Chapter 38 Five, step into glory

Let us go back to seventy-one years ago, all the cavalry divisions of the West Route Army who reinforced Gaotai were sacrificed outside the city, while the street fighting in Gaotai City was still fierce.Knowing that the west gate had been breached by the enemy, Dong Zhentang was very anxious. He called Lu Renli, the commander of the cavalry regiment, and Wen Yucheng, the political commissar, and told them: "The east gate is handed over to you, and you must hold on to it no matter what!" Lu Renli knew very well in his heart that the two cavalry companies he led were the last cards in the commander's hand, so he asked anxiously: "Commander! Break out, there is still time to go."

Dong Zhentang frowned and said nothing. Lu Renli understood that the army commander was determined to live and die with Gaotai.So he straightened his chest and replied loudly, "Don't worry, Commander! We will hold our ground firmly and fight to the last man." After handing over the defense of the east gate to Commander Lu, Dong Zhentang hurriedly led the guard platoon to the west gate, because the only way to clean up the mess was to recapture the west gate.Not long after walking, he saw Yang Keming coming over with Ye Chongben, the commander of the 13th Division who was covered in blood. Dong Zhentang rushed forward and supported Master Ye with both hands. Ye Chongben, who was seriously injured, looked at the commander and said weakly: "Mr. Boss, I'm sorry, I..." Before he finished speaking, his head fell to one side, and Dong Zhentang's tiger eyes widened angrily.At this time, more than a dozen horse bandit soldiers rushed over from the opposite side of the street. The soldiers of the guard platoon fought back calmly and knocked down the few who rushed in front. Break through the gate, I will hold the enemy here! Quick!"

Dong Zhentang pulled out the pistol at his waist and shouted: "The city is lost, why break through the siege, I, Dong Zhentang, swear to live and die with Gaotai!" After speaking, he was about to rush up. Yang Keming dragged Dong Zhentang back with tears in his eyes: "Commander! Commander Ye and Political Commissar Zhu of the 13th Division have all died. It's useless if you go. Too many enemies have come in! They are all recruited by the militia The elements turned against the water and opened the city gate. Come on, the Fifth Army cannot do without you, Linze still has a military headquarters, as long as you are here, the Fifth Army will grow stronger, for the sake of the Fifth Army, you have to rush out alive!"

Dong Zhentang pushed Yang Keming aside, grabbed a big knife from the guard's hand and shouted: "Guard platoon, follow me!" Yang Keming stopped Dong Zhentang again, pleading bitterly: "Old Dong! Now is not the time to be a hero. If you keep the green hills, you are not afraid of running out of firewood. You brought the Five Armies here during the uprising in Ningdu, so you can't ask her to be killed here." Extinct, you are alive, there is hope! Don't delay, let's go!" After speaking, he pushed Dong Zhentang vigorously, and then shouted at the guards beside him: "What's wrong with you! Protect your army quickly. The commander retreated to the east gate, did you hear me!" Then the soldiers set up the furious Commander Dong and ran towards the east of the city.

Yang Keming turned his head, drew out his pistol and led several soldiers around him to face the enemy and kill them.Gradually, more and more retreating Red Army soldiers gathered, almost 200 people, and they ran into a brigade of Majia cavalry further forward.Yang Keming ordered the troops to deploy along both sides of the street to stop the enemy on the spot.The enemy also found this team, so they rushed over on horseback while whistling. The soldiers who had already ambushed on both sides of the street rushed out with big knives, and chopped down the horse if they could not hit the enemy. The head is already in a different place.The soldiers used the snatched weapons to hit the enemy who was rushing up from behind, and the horse bandits turned their backs on their backs, and the enemy temporarily retreated.Only then did Yang Keming breathe a sigh of relief, and he ordered calmly: "Comrades! Try to hold off the enemy as long as possible, the longer the better, the pressure on the army commander will be less, we will wait until dark to break through."

The horse bandits were frustrated in several attacks, and immediately changed their style of play, abandoning their horses and outflanking them on foot.After several rounds, the soldiers fought less and less, and the enemy suffered more casualties. At this moment, Zhang Lixiong, the political commissar of the 45th Regiment who was in charge of defending the west gate, was awakened by a rush of shouts, and struggled to get up from the bed with his injured leg.He only remembered that when the enemy death squads climbed up the city wall, he was directing the soldiers to fight tenaciously with bayonets, axes, and broadswords.Suddenly a shell exploded behind him, and he passed out.Later, several soldiers carried him to the regimental health center in the fellow's home, put him down and hurried back to the battlefield...

Holding a pistol, he stumbled into the yard. The fellow rushed back from the outside in a panic, and said to him, "Comrade Red Army, the horse bandits have already entered the city, and they are hunting the Red Army everywhere. You are wounded, so stay here for now." Hide at my house!" In this way, under the full cover of the fellow villagers, Zhang Lixiong escaped the capture and killing of the horse bandits by chance.A few days later, the Ma family's army relaxed their search. The villagers loaded Zhang Lixiong into the carriage, covered it with a thick layer of weeds and horse and pig manure, and sent him out of the city.A few days later, Zhang Lixiong finally escaped from danger and returned to the headquarters of the West Route Army——Nijiayingzi.After liberation, Zhang Lixiong successively served as deputy chief of staff of the Kunming Military Region, political commissar of the Yunnan Provincial Military Region, and political commissar of the Jiangxi Provincial Military Region. He was promoted to the rank of major general in 1961.

In a large tile-roofed house, Yang Keming, the director of the political department, led soldiers to stay here all the time. Although the enemy launched several strong attacks, they were still unable to conquer it.After a long time, the enemy became anxious and began to use fire attack.Soon, with billowing thick smoke and raging fire, the house could no longer stay. Yang Keming led a few soldiers to climb to the roof, condescending and killed many enemies on the street.Faced with such a tenacious opponent, the enemy was shocked. It was expected that there must be a senior official of the Red Army here, so they rushed to the fire again and began to besiege here with heavy troops.

Yang Keming held a rifle and shot at the charging enemy accurately, while shouting in his unique Sichuan accent: "Guilty son! Come on! I'm here to call your name!" After playing for a while, the bullets ran out.He turned around and asked for bullets from the soldiers behind him, but he saw that there were already bandits standing behind him, and all the soldiers died.The horse bandits laughed grinningly, as if they were laughing at a desperate lamb waiting to be caught.The enemy officer squatted down and put the saber on his neck. Yang Keming glared at the blue-eyed, bearded guy, and spat bloody spit on his face. .Yang Keming, the young director of the Political Department of the Fifth Red Army and the former political commissar of the 33rd Army of the Fourth Front Army, died tragically under the butcher's knife of the Ma Jiajun.

The resistance near the west gate gradually weakened, and the Ma's army continued to advance.Gradually carrying out the suppression in the city, they howled: "Kill into Gaotai City, capture Dong Zhentang alive!" The resistance in the city gradually concentrated near the east gate.The east gate has a relatively high wall and is suitable for guarding. It is the last position controlled by the five armies. Dong Zhentang led the rest of the soldiers to tenaciously resist the successive charges of the horse bandits, and the battle went on tragically and tragically.The crazy Majiajun soldiers held the dead body as a shield and rushed forward until they approached the Red Army's position, leaving the dead body and rushing forward.Soldiers use stones, knives, shoulder poles, etc., as long as they can resist anything, as weapons, and fight to the death with the enemy.The fighting continued until evening, but the enemy still hadn't captured the east gate.At this time, it was getting dark. Obviously, the enemy was in a hurry, and organized a large number of death squads howling to rush forward again. Dong Zhentang and the soldiers swung their knives to fight the enemy for the final time.There was a flash of swords and swords on the battlefield, the sound of metal clashing and the shouts of killing from both sides mixed together and rang together.After resisting for a while like this, the entire line of the east gate had been broken by the enemy. At this time, there were not many soldiers left around Dong Zhentang.

The horse bandits chased the Red Army soldiers in groups and fought, and a group of enemies isolated Dong Zhentang and the others and surrounded them.Commander Dong has no fear. As early as when he was in the Northwest Army, his big sword was resounding.After a while of slashing left and right, the enemies fell under his sword one after another.However, more enemies surrounded them again, and the guard platoon leader, who had been staying close to the left and right, was covered in blood at this time, and his right arm was cut off by the enemy's saber. He supported his body that was about to fall with his left arm, panting. He shouted roughly: "Chief! Forgive me for not being able to protect you. Go away!" After speaking, he roared and used his mutilated body to slam into the horse bandits who were rushing up. The horse bandits were caught off guard. Seven or eight children were knocked down.Those who didn't fall could be sure that there must be a senior official of the Red Army in front of him, approaching step by step.Suddenly, a few scattered guard platoon soldiers flashed out from behind the enemy's side. The situation was extremely critical. Two soldiers quickly escorted Commander Dong and jumped off the wall of the east gate. Due to the high wall, Commander Dong broke his left leg when he landed. The two soldiers got up and supported the commander to continue running. The gangsters who rushed to the top of the city screamed "Zhi Zhi!", but they didn't dare to jump down.Commander Dong endured the severe pain and pushed away the soldiers on the left and right, and ordered: "I can't do it, leave me alone, run! If you don't leave, you won't be able to get out!" The soldiers couldn't bear to leave their commander. Soon, the enemy's cavalry outside the city caught up and surrounded the three of them.At this time, it was getting dark, and the enemy was not in a hurry to attack. First, they tied the horses together, and then slowly pressed up from all around in the formation of skirmishers. The three of them jumped into a big pit, and a soldier handed Dong Zhentang the shell gun in his hand, and said out of breath: "Commander, if you hold on for a while, I will try to get some horses." After speaking, he jumped out.Taking advantage of the hazy night, he ran towards the direction where the enemy tied his horse.Soon, with a burst of messy gunshots, it gradually disappeared. The enemy began to shrink the encirclement. Dong Zhentang and the guards counterattacked calmly and knocked down the few enemies who rushed to the front.But at the same time, the guard was shot several times and fell beside him. Commander Dong crawled over with difficulty, held him tightly in his arms, and buried his head in grief. The wolf-like enemy shouted "Catch the living!" and approached him step by step.At this time, the neighing of war horses was heard not far away.Commander Dong looked up, and the soldier who sneaked out had already succeeded, and was galloping towards him with a few horses.But at the same time, the enemy also found him, and the dense bullets shot over him. The guards, including men and horses, fell in the ditch not far away, and never got up again. Seeing this scene, Dong Zhentang was filled with self-blame, guilt and anger... The enemy continued to approach, Dong Zhentang jumped out of the crater, knelt down on one knee, held both guns together, and fired at the enemy in turn until the last bullet was left. He punched the trigger on his chest... This graduate of the ninth batch of the Kuomintang Baoding Military Academy; a former senior Kuomintang general who led more than 17,000 Kuomintang soldiers to the Communist Party in Ningdu uprising on December 14, 1931; served in the Central Soviet Area and the Long March The leader of the Fifth Corps of the Red Army of Chinese Workers and Peasants who made great achievements on the road, and the commander of the Fifth Army of the West Route Army; a member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China whom Chiang Kai-shek hated; Dong Zhentang, a famous general of a generation, shed the last drop of blood for the revolutionary cause .