Chapter 3 03. The Scarlet Long March starts from Yudu

After the defeat of the Guangchang Battle, the Central Soviet Area was further reduced, and manpower and material resources were already very scarce. It was impossible for the Red Army to break through the enemy's "encirclement and suppression" inside.In the spring of 1934, Li De and other top "three-member regiments" prepared to make a major strategic shift. In April, the central leaders began to consider withdrawing from the Soviet area, and in May they telegraphed the Communist International: the main force is preparing to break through the blockade, and the independent forces will go deep into the enemy's rear. , partially abandoning resistance directly at the front.This plan is approved.However, major issues such as where to go and when to leave have not been discussed and studied in depth among the senior leadership of the Red Army.At that time, it was only planned to follow the route of the Sixth Red Army, go to the west of Hunan and Hubei, join the Second and Sixth Red Army, and establish a new revolutionary base there.To this end, some specific preparations were made: First, the Red Army was violently expanded in the Soviet area and a new corps was established.During that period, several new divisions were established, including the Eighth Army Corps with Zhou Kun as its commander, the 22nd Division with Zhou Zikun as its commander, and the International Division of the Communist Party of China, all of which were newly established during this period. of.In addition to reorganizing and expanding local guerrillas to the main Red Army, almost all young and middle-aged people in the base areas were mobilized to join the army.The second is to prepare weapons, ammunition and food.At that time, a large number of gold and silver treasures were hidden in the mountains near Ruijin. In the spring of 1934, Wu Jiqing, Mao Zedong's guard, was secretly dispatched to take it out.These treasures were originally kept in Ruijin, and it was not until the Long March that the gold, silver and banknotes were distributed to the various legions so that they could have money to buy supplies after they left the Soviet area.The factories in the Soviet area started working around the clock, especially the manufacture of weapons and gunpowder, which increased to 6 times to 30 times the usual amount, and purchased a large number of specially-made military uniforms for soldiers, and bought 600,000 shi of grain on the eve of departure.However, due to the hasty preparations, especially the forced order to the troops to take away all the materials and equipment accumulated in the base area, it turned out to be a "big move". It is also necessary to remove printed banknotes and promotional materials, paper and even slates of lithographic machines.Among the more than 80,000 people, the Military Commission and the Central Column accounted for more than 10,000 people, and each legion also had its own logistics department, carrying a large amount of materials, which amounted to more than 1,000 burdens.Among the more than 80,000 people, 20,000 people served as transport teams, and one out of every four people marched with heavy loads.They do not fight, walk slowly, and are extremely burdensome.At the same time, in order to ensure the safety of these convoys, a large number of main Red Army forces had to be sent to escort them.The inexhaustible pots and pans and the heavy and heavy belongings seriously dragged down the troops, so that tens of thousands of people often crowded on the narrow trails in the mountains and mountains, and often they could only walk a few kilometers a night, or they could only climb a small mountain.Stopping and walking, the soldiers exhausted their physical strength needlessly, sleeping while standing and walking. The Red Army jokingly called it "sleep march".

As for the major issue of where to go, there are major differences among the top leaders. Bo Gu and Li De insisted on going to Xiangxi to join forces with the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps. The reason is still to let the troops have a "home" and live s home".After gaining a firm foothold, he joined forces with He Long and Xiao Ke's troops to re-establish the Soviet area at the junction of the three provinces of Hunan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.The intention of Bo Gu and Li De is theoretically valid, but it is impractical.Mao Zedong, who had been expelled from leadership positions in the party and the army, was dismayed by the plan, which he believed threatened to wipe out the entire Red Army.When studying and discussing the direction of action of the Red Army, Mao Zedong proposed to resolutely abandon the rendezvous with the Second and Sixth Army Corps.Mao Zedong fought against Chiang Kai-shek many times, and he knew Chiang Kai-shek's way of using troops too well.Meeting with the Second and Sixth Army Corps happened to fall into the trap set by Chiang Kai-shek.Chiang Kai-shek has sent heavy troops to block the road where the Red Army meets the Second and Sixth Army Corps. If he still carries out this plan desperately, he will undoubtedly suffer a disastrous defeat.But his opinion was rejected in the end. In May, Mao Zedong had no choice but to hold a meeting in Qingshan in the name of the Chairman of the Soviet Area. At the meeting, he announced and explained the central government’s decision to withdraw from the Soviet Area to the leaders of various government departments. He said with a heavy heart: the first First, the revolution has a future, and everyone must have confidence in it; second, we must do a good job in the aftermath of the ministries, so that the remaining comrades can better continue the revolutionary struggle and better connect with the masses.Then the "three-person group" decided that Xiang Ying, Chen Yi and other leaders of the central government and the Red Army would stay in the Soviet area and continue fighting.

Although the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has done some preparatory work, it is too insufficient.In this regard, we can also learn that at that time, the withdrawal of the Central Soviet Area, a major issue related to the future and destiny of the Party and the Red Army, was only understood by a small number of people at the top, and it was not even fully discussed at the Central Political Bureau meeting.Except for the "three-person regiment", major issues such as the reason for the march, tasks, goals, etc., were treated as top secrets, "secret and kept secret", and it was even strictly forbidden to communicate to cadres and troops.Due to the lack of explanation and mobilization, some cadres and soldiers became confused in their thinking, and some soldiers even left without saying goodbye and deserted, which brought great difficulties to the transfer of troops.

The strategic transfer of the Red Army started from Yudu.Yudu is located in the south of Jiangxi Province. It is known as the "mother of the six counties in Hedong of Ganzhou" and "the hub of communication between Fujian, Guangdong and Hunan provinces". Its geographical location is very important.The Central First and Second Field Columns and the First, Third, Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Army Corps, with a total of 86,000 people, crossed the Du River at eight ferries including the east of the city of Du County. Five Thousand Li Long March. In October 1934, the Central Red Army was concentrated near Yudu in the south of Jiangxi. According to the order of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, the First Field Column (also known as the Red Star Column) was composed of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, the Red Army General Command, the General Political Department and all directly affiliated agencies. ), with Ye Jianying as the commander and political commissar; the Soviet government of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Federation of Trade Unions, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Supply, the Red Army University, and the Military Commission.

The Second Bureau formed the Second Field Column (also known as the Red Badge Column), with Li Weihan as the commander and political commissar; the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 9th Army Corps of the Central Red Army were handed over for defense, evacuated from the battlefield in concealment, and assembled in the capital. On October 16, all units of the Central Red Army assembled in the area north of the Yudu River (Gongshui), crossed the Yudu River on the 17th, and began to break out of the encirclement and advance westward. "Sending off the Red Army on the banks of the Yudu River, I will always remember the situation between the soldiers and the people." Although the Red Army's time in the capital was very short, the people of Yudu were reluctant to part with the Red Army.

Before crossing the Yudu River, the people of Yudu, men, women, old and young, flocked to the bridge and to the ferry from all directions, presenting them with cups of tea and bamboo hats. They had no singing, no smiling faces, and with a heavy heart, they scrambled to bid farewell to the Red Army with tears. , Weeping and expressing the wish of the people in the Soviet area: "We hope you will fight back as soon as possible." The Red Army commanders also bid farewell to the villagers with a heavy heart.They are attached to the masses of the people in the Soviet area, attached to the mountains, rivers, plants and trees in the Soviet area, and it is difficult to part with the flesh and blood of the people in the Soviet area.They firmly stated to the people in the Soviet area: "We will definitely fight back!"

Every inch of land in the Central Soviet Area is soaked in the painstaking efforts of the vast number of commanders and fighters of the Red Army, and the hard work and sweat of the unity and entrepreneurship of the soldiers and civilians in the Soviet Area. At this time, the Central Red Army is about to go on an expedition, and it is about to leave this base area built by itself. What about nostalgia?After 50 years, Nie Rongzhen still said affectionately: "After October 16, the troops of the First Army left Kuantian, Lingbei and other places west of Ruijin successively, bid farewell to the masses in the base area, and crossed the Yudu River. The Long March. For Duhe, just as the sun was setting, like many Red Army commanders and fighters, I was very excited. I kept turning my head and staring at the mountains and rivers in the central base area. I saw with my own eyes that the people in the central base area made great sacrifices for the Chinese revolution. They sent a large number of outstanding sons and daughters to the Red Army. Most of the Red Army soldiers came from Jiangxi and Fujian. The people in the base area gave the Red Army the greatest material and spiritual encouragement and support. Thinking of this, I am very nostalgic.” Historical facts prove: Yu The people of Dudu made great contributions to the Red Army's Long March—they responded to the call to expand the Red Army and sent more than 5,000 recruits to the Red Army.They helped resettle more than 6,000 wounded and sick Red Army soldiers who remained in Yudu, and the largest farmer household offered to resettle 7 wounded and sick Red Army soldiers.They also organized tens of thousands of migrant workers to join transport teams and stretcher teams to follow the Red Army's Long March.How many years have passed, although the shouts of the Yudu River to support the Red Army to tie up the pontoon bridge, the sonorous gongs and drums to send off Hao Erlang as the Red Army, and the hurried footsteps in front of the transport team have long gone, but generations of Yudu people still cannot forget that day. Unforgettable and difficult years... During the days and nights when the Red Army crossed the river, the Red Army joined the army on both sides of the Du River, borrowed grain to collect grain, donated ships to transport wood, paved roads and built bridges, in full swing.The local people took out all the grain they could, and removed all the available wood from their homes. The roar of threshing and rice milling was heard all day long. Lu Dingyi wrote a poem to record the Red Army’s expedition from Yudu: “In October, Come autumn, the wind is cool, the Central Red Army is busy on expeditions, the starry night crosses the Du River, and the Gupi Xintian wins the battle."

The Yudu River was the first big river that the Central Red Army had to cross during the Long March. The river was more than 600 meters wide and the current was fast-flowing. Except for a few ferry crossings where river signs could be inserted to cross the river, most of them could only cross the river by erecting pontoon bridges.In order to ensure the smooth crossing of the Red Army, under the leadership of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Soviet Government, the people of Yudu made selfless dedication and gave great support to the Red Army. For the erection of pontoon bridges, some are used as ferries. More than 800 large and small boats used as pontoon bridges and ferry boats cover the upper and lower 60 miles of the river.What a spectacular and intense scene this is!In order to avoid the bombing of the Kuomintang army's aircraft and conceal the strategic intention of the Red Army, the work of erecting the pontoon bridge was carried out at night.In the evening, organized crowds flocked to the bridge construction site. Some lit torches, some brought tea and food, and some sent wood such as door panels. In just 4 days, they were on the 30-kilometer Yudu River in Yudu County. Five pontoon bridges have been erected, and numerous ferry and river wading points have been laid out.It is worth mentioning that there was no bridge on the Yudu River. It was heard that the Red Army was going to cross the river, and the people along the banks donated all their belongings that could be used to build the bridge.Almost all the door panels of shops and ancestral halls in the county town were removed and laid on the pontoon bridge.Some residents even demolished their houses and donated the wood to the Red Army.An old man surnamed Zeng even brought the birthday material to be used as a coffin.A company commander of the Red Army was very sorry and insisted on not accepting it. Uncle Zeng lost his temper and shouted at the company commander: "Do you think my timber is not good?" This is how the people of Yudu helped the Red Army cross the Yudu River. .

In Gutian Village, not far from Yudu County, lived the old man Li Shengren who was a ferryman for the Red Army.The old man still remembers what happened that year.At that time, he was only 17 years old and his 16-year-old wife supported a small boat together. Together with his father, uncle, uncle and other villagers, he sent the team of the 13th Division of the Red Ninth Army, the left-wing guard led by Master Pi Dingjun, across the river. .Li Shengren also dealt with the Kuomintang army.The old man said that the two teams were too different. "The Red Army is our own people, the poor, and our fishermen's brothers. When we sent them across the river, the head of the Red Army gave each boat a silver dollar and a bag of rice, and said that he would repay us fishermen when he returned from victory. Those Kuomintang The soldiers not only robbed our boats, but also beat our people, just like bandits.” The old man pointed to his body as he spoke, “They beat hard with gun butts and kicked hard with their feet, nothing compared to the Red Army ".

From October 16th to the evening of 19th, 86,000 people from the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, the Red Army General Headquarters, the organs of the central government, and the First, Third, Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Red Army regiments departed from Shanfengba, Huaqiao, and the county seat of Yuzi Mountain. The East Gate, South Gate, West Gate, Luo'aomengkou, Liyu, Zhongbu and Jingshi Yuweng's ferry crossed the Yudu River smoothly and embarked on the long road of the Long March.The Central Revolutionary Military Commission, the Red Army Headquarters, the organs directly under the Central Committee, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, Zhang Wentian, and Bogu also crossed the Yudu River from here to start the Long March.

After the Red Army crossed the Du River, they faced the blockade set by Chiang Kai-shek.