In early May 1950, ** looked at the magnificent sea and had a lot of worries. He was very anxious and urged Hong Xuezhi beside him:"Why hasn't your ship moved yet?...”
Hong Xuezhi shook his head and said"It's hard for a good woman to cook without rice. I'm now asking for no people, no equipment. ”
There is a shortage of equipment, and technical talents are even rarer. Seeing that the big war was just around the corner, ** decided to mobilize a group of crew members from Wuhan, Changsha and Hong Kong to board the ship.
** is worthy of the old chief, in response to the problem of lack of talents, he immediately thought of a good way to deal with emergencies, but Fang Qiang was a little "skeptical" after hearing it. In this naval battle with Gui Yongqing, Fang Qiang was the third person, and in order to keep him under his command, he also refuted Liu Yalou's face.
With the People's Liberation Army shifting from a comprehensive defense to a full-scale offensive, Fang Qiang was ordered to come to Harbin. On March 5, 1947, Fang Qiang received a notice to ask him to receive a mission at the General Headquarters of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army.
In an architecturally elegant Russian-style building, Fang Qiang met the ** commander and the *** political commissar.
After a brief greeting, the other party said that you have made great achievements in the battle against bandits in Hejiang, and your superiors spoke highly of it. In view of the fact that you have worked in military and political work, at present, Mr. Lin and I have preliminarily arranged two positions for you to choose from.
** Moving his fat body, pacing between Mr. Lin and Fang Qiang. He continued:"If you want to do political work, you should be a political commissar in the Sixth Column;If you are willing to engage in military affairs, you will become the deputy commander of the first column. ”
**After speaking, set your eyes on**. nodded, and then added:
"There are so many benches here for me, and the first ones are all occupied. You're late, so let's do it for a while and then adjust. ”Fang Qiang first thanked the two leaders, and then sincerely made a small request.
Fang Qiang said that he had not yet competed with the regular Kuomintang troops when he first arrived. I hope to send him a small force to the enemy's flank and rear, independently command the battle, and improve himself while studying the opponent.
A person who does not want to be a big official but wants to be a small official!As soon as these words came out, the ** who was originally sitting stood up all of a sudden. Squeeze out a few smiles and say:"Good!We need cadres like you. ”Without waiting to discuss with ***, ** personally ordered Fang Qiang to take over the position of Lai Chuanzhu, the commander of the newly formed East Manchurian Independent Division.
Before leaving, **encourage him:"Don't be afraid to lose the battle, don't be afraid to lose the cannon!”Fang Qiang replied confidently"Please rest assured, Mr. Lin, I will lead the troops to win more battles. We will not lose the artillery, but also capture the enemy's artillery!”
After Fang Qiang arrived, he led the East Manchurian Independent Division to participate in the "Summer Offensive" in May, and he was partnered by Political Commissar Kong Shiquan.
In August 1947, Chiang Kai-shek changed generals and replaced Xiong Shihui with Chen Cheng. On the Northeast Battlefield, Chen Cheng followed Lao Jiang's instructions and made major changes, and his troops were raised to 500,000 troops. ** After winning the "Summer Offensive", the commander-in-chief of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army has reached 510,000 troops.
At this time, the East Manchurian Independent Division led by Fang Qiang was included in the newly formed 10th Column and reorganized into the 30th Division. The commander of the column was Liang Xingchu, and the political commissar was Zhou Chiping.
As the "Autumn Offensive" unfolded, Chiang Kai-shek could not help but lament:"This sincerity is at stake."
Due to the newly formed 10 columns, the command organs are not yet perfect, so the three divisions under their jurisdiction still have direct command.
On October 18, Fang Qiang received an urgent telegram from **, asking him to lead the 30th Division to command the attack on Dehui.
Dehui, located in the north of Changchun, is one of the most important strategic bases of the enemy to hold Changchun, and is known as "Dehui of Iron Fighting". More than 2,000 troops with all American-style equipment are deployed here, and there are extremely strong firepower such as pillbox groups.
Before Fang Qiang's arrival, the brother troops failed to take the city for 3 days and 3 nights. "What no man can't, it's not that I can't;No one is out of reach, not me. ”Fang Qiang was not stumped, he loved this kind of tough and vicious battle the most.
When he was in danger, Fang Qiang immediately gave an order:
First of all, the reconnaissance company of the 90th Regiment was sent to attack lightly and seize the Yinma River Bridge, which was 25 kilometers south of Dehui City, and cut off the retreat of the enemy troops defending the city in one fell swoop. Fang Qiang's move is to tell the enemy in the city that we will completely annihilate the enemy defending the city!
Secondly, the main force of the whole division galloped 75 kilometers non-stop, and surrounded Dehui City the next day.
Then, Fang Qiang led the commanders of each regiment to reconnoiter around Dehui to find a way to break the city.
At this time, the first battle plan for the main attack on the north of the city was issued, and the main attack troops and artillery groups were ready to be deployed according to the plan.
However, Fang Qiang's on-the-spot reconnaissance found that in order to cope with the attack of the main force of our army from the Harbin side, the enemy's defensive position had the largest group of pillboxes, and the strongest troop deployment was in the north of the city.
Based on this, Fang Qiang decided to change the siege plan and choose the direction of the main attack in the south of the city. However, the battle plan is not something that can be easily changed. As soon as the direction of the main attack changes, the deployment of troops and firepower will have to be changed again, and the siege time will naturally be delayed.
At the division party committee, Fang Qiang almost fell into a situation of isolation and helplessness. The vast majority of generals did not agree to change the battle plan for the following reasons:"1. The battle plan is personally issued by the ** and cannot be changed by the commander at the division level;2. Although it is difficult to attack the north of the city, our army has its back to Harbin, and if it encounters obstruction, it is better to retreat;3. If you attack the south of the city and encounter reinforcements from the enemy in Changchun, there will be a risk of a flanking attack from the north and south. ”
Fang Qiang insisted on his own views, saying that fighting a war is not a child's play, and that we must proceed from the reality of the battlefield and take victory as the principle.
However, the problem lies in the fact that Fang Qiang wants to change the combat order of **, ** is the commander in command of the 500,000-strong army, and a small division commander dares to deny his combat plan without authorizationFurthermore, if you change the battle order, Fang Qiang, will you definitely be able to guarantee the success of the siege?What if it fails?
The two opinions were at odds with each other, and Fang Qiang was in a hurry, so he slapped the table and yelled:"If I don't change the battle plan of the headquarters, I won't command this siege!”
At this point, the party committee at the same level had no choice but to report to the headquarters. Surprisingly, within 1 hour, ** joint call:"I agree with Comrade Fang Qiang's opinion. ”
On the 20th, Fang Qiang ordered: the 88th Regiment will attack the south of the city, the 89th Regiment will attack the northeast of the city, and the 90th Regiment will attack the west of the city.
What a beautiful siege and annihilation battle!In just two hours, the battle against Dehui ended in victory.
The next day, ** personally signed a commendation order, praising Fang Qiang's division for "flexible command, brave and good fighting", and reported it to the whole army.
It is said that ** learned of Fang Qiang's report on conquering Dehui, and immediately handed it over to Chief of Staff Liu Yalou to draft a general order. Liu Yalou wrote a full half a page, and when he got it, he didn't say a word, wrote off the 8 words in person.
The old people who have been in Siye all say, ** never praise people easily, but they value talented people very much. **The praise of the other party's strong can be said to like this fierce general from the bottom of my heart!
On March 31, 1949, ** met with cadres above the division level of the Fourth Field Army in Xiangshan. Among the many generals, ** recognized Fang Qiang, who had just been promoted to the commander of the 4th Army of the 15th Corps of the 44th Field Army 4 days ago.
**Holding Fang Qiang's hand, he said:"Fang Qiang, you, the bandit commander, fought well in Hejiang!”
Before Fang Qiang could answer, ** immediately took over the conversation and introduced to ***"Comrade Fang Qiang commanded flexibly, fought bravely and well, and fought well in the Liaoshen Campaign. ”
Hearing the praise of *** and **, Fang Qiang was very excited. Later, he led his troops to the south, participated in the suppression of bandits in Guangzhou, and made military exploits.
In July 1950, Fang Qiang, who was the commander of the 44th Army and the deputy commander of the Guangzhou Garrison District, received a telegram from the ** Military Commission and transferred him to the commander of the Air Force of the East China Military Region and went to Shanghai to preside over the formation of the East China Air Force.
What Fang Qiang didn't know was that behind this personnel appointment, Liu Yalou, the former chief of staff of Siye and the new commander of the Air Force, was active. From the opening up of the Hejiang base area to the decisive battle of Liaoshen, Fang Qiang, who was 10 months younger, left a deep impact on Liu Yalou.
Liu Yalou, who had just mastered the newly born People's Air Force Commander's Seal, had an urgent task at the moment to select and transfer a number of outstanding senior generals throughout the army to join the Air Force. So, Liu Yalou hit Fang Qiang's idea.
However, the ** who was the commander of the Central and Southern Military Region at the time was not very accommodating, although Liu Yalou was his very important chief of staff, he did not let people go easily.
* After learning the news, I said casually:"This Liu Yalou, digging the corner of the wall and digging into my head!”In this way, Liu Yalou's hard work was in vain.
* Telegraph Fang Qiang, stand by place. But the telegram from the Military Commission had already been issued, and Fang Qiang was a little embarrassed. In this regard, **clapper:"I will do the work of the Military Commission, and you will stay in Central and South China to build a navy!”
A few days later, a new appointment was issued: Fang Qiang was appointed commander and political commissar of the Navy of the Central and Southern Military Region.
** asked Fang Qiang to lead the formation of the Central South Navy, not because of Liu Yalou's whim of "digging the corner", but because of the decision that had already been made during the Wanshan Naval War.
In early April 1950, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) forcibly crossed the Qiongzhou Strait with a thunderous force and took Hainan Island. Immediately, the Central and Southern Military Region sent a telegram to Fang Qiang to coordinate with the Guangdong Military Region's Jiangfang Boat Squadron with the strength of one division to strive to conquer the Wanshan Islands.
The Wanshan Islands were occupied by Gui Yongqing, commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang Navy, with more than 3,000 troops entrenched here, and the total tonnage of various ships added up was about 10,000 tons.
The Kuomintang army tried in vain to rely on the superiority of naval forces to hold the Wanshan Islands, blockade the mouth of the Pearl River, respond to the mainland, and wait for an opportunity.
After Fang Qiang received the task, he selected the 131st Division to undertake the combat mission of the Battle of Wanshan. Subsequently, he convened a meeting of the military and political leaders of the 131st Division, at which he put forward several demands:
1. Intensify military training at sea in Tangjiawan within the mouth of the Pearl River;In other words, how can you fight a naval war without a navy?In fact, the only "navy" in South China at this time was the newly formed Jiangfang Fleet of the Guangdong Military Region.Second, it is necessary to learn to Xi war in war, Xi naval warfare in naval warfare, and overcome the shortcomings of the troops who have not fought naval battles;
3. Strive to strike early and fast in summer, carry out the tactics of crossing the sea at night and attacking island by island, annihilate the enemy, liberate the Wanshan Islands, and change the situation in the South China Sea.
The commander of this "navy" is Hong Xuezhi, deputy commander of the 15th Corps and deputy commander of the Guangdong Military Region. At that time, Hong Xuezhi's "belongings" could be described by the word "shabby".
The more than 20 ships it owned were all left over from the retreat of the Kuomintang troops. One of the largest tonnage ships is the American-made infantry landing ship "Katsurayama" with a displacement of 385 tons.
Compared with the backward equipment, the commander who led this battle is very famous. The Battle of Wanshan was personally organized and carried out by Hong Xuezhi, Fang Qiang, and others under the personal command of the commander of the South China Military Region.
In late April, ** convened Hong Xuezhi and Fang Qiang to study the issue of deploying the Wanshan Naval Battle.
The meeting decided that two infantry regiments of the 131st Division of the 44th Army led by Wan Qiang would form one fireteam and two landing echelons to coordinate with more than 20 landing craft and gunboats of Hong Xuezhi's river defense boat team to attack the Wanshan Islands.
At this time, the 131st Division had been conducting intensive training on Tangjiawan Beach for nearly two months. Fang Qiang visited the scene many times to carry out combat mobilization and put forward requirements for training at sea.
At the mobilization meeting, Fang Qiang said solemnly:"Fighting the Wanshan Naval Battle is of great significance to breaking the enemy's naval blockade, establishing maritime communications in military regions, developing China's marine economy, and speeding up maritime fishery production. ”
In May 1950, the ships of the river defense fleet had not yet moved in. **Anxious, ask Hong Xuezhi:"Fang Qiang's troops are in full swing in training at sea, why don't your ships move? ”
Hong Xuezhi said in embarrassment, **Can you talk about training? It turned out that the river defense boat fleet was not only in short supply of equipment, but also in scarcity of technical personnel.
Hong Xuezhi reported:
"On average, there is only one mechanical and electrical officer for two ships, one navigator for three ships, and only two captains with experience in sea navigation operations. ”said that people could be transferred from other places. If it is not enough, some car drivers from the 44th Army will be sent to the ship, and Comrade Fang Qiang will be asked to support them.
Fang Qiang couldn't help laughing:"Can a car driver drive a **? ”
**Say:"Learn! I've finally touched the machine, and when the time comes, I just need to get the ship up and let the guns go off. ”
Not to mention, in the end, more than 100 car drivers were really selected from the 44th Army to serve as engineers and helmsmen.
After more than half a month, the river defense boat team finally drove into Tangjiawan and began to conduct intense pre-war joint training with the 131st Division.
When confirming the combat plan, the river defense boat flotilla and the 131st Division put forward an opposite combat plan. The river defense boat squadron believed that it should carry out island-by-island attacks, while the 131st Division believed that it should directly attack the garbage tail island, where the enemy's main force was located. The combat plan of the 131st Division was personally presided over and designated by Fang Qiang.
At the conference, Hong Xuezhi agreed with Fang Qiang's opinion and unanimously adopted the combat plan of the 131st Division.
The battle lasted 71 days, Fang Qiang and Hong Xuezhi joined hands to kill, wound and capture more than 700 Kuomintang officers and soldiers, and the remnants of the enemy fled back to Taiwan in disarray.
This is a glorious example of winning more with less and defeating the strong with the weak. When the good news reached Beijing, ** was very excited, and immediately praised it:"This is the first heroic example of the People's Navy and should be commended! ”
During the war years, Fang Qiang fought bravely and liked to fight tough and vicious battles. For the right things, he is not afraid of leadership and power, and can stick to his own opinions. In his opinion, only winning the battle is the most perfect answer to the test paper.