In August 1940, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was in a difficult period. Pi Dingjun, commander of the 717th Regiment of the 359th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, successfully captured a senior Japanese officer in an operation. Excited, Pi Dingjun immediately escorted the prisoner to the division headquarters, hoping to be rewarded by his superiors. However, things turned out to be unexpected.
When Pi Dingjun came to the division headquarters with great expectations, he was greeted not by praise, but by the thunderous anger of the division commander Liu Bocheng. Liu Bocheng reprimanded sharply: "If you dare to do this next time, you don't have to be this commander!" Pidingjun was stunned, and didn't understand what he had done wrong. Obviously completed the task assigned by his superiors, why was he criticized so harshly?
What's going on? Why is Liu Bocheng so dissatisfied with Pi Dingjun's "credit"? What mistake did Pi Dingjun make that made Liu Bocheng so angry?
In August 1940, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression had entered a phase of stalemate. The Japanese army carried out a policy of "encroachment" in North China, constantly expanding the occupied areas, and at the same time strengthening "law and order warfare" and frequently carrying out "sweeps." Faced with this situation, the Eighth Route Army began to readjust its strategy from simple guerrilla warfare to a combination of guerrilla warfare and movement warfare.
Against this background, the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army received an important task from its superiors: to capture as many Japanese troops as possible in order to obtain enemy intelligence. This task was of great significance, not only to understand the deployment and plans of the enemy forces, but also to a certain extent to demoralize the Japanese troops.
As the commander of the 129th Regiment of the 359th Brigade of the 717th Division, Pi Dingjun immediately began to plan the operation after receiving this task. He was well aware of the difficulty of the task, as Japanese soldiers often chose to commit suicide rather than be captured. Pi Dingjun decided to adopt a bold plan: personally lead the team, disguise himself as a puppet army, and infiltrate enemy-occupied areas to capture Japanese officers.
Pi Dingjun's plan was this: he first sent scouts to carefully observe a small railway station along the Pinghan Railway. After several days of reconnaissance, they found that a Japanese officer was stationed inside the station, surrounded by only a small number of guards, most of whom were puppet soldiers. Pidingjun believes that this is a great opportunity.
In order to ensure the success of the operation, Pideon was personally involved in the operation. He had several of his men change into puppet uniforms, while he himself played the role of a captured Eighth Route Army officer. In order to make the disguise more realistic, Pi Dingjun even asked his subordinates to tie himself up.
In the evening of the same day, Pi Dingjun's team arrived at the train station. A soldier of the Eighth Route Army, pretending to be a puppet army, stepped forward to report that he had captured an important Eighth Route Army official. Hearing this, the Japanese officer appeared very excited and immediately ordered the "captive" to be held in preparation for personal interrogation.
At the moment when the Japanese officer walked into the detention cell, Pi Dingjun and his soldiers moved quickly. They quickly subdued the unsuspecting Japanese officers and lassoed them with prepared sacks. Before the other guards noticed anything unusual, Pi Dingjun led the team to quickly evacuate the train station.
The operation went exceptionally well, and Pi Dingjun and his soldiers managed to capture the Japanese officer and evacuate safely. On the way back, Pidingjun was filled with excitement and pride. He believed that this operation not only completed the tasks assigned by his superiors, but also won honor for the Eighth Route Army.
After returning to the base area, Pi Dingjun immediately sent people to escort the prisoners to the division headquarters. He believes that such a high-ranking officer must have important military information in his hands, which should be sent to his superiors as soon as possible. At the same time, he hopes to be recognized for this.
However, Pi Dingjun did not know that although his adventure was successful, it also buried a hidden danger. His actions, while motivated by zeal for the task, ignore the serious consequences that could bring. This hidden danger will soon be revealed in his conversation with Liu Bocheng.
Immediately after returning to the base area with the captives, Pi Dingjun held a brief meeting to explain the success of the operation to his subordinates. While he was talking about how to skillfully design and execute the arrest, his security guard suddenly burst into the conference room and panted to report that the division commander Liu Bocheng had called and demanded that Pi Dingjun answer immediately.
When Pi Dingjun heard the news, he immediately put down his work and walked quickly to the telephone. He picked up the microphone with anticipation, thinking that he was about to hear Liu Bocheng's praise for him. However, Liu Bocheng's stern voice came from the other end of the phone: "You come to my side now, and if it's too late, go home." "
Liu Bocheng's tone was full of anger, which made Pi Dingjun feel both confused and uneasy. Looking back on his recent work, he doesn't seem to have made any major mistakes. Despite his doubts, Pi Dingjun immediately set off for Liu Bocheng's station.
When Pi Dingjun arrived at Liu Bocheng's office, Liu Bocheng was pacing back and forth, his face gloomy. Seeing Pi Dingjun come in, Liu Bocheng immediately asked, "You personally led someone to capture that captive?" Have you ever thought about the consequences? "
Pi Dingjun was even more confused by Liu Bocheng's questioning. He tried to explain his actions: "Report to the division commander, this operation was indeed completed by me personally. We succeeded in capturing a high-ranking Japanese officer, who is believed to have important information in his hands. Isn't this exactly the task given to us by our superiors? "
After listening to Pi Dingjun's explanation, Liu Bocheng was even more angry instead of calming his anger. He scolded sharply: "How did you become the head of the regiment? Don't you know how important your identity is? Do you know how much damage it will take to our entire army if something goes wrong in the middle of an operation? "
Pi Dingjun was shocked by Liu Bocheng's anger and didn't know how to respond for a while. He thought he would be praised for completing a difficult task, but he didn't expect to be rewarded with such harsh criticism.
Liu Bocheng continued: "You are the regiment commander, not an ordinary soldier. Your role is to direct and coordinate the actions of the entire regiment, rather than risking your own lives to capture the enemy. Have you ever wondered how much intelligence value you would give the enemy if you were captured or killed in action? Your risky actions could jeopardize the safety of the entire troop! "
It was only then that Pi Dingjun realized how reckless his actions were. He tried to justify himself: "Division commander, I just want to complete the task as soon as possible and contribute to the troops..."
But Liu Bocheng does not accept such an explanation. He interrupted harshly, "Contribution? You're not making a contribution, you're causing chaos to the troops! A good commander should know how to allocate tasks wisely, rather than doing everything himself. By doing so, not only will you not play the role that the regimental commander should have, but you may create an opportunity for the enemy to take advantage of. "
Liu Bocheng's criticism left Pi Ding speechless. He began to realize that his actions, while well-intentioned, did have a lot of wrongs. As a regiment commander, he should pay more attention to the overall situation, rather than just focusing on completing the task at hand.
Seeing Pi Dingjun deep in thought, Liu Bocheng calmed down his anger slightly, but his tone was still stern: "Pi Dingjun, I hope you can reflect on this behavior." As a commander, you learn to think big. Every decision you make can affect the safety of the entire army. If you have similar reckless behavior, you don't have to sit in the position of head of the regiment anymore. "
After listening to Liu Bocheng's words, Pi Dingjun was deeply ashamed. He realized that his actions were not only not appreciated as expected, but rather exposed many of his shortcomings as a commander. This harsh criticism made him start to re-examine his leadership style and decision-making process.
After leaving Liu Bocheng's office, Pi Dingjun fell into deep thought. He began to look back at his past decisions and try to find out what was wrong. Although this criticism frustrated him, it also made him realize the higher level of quality and vision that a commander should have.
Liu Bocheng's harsh criticism of Pi Dingjun was not for nothing. As the commander of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, Liu Bocheng knew that during the special period of the War of Resistance Against Japan, every decision could affect the fate of the entire army. His angry rebuke of Pi Dingjun actually reflected his deep understanding of the entire war situation and the great importance he attached to the safety of the troops.
First of all, Pi Dingjun personally led the team to carry out the task of capturing Japanese officers, an act that itself had huge potential risks. As the commander of the 717 regiment, Pi Dingjun's identity is very sensitive. If he is unfortunately captured or killed during the operation, it will not only bring a huge blow to the regiment, but also may endanger the military deployment of the entire division. If the Japanese learned that they had captured a commander of the Eighth Route Army, they would have tortured him to force him to reveal military secrets. Even if Pidin was able to be strong and unyielding, the news of his capture alone was enough to cause panic in the base areas behind enemy lines and shake the morale of the army.
Second, Pidingjun's actions exposed his neglect of the security of his troops. On the battlefield behind enemy lines, secrecy is paramount. Pidingjun sent the captured Japanese officers directly to the division headquarters, an act that could reveal the location of the division headquarters. You must know that in those days, the Japanese army often used captured officers as bait to obtain the location information of the Eighth Route Army headquarters by secretly tracking or installing tracking devices on the captured officers. Pi Dingjun's reckless behavior may bring disaster to the entire division headquarters.
Moreover, Pidingjun's actions reflect his lack of a holistic perspective. As a regimental commander, his main responsibility was to coordinate the actions of the whole regiment and develop strategic deployments, rather than personally participating in specific combat missions. His behavior not only did not play the role that the regiment commander should have, but on the contrary, he may affect the normal operation of the entire regiment because of his risky behavior. If there is an emergency in the regiment while he is away on duty, who will make the decision? This disorderly command style is extremely dangerous in war.
In addition, Liu Bocheng's angry denunciation was also based on a deep understanding of the complex situation on the battlefield behind enemy lines. In 1940, the Japanese army was vigorously promoting the "cage policy" and the "three-light policy" in North China, in a vain attempt to cut off the connection between the Eighth Route Army and the masses. In this case, every move of the Eighth Route Army needs to be cautious. Pi Dingjun's risky behavior, although temporarily successful, may have caused the Japanese army to retaliate by surprise, with disastrous consequences for the local people.
Liu Bocheng also took into account the special nature of intelligence work. While it is important to capture enemy officers, what is even more important is how to interrogate and use this information scientifically and systematically. Pidingjun sent the prisoners directly to the division headquarters, which may have disrupted the original intelligence workflow. On the battlefield behind enemy lines, intelligence work often requires the cooperation of multiple parties, screening and verification at various levels, so as to prevent being deceived by the enemy's false intelligence. Pi Dingjun's rash action may affect the normal operation of the entire intelligence system.
Finally, Liu Bocheng's harsh criticism also reflects the great importance he attaches to the training of cadres. In the arduous War of Resistance Against Japan, it was of utmost importance to train and protect outstanding military cadres. As a young officer with potential, every decision and action made by Pidingjun could affect his future growth. Liu Bocheng's severe criticism actually hoped that Pi Dingjun would learn a lesson from this incident and improve his military quality and strategic vision.
On the whole, Liu Bocheng's angry rebuke of Pi Dingjun reflected a senior commander's comprehensive grasp of the battle situation and his high responsibility for the safety of the troops. His criticism was not only directed at Pi Dingjun personally, but also put forward clear requirements for the problems that the entire army should pay attention to when carrying out its tasks. This kind of strict demand and criticism is one of the important reasons why the Eighth Route Army was able to continue to grow and develop in the arduous War of Resistance Against Japan.
After Pi Dingjun left Liu Bocheng's office, he immediately convened a meeting of the main cadres of the Youth League headquarters. He did not hide the fact that he was criticized, but conveyed Liu Bocheng's accusations and teachings to everyone present. This candid attitude won the respect of the cadres and laid the foundation for the following discussions.
At the meeting, Pidin first reviewed his mistakes. He said: "Comrades, although this operation was successful, it also exposed many problems in my command and decision-making as a regiment commander. We must carefully learn from the lessons learned to prevent similar mistakes from happening again. "
Subsequently, Pidin was given an urgent task: to conduct a comprehensive review of all recent military operations, especially those involving the personal involvement of senior military officers. He asked each person involved in the operation to write a detailed report, including the plan of the operation, the implementation process, the risks and possible improvement measures.
In the course of carrying out this task, many problems were revealed. For example, some operations achieved partial victories, but neglected the protection of the local population, resulting in the subsequent retaliatory actions of the Japanese army, which caused great harm to the masses. There are also operations that capture the enemy, but because of improper handling, they create a chance for the enemy to escape.
Pidin carefully studied each report and personally communicated with the relevant personnel. Through this process, he gradually realized that as a regimental commander, his duty is not only to lead the troops to victory, but more importantly, to think from a strategic perspective and weigh the possible long-term impact of each decision.
In order to improve his military qualities, Pi Dingjun began to systematically study military theory and strategic thinking. He not only studied the ancient Chinese classics of the art of war, such as "The Art of War" and "The Thirty-six Strategies", but also extensively dabbled in modern military theories, including Mao Zedong's guerrilla warfare thought and military works from all over the world.
In the course of his studies, Pidingjun paid special attention to how to conduct guerrilla warfare in a complex environment behind enemy lines. He realized that in the face of the well-equipped Japanese army, the Eighth Route Army could not rely solely on courage and blood, but should give full play to its wisdom and make use of various favorable factors such as terrain and weather to defeat the strong with the weak.
In order to integrate theory with practice, Pi Dingjun began to implement a series of reform measures in the regiment. First, he established an intelligence analysis group that was responsible for collecting, collating, and analyzing all kinds of military intelligence. This group pays attention not only to the movements of the enemy, but also to the local socio-economic situation in order to better carry out mass work.
Second, Pi Dingjun reformed the decision-making mechanism in the regiment. He stipulated that all major military operations must be decided after collective discussion by the regimental headquarters and after fully listening to the opinions of all parties. This not only avoids the drawbacks of being arbitrary and arbitrary, but also provides opportunities for young cadres to study and temper themselves.
In terms of training, Pidingjun placed special emphasis on the skills of covert movement and quick retreat. He personally designed a series of training subjects that simulated the environment behind enemy lines, requiring each soldier to move quickly in complex terrain and master various concealment techniques.
In addition, Pidingjun also strengthened cooperation with local party organizations. He knew very well that it would be impossible to achieve victory without the support of the masses in the areas behind enemy lines. Therefore, he often sent people to communicate with the local party organizations, understand the needs of the masses, and protect the interests of the masses as much as possible in military operations.
The implementation of this series of measures has significantly improved the combat effectiveness of the 717 Regiment. In the ensuing battles, the regiment not only achieved a military victory, but also won broad support from the masses. In particular, in a Japanese "sweeping" operation, the 717th Regiment not only succeeded in protecting the masses in the base area, but also dealt a heavy blow to the enemy by virtue of its superb guerrilla tactics.
Pi Dingjun's progress was quickly recognized by his superiors. At a divisional meeting, Liu Bocheng publicly praised Pi Dingjun's progress, saying that he "has begun to possess the qualities of a good commander." This evaluation is not only an affirmation of Pi Dingjun personally, but also a recognition of the work of the entire 717 Regiment.
However, Pidejun was not complacent. He is well aware that in the brutal environment of war, any negligence can have catastrophic consequences. Therefore, he always reminds himself and his subordinates to maintain a modest and cautious style, keep learning, and keep improving.
Pi Dingjun's experience in the 717th Regiment became an important turning point in his military career. Through Liu Bocheng's criticism and his own reflection, he gradually grew into an excellent military commander. This growth was reflected not only in his personal ability, but also in the subsequent military career.
At the beginning of 1941, the Japanese army launched a large-scale "law and order strengthening campaign" in North China, intending to completely destroy the base areas of the Eighth Route Army. Faced with this grim situation, Pi Dingjun commanded the 717th Regiment to wage an arduous struggle against the enemy. He made full use of the guerrilla tactics he had learned, led his troops to be flexible and mobile, and fought a series of beautiful ambush battles.
One of the most famous is the "Koike Village Ambush". Through meticulous intelligence work, Pidingjun learned that a Japanese baggage force would pass through Koike Village. He skillfully took advantage of the terrain and laid a net on the hillside outside the village. When the Japanese army entered the ambush circle, the soldiers of the 717th Regiment suddenly launched a fierce attack, annihilating this baggage force in one fell swoop, and seizing a large number of weapons, ammunition and military supplies. This battle not only dealt a blow to the enemy's arrogance, but also greatly boosted the morale of the army and people in the base areas.
Pi Dingjun's commanding talent was further recognized. In 1942, he was promoted to brigade commander and was responsible for commanding larger units. In his new role, Pideon faced even greater challenges. In this year, the Japanese army implemented a more brutal "three-light policy", attempting to destroy the survival foundation of the Eighth Route Army by burning, killing, and robbing the light.
Faced with this situation, Pi Dingjun put forward the strategic concept of "guerrilla regionalization." He dispersed his troops into small units and penetrated deep behind enemy lines to establish point-like and line-like guerrilla zones. Each guerrilla zone was able to fight independently and support each other. This strategy greatly enhanced the survivability and combat effectiveness of the troops, and caused repeated setbacks in the Japanese army's "mopping-up" operations.
In 1943, Pi Dingjun participated in the command of the famous "Battle of the Hundred Regiments". In this counteroffensive on an unprecedented scale, Pidingjun once again demonstrated his outstanding military talents. He led his troops to capture a number of Japanese strongholds, destroyed a large number of railways and roads, and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. In particular, when attacking an important bridge, Pi Dingjun skillfully used the tactics of attacking the east and attacking the west, successfully paralyzing the enemy and seizing this strategic point in one fell swoop.
However, the brutality of the war also dealt a heavy blow to Pidingjun. In one battle, his lieutenant and many close comrades-in-arms were killed. In the face of such losses, Pi Ding did not flinch, but strengthened his determination to resist to the end. In a letter to his family, he wrote: "The revolution has not yet succeeded, and comrades still have to work hard. Our generation should follow the example of the martyrs and continue to struggle. "
In 1944, Pidingjun was appointed commander of the army. In this higher command position, he began to focus on a larger range of strategic issues. He put forward the strategic concept of "developing northward" and advocated advancing the guerrilla zone to the North China Plain in order to break the blockade line of the Japanese army. This idea was approved by the higher authorities and has achieved remarkable results in practice.
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Pi Dingjun devoted himself to the War of Liberation. He participated in and commanded many important battles, including the famous Liaoshen Campaign and the Pingjin Campaign. In these battles, Pi Dingjun made full use of the experience he accumulated in the War of Resistance against Japan and showed superb command art.
It is particularly worth mentioning that in the Pingjin Campaign, Pi Dingjun was responsible for commanding the strength of an army and shouldered the important task of capturing Tianjin. In the face of the stubborn resistance of the Kuomintang army, Pi Dingjun adopted the tactics of encircling the point to send reinforcements. He first made a feint to attack the city to induce reinforcements from the enemy, and then concentrated his superior forces and broke through the enemy's outer defense line in one fell swoop. The successful application of this tactic greatly accelerated the liberation process of Tianjin.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Pi Dingjun continued to hold important positions in the People's Liberation Army. He successively served as deputy commander of the military region and director of education of the Military Academy, and made important contributions to the national defense construction of New China. In this process, he never forgot Liu Bocheng's teachings back then, and always maintained a humble and studious attitude.
In 1955, Pi Dingjun was awarded the rank of lieutenant general, which was an affirmation of his many years of military career. At the award ceremony, Liu Bocheng, who was already a marshal, specially found Pi Dingjun, patted him on the shoulder and said: "Lao Pi, you have not lived up to the expectations of the party and the people, let alone my harsh criticism of you back then. "