Chapter 9 Destroyed

The Fourth Red Army crossed Daba Mountain and came to Sichuan.But such a team was not understood by the people at the beginning. They saw a lot of local warlords and bandits with guns on their backs.What would happen if such a team dressed in rags and looked like beggars came? After entering Sichuan, the local militia fled, and the headquarters of the Red Fourth Front Army lived in Kucaoba, Tongjiang County.The headquarters was stationed in Kucaoba for three days. In order to draw up the "Outline of the Fourth Red Army's Entry into Sichuan", Chen Changhao deliberated word by word and worked all night. On December 24, the headquarters left Kucaoba and headed for Tongjiang County.When passing through a small town called Washipu, the headquarters stopped to camp.That night, the spies sent by the warlord Tian Songyao set fire to the town in an attempt to put the blame on the Red Army. Unexpectedly, they self-defeating and helped the Red Army a great favor.

In the early morning of this day, more than a thousand people from the headquarters and accompanying troops were gathering in the open space outside the town, ready to set off, when suddenly thick smoke billowed in the town and flames shot into the sky.The houses on the streets here are all wooden structures, and the houses are connected to each other on a small street. It is impossible to protect the whole town if one building burns, and the fire spreads quickly.Due to the enemy's reactionary propaganda, most of the people in Washipu fled to the nearby mountains before the arrival of the Red Army. Those who stayed at home were the elderly and children. When the fire broke out, the whole town was terrified, shouting and screaming into chaos.Seeing the fire, the officers and soldiers of the Red Army immediately rushed into the town to put out the fire and rescue property.After everyone fought bravely, most of the houses and businesses in the town were saved, and a large amount of property was rescued for the residents. Several Red Army soldiers were injured in the fire fighting.

When the fire broke out, the fleeing crowd in the town gathered on the surrounding hilltops to watch anxiously, not daring to return.Later, seeing that the Red Army really put out the fire, they mustered up the courage to rush back to participate in the fire fighting.After the fire was extinguished, the Red Army returned the salvaged property to the original owners one by one, and actively resettled the victims.The local people witnessed all this and were greatly moved.At this moment, the people outside the town caught two suspected arsonists and brought them into the town to hand over to the Red Army.After interrogation, the two guys admitted that Tian Songyao sent them to set fire to the town, and their purpose was to blame the Red Army.As soon as this incident happened, the people in the town suddenly realized that "the Red Army is the army of the common people." Fleeing as before.

On December 25, 1932, the 36th Regiment of the 12th Division of the Red Fourth Front Army captured Tongjiang, wiped out the two battalions defending the enemy, and controlled most of Tongjiang. Tongjiang County is located in the northeast of Bazhong City, Sichuan Province today, at the gap of Daba Mountain at the southern foot of the eastern section of Micang Mountain, adjacent to Nanzheng, Xixiang, and Zhenba counties of Shaanxi Province in the north, Wanyuan City in the east, and Pingchang in the south The county, connected to Bazhong and Nanjiang counties in the west, is the hub connecting Sichuan and Shaanxi, and its geographical location is extremely important. Therefore, the local chronicles say that Tongjiang is "according to the old city of Sanba, controlling the left corner of the whole Shu", and "the center of Baliang" in the north. , East strangling "Shu Chu throat".

On the morning of December 26, 1932, with rain and snow in the sky, the headquarters of the Red Fourth Front Army arrived at Tongjiang County in northern Sichuan.In order to invigorate the army, Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, and Chen Changhao decided to hold a grand entry ceremony to inspire the people and deter the enemy. On December 29, the Northwest Revolutionary Military Committee was stationed in Tongjiang, and the Sichuan-Shaanxi Provincial Provisional Revolutionary Committee was established, becoming the highest administrative body in the Soviet area before the establishment of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Government.

After the Fourth Red Army left the Hubei, Henan and Anhui base areas, it has been in a fighting environment, with neither logistical supplies nor time to stop and rest.The weather was getting colder, because the military uniforms were so tattered that it was hard to keep out the cold. Many soldiers wore various colorful clothes added along the way, some even wore satin underwear and the red and green jackets of girls and daughters-in-law. Quilts, blankets wrapped around the body.The hats on the head are also strange, including top hats, felt hats, melon skin hats and so on.Marching and fighting in the field for many years, all the soldiers have dark faces, long and messy hair, and beards all over their faces.This had a great impact on the image of the Red Army, and the local people were scared away by it.The city entry ceremony is an important ceremony to show the local people the style of the army. How can it be done like this?Chen Changhao asked the troops to organize their military capacity urgently.One regiment from each of the 11th and 12th Divisions of the Red Army participated in the city entry ceremony. Due to insufficient clothing, there was no other way but to gather the complete uniforms of each unit for the soldiers of the two regiments to wear.

Liu Yingqi, a veteran of the Red Army, once recalled: "On the day we entered the city, the weather was bad and it was snowing lightly. According to the requirements of the General Political Department of the Front Army, we cleaned up one by one and buttoned our clothes neatly. When we were outside the city the day before Military appearance. Political commissar Chen Changhao gave us a speech, saying that we were the first batch of Red Army units to enter the city, and that the people of Sichuan should see the majesty of the Red Army of Workers and Peasants through us. The Red Army must not be discredited because of the military appearance. Yes, you are not allowed to participate in the city entry ceremony. Our regiment political commissar also asked us to gather and sing military songs. On the day of entering the city, the flag bearers in front were holding red flags, and those walking in the front row were holding machine guns. They were very majestic. Liang Liang's guns lined up in a column of six, singing military songs and walking on the streets of Tongjiang City. Commissar Chen, Commander Xu, our division commander and political commissar were all riding tall horses. Both sides of the road were crowded with crowds of onlookers. It’s been a long time since I left Eyuwan.”

The city of Tongjiang County is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and there is also a concrete avenue built by the warlord Tian Songyao and a Zhongshan Park in the city.There is a large and antique house in the park, which used to be the residence of the county magistrate, where the headquarters of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army was located. On February 1, 1933 (the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar), the 73rd Red Division liberated Nanjiang County. Chen Changhao and Wang Shusheng entered the city with the army. The people in Nanjiang County were crowded on both sides of the road to see the style of the Red Army.That night, Nanjiang army and civilians held a grand lighting gala in the county town. The theater building in Nanjiang County was decorated with lights and festoons, and a couplet was posted on both sides of the theater building:

The warlords run, the regiments run away, the rich gentry run, run away, the Kuomintang dog party runs away and collapses; Come the workers, come the peasants, come the soldiers, come, come, let us build Soviets together. To commemorate the liberation of the Red Army, the Provisional Revolutionary Committee of Nanjiang County decided that the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar will be the "Light Festival" of Nanjiang County every year.At the same time, at the east gate (formerly "Yinghui Gate") where the Red Army entered the city, the three characters "Red Four Gates" written by Chen Changhao were chiseled as a permanent memorial.

After entering Sichuan, the troops had the opportunity to rest and reorganize for the first time. All the troops seized the time to rest and reorganize and carry out military and political education.There is a considerable amount of homemade cloth and cotton in the market towns in this area. The Red Army headquarters purchased a large number of them and hurriedly produced a large number of military uniforms, which basically changed the military appearance of the troops. After the Red Fourth Army entered Tongjiang, Nanjiang, and Bazhong, it immediately implemented a strategic deployment, blocked the dangerous mountain passes, built fortifications, and prepared to deal with the counterattack of the Sichuan warlords.At the same time, seize all the time to rest and supplement, mobilize the masses, and start to establish grassroots political power and party organizations.

Knowing that the Red Army had entered Sichuan, Chiang Kai-shek felt like sitting on pins and needles. He put pressure on Liu Xiang and Liu Wenhui, who were in the melee, to stop the war immediately and turn around to deal with the Red Army. On December 21, the "Er Liu" in the melee had just signed the armistice agreement, and the warlords from all walks of life had not had time to clean up the mess. Tian Songyao received a report that Tongjiang, his old nest, was captured by the Red Army. Tongjiang, Nanjiang, and Bazhong belonged to the defense zone of Sichuan warlord Tian Songyao. Tian Songyao, born in 1888, is from Jianyang, Sichuan.He graduated from the first phase of the Baoding Military Academy. In April 1912, he served as the staff officer of the Fourth Division of the Sichuan Army. In 1935, due to the failure of the "encirclement and suppression" of the Red Army, he was dismissed and investigated. In September 1936, he served as a general of the Military Senate and lived in Chengdu ever since.Tian Songyao's life is full of legends. Like Liu Wenhui and Deng Xihou, he refused to go to Taiwan when the Kuomintang government collapsed in 1949. On December 9, he joined Liu Wenhui, Deng Xihou and Pan Wenhua in Peng County, Sichuan Province to electrify the uprising. Tongjiang is where the headquarters of Tian Songyao's 29th Army is located. When Tian Songyao heard that his old nest was occupied, Tian Songyao felt as if he had been stung by a hornet on the buttocks. He immediately dispatched troops and turned around to deal with the Red Army.Tian Songyao sent a telegram to Li Weiru, the commander of the first route who stayed in Yilong and the south, to lead his troops to Tongjiang to recover the county.After receiving the order, Li Weiru led his troops and one of Luo Naiqiong's Wanxuan Youth Brigade to deploy defenses in Yinggezui, about 20 miles away from Tongjiang, and ordered the commander of the 17th Brigade and the 32nd regiment Liu Dingji led his troops to the front from Chengdu.Three or four days later, Li Weiru learned that the large forces of the Red Army were making a detour to Nanjiang and Bazhong, and there was a tendency to cut off the rear. In order to avoid being annihilated, Li Weiru immediately decided to retreat to Bazhong.On the way, he was suddenly attacked by the Red Army condescendingly from Longchengzhai. It was Xu Shiyou, a famous general of the Red Fourth Front Army, who ambushed Li Weiru's troops.Xu Shiyou recalled: At the end of 1932, Li Weiru led Chen Zongjin Brigade and Luo Naiqiong Shi Wanxuan Youth Brigade to attack Tongjiang from Bazhong.The division headquarters ordered our regiment to quickly seize the parrot's mouth and block the invading enemy. Yinggezui is a big town, located on a mountain more than twenty miles west of Tongjiang City.At the foot of the mountain is the road from Tongjiang to Bazhong.Therefore, Yinggezui is the barrier to Tongjiang, and it is also a battleground for offense and defense. When we arrived at Parrot's mouth, the sun had already set.I immediately took the battalion commanders to look at the terrain and study the battle plan.After proper deployment, the troops built fortifications overnight and prepared for battle. At dawn the next day, comrades from the division's reconnaissance team came back from reconnaissance and said: "The enemy is coming!" I stood on the commanding height next to the command post and looked forward with a telescope.A few faint black spots appeared on the road, and then more and more, like swarms of ants, densely packed together... When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, they immediately launched a group charge towards my position, rushing upwards in groups. When the enemy approached the front of the position tens of meters, the firearms of the whole regiment rang like a wind, and the enemy fell one by one.The enemy in front couldn't hold back, turned around and fled.Before the enemies at the back figured out what was going on, they were thrown into a mess by the retreating enemies.All our firearms slammed into the enemy group together.The enemy's dead bodies and wounded soldiers, accompanied by guns and stones, rolled down in a mess like dumping garbage.Seeing that the retreat route was crowded, some enemies simply jumped off the cliffs to escape from both sides. At about eight or nine o'clock, the enemy launched a second attack. This time the enemy learned how to behave, crawling and stopping like a turtle, and retreated as soon as our guns fired.Seeing that the time to attack was ripe, I gave the order to "charge"... The soldiers rushed down the mountain like tigers, and rushed towards the enemy quickly.Holding a big knife, I rushed down the mountain with the traffic platoon... In the ravine, there are enemy corpses and wounded soldiers everywhere.Those with cracked heads, those with missing arms and legs, those lying on the ground calling for father and mother, those hanging on the branches of trees calling for help, and those kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, are really ugly. We chased all the way to Yangbai River, and captured hundreds of enemies along the way. These captives all had sharp-mouthed monkey cheeks, and there was no flesh after picking off the bones.Each of them had a bamboo basket with an army blanket on top and bongs and other smoking paraphernalia underneath.On the way to escort the prisoners, some of them became addicted to cigarettes, yawned profusely, had tears and snot dripping from their noses, couldn't even speak clearly, and staggered as if they were drunk when they walked.As they begged bitterly, they fell to the ground and began to swallow clouds... The Sichuan warlord's "Double Spear Soldiers" really lived up to their reputation. Li Weiru's troops bully the common people, and they can also fight with warlords, but this is the first time they have fought against the Red Army. When they were attacked by surprise, this group of "two-pike soldiers" immediately broke up, like sheep, fled frantically, and retreated across the Ba River. Give up Bazhong.Li Weiru was defeated by the Red Army as soon as he was dispatched. Tian Songyao realized that the situation was serious and the survival of his old nest was at stake, so he stepped up the deployment of troops and redeployed in order to restore his original Tong, Nan, and Ba territories. In order to encourage Tian Songyao to attack the Red Army, on January 27, 1933, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Tian Songyao as the "Supervisor of Bandit Suppression in the Sichuan-Shaanxi Border Region", and allocated him 200,000 yuan in military expenses and 1 million rounds of ammunition to make him "advance and suppress" quickly. An unstable Red Army. On January 28, Tian Songyao took the oath of office in Chengdu, and immediately began to dispatch troops. In mid-February, he completed the military deployment to besiege the Red Army.Tian Songyao gathered 38 regiments with about 60,000 people, and appointed Sun Zhen, the deputy commander of the 29th Army, as the commander-in-chief of the former enemy. The division, independent division, and independent brigade consisted of about 22 regiments, advancing from the Wanyuan and Wangcangba areas, passing through Mumen and Changchi to capture the Nanjiang River, and then controlling the southern foot of Daba Mountain, cutting off the Red Army's retreat to southern Shaanxi; The middle column was commanded by Zeng Xiandong, the commander of the Second Division, and led seven regiments to march from Langzhong and Cangxi through the Enyang River area, cleared the Red Army on both sides of the Ba River, captured Bazhong, threatened the Red Army's flank, and assisted the left column to capture Nanjiang; The right column was commanded by Luo Naiqiong, the commander of the third division, and led nine regiments from the south and Yilong to the south of Bazhong, controlled both sides of the Ba River, and assisted the central column to regain Bazhong.The three-way column took the capture of Nanjiang and Bazhong as the first stage; the second stage divided into joint attacks to recover Tongjiang. In order to cooperate with Tian Songyao's actions, Yang Sen, who was entrenched between Qujiang and Jialingjiang, transferred 15 regiments of his six brigades to Yingshan, Quxian, Peng'an, and Nanchong.Liu Xiang also drew 15 regiments from his 21st Army to assist Tian Songyao in the Dazhu area.Liu Cunhou, who was stationed in Xuanhan, Daxian, and Wanyuan, sent his Yu Guangwu and Wang Zhulong's troops to Zhenlongguan, Tudibao, and Jiangkou (now Pingchang) on ​​the east bank of the Tongjiang River to assist Tian Songyao.Chiang Kai-shek also dispatched the Central Army Liu Maoen and Hu Zongnan to intercept the Red Army in Wanyuan and the north of Tongjiang.The Wang Zhiyuan Brigade of the Shaanxi Army also arrived at the front line of Caojiatuo, Guangyuan to cooperate.These troops add up to a total of more than a hundred thousand people. The enemy has laid a big net in an attempt to wipe out the Red Fourth Front Army that has just entered Sichuan and has not gained a stable foothold. In early February 1933, more than 30 regiments in each column of Tian Songyao's 29th Army assembled in designated areas, and each column began to move.The vanguard marched separately from Yilong, Enyanghe, Langzhong, Cangxi Longshan, and Nanjiang Mumen.Tian Songyao was full of ambition, and the commanding army rushed towards the Red Army aggressively. From an objective point of view, the situation faced by the Red Fourth Front Army is indeed extremely severe.The enemy has been entrenched in Sichuan for more than ten years, with a large number of soldiers and sufficient food, and with the financial and military support of Chiang Kai-shek, they used their superior forces to encircle them on all sides with an army waiting for work.On the other hand, the Red Fourth Front Army has just entered Sichuan after several months of fighting thousands of miles away. The troops are extremely exhausted, the sick and wounded have not yet been resettled, the ammunition reserves, food supplies, etc. required for the war have not been replenished, and the construction of the base area has just begun and has not yet taken shape. , is indeed a weak teacher.Under such circumstances, if you use less to attack more, and use the weak to attack the strong, if you are a little careless, the troops and even the revolutionary cause will suffer heavy losses.Out of strategic considerations, after several leaders of the Fourth Front Army studied together, they wrote a letter to Tian Songyao and other warlords, which meant: The Red Army entered Sichuan and had no intention of fighting with you. We are against Chiang Kai-shek, not anywhere in Sichuan. soldier.The purpose of our coming here is only to temporarily rest in the Tong, Nan, and Ba areas. If you can understand not to attack the Red Army, next spring, we will still return to the Central Plains.It is hoped that the two sides will negotiate to divide the defense area, please do not start the war lightly, so as not to hurt both sides. The letter was sent to the enemy camp by Zhang Guotao's guard platoon leader He Fusheng.Tian Songyao is short and fat, with a bald head, known as "Winter Melon".Tian Songyao had never fought against the Red Army before, and had no knowledge of the Red Army's combat effectiveness. He arrogantly replied to He Fusheng: "The Communist bandits are a defeated army. They fled to this place. I was ordered to encircle and destroy you without mercy. Elsewhere, I also want to follow up the encirclement." In Tian Songyao's eyes, the Red Army dressed like beggars is just a group of rabble, he can easily destroy or drive away the Red Army.He didn't expect that the Red Army just wanted to temporarily avoid war and not be afraid of war. Since its birth, the Red Army has been fighting in an environment surrounded by strong enemies. The Central Army of the Kuomintang is not afraid, let alone Sichuan. This group of warlords who are no different from bandits? Xu Xiangqian slapped the table: "Hit, let him have a long memory." Chen Changhao chuckled: "Fight, let him know our Red Army." Despise it strategically, but pay attention to it tactically. The current situation is, after all, that the enemy is strong and we are weak.Moreover, the combat effectiveness of Sichuan Army soldiers is not weak.These soldiers are all from the countryside. The perennially difficult living environment made them suffer from hunger and thirst; Yinyuan dares to fight desperately; years of experience in the battlefield makes their marksmanship accurate; when the battlefield situation is in an advantage, they shout and scream like a desperate Saburo; , Like mercury pouring down the ground, it disappeared after a while.Almost all of these soldiers smoked opium, and all of them were depressed at ordinary times, but all of them were in high spirits after smoking opium.After the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army entered Sichuan, they fought against the Sichuan Army several times. Chen Changhao paid attention to their performance on the battlefield, saying that they had a "smoke force", and warned commanders at all levels that such an army must not be taken lightly. depending on it. The mountains in northern Sichuan are high and dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, which is beneficial to our army.Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao decided to adopt an active defense strategy, tighten their positions, lure the enemy to go deep, rely on favorable terrain, and use a small number of troops to deal with the dominant attacking enemy, consuming their vital strength; the main force gradually shrinks, luring the enemy to stay alone Go deep, exhausted, wait for the right time, and then concentrate the contracted strength to fight back.Another advantage of this tactic is that it shows weakness to the enemy, causing it to relax its vigilance and reveal its flaws.In response to the enemy's deployment, the Red Army Headquarters decided to deploy the Red Seventy-Three Division (under the 218th Regiment) in the Sanjiangba area west of Nanjiang, and the Red Eleventh Division (under the 33rd Regiment) in the Changchi and Mumen areas in the southwest of Nanjiang. , to jointly fight against the enemy's left column. Deploy the 12th Red Division in Zengkouchang, Fenbichang, and Lancaodu in the southeast of Bazhong to deal with the enemy's middle column and right column; deploy the 33rd Regiment of the 11th Red Division from Nanjiangkou to Desheng Mountain in Tongjiang In the area, the Red 10th Division was deployed to the east of Tongjiang and northeast of Mashichang, Hongkouchang, and Zhuyuguan, guarding Liu Cunhou and Yang Sen's troops, and serving as a strategic reserve team. The 218th Regiment of the 73rd Division of the Red Army was deployed in the Beiba area in the northeast of Nanjiang to monitor Hu Zongnan, Liu Maoen's troops and the Shaanxi Army in the south of Bashan.Xu Xiangqian deployed more than 10,000 Red Army troops in a fan-shaped defensive formation. In view of the ferocious approach of the enemy, Xu Xiangqian emphasized: The focus of this campaign is to concentrate its forces against Tian Songyao's troops. All units make full use of favorable terrain, rely on fortifications, and carry forward a brave and tenacious fighting style. Consume enemies. Beginning on February 18, the three regiments of Luo Naiqiong's division, the enemy's right-wing column, advanced towards Wangwang Mountain and Zaolin, and successively entered the line of Liangjiahe and Sanjiangkou.Li Weiru advanced from Wan'an Township, which belongs to Bazhong, crossed the river from Zengkou, entered Longcheng Village, and fought fiercely with the Red Army guarding the village.After the Red Army retreated on its own, the enemy continued to advance, fighting with the blocking Red Army along the way. The enemy's central column marched towards Bazhong along the Lang and Ba Avenues. Zeng Xiandong's troops entered Xing'erya on the opposite bank of the Enyang River. Because they were blocked by the Red Army, they immediately contacted a regiment of the right column's Luo Naiqiong Division to attack the Red Army together, but were counterattacked by the Red Army. Down.The next day, the Red Army voluntarily abandoned Bazhong City and retreated across Qingjiangdu. On March 8, the enemy entered Zhanbazhong and continued to advance towards Qingjiangdu.When the enemy marched to Longchengzhai, they were blocked by the Red Army.A regiment of Zeng Xiandong's department and Li Weiru's troops from the right column jointly attacked Longchengzhai. After a fierce battle for one day, the Red Army withdrew automatically the next day.The enemy's center column contacted the troops of the right column and continued to advance aggressively.In Killing Niuping, the Red Army once again encountered strong resistance. The battle began at 9:00 a.m. and continued until night.The Red Army retreated voluntarily after achieving the goal of delaying the enemy's advance, but the enemy did not realize this, but believed that the Red Army was vulnerable and continued to advance aggressively. The enemy's left-wing column attacked Luojiaba, Houjialiang and other places with Wang Yaozu's and Yang Yuanfu's brigades on Liu Hanxiong Road along Puziling, Sanjiangba, Sunjiaya, and Laibashi; Qin Shike's brigade of the Fifth Division attacked Zhoujiaba from Mumen. The goal is to go straight to the south of the river. The Mumen, Changchi, and Sanjiang Dam on the Nanjiang River are the main direction of the enemy's assault.The large troops of the Sichuan Army charged densely and densely, trying to force a breakthrough from here.When the enemy launched an attack, our troops had not yet assembled. There were only four regiments in the Mumen, Changchi, and Sanjiangba lines, but there were twenty-four regiments facing the enemy. Houjialiang is an undulating hilly area. The Red Thirty-two Regiment is defending here, and the enemy's attack first starts from here.More than a dozen mortars of the three regiments of Huang Zhengui's Department of the Sichuan Army fired concentrated fire, and the front positions of the 32nd regiment suddenly filled with smoke and shrapnel flew across.After a burst of shelling, the Sichuan Army, who had smoked enough smoke, let out a shout. Under the cover of machine gun fire, Cheng Lian Cheng's camp launched a group charge, like a swarm of hornets, buzzing towards the Red Army's position.The soldiers of the 32nd regiment waited for the enemy to enter a distance of 200 meters. The machine guns and rifles suddenly opened fire, and the squealing machine guns were like harvesters. They swept across and dozens of Sichuan soldiers fell to the ground.Those Sichuan troops were in the midst of the smoke, and the front fell in pieces. They were still screaming and rushing forward. Seeing that the undefeated enemy troops rushed to a distance of 30 to 40 meters from the front position, the Red Army's grenades rushed forward. Just as the raindrops fell and the smoke from the explosion cleared, dozens of enemy soldiers fell to the ground missing arms and legs, crying ghosts and wolves, and only a dozen or so were frightened by the situation, turned their heads and ran back. There was another "crack, bang, bang" and "roll call" indiscriminately, and less than three or five enemy troops returned to the starting position alive.The result of the first wave of charge stunned those Sichuan troops who stayed behind. Their "smoke strength" was frightened by the blood of their companions and the painful screams of those who were wounded and fell to the ground during the charge. The enemy commander organized the troops cursingly, and with a roar, the second wave of charge began again. Just like the first time, within half an hour, the second wave of charge was repulsed again, and the corpses of the enemy soldiers in front of the position gradually more and more.Not long after the start of the third charge, the 32nd Regiment changed their style of play. When they brought the enemy closer to the front more than ten meters away, there was a charge sound on the position. The machete shouted loudly and rushed out of the position to give the enemy a countercharge.Hand-to-hand combat is the most deterrent method of warfare. The first thing to fight is courage and spirit, followed by technology and physical strength, neither of which is the strong point of the Sichuan Army.Since the Revolution of 1911, the tasks of the various factions of the Sichuan Army, in addition to guarding the line of defense and bullying the people, have been firefights and scuffles among the factions. The opponents in the war are all different factions of the Sichuan Army. Fighting in time is far from being as brave and desperate as the Red Army.Face to face like this with a knife and a gun, the bayonet sees red, one knife goes down, it either loses an arm and breaks a leg, or loses its neck and head, or one shot comes over and is pierced through. How could the soldiers of the Sichuan army who only roamed the countryside have seen such a formation?Some lost their lives before parrying twice. The blood oozing from the necks of their companions and the screams one after another scared them out of their wits. The fortune-telling is fast, the legs and feet are stabbed and chopped down slowly, and more often they kneel down immediately and hold the gun with both hands. On the 18th, the enemy launched seven or eight charges, killing and injuring hundreds of people.The difficult day passed, the night was getting darker, and the front line gradually became quiet.In the winter night in northern Sichuan, the cold air is like needles, which hurts the body.A pile of fire was lit in front of the enemy's position, and the Sichuan soldiers shivering from the cold fell asleep in front of the fire.The 32nd regiment organized two companies to take advantage of the night, pass through the enemy's junction from the two wings, touch the rear of the enemy's forward position, kill the sentries, and launch a sudden attack.The explosion of the grenade set off a cloud of fireworks, and the sleepy, tired and frightened enemy soldiers were sleeping soundly, and immediately became a mess when they were hit.After this battle, one regiment of the enemy army was basically reimbursed. Hou Jialiang's blocking battle lasted for ten days and nights.The Red Thirty-two Regiment wiped out three regiments of Huang Zhengui's Department of the Sichuan Army, seized more than 700 guns, two machine guns, and two mortars, and took more than 500 prisoners.At the same time, the headquarters of the Red 73rd Division and the 11th Division fought fiercely with the enemy in Gaobiji, Kuishan, Qinggangliang and other places. After ten days, the left column of Sichuan Army Wang Mingzhang lost more than 5,000 people and was basically paralyzed. . One of the parties involved in that battle once wrote in a memoir that when the Red Army blocked the enemy at the wooden gate, Chen Changhao asked the guerrilla leader Hou Mou in the Taoyuan area of ​​Guangyuan to send a letter to Guangyuan to contact Wang Mingzhang.The gist of the letter is: We do not want to fight with you, and hope to conclude an agreement with you on mutual non-aggression. After receiving the letter, Wang Mingzhang immediately summoned his army staff to discuss how to deal with it. In the end, he thought: (1) Hearing that Zhang Guotao killed people very well, after signing the agreement, it is inevitable that he will not be attacked suddenly. Dangerous; (2) Since Tong, Nan, and Ba must be recovered, Army Commander Tian will never allow an agreement to be concluded.Therefore, this letter was neither answered nor forwarded to the military department.Combat operations continued. With the deployment of the enemy's "three-way siege" troops, the fronts of Tong, Nan, and Pakistan were in full swing, and the enemy's offensive became more and more fierce.According to the deployment of the campaign, after the effective forces of the enemy were eliminated, the troops began to "tighten their positions" to lure the enemy deep. Abandon Bazhong County on March 8, and then withdraw from Nanjiang City on March 18. Tian Songyao was overjoyed to hear that the Red Army had taken down two cities in succession. While calling Chiang Kai-shek to report his victory, he urged his troops to speed up. In late April, the enemy launched a full-line attack again. After successive resistances, the Red Army voluntarily withdrew from Tongjiang County on April 29, and tightened its positions on the lines of Pingxiba, Yinglongshan, Jiziding, and Jiuzipo. The terrain in northern Sichuan is low in the south and high in the north. The farther north you go, the steeper and more dangerous the mountains are, which is more conducive to the Red Army's defense.Key points such as Yinglong Mountain, Jiziding, and Jiuzipo have dangerous mountains, narrow roads, narrow forests and dense forests. If a few companies defend, they can withstand the attacks of several enemy regiments.The Red Army took advantage of the favorable terrain, with a small number of troops and local armed forces, to stick to the forward positions and consume the enemy. The main force of the Red Army concentrated in the Kongshanba area with a radius of less than a hundred miles, waiting for a counterattack. Tian Songyao fought against the Red Army for the first time. In the past two months, although the troops lost more than 10,000 yuan, he was extremely excited when he saw that Tong, Nan, and Ba were all captured by him one by one. thing".At this time, Liu Xiang and Liu Wenhui fought again, which was known as the "Chengdu Metropolitan War" in history. Tian Songyao stood on Liu Xiang's side, so he withdrew part of his troops and went to the Chengdu Plain to continue participating in the warlord scuffle; He rushed forward and entered the Yujiawan and Liulinba areas south of Kongshanba in an attempt to wipe out the Red Army in one fell swoop. On May 2, Tian Songyao sent a telegram to "recover Tongjiang": The two columns on the right and the middle of our bandit suppression army continued to attack from Yinggezui and Desheng Mountain in the east. .The vanguard of the whole column in the eastern night was approaching the city of Tongjiang. At dawn today, I, Mr. Luo Naiqiong, Deputy Commander Xie Shuchang, commanded Zhu Lin of the 63rd Regiment, Song Peigen of the 17th Regiment, and led his troops to occupy Tongjiang City first, followed by Li Wei. And pursued towards Mu Shenzhen.The bandits near Youyuan Mountain Field were being suppressed by Li's team to eliminate them.Since mid-February, the bandits have suffered more than half of their casualties. This is the total collapse, Telian, and Songyao Dongyin. Dominated by this kind of "optimism", the front-line commanders of the enemy's 29th Army also believed that the Red Army could not bear the oppression of heavy troops, and that it was inevitable to withdraw from the Sichuan area, thinking that it would be "victorious to return" within ten days. Teacher", carried away with complacency, filled with arrogance, especially in the aggressive left column. Liu Hanxiong, commander of the second route of the left column, commanded more than nine regiments including Li Juntao, Yang Yuanfu, Yang Tesheng, Qin Shike's brigades, and Yu Dajing regiment, and pursued them along Dishuiyan, Maoershan, Chunshuping and other places. The situation is moving forward.On the way forward, the enemy troops picked up a file box, which contained a sketch map of the plan to retreat to Hanzhong. There are quite detailed records on the route mileage, whether there are staff in various places, and how much food and fodder may be collected in each area, and there are strategies. Combat instructions in Hanzhong.The enemy army was convinced of this file box, and the commanders of the column believed that the Red Army was indeed powerless to fight any more, so they drove the troops harder to march towards Liulin River. There was only small contact with the Red Army along the way, and there were Red Army soldiers on the mountain. Shout out: "Fellow folks! We don't want to fight with you anymore. We are going to Hanzhong, and we will meet again in Shaanxi later." At this time, Wang Mingzhang, the commander of the left column, convened the senior commanders of the various units to discuss the attack plan. They agreed that the occupation of Liulinxi was just an accidental matter. achievement.But at that time, it was rainy and rainy for days, flash floods broke out, and the right and middle columns could not move forward. The enemy troops who advanced alone advanced to the line of Liulinxi, Xiaoluomashan, and Daluomashan, and found that Red Army troops were stationed here.However, the enemy's front-line commanders actually thought that the Red Army deployed defenses here because they were unable to retreat in time, and that these troops were merely rear guards covering the retreat of the main force. .Liu Hanxiong immediately ordered Yang Yuanfu's and Yang Tesheng's brigades to attack Daluomashan, Li Juntao's brigade to attack Xiaoluomashan and Liulinxi to threaten the Red Army's back, Qin Shike's brigade was in Gulouzi as a second-line force, and Yu Dajing's regiment was located in Gaolou. Jizi is the general reserve team, and decided to attack across the board at the same time on May 20. At this time, the enemy's battle line has been stretched very long, and there are basically no roads in the mountainous area. Tens of thousands of troops are fighting in the mountains, and they consume hundreds of thousands of catties of food, ammunition, and various supplies every day. Thousands of people, these people are walking in the mountains with picks. When they encounter an attack, they immediately throw away the picks and run. If the supply is cut off, the enemy will be hungry. Without supplies, the enemy army will not be able to fight. Supplies are also more difficult. At the end of spring and the beginning of summer, northern Sichuan was in the rainy season. It was rainy for days, sometimes big and sometimes small. The combatants were soaked and cold, and the number of wounded and sick soldiers increased sharply.Flash floods washed away almost all roads, making it impossible for supplies to reach them.After several months of continuous fighting, the enemy's troops were extremely tired, and the terrain in the mountains was so dangerous that the troops could not be deployed. In the deep mountains, some tens of thousands of horses were stretched out like lines, and some were crowded into groups. The enemy gradually entered the "trap" first designed by the Red Army. The protracted defensive battle cost Tian Songyao tens of thousands of casualties, achieving the goal of exhausting, exhausting, and dispersing the enemy's forces. The Red Army's own difficulties were also increasing day by day.The Red Army has withdrawn from all counties and most of the villages and towns it has occupied since entering Sichuan. The strategic retreat has reached a point where there is no way to retreat, and the position has shrunk to the point where it cannot be retracted anymore.The troops were compressed to Kucaoba, the south gate of Nixichang, Jiziding, and Jiuzipo, with a radius of less than a hundred miles. If this defensive line was broken by the enemy again, the Red Army would completely lose its strategic rear. Lost its foothold in Sichuan. The Red Army is fighting without logistical supplies. The war started in mid-February, and now it is Qingming. In more than three months, the Red Army has withdrawn from the strategic rear. It was so scarce that the troops couldn't eat a single meal of porridge a day, and they all depended on digging wild vegetables and immature broad beans to satisfy their hunger.Weapons and ammunition are exhausted, medicines are extremely scarce, and the wounded and sick cannot receive timely treatment.To solve these difficulties, the only way is to counterattack early and regain the lost ground. The southern foot of Bashan Mountain is winding, with torch-like peaks, starting from Tongjiang County to the northeast, a steep mountain with an altitude of 2,500 meters, with ravines and jagged rocks.Climbing along the mountain road, the higher you go, the steeper the mountain. When you climb to the top of the mountain, you will feel that the gate of heaven is opened. There are towering peaks, and you can see everything nearby. This is the Kongshan Dam known as the "Kongshan Tianbain"! Kongshanba is a peculiar karst landform. This alpine basin covers an area of ​​13 square kilometers, with a flat bottom, 8.5 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. Mountain peaks are covered by clouds all year round. There are four solitary peaks in the center of the dam, the peaks are about 100 meters high, the walls are cut, the ancient pines on the peaks are vigorous, wild flowers are everywhere, and there are karst caves inside.另一峰四壁陡峭，荆棘丛生，整座山体是一个蜂窝状溶洞，东西南北均可进出，洞内题词“第二洞天”。这里是红军的营地，一座名茨竹包的山峰，山腰间有一农家小院，小院隐藏在茂林修竹之中，红四方面军总部就设在这里。 连日来，徐向前、陈昌浩、曾中生、王树声等总部领导多次研究，认为敌左纵队已经孤军深入到深山狭谷地带，供应困难，士气沮丧，我军已经收缩至极限，现在，利用有利地形围歼冒进之敌是有把握的。5月17日，红四方面军总部在空山坝召集军事会议，部署反攻。徐向前、陈昌浩、曾中生、王树声以及各师主要负责人出席会议。会议上，徐向前、陈昌浩确定，立即反攻，全歼敌左纵队，将失地全部收复。 红军老战士，原解放军装甲兵副司令程世才在《空山坝大捷》一文中，记述了这次开会的情形： 会议还没开始，徐总指挥拖着沉重的步伐在屋内踱来踱去，手拿着旱烟袋，慢慢地吸着，有时抬头看看墙上的标图，有时低头思考着什么，或同干部们谈几句话，了解一下部队的情况。钟表的指针刚刚指到五时，他立即走到墙上挂着的那张红蓝颜色标示的密密层层纵横交错的地图跟前，问道：“这张地图大家都看过了吧？” “看过了。”同志们齐声回答。 “现在摆在我们面前有两条道路：一条是分兵把守，这样就会造成不利的形势，使苏区广大人民继续遭受军阀地主的蹂躏；另一条道路就是在一个方向上集中优势兵力，歼敌主力一部，而后乘胜追击，粉碎敌人围攻……”这时，一位参谋走来请总指挥去接紧急电话。 徐总指挥回到原来的位置，眼光凝注地望着前面，会场又宁静下来。他用清晰、明确的声调说：“刚才是七十三师师指挥所打来的电话，说敌人还是采取人海战术，集中攻击我小坎子阵地，我军伤亡不小。小坎子是通向空山坝的咽喉，万一丢失，就会影响全线反攻。因此，我命令他们不惜任何代价，坚持到反攻开始。” 徐总指挥冷静地考虑了到会每一个同志的意见后，立即作了决定：集中七十三师和十一师全部，分别担任左右两翼的主攻任务；十师的一个团在中间，十二师一个团为预备队，十师一部继续阻击竹峪关的敌人，十二师的一部钳制德汉城方向的杨森部队。 原定后天开始行动，现在决定提早到明天拂晓。 会议决定：由倪志亮、李先念率十一师由空山坝以北向敌左侧迂回，切断敌人退路。旷继勋、甘元景率十二师主力由空山坝以东及长坪地区进攻敌人右侧。由王树声、张广才率七十三师坚守大骡马、小骡马及小坎子等阵地，伺机转为正面进攻。 三军未动，粮草先行。几万部队集中行动，吃饭成为首要问题。田颂尧为了供给前线部队弹药粮食，组织了一支数万人的挑夫队伍，在深山老林里挑运粮食。红军数万人行动，一样也要粮食支撑。陈昌浩命令总经理部（总后勤部）部长郑义斋一定要在十天时间内将十万斤粮食运到空山坝以东三十五里外的地方。徐向前拍着郑义斋的肩膀：“老郑啊，这个任务一定要按时完成，我不能让战士们空着肚子去打仗。” 红军总经理部的粮食屯放点在三百五十里外的瓦室铺和石门镇两地。从这两个地方到空山坝，一路上全是深山老林，基本上没有路。在如此短的时间如此远的距离如此恶劣的交通条件下，要将如此多的粮食运送到空山坝，困难极大。红军刚刚入川不久，仅有的一万多部队全部要参加反击战，这么多粮食谁来运呢？这里人烟稀少，基本上找不到民工。郑义斋将粮食运输任务交给了刚刚成立不久的少共国际团。少共国际团是红军进入通江后才成立的，全部由十几岁的孩子组成。这支成立不到几个月的部队现已发展到一千七百余人，由于是新部队，又都是孩子，总部领导没有让他们上前线，现在还处于训练阶段。现在前线部队急需粮食，只有由他们来完成这个任务了。 郑义斋急令少共团团长邱元胜和政委吴瑞林前来，将这个任务交给他们。刚刚组建的少共团全是十几岁的青少年，这些人都是贫穷的农家子弟，从小就参加体力劳动，听说要给前线部队送粮食，一个个兴奋得嗷嗷叫。他们每人背负四十到五十斤粮食，在没有路的深山老林里上下攀爬，每天坚持行走七十多里，硬是在五天内将十万斤粮食送到指定地点，保证了空山坝反击战顺利进行。 程世才回忆： 受领任务后，上午十点钟，我带领各营干部和一、二营担任主攻连的有关同志，来到了余家湾山头阵地侦察敌情。余家湾，背靠巴山，周围山峦重叠，树林密布，荆棘丛生，东面有一条小河流过，地形非常复杂。林间山洞中常有豺狼豹子出没和长蛇大蟒盘踞，是一片没有人迹的荒野。我们在山林里爬了几个小时，来到了离敌前沿一二百米的岩石前，仔细地观察了敌人的工事构筑、火力配备、兵力部署和预备队的位置等情况。由这里往南，经过二十多里的山林地带，有一个小山岗叫柳林坝。那里有敌人两个营防守，附近还有一个营，为敌人团的预备队。柳林坝不远是梓潼庙，敌人的旅部驻扎在那里。从望远镜中还可以看见东山上密集的碉堡和弯曲回转的交通壕。 从侦察的情况来看，只有从山林间开辟一条通道，在敌防守薄弱的翼侧进行攻击，然后从中间将敌人拦腰斩为两段，才能更好地配合主力展开大反攻。 午后，天气骤变，天空乌云翻滚，霎时，电光闪闪，雷声隆隆，倾盆大雨从天而降。立时，条条山沟洪水倾泻，这给我们的行动造成极大的困难……天色渐渐地暗了下来，雨还在不停地下着，同志们一直没有休息，在伸手不见五指的黑夜里争分夺秒地开辟通路，新开的路不断地向前伸展着，距敌前沿越来越近……对面敌人说话的声音都可以听得见…… 凌晨四点，总攻开始了……两个营的敌人在我军突如其来的猛烈打击下，死的死、伤的伤，剩下的敌人全部缴械投降，当了红军的俘虏。 5月20日晚，各部队开始行动。红十一师担任从空山坝以北向敌左侧迂回、断敌退路的任务，徐向前亲自带着这支部队向敌后穿插。为全师开路的先锋部队是程世才的红三十三团。这天天气极为恶劣，多日的绵绵细雨转为大雨，红军指战员们冒着瓢泼大雨，披荆斩棘，在人迹罕至的深山老林中前进。这样的恶劣气候条件下迂回包抄，完全出乎敌人意料。 5月21日上午，左右翼部队完成迂回任务，陆续到达指定阵地，敌左纵队的十三个团全部被包围在柳林坝、余家湾地区。Now or never.下午四时，总部发出总攻击令。红军勇猛地向川军扑去。在震天的喊杀声中，敌总指挥孙震发现四面八方都有红军，才慌了手脚，赶忙下令突围逃命。这里的地形本来不适于大部队运动，翻过一岭又是一岭，走出一谷又是一谷，山谷间沟壑纵横、河流曲折，山间隘路一旦被截断，敌人就是插翅也难逃。红军已将各垭口、谷口卡死，以大部兵力向敌群猛烈穿插，分割围歼。 5月22日凌晨，穿插到敌后的程世才三十三团突然在敌背后发起攻击。在人迹罕至的深山老林里行军打仗几个月，敌人又困又累，做梦也没有想到突然有大队红军杀出。在红军战士勇猛的冲杀下，敌军顿时乱成一团，有的还在睡梦中就一命呜呼。在三十三团突然打击下，当面的敌人四处溃散，到了下午五六点钟的时候，残敌溃逃至北山河边。暴雨后的山洪，从四面八方汇到河里，在奔腾咆哮的河水前，敌人前进不得，后退不能，一个个急得如同丧家之犬，有的扔掉武器，有的丢弃辎重，一个个争相逃命。三十三团追击部队居高临下，猛烈的火力打得敌人丧魂落魄，无路可走之时，一些士兵竟然往滚滚翻腾的河水里跳，结果大部分被急流冲走淹死。战斗结束后，沿岸到处都是淹毙的敌尸。激战三昼夜，红军全歼敌七个团，溃敌六个团，敌左纵队十三个团被彻底摧垮，前后部队纷纷溃乱，各人自顾逃生，军械、辎重尽数委弃。 敌左翼刘汉雄部听说前面部队崩溃，红军打过来了，立即慌了手脚。这些四川军阀，有枪就是草头王，很多营长、团长甚至师长原来都是占山为王、打家劫舍的土匪，一收编，摇身一变就成为国民革命军的师长、团长。如果部队打垮了，自己的地位、前途什么也没有了，所以，四川军阀里流传着这么一句话：不带兵的副军长还顶不住一个带兵的连长，保住自己的实力比什么都重要。刘汉雄也不等总指挥部的命令，立即下令分道突围。命令一下，上万人的部队夺路而逃，顿时溃不成军。天雨路滑，山区本来就没路，一些临时的小路多被雨水冲毁，有的地方根本就没路，平日里走路都歪歪摇摇，现在不要命地狂奔，结果到处都是摔倒的人。急于逃命的川军士兵，不顾前面有人摔倒，便径直踩踏过去，很多人没死在战场上，结果死在自己人的脚下，敌第四师副团长曾慎修逃跑途中摔倒，竟被成群的溃兵活活踩死。 当夜大雨倾盆，山洪暴涨，山洪冲下，很多官兵被洪水卷走，现场一片混乱。仅有的道路也为之阻塞。李鋆陶当时曾悬赏五千元，令所部占领高集子作收容阵地，但官兵已不听命，只顾夺路奔逃。余大经团在突围时，整团被红军包围缴械，余本人仅以身免，除红军在余家湾以西的两路口配置兵力不足，被孙震率一部夺路而逃外，敌左翼部队所有武器、辎重及全部九个团的兵力，损失殆尽。 见左纵队溃败，敌中纵队和右纵队立即转头逃跑，敌人的战线全面崩溃。田颂尧的进攻部队完全丧失了战斗能力，不要命地向后狂奔。红军部队分路沿南江、通江、巴中方向猛打穷追，扩张战果。 程世才率领红三十三团一路猛冲猛打，一直打到木门以南十多里的青龙寨，插到了敌军的后方，总部命令三十三团在这里阻击溃逃的敌人。 下午两点钟，只见一片黄煞煞的敌人，顺着恩阳河、镇子坝，由南向北涌进了山沟。前面是一个营，走在中间的是几架四人抬的滑竿，一晃一晃地往前走，上面坐的有男有女，还有一只小狗。一溜一行的士兵，背着笨重的行囊，扛着步枪、机枪，弯腰垂头缓慢地前进，有的士兵把步枪当扁担，挑着行李。军官们骑在马上，一摇一晃地甩着鞭子，大声吆喝着…… 敌人的后卫部队全部进了山沟。这时，一营的重机枪“哒哒哒哒”地响了。接着，轻机枪、步枪齐向敌群发射……苦战两个小时，敌前卫团被歼，紧接着又追歼敌后梯队约一个团，旅长覃世科被活捉了。 不光是正规的战斗部队，就连主要负责后勤运输的妇女团也抓到了一大批俘虏。红四方面军老战士，原红四方面军妇女独立营营长陶万荣回忆： 一天晚上，我们运粮经过通江附近的鹰龙山，我们正在山上休息，突然，发现一股敌人向山上爬来。我立即命令各连迅速抢占有利地形，隐蔽待命…… 这股敌人是被我红军反三路围攻击溃了的田颂尧左纵队一个团的残敌，逃窜到这里。那些川军大多是“双枪兵”……这帮家伙逃了大半夜，又累又困，再加上鸦片烟瘾一发，一个个哈欠连天，踉踉跄跄爬到山腰的一块草坪上。一个当官的喊了一声“原地休息”，敌兵劈里啪啦把枪支扔在一边，立刻就抄起大烟枪，倒在地上过起了烟瘾……我们决定打他们个冷不防……我命令二连从东侧，三连从西侧，四连抄后路，我带着一连从正面悄悄向敌人接近。不多时，一排长陈秀芝和班长何文秀摸到敌人哨兵跟前去了，只见他们一纵身，从后面把敌哨兵绊倒，很麻利地堵住了敌人的嘴……我鸣枪为令，全营指战员一跃而起，枪刀对准敌人，厉声高喊：“缴枪不杀！”“红军优待俘虏！”那些烟鬼们顿时吓得翻身跪倒在地……就这样，我们妇女独立营没损一兵一卒，首战告捷，缴获钢枪几百条。 几天之间，红军摧枯拉朽，5月26日收复南江，5月29日收复通江。巴河西岸之敌一直狂奔到广元城内，红七十三师也一直尾追到广元城外，红十师顺势占领万源城。田颂尧的“三路围攻”被红军彻底粉碎。 空山坝大捷，敌军损失十三个团，红军毙、伤、俘敌旅参谋长李汉城以下官兵五千余人，缴枪三千余支、机枪五十余挺、迫击炮二十余门。 经过这场打击，田颂尧本人对红军开始有了比较清醒的认识： 红军的力量向为川军所忽视，红军的组织、宣传、纪律、训练均特别严密而尖锐，有足为“官军”取法处。红军除在前线作战外，余都从事攀登崖岸，超越沟渠，实弹射击，夜间演习，战备行军，急行军操作，故战斗力甚坚强。其来莫测所自，其去莫辨所往。至地方组织，也井井有条…… 同时，他对自己与红军作战时，各路军阀不光不援手反而作壁上观也极为愤怒，他曾公开地向外宣称：“共匪如果再追来，我连保宁都放弃，让大家都过不成清静日子！” 田颂尧毕竟担任蒋介石国民政府授予的“川陕边剿匪督办”一职，如此败绩，总得有所交代。6月15日，他发出通电，报告战败经过及红军重新收复通、南、巴的原因：尧前奉中央命令，督剿川陕边区赤匪。材轻任重，自知难胜。只以该徐匪等为党国根本大患，尧承命中央，不敢不前，欲以奋斗精神，使各袍泽闻风兴起，故倾全军之力，与该匪周旋。查该匪盘踞通南巴三县，扩充匪队，裹胁日众，有险可凭，屡次难克。尧淬历所部，勉以忠贞，幸仗中央德威，士卒用命，以次收复通南巴三县，困匪于苦草坝一隅。我左翼正猛进锐袭柳林溪一带，击匪之背，以期一鼓歼灭。不意此时，川中发生刘邓战事，尧之戍区，大受影响。该匪利此纷扰，全力反攻，遂使垂成之功，亏于一篑。我左翼失利，匪遂披猖，从前复地，相继再陷。尧部苦战半载，官兵伤亡，已愈万数，其余战士，风餐露宿，手足胼胝。今者匪焰益炽，我力渐衰，而内战方殷，莫肯应援，饷拙弹缺，难事补充。匪得因利乘便，已由长池木门，进犯川省腹地，鄂赣之祸，殆将重演于天府。尧奉职无状，固深内疚。惟匪为全国公敌，而专力猛攻者，仅尧之一军，剿匪军费浩繁，而负担者，仅尧部戍区之民。今兹之失，固在意中，从前之胜，转为意外。岂特尧一人之罪，川中各军与有责焉。现匪扩充红军，数达三万以上，实现川陕省苏维埃政府，恐非尧部所能遏制。除电呈蒋委员长，请予解除川陕边区剿匪职务，另简贤能接替，以期督率川陕各军认真兜剿外，尧仍率所部任一方进剿之责。即使余一兵一弹，仍愿为剿匪牺牲。望我枢府诸公，迅筹具体方略，各方明达，一致催促协剿，用赴事机而弭匪患。追切陈词，尚祈赐察为幸。 话虽然说得半文半白，但意思很清楚，这次失败不能怪我田某人，“川中各军与有责焉”，而且“饷拙弹缺，难事补充”。没钱没弹药，这仗让我怎么打？ 至6月中旬，反“三路围攻”战役胜利结束，历时四个月的战斗，红军先后共毙伤敌一万四千余人，俘敌旅参谋长李汉城以下官兵万余人，把田颂尧多年积蓄起来的兵力打掉近二分之一。通过反“三路围攻”战役，红军收复了通、南、巴及木门、三江坝一带地区，新占领旺苍全境，兵锋直逼广元城下。新建的川陕根据地范围北起陕西之镇巴、西乡，南至四川仪陇、江口，东达万源，西抵广元和苍溪城附近，以通南巴为中心的革命根据地扩展到三万平方公里，人口逾两百万，进入一个巩固和发展的新阶段。在建设地方政权的同时，红四方面军大力发展地方武装，红江、赤江、巴中、恩阳、南江、赤北、江口、长赤、旺苍、苍溪等县分别建立了数百人到千人不等的独立营、独立团。各地还有大量的游击队、战斗队、模范连等。 新中国成立后，陈昌浩谈到这次战斗时说： 这里（川陕根据地）没有鄂豫皖边区那样围城打援的机会，又受到高山峻岭的限制，不容易在敌人进攻时大量消灭敌人，又不应同敌人争夺城池来消耗自己。在当时的情况下，才具体摸索出了用阵地战节节阻击，诱敌深入，紧缩阵地这一行之有效的大量歼敌的打法。当敌军开始进攻时，我们在广大战线上以小部兵力节节抵抗，节节消耗敌人，大部兵力在阵地后面尽量休整待机，一直把敌人诱入三四百里，虽然我们放弃了很多良好的阵地和富裕地区，甚至被迫放弃了通、南、巴三座县城，我们也不同它作战役上的决战，一直到最后，把敌人的主力拖到大巴山山顶以下不远的荒山老岭中，甚至让我们相当大的后勤机关冒着与敌人只有一山之隔的危险。敌人已经“肥的拖瘦，瘦的拖死”，疲困不堪，我们就用已经准备好的最大限度集中的主力部队在空山坝实现战略反攻，结果田颂尧几十个团全部被击溃，相当大一部分被歼灭，原有的城池、地区都被恢复而且扩大了很大的地区，一直到达嘉陵江边。红军也由入川时的四个师一个团约一万五千人扩大到四个军十四个师三十二个团，总数达到八万人。