Chapter 22 Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Base——Xincheng Great Victory

In February 1928, the struggle of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army on the Hunan-Jiangxi border began to show momentum.The two county towns of Chaling and Suichuan were conquered successively, and the workers', peasants' and soldiers' governments of the two counties were established, which shocked Hunan and Jiangxi provinces; The military power of the revolutionary army was greatly boosted.The Jinggangshan area presents a thriving revolutionary vitality. Mao Zedong, who seemed to have fallen into a desperate situation, was able to come back to life in Jinggangshan, which not only surprised the enemies in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, but also made them restless.Therefore, when the melee of the new Kuomintang warlords in South China came to an end, they began to eliminate the "confidential troubles".

In early February, Zhu Peide, chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Government, ordered that Yang Ruxuan's 27th Division stationed in Ji'an launched the first "suppression" against the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army: a battalion of the 81st Regiment and the 79th Regiment attacked Wan'an threatened Suichuan; another battalion of the 79th Regiment entered and occupied Ningkang Xincheng. Facing the enemy's attack, Mao Zedong released the wind: "Our workers' and peasants' army is going to sit and guard Jinggangshan for two months. What do you think?"

Yang Ruxuan was also very arrogant: "If you sit and guard for two months, we will surround you for three months. How about you?" The enemy and the enemy have competed with each other. The First Regiment of the Workers' and Peasants Revolutionary Army, which was mobilizing the masses in Suichuan, assembled quickly, and under the leadership of Mao Zedong, quietly returned to Maoping in mid-February to join Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo, who had just been promoted to the Second Regiment of the Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army. The workers' and peasants' revolutionary army who returned to Maoping got rid of the pressure of the heavy enemy troops in Suichuan, but still felt the threat of the enemy troops who had just entered Ninggang New City.Xincheng is the seat of the county seat of Ninggang. It connects Long City in the west, Maoping in the south, and connects Ninggang to Yongxin in the north.After a battalion of the 79th Regiment of the Kuomintang was stationed in Xincheng, together with the Jingwei Corps under Zhang Kaiyang, the county magistrate of Ninggang County, there were more than 500 people in total, forming a direct threat to the Jinggangshan base.

Mao Zedong decided to pull out this nail! On the 17th, the former committee held a military meeting in Maoping Panlong Academy. After analyzing the situation of defending the enemy in Xincheng, they decided to concentrate their superior forces and besiege the enemy in Xincheng. , attacked the east gate; the first regiment and the third battalion attacked the north gate; Yuan Wencai led the second regiment, the first battalion and the teaching team to set up an ambush at the west gate.It is necessary to force the enemy to escape from the west gate so that they can gather outside the city and annihilate them.Wang Zuo led the second battalion of the second regiment to guard Jinggangshan and monitor the enemy forces in the direction of Suichuan.

After the combat mission was issued, the troops quickly entered the battle state. In the afternoon of the same day, the troops gathered at Yanxian Temple in Maoping for pre-war mobilization. At the meeting, Mao Zedong called on all commanders and fighters on behalf of the former committee to fight this battle well.He encouraged everyone: "The enemy's regular army has only one battalion, and we have three battalions. The manpower ratio is three to one, and we have the advantage. Although our guns are poor, we have few bullets, so it doesn't matter. Take it to Xincheng. We will lay down Xincheng tomorrow, good guns You can choose as much as you want, and the bullets are up to you."

The words made the commanders and fighters eager to try. That night, the troops left Maoping and went straight to Xincheng along the rugged mountain road. Before dawn on the 18th, the troops entered the predetermined position according to the deployment.Mao Zedong, Zhang Ziqing and others came to Qishan Ridge outside the east gate, from which you can overlook the whole city. Therefore, the general headquarters of the siege is located here. The independent battalion of the 79th Regiment was stationed in Xincheng, and the commander of the battalion was Wang Guozheng.He believed that the battalion was well-equipped and well-trained, with the backing of a thick city wall and the assistance of the county guards, so he didn't take the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army seriously at all.

In the early morning, the defenders came to the playground outside the south gate to exercise as usual. When they set up their guns and were about to do freehand exercises.When the headquarters gave an order, the revolutionary army ambushed outside the city opened fire immediately, a row of guns shot past, and the enemy troops on the playground fell down.The enemies who were lucky enough not to be shot hurriedly abandoned their guns and fled into the city, and then closed the city gates tightly. Immediately afterwards, the revolutionary army outside the north and east gates also launched an attack.All of a sudden, gunshots rang out.

The enemy battalion commander Wang Guozheng, who was awakened from his dream by the sound of gunfire, was startled at first, but when he heard that it was Yuan Wencai's troops who came to attack the city, his heart eased: With their few broken guns, the Can a little ammunition break through the solid city defenses of Xincheng? However, the sound of gunfire became more and more intense, and there was also the sound of machine guns. Only then did Wang Guozheng realize that it was not the "Yuan Wang bandits" but the main force of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, and he panicked.While ordering his subordinates to resist tenaciously, he sent people to Yongxin to send a letter for help.

The person who sent the letter was captured by the revolutionary army as soon as he left the city gate, but the battle of the revolutionary army to attack the city was extremely fierce due to the enemy's stubborn resistance.It was almost noon, but the city gate had not yet been breached. Commanders from all walks of life became anxious, Yuan Wencai, the head of the Second Regiment, even rushed to the headquarters on purpose and asked Mao Zedong to order a full-scale attack. Mao Zedong said thoughtfully: "Then our loss will be great." Yuan Wencai was a little anxious: "It has been said since ancient times: 'If you kill ten thousand people, you will lose three thousand people yourself.' When two armies fight, how can anyone survive?"

Mao Zedong told him solemnly: "We should not only destroy the enemy, but also preserve ourselves, and use the least cost to achieve the greatest victory." After careful consideration, Mao Zedong ordered the fire attack tactics.The troops at the south gate and the north gate launched a feint attack to contain the enemy's firepower; the first battalion at the east gate concentrated its forces to carry out a fire attack.After the order was issued, the local people sent many stairs, kerosene, straw, cotton wool and other items.Soon, the soldiers uncovered the roof tiles of a private house outside the east gate, and mounted the only two machine guns of the troops on the roof, condescendingly, and suppressed firepower.Dozens of soldiers wrapped in wet cotton wadding, with hay and kerosene between them, took the opportunity to rush to the east gate and light the fire.All of a sudden, raging fire shot up into the sky, and the city gate was also burned.The commando immediately set up the ladders, climbed up the city wall bravely, fought fiercely with the defending enemy, and quickly opened a hole, and the first battalion of troops rushed into the city.

Once the east gate was broken, the defenders in the city were in chaos, and they had no intention of fighting again.Immediately afterwards, the South Gate and North Gate were successively breached by the Revolutionary Army of Workers and Peasants, and soldiers from the Revolutionary Army poured into the city like a tide.The defending enemy had no choice but to flee in the direction of the west gate, and just got into the "pocket" set up by the revolutionary army. Yuan Wencai, who had already suffocated his energy, commanded the troops of the first battalion of the second regiment and the teaching team, and beat them fiercely. The enemies in the circle knocked everyone off their feet. Under the siege of the Revolutionary Army of Workers and Peasants, Wang Zheng, the commander of the enemy battalion, was shot dead on the spot.Seeing that the situation was over, the enemy soldiers knelt down and surrendered.The reactionary county magistrate Zhang Kaiyang fled outside the west gate during the scuffle, hid in a small river ditch and pretended to be dead, but was discovered and captured by Wen Genzong, the leader of the riverside riot team in the ancient city who participated in the war. The attack on Xincheng was a complete victory.The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army killed and wounded more than 300 people from the enemy's independent battalion and Jingwei, including the battalion commander Wang Zheng, captured more than 100 people alive, captured the enemy county magistrate Zhang Kaiyang alive, and seized a large number of guns and ammunition. This is the first brilliant victory won by the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army since the establishment of the Jinggangshan base area.This victory can be said to be the best gift for the foundation laying of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base! After taking Xincheng, the former committee decided to establish a government of workers, peasants and soldiers in Ninggang County.This government is no longer located in Xincheng, but in Longshi, which was Mao Zedong's proposal.As for who should be the first chairman of the workers', peasants' and soldiers' government, Mao Zedong suggested that Wen Genzong, the captain of the Dajiang Riverside Riot Team in the ancient city who was born in mud legs and captured the enemy county magistrate alive in the Xincheng battle, would be the chairman. The Front Committee agreed to Mao Zedong's proposals and suggestions. On February 21, the third day after the Xincheng victory, the establishment meeting of the Ninggang County Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Government was held in Long City.Early in the morning, poor peasants from Maoping, Xincheng, Bailu, Yuanyuan and other places flocked to Longshi, and soon there were more than 10,000 people, crowding the Dahezhou in the east of Longshi.People celebrated the establishment of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Government like a festival. Mao Zedong attended the meeting and gave a passionate speech.He congratulated the birth of another new revolutionary regime in the Hunan-Kiangsi Border Region, and said to the people of Ningkang: "Our revolution is to overthrow corrupt officials, local tyrants and evil gentry, overthrow imperialism, and establish our own political power. We have an army, With guns, as long as everyone is united, any reactionary county magistrate can be overthrown, any feudal regime can be overthrown, and the revolution will definitely win!" Mao Zedong also invited Wen Genzong to the front of the stage and introduced to everyone: "This is Comrade Wen Genzong, he is the one who captured the reactionary county magistrate Zhang Kaiyang alive in the battle of Xincheng and made his first contribution! From today on, he will serve as the leader of everyone. Chairman of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Government, everyone should support him, support him, and do Ningkang's work well!" Mao Zedong's speech won rounds of applause from the audience.