Chapter 976
The Situation in the Northeast is Settled
From a later perspective, September 12th is a day worth recording in history—it marks the beginning of the Liaoshen Campaign and the start of the three major campaigns.
But at this very moment, the Nationalist government was unaware that a storm was brewing!
When the Northeast Field Army launched the Beining Railway Operation, aiming to completely sever the connection between Jinzhou and the interior of China, the Nationalist government clearly judged at this time:
This was a simple local offensive!
Whether in Jinzhou, Shenyang, or Nanjing, all sides believe that this offensive is merely:
A conventional offensive involving localized sweeps, disruption of transportation, and tactical containment.
The reason for this judgment was that the Nationalist government believed that their massive military force in the Northeast was a tough nut to crack for our army. In addition, the "precise" intelligence provided by the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics led the Nationalist government to misjudge our army's will for a strategic decisive battle.
The Nationalist government always believed that the main purpose of our army was to encircle and trap, to delay and entangle.
It wasn't that no one was worried that this was a decisive battle launched by our army, but at this very moment, the arrival of intelligence turned their worries into overreactions:
Huaye is aiming its sword at Jinan!
How important was Jinan in the strategic landscape at that time?
Jinan, with its 100,000-strong army, separated the two major liberated areas of North China and East China, and also connected the three major battlefields of Northeast China, North China and Xuzhou.
Once Jinan falls, it will mean the connection between the liberated areas of North China and East China, and the isolation of the three major battlefields of Northeast China, North China and Xuzhou!
Just as the People's Liberation Army was pointing its sword at Jinan, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics submitted a series of intelligence reports, clearly stating:
The Northeast campaign was a smokescreen, intended to divert firepower in preparation for the attack on Jinan.
With the intelligence reported by the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS) consistent with the assessments of the Nationalist government's strategic advisors, the Nationalist government immediately made a decision:
Protect Jinan, keep an eye on Xuzhou; strategic focus is on Xuzhou!
Therefore, at the critical moment when the Northeast People's Liberation Army was pushing across the Beining Railway and intending to besiege Jinzhou to completely cut off the connection between the Northeast National Army and the interior of China, the Nationalist government focused all its attention on the battlefield inside China.
Logically speaking, if we focused our efforts on the battlefield inside the pass, we should have been able to hold Jinan, right?
But the result was completely unexpected, and even shocked the Nationalist government!
At midnight on September 16, the battle began—on the 18th, the outer positions of the western airport were captured and the airport was out of control—on the 19th, a thunderous event occurred when the western commander led more than 20,000 troops in an uprising!
On the 20th, the encirclement of Jinan was completed;
On the 22nd, they broke through the outer city defenses and advanced directly towards the inner city;
On the evening of the 23rd, the final offensive began;
At dusk on the 24th, Jinan was liberated!
At this moment, the reinforcements from Xuzhou had only just completed their assembly!
Jinan is a large city, but more importantly, it is a large city with an army of 100,000.
Yet, this large city was taken to be completely conquered in just eight days, from the start of the battle to its complete end.
In just eight days, a large city with an army of 100,000 fell. And just like that, the 100,000-strong army... was gone?
The Nationalist government was shaken because the commander of the western front in Jinan led more than 2 troops in an uprising. Various departments began to pass the buck, and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was even singled out and criticized as its biggest mistake, with demands for severe punishment for its incompetence.
Faced with this earth-shattering thunder, Mao Renfeng was shocked to discover that he didn't even have anyone to withstand it—the only person who could withstand this thunder was now holding the title of special envoy...
Fortunately, Zhang Anping was still loyal at this time and did not leave Mao Renfeng to face the blame alone.
He stepped forward and stated:
What could a few hundred people at the Jinan station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics do among an army of 100,000?
In fact, the above also understands this principle—faced with the "sinking" of an army of 100,000, the Jinan Station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, with only a few hundred people, was indeed insignificant.
But who could have imagined that this seemingly insignificant Jinan Station would, four days later, deliver a stunning gift to the Nationalist government in Shouguang in a way that remained behind the scenes?
Unfortunately, to maintain secrecy, this matter was shrouded in the mists of history.
As the Battle of Jinan came to a close and the Nationalist government was reeling from the fall of the campaign, the Northeast Army's offensive continued unabated. What was initially thought to be a final, decisive blow turned into a fiercer offensive by the 26th, when the Nationalist government finally realized the gravity of the situation.
broken!
Bad thing!
Yi County was lost;
Jinzhou was besieged;
Airport to be sealed off;
Our escape route is cut off!
Something big has happened. The Communist army's real target is Northeast China.
The Nationalist government was in a panic and planned to take advantage of the fact that the airport in Jinzhou was still able to transfer passengers, and hurriedly airlift the 49th Army there to provide support.
As a result, after only two regiments were transported, the Northeast Field Army used artillery to block the airfield.
The reaction was too slow, and the only way to get reinforcements... is gone!
They could have fought a defensive battle, but because they focused their attention on Jinan, they missed the best time to respond and turned a defensive battle into an encirclement battle!
Amidst the upheaval, Nanjing made a decision:
East and West advance, decisive battle!
But after the order was given, a stunning reversal occurred.
Shenyang side: We cannot leave Shenyang, and we cannot abandon our positions to launch an attack!
Liao Bingtuan: I don't want to die!
This is how the strategic rift occurred at a critical moment.
……
Amidst the turbulent situation in Northeast China, disagreements also arose within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.
The situation in Northeast China was perilous, a fact widely acknowledged. Once Jinzhou fell, the Nationalist army in the Northeast would be completely doomed.
After Minglou entered the Northeast, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics system gradually changed hands, transforming from Zhang's second stronghold into Mao's domain—even though Mao Renfeng wanted Minglou to withdraw from the Northeast early on and leave this mess to Zhang Anping.
Now, the situation in Northeast China has reached its most critical point, but the handover between Mao and Zhang has not been completely completed, and the Northeast Security Bureau system is still under the banner of Mao's faction.
Unfortunately, Mao Renfeng had endured immense pressure due to the fall of Jinan.
Based on this situation, Mao Renfeng decided to have the Northeast secrecy system prepare for the worst-case scenario.
In other words, we must be prepared to destroy the factory system in the three locations, prepare to clean up the prisons in the three locations, and prepare to go into hiding after the fall of the city.
Most importantly: We must destroy all the massive amount of US military industrial facilities that have not yet been deployed!
However, when this decision was merely a formality at the bureau meeting, Zhang Anping, who was still a special envoy, stood up and vehemently opposed it.
"The war is not over yet, how can we talk about retreating!"
Zhang Anping said angrily, "The Chief of Staff has already flown to Shenyang to personally oversee the battle. How long has the war been going on? As the Chief of Staff's personal guard, how can my Bureau of Investigation and Statistics lead the way in admitting defeat?"
"If the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics doesn't even have the courage to fight with their backs against the wall, what will the others in the Northeast think? How can the Chief of Staff's will be implemented!"
The context at this time is:
The chief attendant's determination to advance eastward for a decisive battle was met with opposition from the northeastern military leaders. The garrison in Shenyang was unwilling to move westward, and Liao's army was also unwilling to take the risk. Meanwhile, in Jinzhou, they kept cursing the lack of reinforcements.
Against this backdrop, the chief attendant flew to Shenyang to personally oversee the battle, and with a strong attitude that "anyone who dares to disobey is disobeying orders and is a traitor," he achieved nominal unified command.
Let's further analyze the expected outcome of the Chief Attendant's strategic intent to advance east and west in a decisive battle:
The most basic objective: to relieve the siege of Jinzhou and to protect the Beining Railway;
This is the most basic and minimum objective.
But the chief attendant's ambitions clearly went beyond that.
The second objective: to wage a Northeastern version of the Battle of Stalingrad!
To put it bluntly, the plan was to use Jinzhou as bait to lure the main force of the Northeast Field Army, then encircle and annihilate them from two directions, thereby turning the tide of the war and securing victory in Northeast China.
Many people can see this strategic objective, and Zhang Anping is one of them. As a secret service chief who is favored by the chief of staff, he is naturally justified in supporting the chief of staff's decision with all his might.
But what he said was nothing but flattery.
If the Northeast Security Bureau doesn't even have the courage to fight a desperate battle, and if even they keep making excuses for defeat, how can others trust and serve their superior?!
Faced with such flattery, Mao Renfeng was speechless and could only abandon his plan to order the Northeast to make the worst-case scenario preparations.
……
The Nationalist government's strategy of advancing from the east and west and then engaging in a decisive battle had a crucial core element: the reinforcements from Huludao had to reach Jinzhou and join forces with Liao's westward-advancing army to launch a counter-encirclement of the Northeast Field Army.
Leaving aside the slow-moving Liao Bingtuan, the key obstacle preventing the Huludao reinforcements from reaching Jinzhou was a mountain without peaks.
Tashan!
Only by breaking through Tashan can the reinforcements from Huludao reach Jinzhou, and only then can the strategy of advancing from the east and west have a chance of success.
Thus, on this mountainless position of Tashan, a defensive battle that would be unforgettable for later generations was launched.
Troop strength comparison:
Eight divisions defended against eleven divisions.
But... Tashan has no mountain, it really has no mountain, there is no natural defense, no shelter, and its highest elevation is only 50 meters!
There are no natural barriers, no strategic depth, no high ground... and no way to retreat.
This is a dead end with no natural defenses.
The attacking side not only had 11 divisions, but also air and artillery support, as well as naval gun support!
By any measure, Tashan would be easily breached.
"Break through Tashan Mountain and rush to the aid of Jinzhou—the situation in Northeast China will be completely transformed from this point on!"
Zhang Anping uttered these words in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics on October 10th—and right after these words were uttered, the Battle of Tashan officially broke out.
At the beginning of the Battle of Tashan, apart from Zhang Anping, no one would have thought that this battle, which seemed to be a one-hit kill on the surface, would last for six days and six nights!
No one expected that this seemingly impenetrable defensive line, held firm by the Fourth Column, would be impenetrable for six days and six nights, despite the support of aircraft, artillery, and naval guns from 11 Nationalist divisions!
They've gone berserk, they've gone on a killing spree!
Jinzhou was so close, and if the National Revolutionary Army could have just broken through Tashan, they could have rushed to Jinzhou's aid and turned the tide of the war in Northeast China.
For six whole days and six nights, the steel defense line on Tashan Mountain, forged with flesh and blood, held off 11 divisions supported by aircraft, artillery, and naval guns!
While the Battle of Tashan was raging, the Northeast Field Army, having spent four days clearing out the outposts surrounding Jinzhou, launched a general offensive against Jinzhou on October 14.
Just one day!
The valiant Dongye army completely captured this strategically important city, a city garrisoned by 100,000 troops.
Twenty days after the complete annihilation of the 100,000-strong army in Jinan, the People's Liberation Army once again captured a major city with 100,000 defenders.
This time, however, all 500,000 Nationalist troops were sealed off.
……
The fall of Jinzhou brought another earth-shattering shock to the already shaken Nationalist government.
At a meeting of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Mao Renfeng fiercely criticized Zhang Anping:
"A missed opportunity! Another missed opportunity! Zhang Anping, because of your interference, the Northeast Security Bureau failed to make preparations in time!"
Mao Renfeng stood up angrily:
"Now, the Northeast Security Bureau is making its final preparations—who still objects?"
Zhang Anping wilted completely, like a frostbitten eggplant.
No one else would object.
“Send a telegram to Minglou in the name of the bureau meeting—and,” Mao Renfeng glared fiercely at Zhang Anping:
"If the Northeast Bureau of Investigation and Statistics fails to completely destroy the industries of Changchun and Shenyang, you, Zhang Anping, must bear full responsibility!"
Zhang Anping remained silent, offering no defense, but just as the clerk was about to deliver the decision to the telegraph office, he spoke up:
"Tell Minglou that I have received intelligence that the underground party in Changchun is unusually active, and the 60th Army is suspected of having frequent contact with the underground party. Tell him to be more careful."
Mao Renfeng sneered:
"As the director of the Northeast Supervision Office, Minglou knows what to do—Special Commissioner Zhang, you should think about how to explain this to your superiors!"
"Humph!"
Mao Renfeng stormed off in anger.
Everyone knew that the fall of Jinzhou would inevitably lead to a severe deterioration of the situation in Northeast China, and that one bad news after another would follow.
However, no one expected the bad news to come so quickly.
Just three days after the fall of Jinzhou, news came from Changchun:
The 60th Army issued a telegram announcing its defection!
Although the bad news was expected, no one could have imagined that it would come so quickly—only a mere thirty hours later!
The news came in the early hours of the morning, and the emergency meeting of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics began half an hour later.
This time, Mao Renfeng was not as aggressive as she had been 30 hours earlier, and Zhang Anping did not take advantage of her misfortune. The two quickly reached an agreement:
The Northeast Security Bureau must be stationed in all units in Changchun to ensure that the incident involving the 60th Army is not repeated.
Therefore, Mao Renfeng sent a telegram to Minglou in Shenyang, while Zhang Anping sent a telegram to Qi Siyuan in Changchun, asking the two to unite and ensure that the incident involving the 60th Army would not be repeated.
But... it didn't work!
On the night of the 18th, just a few dozen hours after the 60th Army announced its defection, the New 7th Army in Changchun signed a surrender agreement.
On the morning of the 19th, the New 7th Army laid down its arms, and the People's Liberation Army took over most of Changchun, thus peacefully liberating the main part of Changchun.
Two days later, the Changchun commander, along with the remaining troops including Qi Siyuan, the head of the Changchun station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, walked out of the Central Bank building.
Changchun was completely and peacefully liberated!
……
During the period of the peaceful liberation of Changchun, the key figure who attracted the most attention on the battlefield in Northeast China was actually Liao Bingtuan.
The chief attendant attempted to retake Jinzhou through Liao's army, but Liao's army had no intention of going to their deaths.
He wanted to run away.
They wanted to go to Yingkou, but also wanted to retreat to Shenyang. In short, they were hesitant and their command was quite chaotic.
Then, they were successfully surrounded by Higashino and became trapped like turtles in a jar.
This encirclement of Liao's army was a rare and fruitful battle for the Northeast Field Army:
Nine columns plus artillery, nearly 500,000 troops, while Liao's army group had only 110,000 men.
By encirclement, a full-scale offensive, and chaotic fighting, Liao's 11-strong army was completely annihilated at dawn on the 28th.
With the fall of Jinzhou and the peaceful liberation of Changchun, Liao Binglu was completely annihilated, leaving only Shenyang, an isolated city, in Northeast China!
The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was completely desperate. They had failed to destroy the factory facilities in Jinzhou, and they had failed in Changchun as well. If they could not carry out a large-scale destruction of the industrial facilities in Shenyang, they would have no way to explain themselves.
Zhang Anping and Mao Renfeng sent telegram after telegram to Shenyang, demanding that the Shenyang Security Station immediately execute the demolition plan, immediately carry out the infiltration plan, and that all members of the Shenyang Security Station be stationed in various military units to ensure that the Changchun incident would not occur again.
But at this critical juncture, a piece of news made Mao Renfeng break out in a cold sweat.
Mingtai, the deputy director of the Security Department of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and the younger brother of Minglou, the director of the Northeast Supervision Office, has mysteriously disappeared!
It's important to know that Mingtai was actually acting as a hostage in Nanjing—this ensured that Minglou wouldn't easily defect to the enemy.
But at this critical juncture, Mingtai... disappeared.
what does this mean?
Mao Renfeng felt as if he had been drenched in cold water.
Sure enough, Shenyang... unsurprisingly ran into trouble.
In the final defensive battle, firstly, most of the 53rd Army surrendered without a fight, and then the Provisional 53rd Division and the Provisional 20th Division revolted on the battlefield.
Looking across the entire Shenyang battlefield, it seemed as if only the 207th Youth Army Division was fighting.
Just as the 207th Division was putting up a stubborn resistance, the last snowflake that collapsed the houses drifted down:
The Shenyang station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, led by Ming Lou, director of the Eastern Inspectorate, announced its uprising! (End of Chapter)