Fourth Field Warrior Series 80: Xiao Ke (II)
Author: Mast
General Xiao Ke graduated from the regular military academy and started from the grassroots of the army. In addition, he is educated, good at thinking, and willing to study, and has developed strong military capabilities in war practice. Especially during the period of Jinggangshan and Jiangxi Soviet Area, he was deeply educated on the Chairman's military thoughts, was good at commanding, and was independent in commanding operations many times. In Xiao Ke's military career, the one who best reflects his command ability was the command of the Red Army during the period, and completed the Western Expedition under extremely dangerous circumstances. This article will talk about these things.
(I) For the first time, commanding operations independently
Xiao Ke has grown into a senior commander of the Red Army after several years of training. During this period, Xiao Ke, who was good at thinking, carefully studied and pondered the Chairman's military thoughts and deeply grasped the essence of mobile warfare. In September 1932, Xiao Ke was transferred to the position of commander of the Red 8th Army in Hunan and Jiangxi Soviet Area.
Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet Area, including Jinggangshan area, was the earliest base area. However, at this time, it was separated from the Jiangxi Soviet Area with Ganjiang as the boundary, and it was separated by the enemy's army, with only one Red 8th Army with more than 2,700 people. After the fifth anti-encirclement and suppression began, the Jiangxi Soviet Area adopted strategies and tactics such as "defending the enemy outside the national gate" and "fortress against fortress", requiring the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet Area to adopt these tactics as well. Previously, Xiao Ke had been fighting under the command of his superiors for a long time, and only needed to consider combat issues from a tactical level. But now it’s different, because being independent, not only requires considering tactical issues, but also studying strategic issues and controlling the battlefield situation in the entire region.
At that time, the Red 8th Army had few troops and weak firepower, and was just formed by guerrillas. Such troops are simply unable to fight against the superior enemy, let alone "fortress versus fortress". After Xiao Ke took office, he worked hard to train the army on the one hand, and studied strategies and tactics on the other hand. Regarding the enemy's attack, Xiao Ke adopted the strategic tactics of the first three anti-encirclement and suppression in the Soviet area of Jiangxi, and took the initiative to defend strategically, avoided the strong and attacked the weak, lured the enemy into depth, and changed due to the enemy. He annihilated the enemy in the movement, fought three consecutive victories, and eliminated a large number of vital forces from the enemy. In the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet Area for nearly two years, it has been an important stage in Xiao Ke's military career: First, his ability to command operations independently has been trained and improved; second, he has learned to think and implement operations from a strategic level, and has experienced the test of war practice.
(II) At the age of 27, commanding the Red 6th Corps to break through all kinds of difficulties and dangers
On July 23, 1934, the Military Commission called the Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Committee: "It is decided that the Red 6th Corps will leave the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet Area and move to central Hunan"; and pointed out that this "active action will force the enemy to carry out battlefield and strategic redeployment, undermine its plan to gradually tighten the Jiangxi Soviet Area to assist in the operation in the Jiangxi Soviet Area."
What is incredible is that the Military Commission's telegram not only planned the direction of the Western Expedition of the Red 6th Army, but also made very specific regulations on the route and region of action: from the weak part of the enemy fortifications guarded in Huangao and the upper and lower regions or to the south of it, it will be transferred to the Guidong area; the second step should be transferred to the Xintian , Qiyang , Lingling area to develop guerrilla warfare and the founding of the Soviet area. In the future, contact the Red 2 Legion northward to Xinhua and 本指. also instructed "Everything is to be taken away" and a big move was made. The telegram is very long. Just seeing these contents, you may have some understanding of the "blind command" at that time: the provisions on the Western Expedition of the Red 6th Army were so specific that there seemed to be no enemy stopping them in front, so you can go whatever you want.
Before the Western Expedition, the Military Commission ordered Ren Bishi, Xiao Ke and Wang Zhen to form the Military and Political Committee of the Red 6th Army, and Ren Bishi was the secretary. At that time, Ren Bishi and Wang Zhen were both political cadres, and the military command mainly relied on Xiao Ke, who was only 27 years old at the time.
On August 7, 1934, the Red 6th Army (the 17th and 18th Divisions) set off from Hengshi, Suichuan County, Jiangxi Province, in the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet Area, and headed westward. After the enemy learned about it, they immediately mobilized heavy troops to encircle and block it. The enemy situation is dangerous and dangerous, and the troops are extremely difficult to operate.In such an extremely unfavorable situation, Xiao Ke's command was both decisive and resolute, maneuverable and flexible, sometimes east and west, sometimes south and sometimes north, so that the enemy could not understand what our army was going to do and where we were going. After bloody battles, they broke through several enemy blockades, broke through the siege of 18 enemy regiments in Qingshuijiang area of Guizhou, and broke through the siege of 24 enemy regiments in Shiqian County.
On October 24, the Red 6th Army met with the Red 2nd Army in Muhuang, Yinjiang County, Guizhou, and the tragic Western Expedition ended here. The entire itinerary was more than 2,500 kilometers, lasting 78 days, and the troops lost two-thirds of the losses, but they successfully completed the strategic tasks assigned by the central government, such as restraining the enemy, strategic reconnaissance and pioneering path exploration.
(III) The superiors' blind command caused heavy losses
What is unknown is that Xiao Ke not only had to face the sinister enemy situation, but also had to succumb to the unrealistic remote control intervention at the time.
On September 8, the Red 6th Army advanced to the western extension area of Quanzhou and received a telegram from the superior, requiring the Red 6th Army to "strike the enemy in Chengbu, Suining and Wugang areas, and maintain it until at least 20, and then operate along the Guangxi border to establish contact with the Red 3rd Army (i.e. the Red 2nd Army). This is the intention of the telegram to ensure that the Red 6th Army restrain the enemy on the spot and cooperate with the upcoming Western Expedition operation of the main force of the Red Army. After receiving the power, Xiao Ke had to command the Red 6th Army to suspend the journey westward. In the enemy's numerous sieges, he circled back and forth in a small area to mobilize the enemy, while saving himself to the greatest extent. At the end of September, in order to get rid of the serious enemy situation, the Red 6th Army advanced to the south bank of Wujiang and prepared to cross the river westward into the hinterland of Guizhou. From October 1 to 2, the superiors issued three consecutive telegrams, strictly ordering that "you will never be ordered to cross the Wujiang River and operate westward... You must never move to the northwest again." The Red 6th Legion immediately moved towards the direction of Yinjiang and moved closer to the Red 2 Legion. After receiving the power, Xiao Ke had to command his troops to quickly turn around and turn toward the territory of Shiqian . As a result, on October 7, he was surrounded by 24 enemy regiments in Ganxi.
breakout battle was extremely fierce. The Red 6th Army was in a desperate situation at that time, and if there was any negligence, the entire army would be wiped out. At the critical moment of the battle, Ren Bishi saw that Xiao Ke was nervous and couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He asked Xiao Ke: "How is it?" Xiao Ke said: "Go east firmly, leave this area, and strive to take the initiative."
After more than 10 days of bloody battle and maneuver, Xiao Ke finally broke out from the Jedi and arrived at Muhuang to meet with the Red 2nd Legion. However, the troops suffered heavy losses, many teams were disbanded, and a large number of Red Army soldiers such as Long Yun, the commander of the Red 18th Division, died. The Red 6th Army lost about 6,000 people throughout the Western Expedition, most of which were lost in the Ganxi breakthrough. The superior should bear the main responsibility for this loss.
(IV) The lesson of the "big move" of the Red 6th Army did not cause the superiors to reflect on
, it has to be said that the main force of the Red Army Long March 2 was basically advancing along the route of the Red 6th Army's Western Expedition in the early stage. After breaking through the Xiangjiang River, we encountered a situation similar to the Red 6th Army: whether to join the Red 2 and 6th Army to the north, or to enter Guizhou west. To the north, the enemy has arranged heavy troops to intercept it; to the west, the enemy's strength is weak. Fortunately, during the main force of the Red Army's expedition, the Chairman promptly advised and insisted, he gave up the plan to meet with the Red 2 and 6th legions, and went west to Guizhou, and escaped.
and the Red 6th Legion were not so lucky. They had to obey the wrong remote control command and suffered heavy losses in the end. Yes, under the serious enemy situation and the intervention of superiors, Xiao Ke has done a very good job, and his military command is remarkable.
It should be said that Xiao Ke's command ability and the heroic fighting of the Red Army are the two key factors that the Red 6th Legion can finally break through the siege. In that extremely vicious situation, if the Red 6th Legion can stand out if it is a general with weaker command capabilities. Another advance team sent by the Red 7th Army, which was sent during the same period, was eventually wiped out.
In addition, during the Western Expedition, the Red 6th Corps often reported the situation along the way and the enemy situation to their superiors, and also reported that due to the "big moving", the luggage and supplies it brought seriously affected the speed of the march and combat. At the same time, it also reported that the large amount of baggage and luggage were lost along the way under the siege of the enemy.However, the superiors did not accept this lesson. The "big moving" operation became more serious and only realized after suffering extremely serious losses.
[Deeply cultivate the history of war, promote positive energy, welcome to submit articles, private messages will be replied]
