178 epic journey
Li Xiang took a pencil and drew arrows one by one on the periphery of Changdu, like sharp arrows full of bows to be launched, pointing directly to the vast area around Changdu and the west bank of Jinsha River.
Zeng Gao and Li Xiping were also encouraged by the current war. Looking at the map, Zeng Gao asked in a low voice, "When do you think the general attack will be launched?"
Li wanted to knock on the map with a pencil and said to him, "Our march into Tibet this time is not a question of whether we can win the war militarily. There is no problem for us to win militarily, because the Ezhou National Revolutionary Army has been tested. Now for us, it is a question of how to compete for the hearts and minds of the people politically. One of the main tasks of your logistics support work is to study how to make the equipment light and reduce the burden of soldiers. Because after entering Tibet, cars are not used, but can only be transported by livestock and ox carts. In some mountain roads, animals and cattle can't get through, so they can only rely on people to carry them. The weapons and equipment of the troops entering Tibet should be of good quality, light weight and adapted to the characteristics of plateau operations. The troops are well equipped, and they can be inspiring after entering Tibet.
Tibet is far away from the mainland, the transportation is inconvenient, the economy is backward, the population is sparse, and the language is not understandable, and the gap between the residents and the Han people is relatively deep. Therefore, marching on Tibet is a special battle. Almost all the supply of the troops entering Tibet will be raised by the mainland and sent with the army. Supply has become the primary issue for combat.
Li Xiang determined the struggle policy of "politics is more important than military, and supplies are more important than fighting" for the Hubei army.
Li Xiang, Zeng Gao, Li Xiping and others spent a lot of energy and time studying and solving the political and material preparations for entering Tibet, especially how to do a good job in logistics support. They decided to establish the Support Command for the Entry into Tibet to lead the logistics support work of the troops entering Tibet. The headquarters has jurisdiction over seven engineering regiments, ten regiments and an air force transport aircraft brigade, which are responsible for road construction and transportation supplies.
Li wants to pay close attention to the preparations for entering Tibet, and considers the quilts, equipment, food hygiene, etc. of the troops entering Tibet very carefully and specifically.
"Due to the slow progress of road construction and the unsuccessful airdrop test flight for more than a month, the advance troops were exhausted and there was a food shortage. Each person can only eat one catty of food a day. It was not until not long ago that the air force successfully sent a test to Kangding and Ganzi that the food shortage of the advance troops was alleviated. Li Xiping frowned and said.
"Since only two planes can airdrop to Ganzi, it is impossible to guarantee the full food supply to Ganzi troops." Zeng Gao also said, "Therefore, in order to ensure that 1.5 million kilograms of grain will be accumulated in Ganzi in September and prepare for the battle in Changdu, air transportation must be strengthened."
"There are only so many aircraft we produce ourselves. We can only find a way to buy a batch of transport aircraft abroad to transport materials into Tibet by air." Li wanted to put down the pencil and said, "However, the air transportation capacity is limited after all, and it is still impossible to guarantee the full supply of the large army. We still need to march and build roads at the same time. The troops went there, the road was repaired there, and the supplies were also transported there. In this way, six engineering regiments and three infantry regiments are mobilized to form a road-building army, overcome all difficulties at all costs, and repair the road from Ya'an to Ganzi.
"Yes."
Li wanted to walk to the window and whispered, "How is the work of the advance company in Tibet going?"
"The soldiers climbed the ice and lay in the snow all the way, and overcame the torture of plateau diseases such as snow blindness. After nearly a month of hardships, the soldiers settled in Zamamang Fort in Ali's revision." Li Xiping said, "Zama Mangbao is a barren beach full of camel thorns in the northwest of Kaizezong. It is 4,700 meters above sea level. The lowest temperature in winter is minus 40 degrees Celsius, and it has been covered with ice and snow for half a year. The first team set up a tent in a dense place with camel thorns, and then the camel thorns were piled up into a high "wall" to build the first "hold" after the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet. At first, the local people were afraid of the People's Liberation Army, and the local leaders did not allow the herdsmen to contact the People's Liberation Army. They were sent to publicize the Party's ethnic policy to them, help the masses graze, pick up cow dung, treat diseases, and bring their limited clothes, food, tea, etc. to help the poor herdsmen, which slowly won their favor. "
"Hardship is needless to say," Zeng Gao said, "A reinforced company will be sent later."
"This will be an epic journey that will always be remembered in the history of the Republic." Li wanted to sigh.
......
Strengthen the continuous review of Kunlun Mountain and the advance company of entering Tibet, and meet the victory of Zamamenba in the reform area of the Qiangtang Plateau in northern Tibet.
In this unprecedented and unknown expedition, although the mountain is high and low oxygen, difficult and dangerous, the officers and soldiers of the advance company launched challenges and charge to the limit with their iron will and style. The comrades-in-arms were all dark and puffy, but their eyes were full of wisdom. Some of them froze off their fingers, and two comrades lost their ears...
The two troops held a grand party.
The cook began to have a big meal. A small bottle of gasoline was mixed with yak dung as fuel, and a magnifying glass was used to ignite white phosphorus to make a fire, and a specially prepared pressure cooker was set up on it.
"Brother," a veteran of the advance company said with a strong Mongolian accent, "When you arrive in northern Tibet, this does not mean the end of the hard journey, but the beginning of the real battle."
"The Dashan boundary board has been turned over. What's more difficult than reading the Dashan boundary board?" The soldier took out a piece of boiled wild donkey meat from the pressure cooker and snored.
"What do you know?" The veteran lacked a finger and still quickly picked up a piece of rotten donkey meat. You don't know anything about the enemy, social conditions and customs here, and you don't know the climate, terrain and roads here. In the future, you have to stand and take root in this new area far away from the leaders. The task of recovering Tibet has just begun.
"Have you seen the Tibetans?"
"I saw it. It's hard to find it."
"Hm?" His mouth was full of rotten donkey meat, and he squeaked vaguely.
"North Tibet is sparsely populated, and it was very difficult to find Tibetans at the beginning. Once, the deputy company commander led a reconnaissance team to climb snowy mountains, wading glaciers, and looking for Tibetans. The veteran of the advance company recalled that memory and stopped to grab food with infinite emotion.
"... The camel's hoofs grinded out the blood. We wrapped it in rags and ate all the dry food we brought. We hunted to satisfy our hunger. In this way, we kept running in the wild for 15 days, and we didn't see the Tibetans. Several other teams also suffered a lot and ran a lot, but still didn't find a Tibetan.
Later, he finally found two Tibetans and four children, the deputy company commander and his comrades-in-arms in a place called Duomu. He hurried to meet the Tibetans. As a result, the Tibetans were surprised, left the sheep and hurriedly ran to the mountain. Peng Qingyun knew that the Tibetans didn't understand us, and in this case, they could no longer catch up. As he sent people to collect the scattered sheep together, he asked our Xinjiang ethnic minority brothers to shout to the Tibetans in several languages such as Uighur, Mongolia, Kazakh and so on. At this time, the Tibetans stopped and set up a fork gun at the detachment. The deputy company commander walked forward, and the Tibetans retreated. The deputy company commander stopped, and the Tibetans also stopped. In this way, we kept a distance all morning.
The company commander received the report of the deputy company commander and immediately came with the translator Pegasus. He knew that because the Qing government oppressed them too harshly and caused ethnic estrangement, it was natural for Tibetans to see our army afraid for the first time. Now they are holding guns in their hands. In case of a conflict, it will have adverse consequences for their future work. The company commander rushed to the scene and saw that the two sides were still in a confrontation. He ordered the troops to put down their weapons and take the interpreter and hold Hada in their hands.
Drive the sheep and walk towards the herdsmen. Seeing this unarmed and malicious situation, the herdsman put away the fork gun. The Tibetans were very excited to see the actions of our army before and after, especially the kind words and deeds of the soldier wearing the blue sky and day badge in front of them.
When they arrived at the Tibetan tent, the comrades took out flower cloth, square candy and tea and gave them to the Tibetans. Joe Buck also made noodles for the Tibetans, so that the Tibetans completely eliminated their fear.
The company commander sat with the Tibetans and told them that we are the National Revolutionary Army and an army serving the people. Today, Marshal Li ordered us to come here to liberate the oppressed people in Tibet. The company commander also publicized the policies of our party and the discipline of our army to the Tibetan villagers in detail. Although they could not fully understand them at once, the names of Marshal Li and the National Revolutionary Army were deeply imprinted in the minds of the Tibetan people. They excitedly pulled the comrade's hand and touched the comrade's blue sky and day badge. The adults and children cried and kept saying, "Xia Bao, Yagudu!"
"What does 'Xia Bao, Yagudu' mean?"
"Good friend." The veterans of the company fished up a piece of white radish. "There are only a few agricultural areas in the Ali area, with a few barley, and most people live a primitive nomadic life. This is the vegetable we grow in the greenhouse. Try it.
"On the way here, ground vegetables, wild animals and grass roots have become staple food, and I'm about to become a savage." The soldier said and picked up a piece of radish and ate it with a smile.
"Did you know that the monks and farmers and herdsmen of the temple looked at 5 catties of cabbage and 4 catties of radishes, with a smile on their faces. They looked at them and touched them, and made a series of praises. They stretched out their thumbs and said, 'The revolutionary army is really good. It's a wonder that such crops can grow on the wasteland.' They all rushed the herds to exchange with us. A few cabbages and radishes are a sheep or a yak.
"You just said that 'the mission to restore Tibet has just begun'. I think your mission is very vigorous. Let's come here and have nothing to do."
"Why do you have nothing to do? The reactionary leaders in the Ali region heard that our army entered northern Tibet from Xinjiang, lost their soul, and tried their best to use the trick of obstruction and destruction. The reactionary man made a rumor: "A group of poor Han people came to the north of Tibet to rob things. They were bandits who killed and killed the religion..." The reactionary local government issued three bans: no contact with the revolutionary army; no sale of things to the revolutionary army; no permission to lead the revolutionary army. They also threatened to trap the revolutionary army on the mountain.
"Damn it! Who is so reactionary? Why don't you kill him!" The soldier threw the bowl and said in anger.
The veteran of the company curled his lips and said, "You can't shoot the first shot."