Full view of the former site of the Red 26th Army headquarters
On December 24, 1932, the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas were reorganized into the 26th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. This team was the earliest regular Red Army in the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Region during the Second Civil Revolutionary War. The establishment of the Red 26th Army made important contributions to the creation, development and consolidation of the Shaanxi-Gansu border revolutionary base center centered on Zhaojin , and made important contributions to the creation, development and consolidation of the Shaanxi-Gansu border revolutionary base center centered on Zhaojin . However, because Du Heng (later rebels and surrenders to the enemy), the executor of the opportunistic line of Wang Ming, controlled the leadership, the Red 26th Army experienced twists and turns in the process of creation.
Bookjiao Village Red 26th Army Headquarters
A sunny morning in early autumn, we retaken the Long March Reporting Group to visit Jiao Village, Malan Town, Xunyi County, Xianyang City, to find the birthplace of the 26th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. The former site of the military headquarters is adjacent to Provincial Highways 305 and 306. There are the former residences of Liu Zhidan and Wang Shitai in the 11 caves. There is a bulging earth bundle on the cliff behind the military headquarters. It is the sentry that was standing guard and the small sapling beside the trumpet soldiers had already flourished after 80 years.
The monument at the entrance of the Zhuanjiao Village is established by the local government for the "Birthplace of the Red 26th Army and the former site of the Red 26th Army headquarters". The exhibition board and historical materials in the Red 26th Army Army War History Exhibition Hall tell in detail the glorious years this revolutionary team has experienced.
Ren Baocheng's family has 3 caves, which is the former site of the Red 26th Army headquarters. His parents used to boil water, cook, and serve as guides for the Red Army. After the establishment of the Red 26th Army, they only stayed in Zhuanjiao Village for four or five days, and went south to Weihua to open up the Soviet area . Before the liberation of Zhuanjiao Village, there were only 4 households, and now it has increased to more than 60 households. Villagers plant traditional crops and vegetables during busy farming seasons, and most of them go to the city to work during slack farming seasons. The caves of the masses had been expropriated by the government and together with the Malan Revolutionary Base, they became a red education base and tourist attraction. The entire village was quietly bathed in the afternoon sun in the autumn.
Here is 66 kilometers away from Xunyi county town, and 13 kilometers away is the Malan Revolutionary Memorial Hall. Malan Town is located in the northern boundary of Guanzhong and the southern boundary of northern Shaanxi. It belongs to the drought-rail area in Weibei. It is connected to Huangling and Tongchuan in the east and Zhengning, Gansu in the north. This is the southern end of the Qiaoshan Mountain Range, with ridges and dense forests, and the winding Malan River flows through it. During the Agrarian Revolution, Malan was the center and one of the important activity areas of the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Revolutionary Base Area, and the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army stationed and operated here. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, Malan was the southern gate of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, the frontier outpost of the holy land of Yan'an, the political, military and economic center of the Guanzhong District, an important military post station and red channel for the people of kindness and ambition and military supplies to Yan'an, and the cradle for cultivating revolutionary cadres.
"From a military perspective, Malan has a very prominent position. It has been a place for raising troops and garrisoning troops since ancient times. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, it was a place where the Kuomintang and the Communist Party must fight for the confrontation between the two armies of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. As an important town in the border area, Malan's revolutionary base has made outstanding achievements." Di Botong, an explanationr of the former site management office of the Red 26th Army, told reporters that more than 80 years have passed, and the role and influence of the Red 26th Army are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the base area; all the Red Army commanders and fighters are infinitely loyal to the Party, and the revolutionary spirit of facing death shown in the arduous struggle will last forever; the core forces that the Red 26th Army survived, and the experiences and lessons summarized from failure have all become the founding of the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Soviet Area centered on Zhaojin, and accumulated rare revolutionary wealth.
Guerrilla warfare in Malanchuanli
In early 1932, the Nanliang guerrillas led by Liu Zhidan and the Shaanxi guerrilla detachment adapted from the Western Shanxi guerrillas were merged into the Northwest Anti-Imperialist Allied Army. Xie Zichang was the commander-in-chief, and Liu Zhidan was the deputy commander-in-chief and captain of the 2nd detachment.
Soon after, the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China instructed the Northwest Anti-Imperialist Allied Forces to be reorganized into the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas. After the establishment of the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas, they have been active in Nanliang, Huachi County, Gansu, Malan Town, Xunyi County, Shaanxi, and Zhaojin, Tongchuan. They have mobilized the masses to fight against local tyrants and distribute grain fields, and actively carried out the guerrilla war , which has severely hit the Kuomintang's reactionary forces.
The activities of the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas caused shock to the Kuomintang government and mobilized a large number of troops to "encircle and suppress". Due to the large number of enemies and the small number of us, the situation is in crisis.In order to smash the Kuomintang’s “encirclement and suppression”, the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to let the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas go deep into Weibei, cooperate with the peasant struggle, open up a new Soviet area, and pull the Kuomintang to the outside.
In mid-April 1932, the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas conquered Xunyi County and achieved their first victory in conquering the Kuomintang County. The people of Xunyi were excited and composed a rumor: Liu Zhidan is so wise, he entered the county town on the seventh day of the third month.
On May 10, 1932, the Third and Fifth Detachments of the Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrillas gathered in Qingyuan Township, Xunyi and announced the establishment of the General Command to unify military command. The Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee sent Liu Zhidan to the guerrillas as commander-in-chief, and Xie Zichang was sent to Gansu to carry out military transportation.
At this time, the Kuomintang army deployed several heavy brigades to suppress the guerrillas. Liu Zhidan analyzed the enemy situation and believed that the 511th Regiment of the 256th Brigade of the 86th Division of the 86th Division of Jing Yuexiu's troops stationed in Huangling, Yijun, Luochuan, , Luochuan, , 511th Regiment of the 5th Regiment of the 2nd and 6th Brigade of the 86th Division of Jing Yuexiu's troops was weak in combat, and it was far away from Yulin, and Xi'an, so it was not easy to reinforce. This area was also a mountainous area, and the guerrillas had a certain influence among the masses and were conducive to combat.
After research and decision by the team committee, the May 11th Regiment will be eliminated first. On the night of May 15, Liu Zhidan led the guerrillas to attack Malan Town, annihilated two companies of the 511 Regiment and part of the militia and of the militia, and seized more than 200 guns. After that, Liu Zhidan led the guerrillas, relying on the cooperation of local party organizations and the support of the people, and used guerrilla tactics. Within half a month, he advanced hundreds of miles, passed through five counties, won nine battles in all sizes, eight battles, annihilated more than 1,400 enemies and seized more than 1,200 guns, smashed the "encirclement and suppression" of the Kuomintang army, and the team also grew to more than 1,500 people.
After more than half a year of development, the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas rely on the Qiaoshan Mountains and headed south from the northern Nanliang, gradually gaining a foothold in the Zhaojin area of Qiaoshan, and establishing a base centered on Zhaojin. The Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas won consecutive victories, and the revolutionary situation was in full swing, but there was never a formal revolutionary armed force in the northwest region.
In fact, as early as April 20, 1932, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China clearly stated in the "Resolution on the Work of Shaanxi-Gansu Border Guerrillas and Creating the New Soviet Area of Shaanxi-Gansu Border Soviet Area" that "in order to actively carry out local guerrilla movements, the task of establishing a new Red Army team and the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Soviet Union". "In order to achieve the above tasks, we should first select the backbone team from the current guerrillas to form the formal Red Army. This is the most urgent task that cannot be delayed at all."
There is the first Red Army in the northwest
In late June 1932, the Party Central Committee held a joint meeting of representatives of the northern provincial party committees in Shanghai, and determined that the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas should be immediately reorganized into the 26th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, and Du Heng was appointed as the political commissar of the army. In late August, the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee decided to reorganize the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas into a regiment.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China also put forward five contents in this regard: First, create and expand the main force of the Red Army and improve the military and political quality of the troops; Second, create a consolidated Soviet area, carry out in-depth agrarian revolution, and create a consolidated rear base for the main Red Army; Third, further carry out guerrilla warfare, widely form guerrillas, and use extensive guerrilla activities to cooperate with and support the actions of the main Red Army; Fourth, further carry out the work of dismantling the enemy and cooperate with the development of the armed struggle of the main Red Army; Fifth, strengthen party building, establish and improve party organizations at all levels, and strengthen the party's team. At the same time, various mass organizations are established and improved to fully ensure the smooth development of the main Red Army and guerrilla construction.
On December 18, the Provincial Party Committee ordered the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas to gather and stand by on standby in Yangjiadianzi, Yijun County (now belongs to Malan Town, Xunyi County) in Yijun County. At this time, Xie Zichang had already returned to the guerrillas from Gansu. Du Heng was escorted to the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas by the Weibei guerrillas. He was carrying out Wang Ming's "left-leaning line" and expelled Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, Yan Hongyan and others from the troops on charges such as "Shaoshanism", "escapism", and "right-leaning opportunism" to seize their leadership.
24, Du Heng held a military conference in Zhuangjiao Village, Zhuangjiao Town, Yijun (now belongs to Xunyi), announcing the formal reorganization of the Shaanxi-Gansu guerrillas into the Second Regiment of the 26th Army, and held a flag-raising ceremony. Du Heng is both the military political commissar and the regiment political commissar.The adaptation stipulates that cadres must be elected from the squad leader and soldiers and appointed by the political commissar. All cadres above the former guerrilla ranks were deprived of their right to be elected, and as a result, the squad leader Wang Shitai was elected as the regiment commander. Xie Zichang and Yan Hongyan were forced to leave the army and went to Shanghai Temporary Central Committee for "training".
The Red Second Regiment has 3 infantry companies, 1 cavalry company, 1 political defense team, 1 youth vanguard team and 1 military school. The regiment has a total of more than 200 people, more than 150 guns and more than 60 horses. The 26th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the first regular Red Army team in the northwest region, was born in such a difficult situation, and it also marked the entry of a new development period for the military struggle in the Shaanxi-Gansu border.
Li Xiaotao, Party History Research Office of Xunyi County Committee of the Communist Party of China, explained that Wang Shitai, who was 22 years old at the time, firmly stated that he did not serve as the regiment commander. He put forward two reasons: he did not have the ability and experience to command the large troops to fight; second, his theoretical level is not high, and he lacks the ability to master the overall and correctly implement the party's policies and policies. "It's okay to ask me to do it. I have to leave one of the two old leaders Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang." Because Xie Zichang proposed to stay Liu Zhidan, Liu Zhidan was finally kept, but he was only given a position as director of the political department, which was a false position that did not participate in military operation decisions.
"Liu Zhidan is our chief of staff"
Wang Shitai, the commander of the Second Regiment of the Red 26th Army, is from Luochuan, Yan'an. He joined the party at the age of 18 and went to Yongning Mountain at the age of 20 to join Liu Zhidan's team. After several battles with Liu Zhidan, he became a versatile talent who can lead troops to fight. Wang Shitai said to Liu Zhidan: "Old leader, you know me. I can do war. I can't lead the army. I have led a squad and a platoon, but I haven't led a regiment. Let me be the leader, it's not that material." Liu Zhidan smiled and said, "Learn while working! You have fought for several years, and you are finally a veteran. If I don't leave, I will help you." Wang Shitai said, "Anyway, no matter what you are, it's my leader, and the army will depend on you."
Liu Zhidan encouraged Wang Shitai: "You have to learn from Comrade Xi Zhongxun. He joined the regiment at the age of 14 and the party at the age of 16. Now he is only 19 years old, so he has taken on the heavy burden of local military and political responsibilities in the border area. He has done a good job!" After hearing Liu Zhidan's words, Wang Shitai took a "peace of mind". In fact, most of the subsequent battles were led and directed by Liu Zhidan himself.
Wang Xiaojun, director of the Party History Research Office of the Xunyi County Committee of the Communist Party of China, told reporters that Liu Zhidan was open-minded, took the overall situation into consideration, did not care about personal gains and losses, and still actively assisted the leader of the delegation Wang Shitai to do a good job and showed strong party spirit. The Red 26th Army was transferred to Yangjiadianzi for training. In addition to helping Wang Shitai train troops, analyze the enemy situation, and study combat plans every day, Liu Zhidan went to the homes of the people to chat with the people and understand the local situation.
Wang Feng then replaced Du Heng as the political commissar of the 26th Army of Hong. His son Wang Youkai said: His father (Wang Feng) respects Liu Zhidan very much because he has a good character, and he endured humiliation and never cared about personal gains and losses. Although he did not have a formal position and was a free position, he was inseparable from fighting.
In order to improve the combat effectiveness of the Red Army, Liu Zhidan worked day and night to help the Red 26th Army compile textbooks for training and "Political Work Orders", "Simplified Discipline of the Red 26th Army", "Training Plan", "Strategic and Tactical Textbooks", etc., and did everything possible to maintain the unity of the troops. Because of his excellent work, cadres and soldiers affectionately called him "our chief of staff." Ma Wenrui, one of the founders of the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Base Area, once recalled that Du Heng gave up Liu Zhidan's power, but in actual military operations, Wang Shitai still listened to Liu Zhidan.
With the assistance and suggestions of Liu Zhidan, the Red 26th Army took Malan as the base and went out of Tongguan (now Tongchuan) to capture Jinsuo Pass in the east, attacked Chunhua in the south, captured Liulin Town in the south, and eliminated part of the militia from Xunyi in the west, and expanded the Red Army area. The Red Army also assisted in establishing seven or eight guerrillas including Xunyi guerrillas, Zhaojin guerrillas, and Yijun guerrillas.After more than half a year of battle, by June 1933, the victory of the Red 26th Army's external operations consolidated the base's peripheral positions, and gradually formed a revolutionary armed separatist area centered on Xuejiazhai , reaching Hujia Lane and Gaoshan Huai in the east, reaching Qijieshi and Huanghua Mountain in the west, reaching Duantouchuan and Wangjiagou in the north, and reaching Laoniupo and Taoquyuan in the south, and across the borders of the three counties of Yao County, Chunhua and Xunyi. Text/Photo: Our reporter Sun Tao
