Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Comrade Xiuyang questioned such an appointment.

The chairman smiled and said, “You are not young anymore, you can handle things on your own.

His command during the previous Jining Campaign was exceptional, defeating the powerful Fu Zuoyi in a single blow. Comrade Rong Zhen reported that for the past few months, Comrade Wei Hongjun has been handling the daily operations of the Jin-Cha-Yi Military Region and the Jin-Cha-Yi Field Army. Comrade Wei Hongjun is currently Deputy Secretary of the Jin-Cha-Yi Central Committee, making him the legitimate commander of the Datong Campaign.

Marshal Nie is very busy now.

After all, the Jin-Cha-Ji troops were about to fight a major battle, and he had a lot to coordinate. With Marshal Nie unable to serve as commander, Zhang Zhongxun was the most suitable choice. He was a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy, a member of the Communist Party during the Great Revolution, and had participated in the Autumn Harvest Uprising. After the Autumn Harvest Uprising failed and the troops were marching to Jinggangshan, he served as Chairman Mao's guard.

I even lived and ate with the Chairman for a period of time and developed a deep relationship with him.

But the last time he was beaten by Fu Zuoyi, he was badly hurt.

Chairman Mao didn't choose Zhang Zhongxun as commander because of his personal feelings for him. Furthermore, the main force of the Datong Campaign was the Jin-Cha-Ji region, so a cadre from the Jin-Cha-Ji region should have been chosen as commander. Chairman Mao was a man who dared to break the mold.

Just like in history, Marshal Lin was appointed Secretary of the Northeast Bureau, leading a group of Politburo members. This created a unique situation where a Central Committee member led many Politburo members. This also included the unconventional practice of having General Li lead the Huaibei Field Army in battle.

Now the Chairman has chosen Wei Hongjun.

Instead of Zhang Zhongxun.

The commander-in-chief said, "I think so. Comrade Wei Hongjun performed very well in the last Jining Campaign. Now that the land reform work in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei is slowly getting on track, we can let Comrade Wei Hongjun lead the Datong Campaign."

Chapter 665 Entrusted with important tasks

On July 1946, 7, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Military Region held a joint meeting.

Those attending the meeting from the Jinsui Military Region included Zhang Zhongxun, deputy commander of the Jinsui Military Region, as well as commanders of the 358th Brigade, the st Independent Brigade, the rd Independent Brigade, and the Cavalry Brigade of the Jinsui Field Army, and the commander of the Suimeng Military Region.

There were more people attending the meeting from the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.

Marshal Nie presided over the meeting.

Below them were military district leaders like Liu Huafu and Luo Qirong, and then the field army commanders like Wei Hongjun, Guo Tianmin, Zhu Liangcai, Zhao Lu, Zhang Zihua, and Zheng Weishan. Further below them were the brigade commanders of the various columns.

Marshal Nie held the central telegram and was very impressed by the central government's decision.

This appointment was truly bold. Although Marshal Nie had considered appointing Wei Hongjun as commander, he had many concerns. Unexpectedly, the Central Committee directly designated Wei Hongjun as the commander of the Datong Campaign.

Marshal Nie was somewhat happy but also somewhat worried.

Fortunately, Wei Hongjun is increasingly gaining recognition from the central leadership. His previous work on land reform has laid a solid political foundation for him. With this accomplishment, Wei Hongjun's future will be very smooth.

Now the Central Committee has appointed Wei Hongjun to command the Datong Campaign.

This was a signal from the Central Committee that Wei Hongjun would be further utilized. After all, in addition to Wei Hongjun's old unit, the Third Field Army of the Jin-Cha-Yi Army, there was also the Second Field Army of the Jin-Cha-Yi Army led by Guo Tianmin, and the Jin-Sui Army led by Zhang Zhongxun.

But there are also concerns.

In the previous Jining Campaign, the troops Wei Hongjun commanded were all his veteran units, so there were no command issues. But this time, with so many troops under his command, each commander had extensive experience and established roots. Commanding them all would be no easy task.

But this is also a test.

If approved, the Central Committee will further value Wei Hongjun.

Marshal Nie looked at the many generals below and said, "Comrades, the Central Committee has proposed the 'Three Routes and Four Cities Plan.' That is to seize the Pinghan Road, Tongpu Road, and Zhengtai Road, and take Datong, Taiyuan, Baoding, and Shijiazhuang. We are gathered here this time to complete the Three Routes and Four Cities Plan designated by the Central Committee. We will first capture Datong and wipe out the enemies in northern Shanxi. Then we will march south and cooperate with Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan to capture the Tongpu Road and Taiyuan. In this way, our bases in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei, Shanxi-Suiyuan, and Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan will be connected, and we will completely control Shanxi, Chahar, and Suiyuan, so that we will have the most stable rear. With a stable rear, we can march eastward, into Hebei, and cooperate with Yang Quanwu and others to control the Pinghan Road. Therefore, the Battle of Datong is the beginning of the Central Committee's 'Three Routes and Four Cities' and it is also the most important battle."

"The Central Committee has just sent a telegram. Comrade Wei Hongjun is appointed Commander and Political Commissar of the Datong Campaign, Comrade Zhang Zhongxun is appointed Deputy Commander, Comrade Zhu Liangcai is appointed Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Department, Comrade Zhao Lu is appointed Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, and Comrade Tang Jie is appointed Deputy Chief of Staff. They are all given full command of the Datong Campaign."

After Marshal Nie finished reading out the appointment, everyone looked at Wei Hongjun.

Although Wei Hongjun appeared calm on the surface, he was deeply agitated. He understood that he was beginning to take charge. He hadn't expected the Central Committee to actually put him in charge of the Datong Campaign. This was no small battle; the Jin-Cha-Ji and Jin-Sui Military Regions combined would deploy approximately 20 troops.

Moreover, local troops would also participate in such a major battle. Since the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party began to strain in May, the Jin-Cha-Ji region quickly stopped the disarmament process. Instead, it allowed each military sub-district to expand the number of local troops.

Therefore, the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region also quickly formed five independent brigades. Two independent brigades are currently in Rehe, and the other three are in the Chahar-Suiyuan Military Sub-district and the Zhangjiakou Military Sub-district.

Of course this is not all local forces.

In addition to the independent brigade, the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region also established three security brigades. Each of the three military sub-districts had a security brigade, mainly to counter the possible emergence of the "Returning Home Corps".

In addition to the local troops of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region, the Yanbei Military Region and the Suimeng Military Region also have local troops.

Adding up all these troops, Wei Hongjun would command over 25 troops this time. The Liberation War had just begun, and Wei Hongjun had already begun leading over 20 troops. Furthermore, the Central Committee truly trusted Wei Hongjun, who was directly appointed Commander and Political Commissar, the top military and political leader of the Datong Campaign.

How could Wei Hongjun not be excited?

There is tension and anticipation.

Marshal Nie looked at Wei Hongjun and said, "Comrade Wei Hongjun, since the Central Committee trusts you so much and appoints you as the commander and political commissar of the Datong Campaign, you must take up your post immediately. I know that your Third Field Army has been preparing to attack Datong and is very familiar with Datong. So, what are your thoughts on the Datong Campaign?"

Wei Hongjun took a deep breath.

Although the appointment was sudden, Wei Hongjun was not at all nervous. He had thought about the Datong Campaign for a long time, as the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Third Field Army was definitely involved.

So Wei Hongjun and the cadres under him conducted many simulations.

But he didn't expect that he would become the commander and political commissar.

So Wei Hongjun walked to the front of the map and said, "Currently, there are about 2.4 defenders in Datong. Chu Xichun, deputy commander-in-chief of Yan Xishan's Eighth Army and commander of the 43rd Army, serves as the commander-in-chief of Datong's defense. Datong has the Provisional 38th Division, the 5th and 6th Cavalry Divisions of Ma Zhanshan's Northeastern Advancing Army, as well as the Security Corps, two artillery battalions, a special service battalion and an engineering company, as well as self-defense forces that escaped from various counties. Although the enemy forces in Datong are not numerous, they are not so easy to deal with. The Provisional 38th Division has been supplemented with a large number of puppet troops, and its combat effectiveness is average. But the 5th and 6th Cavalry Divisions of the Northeastern Advancing Army, although less than 5000 men, but they were elite troops who had fought under Ma Zhanshan in numerous battles against the Japanese and puppet troops in northwestern Shanxi and Suiyuan, and their combat effectiveness was considerable. Then there was the Security Corps. Although its name sounded like a local unit, it was actually a reorganization of the former 26th Division of the Mongolian Army and the Independent Guard stationed in Datong. Yan Xishan eliminated the old and weak and reorganized the 26th Division and the Independent Guard stationed in Datong, leaving around 9000 men. This unit was still very powerful. Especially since Datong had so many forts, both open and hidden, and countless defensive positions on the city walls. Breaking through these positions was no easy task.

"Of course, compared to the attack on Datong, the more threatening force is Fu Zuoyi's troops from Baotou. Although Fu Zuoyi's troops suffered heavy losses last year, we have not completely destroyed Fu Zuoyi's direct troops except for the 67th Army. In the past six months, Fu Zuoyi's troops have been expanding their forces in Baotou to prepare for war. Chiang Kai-shek also supported Fu Zuoyi's expansion of his forces and provided a lot of weapons and ammunition. With these weapons and ammunition, Fu Zuoyi reorganized his direct 35th Army, the rd Temporary Army, and the th Cavalry Army. According to the intelligence we have received, Fu Zuoyi's direct forces currently have three armies and nine divisions, with a total strength of . Including other troops, Fu Zuoyi currently has more than troops. Once we attack Datong, Fu Zuoyi will definitely send troops."

"So this Datong Campaign was divided into two parts. One was to attack Datong, and the other was to stop Fu Zuoyi."

Jin-Cha-Ji was well aware of the intelligence regarding Datong.

Since the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, the Jin-Cha-Ji region had been preparing to attack Datong. However, during the war, Datong's Mongolian garrison consisted of two divisions and two independent guard corps, and the puppet troops were too numerous, so the Jin-Cha-Ji region held back. Later, unexpectedly, Yan Xishan directly reorganized the Mongolian garrison and regained control of Datong.

However, although he failed to capture Datong, Jin Chayi knew the situation in Datong very well.

"Then how do you think the Datong Campaign should be carried out?"

Marshal Nie asked Wei Hongjun directly.

Marshal Nie was actually worried that if Wei Hongjun held a separate meeting on the Datong Campaign, he might lose control. After all, some of the brigade-level officers in the Second Jin-Cha-Ji Field Army and the Jinsui Military Region were Wei Hongjun's direct superiors in his early years. As for the officers at higher levels, there was no need to mention them.

The army’s biggest fear is losing its footing.

There are many such things in the military. Just because your superiors appoint you as a commander doesn't mean you can command troops. If it were that easy, General Su wouldn't have spent so much time in the Huaye Army.

Just like Liu Huafu.

Although he served as the deputy political commissar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, few of the frontline officers below him gave him face. Not to mention Wei Hongjun's rank, even the brigade-level officers below him did not take Liu Huafu seriously.

this is the truth.

Therefore, Marshal Nie was going to use this meeting to finalize the battle. Only with Marshal Nie, a member of the Politburo, in charge could the cadres below be kept in line.

Wei Hongjun looked at the generals below.

The Jin-Cha-Ji Third Field Army was Wei Hongjun's old unit, and Wei Hongjun had absolute confidence in it. However, Wei Hongjun also needed to figure out how to coordinate with the Jin-Cha-Ji Second Field Army and the troops of the Jinsui Military Region.

Guo Tianmin, commander of the Second Jin-Cha-Ji Field Army, was a very proud man. Although they had a good relationship, it was not easy to get him to listen to Wei Hongjun.

There was also Zhang Zhongxun, deputy commander of the Jinsui Military Region, who was once Wei Hongjun's direct superior. Now he had to obey Wei Hongjun's orders, which was even more difficult for him.

Fortunately, this was the PLA, not the KMT. If it were the KMT, not even Marshal Nie, let alone Wei Hongjun, would have been able to command the Jinsui Army. The KMT's factional situation was truly unwavering, even in times of trouble for friendly forces, they remained as still as a mountain.

Although the PLA also had its share of factionalism and factionalism, Chairman Mao had long ago established the principle of the Party commanding the gun in building the army. Therefore, if Wei Hongjun had given direct orders, he wouldn't have been afraid that they wouldn't obey.

However, this kind of mandatory order, which makes the troops below obey, will have many side effects. Fighting a war still requires unity from top to bottom to truly demonstrate strength.

Therefore, Wei Hongjun did not plan to directly command the Second Field Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan troops.

Let them fight on their own and give them sufficient autonomy. Wei Hongjun only needs to grasp the overall situation and formulate the grand strategy. When it comes to the specific fighting, let them command their own troops.

So he said: "My idea is to establish three columns, the north, south and central. The Second Jin-Cha-Ji Field Army will form the Southern Column, with Comrade Guo Tianmin as the commander and Comrade Liu Daosheng as the political commissar. The Southern Column will attack the Tongpu Railway, attacking Shuozhou and Xinzhou along the way. Cut off the entire Tongpu Railway and completely cut off contact between Taiyuan and Datong."

Wei Hongjun simply took out the Second Jin-Cha-Ji Field Army and let them mess around on the Tongpu Railway. Guo Tianmin currently had five brigades of troops under his command and was fully capable of messing around on the Tongpu Railway, or in other words, fully capable of controlling most of the Tongpu Railway.

Wei Hongjun only let Guo Tianmin control the Tongpu Railway. As for how he led the Second Field Army to fight and how he controlled the Tongpu Railway, Wei Hongjun did not interfere.

Guo Tianmin was a veteran general who knew how to fight. He was very satisfied with Wei Hongjun's arrangements, so he said, "Our Third Field Army will completely sever the connection between Taiyuan and Datong. I can issue a military order here: no one from the Jin Army in Taiyuan will interfere in the Battle of Datong."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Wei Hongjun also believed Guo Tianmin's guarantee.

Because Yan Xishan currently had no troops to support Datong. Although the main force of the 129th Division from the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan region had moved south, there were still over troops in southern Shanxi. Chen Geng led these troops primarily to fight against Hu Zongnan's forces. As for Yan Xishan, he was only a defensive measure.

Even so, a few battles against Yan Xishan would make him vomit blood. How could Yan Xishan have the troops to support Datong?

"Also, the Second Field Army must always maintain approximately two brigades of troops. If any situation arises in the Datong Campaign, the Second Field Army must be able to dispatch two brigades to provide support within a short period of time.

"it is good."

The 358th Brigade, the 3st Independent Brigade, the 5rd Independent Brigade, the Cavalry Brigade of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Military Region, the 7rd, 8th, 6th, and 26th Regiments of the Suimeng Military Region, and the th and th Brigades of the th Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Column formed the Central Route Column. Comrade Zhang Zhongxun served as commander, Comrade Zhang Pinghua as political commissar, Comrade Zhang Zihua as deputy commander, and Comrade Feng Linqi as deputy political commissar.

Fully responsible for attacking Datong."

Why is it said that Shanxi, Chahar and Hebei were the main force in the Battle of Datong?

Just look at the size of the troops.

The Jinsui Military Region dispatched the 358th Brigade, the 1200st Independent Brigade, the rd Independent Brigade, and the Military Region Cavalry Brigade, but these combined totaled only men. Add to that the four infantry regiments from the Suimeng Military Region, all newly formed, with approximately men each. The total was only about men.

But it’s different in Jin-Cha-Ji.

Wei Hongjun only sent the 6th and 26th Brigades of the th Column, but the number of troops was already over , more than the entire Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

In fact, this is also one of the things the central government is considering.

With so many Jin-Cha-Ji troops, it would not be easy for Zhang Zhongxun to command them just by relying on his seniority.

"Regarding the attack on Datong, I want to say a few more words. Many of our troops have evolved from guerrilla warfare, but large-scale troop operations are completely different from guerrilla warfare. There are now more than 20,000 enemy troops in Datong. If they all hide in the city and are heavily defended, it will not be so easy to eliminate them. So my idea is that when attacking Datong, it is best to try to eliminate the enemy's manpower as much as possible in the outer positions. In this way, when we attack Datong, there will be much less resistance. If we want to eliminate the enemy's manpower outside the city, our troops must act in unison and move at a unified pace. It is absolutely not allowed for each unit to fight separately and affect the overall attack. Especially the time of attack, if we have to attack at three o'clock, then it will be at three o'clock. No unit is allowed to be ahead of time or a step behind. I hope to convey this to all the troops below.

Wei Hongjun said this while looking at Zhang Zhongxun.

Wei Hongjun was worried about the Shanxi-Suiyuan troops.

And this is not Wei Hongjun deliberately looking for trouble, but it is the historical reality. During the Datong Jining Battle, the plan at the meeting was to destroy the enemy's active forces outside the city.

The results of it?

The guerrilla habits of various troops are still very serious.

The attack was not launched according to the plan at all, but each fought on their own.

Each army launched its own offensive based on its own circumstances, completely disregarding the pre-war plan. As a result, after being attacked, the Nationalist troops quickly began to withdraw their forces. The main attacking force had not yet begun its offensive, and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army quickly abandoned many of its frontier positions. The pre-war plan to eliminate the enemy's active forces outside the city completely failed.

How can we fight a war like this?

In large-scale troop operations, discipline is paramount. You attack when you're told to. If individual units attack whenever they want, this completely disrupts the unit's offensive rhythm.

In terms of large-scale troop operations, the Shanxi-Suiyuan troops were obviously no match for the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei troops.

Because the Jinchayi troops began to slowly form field army units as early as 1942. Now, almost three or four years have passed, and batches of commanders have received training in large-scale troop operations.