arrive. Otherwise, he will have to fight against the city, or simply surrender before the start. At present, it is unclear what his intention is. "Our army decided to suspend the attack on Lianggu and wait for the Four Columns to reach the vicinity of Beiping, and wait for the Lianggu to freeze. If the enemy still does not break through after freezing, we will then plan to pretend to attack Lianggu, lure the enemy to break through and annihilate them. If If the enemy still does not break through, they will use quick decisive action to annihilate the enemies in Lianggu so as to concentrate on dealing with Pingjin. "If the enemy breaks through, the enemies in Pingjin and Lianggu will definitely move at the same time. The enemy has a total of 30 divisions. Although our army is fully sure of victory, it is relatively tense and it is difficult to concentrate our forces to defeat them one by one. Therefore, Yang Chengwu's troops still use the open The vicinity of Peiping is better. If this unit goes to Suiyuan, it is most likely to miss the air, which is not very cost-effective. Yang Dezhi's troops can currently use two brigades to penetrate to the northwest of Datong, seize the enemy's main force, and stand by on the spot; Action, or continue to stand by on the spot, or take Datong by the way, and then advance to Taiyuan, cooperate with Xu and Zhou to attack Taiyuan, or go south with Xu and Zhou to capture the enemy in Xi'an (leaving one to monitor Taiyuan). Two Yang operations , ask the Military Commission to decide. "If the enemy breaks through to the south, our pursuers can cross the bridges from Lugou Bridge, Gu'an, Anci, and Yangliuqing to pursue them. I have already set up blocking positions on the lines of Huxian Town, Caiyu Town, and Jiuzhou. Block the enemy. The main force will come from Wanping and Tongxian, and attack from the enemy's rear. For the enemy in Tianjin and Lianggu, we plan to keep two columns to deal with it, and use the main force to wipe out the enemy's main force." On December 28, Lin Biao called the Central Military Commission: "We should be prepared to fight simultaneously with the 30 enemy divisions in Ping and Tianjin, and we should treat it as one battle, because the enemy may be fighting at one place while the other two are simultaneously operating. , with a desperate determination to succeed by chance. As a matter of prudence, it is better for both of our Yang Corps to open near Peiping. This will allow us to have more strength, and even if our army makes some mistakes in the course of combat, we can still have enough strength to make up for it. For the enemy of Datong, the two brigades left by Yang Luobu plus Yao Zhe will be able to guarantee that they cannot escape, while the enemy of Guisui will not be easy to fight. Please consider the above and decide.” The Central Military Commission called back and agreed to transfer the two North China Corps to participate in the Battle of Pingjin. At 11:00 on December 29, Lin Biao and Liu Yalou reported the battle plan to the Central Military Commission: "According to my report on terrain reconnaissance by various units near Tanggu, it is said that the terrain of the area is not conducive to combat. Except for the west, the rest are open and wide salt fields, and they cannot be used for combat. There are many ditches involved, and there is no ice in winter. It is inconvenient to approach and construct fortifications (due to the rise and fall of the sea tide). Moreover, the enemy's main position is in Xingang near the seaside wharf, and our army cannot cut off its retreat. There are warships parked there, and the enemy can enter the warships and retreat at any time. Therefore, the battle between Lianggu It is difficult to achieve the goal of annihilating the enemy, and because of the open terrain and obstacles in the river, our troops cannot be used. The casualties are large and the gains are small, which will also delay the battle in Tianjin. Our troops near Lianggu all think that it is not worthwhile to attack Lianggu. "Most of my troops that were originally near Lianggu have moved westward to the vicinity of Tianjin. "Our opinion is that our army is currently preparing to defend against the enemy and break through the encirclement, but since we have not attacked Lianggu, most of the enemy dare not break through. Under this situation, our army plans to encircle Tianjin with five columns of troops and carry out the attack on Tianjin. Prepare. If the enemy breaks through before I attack, I will attack the enemy who broke through first. If I am ready and the enemy has not yet broken out, I will launch a general attack to wipe out the enemy in Tianjin." At 23:00 on the same day, the Military Commission replied: "It is absolutely correct to abandon the plan to attack Lianggu and concentrate five columns to capture Tianjin." At this point, the Northeast Field Army had made up its mind to capture Tianjin, and decided that the chief of staff, Liu Yalou, would take command of the capture of Tianjin. The attack on Tianjin was scheduled to start about 10 days later. On the 30th, Liu Yalou led 5 columns, 22 divisions and two artillery divisions with a total of more than 340,000 people, and transferred troops to surround Tianjin: A vertical Yangliuqing advance; Two longitudinal Wang Qingtuo advance; Seven longitudinal happy snakes advance; Eight vertical Hangou advance; Nine verticals advance to Darenzhuang and Dasi; The cannons advanced toward Yangcun. The target is the main points around Tianjin.There are a large area of ​​the enemy's main points, but the key points are Yangcun, Baitangkou, and Junliang City. The geographical location of Yangcun is very important. It is located 25 kilometers northwest of Tianjin on the Pingjin Railway and highway trunk line.The enemy entered and exited Tianjin, and the People's Liberation Army attacked Tianjin, and they all settled here.After the First Division of the Eighth Column rushed to Yangcun, it wiped out one division and two regiments of the newly formed 105th Army of the defending enemy, cutting off the passage for the Tianjin defending enemy and the Beiping defending enemy to connect with each other and even meet at one place. By capturing Baitangkou, the enemy of Tianjin can be blocked from retreating to Dagukou.The first part of the Eighth Column set out from Wuqing, marched in a hurry and went straight to Baitangkou, a major southeast traffic road in Tianjin.The enemy of Tianjin must pass through this place if they want to break through to Baitangkou.The eight verticals mobilized part of their troops and built very strong fortifications along both sides of the Jintang Highway.In order to be safe, Lin Biao also ordered the transfer of the Twelve Columns between Tianjin and Junliang City to prevent the enemy from escaping to Tanggu. The Northeast Field Army moved the command post of the war to the mulberry garden east of Yangliuqing, which is only 20 miles away from downtown Tianjin. On December 10, 11, and 12, 1948, after the Northeast Advance Corps wiped out the enemy's 16th Army and 104th Army, Fu Zuoyi took advantage of the difficult terrain and marched from Beiyuan, Qinghe, Yuanmingyuan to Wang'er Mountain, Hongshan Pass, Wanwan Shoushan, Yuquanshan, Beishan of Reclining Buddha Temple, Xiangshan, and Miaofengshan deployed defenses in an attempt to prevent the People's Liberation Army from approaching Beiping. The enemy's deployment is: the 109th Division is located in Qinghe, Beiyuan, and Yuanmingyuan; the 64th Regiment of the 22nd Division is in Wang'er Mountain, Hongshan Pass, and Qinglong Bridge; the 65th Regiment is in Longevity Mountain and Yuquan Mountain; The Sixth Division was in Biyun Temple; the 208th Division of the Youth Army was in Beishan, Huangdaoling, and Yuhuangding of Reclining Buddha Temple; the Second Security Brigade was in Xiangshan and Mentou Village; the 101st Army was in Fengtai area. On the morning of December 13, Dongye Wuzong, who was on the march, received a telegram from the Military Commission and the East General Command: Wuzong should not advance to the south of Beiping for the time being, but should try its best to cut off the enemy's retreat in Wanping and Fengtai, seize Fengtai, and cooperate with the third party in the direction of Nanyuan. The column cut off the enemy's route for fleeing south and east to Tianjin, and encircled Peiping from the south and southwest. After reading the telegram, Commander Wan Yi convened a flight meeting with the column leaders at a common people's home by the Qinghe Northwest Road.Wan Yi said: "Fengtai is an important railway hub, and it is also the location of the joint logistics headquarters of the "Suppression General" in North China. It stores a large number of weapons, ammunition and various military supplies. If we occupy Fengtai and the three verticals occupy Nanyuan Airport, The combination of the two cut off the escape route of the Beiping enemy from the air and the ground, and cooperated with other columns to complete the encirclement of Beiping. Because of the important strategic position of Fengtai, Fengtai and its surrounding areas are heavily defended by the enemy. We want to capture Fengtai , it will be a fierce battle; after the occupation, the enemy will not be reconciled and will inevitably counterattack, which will be another fierce battle, and we should be mentally prepared for this.” Having said that, Wan Yi lowered his head, looked at the topographic map, and continued: "With regard to the specific deployment of the column, let me first talk about my opinion: the 13th Division is on the left wing, breaking through from Hongshan Pass and Yuanmingyuan, passing through both sides of the Summer Palace, developing towards Tiancun and New Beijing, and going straight to Fengtai; The Fourteenth Division was on the right wing, breaking through the North Mountain of the Reclining Buddha Temple and Yuhuangding, passing through Shijingshan and the ancient city, and going straight to Wanping and Lugou Bridge; The 15th Division is the second echelon, following up behind the 13th Division, supporting the 13th Division as appropriate and ensuring the safety of the 13th Division's rear; "The Du Ninth Division is the reserve team, which will follow up after the Fourteenth Division and go into battle depending on the situation. The Thirteenth Division was the main attacking division, and Deputy Commander Wu Ruilin and Deputy Director Guo Chengzhu followed the division to strengthen the column's command of the division. " Political commissar Liu Xingyuan said: "I agree with Commander Wan's analysis of the enemy's situation and deployment opinions. I just add one sentence, that is, the advancing and combat areas of our troops are getting closer and closer to the ancient capital Beiping. There are many cultural relics and historic sites and famous universities in the suburbs of Beiping. When Commander Wan talked about deployment just now, he mentioned the Old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Yuhuangding, etc., as well as the Shijingshan Industrial Zone. Bombardment is really not enough, we can make them look like a single force, use political offensive to persuade them to surrender, and the large force will go around and move on.” The Fifth Column hurriedly marched southward. The Thirteenth Division encountered organized resistance from the enemy at Hongshan Pass, Wang'er Mountain, and Heishanhu. The enemy took one battalion, captured more than 800 enemies, and soon entered the Qinglong Bridge area. When the column was discussing ways to deal with the enemies in the Summer Palace, the General Manager Dong received an urgent telegram: In order to protect the cultural relics and historic sites, do not attack the enemies in the Summer Palace, but use troops to monitor them, and wait for the troops behind to deal with them. Your main force should go around from the east and west sides of the Summer Palace. . As soon as the Dong Zong's urgent telegram was delivered, the enemies in the Summer Palace were afraid of being annihilated and fled secretly.The five verticals extend from the east of the Summer Palace to the western suburbs via Haidian, and the main force goes directly to Fengtai via Yuquan Mountain, Tiancun, and Wukesong. The Fourteenth Division faced high mountains and dense forests, narrow roads, and difficulty in moving. It arrived at Huangdaoling at 24:00 on the 13th, and immediately organized troops and artillery fire to attack the 401.9 highland, 573.1 highland, and Yuhuangding line. ○ The Sixth Division started fighting.After the Thirteenth Division broke through the enemy's defense at Hongshan Pass, it shook the enemy's defense confidence across the board. At about 1 o'clock on the 14th, the Fourteenth Division wiped out part of the enemy, captured more than 400 enemies, and the rest of the enemy marched south of Xiangshan.In addition to leaving one battalion to continue to attack Biyun Temple and Xiangshan enemies, the main force of the division advanced in the direction of Shijingshan. After breaking through the enemy's defense, the column rushed towards Fengtai by night.In the middle of the night, Wu Ruilin, the deputy commander of the column that was operating with the 13th Division, received a report from the 39th Regiment: According to the confession of a prisoner, Fu Zuoyi discovered that our army was attacking Hongshan Pass, Xiangshan and other places, and judged that the Northeast Army was approaching Peiping. As soon as the city was closed, the troops were reduced, and all the troops in the western suburbs were concentrated to Beiping City and its suburbs. They are now being mobilized. Deputy Commander Wu immediately ordered the deputy division commander Zhai Yidong to order all departments to be vigilant, pay attention to grasp the situation, and make preparations for encountering the enemy. The night was dark, covering the five verticals rushing towards Fengtai, and also hiding the urgently shrinking enemies.The Fifth Column galloped quietly on the road in the western suburbs of Beiping. On the right, there was a troop advancing parallel to the Fifth Column and Thirteenth Division. There were also two large carriages in the team.When the staff asked, it was the Sixteenth Regiment of the Second Security Brigade.Deputy Commander Wu Ruilin quietly conveyed the password: Get ready, give the order, and rush to catch the living!The sudden action of the Thirteenth Division caused many enemies to shout: "Brothers, don't get me wrong, we are the 16th Security Regiment!" In a matter of minutes, without firing a shot, the enemy's regiment of more than 800 people all disarmed. When the vanguard troops of the 13th Division passed through Tiancun Railway Station, a train came from the direction of Shijingshan in the west.Are the vehicles loaded with enemies or supplies?No one can figure it out.Wu Ruilin, Guo Chengzhu and the division leaders studied and decided to destroy the train when it stopped at the platform after entering the station. This task was completed by the division guard battalion and engineer battalion, and the main force of the division continued to advance. After the two battalions were deployed, the station dispatcher issued a signal for the train to enter the station. "Boom!" With a loud noise, the locomotive blew up, and the awakened enemy officer got out of the carriage and cursed: "Damn, what's going on?" The PLA commanders rushed up and said sternly to the enemy officer: "Which part are you from?" "Don't get me wrong, we are from the Second Brigade, we are our own people." "Who is one of our own, we are the People's Liberation Army, and we are here to arrest your Second Bao Brigade. Put down your weapons, surrender your guns and don't kill them, and give preferential treatment to prisoners." In less than half an hour, more than 1,000 enemies were captured. The third battalion of the thirty-seventh regiment of the avant-garde, led by the battalion commander Xing Jiasheng and the seventh company commander Wei Tongdong, walked in the forefront. Under the cover of night, they ran like flying. At 2 o'clock in the morning on the 14th, the troops arrived at Wukesong and entered New Beijing.According to the testimony of scattered members of the Fu Department captured, the command post of Fu Zuoyi's "Suppression General" had only withdrawn into Beiping City more than ten minutes ago, but part of the officer training group and the tank training base had not yet withdrawn.The thirty-seventh and thirty-eight regiments of the People's Liberation Army launched a siege to the enemy. The battle ended in 30 minutes. When blocking enemy tanks, use grenades and blasting barrels to fight against the enemy. When hit and crushed by enemy tanks, the whole squad sacrificed heroically! The troops continued to advance rapidly under the night. At around 7:00 a.m. on the 14th, the Fifth Column first arrived at Yuegezhuang, north of Fengtai, and captured a prisoner, saying that the area north of Fengtai was the 272nd Division of the 101st Army, and the rest of the divisions were in the Kandan area south of Fengtai. , are now gathering, ready to withdraw to the city of Peiping.Based on this situation, Wu Ruilin called the leaders of the 13th Division to hold a flight meeting.Deputy Commander Wu said: We want to take advantage of the opportunity of the enemy's mobilization to seize Fengtai. The specific method is to adjust the current combat marching formation to an offensive formation towards Fengtai. The 18th Regiment is the second echelon, so launch an attack quickly, so as not to lose the great opportunity for the enemy to mobilize. According to the instructions of Deputy Commander Wu, Zhai Yidong, the deputy division commander, specifically distinguished the combat tasks, and finally said: After the whole division seized Fengtai, they immediately used the terrain and houses to build a circular fortification to prepare for the enemy's counterattack. On the morning of the 14th, the regiments of the 13th Division took advantage of the enemy's chaos and launched a brave and decisive attack. 三十七团在师属山炮16门、团属迫击炮20多门的支援下，攻歼了大井之敌，迅速冲入丰台。该团及师警卫营、工兵营将敌歼灭并占领了西仓库，俘获华北“剿总”联勤大部人员，“剿总”直属战车大部和修理厂、陆军医院、军马医院、弹药、军需、粮秣仓库的人员；缴获大批美国援助的各种枪支弹药、被服、汽车等物资。三十九团消灭了小井、周庄之敌后，直插前后泥洼、樊家村及丰台车站。 丰台，已是我十三师的天地了！ 十四师插向丰台右翼，在师长彭龙飞、政委丁国钰指挥下，突破黄道岭、香山一线敌防御后，主力直插宛平。路过石景山，歼敌一部，进至大瓦窑、东西五里店地区，遇宛平守敌二七一师八一四团向丰台方向溃逃。四十团向敌展开进攻，俘敌300余，乘机占领卢沟桥、宛平城，该师即令一个团向东发展，进至看丹及以东地区，协同十三师作战。 二梯队十五师，在前卫十三师后跟进，一路上顺顺当当，平平安安。 14日凌晨4时，部队前进在西苑机场附近的道路上，突然路边一片混乱，人叫马嘶，有三四百人从另一条路上并在了解放军前进的路上，也由北向南疾进，开始解放军以为是兄弟部队，没有当做一回事。走着，走着，在这伙人中，有的人发起了牢骚，“老子没有被共军打死，像这样跑法，也得把老子累死！” 这位讲得好，一句话说明了他们不是自己人，是敌人，是跑了很远路程的敌人。 师长王振祥令参谋悄悄传令，告诉部队旁边走的是敌人，听命令一齐动手缴敌人的枪。 王师长一声令下，敌人还没有醒悟过来，就当了俘虏。经审问，这伙敌人是傅系主力一○四军的残部，该军在横岭、马跑泉、白羊城一带被东北先遣兵团及冀热察军区地方部队大部消灭，残部企图逃回北平。 十五师继续前进着，当进到新北平时，又遇到由宛平向北平撤退的敌后勤运输队，四十三团迅猛冲杀过去，将敌消灭，俘敌160人余，战马20余匹。 14日早8时，四十三团进抵丰台东北财神庙、莲花池、跑马场一带，与敌八一四团接火，战斗近20分钟，歼敌一部，余敌逃向广安门。解放军尾随直逼广安门下。 13时，敌约两个团的兵力，在坦克、装甲车的引导下，向十五师发起攻击。十五师利用村庄和临时构筑的工事，抗击敌人，激战一个多小时，将敌击退。该师立即抢修工事巩固阵地，协同十三师准备迎击敌人更大的反扑。 独9师由师长廖中符、政委钟民率领，在十四师后跟进。14日14时进至石景山、八角村、古城、衙门口地区，遇到退守石景山之敌三○六师及保二旅各一部，共千余人。先头独三十五团准备向敌发起攻击，敌惧怕遭歼，伪称投降，其真实意图是拖延时间，伺机逃跑。该团一个排突入石景山钢铁厂，占领了水塔，俘敌300余人。独九师急于奔赴丰台，只留少数部队监视敌人，主力继续前进。 敌人见解放军主力已走，便向占领水塔的分队发起进攻。解放军一个排顽强固守，激战一天，大部壮烈牺牲，最后只剩下4人。此时，东北十一纵闻声赶到，将该敌歼灭，才救出了这4位战士。 截至14日下午，东北五纵圆满完成了抢占丰台的作战任务，十三师攻占了丰台，十四师占领了宛平及卢沟桥，十五师进至广安门西南地区，独九师进至卢沟桥以西地区，纵队指挥所进至看丹。丰台这个铁路交通枢纽和战略要地，完全被五纵控制，北平守敌南逃的去路至此堵死了。 12月14日早晨，傅作义刚刚起床，负责作战的副参谋长梁述哉和作战科长雷立法就向他汇报了丰台失守的情况。 在傅作义“一定要把丰台夺回来”的指令下，华北“剿总”纠集了7个师，于12月15日清晨，分路由复兴门、西便门、广安门出城，向丰台地区的解放军展开了反扑。这一天，国民党军损兵近千人，“剿总”组织了更大规模、更加激烈的反扑。 两天的反扑，不但没有取得任何效果，相反又大大损伤了国民党的军力。据不完全统计，死伤4000余人。当然东野五纵也付出了很大代价，死伤达1700余人。守纱帽园的十三师三十九团八连，打得只剩下了15人，始终坚守在阵地上，岿然不动。 平津前指根据中央军委有关指示，将隔断平、津和从北平东、南两面包围北平的任务交给了东北第一兵团，配属第一兵团指挥的有东北三纵、六纵、十纵。 肖劲光司令员接到平津前指关于“隔断平津”命令之后，深感责任重大。他想：纵观战争全局，华北“剿总”所属国民党军虽然已成“惊弓之鸟”，但是，他们人数众多，若干部队还有相当战斗力。一兵团所属3个纵队的防区位于平津铁路、通（县）津公路的要冲，如果北平敌人决心向天津突围，到时候必有一场恶战。于是，他立即电令三纵，改道南行，取捷径直逼通县及其以南地区，切断北平至天津敌人之联系。 12月11日傍晚，正在向西急进中的东野三纵，已由蓟县进入三河县境内，部队刚刚停下休息、打尖，纵队司令部机要秘书快步来到司令员韩先楚身边，边敬礼边报告说：“司令员，兵团急电！” 韩司令员接过电报，急促而认真地阅读着，阅毕交给身边的罗舜初政委，尔后对沙克副司令员说：“下命令，改道南行，直逼通县城关及其以南地区，切断通县至天津的公路。开进中作好战斗动员，准备与由北平逃向天津的敌人作战！” 13日后半夜，当三纵部队进抵通县城关时，通县已宣告解放，小神庙电厂和双桥广播电台也刚刚被冀东军区第十四分区部队接管。 林彪（左二）、罗荣桓（左三）、聂荣臻（左一）在部署平津战役 14日，三纵又歼灭了大兴县青云店附近的国民党部队，至此，三纵从北平的东南方向包围了北平。 12月12日，刚刚到达冀东玉田以南林亭口、李公庙、黄土坎地区的东北十纵，接平津前指电令：除你部二十九师应立即出发插到汉沽以南铁路上，配合由唐山方向向芦台前进之九纵歼灭敌人外，你纵主力应迅速向北平东南青云店、采育镇、廊坊前进。13日，十纵到达采育镇、廊坊一线，与三纵共同执行防止北平敌人向天津逃窜和天津敌人北上接应北平之敌的任务。 12月14日，在孟家楼平津前线司令部里，林彪、罗荣桓正在向六纵司令员洪学智、政委赖传珠下达作战任务。林彪说： 眼下北平之敌企图向天津突围，天津之敌亦准备进至武清一带接应他们。另外，天津之敌还有向塘沽海上逃跑的迹象。针对这种情况，总部的作战方针是两个截断，一个是截断平津之敌，防止北平的敌人向天津逃跑：另一个是截断津、塘之敌，防止天津敌人由塘沽经海上逃跑。 接着罗荣桓对六纵的任务作了具体交待，他说：你们纵队的主要任务是截断平、津敌人的联系，防止敌人从北平向天津逃跑。你们要不怕疲劳、不顾一切地以最快速度，昼夜兼程赶到香河一带。 林彪十分严肃地说：总部对你们的要求是，不论敌人怎样突围，也一定要拼死拼活地将其消灭。如果敌人从你们那里跑了，你们要负全责。 洪学智、赖传珠受领任务后，连夜率部向西进发，于16日到达香河县徐官屯地区。十六师位于香河县平津公路两侧之永乐店，十七师位于得河正西之廓县镇、马头镇，十八师位于香河正北之张各庄，独立师位于香河西南之安平镇，纵队司令部设在马头镇。 东野三、六、十纵切断平津铁、公路之后，一兵团根据平津前指的电令，对3个纵队的防区位置和战斗任务，统一进行了部署。 平津前指在部署东野三个纵队切断平、津铁、公路的同时，生怕赶不到北平敌人东逃之前，贻误战机，于12日16时电致华北军区，建议冀中七纵进至马驹桥地区，截击东逃之敌。华北七纵，继1948年11月22日解放保定后，遵照华北军区指示，乘胜北上。12月5日，攻克高碑店，全歼守敌700余人。7日解放深县，围歼琉璃河、松林店、窦店等地的敌人。12日，包围房山、良乡。房山守敌一部及地方杂顽2000多人，依托工事顽抗，拒不投降。至13日黄昏，两处敌人全部被歼，房山、良乡宣告解放。 我炮兵部队沿平绥线向北平进发 正当华北七纵攻打房山与良乡时，华北军区收到了平津前指发给军委并告华北军区的电报，华北军区于当日14时30分电示七纵：“为不使北平之敌向东逃走，以便东北主力到达后合力歼敌，七纵全部立即出发，取捷径于14日拂晓进至北平以南之黄村、庞各庄地区，沿北宁路及两侧构筑纵深防御阵地（如黄村无敌主力则驱逐之，而于黄村、丰台间占领第一线阵地），应不顾一切牺牲代价，坚决阻滞可能沿铁路向天津撤退之敌，不使其逃脱。占领丰台和黄村是防敌东逃的关键，前指立即令所属部队迅速向指定地点前进。” 七纵从房山、良乡出发了，途经永定河时，河水较深并有浮冰，为了争取时间，尽快到达指定地点，决定徒涉过河。由于天寒水深，牺牲了30多人。经过一天一夜的长途奔袭，十九旅一部于15日8时占领公议庄、葫芦垡地区。15日晨二十一旅进至黄村以南庞各庄一带，下午7时占领黄村，黄村一带敌地方武装1300多人向二十一旅缴械投降。二十旅15日19时占领庞各庄，刘秉彦旅长带领一个团跑步前进占领廊坊，同东野十纵会师。 为了彻底切断北平敌人与外界的联系，东野一兵团司令员肖劲光根据平津前指的指示，于12月15日命令东野三纵尽快占领南苑机场。17日清晨，三纵七师二十一团在强大炮火的掩护下，指战员们奋勇冲杀，机场国民党守军九十二军二十一师仓皇向广渠门逃窜，我军乘胜追击，没费多大力气就占领了南苑机场，缴获各种飞机34架（其中能修复的10余架），汽油1.18万多桶，润滑油8000桶，棉花5万多公斤，发动机2000余台，枪弹1万多箱，还有其他物资。 傅作义对于丢掉这样一个军事据点，是无论如何也不甘心的，他一面命令北平市长刘瑶章在城内抢修简易机场，迅速恢复空中运输，一面派兵反扑，企图夺回南苑机场。 几天之后，最先进关的东野十一纵，奉命进驻东垣镇、通县一带。进关较晚的东野一纵也开到了廊坊、武清以南。平津前指电令一兵团：华北七纵、东野十一纵、二纵，均归一兵团指挥。这样，在北平的东面有十一纵堵截，西南面有华北七纵布防，而在最关键的东南和正南方向，也就是在平津铁路和通津公路上，成梯次地布设了三纵、六纵、十纵、一纵4道防线，中央军委关于隔断平津之敌的战略意图得到了完全的体现，通往天津的路被彻底堵死了！ 12月14日凌晨，东野十一纵三十一师进抵卢沟桥，向黄土坡、黄村一线开进。14日下午，三十三师进抵北平西郊，占领西苑机场、万寿山、青龙桥；在西直门附近击退敌坦克的反扑，突进敌第二监狱，攻占五塔寺、老虎庵和花园等据点。清华大学和燕京大学也获得解放。15日，十一纵部署于海淀、门头沟、西黄村、南北辛庄、古城、田村一带，形成了对北平西北部的弧形包围，就地构筑工事，并准备扫清北平西郊的外围据点。 15日下午，纵队司令员贺晋年了解到石景山有一部敌人，决定以三十二师九十五、九十六团并附山炮8门攻取之。 石景山，位于北平城正西20多公里处，山势不高。山的北麓与鬼子山、黑山头相连；山的西侧紧紧靠着永定河。 在石景山、鬼子山、黑山头相连的东南侧，矗立着炼铁厂和发电厂，这在解放前来说，就是重工业的标志了。尤其这座华北最大的发电厂，是北平城内水电供应之源，关系着200多万市民的生活。华北“剿总”深知此处重要，在原有400多名警察的守护下，又增派了一○一军二七三师八一七团加强守备。贺晋年司令员考虑：我军及早拿下石景山，不仅可以防敌破坏，保障城区人民的水电供应，还可以给傅作义增加压力，促使他早日接受和平谈判条件。 敌八一七团进驻石景山后，在原来只有十几处单个碉堡的基础上，又加筑了许多碉堡群，其兵力部署为：两个营驻守炼铁厂和发电厂，一个营分布在模式口、老虎山一带，企图凭借工事顽抗。 15日17时进攻石景山的战斗打响了。九十五团突击队在炮火支援下，迅速攻占模式口及其附近碉堡群，继而向老虎山、石景山攻击前进，一举包围了老虎山和石景山的北部。九十六团亦同时包围了石景山的东南面，激烈的枪炮声响彻了石景山的四面八方。突然，发电厂新厂房五楼的制高点上响起了清脆的枪声，循声望去，是8名解放军在制高点上，射击着周围的敌人。这8位解放军怎么进的发电厂？怎么占领制高点的呢？这8位是东野第五纵队的，他们是在追击逃敌中和部队失掉了联系，在指导员王世珍的带领下一下子冲进了发电厂，时值发电厂警卫与国民党守军正在换班，敌人没有发觉。进厂后他们立即抢占了新厂房5楼制高点，像一把锋利的尖刀插进了发电厂守敌的心脏。8位指战员是指导员王世珍、副排长于长富、耿忠礼，战士孟清山、李生、孙仁、何玉林、迟风山。事后，他们被人们称为解放石景山发电厂的尖兵，被赞誉为“八勇士”。 15日上午，由于战事紧张，国民党石景山守军八一七团频繁地调动部队，当新调来的敌军刚刚进至发电厂前区时，八勇士立即向敌射击，敌人连连毙命。这时，敌人才发觉电厂制高点已被解放军占领，于是他们立即还击，围攻发电厂。8勇士巧妙利用地物，先后击毙敌兵16名。 由于通往5楼的楼梯很窄，解放军又居高临下，敌人很难攻上去。因此，敌人在黑山头和石景山顶用机枪猛烈扫射新厂房。这时，已经组织起来的护厂委员会为了保护机器和工人的安全，下令停运了正在运行的煤粉炉。 在战斗的间隙，护厂委员会负责人沈根才、于运海和几位工人端着自己的午饭、提着开水送到5楼制高点，给勇士们充饥。为了不影响勇士们的视线和听觉，护厂委员会又把正在运行的运煤皮带停了下来。八勇士得到护厂委员会与工人群众的积极支援，像一根根钉子牢牢地钉在制高点上，与敌一个连相周旋，无一伤亡。 八勇士和敌激烈射击时，沈根才、于运海正在主任办公室里值班。驻守在黑山头的敌营长打来电话询问什么人在楼上打枪，沈根才在电话里沉着地说：“新厂房是什么人我们不知道，我们办公室在后面。你们特务长不是在厂子里吗，你问他吧！”说着，敌特务长跑进办公室，问是不是八路军进厂了。于运海说：“发电是我们的责任，守卫是你们的事，厂里进没进来八路，你不问问你自己，你来问我们，我们怎么能知道？” 下午两点左右，敌一连长带着几名士兵闯进了主任办公室，杀气腾腾地质问道：“你们这里一定有暴徒，厂子里进了八路，你们不知道吗？”于运海不慌不忙地回答：“我是厂子的主任，发电是我的