On October 24, 1934, the Red 6th Army Corps, which had marched westward, joined forces with the Red 3rd Army at Muhuang in Yinjiang County, eastern Guizhou. After the meeting, the two armies were reorganized. The Red 3rd Army restored the number of the Red 2nd Army Corps, with He Long as the commander of the corps, Ren Bi as the political commissar, Guan Xiang as the deputy political commissar, Li Da as the chief of staff, and Zhang Ziyi as the director of the Political Department, under the jurisdiction of the 4th and 6th divisions; The Red 6th Army Corps was headed by Xiao Ke, Wang Zhen as political commissar, Tan Jiashu as chief of staff, and Gan Siqi as director of the Political Department. The total strength of the two corps is more than 7,700 troops, and although a unified command organ of the two armies has not been formally established, it has actually formed a unified leadership and command with He Long, Ren Bishi, and Guan Xiangying as the core. Since then, the two armies have formed a united whole and formed a powerful strategic assault force.
By this time, the Central Red Army had already left the Central Soviet District to begin the Long March. How the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps cooperated with the strategic shift of the Central Red Army and managed to contain the enemy forces while also seeking their own development became an issue that the leaders of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission of the Central Revolution, and the two Army Corps were all considering.
01
Decisions were made to go north
When passing through the second blockade line of the Kuomintang army, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission ordered the Red 6th Army Corps to separate from the Red 2nd Army Corps on 22 October and separately advance into the Qiancheng (now Jishou), Fenghuangcheng, Songtao and other areas in western Hunan to open up new Soviet areas and develop guerrilla warfare. This opinion was made on the basis of the need for a strategic shift in the Central Red Army. According to the goal set by the supreme "three-man regiment," the Central Red Army will move along the route of the Red 6th Army's westward expedition and eventually join up with the Red 2nd and 6th Red Army Corps in the western Hunan and Hubei regions, so the Red 2nd Army Corps will continue to stay in the Qiandong region and march into Xiangxi alone with the Red 6th Army Corps, striving to form a large base area in the Xiangxi region and "put down the backpack and fight again."
The leaders of the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps, proceeding from the enemy situation, the terrain, and the actual situation of the two corps, after careful study of the course of action, held that:
The two legions should act in a centralized and unified manner, and if they are combined, they will form a fist, and if they are separated, they will be weak and easy to be broken by the enemy forces.
At the same time, it is believed that:
The Red 6th Army Corps should not enter the Songtao, Qiancheng, and Fenghuangcheng areas alone, and the Red 2nd Army Corps should not continue to keep the Qiandong area, but should join forces to advance into the upper reaches of Lishui, launch an offensive in the Yongshun, Sangzhi, Longshan, and Dayong areas in western Hunan Province, mobilize the Kuomintang troops in Hunan and Hubei provinces, and respond to the strategic shift of the Central Red Army.
The former site of the 2nd and 6th Corps of Muhuanghong
Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps meeting slogan
This was a decision made based on reality and in line with the actual conditions of the war, and it was also the only choice for the development of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps at that time. Songtao, Qiancheng, and Phoenix are the old nests of Chen Quzhen, the "King of Xiangxi"; not only are there Chen Quzhen's newly formed 34th Division, but also the indigenous armed forces are many, and there are no less than tens of thousands of guns. The Kuomintang troops in the three provinces of Xiang, Sichuan, and Guizhou were forming a joint encirclement of the Qiandong base area, and the reactionary militia and security regiments in the various provinces also formed a "joint defense against the Communist Party," and it was very difficult for the Red Second Army Corps to persist in the struggle. The Yongshun, Sangzhi, Shimen, Dayong, and Cili areas in northwest Hunan are located at the junction of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou. More importantly, the influence of the Xiangxi Party is relatively large, the mass base is relatively good, and it is He Long's hometown, and it is also the place where he led his troops to carry out long-term activities. He Long said:
"It is not Chen Quzhen's old territory, he is not as familiar as me, and the masses also support our party and the Red Army. By sending troops to the northwest of Hunan Province, we can contain a large number of enemies in Hunan and Hubei, and we will be able to support the First Army. Let's carry these enemy troops on our backs, so that the shoulders of the other side army will be lighter. ”
Ren Bishi asked:
"Do you want to win?"
He Long replied with great confidence:
"One legion can't go, two legions go together, and the fight can be won."
After careful analysis, the leaders of the two corps finally accepted He Long's suggestion and decided that the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps would advance together into northwest Hunan and restore and develop the revolutionary base areas in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou.
Leaders of the Red 2nd Army Corps (from left: He Long, Guan Xiangying, Ren Bishi)
The decision of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps to advance into northwest Hunan was resolutely opposed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission of the Central Revolution under the control of the "left-leaning" erroneous line. The Central Revolutionary Military Commission controlled by Li De sent a telegram to Ren Bishi and others, saying that it was "absolutely wrong" for the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps to act together, and demanded that the two armies continue to be under the direct command of the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission respectively, and that the Red 6th Army Corps immediately dispatch to Qiancheng, Fenghuang, and other areas.
The former site of the headquarters of the 3rd Red Army in the south waist boundary
After careful consideration, the leaders of the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps jointly sent a telegram to the Central Revolutionary Military Commission on October 28, stating the reasons and pointing out:
"Under the conditions of the enemy's and our own and local conditions, we propose that the 2nd and 6th Army Corps temporarily concentrate their operations in order to eliminate one or two detachments and develop a new situation that is more conducive to the separation of the two corps in the future. At present, the enemy will take various measures to break through. With the strength of one corps, there is no certainty of victory over one detachment of the enemy, and it is possible to defeat any detachment of the enemy in concentration, and the two armies are very desperate to help each other militarily. ”
On the same day, October 28, the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps set out from the southern waist boundary at the junction of Guizhou and Sichuan and began to march to the northwest of Hunan.
However, on October 29, the Central Military Commission of the Central Revolution issued another telegram order, sternly pointing out: "The 2nd and 6th Army Corps should never be merged" and specifically demarcated the areas of activity of the two Army Corps. With an attitude of being responsible for the revolution and ignoring the opposition of the Central Committee and the Military Commission under the rule of the "leftist" erroneous line, He Long, Ren Bishi and others decided:
Adhering to the original policy and plan, the two corps acted in unison, and the decision to advance into northwest Hunan remained unchanged.
More than 6,000 soldiers of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps set out on the journey in full gear.
02
Set up Fulong's village
From the southern waist boundary to the northwest of Hunan Province, it is necessary to pass through the defense area of Chen Quzhen of the Kuomintang army. This area belongs to the border land bordering the ethnic minority residential areas during the Qing Dynasty, starting from the Qianlong period, the Qing government in order to suppress the rebellion of the Tujia and Miao people, the Qing government implemented the cantonment defense system here, built more than 1,100 pillboxes and more than 100 miles of border walls, and built many pillboxes during the rule of the Kuomintang government, and the defense was tight. In order to avoid a strong enemy and achieve the effect of a surprise attack, He Long, Ren Bishi, and others made careful arrangements for the actions of the two armies. First of all, the Qiandong Independent Division marched westward, and then turned southward, entering the area of Leadshiba and Fengxiangxi to attract enemy troops. The Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps first marched northward, striving to transfer Chen Quzhen's troops out of Xiangxi by going around in circles, so as to create favorable conditions for subsequent operations.
Tomb of the Red Army martyrs in the southern waist
On October 30, the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps entered the territory of Youyang County in Sichuan. Tian Guanwu, the commander of the 2nd Independent Brigade of the Sichuan Army who defended the city, was once He Long's subordinate. Tian Guanwu was really obedient, and when he saw the Red Army entering, he led his troops to abandon the city. The Red Army smoothly entered Youyang City, then turned to the northeast, crossed Youshui at Baihu Division in Xianfeng County, Hubei, and marched to Zhaotouzhai in Longshan County, Hunan, assuming the posture of returning to Xiangxi. Chen Quzhen really hit the plan, fearing that the Red Army would attack his lair, he urgently transferred the main three brigades with a total of more than 10,000 people to move north from Yongsui and Baojing, in an attempt to block the Red Army outside Xiangxi. However, when the Kuomintang army approached Zhaotou Village, the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps suddenly turned around and marched eastward, got rid of the fetters of the Sichuan Army and the Guizhou Army, got rid of Chen Quzhen's troops who came to chase and block, and quickly advanced into the northwest of Hunan Province, occupying Yongshun City on November 7 and seizing a large number of supplies.
The Red Army rested in Yongshun for seven days, made winter clothes, made straw sandals, healed the wounded and sick, and carried out in-depth activities to mobilize the masses and fight local tyrants and divide their property. The liberated masses enthusiastically joined the army, and soon two companies of recruits were formed. After a recuperation, the officers and men of the two sides were unprecedentedly united and took on a completely new look.
Yongshun is the throat of northwest Hunan Province. The Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps captured Yongshun, and the Kuomintang troops in Hunan and Hubei provinces were greatly shocked. Xu Yuanquan, commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang army's "suppression of bandits" on the Hunan and Hubei rivers in western Hubei Province, urgently dispatched three divisions to Jinshi and Li County on the shores of Dongting Lake to liaise with the Hunan army and form a defensive line. Hunan warlord He Jian was already anxious because of the Central Red Army's entry into southern Hunan, and the actions of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps were pierced in his heart, and he wanted to go all out to intercept the Central Red Army, but he was also deeply afraid that the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps would take advantage of the situation to develop and grow in northwest Hunan, so he strictly ordered Chen Quzhen to immediately chase after him, so as to completely annihilate the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps when their foothold was not stable. When the Red Army invaded Xiangxi and directly threatened its rule, Chen Quzhen did not dare to slack off, and immediately set up a "Bandit Suppression Headquarters," with Gong Renjie and Zhou Xieqing as the principal and deputy commanders, and led four brigades and ten regiments with more than 10,000 people to rush to Yongshun in four directions.
The enemy troops swarmed in, and the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps faced the first battle to open up the base area in northwest Hunan Province. Whether or not we can do a good job has a direct bearing on whether or not we can gain a foothold in western Hunan and restore and develop the base areas in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou. He Long and Ren Bishi convened a meeting of the leaders of the two corps to study the enemy situation and the battle plan, believing that the main force of He Jian's Hunan army was intercepting the central Red Army in southern Hunan at the moment, and that the Xu Yuanquan part of the Hubei army was scattered in western Hubei and on the shores of Dongting Lake, and that it would not be able to concentrate on fighting for the time being, and that the Red Army actually had to deal with only 10 regiments of Chen Quzhen's division. Although Chen Quzhen's unit was superior to the Red Army in personnel and equipment, it was undisciplined and disciplined, and the officers and men smoked opium, and there were many internal factions, the command was not uniform, and the actual combat effectiveness was not strong, but it was extremely arrogant. Although the combat unit of the Red Army was only more than 6,000 people, as He Long said:
"Everyone is united like one person, and they can go how they want to go, and they can fight how they want."
At the same time, the Red 2 Corps had been active in the area for a long time, was familiar with the terrain, and was able to get the support of the masses. Therefore, it is determined:
We should resolutely fight the first battle in order to open up the situation in Xiangxi, gain a firm foothold, and take advantage of the victory to develop an offensive and respond to the Central Red Army's operations.
The specific plan is: temporarily abandon Yongshun City, adopt the tactics of luring the enemy into depth, choose favorable terrain, concentrate troops, and gather and annihilate the enemy army of Chen Quzhen's invading army.
On November 13, Chen Quzhen's troops approached Yongshun, and the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps abandoned the city according to the established plan, and the main force retreated north in concealment. He Long, Ren Bishi and others carefully chose the most favorable time and place to destroy the enemy as they walked.
The first ambush site was chosen near Diaojiyan in the north of Yongshun City, and after He Long looked at it carefully, he said:
"Not here, it's too close to the city. If the siege is not tight, the enemy will flee back into the city, and it will be difficult to fight again. ”
The second ambush site was chosen at Hangjingyan, but after investigation, it was found that the area was too small, and at most two battalions of the enemy could be encircled and annihilated, so he gave up. Later, two more sites were chosen, but both were abandoned because the terrain was not conducive to killing and wounding a large number of enemy troops. The Red Army units continued to retreat north, patiently searching for fighters. Chen Bu thought that the Red Army was cowardly retreating, and became more and more arrogant, and went out to chase after him.
In the end, He Long chose the ambush site in the 100,000 Ping Valley with Longjiazhai as the center, ninety miles north of Yongshun. It is fifteen miles long from north to south, four miles wide from east to west, the valley bottom is flat, there are many villages, and a large number of enemy troops can be accommodated. Most of the houses in the village are wooden houses, which are easy to attack. The valley is densely wooded on both sides, easy to conceal, and has a gentle slope, which is conducive to multiple attacks, making it an ideal ambush location.
He Long stood on the top of the valley, pointed to the scene with a horse whip against the map, and deployed tasks to the cadres of the division: the Red 2nd Army Corps was deployed near Maoba and Shanmucun to block the valley mouth; The Red 6th Army was lying in ambush in the mountains and forests on the eastern side of the valley, preparing to attack from both flanks. He said:
"It's a big pocket. When you go back, you have to tell everyone that you must be very careful in your ambush and that you must be well hidden. When the enemy is in the pocket, the charge should be sudden and swift, rushing in front of the enemy's eyes at once, inserting it into the enemy's pile, and hitting as hard as possible to catch the enemy by surprise. ”
The former site of the 100,000 Ping War Helong Headquarters
On the morning of the 16th, the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps secretly entered the designated positions and waited for the enemy in concealment. At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the two brigades of Gong Renjie and Zhou Xieqing, the vanguard of the Kuomintang army, entered the valley in a mighty way. Seeing that the enemy army had all entered the ambush circle, He Long gave an order, and the Red 6th Army suddenly came out of the mountains and forests, condescendingly, and launched a fierce attack on Zhou Xieqing's brigade; The Red 2nd Army Corps tightened the valley mouth and attacked Gong Renjie's brigade from the front. The Kuomintang army was caught off guard, although there were many people, they could not be put away, and they could not form a defensive system at all, and in just over two hours, they were annihilated by most of the Red Army. Under the unified command of Xiao Ke, the 51st Regiment of the Red 6th Army Corps and the 18th Regiment of the Red 2nd Army Corps attacked side by side, closely coordinated, and in less than two hours, wiped out most of Yang Qichang's brigade. On the 18th, the Red Army reoccupied Yongshun.
In the battle of Longjiazhai, the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps annihilated most of the three brigades of the Hunan Army Chen Quzhen's headquarters, killed more than 1,000 enemies, captured more than 2,000 enemies, and surrendered more than 2,000 guns. The Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps made a victorious start, quickly opened up the situation, and laid a reliable foundation for opening up the base areas in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou. Decades later, Xiao Ke, who was in his late teens, returned to Xiangxi to explore the battlefield of the past, and summarized the extraordinary significance of the battle of Longjiazhai with "Wanping's great victory and great cause".
03
Swept Xiangxi
The victory of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps in northwestern Hunan coincided with the preparation of the Central Red Army to break through the third blockade line of the Kuomintang army. After the battle of Longjiazhai, it was decided to use the three companies of the 49th Red Regiment to launch guerrilla warfare in Yongshun and Baojing to contain the enemy, and the main force immediately moved south, preparing to cross Youshui and develop towards the Yongsui, Qiancheng, Songtao, and Fenghuangcheng areas stipulated by the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, so as to deal a greater blow to Chen Quzhen's troops and make every effort to cope with the strategic shift of the Central Red Army.
The troops entered the shore of Youshui and found that Chen Quzhen had already taken precautions and was well armed. He Long and Ren Bishi immediately made a decision, immediately abandoned the plan to cross Youshui to the south, led the troops to turn to the northeast, captured Dayong on November 24, and then occupied Sangzhi, and joined with the liberated Yongshun, forming the prototype of the new Soviet area.
At this time, the Central Red Army had broken through the third blockade line of the Kuomintang army and entered the southern Hunan region. The change in the situation made the Central Revolutionary Military Commission change its attitude and recognize the actions of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps. On November 13, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission sent a telegram to the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps:
"Our Western Army (referring to the Central Red Army) has advanced to the line of Yi (Zhang) and Chen (County), and all the Hunan enemies have been transferred to resist our Western Army, and the 2nd and 6th Army Corps should take this opportunity to go deep into the northwest of Hunan to expand the area of operation."
The former site of the Hunan Hubei Sichuan Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China
Three days later, on November 16, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent a telegram to He Long, Ren Bishi, and others, demanding that the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps "strive to struggle for the task of establishing a new Soviet area in Xiangchuan, Sichuan, and Guizhou," and decided to establish the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Qianbian Provincial Party Committee, with Ren Bishi as secretary and He Long, Xia Xi, Guan Xiangying, Xiao Ke, and Wang Zhen as members; The two corps "are directly under the leadership of the Central Military Commission, but when the two armies act together, they are under the unified command of He and Ren"; The Hunan-Hubei-Guizhou-Sichuan Border Military Region was established, with He Long and Ren Bishi serving as commanders and political commissars respectively to lead the local armed forces in a unified manner.
In late November, the Central Red Army crossed Xiaoshui and began to launch the Xiangjiang Campaign, and it was urgent for the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps to take active action to contain the Hunan Army to the greatest extent and cooperate with the Central Red Army to force the Xiangjiang River. On November 25, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission sent a telegram to the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps:
"Our Western Army (referring to the Central Red Army) has crossed Xiaoshui and is advancing rapidly towards the upper reaches of Quanzhou. You should take advantage of the recent victories and the emptiness of the enemy situation in northwest Hunan to resolutely penetrate deep into the central and western parts of Hunan and actively assist our western army. ”
The order specified the direction of action of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps, "First of all, you should go out to the Yuanshui area, the lifeblood of the Hunan enemy's transportation economy. The main force should strive to occupy Yuanling, and should send effective guerrilla units in the direction of Changde and Taoyuan to carry out active activities," and at the same time instructed that the task of consolidating the new area should be undertaken with a force of troops and local cadres acting with the troops.
According to the instructions of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, Ren Bishi, He Long and others determined after research: Ren Bishi, Wang Zhen, and Zhang Ziyi led the 49th and 53rd regiments of the Red 6th Army Corps and the 16th Regiment of the Red 2nd Army Corps, as well as the local cadres of the former Hunan and Jiangxi Soviet Districts who acted with the Red 6th Army Corps, to stay in the new area and undertake the task of consolidating and building the base area; He Long, Guan Xiangying, and Xiao Ke led the main force of the Red 2nd Army Corps and the 51st Regiment of the Red 6th Army Corps to undertake the task of going to the Yuanshui area.
At the beginning of December, the main forces of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps moved south from Dayong, preparing to seize Yuanling and march into central Hunan, directly threatening to intercept the Hunan flank of the Central Red Army in the southern Hunan area, and then mobilize the Hunan Army to return to help and cooperate with the Central Red Army. On the 7th, the troops rushed to Yuanling, but the attack was unsuccessful due to the tight defense of the four regiments of the defenders.
Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps
Monument to the Revolutionary Martyrs of the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou Base Areas
He Long, Guan Xiangying, Xiao Ke and others decisively changed their plans and led their troops down the Yuan River to the east, heading straight to Changde and Taoyuan. This action was completely unexpected by the enemy. He Jian was afraid that the Red Army would take Changde and go straight to Changsha, preparing to withdraw part of the main force to return to Xiangxi. Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, believed that the Central Military Army was in serious danger and was afraid that the withdrawal of troops would affect the plan of encircling and annihilating the Central Red Army, so he resolutely refused to allow it, and transferred the 34th Independent Brigade of the Kuomintang Army in Hubei to Changde and Taoyuan by boat to deploy defenses.
The 34th Independent Brigade was the main force of the Kuomintang army, well-equipped, well-armed and well-trained. Brigade commander Luo Qijiang suddenly took on a great responsibility, was full of ambition, and was determined to use the "decisive battle of defense" to fight the Red Army on the periphery of Changde. He used the 701st Regiment to garrison the Wuxi River north of Taoyuan, the 702nd Regiment was located in Shaanshi and Hehuan, the 700th Regiment was stationed in Taoyuan, and the brigade and the local security regiment were responsible for the defense of Changde City. Luo Qijiang's intention was: first, with superior equipment, set up several lines of defense, stick to the key points, and exhaust the Red Army in the defensive battle, and then concentrate the main force for a decisive battle to ensure Changde. However, he also made a fatal mistake, that is, he completely underestimated the combat effectiveness of the Red Army and knew nothing about the strategy and tactics of the Red Army.
He Long immediately seized the loophole in Luo Qijiang's deployment and decided to attack the enemy at the Wuxi River first, and then concentrate his forces to defeat the enemy individually. However, at the moment when the troops of the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps were about to start a battle, a telegram from the Central Revolutionary Military Commission put He Long and others in a difficult situation. The Central Revolutionary Military Commission opposed the eastward advance of the Red 2nd and 6th Army Corps into Changde and Taoyuan, and insisted that the two Army Corps continue to move south and operate in the upper reaches of Yuanshui or in the Luxi, Qiancheng, and Fenghuangcheng areas, so as to mobilize the Kuomintang troops in Qianyang, Zhijiang, and Hongjiang to the maximum extent and relieve the pressure on the Central Red Army to cross the Xiangjiang River and advance to the west of Hunan and Hubei. On December 14, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission sent a telegram to the Red 2nd and Red 6th Army Corps, making it clear that the main forces of the two army corps should advance to the upper reaches of the Yuanjiang River, and only agreed to use one detachment to move in the direction of Taoyuan to contain and confuse the enemy in Xiangshan.
Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou Provincial Memorial Hall
Returning to the south meant giving up the extremely advantageous fighters; Continuing to advance eastward is obviously contrary to the intention of the instructions of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, and He Long and others are faced with a choice. After thinking about it repeatedly, He Long said firmly:
"I think it's better to keep fighting! The Military Commission is far away and does not know the situation here as well as we do. It is also cost-effective to win the battle and receive criticism. In my opinion, how to be beneficial to the struggle, how to carry the enemy more back, do it!"
Guan Xiangying and Xiao Ke agreed with He Long's opinion.
On December 15, it rained heavily. After nightfall, the Red Army marched rapidly on muddy roads, under the cover of heavy rain and night, marched more than 100 miles in one night, and suddenly launched an attack on the enemy at the Wuxi River at dawn on the 16th.
The Wuxi River is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces water on one side. The Red 12th Regiment, the vanguard of the Red Army, broke through to the Kuomintang positions in the west mountains of the Wuxi River in one fell swoop. The 701st Regiment of the Kuomintang defenders did not expect the Red Army to raid on a rainy night and fell into a panic, but the 34th Brigade was the main force after all, and quickly stabilized its position and launched a fierce counterattack. The Red 12th Regiment was unable to support it and was forced to retreat. At this critical juncture, He Long led the main force of the 4th Red Division and the 18th Regiment of the 6th Red Division to arrive, first stopped the enemy's counterattack, and then commanded the troops to launch a new assault. The sound of rain, gunfire, explosions, and shouts of killing resounded through the valley, and the Red officers and men fought bravely and completely overwhelmed the enemy in momentum. The 701st Regiment of the Kuomintang Army could no longer resist the attack of the Red Army, and soon collapsed and fled south desperately.
After receiving the report of the attack on the Wuxi River, Luo Qijiang ordered the main force of the 700th Regiment stationed in Taoyuan to reinforce it. However, as soon as the reinforcements arrived on the south side of the Wuxi River, they were dispersed by the retreating 701st Regiment, and fled to Changde with the defeated troops. The two-month Xiangxi Offensive came to a successful end.
The Xiangxi offensive defeated a total of 15 regiments of the Kuomintang army, annihilated the living forces of four or five regiments, occupied Yongshun, Dayong, Sangzhi, Taoyuan, Cili and other county towns, and attacked Yuanling and surrounded Changde, which greatly threatened the Hunan army and the Central Army of Chiang Kai-shek's descendants to intercept the general rear of the Central Red Army's operations, forced the Kuomintang army to draw three divisions from the main force of the Central Red Army to aid Xiangxi, and made the Kuomintang army in western Hubei unable to enter Sichuan to fight, thus strategically effectively responding to and cooperating with the strategic transfer of the Central Red Army. In particular, it greatly reduced the pressure on the Red Army to enter Guizhou in the west.
Monument to the Revolutionary Base Area of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou
Ren Bishi, He Long, and others not only proceeded from the overall situation and resolutely carried out the strategic task of cooperating with the actions of the Central Red Army, but also resisted the erroneous guidance of the Central Committee and the Central Revolutionary Military Commission under the control of the "left-leaning" line with an attitude of being highly responsible for the party and the revolutionary cause. The strategic base for the survival and development of the Red 6th Army Corps also became the only red base area in the area south of the Yangtze River after the fall of the Central Soviet Region.
(End of full text)