Chapter 16 Chapter 15

Pingjiang is located in the northern section of the Luoxiao Mountains.It reaches Tongcheng in Hubei in the north, Xiushui in Jiangxi in the east, Changsha in the west, and Miluo and Yueyang in the northwest. It is the hub of the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi. During the period of the Great Revolution, there was a party organization in Pingjiang, which led the masses of workers and peasants to launch a vigorous anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle. After the "Ma Ri Incident", the Pingjiang Workers and Peasants Volunteer Army under the leadership of Yu Benmin participated in the Autumn Harvest Uprising, and then followed Mao Zedong to Jinggangshan.Since then, revolutionary waves have come and gone, and the struggle has never stopped. In March 1928, under the leadership of the Communist Party, the people of Pingjiang organized a massive "Push the City" battle, which dealt a heavy blow to the reactionary forces in the Pingjiang area. The whole province was shaken by it, which fully demonstrated the great power of the people.

In order to suppress the workers' and peasants' revolution in Pingjiang, the warlord He Jian hurriedly dispatched Zhou Pan's Fifth Independent Division from Nanxian, Huarong, Anxiang and other places to Pingjiang. Peng Dehuai was the head of the first regiment of the Independent Fifth Division at that time. Peng Dehuai, formerly known as Peng Dehua, was born in poverty. When he was young, he joined the Hunan Army in order to eliminate the rich and find a way out for the poor. Because of his bravery in combat, he was promoted to company commander, battalion commander, and regiment commander.During his military career, he met Duan Dechang, a Communist, and was introduced by Duan Dechang and others. He joined the Communist Party in April 1928 and became a secret member of the Fifth Independent Division.

When the troops were stationed in Nanxian County, a storm of wages was brewing. Some underground party members in the regiment discussed using the wages to launch an uprising. Peng Dehuai believed that the time was not yet ripe. After the first regiment of the Fifth Independent Division was stationed in Pingjiang in mid-June, Peng Dehuai felt that the time had come and started preparations for the uprising.Together with Deng Ping, Li Can, Huang Chunyi, He Guozhong and other secret party members in the regiment, he organized a "Secret Scholars Committee" to carry out series mobilization work.Unexpectedly, just as preparations for the uprising were intensifying, the South, China, and Security Special Committees were destroyed by the enemy. Some people turned themselves in and confessed the identities of Huang Gonglue, Huang Chunyi, He Guozhong, and others as Communist Party members. , Even Peng Dehuai was ordered to arrest these Communists.In this serious situation, Peng Dehuai held an emergency meeting with Teng Daiyuan, who was sent by the Hunan Provincial Committee to plan the riot in Pingjiang, at the county hospital. On the afternoon of the 22nd, there was an incident.That night, a group of party organizations convened a secret meeting to discuss the uprising in detail.After the meeting, while subtly calling out to his superiors, he stepped up preparations for the uprising, and got in touch with Huang Gonglue, the commander of the third battalion of the third regiment of the fifth independent division stationed in Chiayi Town, and He Guozhong, the head of the accompanying school stationed in Yuezhou, and asked them to Lead the team to cooperate with the uprising.A storm is about to break out.

On the morning of July 22, 1928, Peng Dehuai convened a meeting of officers above the platoon leader stationed in Pingjiang County and the suburbs, and carried out emergency mobilization on the eve of the armed uprising.At the meeting, Peng Dehuai counted the crimes of the Kuomintang reactionaries, and announced the dismissal of more than a dozen junior officers who did not implement the charter of the Civil Service Committee, clearing the way for the success of the uprising. At about 11 o'clock, Peng Dehuai held a swearing-in meeting for the officers and soldiers of the regiment in front of Tianyue Academy in Pingjiang County, announcing the formal armed uprising of the whole regiment, and took the oath on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the regiment, and then arranged specific combat tasks.At 1 p.m., the Pingjiang Uprising broke out!

Due to proper deployment and careful actions, the uprising troops defeated the reactionary army in the county, occupied Pingjiang County, released hundreds of imprisoned workers and peasants, and won the uprising victory.Subsequently, Huang Gonglue led the uprising officers and soldiers of the third battalion of the third regiment, and He Guozhong led more than 100 students from the school accompanying the battalion to Pingjiang to successfully join Peng Dehuai's uprising troops. The total number of uprising troops reached more than 2,000. On July 24, the uprising troops held a meeting in Pingjiang County, and solemnly announced the establishment of the Fifth Army of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army, which governed the Thirteenth Division. The division party representative, Deng Ping, is the chief of staff of the army and the chief of staff of the division.The division has jurisdiction over the first, fourth, and seventh regiments, the military medical office, the manager's office, the heavy machine gun company, the mortar company, the secret service team, the health team, and the telephone team.Lei Zhenhui was the head of the First Regiment (later defected and executed), and the party representative was Li Can; Chen Pengfei was the head of the Fourth Regiment (later defected), and the party representative was Huang Gonglue; Huang Chunyi was the head of the Seventh Regiment, and the party representative was He Guozhong.

The next day, the uprising troops set up the Military Commission of the Fifth Army, with Secretary Deng Ping and members including Teng Daiyuan, Peng Dehuai, Huang Gonglue, He Guozhong, Li Can, Huang Chunyi, Li Guang, Zhang Rongsheng, etc.Since then, a new armed force has been added to the ranks of the people's army led by our party. The outbreak of the Pingjiang Uprising terrified the reactionary Kuomintang authorities.The Qingxiang Supervision Office of the Kuomintang in Hunan Province hastily mobilized Chen Guangzhong, the Fifth Independent Division, and others to rush towards Pingjiang, and also dispatched the Zhu Yaohua Division of the 23rd Division to "block and suppress" from Liuyang to Pingjiang; The authorities of the two provinces sent troops to "block and suppress".

At that time, the main force of the Fifth Red Army was scattered all over the country to fight, and there was only one regiment and six companies in the city. On July 29, the enemy army formed a front and rear echelon with nearly 5 regiments and approached Pingjiang City. Peng Dehuai led his troops to fight bravely.In the fierce battle, Huang Chunyi, the head of the Seventh Regiment and a member of the Communist Party, died heroically.At the same time, the Fourth Regiment was ambushed by the enemy on the way to reinforcements and suffered heavy losses.In order to preserve the vitality, Peng Dehuai and others voluntarily withdrew from Pingjiang City on the 30th and moved to the mountainous area on the border of Ping (river) and Xiu (water).

On August 6, the Fifth Red Army broke through the siege and entered Xiushui County, temporarily throwing off the pursuers and resting in Xiushui for a few days.In Xiushui, the Fifth Red Army destroyed the county yamen, opened the prison, confiscated the floating wealth of the landlords and gentry, and carried out extensive mass work.With the help of the Fifth Red Army, the Xiushui County Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Soviet Government of Xiushui County were established.Unexpectedly, in mid-August, more than 10 "Hui Suppression" troops from Hunan and Jiangxi provinces approached Xiushui. The Red Army was forced to withdraw from Xiushui on August 14, and occupied Tonggu on August 18. Bureau and other agencies destroyed.The next day, return from Qiping and Shuangkeng to Pingjiang Golden Cave.

On August 20, the Five Armies received an instruction letter from the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China in Jinjindong.The provincial party committee asked the Fifth Red Army to "avoid fighting with the enemy's main force, and send a unit to Xiangping, An and Zhu Mao."Peng Dehuai and Teng Daiyuan then led the main force to develop in the Wanzai area, waiting for the opportunity to go south, "open up the connection between eastern Hunan and western Jiangxi", and hoped to join Zhu Mao's army.Huang Gonglue led some troops to stay in the Ping and Liu areas to persist in the guerrilla struggle.

On August 23, after the Fifth Red Army severely damaged the enemy, they withdrew back to the Golden Cave.When the enemy's Chen Guangzhong and Zhu Yaohua's 2 regiments encircled the Golden Cave, the Fifth Red Army quickly withdrew from the Golden Cave. After repairing water and bronze drums, they drove towards Wanzai and formed a "circle" with the enemy.However, during this period, due to the enemy's relentless pursuit, fierce battles occurred frequently. Some old officers and weak-willed people within the Fifth Army could not stand the test, deserted one after another, and even defected to the enemy. The bridge was frustrated, and the army's plan to go to Jinggangshan to contact Zhu Mao's Red Army fell through. They had to turn to Tonggu and failed to advance to Jinggangshan for the first time.

After the setback of the bridge, the Five Armies were in a very disadvantageous situation, "the guns were less than a thousand, and the morale was very low."In order to stabilize the morale of the army and boost morale, the Fifth Army, under the leadership of Peng Dehuai, summed up the lessons of the defeat in a timely manner, carefully analyzed the current situation, and carried out strict rectification of the troops.First of all, those old officers who had not been reformed were purged, and some who were not firm in their thinking were dismissed, and a group of outstanding workers and peasants who were firm in thinking and brave in combat were absorbed into the party, and some outstanding workers and peasants were promoted to the positions of commanders; at the same time, Peng Dehuai He also personally went to work among the soldiers and said to the soldiers: "We raise the flag of rebellion for the sake of revolution. If you are doing revolution, you must not be afraid of suffering, bloodshed and sacrifice. If anyone wants to leave, he can leave, and I am the only one left." People should also hold the red flag and climb mountains and mountains to the end!" Peng Dehuai's words greatly strengthened the confidence and determination of the soldiers. On September 17, the Fifth Red Army captured Tonggu County and killed the enemy county magistrate, which boosted the morale of the troops. Due to ideological rectification and organizational rectification, the appearance of the troops has undergone great changes. In mid-September, the Fifth Red Army began its second military operation to advance into Jinggangshan. On September 17, Teng Daiyuan, as a special commissioner of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, presided over a meeting in Tonggu Youju with the leaders of the Party Organization of the Fifth Red Army and Ping (Jiang), Liu (Yang), Xiu (Water), and Tong (Drum) The joint meeting of the leaders of the party organizations of the four counties formally established the special committee of the Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi borders of the Communist Party of China.Teng Daiyuan served as secretary, and Peng Dehuai, Wang Shoudao, Li Zongbai, Qiu Xunmin and others were members of the Standing Committee.The establishment of the Special Committee marked that the struggle on the border between Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi has entered a new stage.Since then, party organizations in border counties have gradually been established and improved. The meeting summarized the experience and lessons since the Pingjiang Uprising, and studied the whereabouts of the Fifth Red Army.After the bridge was thwarted, the Fifth Red Army faced a very serious and dangerous situation. The enemy mobilized a large army and pursued them step by step. The army was severely reduced due to casualties and the defection of a few former officers and soldiers. At the same time, supplies were also very difficult.In this situation, where will the Fifth Red Army go?This is a big question that must be answered.Should we continue to fight alone on the border of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi, or go to Jinggangshan to join Zhu Mao's Red Army?After serious discussions at the meeting, it was believed that the revolution was at a low ebb, and it was not good for us to stay on the border of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi. , whose military strength is more than ten times that of ours, if we continue to fight here alone, we will be easily defeated by the enemy one by one; if we join up with the Fourth Red Army in Jinggangshan, we can effectively preserve our strength, deal with the enemy at will, and jointly promote the transformation of the revolutionary situation. with arrival.This decision of the Youju Conference played a key role in the subsequent advance of the Fifth Red Army to Jinggangshan. After the secluded meeting, the army was reorganized in Zhifang on the border of Ping, Liu, and Tong, and the regiment system was abolished. The army directly controlled 5 brigades: Lei Zhenhui, the first team leader, Huang Gonglue, the second team leader, He Guozhong, the third team leader, Li Yuhua, captain of the fourth regiment, Li Can, captain of the fifth regiment, and Chen Pengfei, former head of the fourth regiment, were appointed as senior councilors of the military department.The whole army is less than 1,000 people. After the team was downsized, guerrilla warfare was carried out with Xiushui Taizhuang as the center.However, due to the relentless pursuit of the enemy, the troops "had to fight several times with the regular army of the Kuomintang and the armed forces of the landlords almost every day before they could advance, and sometimes fought eight battles a day at most."In such a critical situation, Li Yuhua, the fourth team leader, and Lei Zhenhui, the first team leader, conspired to defect when the troops moved to Liuping, Beixiang, Pingjiang.One day, Lei Zhenhui took advantage of Peng Dehuai's lecture and raised his pistol to Peng Dehuai's head. Fortunately, he was overthrown by a warrior beside Peng and executed Lei Zhenhui. In October, the Party Committee of the Fifth Red Army and the special committee of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border convened a joint meeting of the leaders of the party organizations of the five counties of Ping, Liu, Xiu, Tong, and Wu (Ning) in Taizhuang, Xiushui. It is still called the Fifth Red Army, and it has three columns and ten brigades under its jurisdiction.The first column governs three brigades, led by Li Can; the second column governs two brigades, led by Huang Gonglue; the third column governs four brigades, led by He Guozhong; and the military headquarters directly governs one brigade.At the same time, further adjustments were made to the party organization of the Fifth Army, and the division (party) committee was changed into an army (party) committee, with branches (in the column) and branches (in the brigade).So far, the Fifth Red Army's ideological and organizational rectification of the troops has been implemented, and thus, towards the "light" of Jinggangshan, it has adopted erratic guerrilla tactics and successfully advanced. Soon after the reorganization of Taizhuang, the enemy troops in Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces mobilized more than 20 regiments to press forward step by step and "suppress" Taizhuang.At this time, the weather was getting colder. Due to the enemy's blockade, the officers and soldiers were still wearing thin clothes.Therefore, in order to break through the enemy's "meeting suppression" and solve the problem of troop supplies, it was decided to leave the first and second columns under the unified command of Huang Gonglue to persist in the struggle on the Pingliu border, and to cover the main force's southward movement; Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan, Deng Ping, Li Can and others led the third column and the special service brigade to move closer to the border of Hunan and Jiangxi in order to join Zhu Mao's troops. In November 1928, Peng Dehuai and others led his troops to break through the encirclement of the enemy and enter Wanzai County after several hard-fought battles. On November 27, the soldiers arrived in Wanzai.Thousands of years of defending the enemy did not expect that the Fifth Red Army who was far away in Xiushui suddenly appeared.The county magistrate fled after hearing the news, and all the defenders disarmed. The Fifth Red Army confiscated the money houses and cloth shops of the capitalists in the county, and solved the problem of supplies and winter clothes for the troops. "In addition to solving one or two sets of military uniforms, a bed sheet and straps, bullet bags, and dry food bags, each commander and fighter also has a piece of cloth wrapped around his body. Bullets and medicines have also been supplemented, which solves the problem of supplies." The Fifth Red Army learned from the seized Kuomintang newspapers in Wanzai that the conflicts among the warlords tended to compromise, which meant that the enemy's joint attack on the Ping and Liu areas would become more intense.It is impossible to return to Ping and Liu, and the only way out is to step up contact with Zhu Mao.Therefore, after the decision to "advance directly to southern Jiangxi to contact Zhu Mao" was communicated, the soldiers were very happy, "Every comrade prepared a gift for joining forces with the Fourth Red Army." Seeing the actions of the soldiers, Peng Dehuai felt very relieved.Peng Dehuai has been longing for Jinggangshan for a long time! Long before the Pingjiang Uprising, Peng Dehuai wrote a "secret poem" to Huang Gonglue to express his aspirations.Poetry goes: (The emphasis in the poem is added by the quoter) "I want to follow it as an example" and "jump up to the new banner of Jinggang".After the Pingjiang Uprising, Peng Dehuai's mood became particularly urgent.In "Memories of the Past", Peng Dehuai said: "In the secluded residence of the Tonggu, under the leadership of Comrades Teng Daiyuan and Wang Shoudao, a joint meeting of the county party committees of the border areas of the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi was held. This meeting summed up the success of the Pingjiang Uprising First, it is mainly due to the correct leadership, organization and planning of the Communist Party; second, it is due to the enthusiastic support of local party organizations and people in Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi; third, it is especially due to the revolutionary banner of Jinggangshan as an example And the guidance of the Autumn Harvest Uprising led by Mao Zedong - this is not accidental, after the failure of the Northern Expedition, under the leadership of Comrade Mao Zedong, Jinggangshan played the role of containing positions and continuing to guide the national armed struggle; summed up the Autumn Harvest Uprising, Nanchang Uprising, Guangzhou The rich experience of the uprising and other movements has become the banner guiding the national revolutionary struggle, and the guiding light for Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi border regions and other revolutionary base areas. Only under its guidance can we have a bright future." It can be seen from the above that Peng Dehuai yearns for Jinggangshan.It was under the dominance of this mood and under the instructions of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee that the successful rendezvous of the Fifth Red Army and the Fourth Red Army at Jinggangshan became a historical necessity. At the end of November 1928, under the leadership of Peng Dehuai and Teng Daiyuan, the Third Column of the Fifth Red Army and the Special Service Brigade set off from Wanzai, passing through Tanbu, Zhutan, Jinrui, Xicun, and Xuanfeng, and arrived in Jiangxi in early December. Lotus Gaozhou. Lotus is an important part of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base.During the heyday of the border between Hunan and Jiangxi, Lianhua once made the whole county red.The common people in Gaozhou heard that this army was the Fifth Red Army who went to Jinggangshan to find Zhu De and Mao Zedong.The commanders and fighters of the Fifth Red Army were deeply moved.The next day, the troops reluctantly left Gaozhou, passed through Luoshi and Fanglou, and marched straight to Ninggang. Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire from the direction of Nanpi.Peng Dehuai hurriedly ordered the troops to disperse and prepare for battle.Sure enough, it didn't take long to find a team galloping from afar.But the team that came was not the enemy army, but the Fourth Red Army—the Bi Zhanyun Secret Service Battalion led by He Changgong, the Zhang Wei Independent Battalion, and the Lianhua Red Guard Brigade.They were ordered by Mao Zedong and the former committee to go to the Lianhua area to support the Fifth Red Army on Jinggangshan.When they heard that Peng Dehuai's Fifth Red Army had arrived in Lianhua Gaozhou, after attacking Fanglou's Lianhua Jingwei, they quickly withdrew from the battle and came after them. The support troops of the Fifth Red Army and the Fourth Red Army joined in the Ninth City of Lianhua!The soldiers suddenly burst into joy.Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan and other leaders of the Five Armies had a cordial meeting with He Changgong and others, very excited.After more than two months of hard work, the Fifth Red Army finally got its wish. To celebrate the first rendezvous, the two troops held a celebration meeting in Fanglou. "Peng Dehuai and other leading comrades spoke at the meeting, expressing their gratitude to the comrades of the North Road Administrative Committee who rushed from Jinggangshan to Lianhua to welcome the five armies up the mountain, and briefly described the Pingjiang Uprising and the process of leading their troops up the mountain. After the meeting, the Independent Battalion and Secret Service Battalion of the Fourth Red Battalion and the Third Column of the Fifth Red Army immediately left Lianhua for Jinggangshan, and the Lianhua Red Guard Brigade was ordered to stay in the county and persist in the struggle.” Thousands of miles away, love Jinggang.Peng Dehuai assembled the troops of the Fifth Red Army, followed the special agent battalion and the independent battalion of the Fourth Red Army led by He Changgong, and marched straight to Jinggangshan! After leaving Lianhua, the Fifth Red Army passed through Yongxin County, crossed Qixi Ridge, and arrived at Ninggang New City on December 10. The Ninggang County Party Committee, the county government, and the Fourth Red Army, which is training in the Xincheng area, have already heard the news that the Fifth Red Army is coming. Outside the city walls and along the streets, there are large slogans painted with lime water everywhere: "Welcome the Fifth Red Army!" "Welcome Commander Peng!" "Learn from the Fifth Red Army!" Inside and outside the new city, crowds from all over the place were standing. He Changgong placed the Fifth Red Army in Lishan and Wangxia villages outside the east gate of the new city, and the military headquarters was located in the "Jingaitang" in Wangxia village.Then, go to Maoping to report to Mao Zedong and Zhu De.Old cousins ​​from Lishan and Wangxia villages, like welcoming their relatives, led the soldiers of the Fifth Red Army into every household. Over the past few months, the Fifth Red Army has traveled thousands of miles, seeing devastated scenes.After entering the Jinggangshan base area, seeing the people in the base area living and working in peace and contentment, beaming, and like a family, all of them felt proud and admired the Jinggangshan base area created by Mao Zedong. Although Peng Dehuai had heard of Mao Zedong's name when he was in the old army, he also knew that his hometown and Mao Zedong were only separated by a mountain, and they drank the water from the Xiangjiang River and ate the rice from the Xiangtan River, but he had never met him.Now, when I came to Jinggangshan, I was about to meet Mao Zedong, and I was even more delighted. Soon, He Changgong led Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yi and others to the "Jingaitang" in the new city. "Welcome, Commander Peng!" "Hello, Commissar Mao!" "Hello, Commander Zhu!" In the "Jingai Hall", there was a happy atmosphere, and big hands were tightly held together. Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Chen Yi introduced to the comrades of the Fifth Red Army the situation since the establishment of the Jinggangshan base area and the joining of Zhu and Mao.Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan and others also introduced the tortuous process of the Pingjiang Uprising and the two visits to Jinggangshan.After a period of mutual introduction and discussion, it was finally decided: to commemorate the first anniversary of the Guangzhou riots and welcome the Fifth Red Army to go up the mountain, a celebration meeting of the two armies will be held on December 14. On the morning of December 14, Xincheng, the ancient county seat of Ningkang, put on festive costumes to celebrate the meeting of the two armies and was held on the rice field outside the west gate of Xincheng.Tanaka built an earthen platform, on which hung the red cloth monogram "Celebrating the Fourth and Fifth Red Armies Victory Meeting", and a couplet written by Chen Yi was pasted on both sides.Lianyun: More than 5,000 people from the 28th, 31st, and 32nd regiments of the Fourth Red Army, more than 800 people from the third column and special service brigade of the Fifth Red Army, and nearly 10,000 people from the local armed forces and the masses participated in the meeting. When Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yi, Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan, Deng Ping and other main leaders of the two armies stepped onto the rostrum, there was a prolonged applause from the audience. Li Shouxuan recalled a detail and said: "The leading comrades walked up to the stage together. Unexpectedly, the stage was relatively simple and crude. There were more people walking up, and the stage was crushed at once. We immediately started to build the stage again. At this time , Someone in the crowd began to discuss in a low voice, saying: "Oh, this is unlucky! The stage collapsed just after we met today." Comrade Zhu De probably heard this. He ran to the stage with a smile and said to everyone:' Comrades, it doesn’t matter, just now the platform collapsed, but we immediately set it up again, the platform of the proletariat will never collapse.” Immediately, cheers erupted from the crowd.” Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Teng Daiyuan and others spoke at the meeting.Peng Dehuai said: "The Jinggangshan base area was established by the Fourth Red Army under the leadership of Commissar Mao and Commander Zhu. She is a bright light of the Chinese revolution. When we come to Jinggangshan, the Fifth Red Army must learn from the experience of the Fourth Red Army." Mao Zedong After analyzing the situation at home and abroad at the meeting, he said: "This is how our revolutionary cause has grown from scratch and developed from small to large. Today we have the Fourth Red Army and the Fifth Red Army. In the future, we will definitely continue to grow." There are dozens of armies. We must smash the enemy's siege, and the final victory must belong to us." After the meeting, the Fifth Red Army went to Ciping and other places to rest. The victory of the Fifth Red Army and the Fourth Red Army was another great master after the meeting of the Zhu and Mao armies.It has effectively enhanced the armed forces in the Jinggangshan base area.Since then, the two troops have cooperated closely and fought side by side, making great contributions to the consolidation and development of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base and the cause of the liberation of the Chinese people!