Yang Zhen, who had some understanding of the central government's intentions, did not pay attention to the subtle changes in the central government's attitude. He just followed the central government's requirements and went to the junior branch of the Anti-Japanese University every day to teach grassroots cadres and commanders at all levels who were transferred back from the front line. Various tactics courses, especially the combat command of large corps. As for his initiative to go to southern Anhui for field inspection, he did not receive any response.
Yang Zhen had never used the GAZ bulletproof vehicle assigned to him by the central government. On weekdays, when he went to the Anti-Japanese University to give lectures, he only rode two horses borrowed from the central government. Yang Zhen, who was used to being busy, suddenly He feels that he is enjoying his current leisurely life. Although he knows that his leisurely life cannot last too long.
The reason why the central government has yet to express its opinions and make arrangements for its next itinerary is probably because it is still weighing it repeatedly. After all, sending itself to southern Anhui is a crucial matter, and this determination is not important to the central government. Not too easy to get off.
But Yang Zhen estimated that by December at the latest, as the situation in southern Anhui continues to deteriorate, the central government will definitely agree to his request. At least according to the history he is familiar with in later generations, there will definitely be a result before the southern Anhui incident breaks out. .Sure enough, this kind of tranquility only lasted for a short period of time until one day in December, it was disrupted by a sudden summons from the central government.
When Yang Zhen received the notice and hurriedly rode back to the Central Station from the Anti-Japanese University, he found that the chairman and commander-in-chief present here did not look very good. Looking at the rather unkind faces of the two chiefs, they had been receiving calls from the New Fourth Army these days. After summarizing all the situations there, Yang Zhen immediately understood what had happened.
Seeing Yang Zhen rushing over, the chairman's somewhat gloomy expression relaxed slightly and said: "Comrade Yang Zhen, if the central government approves your plan, can you guarantee that you will go back safely? Ninety-nine percent of the time it won't work. It’s not even 100%, it needs 200% safety.”
Regarding the Chairman's straight-to-the-point answer, Yang Zhen paused and said: "Chairman, nothing in this world is 100%, and nothing is absolutely certain. But what I want to say is that as long as there is one percent possibility, We also have to work hard. Nothing in the world is difficult, as long as you are willing to climb. How can we know that it is impossible without trying it?"
Looking at Yang Zhen's resolute face, the chairman still seemed a little hesitant. After a long time, he made up his mind: "Southern Anhui has repaired a temporary airport, and the commander of the First Theater District has agreed that we use Luoyang Airport to refuel. We have also got what you need. Route map from Luoyang to Shangrao, Jiangxi."
"After careful consideration, the central government decided to agree to your plan. This time the central government made great determination before agreeing to let you go to southern Anhui, so you must come back safely. Not only must you come back safely, but also We must bring the New Fourth Army headquarters safely to Jiangbei."
"The Central Committee has decided to appoint you as the first political commissar of the New Fourth Army, the first secretary of the Southeast Bureau, and the first secretary of the New Fourth Army Military Branch, with full authority to preside over the work of the New Fourth Army. After you arrived in Wannan, you are now the first secretary of the Southeast Bureau and the first secretary of the New Fourth Army Military Branch. and the deputy commander of the New Fourth Army will return to Yan'an with your special plane."
After the chairman finished speaking, the commander-in-chief took over and said: "Comrade Yang Zhen, the situation in southern Anhui has changed dramatically in the past month. The military headquarters of the New Fourth Army has agreed to go north, but there is still some hesitation about the route across the river. And the third The war zone mobilized some troops from Zhejiang and rushed to southern Anhui. The encirclement of southern Anhui has basically been completed. The Japanese army in the east also made frequent moves and blocked most of the river."
"You have a heavy responsibility to go this time. Originally, the central government did not agree with your going to southern Anhui. As the commander of the Northeast Military Region, which is responsible for the military command of the largest and most important strategic area of the entire army, going to southern Anhui is not a good choice at this time. But For the safety of the more than 9,000 cadres and soldiers in southern Anhui, as well as a large number of intellectuals who have gathered the best of the southeast, the central government has no choice but to put the burden on you."
"With the Caodian anti-recalcitrant campaign carried out by the Jiangbei unit of the New Fourth Army having ended, the Third War Zone has now focused all its energy on southern Anhui. You must be more careful when you go. That is to say, we cannot give them the opportunity to provoke a civil war. You cannot let your words be destroyed. If the third theater launches a military attack on you, you must resolutely fight back."
Having said this, the Commander-in-Chief was silent for a moment and then said: "Now the New Fourth Army headquarters is trapped in a small area, and it can be said that there is a shortage of food and ammunition. In particular, there is an acute shortage of ammunition, so you must be prepared to endure hardships when you go. The Central Committee has decided, From the ammunition you transported by air, we will draw 2 million rounds of 79 bullets, 1 million rounds of 65 bullets, as well as 50,000 grenades and 1,000 submachine guns."
"At the same time, we will mobilize three mortar companies from the garrison forces in northern Shaanxi and take them with you. Southern Anhui is mountainous and the terrain is complex. If you don't have the ability to attack difficult areas, you will suffer. As for the combat effectiveness of the southern Anhui troops, don't worry. .The troops in southern Anhui are all old men who have experienced the test of three years of guerrilla warfare. There is no need to consider their combat effectiveness. They are absolutely equal to each other. Their political quality is also extremely good."
"Several of the regiment leaders are proven veterans who have experienced hundreds of battles and have rich actual combat experience. But the biggest shortcomings are the lack of backup and insufficient ammunition. If you bring these ammunition here, you can at least ensure that if you encounter an unexpected incident , so that there will be no shortage of ammunition.”
"But the central government cannot agree to the fact that you only bring two guards to southern Anhui. We heard that a C-47 transport plane made in the United States can carry 22 people. In this way, the platoon brought by Li Yanping to the central government last time, It was left by the Central Committee to train troops. Now that the training mission has been completed, the Central Committee has decided to return this platoon to you and use it as your guard platoon."
"If that Huang Dali wants to go with you, as long as you agree and the central government decides to approve it. For the central government, your safety is the first priority. The New Fourth Army headquarters is important, but your safety is also more important. As a As a military commander in the largest strategic area of the entire army, your life is related to the entire Northeast War situation. So I want to say something to you here today. This is also the meaning of the Central Committee and the Chairman. That is, you must come back alive no matter what. .”
Regarding the commander-in-chief's words, Yang Zhen smiled and said: "Boss, you don't have to worry about my safety. I promise the central government, the chairman and you, that I will do my best to bring the New Fourth Army headquarters out safely. As for my personal safety , as long as the troops are safe, my safety is also guaranteed."
"As for the ammunition, I have telegraphed to Comrades Li Yanping and Guo Bingxun who are staying in the Northeast Military Region that they will replenish the Central Committee in the shortest possible time. At the same time, a batch of helmets and other equipment, as well as some small military equipment will also be coming soon. Good luck."
"In fact, according to the current situation of the southern Anhui army, in addition to the lack of ammunition and backup, the most lacking thing is the same as our other troops, that is, effective communication means, especially reliable communication means in a mountainous environment. The terrain of southern Anhui is complex. , the mountains are crisscrossed, and it is impossible for the troops to gather together and march. Not only is the road condition not allowed, but it is also a taboo for military strategists to do so."
"But once the troops are dispersed, it is impossible to obtain timely support from each other without a reliable means of communication. Although the Southern Anhui Army is a force directly under the military headquarters, like other troops in the pass, there is no radio station below the regiment or even at the regiment level. . And wired communication is restricted by the march of the troops. Not only is it time-consuming to rely on manpower alone, but the confidentiality and security are also extremely poor."
"I took a look at the establishment of the southern Anhui army. Due to military reasons, there is no shortage of radio operators. What is lacking is only communication equipment such as radios. I have ordered the Northeast Military Region to deploy a batch of Japanese-style 94-type five-watt radio stations. Five 15-watt radios we made ourselves, as well as a batch of batteries and hand-operated charging motors, will be shipped to the central government as soon as possible."
"After these radio stations arrive, according to the current establishment of the southern Anhui army, the regiment level can basically be equipped with radio stations. At the same time, I hope that the central government can scoop out several sets of vertical and horizontal communication codes before my departure, so that the military headquarters can Able to mobilize troops quickly and timely.”
Regarding Yang Zhen's thoughts, the Chairman and the Commander-in-Chief looked at each other, nodded and said: "You think very comprehensively. Since the Red Army, we have missed a lot of fighter planes due to backward communication methods, and also caused a lot of unnecessary damage. The loss. Go back and prepare, carefully consider what else needs attention, and set off in a week."
The chairman made the final decision, and there was no need for Yang Zhen to fight for anything. Although the content of this conversation was very important, the duration was very short. In less than an hour, it was decided that Yang Zhen would be ordered to temporarily go to southern Anhui to serve as the New Fourth Army Acting political commissar and secretary of the military branch. In other words, although his tenure will not be too long, Yang Zhen has actually replaced the deputy commander of the New Fourth Army and became the first person in the New Fourth Army.
After a week of intense work and preparation, on December 12, Yang Zhen led three planes loaded with ammunition, communication equipment and some medical supplies to take off from Yan'an. In order to cover Yang Zhen's actions, the aviation reinforcements that had arrived in Yan'an were The troops dispatched almost all their aircraft to conduct large-scale air raids on the main Japanese aviation bases in North China such as Yuncheng, Taiyuan, and Xinxiang.
The explosions that sounded at Yuncheng and Xinxiang airports attracted the attention of the Japanese army in North China. At the same time, a small formation composed of one C-47 and two C-46 transport planes led by Yang Zhen braved the light rain and flew from Yan'an. Take off. Fly straight towards Wannan.
At dusk, when the fleet led by Yang Zhen landed at Luoyang Airport to refuel, they were greeted at the airport by the so-called tiger general who was then the Commander-in-Chief of the First Theater Zone of the Military Commission of the National Government and invited him to rest for the night. After careful consideration, After thinking about it, Yang Zhen still refused. However, when the plane was refueling, Yang Zhen had a conversation with the commander-in-chief, who was known as the Five Tiger Generals of Japan.
When the conversation involved the Japanese army's next move, Yang Zhen bluntly told the tiger general who commanded the Xinkou Battle that whether it was judging the Japanese army's next strategic intention or the Japanese army's battle plan for next year, next year The primary combat target of the Japanese North China Front is likely to be the First Theater Troops stationed in the Zhongtiao Mountains of southern Shanxi.