Less than a year after we persisted in the Dabie Mountains struggle, great changes have taken place in the whole country. This change has made us see the dawn in the bitter struggle.
I remember that during the period of 1947, we studied Chairman Mao's report "The Current Situation and Our Tasks" between battles. The main content is that in the past year, because we led the war to Chiang Kai-shek's area, the burden and pressure in the liberated areas have been greatly reduced, and the soldiers and civilians in the major liberated areas in Northeast China and North China have been able to concentrate their efforts and flexibly annihilate the war, destroying a large number of Chiang Kai-shek bandits. As a result, our army changed from passive defense to active counterattack, which was a turning point in the development of the current situation. Our task in the future is to concentrate all our forces, continue to carry out nationwide counter-attacks and annihilate a large number of enemies until we attack Chiang Kai-shek's area.
Because we left the liberated areas to fight on exterior lines and entered Dabie Mountain for one year, we didn't read newspapers or listen to the radio, and we rarely had a chance to hear the chief's current affairs report. It's like being in the dark all day, only knowing how to March and fight, knowing nothing about the outside world, and not knowing what turn the situation has taken. Therefore, when studying Chairman Mao's situation report, I doubt and don't believe that there has been such a change in the development of the current situation, but I dare not expose this idea.
This isn't it? Before we finished our studies, Chiang Kai-shek's bandits gathered heavy troops and surrounded us from all directions with the cooperation of the air force. Groups of planes came to bombard us day and night, and the army deployed heavily to fight our army to the death and destroy our army in Dabie Mountain. Our army was outnumbered, and in order to avoid losses, we moved around the clock to the remote and dangerous Dabie Mountain. Although Chiang Kai-shek had advantages, it was useless and he dared not deal with our army in Dabie Mountain. However, the hard life of my terracotta warriors and horses has become more and more bitter.
After a long journey of more than ten days, we came to the hinterland of Dabie Mountain, where the mountains are protruding and the peaks are numerous. I don't know what the boundary is. How did Pangu create so many mountains and dangerous peaks and straight cliffs, one after another? The narrow path between mountains is rugged and dangerous. Needless to say, if you climb the mountain and cross the ridge, you will feel sore back and numb legs from a distance. This path can only March all the way, walking side by side but not leaving. You sweated up, and before this one turned over, another mountain stood in front of you.
Bite! Come on, the day of the big counterattack is coming! Before reaching the bottom of the mountain, the Long March has reached the halfway up the opposite mountain. From a distance, these people are much smaller. On the winding path, they are in a hurry like ants.
This time, I marched for three days and three nights without camping. Because camping in the mountains in cold weather is not as good as marching. Although marching is tiring, it can keep out the cold.
Around the fifteenth day of the first month, we walked out of the mountains and arrived in the hilly jungle area. It snowed heavily, and the officers and men had long since lost their cloth shoes and put on straw sandals. Many comrades-in-arms limped along with the team with blood bubbles on their feet. Three or five enemy planes often fly over our heads, looking for us. It flies low and slowly, and the snow on its wings is mixed with the flying snow in the sky. Fortunately, the continuous pine forests along the way covered our marching route, which made us suffer little losses.
The snow in the pine forest is not knee deep, so you can't leave your legs when you step into your feet. You only walked seven or eight miles that night. It is more difficult for mules and horses to walk with organs, materials and bags. The snow on the hillside road froze into ice lanes. When an animal slips, people must pull the animal, carry what it is carrying, and then carry it to a place where the animal is easy to walk. In this way, when an animal falls, it has to be busy for dozens of minutes, and there are more than a dozen mules and horses that fall that night. Some animals fell lame, some people broke their hands or feet and couldn't walk, so everyone froze in the snow all night.
The next day, we crossed another river and two animals fell into it. The breeder dived down to pull the animals without taking off his pants. The animal drummed several times in the water, but it didn't even connect after several turns. How can a breeder pull up an animal by himself? All the staff in our office went into the water to help. The water reached the navel and it was bitterly cold. They all giggled and trembled. When two animals were rescued from the water, people froze to death.
On the 18th day of the first month, we walked out of the mountains and came to a relatively flat hilly area. The news of the glacier came from the troops ahead, which was another "worse" suffering. When we came to the glacier, we saw a mile-wide river full of floating ice cubes, and the water was waist deep. The leader asked the animals to send their sick comrades across the river first, and then everyone took care of each other and crossed the river on foot. At first, some comrades took off their cotton-padded clothes and crossed the river. Their legs and waists were scratched by ice cubes washed down by the river, and some were cut by ice cubes.
The comrades at the back are all wearing cotton-padded clothes to avoid injury. In this way, although I was not injured, I didn't change clothes in the past. I'm wearing blistered cotton trousers, and water drips down my legs when I walk. I can't walk far, my legs are frozen hard. This cold feeling is even more unbearable. Grit your teeth and move on.
After the Spring Festival, the troops set out from a village called Liujiatang. For more than half a month, the army of ascetics did not take a day off, and the animals did not eat well. Day and night, wading through mountains and rivers, counting nine cold days, sleeping in the wind, exhausted people, who is suffering? Some old comrades said that the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period was never so difficult. At that time, the army had a base, supported by a democratic government, supported by ordinary people, and had food and shelter, medicine and medicine. There is nothing now. If you are in pain, you can do it yourself. There is no other way.
This night, I look forward to living in a village in front of the mountain, living in a warm straw house, eating a hot meal and feeding the animals forage, so that everyone can have a good rest. A good night's sleep is a "paradise".
The next morning, the troops gathered at the head of the village, waiting for the command of the headquarters and the "marching route." Unexpectedly, Wang Jicheng, a signalman at the headquarters, immediately reported two pieces of good news: First, the headquarters decided not to leave for the time being today, and the troops took another day off on the spot to feed the animals, and the troops rested and prepared to move on tomorrow; 2. Since the Spring Festival, good news of our army's bloody slaughter of the enemy has been coming from the major battlefields in Northeast China and North China. Last night and this morning, the news that our army annihilated two enemy divisions and a military department in the southeast of Changchun came from the telephone of the headquarters. Yingkou annihilated more than 20,000 enemy troops and another division revolted in Fushun. Wang Jicheng himself was very happy: "Comrades, the days of suffering are over! The day of the big counterattack is coming! " Say and fly away.
Hearing these two good news, the troops immediately boiled up and cheers resounded through the mountain village. Everyone is talking about it. Some pondered and analyzed: "In the past, some people said' stand by and start'. Why do you emphasize that everyone should have a good rest and get ready to move on? Go further, and there will be no mountains. Do you want to go back to the Central Plains? " The second good news comes from the radio, not through the grapevine. This proves that Chairman Mao's judgment of the current situation is correct, and the situation has indeed undergone fundamental changes.
Only when I realized the meaning of hardship did I feel that every victory in the liberated areas could not be separated from the enemy's 33 brigades on the back of Dabie Mountain.
Our hearts are bright and our eyes are far away. In the hard years of persistent struggle, we finally looked forward to hope and saw the dawn before dawn.
Grit your teeth and move on! Come on, the day of the big counterattack is coming!
3. Come out of the mountain and join hands with the four fields of the Central Plains
Go out of the mountain area and move on according to the route designated by the superior. The farther you go, the bigger the world ahead. Looking back, I saw that the distance from the mountain behind me was getting farther and farther. We are heading north and east. Of course, we walked out of Dabie Mountain and returned to the vast Central Plains.
Our minds suddenly opened up, and looking at the vast land of the Central Plains, it was really the stimulation of "the sea is wide and the sky is high and flying vertically". In Dabie Mountain, we fight in layers of mountains all day, and things are only 300 miles away. It looks uneven and the sky is a crack. Northerners are really bored and blind there, and they don't like it.
It is best to be in the great plains, where there are many villages and large villages, and it is convenient to March and camp. I've been in the mountains for too long. Out of the mountain, I can't tell where I am. That night, the troops were camping in the village, and the headquarters was stationed in a village called Zuojiazhuang, only two or three miles away from the Political Department. This is about a place in Henan.
That evening, the headquarters held a meeting of cadres at or above the platoon level. This is the second time such a meeting has been held since the external action. The first meeting was held after crossing the Huaihe River in the south to convey the enemy situation in Gushi and Lu 'an and our combat mission.
This time, Commander Tong told us a new situation: our army has successfully completed the strategic task of fighting on exterior lines, and the time is ripe for a big counterattack. The Central Military Commission wants us to withdraw from the Dabie Mountains, lead the enemy out of the Dabie Mountains, concentrate our main forces and wipe out all the enemy divisions on the vast battlefield in the Central Plains. In addition, we Liu Dengjun fought hard in Dabie Mountain for a year and suffered great losses. After coming out of the mountain, don't rush to fight and annihilate the enemy. First rectify and recuperate for a period of time, and then cooperate with each other to fight annihilation. It is said that part of the Fourth Field Army has arrived at Shanhaiguan and will soon March into the Central Plains with us.
Gao Zhiguo's political commissar made ideological mobilization and preparations for our army to join forces with friendly forces in the future, stressing the need to do a good job in unity and cooperation with the main forces of friendly forces, being good neighbors and friendly, persisting in opposing selfish departmentalism and mountainism, and never allowing us to compete with friendly forces for merits, capture prisoners and seize spoils on the battlefield. We must take these precautions and not be careless.
In addition, the high political commissar conveyed the condolences of the people in the old liberated areas of Shandong and Hebei to our army. They heard that it was difficult for us to March and fight in Dabie Mountain. Without cloth shoes and clothes to change, they mobilized women to make military shoes, and already prepared uniforms, towels and socks for us. Now they are communicating with people in this new area and trying to transport them here. This is the concern and love of the people in the old liberated areas for their children. "We have lost contact with the old district for one year. Tell the soldiers that we can contact the old district here, and comrades living in the old district can contact their families."
After listening to these exciting news, we really feel great relief and joy in spirit. We finally got out of the terrible predicament!
On the third day of the meeting, probably in western Henan, our army met some troops from the four fields who entered the customs. On that day, on the wide highway, the mighty three-way column came from opposite us. Look how neat and spectacular this team looks. The light gray military uniform, long-edged military cap and shiny new weapons look particularly energetic, powerful and beautiful, and look enviable. Look at us again. Our clothes are all kinds, torn and dirty. It's really disappointing.
Walking, a soldier in the four fields suddenly said, "Where is this guerrilla?"
This statement was heard by our cook carrying a marching pot. He said unconvinced, "Who are the guerrillas?" We are Liu Deng's army! "
Another soldier on the other side said, "Come on, don't ruin Liu Deng's army. Is Liu Deng's army the same as yours? "
Another soldier also said: "Guerrillas are not authentic guerrillas, just like climbing out of a coal mine!" " "
The more the cook listens, the bigger the fire becomes. He slammed the marching burden on the ground;
"You talk nonsense! Liu Deng's army is Liu Deng's army. Who can't pretend to be it? "
Another of our comrades echoed and said, "Comrades in the Four Fields, he is right. We are Liu Deng's army fighting on the outside, just coming out of Dabie Mountain. "
When Comrade Ye Si heard that it was really Liu Deng's army, he stopped like a password. They all turned to face us, raised their right hands and raised their thumbs, shouting, "Brother Erye, you have worked hard!" " "We responded:" Welcome comrades from the four fields to join our Central Plains! They shouted again: "Learn from Big Brother Ye Er!" ! "Pay tribute to big brother Ye Er!"
Our chef is very happy. He stirred up the military pot and ran very fast, making a small squeak. As he ran, he said cheerfully, "That's more like it. He looks like a little brother! " A soldier next to him criticized him: "Be modest! People are misunderstood as guerrillas because they don't understand the situation. "
When we came out of Dabie Mountain, we first joined forces with the four fields in the Central Plains. This is the fact that I saw. It is said that Mita is also concentrating on the Central Plains. Jiang bandit troops, you are here! If you don't chase us this time, we will take the initiative to find you. Look, on the battlefield of the Central Plains, this doomed fate is waiting for you!
24. Complete the strategic tasks and achieve the expected goals.
1947 In the early summer, Liu Deng troops were ordered to jump into Dabie Mountain and carry out exterior-line operations in Jiangguan area. In less than a year's heroic struggle, we overcame enormous difficulties, successfully completed the strategic tasks entrusted by Chairman Mao and the CPC Central Committee, and achieved the expected strategic goals.
I remember at the mobilization meeting before the March, the chief said, why do you want to go to the Waijiang area to fight? This is the task entrusted to us by Chairman Mao's Central Committee. Chairman Mao said (to the effect), why do we always passively wait at home to be beaten? Why can't we turn passivity into initiative and attack Chiang Kai-shek in his area? Chiang Kai-shek's bandit troops came to attack us, and it was the liberated areas that were damaged and lost by the war. Chiang Kai-shek's bandit troops came to rob food and money, seize able-bodied men, kill people and set fires, and it was the people in the liberated areas who suffered. The more he attacks, the greater the pressure and loss we bear, and the deeper the suffering of the people. We are now sending troops to areas under Chiang Kai-shek's rule to attack him. It was his troops that were destroyed and lost in the war. We will disintegrate his reactionary ruling regime and make him accomplish nothing, and we can also save some suffering people who are oppressed and exploited. At the same time, Chiang Kai-shek must dispatch troops to defend his rear, protect his rule and defend his home. In this way, the burden and pressure in the liberated areas are reduced, so that we can flexibly concentrate our forces, win more battles, destroy the enemy's effective strength, and gradually realize the strategy of changing from passive to active, from defense to counterattack until active attack.
However, the troops have to leave the liberated areas to fight outside, and when they arrive in Chiang Kai-shek's area, they can't establish base areas for a while, and they can't get timely support and help from the government and people, so they will encounter more and more difficulties. We must be fully prepared mentally, be prepared for hardship, and overcome all difficulties to win.
When Liu Deng's army jumped into the Dabie Mountains, it went straight into Chiang Kai-shek's heart like a steel knife. First, he forced him to give up his attacks on the northwest and Shandong, and then concentrated his only 33 brigades on the southern line to launch a key defense in an attempt to drive us out of the Dabie Mountains.
After a year of life-and-death struggle, Chiang Kai-shek's counter-revolutionary plot failed and failed. After a year of arduous anti-cleaning, we have tempered our heroic and tenacious fighting will. At the same time, it also caused a heavy blow and destruction to the reactionary ruling regime in Chiang Kai-shek area. Chiang Kai-shek's regime in Dabie Mountain was completely defeated or paralyzed, and his original plan to recruit 160,000 troops in Dabie Mountain also fell through, which means that we eliminated 160,000 Chiang bandits without firing a shot. As for collecting food and taxes from the people, we get nothing. This really lightened the pressure and burden in the liberated areas and increased that of Chiang Kai-shek. Practice has proved that the strategic decision of Chairman Mao's Party Central Committee is completely correct.
In accomplishing this glorious and arduous task, we have achieved many great achievements and victories, and of course there are many experiences and lessons. One of the greatest victories and achievements is that our people's army, with fearless fighting spirit, shattered the counter-revolutionary plan of Kuomintang reactionaries to "continue to lead the war to the liberated areas and completely eliminate the liberated areas", and realized the wise strategic decision of Chairman Mao's Central Committee to lead the war to Chiang Kai-shek, thus making the national war situation change from strategic defense to strategic counterattack until strategic attack.
Secondly, after a year of struggle and hard struggle, our army has expelled the enemy from the vast areas of the Central Plains, liberated some county towns, established new liberated areas with a population of more than 30 million, and made preliminary communication and contact with the Central People's Government and the old liberated areas, laying a foundation for the continued development and consolidation of the liberated areas in the future and creating necessary favorable conditions for the great victory of the Huaihai Campaign and the River Crossing Campaign.
It is said that when Chairman Mao sent Liu Deng's troops into the Dabie Mountains, he made three estimates about the prospect of marching. Judging from the final result, we persisted in the struggle in Dabie Mountain and achieved the highest and best estimate, that is, we were not driven out or defeated by the enemy. On the contrary, we fought several major annihilation wars in Zhangjiadian and Jinzhai. Although our army suffered some local losses in the later period when it was outnumbered,
We should cherish the precious tests and exercises given to us by this difficult and glorious history, and educate and inspire ourselves and future generations with our own personal experiences. On the basis of past victories, we should guard against arrogance and rashness, work hard and continue our heroic struggle.
Introduction of Comrade Sun Kangning: 1923 was born in Laiyang, Shandong Province, and 1945 joined the army in Kangda Sixth Branch of Taiyue Military Region, Shanxi Province. After graduation, he was assigned to work in the Ninth Brigade of the Third Longitudinal Army of Liu Deng. He has served as a publicity and education cadre of the Propaganda Unit of the Political Department of the Communist Youth League, editor of the Communist Youth League newspaper, publicity and education officer and editor of the Political Department of the Division, and cultural section chief of the Political Department of the Division. After entering the era of reform and opening-up, New China made great contributions to the compilation and publication of the book Battle of Jinan at the special invitation of Shandong Provincial Party Committee and Party History Committee of Jinan Municipal Committee. Sun Kangning also completed the book "Military Memory", which left precious first-hand memoir materials for the magnificent history of the War of Liberation.