The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 476 Frontline Deputy Chief of Staff
Before launching the self-defense counterattack against the "white-eyed wolves" in February 1979, according to the order of the headquarters.

A forward command post was set up in the direction of southern Xinjiang to unify the command of the troops within the area to launch counterattacks.

After being reinforced by external areas, it was composed of the 13nd Division of the 14nd Army Guard, the 11th Army, the 9th Army, and the 50th Army, a total of 149 infantry divisions, and was equipped with the 5th Division of the 25th Army, the independent division of the Southern Xinjiang Military Region and border defense regiments. In addition, there were reserve artillery, tanks, engineers, railways, pontoon bridges, automobiles and other arms participating in the war, with a total strength of more than people.

This year, Liu Zhiye, who was only 45 years old, was highly valued by his superiors.

He assisted the seriously ill Marshal Xu as the deputy chief of staff on the front line and was the actual leader of the general staff.

On the battlefield filled with smoke, age seems to have become a thing of the past.

Liu Zhiye seemed to have returned to that war-torn era, sitting in the command room every day and paying attention to the developments on the front line.

He had a unique habit of commanding battles. As soon as gunfire sounded on the front line, he would be highly focused and devote all his energy to drawing up combat plans and commanding and mobilizing troops.

At this time, Marshal Xu was already 78 years old and suffered from severe migraines. Staying up all night would only make his headaches worse.

Helplessly, he could only sit on the sofa, close his eyes and force himself to rest.

But what makes him happy is that GM business has successors.

The Deputy Chief of Staff Liu Zhiye in front of him is a young junior whom he is very optimistic about.

Liu Zhiye is young and promising, only 45 years old, with rich experience, and is best at commanding special operations.

Although he is not good at large-scale troop combat, it doesn't matter. I believe that with my help, I can let him do it freely and I will be able to learn this lesson in this battle.

In the operations room, the generals watched Liu Zhiye sometimes remain silent, thinking he was thinking deeply.

In fact, Liu Zhiye's smoking addiction came back. When he just returned from the Northern Dynasty, he was a heavy smoker. Later, he successfully reduced his smoking addiction.

However, when the self-defense counterattack against the ungrateful people began, the tense atmosphere and the life of staying up late made Liu Zhiye fall into smoking addiction again.

Liu Zhiye was a man who took care of everything himself, no matter how big or small the matter was. Whether it was controlling the rhythm of the attack or the logistical issues of the soldiers, he arranged everything in an orderly manner.

Under his command, the self-defense counterattack against the ungrateful wolves progressed smoothly.

Within ten days after the war broke out, Xia's army successfully captured the Pinggao and Jielao areas, annihilated a large number of defending enemies, cut off the connection between the enemy and reinforcements, and firmly grasped the initiative of the war in their own hands.

Under the powerful attack of the Second Guard Division and other main forces, the southern Xinjiang border defense forces implemented the siege and attack tactics to strike at the large force of the ungrateful people.

With the tacit cooperation of both sides, the Xia army penetrated about 40 kilometers into the territory of Baiyanlang and successfully occupied important military strongholds and strategic locations along the line.

During this process, Xia's army completely wiped out the "White-Eyed Wolf" 346th Division and was already close to the inland river of the White-Eyed Wolf capital.

In this battle, the "sharp-knife tactics" and clever tactics set by Liu Zhiye and General Xu played a key role in the war and won a quick victory for the Xia army. Their contributions are indelible.

On the morning of January 1, Liu Zhiye personally arrived at the forward headquarters of the 15nd Guard Division, Nanxi Farm in He County, southern Xinjiang Province.

The commander of the Second Guard Division, Meng Luyu, and the deputy commander, Zeng Changzheng, first reported on the troops' implementation plan for the plan determined at the combat meeting;
Afterwards, based on the instructions of the front command and combined with the enemy situation they had mastered, they put forward a new proposal.

Regarding the enemy situation and terrain, Meng Luyu introduced: Laojie and Gantang directions are the defense focus of the "White-Eyed Wolf", and its main forces are deployed in this area.

Although the enemy's 316A Division was carrying out mobile combat missions in the Huanglianshan area, its main direction of maneuver was also the Jie Lao and Gan Tang areas; and the main force of the enemy in the Jie Lao and Gan Tang areas was deployed west of the Red River.

Judging from the geographical location and terrain conditions, this direction is the main gateway to the northwest of the White-Eyed Wolf.

Although there is the natural obstacle of the Red River, there are 6 to 8 kilometers of hilly areas along the banks of the Red River, with 1 railway and 4 large and small highways, and the road conditions are relatively good.

Except for a few strongholds in the back mountain of Laojie which were built with reinforced concrete fortifications and tunnels, the rest of the vast area was made up of temporary field fortifications, which were not conducive to long-term defense.

In short, Jie Lao and Gan Tang areas are the northwest gates of the White-Eyed Wolf, and their strategic position is extremely important.

Once lost, it will pose a great threat to the enemy's depth, so it is a key point heavily guarded by the enemy.

The terrain here is relatively open and the transportation is relatively convenient, making it easy for the Xia army to concentrate its absolute superior forces for combat.

It can also give full play to the firepower advantage of Xia Jun's weapons and equipment to achieve the suddenness of the battle.

It is conducive to encircling the enemy in a roundabout way and quickly annihilating the enemy.

Based on the above situation, Meng Luyu suggested that the main combat directions for operations in southern Xinjiang should be Jie Lao and Gan Tang.

In terms of deployment, all the forces of the 14nd Guard Division and the th Army should be concentrated.

With the Red River as the dividing line, the 14nd Guard Division was on the west side of the river and the th Army was on the east side of the river, and they launched an assault on the enemy side by side.

First, annihilate the enemy's 345th Division and local forces defending Jie Lao and Gan Tang, and then annihilate the enemy's 316A Division.

According to the original combat plan of the front command, the main combat direction was the east bank of the Red River.

With the 14th Army as the main force and the nd Guard Division as the auxiliary, they captured Mengkang, Falun, Banlao, Jie Lao and other places.

First, annihilate the ungrateful 254th Huanglianshan Regiment, and then annihilate the 345th Division's troops on the east bank of the Red River.

The scale of enemy annihilation under this plan was only half of that proposed by the Second Guard Division.

Based on this, the initial deployment plan of the Second Guard Division was as follows: First, the main forces of the army, the 5th and 6th Regiments plus the artillery regiment, were gathered to adopt the means of encirclement, penetration and division to annihilate the local forces of the white-eyed wolf in Guliu, Baosheng and Gushan areas and the 345th Division;
At the same time, the 4th Regiment of the 316nd Guard Division and the Armored Regiment went straight to Dainai and Benxi'ai to seize key points, blocking the enemy's A Division from coming to support and ensuring the safety of the main force's flanks and rear.

In addition, the 4th Regiment, after quickly annihilating the enemy defending Basha, assembled in the Longjin and Mengshan areas as the division reserve;

After completely wiping out the enemy defending the Jie Lao and Gan Tang areas, the enemy's 316A Division will come to the east to provide support along the Sabah-Jie Lao highway.

The Second Division then concentrated its main forces to surround and annihilate them in the Sabah area.

Deputy Chief of General Staff Liu Zhiye asked: "Is this plan your personal opinion?"

Meng Luyu replied: "It is the common opinion of our division's Party Committee, and..."

Liu Zhiye thought about it and felt that Meng Luyu and the others' proposal was very good, so he immediately said, "Your plan is better, I have no objection, let's implement it according to this plan!"

Liu Zhiye agreed to this plan and asked Meng Luyu to immediately call Commander Zhang and Political Commissar Fan of the 14th Army to come and discuss the matter as soon as possible.

Afterwards, Meng Luyu suggested to Liu Zhiye whether he should go to Silian Mountain, which was only separated from the enemy's front line by a river, from where he could basically observe the entire picture of the battlefield.

Liu Zhiye said, "Okay, let's go to Silian Mountain, where we can see the terrain better."

On Silian Mountain, Meng Luyu and the division chief of staff Peng Guoan combined the actual situation with the proposed combat plan while watching and reporting.

Liu Zhiye used a 40x large telescope to observe the entire battlefield, and the farthest he could see was Beishan in Gantang City, more than 20 kilometers deep.

After listening to the new combat plan of the 2nd Guard Division and surveying the terrain on the spot, which solved the fundamental problems of operations on the Western Front, the leaders who came were very happy.

Liu Zhiye said in a loud voice: "I have made up my mind now." In addition to agreeing with the above-mentioned main assault direction, tasks and deployment, he also made four important instructions.

First, we must solve the problem of crossing the Red River and capturing the various hilltop positions on the enemy's front line, which is a prerequisite for achieving complete victory.

The second is to attack and annihilate the enemy defending Guliu to break the situation. We must surround them from the western and southern ridges and then annihilate them.

Third, the troops that penetrate deep into the enemy's territory must take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, bravely and quickly advance to the outer Po River line, cut off the enemy's retreat, and form a direct external force to fight against the enemy's reinforcements.

Fourth, to ensure that the main force can annihilate the enemy, a regiment should be sent as soon as possible to occupy the high ground west of Dainai to block the reinforcement of the enemy's 316A Division, so as to ensure the safety of the main force's flanks and rear in annihilating the enemy's 345th Division.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff Liu Zhiye finally said: "The Second Guard Division is my old unit, and it was the first to fight a major battle... This time I will give the main task to you, and you must find a way to win this battle!"

Meng Luyu, Zeng Changzheng, Peng Guoan and others saluted solemnly and said, "Please rest assured, Commander! The Second Guard Division will never embarrass you..."

Liu Zhiye frowned and said, "It's not terrible for me to lose face, what's terrible is that you bring shame to our Xia country soldiers..."

At this time, Commander Zhang and Political Commissar Fan of the 14th Army also came to Silianshan. Liu Zhiye deployed the above intentions and determination to them on the spot, and asked them to propose specific implementation plans and report them to the headquarters.

Regarding the division of tasks, Liu Zhiye said: "From the overall situation, it is better for the two divisions (Second Guard Division and 14th Army) to use the Red River as the boundary, which will facilitate the performance of their respective tasks and help complete the overall task."

Liu Zhiye, deputy chief of staff of the front command, went to the front line in person, observed the enemy's position on the Silian Mountain, adopted the insightful opinions put forward by the Second Guard Division, and made the correct determination to annihilate the enemy in the direction of southern Xinjiang. This was the fundamental reason why the self-defense counterattack against the "white-eyed wolves" on the western front was able to proceed smoothly and achieve victory.

This is what Sun Tzu's Art of War says: "He who plans before the battle wins!"

…………

In February, the self-defense counterattack against the ungrateful people officially began.

The "ungrateful" Pinggao was the first to be hit and became a strategic location that Xia's army vowed to conquer.

Faced with the enemy's numerous defenses on the main traffic routes, Deputy Chief of Staff Liu Zhiye made a calm analysis and decisive decision, deciding to use the tactic of "making a feint to the east and attacking the west".

Liu Zhiye quickly dispatched the 41st and 121rd Divisions of the 123st Army and strengthened the army's tank regiment to carry out a bold operation called "Koutun Penetration".

However, this battle is much more difficult than imagined.

Although the Xia army soldiers were brave and fearless, they lacked experience in mountain and jungle combat.

Coupled with poor communications and constant harassment of their logistics supply lines by the enemy, they faced unprecedented challenges during the infiltration process.

In particular, in a crucial battle in late February, part of the Xia army's troops were dispersed due to complex terrain, and the command system was lost for a time.

What's more serious is that in a risky food-collecting operation, they suffered heavy losses at the hands of the enemy.

But it was in such adversity that Xia Jun showed his tenacious fighting will.

With Liu Zhiye's flexible use of tank penetration tactics, they gradually turned the tide of the battle.

After several days of fierce fighting, Koutun was finally successfully captured in mid-March.

In this battle, Xia's army wiped out a total of 2898 enemies, successfully cutting off the Pinggao enemy's retreat route to the south, and laying a solid foundation for the final victory of the Pinggao Campaign.

The achievement of such great results is actually inseparable from Liu Zhiye’s careful planning.

Before this battle, the Xia army had completed a thorough combat deployment under the careful planning of Liu Zhiye.

Liu Zhiye skillfully used the tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. He decisively ordered the 41nd Division of the 122st Army to launch a swift attack in the direction of Shuojiang, while the 123th Regiment of the 368rd Division attacked directly towards Chaling.

At the same time, other troops also cooperated and launched a full-scale offensive against the eastern, northern and southern regions of Pinggao.

This massive frontal attack was actually a plot carefully planned by Liu Zhiye.

His real purpose was to attract the main force of the enemy and thus create favorable conditions for subsequent infiltration operations.

While dealing with the enemy on the front battlefield, Liu Zhiye also took action quietly.

He dispatched the 41st and 121rd Divisions of the 123st Army, equipped with the army tank regiment and the military region's amphibious tank units, preparing to carry out a bold penetration in the direction of Banzhuang and Koutun.

This tactical deployment is intended to encircle the enemy and annihilate it in one fell swoop.

Liu Zhiye's decision is undoubtedly epoch-making.

In the subtropical mountain jungle area, he boldly adopted the tactic of large-scale tank penetration operations, which was completely unexpected by the enemy.

Liu Zhiye firmly believed that as long as the infiltration channel could be opened, the troops would be able to quickly reach the combat objectives within one day and achieve a decisive victory.

Koutun’s strategic position in the Pinggao area is irreplaceable. It is like a key chess piece that affects the direction of the entire battle.

Deputy Chief of Staff Liu Zhiye issued a clear and resolute combat order to the 123rd Division: they must be like a sharp dagger, penetrate directly into the heart of Koutun, and cooperate closely with friendly neighboring troops to launch a fierce offensive against the headquarters of the enemy's 364th Division.

The command had extremely strict time requirements for this operation. They required the 123rd Division to quickly occupy Koutun within seven hours after the general offensive was launched, thereby completely cutting off the enemy's retreat in Pinggao and trapping them firmly on the battlefield.

In order to ensure that this infiltration operation would be foolproof, Liu Zhiye demonstrated his outstanding military talent and specially deployed armored troops to provide support.

This decision is undoubtedly another example of his ability to utilize the combat wisdom of mechanized troops.

He knew very well that in this mountain jungle, the assault force of tanks and armored vehicles would be like a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable.

However, the situation on the battlefield is always unpredictable.

Because Xia's troops lacked combat experience in the local jungle areas, and because of the complex terrain and extremely inconvenient communications, Liu Zhiye's tactical concept encountered unprecedented challenges during implementation.

But even so, Liu Zhiye still maintained his firm belief and unwaveringly commanded the troops to advance steadily forward in accordance with the established strategic intentions.

On February 1979, 2, the 19rd Division received a difficult task - to penetrate Koutun.

Although this brave team only had two infantry regiments under its command, it also had to shoulder the heavy task of blocking reinforcements from the plains and Ohara directions.

The burden on their shoulders is undoubtedly heavy.

Carrying heavy equipment, the soldiers embarked on this journey full of unknowns and challenges.

The scenery along the way was awe-inspiring. The mountains were high and the forests were dense, and the roads were winding and difficult to travel on. The marching speed of the troops was greatly reduced, and they were far from advancing as quickly as expected.

In order to ensure the absolute secrecy of the operation, the advance team of the 123rd Division decisively shut down the radio station.

Even when they are resting, they rarely turn on their communication devices to avoid exposing their whereabouts.

Although this decision ensured the secrecy of the operation, it made it difficult for Liu Zhiye of the command center to grasp the specific dynamics of the troops in real time, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Time was running out, and in the blink of an eye it was already the afternoon of February 2th.

The command center gave a decisive order that the 361st Regiment must advance quickly from Anle area towards Koutun.

Based on the complex local terrain, the division headquarters carefully planned and decided to adopt a tactic of dividing the troops into two routes.

They ordered the 361st Regiment and the 2nd Battalion to set out from the strategically located Hill 809 in order to achieve the effect of surprise.

However, the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly.

At this time, the 1st and 3rd Battalions had lost contact, and the regiment headquarters had to lead the 2nd Battalion to move ahead.

Just when the two troops had just arrived in the Nalu area and were preparing to rest, the enemy suddenly launched an attack.

For a moment, there were gunfire and smoke everywhere, and a fierce battle began.

In that extremely fierce battle, the regiment headquarters and the 2nd Battalion were unfortunately dispersed by the enemy and had to fight on their own.

This sudden encounter dealt a heavy blow to the troops, with more than 40 people killed or wounded at the battalion and company levels, which was regrettable.

Faced with the enemy's fierce offensive, the troops had to fight and retreat at the same time. After going through untold hardships, they finally retreated to the relatively safe Langbei area.

Time seemed to have stood still until February 2, when the various units of the 22st Regiment finally reunited in the chaos.

At this time, the regiment commander made a prompt decision and ordered the troops to stay on standby and prepare for a new battle.

At the same time, the 362nd Regiment was also advancing rapidly towards Koutun, vowing to fight a decisive battle with the enemy.

At around 2:21 p.m. on February 2, the nd Battalion of the regiment encountered enemy forces in the Banjun area, and the two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

Thanks to the heroic fighting of the soldiers, more than 120 enemy troops were wiped out, and the results were brilliant.

However, this troop had been fighting for five consecutive days and nights and was exhausted both physically and mentally, and had even been out of food for two or three days.

But even so, the soldiers still held their positions despite hunger and fatigue, fighting a desperate battle with the enemy, showing amazing perseverance and courage.

After a brief reorganization and rest, the 362nd Regiment continued to advance along the road, vowing to complete the established combat mission.

At around 2 a.m. on February 22, the troops finally arrived at the Koutun area.

However, at this moment, the enemy suddenly launched a fierce fire attack, catching the troops off guard.

At first, due to the darkness of the night and unfamiliarity with the terrain, the troops mistakenly believed that they were friendly forces firing and therefore did not immediately retaliate.

However, once it was confirmed that it was the enemy, the troops immediately launched a counterattack.

However, the enemy's firepower was too fierce, and the troops were forced to retreat and look for a more advantageous combat terrain.

At 9:362 a.m. that day, the division headquarters quickly dispatched the 367st Battalion of the nd Regiment and the th Company of the th Regiment to the designated area for emergency support.

Unfortunately, however, there were serious mistakes in organization and dispatch on the battlefield.

In addition, the chaotic and disorderly information transmission resulted in the support force not only failing to meet up with the 2nd Battalion as planned at the first time.

Instead, they unexpectedly encountered another fierce and sudden attack from the enemy.

In this critical situation, the troops had to disperse and organize defense on the spot.

(End of this chapter)