Yang Zhen insisted that he stay and gather the follow-up troops. Several military leaders, especially the deputy secretary of the Southeast Bureau, firmly disagreed. It was difficult for others to speak, but the deputy secretary of the Southeast Bureau said directly: "Comrade Yang Zhen
, I object to your idea. You are now the political commissar of the New Fourth Army, secretary of the Southeast Bureau, and secretary of the military branch, which means that you are now the supreme commander of the Southern Anhui Army."
"You are not the commander of the column, let alone the commander of the regiment. It is not appropriate for you to lead the team personally under the current situation to accommodate the follow-up troops. You must be responsible to the central government and the entire army currently in southern Anhui, not
Responsible for that individual unit of force."
"I have no problem with you leaving a senior cadre to accommodate the follow-up troops. But I think it's inappropriate for you to stay in person. Comrade Yang Zhen, you are putting the cart before the horse. Comrade Yang Zhen, if you continue to insist on this decision,
I will immediately report the truth to the central government."
The words of the deputy secretary of the Southeast Bureau immediately resonated with all the personnel in the military department. Seeing several people's resolute objections, Yang Zhen frowned, but persisted and said to the commander: "Commander, this matter is
It’s settled, you immediately lead all the military personnel and the rest of the troops to cross the Huihe River.”
"I will lead a battalion to stay here to stabilize the breach and connect with the special agent group and the teaching team. We don't have much time to delay. The enemy's advance is very fast. Even if we want to leave after dawn, we can't leave. We must move quickly.
, there can be no hesitation at all.”
In response to Yang Zhen's insistence, the deputy secretary of the Southeast Bureau said: "Comrade Yang Zhen, I still firmly oppose your idea. I am a member of the Party Committee of the Military Branch and the deputy secretary of the Southeast Bureau. I have the right and obligation to oppose your idea.
Do."
"Comrade Yang Zhen, although I have been engaged in local work for a long time, I don't know how to lead troops, let alone how to fight. But one thing I still know is that it is inappropriate for you to stay to support the follow-up troops at this time. You are a
Leader of the army, you have to consider the consequences of doing this."
"Also, Comrade Yang Zhen, you have to trust your subordinates. Both Comrade Zhou Guisheng and Comrade Feng Dafei are commanding the southern front troops. They are veteran comrades who have been on the battlefield for a long time. With rich practical experience, you have to believe that they can lead the special agent group.
And bring it out with the teaching team.”
In response to the fierce opposition of some people, the army commander was silent for a while and said: "In this way, we will first send people to get in touch with the special agent group to see where they are, and then make a decision. If they have already reached the Changkeng Mountain line,
, then the political commissar insists on staying. If they are still on the Niulanling front line, then the political commissar must not stay."
The compromise proposed by the military commander was approved by other people in the military department. However, contrary to expectations, the radio stations of the military department and the southern front troops were still unable to contact. Several groups of correspondents were sent to look for them, but almost all of them failed to come.
Reply. Faced with the tense situation, Yang Zhen simply terminated the meeting. For the first time, he exercised his final decision-making power as a political commissar.
Faced with Yang Zhen's stubbornness and persistence, several people from the military headquarters had no choice but to obey. After the military headquarters selected a group of capable personnel and left behind a radio station, they led the military headquarters to follow behind the fifth regiment and broke through.
The 40th Division's artillery blockade area crossed the Huihe River and rushed towards the mountainous area in the northeast of Jingxian County.
In order to minimize the casualties when the troops passed through the fire blockade area, when the military headquarters broke through, Yang Zhen personally took Li Mingbo to the front line position. He commanded the three Type 92 heavy machine guns and two Type 90 heavy machine guns that were left behind.
mm mortars to suppress the enemy forces on the hills south of Xingtan.
Although they were at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers, the two mortars left behind under the command of Yang Zhen used the tactics of late strike and maneuverability to fight a wonderful mortar battle. With two mortars, they suppressed
The artillery of the 40th Division resided on the hilltop south of Xingtan, which had superior numbers.
During the artillery battle, the Japanese mortars took advantage of the range to knock out the most threatening Italian 47-gun among the 40th Division's artillery group, and suppressed several heavy machine guns.
The power of artillery fire at the blockade breach was greatly weakened, greatly reducing the casualties of passing troops. Only after the military headquarters successfully passed the artillery blockade area, Yang Zhen returned to Xingtan.
After seeing off the army commander and military headquarters, Yang Zhen sat in Xingtan. On the one hand, he used the radio to continuously call the southern front troops. On the other hand, he was closely related to the progress of the surrounding enemy situation. Especially the 52nd Division on the northern front and the southern front.
The progress of the 79th Division, the two fastest advancing direct units of the Central Army.
Although he lost contact with the military commander for four hours when he led the military headquarters to transfer, Yang Zhen was still relatively accurate about the entire battle situation. In the second half of the night, as he expected, after the main force left, the battle situation around Xingtan was still
It continues to develop towards deterioration.
By about three o'clock in the morning, the sound of gunfire and artillery around Xingtan was getting denser and denser. The troops of the Forty Division gathered on several hills in the south discovered that Xingtan's troops had rushed across the Huihe River, and the New Fourth Army confronting them had already
After most of them evacuated, they launched a desperate counterattack, trying to re-close the breach and eat up the follow-up troops still in Hexi.
After the 40th Division concentrated its forces to launch a counterattack against Xingtan, the main force of the 52nd Division on the Bangshan front line in the south also discovered that the New Fourth Army troops in front of them had withdrawn. Regardless of its shortcomings of not being good at night fighting, it obviously accelerated its advance.
Already along the road from Bangshan to Sanxi, a fierce battle broke out with the rear-end troops of the Lao San Regiment, which served as flank cover for the military headquarters.
A battalion of the 45th Artillery Regiment temporarily assigned to the 52nd Division in the Third Theater, equipped with German-style Bofors Mountain Cannon with a range of more than 9,000 meters, has begun to fall on the front line of Xingtan. There are also shells around Xingtan.
In order to bypass the blocking position of the Lao San Regiment and infiltrate a small group of troops from the 52nd Division.
At the same time, the 144th Division in the west, under the urging of the 32nd Army Headquarters, accelerated the pace of its eastward advance. It had already reached the Gaotan and Shijingkeng lines. The 108th Division, which had previously advanced at the slowest speed,
The division had also reached the north of Piling at this time. At this time, Yang Zhen's hand, including the rearguard battalion that had not yet reached Xingtan, was only more than two battalions in strength. In addition, the military guard company left behind by the commander
, engineer company and a communications company.
Faced with the deteriorating situation, Ye Chao, the deputy section chief of the Operations Section, and Yin Yang, the deputy section chief of the Reconnaissance Section who stayed with Yang Zhen in Xingtan Military Headquarters, were obviously a little uneasy. After a brief discussion, Ye Chao persuaded Yang Zhen.
: "Political Commissar, judging from the advancing speed of the 52nd Division, we will reach the front line of Xingtan by dawn at the latest, and the breach is in danger of being re-sealed at any time. Do you think it's time for us to withdraw?"
"Judging from the advancement speed of the 52nd Division, we can reach the front line of Xingtan before dawn. If we don't leave, we won't be able to leave until dawn. We only have so few troops on hand, and the commanding heights south of Xingtan are on the four sides.
In the hands of the Tenth Division. If we continue to delay, the consequences will be disastrous."
In response to Ye Chao's persuasion, Yang Zhen looked at the two men who were left behind by the army commander with anxious expressions, and then waved his hands in a very calm tone and said: "Why are you so anxious when the fire has not yet reached the house?"
?Keep waiting. I won’t leave without contacting Zhou Guisheng and Feng Dafei.”
Seeing two people who still wanted to persuade him, Li Mingbo, who was beside Yang Zhen, dragged the two people out of the room that was temporarily used as Yang Zhen's command post and said: "Two section chiefs, you better not continue to persuade me. I have the character of No. 1
I know better than you, and I can’t persuade him at this time. He said he won’t leave until we contact the troops on the southern front, so he definitely won’t leave.”
"And I have a feeling that his stay in Xingtan is definitely not just to gather the follow-up troops. He should have other ideas. The top priority now is to contact the southern front troops. As long as he can contact the southern front troops, there will be no need for No. 1
Reason to stay here and continue the adventure.”
Hearing what Li Mingbo said, Ye Chao couldn't help but stamped his feet and said to Li Mingbo: "How long has it been and you still say these useless things? You are the platoon leader of the security team next to the political commissar, and you know more about the character of the political commissar than we do.
.At this time, you are not trying to persuade us, but you are still trying to stop us? What the political commissar thinks, he is the chief and I have no control over it. But now, I only know that if we don’t leave, we really won’t be able to leave.”
Looking at the anxious Ye Chao, Li Mingbo couldn't help but smile and said: "Chief Ye, if you can't persuade No. 1, why are you angry with me? And don't be too impatient. No. 1 is more complicated than this in the Northeast.
He can handle many situations. He won't take it to heart with such a small number of enemy troops."
"Besides, No. 1's trip to southern Anhui is just a temporary mission. There are still hundreds of thousands of troops waiting for him to return in the Northeast. Without certain certainty, No. 1 will not be personally involved in danger. Don't forget, No. 1 is still the commander of the Northeast Military Region.
He can still tell the seriousness of the matter. If he didn't have certain abilities, how could the central government send No. 1 here at this time?"
"Two section chiefs, it is precisely because I know the character of No. 1 that I suggest you not to persuade No. 1. Because you cannot persuade No. 1. The most important thing now is to seize the time to find a way to communicate with the southern front troops.
We are in contact. As long as we have communicated with the southern front troops, No. 1 will have no reason to continue taking risks."
In fact, Li Mingbo didn't know what Yang Zhen was thinking about. He couldn't figure out what the No. 1, who was about the same age as him, even though he was a personal guard responsible for Yang Zhen's close guard, Li Mingbo.
It was clear to him. But his long-term experience of working beside Yang Zhen told him that this young man must have his reasons for doing this.
Although he couldn't guess the reason why Yang Zhen stayed here to gather the follow-up troops, he was certain of one thing. Judging from Yang Zhen's current responsibilities, he would definitely not stay here and take risks alone for a few companies. One of them was definitely
Don't have any secrets. If you are so indecisive, you will still be able to create such a big world under such a dangerous situation in the Northeast.
Hearing Li Mingbo's words, Ye Chao wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Yin Yang beside him: "Master, what he said is right. So many military chiefs couldn't persuade the political commissar, and the two of us couldn't persuade him.
Now we still have to find a way to contact the troops on the southern front."
Seeing Yin Yang saying the same thing, when he was about to stay, he once accepted the special task of the military commander to kidnap the political commissar even if the situation worsened. But now Ye Chao was at his wits' end and could only stamp his feet:
"Grandma, if we can't get in touch, I will go find the southern front troops myself. I don't believe that with Feng Dafei's ability, they can be eaten by those bastards from the 79th Division?"