In a variety of stories about the Red Army's Long March, there is a word that appears with the highest frequency, that is, "hungry".
In a way, every Red Army soldier who has completed the Long March is comparable to the Shennong who tasted all kinds of herbs, or even better - after all, belts, cotton wool and other things, even if the Shennong saw, I'm afraid that there is no idea of the next mouth.
Food is in short supply, and tobacco and alcohol are scarce. Even Mao Chairman, Deng Xiaoping, such a person who smokes all the time, can not help but rely on the leaves of the tree over dry addiction, other people can only "self-reliance".
However, in this case, the then Chief of General Staff of the Red Army, Liu Bo Cheng, but specifically to find Chairman Mao, opened up for a company commander to ask for cigarettes and alcohol.
Liu Bocheng to be justified: "As long as Wang Yaonan has smoke, the Red Army will not be able to cross the slope; as long as Wang Yaonan has wine to drink, the Red Army will not be able to cross the river!"
This sounds like a great Wang Yaonan exactly who is he? Today, I'm going to tell you his story.
In October 1921, a thin and tall young man lived in a shed in the Jiangxi Anyuan coal mine.
From the mouth of this young man full of Xiangtan dialect, the miners, who had been working all year round and covered with coal dust, heard the word "****production party" for the first time, and for the first time they were shocked to learn that their destiny was not predetermined, and that they should be the masters of this world.
Those who know something about modern history naturally know that this young man was Mao Zedong, who had just participated in the First Congress of the People's Republic of China.
But what many people don't know is that among the miners who sat around Mao was a child laborer under the age of eleven, known as Tonsaiko.
Many years later, he had a ringing name - Wang Yaonan.
Also belonging to him was an even louder nickname: "King of Engineers".
In today's terms, Wang Yaonan is a "third generation of coal".
In 1898, in order to solve the problem of insufficient fuel for the Hanyang Iron and Steel Works, Sheng Xuanhuai, a famous "red-topped businessman", organized the Anyuan coal mine in Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province. Wang Yaonan's grandfather was one of the first miners to enter the mine.
At that time, the coal mines were not only a horrible place to work, but also a place where safety was virtually non-existent. Every time you go down from the ground to the palm surface, it's a circle in the yin and yang world for the miners.
In the miners' view at the time, to be able to breathe in their own beds is already a blessing that has been repaired over several lifetimes.
However, Wang Yaonan's grandfather did not have this luck. After half a lifetime in the Anyuan coal mine, a gas explosion left him in the darkness of the ground forever.
Even more brutally, Wang Yaonan's father didn't even have much time to mourn, and the more pressing question in front of him was: how can the rest of us survive with one less person to earn money?
So, his father's eyes fell on the young Wang Yaonan, and he made him a "charcoal grubber" (a term of contempt for miners at the time)
Soon after arriving at the mine, his father realized his son's special qualities:
Although he couldn't do much hard work, he had to deal with the miners who were trying to get to the mine.
For this bold son, his father, in addition to some worries about his safety, and not much intention. But what he didn't know was that the words of that young man from Hunan had long ago planted a bolder seed in Wang Yaonan's heart -
In September 1927, Mao Zedong instigated the famous Autumn Harvest Uprising at the border of Hunan-Ganxi, and at the same time, he set up the first division of the first army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army (WPRA), the first division of the first army of the WPRA.
The second regiment of this legendary army was composed mainly of miners from the Anyuan coal mine. Wang Yaonan, along with more than 60 miners with blasting experience, joined the blasting team of this regiment, and Wang Yaonan, who was skillful in blasting, became the vice-captain of the blasting team as a matter of course.
In the following years, Wang Yaonan grew up step by step, and by the spring of 1930, he was a platoon leader in the special agent battalion of the military headquarters of the Red Army, and officially became a member of the Party of the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.).
Shortly after this, Wang Yaonan received an order from the battalion commander of the secret service battalion, asking him to report to the legion headquarters as soon as possible.
Receiving the order, Wang Yaonan was a bit puzzled and asked, "What does the command want me to do?"
The battalion commander's face slammed: "Where are all the questions? This is an order from General Commander Zhu himself!"
Hearing the words of the battalion commander, Wang Yaonan did not dare to slow down, and immediately rushed to the corps command. In Zhu De's mouth, Wang Yaonan heard a brand new term: "Engineers".
Seeing Wang Yaonan's half-understanding look, Zhu De smiled kindly: "I'll give you a talk about the role of the formation of engineers, simply put, it is to open up the road in the mountains, when the water bridge!"
Although not read much, but this sentence Wang Yaonan still understand. He stood up his chest and said loudly, "Don't worry, commander-in-chief, I guarantee to complete the task!"
After some careful selection, Wang Yaonan selected a less than 100 people of the elite force, formed the Red First Army Corps Engineer Company, thus becoming one of the founders of the People's Liberation Army Engineers.
As the leader of the first engineering team of our army, Wang Yaonan has left his mark on many historical moments: The first bridge of the Long March on the Yudu River, the bamboo pontoon bridge when crossing the Wujiang River, the Luding Bridge with only a few cables left, and the opening of the road for the whole army when crossing the Jiejianshan Mountain. ...... These are Wang Yaonan and the Red Army engineers, relying on the humble equipment to achieve the miracle.
And at the beginning of this article Liu Bocheng reason for Wang Yaonan want cigarettes and alcohol, but also for the work: in the Long March, the engineers and soldiers company often have to soak in the cold river bridge, all rely on wine to keep out of the cold; and light a series of fuse, cigarette rolls naturally much more convenient than matches.
It's no exaggeration to say that during the entire Long March, Wang Yaonan and his engineering company really did a great job. Chairman Mao also praised Wang Yaonan: "You're not a simple engineer king!"
The victory of the Long March, Wang Yaonan in the jubilation at the same time, but the heart can not help but have some regrets - since the founding of the engineering company, his main job is to build a variety of bridges, and he is proud of the blast craft, but a little bit of not come into play.
This is not surprising: since the Central Soviet Union began the anti-encirclement campaign, until the end of the Long March, the Red Army is basically in the defense and movement of the war, the city with heavy fortifications to start a strong attack on a few battles, Wang Yaonan naturally did not have any opportunity to play.
However, Wang Yaonan's regret did not last long, because the total war of resistance soon began, and he was going to let the Japanese invaders experience what "the art of the explosion".
On the night of August 20, 1940, in the North China Plain, the important strongholds, suddenly rang the deafening sound of gunfire, the history of the "Hundred Regiments War" started.
Like a stormy offensive, instantly the defense of the Japanese army blinded, telegrams for help like snowflakes flying to the Japanese command, asking for the mobilization of troops to support.
However, when the Japanese troops were anxious to board the train, rushed to each of the attacked area, the scene in front of them but let them fooled: originally flat railroad track twisted into a twist, the roadbed emerged from an explosion left behind a large pit, as if a large mouth, waiting to swallow them.
Seeing their reliance on the mobility advantage into nothing, the Japanese army stormed and helpless, lamented: "(Railway traffic) loss is huge, it will take a long period of time and huge sums of money to recover ......"
And it was Wang Yaonan who laid the foundation for all this.
It turns out that as early as 1939, then 129 Division Director of Engineers Wang Yaonan, in accordance with the instructions of Liu Bocheng Division Commander, participated in the development of a destruction of the Japanese military maneuvering advantage, focusing on breaking the enemy railroad line of the battle plan.
This plan was sent to the General Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, and was highly valued by Peng Dehuai, and after continuous expansion and refinement, it was finally formed into the battle plan for the Hundred Regiments War.
As one of the first manipulators of this plan, after the Hundred Regiments War, Wang Yaonan was appointed as the chief engineer of the battle, and became the director of this "explosion show".
According to historical records, during the Hundred Regiments War, under the coordinated arrangement of Wang Yaonan, the Eighth Route Army ministries *** destruction of the Japanese railroad line more than 470 kilometers, bridges, tunnels, more than 260, to the arrogance of the Japanese army on a lesson.
Wang Yaonan's outstanding performance quickly got the attention of Peng Dehuai. So, soon after the end of the Hundred Regiments War, Peng Dehuai gave him a crucial task: Constructing the defense system of Huang Yadong Arsenal.
As the largest and most productive arsenal of the Eighth Route Army during the war, Huang Yadong Arsenal has always been the heart of the Eighth Route Army headquarters. Receiving this task, Wang Yaonan knew that the responsibility was great, and immediately took a few key members and went to the location of the arsenal, Shuiyao Mountain in the northern part of Licheng County, Shanxi Province.
When Wang Yaonan into the water kiln mountain, carefully surveyed the terrain here, can not help but secretly admire the vision of the leadership of the headquarters - here surrounded by mountains, surrounded by goat paths, the Japanese tanks and artillery and other heavy weapons are difficult to perform, is really a good place to defend and difficult to attack.
However, in the sigh of relief, Wang Yaonan and vaguely feel a hint of danger. He circled up and down Shuiyao Mountain several times before he suddenly realized that this easily defended and difficult to attack treasure, is actually a double-edged sword!
Unlike the troop station, the arsenal, in addition to a large number of technicians who lack combat experience, there are 40 pieces of machinery and equipment from the various bases concentrated here, and the rugged terrain near the Huangya Cave, making the transportation and transfer of equipment and personnel are extremely difficult.
In other words, when the Japanese army attacked in force, once the breakthrough of the peripheral defense line, then the Huang Yadong Arsenal is like a baby that can not move, can only be tied up.
Thinking of this potential danger, Wang Yaonan immediately felt the burden on the shoulders of a thousand pounds. He pondered for days and finally came up with a brilliant idea - Mine.
Wang Yaonan is no stranger to landmines. As early as in the Central Soviet Union, he fiddled with the mines captured from the enemy, and soon became fascinated by the power of this iron lump, but at that time, the capture was limited, the Central Soviet Union arms manufacturing capacity is insufficient, so it did not give Wang Yaonan to provide the space to show their skills.
At the outbreak of the war of resistance, when Wang Yaonan witnessed the Japanese using motorized equipment to deal with our troops, the idea of using landmines to combat the Japanese invaders came up again, and now it is hard to catch the opportunity, naturally eager to try, want to practice it on the spot.
But when Wang Yaonan put forward the proposal of mines in front of the position, many commanders objected - in their view, mines are expensive weapons, and do not distinguish between the enemy and me, who stepped on the bomb who, far less convenient than grenades where to hit.
The two sides argued, this lawsuit has been playing to the presided over the construction of the Huangyadong defense project, the Chief of General Staff Zuoquan face.
As a Huangpu and Vorontz two military school training out of the high school students, Zuoquan naturally understand the role of landmines. After a little thought, Zuo Quan agreed to Wang Yaonan's suggestion, but also gave him a difficult problem - Landmines can be laid, but we have to find a way to break the Japanese demining means, and pay special attention to not accidentally injure the people!
Listening to the words of Zuoquan, Wang Yaonan beat his chest to the mountains: "Chief of Staff rest assured! If anything goes wrong, I'll bring my head to you!"
Soon, the opportunity to prove Wang Yaonan's grandiose words came - in early November 1941, more than 2,000 Japanese troops poured out of Licheng County and swooped down on the Huangyadong Arsenal with vigor.
However, as they approached the outer edge of the arsenal's defensive position, they stepped into a pre-laid minefield. After a series of earth-shattering sounds, the Japanese vanguard has been blown to the crooked, crying father and mother.
Take advantage of the Japanese army stunned when, has long been ambushed by the Eighth Route Army Special Forces Regiment of the soldiers to fire together, did not take much effort, the Japanese army back to the Lixian County city.
The Japanese army ate a big loss refused to rest, a few days later, they concentrated more than 5000 troops, continue to Huangyadong pounced, there is not sweeping Huangyadong do not stop the momentum.
Unlike the last time, the Japanese army ate the mines to learn a good lesson, in the front of the troops caught up with a large group of sheep, want to use them to deal with the minefield.
In the Japanese army drove, the sheep soon flocked into the minefield, but the Japanese expected a big explosion did not happen, everything is quiet, as if the mines all disappeared.
See everything is safe and sound, the Japanese army put down their hearts, strutting in. But immediately after, there was a series of "clicks" that blew countless Japanese soldiers back to their homes.
The Japanese commander, who was confused, stormed out and came up with an extremely vicious idea - they used bayonets to force the people to act as human deminers.
However, the familiar script was played again: the same road, the people walked through it unharmed, but as soon as the Japanese troops stepped on it, it was a bombing.
This time, the Japanese army was completely confused - What kind of technology does the Eighth Route Army have?
In fact, all of this is Wang Yaonan preset in advance "chain set" -
In the layout of the minefield, Wang Yaonan has taken into account, the Japanese army is likely to use the way the animal breakthrough to mine clearance.
At that time in Shanxi, the most common animal was the sheep. Wang Yaonan adjusted the strength of the pressurized fuse in advance, so that small animals such as sheep can not trigger the fuse, only people or a greater weight of the animal may trigger the explosion.
At the same time, the Japanese army may drive the people to the mine, Wang Yaonan in the Special Forces Corps specially picked out a number of handy warriors for training, so that they mastered the pressure fuse changed to pull the hair of the fuse technology.
In this way, when the special forces regiment reconnaissance of the Japanese army forced the people to open up the road, it will be able to quickly change the fuses, and wait until the people pass through the minefield, and then use the pull-fire to detonate the mines.
This way of fighting, after being passed around, finally coalesced into a classic line: "I don't see ghosts hanging strings!"
With the assistance of Wang Yaonan's ever-changing mine array, the Eighth Route Army Special Affairs Regiment, with a strength of more than 1,300 men, successfully withstood the attack of more than 5,000 Japanese troops, not only for the smooth transfer of the Huangyadong Arsenal to fight for time, but also to 166 casualties (of which more than 40 were sacrificed), eliminating nearly 1,000 Japanese troops, hitting the 1:6 casualty ratio, which is considered to be a classic defense battle.
After this battle, the commanders who originally had doubts about Wang Yaonan were convinced, and gave a thumbs up: "Director Wang is worthy of engaging in a decade or two of demolition, not God has also become a fine!"
However, these words of praise did not reach Wang Yaonan's ears the first time. Because at this time, he has already left the 129th Division headquarters and ran to the Jinchahi base.
The reason why Wang Yaonan left the divisional headquarters, the cause is still the words of the chief of staff Zuoquan -
When the Huang Yadong fortifications were completed, Wang Yaonan, who could not forget the mine warfare, once again found Zuoquan, wanting to let him help in the Eighth Route Army headquarters to promote mine warfare.
After listening to Wang Yaonan, Zuo Quan said: "Your idea is very good, but have you ever wondered why there are some commanders in this project who also do not support your approach?"
Zuoquan asked this question, but Wang Yaonan asked, he puffed half a day, but did not say a reason.
Seeing Wang Yaonan embarrassed in place, Zuoquan smiled: "You are the king of engineers, mines are nothing in your opinion. But our commanders are different, some of them have never even seen a landmine, can they be convinced if you make such empty talk?"
Immediately after, Zuoquan said in an aggravated tone: "According to me, we still need to come up with the facts, so they can be convinced!"
Zuoquan's words, immediately woke up Wang Yaonan - To make the front-line combatants believe that the role of landmines, what better way than to personally present the law?
So, after returning to the 129th Division Headquarters, he immediately reported to his superiors and asked to personally go to the front line to promote mine warfare.
Coincidentally, at this time, has long admired Wang Yaonan famous commander of the Jinchahi military region Nie Rongzhen on the door to seek wisdom, the two immediately, Wang Yaonan immediately took up his post, backpack and a box of landmine samples, came to the Jinchahi military region.
Although before coming to the Jinchahi military region, Wang Yaonan has fully considered the difficulties that may be encountered, but in-depth to the front-line soldiers, he really realized why many commanders do not want to use landmines -
At that time, the total war of resistance has been fought to the fourth year, a large number of new recruits, the militia to join the anti-Japanese team, although the strong and strong, but also the most important thing is that they can not be used.
According to historical records, in 1938, shortly after the start of the war, the hit rate of the Eighth Route Army's main regiment of fighters shooting from a prone position within 100 meters was basically maintained at 80%, which shows that there are a considerable number of excellent shooters.
And just 2 years later, the then commander of the first military sub-district of Hebei, Luhu and Henan, Qin Jiwei General found that in his own security platoon, there are roughly 40% of the warriors failed to shoot, and even a lot of squad leaders do not even know how to use the table ruler on the rifle.
In a situation where the gun is never out of reach, these new recruits are still so unsatisfactory, let them use the mines, which are much more dangerous, the effect is even more difficult to imagine.
In order to make these recruits and militia as soon as possible to master the layout of the landmine and the use of skills, Wang Yaonan worry, after repeated refinement, practice, he finally came up with a set of "situational teaching method" -
In the promotion of landmine warfare
This fresh method of teaching, not only the soldiers love to see, even the people also watched with great interest, whenever the "Japanese army" was "blown up", the soldiers and the people will be clapping and shouting, and have to ask the "Japanese army" to "die" again. "
This is a great way to get the most out of your life.
After such repeated performances, coupled with Wang Yaonan and the technical backbone of the side of the "real-time explanation", Jinchahi military region of the soldiers and militia quickly eliminated the fear of landmines, and slowly mastered a variety of landmine laying skills.
Not only that, Wang Yaonan also according to the lack of pig iron resources in the Jinchahi Military Region of the status quo, mobilized the militia to make their own mine shells, for a time, the foreign oil cylinder, teapot, large stone ...... Even the night pots were transformed by the militia into a sharp weapon to defeat the enemy.
Driven by Wang Yaonan, the Jinchahi Military Region set off a "bombing campaign" boom, up to 6, 70-year-old old man, down to 10-year-old children's regiment, everyone will bury mines, village will make mines, so that the Japanese invaders fell into a sea of landmines, but also emerged, such as the heroes of the bombing of the Li muckle, a series of heroic figures. A series of heroic figures.
At the same time, the mine warfare in Jinchaji also quickly spread to Jinsui, Shandong and other bases, the loud explosions, the Japanese invaders will be the death knell more loudly.
And behind all this, Wang Yaonan credit.
"King of Engineers" title, although to Wang Yaonan brought infinite glory, but also witnessed his blood-soaked pay - in the long term and mines, explosives in the process of dealing with, Wang Yaonan loss of hearing in both ears, seriously injured five times, disabled many times. Disabled in many places ...... So much so that soon after being awarded the rank of Major General, he recuperated for five years due to illness.
Although full of disease, but when the motherland needs him, General Wang Yaonan or unhesitatingly stood out - anti-U.S. war to aid North Korea, he as an engineering expert to the front line to visit, put forward the proposal of relying on the pit fortification defense against the U.S. forces, after returning to the United States, he dragged the body of the disease, served as the North China Military Region Engineering Construction Command General Director, in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan area to establish a solid permanent fortifications, for the capital to create an unbreakable giant shield ......
What's more, when the Bayi Film Studio started shooting the military educational films The Tunnel War and Landmine War, General Wang Yaonan, as a personal witness of this history, served as the advisor of the film, turning these precious memories into images that influenced and educated generations of Chinese youth.
On November 3, 1984, General Wang Yaonan, who had been ill for several years, closed his eyes forever, and in his dying moments, he urged his family to donate his body to a medical institution for research. ......
This is our founding father, this is our national spine!
I would like to pay tribute to the People's Liberation Army's "King of Engineers", General Wang Yaonan, with this small article!