Comrade Zhou Enlai came to talk to us alone and explained that the Central Committee had decided that the Red Army would make a strategic shift and asked us to make secret preparations, but that it could not be disclosed to anyone at the moment, nor did it explain the direction o

Breaking through the enemy's first, second, and third blockades

In October 1934, the historically famous Long March began. Before the Long March, the First Army Corps fought in Wenfang, Fujian, and was ordered to return to Ruijin to stand by. Lin Biao and I arrived at Ruijin one day early. Comrade Zhou Enlai came to talk to us alone and explained that the Central Committee had decided that the Red Army should make a strategic shift and that we should prepare in secret. However, we could not disclose it to the public at the moment, nor did we explain the direction of the shift. Before the transfer, a legion must first go to to rejuvenate the country to resist and delay the attack of Zhou Hunyuan's column, so as to cover the gathering of the various red armies in the predetermined area. The confidentiality rules were very strict at that time, so we didn’t ask any more questions. I heard that Comrade Mao Zedong had also returned to Ruijin from other places at this time. I suggested going to see him, so I went with Lin Biao. Comrade Mao Zedong was very happy to see us and said: "Why are you here!" I said: "We are back and have accepted a new task." Comrade Mao Zedong deliberately asked: "What task?" I replied: "Yes. Transfer." The Long March was not called the Long March at that time, it was called transfer. Because it is not planned to travel 25,000 miles, but to move to Xiangxi first, to join forces with the 2nd and 6th Army Corps, and to make plans later.

At that time, the advance team had already set off early. In July, the Seventh Red Army Corps led by comrades Xun Huaizhou, Le Shaohua, Su Yu and other comrades formed the advance team of the Red Army heading north to resist Japan, and had already made their way northward. Later, he joined the Red Tenth Army led by Comrade Fang Zhimin in Northeast Jiangxi to form the Red Tenth Army and moved to southern Anhui. In August, the Sixth Army Corps set out from the Hunan-Jiangxi base area, led by Ren Bishi, Wang Zhen, Xiao Ke and other comrades, and went to find the Second Army Corps in the western Hunan area.

When Comrade Mao Zedong heard us talking about transfer, he said: "Do you know?" I said: "We have accepted the task."

When we went to see Comrade Mao Zedong this time, we wanted to find out in which direction the transfer was going, but he just talked about it. At this point, I won’t go any further, but I propose that we go to a library run by Comrade Qu Qiubai.

Comrade Mao Zedong was very disciplined at that time. At the same time, he was also avoiding suspicion at that time. Because the First Army Corps has long been under his direct leadership and command, he wanted to prevent dogmatic sectarians from suspecting that he was secretly engaging in sectarian activities. Therefore, our purpose of exploring the transfer direction was not achieved. Although Comrade Mao Zedong paid attention to discipline, Li De continued to spread rumors and slander and attack Comrade Mao Zedong for engaging in sectarian activities. Until 1976, his memoirs titled "Chronicles of China" were still full of such shameless lies. The facts I have experienced are the best answer to such rumors.

After bidding farewell to Comrade Mao Zedong, we left Ruijin with the troops the next day, and arrived at Gaoxingwei, north of Xingguo, at the end of mid-September. Together with the Fifth Army Corps originally there, we blocked the attack of the three divisions of Zhou Hunyuan's column. The enemy's firepower was particularly fierce in this attack. Planes and artillery bombarded them in turn. Our army carried out a heroic and tenacious blockade. It was not until the end of September that they occupied Gaoxingwei. After that, the enemy stopped attacking and built a fort. In early October, we switched defenses with the Fifth Army Corps and were ordered to concentrate on the front lines of Shefu, Lingbei, Kuansi and Zishan in the southeast of Xingguo. By October 12, all our Army Corps had arrived at the scheduled concentration area.

Before the Long March, Comrade Luo Fu published the article "Everything for the Soviets" in the 239th issue of "Red China" and put forward the task of preparing for a counterattack. This is the general basis for our public mobilization and public preparation. On October 11, 1934, signed by Zhu De, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Zhou Enlai, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the order for the Long March Operation of the Central Military Commission was issued. Before and after this, the General Political Department of was signed by Acting Director Li Fuchun (because Comrade Wang Jiaxiang was injured after the 4th counter-encirclement and suppression campaign), and also issued several political mobilization orders. Based on these orders, we gradually carried out mobilization work, Preparations are made concrete. Before departure, the Military Commission allocated us two additional training groups. The total strength of the first corps reached more than 19,800 people.

After October 16, the troops of the First Army Corps left Kuantian, Lingbei and other places west of Ruijin, bid farewell to the people in the base area, and crossed the Yudu River to embark on the Long March. Crossing the Duhe River, just as the sun was setting, I, like many Red Army commanders and soldiers, was very excited. I kept looking back, gazing at the mountains and rivers of the central base area, and bidding farewell to my comrades and fellow villagers who were farewelling me by the river. This is the place where I fought for two years and ten months. I saw with my own eyes that the people in the central base areas made great sacrifices and contributions to 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 areas gave provided the Red Army with maximum material and spiritual encouragement and support. Thinking of these, I feel nostalgic. The main force of the Red Army has left, and the people in the base area and the comrades who stayed will surely suffer brutal suppression and ravage from the enemy. I am worried about their future. The farewell made me slow down, but "Keep up! Keep up!" These low voices from the front made me quickly embark on a new journey.

During the march, the third army corps was on the right wing, followed by the eighth army corps; the first army corps was on the left wing, followed by the ninth army corps; the central column (second column) and the Military Commission column (first column) were covered from both wings - at that time, in order to Keep it secret, collectively known as the Red Star Column, and advance in a corridor style. The first column was commanded by Ye Jianying, the second column was commanded by Luo Mai (comrade Li Weihan), and Deng Fa was the political commissar. The fifth legion served as the rear guard.

When they started to set off, the Red Star Column really looked like they were moving a large house. They brought along all the machines for printing tickets and promotional materials, as well as printed promotional materials, paper, military machinery and other "pots and jars". This formed a very pampered and cumbersome team. Later, when we entered the Wuling Mountain Trail, it was so crowded that it became even harder to walk. Sometimes I only walk a dozen or twenty or thirty miles a day.

When breaking through the enemy's first blockade, the First Corps and the Second Division served as the vanguard. At this time, the main force of the Guangdong enemy's first division was in Anxi, the second division was in Xinfeng, Ganzhou and Nankang, and the Duer Brigade was in Anyuan. Our first battle to break out of the encirclement began at the Banshiwei first-line bunker group between Anyuan and Xinfeng in Jiangxi. On October 21, one division and one regiment of ours attacked and captured Xintian , and our second division and six regiments captured the Golden Rooster, winning the battle. Defending the enemy on this front line is a brigade of the Kuomintang's Guangdong troops. After the enemy discovered our large Red Army troops breaking through the encirclement, they retreated while fighting.

On October 22, our army attacked Shiwei. The enemy was defended by the third regiment of the first division and the teaching regiment. The enemy put up a stubborn resistance based on the fortress. After two and a half hours of fierce fighting, the enemy was defeated. The enemy fled towards Anxi. During the pursuit, we fought fiercely with the enemy for several hours, annihilating about one enemy regiment. In addition to killing and wounding, we captured more than 300 enemies and seized some military supplies. After this blow, the Guangdong enemy's First Division retreated to Gupi. The third army had already inserted into Gupi from the right wing and then chased and annihilated the enemy who fled to Anxi. The enemy did not dare to come out after retreating to Anxi. Our first and third armies sent a force to monitor the enemy at Xinfeng and Anyuan, and only after covering the safe passage of the follow-up troops from these three points, we withdrew from the battle. The first "steel blockade" boasted by the enemy was destroyed by us in this way.

Day and night, we rushed to the second blockade. The second blockade is located on the mountains from Guidong, Rucheng, , Hunan, to the entrance of Chengkou, Guangdong. Between the bunkers and the bunkers, trenches and firepower were connected. Most of the defenders on this front line were security teams. Some had never seen the official Red Army, and some did not expect the Red Army to arrive so quickly. The Kuomintang regular army was deep inside. The Sixth Regiment of our Second Division, led by regimental commander Zhu Xiaoqiu and acting political commissar Comrade Wang Bicheng, seized the city entrance by running and surprise attacks. The city entrance is adjacent to the river. There is a wooden bridge beside the river, and the road passes over it. The enemy had a sentry on the bridge. The Sixth Regiment and One Battalion responsible for the main attack had to pass by the wooden bridge. On the evening of November 2, when the first battalion reached a few hundred meters away from the bridge, the enemy discovered it. The enemy ordered the first battalion to stop advancing. The first battalion pretended to be "one of our own" and stepped forward to seize the sentry's gun while sending troops across the river to surround them.At this time, the second battalion also took a roundabout route, annihilated the enemy at the entrance of the city, and captured more than a hundred people alive.

The legion headquarters moved to the city entrance. At the same time, because the Hunan enemy's 62nd Division occupied Rucheng before us, the Third Army adopted the method of sending one unit to monitor Rucheng and the rest of the troops to pass through in a detour. The second blockade was broken through by us again. The enemy's third blockade is located on the Guangdong-Hankong Railway, between the fertile fields in Hunan along the Hunan-Guangdong border and Yizhang, Guangzhou. At this time, although the railway line Shaoguan had not yet been fully opened, trains were open to traffic for short distances in some places, and there were frequent automobiles on the highway, which was very convenient for the enemy to mobilize troops. A few years ago, the enemy used the cement equipment used in railway construction to build many blockhouses on this line of mountains. Moreover, by this time the enemy had realized that we were breaking through, and some of the direct troops of the Kuomintang Chiang Kai-shek had already caught up from Jiangxi and Fujian. The Cantonese enemy took advantage of their access to railways and roads and was rushing to block our attack.

Under such a critical situation, the first quarrel on the Long March occurred between Lin Biao and I over the deployment of breaking through the enemy's third blockade. I always think that Lin Biao is not a person who cannot fight. He can hit sometimes. He is good at organizing large ambushes and surprise attacks. However, due to his great political weaknesses - serious individualism and not very loyal to the party, he sometimes behaved extremely irresponsibly in military command. This time it was obvious when breaking through the enemy's third blockade.

The task assigned to the First Army Corps at that time was to send a force to control the commanding heights of Jiufeng Mountain, about 10 kilometers northeast of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway, to prevent the Guangdong warlords from occupying Lechang on the Guangdong-Hankou Line in advance. I launched attacks and interceptions to cover the safe passage of the central column from the north of Jiufeng Mountain to Wuzhi Peak. Because we have long known that the Guangdong warlord's troops are marching to Lechang. However, Lin Biao did not carry out the orders of the Military Commission and did not occupy Jiufeng Mountain. He kept walking on the plains in an attempt to rush through Lechang at once. The reason he held was that the enemy had not yet reached Lechang. I said, that's not possible! I also estimate that the enemy may not have reached Lechang yet. But we are still some distance away from Lechang. How can our two feet compare with the enemy's wheels? Even if the enemy has not reached Lechang yet, when we reach Lechang with two feet, we may meet the enemy in Lechang. Because the enemy is riding a car. At the same time, we cannot just run across Lechang on the plains and be done with it. There is also a column of the Central Military Commission behind us. We are responsible for covering the task. What if we don't occupy Jiufeng Mountain and the enemy cuts off the troops behind us?

I think this is a matter of principle. As a political commissar, you are responsible for the execution of the orders of the Military Commission. Therefore, I firmly advocate acting in accordance with the orders of the Military Commission. We had a heated argument at that time. In order to ease the dispute, Chief of Staff Zuo Quan suggested sending Chen Guang to lead a company to Lechang for reconnaissance. I said, you can do reconnaissance, you can do it without reconnaissance. When you go to reconnoiter, the enemy may not have arrived yet, but when you come back from reconnaissance, the enemy may have arrived. As we undertake such an important cover mission, we cannot do such uncertain things. I said that I agreed to send people to conduct reconnaissance, but if the troops continued to advance, they must abide by the orders of the Military Commission and send troops to control Jiufeng Mountain. Later, Chen Guang came back from reconnaissance and reported that the enemy had been seen on Lechang Avenue and was heading north. Lin Biao stopped insisting.

Fortunately we didn’t leave anything to chance. At three o'clock in the afternoon on November 6, the regiment headquarters arrived at Makengwei. Lin Biao personally used the enemy's phone line, pretending to be an enemy, and had a phone call with the leader of Laitian Militia on Lechang Road. The leader of the militia told him that he did not know where the Red Army was. Lechang arrived at the three regiments of the Guangdong Army's Deng Longguang headquarters the day before yesterday, and one regiment left for the Jiufeng Mountains today. At this time, he became anxious and quickly sent two divisions and four regiments to go straight to Jiufeng Mountain day and night. Occupy the position first, and then send out effective troops to attack Chaling on the south side of Jiufeng Mountain. Monitored the enemies in Jiufengwei and ensured the safety of the left wing.In addition, the three armies successively occupied Yizhang, Liangtian and other towns on the right wing, which increased the favorable conditions. They covered the Central Military Commission and other follow-up troops from the north and south, and safely passed the third blockade from the north of Jiufeng. Wire.

Attacking County , forcibly crossing the Xiangjiang River, breaking through the enemy's fourth blockade and crossing Jiufeng Mountain, the march was very difficult. We marched in the rain on the rugged Yangchang Trail of Jiufeng Mountain. There were no villages and not a single family in sight; the troops Without food, hunger, cold and fatigue tested every Red Army soldier. But when we learned that the Third Army Corps, the Central and Military Commission columns and other fraternal troops had passed the third blockade and moved to the front, we encouraged each other and rushed forward regardless of the cost. My feet were worn out while crossing Jiufeng Mountain, but I still insisted on following the team.

When the troops entered the border of Hunan and Guangxi and had not yet crossed the Xiaoshui River, several divisions from Xue Yue and Zhou Hunyuan, direct descendants of Chiang Kai-shek, caught up with them. The troops of Hunan warlord He Jian and the troops of Guangxi warlords Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi also took the opportunity to attack from both sides. At this time, Chiang Kai-shek had appointed He Jian as the commander-in-chief of the advance and suppression army. On November 14, He Jian ordered 15 divisions divided into five routes to pursue and block us. The first route, Liu Jianxu's four divisions, went straight from Chenxian to Huangshahe and Quanzhou, and the second route, Xue Yue's four divisions, went from Chaling and Hengyang to Lingling. These two routes were mainly to block our army's march to western Hunan. Four divisions of Zhou Hunyuan in the third route, two divisions of Li Yunjie in the fourth route pursued me, and one division of Li Yunheng in the fifth route followed up in the south of our army, cooperating with the Guangdong and Guangxi troops to encircle our army. The five divisions of the Guangxi warlords have already occupied Quanzhou, Guanyang, Xing'an and other places in advance. On the one hand, the Military Commission notified us of the above-mentioned serious enemy situation, but on the other hand, it still asked us to accelerate our westward advance.

In front of us, there are two large rivers, one is the Xiaoshui River and the other is the Xiangjiang River, both of which flow into Dongting Lake from south to north.

After passing the third blockade, the First Army Corps still took the left wing first, advancing in the directions of Linwu and Lanshan , and then changed to the right wing, advancing in the direction of Tiantangwei and Daoxian.

The enemy's first vicious plan is to attack us on the shore of Xiaoshui between Tiantangwei and Daoxian.

Under the circumstances at that time, from the perspective of the right-wing troops, if they wanted to cover the central column in crossing the Xiaoshui River, they had to seize Daoxian County first.

Dao County, formerly known as Daozhou, is close to the west bank of Xiaoshui River. It is the largest county seat and the largest ferry in this area.

On November 20, the Second Division of the First Army received the task of making a long-distance attack to occupy Daoxian and prevent the Lingling enemy from advancing towards Daoxian.

Chen Guang, commander of the Second Division, and Liu Yalou, political commissar, decided to hand over the task of seizing Daoxian County to the Fourth Regiment. The fourth regiment will attack mainly, and the fifth regiment will coordinate in a roundabout way. Geng Biao, the commander of the fourth regiment, and Yang Chengwu, the political commissar, led their troops on a long-distance attack at a speed of more than 100 miles a day. At dawn on November 22, they swam across the Xiaoshui River and attacked Daoxian County, wiping out the defenders. And dispatched security troops to the direction of Lingling. The Sixth Regiment set up pontoon bridges at Huluyan, Lianhuatang, and Jiujing Ferry south of Daoxian County to cover the Central Military Commission's follow-up troops as they crossed the Xiaoshui River. In this way, the enemy's first plan will not succeed and create a favorable situation for us to further cross the Xiangjiang River.

Immediately afterwards, the enemy’s second plan is to eliminate me on the bank of the Xiangjiang River. This is the tightest part of the enemy's fourth blockade.

The enemy gathered twenty divisions. In order to tighten the encirclement, Hunan warlord He Jian moved his headquarters from Changsha to Hengyang, and transferred Liu Jianxu's four divisions to Quanzhou in northern Guangxi. On the second route, Xue Yue's four divisions stationed at Huangsha River. Bai Chongxi of Guangxi also moved his command post to Guilin and deployed his five divisions and militia in Quanzhou, Jieshou, Guanyang and other places. The focus is on protecting the environment and "eliminating communism." The four divisions of Zhou Hunyuan, a direct descendant of Chiang Kai-shek, and the two divisions of Li Yunjie came from behind our Red Army, pressing down like a net.In front of us is a wide and deep Xiangjiang River. There is also a Guihuang Highway parallel to it on the other side of the Xiangjiang River. The enemy has built more than 140 hills in the continuous hills between the Xiangjiang River and the Guihuang Highway. Bunker.

Originally, when our fifth regiment captured Linwu on November 16, the enemy abandoned Lanshan, and our army continued to advance towards Jianghua and Yongming (now Jiangyong ), Bai Chongxi once ordered his troops to The purpose of retreating to Longhu Pass and Gongcheng was to prevent both the Red Army and Chiang Kai-shek's troops from entering Guangxi. At this time, Bai Chongxi's troops had withdrawn, and the Hunan enemy Liu Jianjie's troops had not yet arrived in the whole state. The Guanjiang River and the Xiangjiang River line were very empty. If we could seize this favorable opportunity, without the burden of so many pots and pans, it would be It is absolutely possible to reach the Xiangjiang River before the enemy and cross the Xiangjiang River first. But we lost this precious opportunity. It was not until November 25th that the Military Commission issued an order that our troops should cross the river in two ways. At this time, it would be difficult to cross the Xiangjiang River.

The Central Military Commission selected the crossing point between Jieshou and Fenghuangzui. The First Army Corps was ordered to come from the right wing, the Third Army Corps was from the left wing, and the Eighth and Ninth Army Corps were ordered to cover the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission column from both wings to cross the Xiangjiang River.

When the First Army Corps led the Second Division from Daoxian and marched towards Xiangjiang River from Wenwen City, the First Division stayed behind to cooperate with the Fifth Army Corps to deal with Zhou Hunyuan. Because Zhou Hunyuan has been pressing behind and his leading troops have arrived in Daoxian County, the First Division must secure the west bank of Xiaoshui before the Fifth Army Corps arrives. At the same time, we cannot move forward with confidence if we do not deal a devastating blow to the enemy in pursuit.

The Second Division sent four regiments as vanguard. The task assigned to the Fourth Regiment was to set off early to seize the leader of the left wing of the entire army. After seizing it, it would be handed over to the Sixth Division of the Third Regiment that arrived later. Then return to the right to the formation of the second division in the direction of the whole state. The fourth regiment completed this task on schedule. At the same time, the other two regiments of the Second Division also arrived at Daping from Shitang on the 27th and waded across the Xiangjiang River. And dispatched five regiments to capture the entire state first. However, the whole prefecture had been occupied by the troops of Hunan warlord Liu Jianxu that day, and the fifth regiment failed to achieve its mission.

Since the capture of Quanzhou failed, the First Army Corps could only choose the first blocking line in the southwest of Quanzhou, on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River, on the small ridges of Lubanqiao and Jiaoshanpu, 16 kilometers away from Quanzhou. From Quanzhou, there is a highway, the Guihuang Highway, passing through Jiaoshanpu. This line of mountains intersects with the Guihuang Highway, forming a cross shape. Jiaoshanpu, in the center of this cross, is a small village with about twenty households. On both sides of the road, there are two rows of hills more than two kilometers long, each with several hills. Huangdi Ridge in the east and Huaizhong Baozi Ridge in the west are the highest, with an altitude of more than 300 meters, and the rest are more than 200 meters. The mountains are covered with small pine trees. There is an open space in front of the ridge. This area is a better blocking position.

The cadres gathered by the legion looked at the terrain and decided to first deploy the second division on both sides of the Guihuang Highway and step up the construction of fortifications. When the first division arrived, they would then deploy the first division on the west side of the highway. When Bai Chongxi saw our army heading straight towards the Xiangjiang River, he drove his nine divisions back to Guanyang and Xing'an. Starting from November 27, the three armies fought for several days and nights in Guanyang, Xinwei and Guangxi on the left wing. Since the first and third armies simultaneously occupied key points on both wings, our army has controlled both sides of the Xiangjiang River for 60 miles between Jieshou and Pingshandu. In this area, there are even four shoals that can be forded. The Central Military Commission column also arrived in the Wenshi and Guiyan areas in the north of Guanyang on the 27th. If we were still determined to rush for the crossing at that time, there was only more than 160 miles from Guiyan to the nearest crossing point of the Xiangjiang River. If we adopted a light and urgent march, we could reach it in one day. It was still possible to cross the Xiangjiang River with relatively small losses. But the "Left" adventurist leaders failed to take advantage of this great opportunity. They still asked people to carry the jars and jars brought from the central base area, and marched as usual. They only walked forty or fifty miles a day, and they walked for four days before reaching the Xiangjiang River. The frontline soldiers paid a heavy price for their cover mission.

On November 29, Liu Jianxu learned that our central column was going to cross the Xiangjiang River.And Bai Chongxi withdrew all the regular troops he had deployed from the south of Quanzhou to the first section of the border, leaving only the militia. When he realized that Bai Chongxi's purpose was to let the Red Army enter Hunan, he became anxious. That is to say, with the strength of four divisions, they mobilized from all over the state to attack the Shanpu position at the foot of our second division. It was not until dawn on the second day of the attack, that is, in the early morning of November 30, that our First Division Commander Li Jukui and Acting Political Commissar Lai Chuanzhu had just arrived with their troops. The troops were very tired. As soon as the troops stopped, some soldiers fell asleep standing there. . However, the military situation was urgent, so they immediately mobilized urgently, hurriedly adjusted their deployment, and entered the position.

On the 30th, the entire army launched a blockade. The first division is the second and third regiments to block the attack, and the first regiment is the reserve. The second division's fourth and fifth regiments are blocking the attack, and the sixth regiment is the reserve force. The enemy's forward line consisted of two divisions, the 16th and 19th divisions. The first charge at dawn was quickly defeated by our army. Dozens of bodies were left in Jianfeng Ridge and Beauty Combing Ridge. The enemy was unwilling to fail and organized a second charge. Later, as the number of charges increased, more and more troops were invested. Under the cover of more than a dozen aircraft, the attacks became more and more fierce. The battlefield was filled with smoke. We took advantage of the favorable terrain to kill the enemy, and more and more enemy corpses accumulated in front of the position. In the afternoon of the battle, the enemy broke through the Mihuashan defense line of the 1st Division with superior force and fierce artillery fire, threatening our positions such as Beauty Shutouling. In the end, only one division was left, Baozi Ridge. At night, the enemy took advantage of the darkness to attack in a roundabout way. In order to avoid being surrounded, our 1st Division retreated to the Shuitou and Xiabitian areas in the southwest.

After the enemy occupied Mihua Mountain and Beauty Shutou Ridge, it also posed a great threat to the forward position of Jianfeng Ridge of our Second Division. The enemy attacked us from three sides on Jianfeng Ridge. The fifth regiment only sent two companies on it, and Jianfeng Ridge was lost. Yi Dangping, political commissar of the Fifth Regiment, was seriously injured. At this time, the enemy came up with bayonets in hand. Comrade Dangping asked his guard to shoot him. The guard burst into tears and his hands were shaking. How could he have the heart to attack his leader and comrades? Comrade Dangping took the guard's gun and fulfilled his vow to never be a prisoner. . The fifth regiment's position was lost, and the main force of the second division had to retreat to Huangdi Ridge. The enemy followed up and attacked Huangdi Ridge, and an earth-shattering battle began in Huangdi Ridge. Huangdi Ridge was finally defended. At night, after the First Division withdrew, the Second Division stood out alone. In order to avoid being surrounded by the enemy, it also took the initiative to retreat to Zhulanpu and Baisha, forming a second blocking line with Xiabitian and Shuitou occupied by the First Division.

The first day of fighting has passed, and I can’t sleep at night. What we are most worried about is the safety of the Central Military Commission and follow-up troops. In the past few days, the Central Military Commission required us to maintain radio contact with them throughout the day. Almost all of the telegrams sent back and forth were urgent, and a few were urgent. On the evening of November 30, our army leader calmly analyzed the situation at that time and sent a telegram to the Military Commission near Jiaoshanpu.

Chairman Zhu:

When our army advances towards the city, it must pass through Dabu. From here to Dabu, it passes through Baishapu or Chengshuiwei. It is only twenty miles from Jiaoshan to Baishapu. There are wide and rolling woods along the way. The enemy can deploy a large force and it is quite easy to approach us. It is difficult for us to use our firepower. The front is too wide. If the enemy advances with an advantage tomorrow, our army will be close to us. Under the current conditions of training equipment, it is difficult to have absolute certainty of occupying and holding on. The Military Commission must move all armies east of the Xiang River to cross the river at starry night. The first and second divisions will continue to fight against the enemy tomorrow.

At 1:30 on December 1, Chairman Zhu De issued an urgent combat order to the entire army. Among them, it was ordered that "the whole first legion has the task of destroying the enemies of the whole state in the original area and advancing southwest along the highway from Zhutangpu. In any case, the roads heading westward must be kept in our hands." Immediately afterwards, At 3:30, in the joint name of the Central Bureau, the Military Commission, and the General Political Department, an order was issued to the First and Third Army Corps to ensure the implementation of the above orders of the Military Commission. One day's fighting affects our entire field army. A successful westward advance can open up future development prospects, but if it is too late, our field army will be cut off at all levels. The heads of our first and third corps and their political departments should dispatch political workers overnight and divide them into each company to carry out battle agitation. All officers and soldiers must be mobilized to understand the significance of today's battle. If we are not the victors, we are the losers.Victory or failure has a bearing on the overall situation. Everyone must have the highest courage to fight, regardless of sacrifices, overcome fatigue, carry out the task of attacking and destroying the enemy with a resolute assault, ensure that the Military Commission's No. 1 and 1.30 Operation Order is fully realized, and repel the enemy's occupation. The basic slogan for today's operations should be to eliminate the enemy's attacking troops, open up a path to the west, and ensure that all our field armies break through the blockade. Wang holds the banner of victory high and heads towards the firing line.

Central Bureau
Military Commission
General Administration

From the evening of November 30th to the early morning of December 1st, whether it was red commanders, political workers, staff officers, various combat personnel, and party and league activists of the company, It was the most stressful sleepless night of staying up all night! For the safety of the Party Central Committee and the survival of the Red Army, we were all red-eyed preparing for the next day's battle. This is a battle of life and death!

December 1st is the day with the fiercest fighting. In the early morning, the enemy attacked me more arrogantly under the indiscriminate bombing by enemy planes. The General Staff ordered us to ensure that the enemy will never break through the Baisha River before 12 o'clock today, so that the headquarters and the entire field army can successfully cross the Xiangjiang River blockade. We were outnumbered, but under the slogan "Everything is for the Soviet New China", our morale was astonishing. So on the battlefield more than 20 miles away, the sound of cannons rumbled and the sound of killing shook the sky. In the dense pine forest, a life-and-death battle began. At the beginning, the enemy violently attacked the third regiment's position, and the third regiment launched several counterattacks in succession.

The enemy turned and attacked the junction of our first and second divisions. Finally, the enemy broke into four or five miles, detoured behind the third regiment, and surrounded the two battalions of the third regiment. One battalion bravely broke through the encirclement that day and joined the first and second regiments. One battalion actually went in the wrong direction and broke into the enemy group instead. It was divided into many small groups. Under the leadership of the squad and platoon leaders and the party branch committee leader, most of them returned to their units two days later. After the enemy broke through our junction, the Second Division was also in danger of being surrounded. Because the Second Division was deployed outside, they made a prompt decision and ordered the team guarding Baisha to hold the enemy firmly. This regiment fought very tenaciously. They relied on their bayonets to hold back the menacing enemy before the other two regiments withdrew. Move closer to the mountains to the west. Near noon, we learned that the central column had crossed the Xiangjiang River and crossed the Guihuang Highway. We were relieved and ordered the First Division and the Second Division to cover alternately and retreat while fighting. The first division passed through Mupikou and Yaozijiangkou, and the second division passed through Miaoshan, Meiziling, and Dawan, and retreated from the two mountain passes into the large mountainous area with access to resources.

On this day, the First Army Corps Headquarters also suffered great danger. The enemy's roundabout troops reached the gate of our regiment headquarters command post. This has not happened for many years. The command post was on a hillside and we were studying the next action plan. The enemy had already come up with bayonets in hand. I didn't notice it at first. The guard, Comrade Qiu Wenxi, was very alert. He saw it first and came back to tell me. I said, I'm afraid our troops are coming up. Are you right? He said he was right. I went to the front and took a look, and it turned out to be the enemy. Comrade Zuo Quan was still eating there, and I said, the enemy is coming, so leave quickly. So I organized the troops to quickly evacuate the radio station and move to a mountain pass, and ordered some comrades to prepare to fight the enemy on the spot. At the same time, I ordered the guard platoon leader Comrade Liu Huishan to quickly go to the bottom of the hillside to inform Liu Yalou and his political department, asking them to rush in the predetermined direction. transfer. When Liu Huishan was walking down, the enemy was shooting in our direction. When he raised his foot, a bullet strangely penetrated the center of his foot. Because we took appropriate measures in time this time, we got rid of the enemy and avoided losses. (After entering Beijing, Liu Huishan served as the head of the Central Guard Corps.)

When we were retreating, the enemy's aircraft were flying wildly, dropping many leaflets saying that if we did not surrender, we would be buried in the Xiangjiang River. Prepared by a Kuomintang political worker These arrogant and shallow propaganda materials, even their own soldiers called them bullshit plasters, and they frightened the heroic Red Army. No one paid attention to them! However, the enemy's planes dropped bombs and strafed almost against the treetops. Many people were distracted and moved forward without paying attention.I said, go quickly! The enemy's plane cannot get off, so you need to pay attention to the enemies on the ground. Go quickly!

While our first legion fought a bloody battle with the enemy, the third legion fought fierce battles with the enemies of Guangxi in the Xing'an and Guanyang areas. The Fifth Army Corps was engaged in a fierce battle with Zhou Hunyuan and other forced enemies near Wenshi. They also fought tenaciously and hard, and suffered heavy losses.

This time when we cross the Xiangjiang River, we not only have to cover the central agencies, but also several newly established units. At that time, the dogmatic sectarian group did not pay attention to the enrichment and construction of the main force, but established some new units that lacked a foundation. Our main corps lacks replenishment of soldiers. We are losing one by one, and the newly formed troops are not strong in combat effectiveness. We have to complete the main tasks and sometimes cover them.

When we were preparing to retreat to the mountains to the west, there was a mountain pass called Meizichong. Through this pass, we could reach Youzhaping, which was our planned retreat route. Everyone squeezed into this opening. This opening was very narrow. If there were more troops, no one would be able to pass through. So it must be arranged. I ordered Nie Heting to lead a force to fight against the enemy on the right road leading to Youzhaping, and to cover the retreat of the large force from the right wing. After setting up, I rushed towards Meizi. When I arrived at the opening, Luo Binghui and Cai Shujing came over with the Ninth Army Corps. I told them that since your troops are relatively small, you can take another opening on the left, which is a slightly detour but not far away. This pass will definitely allow our army to pass through today, so that we can protect you. I personally adjusted the marching paths of various troops in the platoon at this opening. 1. After the Ninth Army Corps passed, I waited at the entrance for the brothers who were crossing the river behind, and saw a responsible comrade from the Eighth Army Corps. As soon as he saw me, he said: "Oh no, our troops have been scattered and cut off by the enemy! "I said: "At this moment, come over and set up camp first. "Because it was already dark.

On the next day, we learned that the Shao Communist International teacher brought by Peng Shaohui and Xiao Hua had not come yet. So another unit was sent to cross the Xiangjiang River again and pick up the Shao Communist International Division. Even so, because the enemy came quickly and we moved too slowly, some troops still failed to cross the Xiangjiang River, such as the 34th Division of the 5th Army Corps and a regiment of the 3rd Army Corps, as well as the scattered troops of the 8th Army Corps. The enemy cut off the enemy and suffered heavy losses. Some of the comrades later transferred to Shonan to fight guerrillas.

The battle to break through the fourth blockade was the most intense and the most costly battle away from the central base area. At this time, the Red Army had more than 86,000 people when it set out from Jiangxi. After various attrition along the way, after crossing the Xiangjiang River, there were now less than 40,000 people. Comrade Bogu felt that he had a heavy responsibility, but he was unable to do anything. He was heartbroken. On the march, he took a pistol and gesticulated blindly at himself. I said, calm down, stop joking, and prevent misfires. This is no joke! The more difficult the situation, the more calm a leader must be and the courage to take responsibility.

We didn’t dare to rest in Youzhuaping because the enemy was chasing after us. After crossing Youzhaping, we got rid of the enemy and arrived in a large forest, where we got a rest. After days and nights of intense fighting, I felt hungry and extremely tired. I took out the dry food I brought with me to eat and gave some to Lin Biao. I thought it was really delicious. The hard years are like this. Intense battles will make you forget hunger and fatigue. Once you rest, you will feel a great enjoyment if you can sleep for a while or eat some solid food. This crossing of the Xiangjiang River further exposed the escapeist errors of the dogmatic sectarian group in politics and military command, and prompted people to fundamentally consider the party's line and leadership issues.