Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Southward Failure

After the Zhuomudiao meeting, in order to implement the strategic policy of going south, Zhang Guotao released the "Suidan Chongmao Campaign Plan" on October 7, 1935 in the name of "Chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission".The specific deployment is: Wang Shusheng led eight regiments from the right column to go south along Dajinchuan to capture Suijing and Danba; Xu Qianqian and Chen Changhao led 16 regiments from the left column to go south along Fubian River to capture Maogong and Dawei. The "Plan" required the main force of the Red Army to occupy the above-mentioned areas with "secret and swift means", paving the way for the Red Army to go south to Tianquan and Lushan.

At that time, the troops of the Sichuan warlords deployed defenses on the front line of Dajinchuan and Xiaojinchuan, and divided their troops to prevent the Red Army from going south.The two brigades of Liu Wenhui's department were in the area of ​​Suijing, Danba, and Chonghua (now Anning) in Dajinchuan, the four brigades of Yang Sen's department were in the area of ​​Maogong and Dawei in Xiaojinchuan, and one regiment of Deng Xihou's department guarded Rilong to the east of Fubian. close.Since the Red Army went north, it has been peaceful for many days.The Sichuan Army dawdled around loosely, never expecting that the Red Army would return to the south the same way.

Zhu De reviewed the battle plan formulated by Liu Bocheng and Xu Xiangqian.Although he opposed Zhang Guotao's separatist act of establishing a separate "central government", everyone was in agreement on the general direction of preserving the Red Army.Zhu De believes that since the Red Army has gone south, it should open up the situation and find a place to survive.Tens of thousands of Red Army gathered on the desolate northwestern plateau of Sichuan, without clothing and food, tantamount to self-destruction.He said to the commander of the Fourth Front Army: The Sichuan Army has always bullied the weak and feared the strong, and is used to slipping the first battle.If we don't fight, we will stop there. If we want to fight, we should seize and beat them, and beat them hard!He asked commanders at all levels to pay attention to tactics, to defeat the enemy quickly and skillfully, and to win big victories at a small price.

After the battle plan was issued, the troops immediately started to act.For the Red Army soldiers who have been sleepy on the grass and suffering from hunger and cold for a long time, there is nothing more exciting than "going south to Chengdu Bazi to eat rice".The troops moved surprisingly fast, and morale was at an all-time high. The terrain in the Da and Xiao Jinchuan areas is complex, with many deep mountains and canyons along the way, deep water and fast currents, making it difficult for large troops to deploy.The key to the Red Army's victory is to catch the enemy by surprise and quickly seize the ferry bridges and mountain passes.After the Red Army began to move, it was originally planned that the right column would seize the Guanyin Iron Bridge near Zhuo Sijia to cross the river, so that the left and right roads would cross the river and echo across the bank.However, the 74th regiment of the right column failed to seize the Guanyin Bridge, and the commander was not decisive, which delayed the time.Xu Xiangqian decided to send the 4th Army to quickly cross the Dajinchuan from Dangba, and the 30th Army followed up. On October 11, Xu Shiyou led the 4th army to successfully cross the border, and advanced along the right bank, Lian Ke appeasement, Danba. The 27th Division of the 9th Army launched an attack on the night of the 15th, defeated the Yang Sen Department defending Lianghekou, marched continuously, and occupied Fubian and Dawei in one go. The 30th Army also captured Maogong.After twelve days of marching and fighting, the Red Army defeated six brigades of the Sichuan Army and won the first stage of the southward campaign.

Xu Xiangqian was satisfied with the performance of the troops. He recalled: "This battle was a mountainous and narrow road battle, which was difficult to fight. Our army was resourceful, brave, flexible and quick, giving full play to its tactical strengths such as night operations, surprise attacks, and small troops' bold detours. The torrent, piercing the canyon, breaking the enemy's fortress, and seizing key passes, demonstrated the invincible and excellent fighting qualities of the Red Army. The 27th Division of the 9th Army fought continuously, advancing five hundred miles, and fought the best. The night attack on Dawei, the operation was secret and fast , When the troops entered the street, the enemy was still asleep. Gao Dezhou, the commander of the enemy's 4th Brigade, woke up from a start, and fled in a hurry without putting on his clothes."

After hearing the news of the Red Army going south, Chiang Kai-shek judged that the goal of the Red Army was the Chengdu Plain.In order to intercept and destroy the Red Army, he set up a "campaign" in Chongqing to preside over the "suppression of bandits".A large number of Kuomintang military and political officials were sent to Sichuan to strengthen their rule.The Sichuan army was reorganized, and the number of troops was reduced by one-third, but the organizational system was enriched, and weapons and ammunition were supplemented, so that the combat effectiveness of the Sichuan army was significantly enhanced compared with before.Chiang Kai-shek unified the Sichuan Army under his command and appointed Liu Xiang as the commander-in-chief of Sichuan's "bandit suppression".All the reorganized Sichuan troops must obey the unified dispatch and must not go their own way.Although Chiang Kai-shek paid a lot of money and guns, he received the effect of "killing two birds with one stone".He asked the Sichuan Army to fight the Red Army. If they won, they would kill the revolutionary forces. If they couldn't win, they would weaken the Sichuan Army, and then the Central Army would come to clean up the situation.When the Red Army went south to Maogong and Danba, Liu Xiang had dispatched troops and generals, and deployed strict defenses in Ya'an, Tianquan, and Mingshan.

After winning the Suidan Chongmao Battle, the Red Army headquarters decided to take advantage of the victory and march southward to the Chengdu Plain.Xu Xiangqian estimated that "our army will take advantage of the momentum to attack the south, attack the Sichuan enemy, and seize Tianquan, Lushan, Mingshan, Ya'an, Qionglai, and Dayi areas, and we have a greater certainty."Then the "Tianlu Mingyaqiong Battle Plan" was formulated. On October 20, Zhu De and Zhang Guotao approved and released the battle plan.Its deployment is: the right column is composed of the 4th Army and the 32nd Army, and Ni Zhiliang is the commander.Xu Shiyou's 4th Army attacked Tianquan, and Luo Binghui's 32nd Army attacked Hanyuan and Yingjing. The 30th Army, the 31st Army, and the first part of the 9th Army formed the middle column. Wang Shusheng was the commander, and Li Xiannian was the political commissar. They attacked Baoxing and Lushan, and then marched towards Ya'an and Mingshan. The main force of the 9th Army was the right column, with Chen Haisong as the commander, attacking Qionglai and Dayi.Then divide the troops to move towards Kangding and Matang, consolidate the rear, and contain the enemy.

After the battle began, the Red Army was in full swing. On October 24, the Red 33rd Army set off from Maogong. On the 27th, the 88th Division of the 30th Army crossed Jiajin Mountain and condescendingly attacked a regiment of the Yang Sen Department of the Sichuan Army stationed at Pushenggang at the foot of the mountain.The forest in the valley is lush, the fog is filled, and there is still a drizzle.The Sichuan army was crushed by the Red Army and fled for their lives along the narrow road. More than 200 people were squeezed into the abyss and died.The Red Army chased to Yanjing Township, 50 miles away from Baoxing County, before stopping to rest.

On November 1, Wang Shusheng led a part of the middle column to go south along the east and south, and arrived in the west of Baoxing City.The enemy army destroyed the iron chain bridge on the river, and the Red Army set up a pontoon bridge to cross the river, joined the Red Army on the other side, and attacked Baoxing County together.Defending the enemy and abandoning the city, they fled to Lingguan. The Red Army captured Baoxing City, pursued and fought fiercely, defeated a regiment of Liu Xiang's department, and approached Lushan City. The left and right columns of the Red Army are also progressing smoothly.Xu Shiyou commanded the 4th Army to cross Jiajin Mountain from Jintang.The mountain was high and the road was dangerous. The Red Army hired farmers who collected herbs as guides, cut off the thorns with a big knife, crossed Jiajin Mountain all day and night, and arrived at Zishiguan on November 8.Stationed at Zishiguan is Liu Wenhui's Yuan Guorui Brigade, who was defeated by the Central Red Army at Luding Bridge half a year ago.At this time, there were two battalions guarding Zishiguan, thinking that the terrain here was dangerous and there was only one path, so with the help of the bunkers, they could block the Red Army with firepower.Unexpectedly, the Red Army climbed up a platoon from the cliff and captured Zishiguan.The soldiers of Yuan Brigade ran back, and the Red Army shouted behind them to hand in their guns and not to kill, and advised the Sichuan Army not to run.When the Sichuan Army heard that the Red Army also had a Sichuan accent, they sat down and did not run away.The remaining remnants managed to escape outside Tianquan City, but Guo Xunqi, the guard of the Liu Xiang Department, refused to open the door, and even shot at the Yuan Brigade soldiers, threatening to "clear out these miscellaneous troops so that we can fight the Red Army."The soldiers of Yuan Brigade were so angry that they suddenly had the courage to rush to Guo Shi's position and break into the city.

The Red Army followed Yuan Lu's defeated army to the outside of Tianquan City, and exchanged fire with Guo Division at Dagang Mountain.When Xu Shiyou came to the front at dusk, he found that the enemy had built fortifications on the other side of the river and on Dagang Mountain, and blocked the river and the bridge with fierce machine gun fire. The Red Army was beaten back after several charges.Xu Shiyou ordered to stop the frontal attack and switch to night attack tactics.Late that night, the Red Army, under the leadership of the guide, touched Dagang Mountain from the side.The enemy army was cooking by the fire and became a prisoner.Seeing the signal of a successful sneak attack, Xu Shiyou ordered the attack.Most of Guo's regiment was wiped out, and the Red Army pursued closely, heading straight for Tianquan County. At dawn on November 9, they entered the city and blocked the entrance of the division headquarters.Guo Xunqi escaped by jumping over the wall and almost became a prisoner.The Tianquan battle was a tough battle. The 4th Army fought continuously for three days without a break. They fought from Zishiguan to Tianquan, defeated one division after another of the Sichuan Army, and won the biggest victory since going south. It also taught the Sichuan Army the strength of the Red Army. Aftermath.

During this period, the Red Army's southward march was progressing smoothly, and the situation was very optimistic.The left column defeated Deng Xihou's part and approached Qionglai County.After the right column occupied Tianquan, it cooperated with the middle column to surround Lushan. On November 12, Lushan defended the enemy and abandoned the city to escape, and the Red Army occupied Lushan again.Within ten days, the Red Army wiped out more than 5,000 enemies in the three counties of Kebaoxing, Tianquan, and Lushan, and controlled large areas east of the Dadu River, south of Maogong, west of the Qionglai Mountains, and north of the Qingyi River, resulting in a large area that went straight down the western Sichuan Plain. , The threat to Chengdu shocked Chiang Kai-shek and the Sichuan warlords. The Red Army also paid a considerable price in the process of going south.The hard life of the Long March greatly reduced the physical fitness of the Red Army, and more and more people fell behind in the battle.Half a month of marching and fighting has almost exhausted the energy of the Red Army, and it is in urgent need of rest.The Red Army was also poorly equipped, and these weaknesses were exposed in the face of a tenacious enemy. After the 4th Army conquered Tianquan, the 32nd Army in the right column went south to Yingjing and Hanyuan to cover the 4th Army and continue to attack eastward.Under the command of Commander Luo Binghui and Political Commissar He Changgong, when the 32nd Army entered Hanyuan, they encountered the old enemy of the Red Army—Liu Yuantang from Liu Wenhui's department. In May, the Central Red Army attacked Huili and was frustrated by Liu Yuantang.Now this desperado leads another brigade to defend Hanyuan.Hanyuan County is located at the foot of Daxiangling Mountain on the north bank of the Dadu River. The west gate and south gate are surrounded by steep cliffs, which are easy to defend.The north gate leads to Daxiangling, there are street residents outside the city, and there is no city wall.Liu Yuantang relied on commanding heights such as Dafengbao and Shijiapo outside the north gate to deploy defenses to block the Red Army.When the 32nd Army reached the north of Hanyuan City, Battalion Commander Wu, who was stationed at Shijiapo, took the lead in running towards the city, but was blocked by Liu Yuantang on the way.Liu Yuantang angrily scolded Battalion Commander Wu: "Do you see how many troops the Communist Army has come? How long have you delayed the Communist Army? How many people have you sacrificed?" He chopped Wu Battalion Commander until his face was bleeding with a saber, and restrained the fleeing soldiers .Liu Yuantang retreated into the city, relying on the village and the city wall to defend to the death.The Red Army surrounded Hanyuan County and cut off the water source, but they were unable to capture it because of their weak firepower.The Kuomintang planes often circled over Hanyuan, taking cover from the Red Army, and Liu Yuantang's subordinates came out to fetch water, and the stalemate lasted for two months.Zhang Guotao asked the 32nd Army to take on the task of containment, but did not let them attack hard. Liu Yuantang took advantage again.When the Red Fourth Army failed to go south, it went north again, and the 32nd Army also withdrew from the encirclement. Just as the Red Army was victorious, Zhang Guotao felt uneasy in the rear. On the night of October 31, he called Xu and Chen in the front to inform the Central Red Army of the meeting with Xu Haidong and Liu Zhidan, and then said: "(D) depends on the situation of all parties. It seems that the political situation will change in our favor. We must prepare for a more difficult and long-term war. , Shuanghe fights, it is not appropriate to use heavy troops to go out of Dachuan, brother, please decide according to the actual situation. (Self) Xikang is my only way out, and I can’t say that Xikang is behind. I am mistaken. Even Daofu has more population than appeasement, and Kangding, If Daofu is ours, the food supply will be settled, we will have a wide rear, and we can develop towards Xichang. When the enemy can hold the bunker lines in the Qiong, Da, Ming, Tian, ​​and Lu areas, it is better to seize the opportunity to take Kangding." Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao were directing the troops forward and did not reply to the telegram.Zhang Guotao did not hear back, and called Xu and Chen again on November 6: "I have fallen behind many sick people along the way, and the regiments have few personnel, and there is no more to replenish for a while. "To Xu and Chen, "it is advisable to find out how to transfer troops along the banks of Jinchuan and take Kang and Lu." At this time, the Red Army conquered Tianquan and its morale was booming. Xu and Chen replied to Zhang Guotao on the 7th. After notifying the Red Army's victory, they told Zhang Guotao: "At present, the grain houses in this area are very crowded, and the village is larger than Bachuan. The masses are going home one after another. , the establishment of guerrilla units and the expansion of the Red Army have begun in various places, and the material foundation is very good. If we can work in depth, it will be easier to replenish people and things.... If we can concentrate more troops to fight in this area, we are very sure. If we enter Xikang immediately, we will replenish Difficult, more downsizing, scattered forces, extremely cold weather, and weak coordination with the Second and Sixth Army." Xu and Chen's opinion is: "If the decisive battle here is successful, it will be easy to intercept the east or west, and the west is only a case. .” Some people think that at the moment of victory when the Red Army went south, Zhang Guotao wanted to go west, which was a manifestation of rightist escapeism.In fact, judging from the actual situation, Zhang Guotao knew how much the Red Army could fight after going through the arduous Long March.He seemed to have foreseen that the Red Army would encounter stubborn resistance from the Sichuan warlords when it marched towards the Chengdu Plain, and the future was not optimistic.Zhu De is also very clear-headed.When formulating the battle plan for marching towards Tianquan and famous mountains, he used his experience in fighting in the Soviet Area of ​​Jiangxi to warn the commanders of the Red Fourth Front Army that the troops had already broken through the dangerous mountain passes of the western Sichuan plateau, and the battle would change from mountain warfare and narrow road warfare to flat ground. Warfare and urban warfare have changed from mobile warfare to positional warfare and fortress warfare.In view of the situation of troops fighting in open terrain conditions, he especially emphasized the importance of strengthening air defense education.It is necessary to eliminate the fear of enemy planes and take specific measures to deal with them.Don't take it lightly and take it lightly.He said: We are the Red Army, not fetishists, and we are never afraid of the imperialist scavenger—Chiang Kai-shek's aircraft and cannons.But we have to admit that the enemy's planes do have lethal power, and they want to eat meat.Shouting not to be afraid in words, without studying scientific methods to deal with it, will only make the red fighters suffer priceless sacrifices.Zhu De gave specific instructions on how to organize anti-aircraft shooting and air defense concealment, which left a deep impression on Xu Xiangqian.Unfortunately, Zhu De's advice did not attract the attention of commanders at all levels. Zhang Guotao was very happy when the news came that the Red Army had conquered Tianquan and Lushan.At this time, the Central Committee of Northern Shaanxi sent a telegram to Zhang Guotao on November 12 to inform the Central Red Army and the Northern Shaanxi Red Army of the news of the rendezvous, and instructed the Fourth Front Army, "You should resolutely develop towards Tianquan, Lushan, Qionglai, Dayi, and Ya'an at present, and eliminate Liu's army." , Deng, and Yang's troops, seeking the growth of the four front armies, pinching the remnants of the main force of the Sichuan enemy, and the great development of the situation in the five northwestern provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Jin, Sui, and Ning." Zhang Guotao replied the same day, notifying the occupation of Tianquan, After the situation in Lushan, he said arrogantly: "This victory opened the door to western Sichuan, laid the foundation for the establishment of the victory in the Chuankang Soviet area, proved the nonsense that the south is unfavorable, and achieved the strategic task of cooperating with the development of the Red Army in the Soviet area along the Yangtze River." This is a victory for the offensive line. I hope that you will resolutely destroy the enemy in the current area and immediately consolidate and expand the Soviet area and the Red Army." On November 13, the Red Army going south launched a new round of offensive.The 27th Division of the 9th Army on the left attacked in the direction of Qionglai and Dayi, and the 30th Army in the middle launched a fierce attack in the direction of Mingshan, Baizhang, and Heizhuguan.The twelve regiments of the Li Jiayu Department of the Sichuan Army stationed in this area were beaten dizzy and retreated in all directions. The Red Army occupied Mingshan County and Baizhang Town, directly threatening Liu Xiang's "bandit suppression" headquarters in Qionglai County.Liu Xiang was extremely nervous. He urgently urged Brigadier Liao Jing'an to deploy defenses in Sangyuan Town, and said to Deng Hanxiang, Secretary-General of the Sichuan Provincial Government: "The military situation is urgent. I have run out of troops. Go back and organize forces to defend Chengdu." Xu Xiangqian I am very happy to hear the news of the occupation of Baizhang Town. The Red Army is about to enter the fertile Western Sichuan Plain. From November 16, the situation suddenly reversed.The Sichuan Army, which had always been driven away by the Red Army, concentrated its forces and launched a large-scale counterattack against the Red Army.In the past, when the Sichuan Army fought against the Red Army, it was always for the purpose of preserving strength, watching and wrangling each other, wishing that the other party would be eaten by the Red Army, and he would reap the benefits of the fisherman.Now they finally wake up, once the Red Army enters the Western Sichuan Plain, it will be the end of the Sichuan Army.For the sake of common interests, the Sichuan Army, which has always been disunity, is now huddled together and is about to fight the Red Army to the death.Liu Xiang issued the "Book of Complaint against Communist Officers and Soldiers", and issued a death order: Anyone who retreats in front of the battle, fears the enemy, or lies about the military situation, and who is ineffective in combat will be punished before the army.If other officers and soldiers at all levels disobey the order, the platoon leader and below may be shot by the company commander; the company commander by the battalion commander; the battalion commander by the regimental commander; the regimental commander by the brigade commander; the brigade commander by the division commander; Execution by shooting; if the commander-in-chief conceals himself, the commander-in-chief will deal with it strictly according to law.If you fight hard, regardless of the victims, regardless of the officers and soldiers at all levels, the commander-in-chief will pay attention to the inspection at any time, and reward the best.Give an order, and there is a great shock inside the Sichuan army. On the afternoon of November 17, after the Red Army launched an attack on the Liao Ze Brigade's position in Heizhuguan, the soldiers of the Liao Brigade could not resist and wanted to retreat.Liao Ze personally ran to the front bunker to supervise the battle, and shouted to his subordinates: "This is the position we are defending to the death. People are in the position. There is no retreat, and there is no place to retreat. Behind is the Qionglai General Headquarters. If you find any retreat The officers and soldiers of the army are allowed to carry out my orders and be shot on the spot!" Under the supervision of Liao Ze and the pistol team, the soldiers of the Sichuan Army took up machine guns and fired violently at the Red Army, which actually contained the Red Army's attack.The soldiers of the Liao Brigade have been fighting continuously since the 15th, building fortifications, and also guarding against night attacks by the Red Army.The officers were very anxious and organized non-combatants to stand guard. Compared with before, it was really a different army.The paper tiger of the Sichuan Army seems to be turning into a real tiger. Liu Xiang quickly dispatched troops and generals, transferred the useless Li Jiayu troops to the rear as a reserve team, and transferred his most powerful divisions Guo Xunqi (model division) and Fan Shaozeng to the front lines of Mingshan and Baizhang.Together with other warlord forces, a total of 80 regiments were ready to fight the Red Army.At this time, Chiang Kai-shek also came to reinforce, and transferred the elite Xue Yue column and part of the air force to the front line in western Sichuan.The balance of power between the enemy and us was tilted. From November 18th, the Sichuan army launched a counterattack in the Baizhang area, which opened the prelude to the decisive battle. Baizhangguan is located on the road between Mingshan and Qionglai, and it is the only place that Ya'an leads to Chengdu.This area is basically small hills and the terrain is open. Except for the Guduan Mountain near Baizhang Pass, which is a hill on the Hengduan Highway, there is no danger to defend.Such terrain is suitable for large corps operations, but not conducive to the Red Army, which is good at guerrilla warfare and mountain battles. On November 18, the Sichuan Army, with six brigades and twenty regiments, stormed the Red 30th Army's position under the cover of aircraft and artillery.The commanders and fighters of the Red Army endured the fatigue of fighting for days and fought to the death with the superior enemy. When they ran out of bullets, they used broadswords.The paddy fields, hills, and ravines within a radius of more than ten miles have become battlefields for the enemy and ourselves to compete for. Zheng Weishan, the political commissar of the 88th Division, recalled: "There were only three people left in the squad in front of the division headquarters in the afternoon. But these three people were like nails nailed in the woods, holding the position. The enemy rushed up, and they Throwing cluster grenades from three sides, taking advantage of the thick smoke of the explosion, shouted and rushed down separately to kill the enemy, and the three of them returned to the original place calmly. This is how the soldiers fought the enemy one by one. " At the same time, the Sichuan army also stormed the position of the Red 93rd Division in Heizhuguan.After two hours of fierce fighting, the Red Army lacked firepower and was forced to retreat to Duanshan near Baizhang Pass.At this time reinforcements arrived and a counter charge drove the enemy back.The Sichuan Army transferred to the reserve team again and started a tug-of-war with the Red Army.When it was dark, the Red Army retreated to Baizhang Town. On the 19th the intense fighting culminated.At dawn, the Sichuan Army launched an attack on the Red Army's position.The Red Army occupied the bunker built by the enemy and fired at the Sichuan Army with machine guns.Entire companies of enemy soldiers shouted and rushed forward. Under the intensive fire of dozens of machine guns of the Red Army, they were knocked down row by row in the paddy field, lying down in a large area.The commander of the Sichuan army was so anxious that he organized death squads at the price of 20 yuan per person, and at the same time suppressed the firepower of the Red Army with mortars and heavy machine guns, and rushed upwards desperately.Xu Xiangqian braved artillery fire to visit the 30th Army headquarters in person, and instructed Li Xiannian: Liu Xiang jumped the wall in a hurry and put all his eggs in one basket. If our army withstands the enemy's offensive and destroys part of the enemy, it may turn to a counterattack. The soldiers of the 30th Army fought very bravely, fighting for every inch of land.At 15:00 in the afternoon, the Sichuan army finally couldn't support it and began to retreat.Just when the victory of the Red Army was in sight, Kuomintang planes suddenly appeared in the sky and bombarded the Red Army positions in depth.The Red Army had no anti-aircraft weapons and no experience in anti-aircraft shooting, so they immediately scattered and concealed.Many soldiers could not find a place to hide in the open area, and were wounded and sacrificed under the bombing and strafing of enemy planes.The Sichuan army took advantage of the momentum to make a comeback. The Red Army suffered heavy casualties, and was forced to retreat under the enemy planes and the Sichuan army's attack. They retreated into Baizhang Town and fought with the Sichuan army.At this critical juncture, Chen Xilian, commander of the 10th Division of the 4th Army, led reinforcements to arrive, charged and killed Wang Tingzhang, the leader of the death squad of the Sichuan Army and a bandit.As soon as this desperado died, the Sichuan Army was thrown into disarray and was driven out of Baizhang Town.Xie Jun, the commander of the Sichuan Army, stood at the head of the East Bridge and supervised the battle with a sword, but he couldn't stop his subordinates from retreating.Exasperated, Xie Jun lay on the ground and shouted: "We must live and die with the position, and those who retreat will be killed without mercy!" At dusk, reinforcements from the Sichuan Army arrived.The Red Army fought fiercely for a day, and the casualties were not small. The two sides faced each other in the east of Baizhang Town. Xie Jun fought for a whole day, and the regiment suffered more than half of the casualties, but Baizhang Town was not captured.In desperation, he set fire to all sides in the early morning of the 20th in an attempt to burn the Red Army to death.When the Red Army and the residents of the town fought the fire, the Sichuan army fired with machine guns, killing innocent people indiscriminately.The Red Army only kept half of the town, and the houses in the eastern half were reduced to ashes.The next day, the Fan Shaozeng Division of the Sichuan Army pressed up again.The Red Army persisted until the 21st. Facing the superior enemy army, it was exhausted.The Red Army General Headquarters made a decisive decision: instead of spending time with the enemy on the front lines of Mingshan, Qionglai, and Dayi, the entire army retreated to the front lines of Jiuding Mountain, Tiantai Mountain, and Lianhua Mountain to defend against danger.That night, the Red Army withdrew from Baizhang Town and retreated towards Xindian and Wangu.The Tianlu Mingyaqiong Battle, which lasted 18 days and nights, came to an end. The decisive battle of Baizhang was the fiercest and cruelest battle since the Red Army went south.After the war, the commander of the Red Army wrote an article, earnestly summing up the lessons.Xu Xiangqian wrote in his memoirs: "Our army failed in the decisive battle of Baizhang. What is the lesson? First, the determination and combat ability of the Sichuan Army to protect the Western Sichuan Plain were underestimated, and the mouth was too big. The Sichuan Army is our old opponent, and was defeated by the Red Army. I was afraid, and in previous battles, I often collapsed at the first touch and fled. But this time it was different. After reorganization, Chiang Kai-shek sent political workers to all units, and most of the officers were trained by the Emei Officer Training Corps. Strengthen. In order to ensure the Chengdu Plain, Liu Xiang personally sat in the town and fought with me at any cost. Coupled with the enemy's large number of troops, convenient transportation, familiar terrain, dense fortresses, and powerful artillery fire, it became difficult to crack. Tough bones. During the battle, Xue Yue's troops pressed up again. Regarding these situations, we did not have sufficient estimates before the battle, and wanted to swallow the enemy in one bite and fight to the western Sichuan plain. This is the main reason for the defeat of the decisive battle. Second, with this In connection, our army's high concentration of troops is not enough. Liu Xiang's concentrated troops in this area amounted to more than 80 regiments. They were equipped in depth, echoed from left to right, and defended by towers. Our army only concentrated 15 regiments to attack. Encountered the enemy's desperate resistance and counterattack, I felt that the troops were insufficient and stretched. The troops had passed through the grassland twice, and their physical strength was very exhausted. When they first arrived in the new area, the people were unfamiliar, and the masses had not yet been mobilized, so they could not actively cooperate with the Red Army. In this way, it was difficult to obtain The dominant position in the battle. Third, the choice of the battlefield is improper. In the Baizhang area, the terrain is open, and the assembly, concealment, attack and defense of the troops are greatly restricted, and they are extremely vulnerable to enemy plane attacks and artillery fire. When the enemy launches a counterattack, Our army is in a long arc-shaped position of more than ten li, facing the enemy on three sides, and is quite passive. In addition, the troops are used to fighting in mountainous areas and narrow roads, but lack experience in fighting on flat land, paddy fields, and villages. You can't even tell the difference between southeast and northwest; the enemy planes are coming, and you can't deal with them; the troops are scattered to fight, and they can't catch or gather them together, which affects the confidence of the command. The battle is chaotic, and some troops "herd the sheep"; Some troops fight you, I fight mine, and the coordination is not good; The fighting spirit is commendable." The decisive battle of Baizhang was the turning point of Zhang Guotao's southward journey from victory to failure.Originally, after the Baizhang War, both the Red Army and the Sichuan Army were exhausted from fighting, and the battlefield was in a stalemate.The Red Army intends to consolidate the Tianquan, Lushan, and Baoxing areas, mobilize the masses here, and prepare for the winter.If there is a few months of rest, the Red Army may make a comeback and make a comeback.But fate turned against the Red Army. The products in this area were not abundant and the population was sparse. It was difficult for the Red Army to replenish its soldiers, food, and clothing.It was not too cold here in winter, but in the winter of 1935, there was a rare heavy snowfall in ten years.Maogong and other places north of Jiajin Mountain were also covered by heavy snow, and the weather was freezing.Dong Zhentang, the commander of the 5th Army stationed in Danba, and Huang Chao, the political commissar, reported to the headquarters on January 8, 1936: "The 37th regiment obtained the enemy's army rice in Maoniu and ate it for half a month. , now all the troops have one meal of steamed buns and two meals of porridge every day, most of which are corn, and almost all the wheat has been eaten. In particular, the 37th Regiment has a small area of ​​Maoniu Donggu and there is not much food. Now the food has to be supplied from Danba every day. , vegetables are mainly radishes. The problem of oil and salt is not lacking due to the attention of the supply. However, the troops stationed in Danba are very difficult to get firewood. They have to be dozens of miles away from the city to have firewood. Now the government mobilizes the masses to sell it, which can solve part of the problem Difficult." Under such circumstances, it was obviously impossible for the Red Army to attack the Chengdu Plain again.Although Zhang Guotao is in a difficult situation, he still wants the main force to survive the winter in Baoxing and Yingjing areas before making plans. But Chiang Kai-shek did not give the Red Army a chance to breathe.Seeing that the Red Army and the Sichuan Army were almost fighting each other, he transferred nearly 100,000 troops from Xue Yue's six divisions from Guizhou to western Sichuan to serve as the main force to attack the Red Army.In Chengdu, He Guoguang, deputy director and chief of staff of the Chongqing Camp of the Kuomintang Military Commission, had a long talk with Xue Yue, and introduced in detail the information they had about the Red Army and the battle between the Sichuan Army and the Red Army.Xue Yue had participated in the siege and interception of the Red Front Army and had some experience.After talking with He Guoguang, I have a bottom line in my heart.He returned to the headquarters and analyzed to his subordinates: "Since ancient times, those who have succeeded in their careers have had the right time, place and people. Now the Red Army has bad weather, severe cold is approaching, and snow has fallen on Minshan Mountain. How can we live for a long time without clothes in the cold weather? In terms of geographical advantages , The Red Army occupied all the mountainous areas where the Han and Yi were mixed. The land is barren and the people are poor, and there is no food for fighting. How can they survive? On the harmony of people, according to He Guoguang: Mao Zedong advocated going north, and Zhang Guotao advocated going south. This is obviously a sign of division. The Red Army dispersed its forces , coupled with the exhaustion of prolonged battles, the conditions for concerted efforts no longer exist. In addition to the lack of ammunition, although the Dianchuan Army has obtained a little ammunition due to repeated defeats, they cannot fight for a long time. The Red Army's defense line extends from Dayi and Qionglai in the north to Yingjing in the south , Hanyuan, a mere front army, tens of thousands of people guarding a defense line of more than 300 miles, has reached the end of its strength. The central army will reinforce it, and of course it will be a victory." Hearing Xue Yue's opinion, the subordinates all nodded in agreement.After all, the Central Army is much more sophisticated than the Sichuan Army. He Guoguang's camp staff team and Xue Yue jointly formulated a plan to encircle and suppress the Red Army: the first step is to relieve the siege of Mingshan and Ya'an before the end of the year, and open up the front-line traffic in Yingjing, Ya'an, and Hanyuan in western Sichuan. ; Then the second step is to recover the Tianquan, Lushan, and Baoxing areas, and force the main force of the Red Army to the north of the snow-capped mountains. In late December 1935, after Xue Yue's troops were assembled, they began to attack in the direction of Yingjing.The main attacker was Wu Qiwei's column.The south of Yingjing is Xu Shiyou's defense area of ​​the 4th Army. Chen Changhao asked Xu Shiyou to assign a task and asked him to stop the enemy in the Xiakou area.Xu Shiyou believes that: the enemy is not coming well, and at least three regiments are needed to guard the gorge.Chen Changhao didn't take it seriously, thinking that Xue Yue was fighting steadily, with a fortress policy, and would not use the main force at once. It was enough for the Red Army to place a regiment at the mouth of the gorge.Xu Shiyou had no choice but to obey the order and transfer the 35th regiment up.Unexpectedly, after the battle broke out, it was discovered that the Kuomintang army had used an absolutely superior force to attack the Red Army's position.Under fierce artillery fire, the 35th regiment was outnumbered, and the regiment leader, political commissar and most of the soldiers died.Xu Shiyou has fought many vicious battles, but has never experienced such a tragic defeat.The Red Army's defense line was continuously breached, and Xu Shiyou had to retreat while fighting, to the front line of Tianquan and Zishiguan.Xue Yue's first move achieved his goal.The Kuomintang officers inspected the battlefield and found that the dead Red Army's clothes were torn. They concluded that the Red Army's logistics supply was very difficult, so they decided to launch a second round of attack on the Red Army without stopping. In January 1936, Xue Yue ordered Sun Zhen's 41st Army to capture the famous Jinji Pass and approach the front of the Red Army's main position on Mengding Mountain.Wu Qiwei's column occupied Lengshuichang and opened up the traffic from Yingjing to Luding.To break the siege of Ya'an, Xue Yue sent a division to attack Feixian Pass.Feixianguan is an important pass from Ya'an to Lushan in the north and Tianquan in the west. It is adjacent to the Yajiang River in the south.During the attack across the river, a regiment leader of the Kuomintang army was killed in the river, but they invested two regiments to storm Feixianguan.The Red Army was short of ammunition and was forced to retreat.Xue Yue's tribe occupied Tianquan County and relieved the siege of Ya'an.Liu Wenhui, who had been trapped in the city for three months, was rescued, and he was very grateful to Xue Yue.At this time, Liu Xiang's Sichuan army also attacked Baoxing. Under the joint attack of various enemy forces, the situation of the Red Army became increasingly difficult.After three months of fierce fighting, the Red Army's vital forces were exhausted and could not be replenished.When the Red Army went south in September last year, there were more than 80,000 people. At this time, it has dropped to 40,000, and the loss is nearly half.The commanders and fighters all realized that if the fight continues, the Red Army will be completely lost.In the face of reality, Zhang Guotao also admitted that "it is difficult to deal with the enemy for a long time here." At the beginning of February 1936, Zhang Guotao, Zhu De, Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao, and Liu Bocheng held a meeting at the Red Army Headquarters in Renjiaba, Lushan, and studied and formulated the "Kang (Ding) Dao (Fu) Lu (Huo) Campaign Plan". The program is: "We In order to continue to expand the victories in the south, to expand the national united front, to respond more effectively to the actions of the Second and Sixth Army Corps, and to crush Chiang Kai-shek's traitorous army in mobile warfare in vast areas, the army decided to use a part of Deng Sheng, Qiaoqi, Dawei, and Fu Containing the enemies from the south and the east, the main force rapidly increased to the west, and obtained the Daofu, Luhuo, and Kangding areas for future development." According to this new plan, after February 15, 1936, the Red Army gradually withdrew from Tianquan, Lushan, and Baoxing areas, crossed Jiajin Mountain again, and moved westward via Dawei, Maogong, and Danba.Wu Yunfu, director of the Third Bureau of the Military Commission (formerly the captain of the Central Red Army Radio Corps), who followed the headquarters, wrote in his diary: "On February 21, it was sunny. We set off from the straw shed at 0:30, and arrived at the top of Jiajin Mountain at 6:30. It was time to camp in Dawei (about 80 miles). After walking for tens of miles in the ice and snow, it was very cold, slippery and difficult to walk, and I was very tired, and my right waist was injured." A few words showed a dull mood.This march has lost the warm and high-spirited atmosphere when it went south.Zhang Guotao also had to admit: "Our plan to go south is obviously fruitless." Mao Zedong's warning in September last year: "Going south is a dead end." Sure enough, it was confirmed.