Xu Xiangqian recalled: In late July 1930, I personally led my troops to march a hundred miles at night, attacked the enemy in Huayuan Town at night in the early morning, killed and wounded 1,400 enemy prisoners, and the victory of the Red Army shook Wuhan and inspired the people in and around the base area. After the war, the First Red Division entered Xiaohexi and was warmly welcomed by the masses, who came to comfort the Red Army, and many young people flocked to the registration office to sign up for the army. Within a few days of [Rose], the Red First Division had expanded to more than three thousand people. We organized the whole division into two infantry regiments, one machine gun into a mixed regiment. This was the first time that the Eyu-Anhui Red Army had a mixed machine gun unit, so its combat effectiveness was significantly enhanced.
[Rose] After the expansion of the Red First Division, the soldiers were strong and strong, the morale was high, and the West Yue Pinghan Road attacked and occupied Yunmeng City. The reactionary vigilante groups defending the enemy were intimidated by the prestige of the Red Army and fled first, but we did not achieve much success. The troops stayed in the city for three days, opened warehouses to distribute grain, publicized the masses, and expanded the influence of the Red Army. After that, he still returned to the small river and creek area to the east. At this time, it was the end of mid-August, and the enemy Dai Minquan Division, in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, sent three regiments to attack. Considering that it would be unfavorable to fight the enemy near Pinghan Road, we moved to the northwest of Huang'an and lured the enemy to the vicinity of Sigudun. The terrain here is better, and while the enemy is advancing alone, I launch a counterattack; Coincidentally, Comrade Xu Jishen's Second and Third Divisions also rushed to fight, taking a detour, annihilating one regiment of the enemy and destroying two regiments of the enemy.
[Rose] This battle was fought bitterly and sharply, mainly because of the concentration of troops, resolute and decisive, roundabout encirclement, and close combat annihilation of the enemy. Our army took advantage of the victory to pursue, and then annihilated most of a regiment of the enemy Peng Qibiao's fourteenth brigade to Xiaohexi. Some time ago, Comrade Xu Jishen led the Red Second and Third Divisions to carry out activities in the northwestern Anhui region, and Zenglian Keyingshan, Huoshan, Luotian, and other counties won a major victory in annihilating nearly 3,000 enemy troops, which effectively promoted the work in the base areas in western Anhui, and the Red Second and Third Divisions grew to more than 1,800 people.
From June to August, the three divisions of the Red First Army attacked on the east and west fronts, winning successive battles and annihilating more than 7,000 enemy troops. Its own strength expanded to more than 5,000 people, more than doubling. Of particular importance was the new development of the Tactics of the Red Army.
[Rose] can be said to have begun the transition from small guerrilla warfare to larger-scale mobile warfare. In the past, they could only run in circles, ambush and attack small groups of enemies, and eliminate platoons and companies of the regular Kuomintang army;
[Rose] is now different, able to actively mobilize a large force of enemies and annihilate them in a whole group in the movement. In the past, only small vigilante strongholds could be attacked, and few were captured; Now it is different, and it can take down the county town or the important town and capture a large number of guns and ammunition, light and heavy machine guns, mortars to arm themselves. Tactically diverse and maneuverable: Battle of Yingshan.
[Rose] attacks the points combined with reinforcements;
Yang Pingkou fought, luring the enemy into an ambush;
Garden fighting, long-distance raids;
Sigudun fought, luring the enemy deeper and encircling in a roundabout way.
In battle, and can pay attention to the development of political offensives, battlefield shouting, disintegration of the enemy army. In short, the tactical thinking of the troops has been newly enhanced, and the combat effectiveness has been greatly enhanced, marking that the Red Army in Eyuwan has entered a new stage of development.
The above selection is from "Memoirs of Xu Xiangqian"
Memoirs of Marshal Xu Qianqian
