In the early 60s of the 20 th century, China and the Soviet Union were at loggerheads, and the United States was pressing forward on the southeast coast of the mainland. In response to this situation, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to strengthen the construction of the third line in the southwest. Peng Dehuai was appointed to be in charge of the Sichuan project. In his spare time, he made a special trip to the places where the Red Army's Long March passed. On the banks of the Dadu River, what did Mr. Peng find in surprise? If the Red Army had not captured the Luding Bridge back then, it would have been possible to cross the river? What's going on? At that time, what kind of thrilling did the Red Army experience when they forcibly crossed the Dadu River? Let's find out.
1. The Red Army's Difficult Choice at Anshun Field
In May 1935, the Central Red Army marched to Sichuan, and it was about to join forces with the Red Fourth Front Army in northern Sichuan to boost the morale of the revolutionary army and the people. However, the Kuomintang warlord Liu Wenhui was ordered by Chiang Kai-shek to hold on to the Dadu River, while the rear of the Red Army was pursued by Xue Yue's division of the Central Army. The only way out for the Red Army, which was caught in the internal and external attacks, was to force the Dadu River to break through.
This is the most difficult part of the Long March. Shi Dakai, the winged king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, was blocked here and finally ended in a crushing defeat of the defeated army. If the Red Army could not successfully cross the Dadu River, I am afraid that it would not be able to escape Shi Dakai's fate.
It stands to reason that the vicinity of Zida Tei (present-day Anshunchang) is a safe ferry, but the river here is 100 meters wide, the water is fast, and there are hidden whirlpools, which cannot be crossed by large armies on foot. There were also Kuomintang defenders who stubbornly defended the other side, and artillery fire strafed the ferry. Seeing that the situation was critical, the top party and government leaders of the Red Army convened an emergency meeting to study countermeasures.
Some people suggested that they should force the crossing from the Luding Bridge, but the first line of the Luding Bridge was heavily defended and the bridge was narrow, and the Red Army was afraid of losing two birds with one stone if it attacked strongly. There were also people who advocated crossing the river by attacking Fulin and Anshun Field, but Mr. Peng analyzed the situation of the enemy's and our forces and judged that Chiang Kai-shek would definitely deploy heavy troops to defend this area in order to prevent the Red Army from copying Shi Da's old road.
At the time of divergent opinions, Chairman Mao categorically proposed: "Our army should go to Anshun Field in a roundabout way, take advantage of the enemy's negligence, strike first, cut off the enemy's retreat, and then make every effort to seize the Dadu River crossing." "The principle of the Red Army's operations is to first create a balance on the battlefield and then take advantage of the opportunity to win. The enemy who has no way to retreat and no way to advance is the most dangerous.
After discussion, everyone unanimously agreed with Chairman Mao's strategy. As a result, the Red Army covered up the eyes and ears of people in the Lugu area, and secretly divided its troops to the Anshun field area. This strategy proved to be a wise move, avoiding the enemy's tight defenses on the one hand, and huge casualties in the frontal charge on the other.
2. The ferrying of local boatmen
Preliminary reconnaissance showed that the defenders in the Anshun field area of the Dadu River were relatively loose, and it was a good time to take advantage of the weakness. However, crossing the river was still the biggest obstacle, the river was wide and fast, and boats were scarce, so if the Red Army wanted to cross the river smoothly, it had to call in local boatmen who were familiar with the nature of the water to guide them.
At this time, a move by the local boatman Shuai Shigao opened up a key ray of life for the Red Army to successfully cross the river.
Shuai Shigao is an authentic Dadu River boatman, and his family has made a living by crossing the river by boat for generations. At the beginning of May 1935, the reconnaissance team of the 1st Red Army came to the vicinity of Anshun Field and happened to meet Shuai Shigao and several partners. Considering the importance of crossing the river, the reconnaissance team brought Shuai Shigao and others back to the army, hoping to let them guide the Red Army in the essentials of crossing the river.
This seemingly insignificant move is actually far-reaching. Without the guidance of local boatmen, the difficulty of the Red Army crossing the river will increase sharply again, and it will even face the same end as the Taiping Army. And Shuai Shigao, a native of Anshun Field, with his intimate knowledge of the Dadu River, opened the first door for the Red Army to cross the river.
Shuai Shigao was quite far-sighted, and after coming into contact with the Red Army, he deeply felt the determination of the Communist Party to save China from danger; At the same time, he also saw the strong fighting power of the Red Army and fully trusted it to defeat the Kuomintang in the end. Therefore, after learning that the Red Army planned to forcibly cross the Dadu River, Shuai Shigao did not hesitate to express his willingness to guide the way for the Red Army.
On May 25, the vanguard of the Red Army arrived at Anshun Field and, following the instructions of the Shuai Shi Gao boatman, set up a defensive position in a hilly area about a mile from the ferry. Subsequently, Shuai Shigao led himself and four other boatmen who were familiar with the water nature of Anshun Field to sail to the opposite shore in a small boat.
At that time, the water of the Dadu River was fierce, and the boats were jolting on the turbulent river. The boatmen managed their best to finally sail into a mountain stream in the twilight to take shelter from the gunfire. Early the next morning, with the help of local villagers, they secured two large boats, carried 17 Red Army soldiers, and set out on the road back again.
Attacks continued along the way, and the boatmen used all their might to avoid the ship being capsized or hit. Finally, in the near death struggle, Shuai Shigao finally sent 17 Red Army warriors to the west bank of Anshun Field. 17 men immediately captured the ferry position, and then immediately crossed the river with the main forces of the Red Army. It was the desperate adventure of Shuai Shigao and others that opened the first gap in crossing the river for the Red Army and laid the foundation for the success of the breakthrough.
3. The thrilling battle to capture the Luding Bridge
Although the laying of the Anshunchang ferry opened up a glimmer of life for the Red Army to break through the encirclement, the problem was not solved. Until the main forces of the Red Army all crossed the Dadu River, there was still a high risk of being blocked by the enemy.
Luding Bridge is located in the middle reaches of the Dadu River, the stone bridge across the river is narrow and steep, the river roars and swells under the bridge, and the defenders are strong and fierce, which can be described as the last stronghold to guard the ferry. All along, the Kuomintang has held its heavy troops here, and it does not dare to neglect it at all.
By the end of May, the main forces of the Red Army had concentrated on the west bank of the Anshunchang ferry, preparing to seize the Luding Bridge. Zhang Yunyi, acting commander of the Red First Army, deployed his troops to Luding Bridge, and decided to gradually approach with guerrilla tactics first, and then carry out a surprise attack after grasping the enemy's situation.
At about 2 o'clock in the morning of May 29, the Ranger Company quietly approached the Luding Bridge under the hot light of the cooking class. Through the rolling night, the enemy's fire positions were clearly visible, and heavy artillery fire swept the entire river.
Suddenly, a cannon shot shattered the night sky! The fourth column suddenly charged, ignoring the enemy's artillery fire, and crossed the rapids in the light of the fire to attack the artillery positions on the west bank. At the same time, the fourth column selected a strong swimmer and dragged one end of the iron cable through the turbulent river with a heavy rope and firmly nailed it to the opposite bank.
A fierce battle ensued, the smoke of fire filled the river, and the Red Army warriors struggled to advance in the rain of bullets, approaching the enemy position step by step. Along the iron rope that crossed the river, groups of Red Army soldiers stepped on the turbulent water, braving the rushing waves and crawling to land.
In the blink of an eye, the sound of the cannon gradually faded away. After a series of "shouts" and "whistles", the enemy positions holding the Luding Bridge were finally broken. The Red Army, at the cost of losing dozens of comrades, finally broke through this last line of defense. The next morning, the Red Army rangers and the front detachment began to sweep deep into the national highway and took full control of the area around the Luding Bridge.
From then on, the Red Army controlled the last line of defense in the upper reaches of the Dadu River, clearing the way for the Red Army headquarters to cross the river safely. This arduous battle marked the Red Army's final breakthrough through the blockade of the Kuomintang warlords and its strategic initiative.
4. Gains and losses of crossing the river and breaking through
Immediately after the capture of the Luding Bridge, the Red Army began to organize large-scale river crossings. At dawn on June 5, the main forces of the Red Army began to break through the Luding Bridge to the east bank in an orderly manner.
The vanguard was to be held by the partisans of the Red Army, and due to the steep and narrow Luding Bridge, the Red Army would lay planks to relieve the pressure on the passage of troops. Subsequently, the Red Fourth Front Army fought out along the direction of the main attack, and a large number of firepower groups then swept by, stubbornly confronting the Kuomintang defenders from afar.
Under the cover of this unit, the main forces of the Red Army crossed the mighty Dadu River with high morale. Columns marched through in formation, calmly advancing under ferocious artillery fire. The officers and men of the Red Army were all high-spirited, unswerving in the face of danger, and iron-blooded and powerful.
The Red Army's crossing of the river this time can be described as a boat to the center of the river to replenish plasma. After crossing the river, the Red Front Army soon joined forces with the Red Fourth Front Army in northern Sichuan. During the meeting and exercise, the two armies were filled with joy and enthusiasm for reunion after a long absence, and the heavy combat pressure was temporarily released.
The most embarrassing thing about this battle was that the vanguard of the Red Army alone lost nearly 100 people killed. And once the defensive line is completely broken by the enemy, the casualties of the entire river crossing operation will be immeasurable. It can be seen that the difficulties of the Red Army's battle are beyond the imagination of others.
Just as the Red Army crossed the river in an all-round way, it was met with ferocious resistance again and again. On May 30, the 15th Army Corps of the Red Army was forced to engage in a fierce exchange of fire with the recalcitrant Kuomintang troops in the mountainous area of Fuminchang, losing nearly 100 killed and hundreds wounded. On June 9, when He Long crossed the river as the commander of the Red Army's front army, he was fiercely met by the Ayang army, and his troops were forced to fight in a dangerous place for several days.
Not only that, but even the Shuai Shigao boatmen who crossed the river were killed in the blockade. When he led the Red Army to assault the Luding Bridge, he was unfortunately attacked by enemy artillery and died a heroic martyr. It was after he directed the Red Army to victory that he gave his precious life. It can be described as a high achievement, and it is deeply admired.
It was precisely by relying on the tragic resistance battles again and again that the Red Army finally broke through the numerous obstacles step by step, freeing up greater strategic space for the whole army of Sichuan and Shaanxi. However, this battle to cross the river and break through the siege was by no means an easy task, not only the soldiers were killed, but also the local ferry helpers could not escape, which shows that it is full of dangers.
5. Mr. Peng's doubts about revisiting the Dadu River
After more than 30 years, when Peng Dehuai personally revisited the Dadu River, he left a question worth pondering: If the Red Army was really unable to cross the Dadu River, would there be any other way out?
This doubt is not unfounded. On the way to revisit, Mr. Peng found that there was a hidden shoal in the Yazi River, which was only a few miles away from Anshun Field, which seemed to be very suitable for the Red Army to force crossing.
This leads to a new possibility: if the Luding Bridge and Anshunchang Ferry had been stubbornly defended by the enemy, would the Red Army still have a chance to break through the Yazi River shoal and flee eastward?
It is true that crossing from the Yazi River beach is not as difficult as the Battle of Luding Bridge, but it is by no means an easy task. The Red Army must make every effort to overcome the enemy's defense on the front line and ensure that there are no worries. Once the river is crossed, it will immediately fall into the hinterland of southern Sichuan, facing more unknown difficulties and resistance.
However, for the Red Army, which was caught in the middle of internal and external attacks, no glimmer of life could be missed. If the Luding Bridge and Anshunchang Ferry are completely blocked, and there is no way to retreat, the Yazi River Beach may be the last straw.
On this premise, we cannot help but ask: why did the Red Army not adopt this reserve plan in the end?
After analysis, there may be the following possibilities:
First, the Red Army did reconnoiter the Yazi River in those years, but found that the terrain on both sides of it was steep and narrow, and once it fell into the hinterland, it would not be able to move quickly, so it finally gave up this option;
Second, the Red Army had accurate information at that time, knowing that the enemy forces on the front line of Luding Bridge and Anshun Field were not impossible to break through, so there was no need to make a detour to the Yazi River;
Third, perhaps the Red Army did not pay attention to the Yazi River shoal at all, but concentrated on the battle of Luding Bridge and Anshun Field with all its might, and never regarded the Yazi River as an alternative.
All indications show that the main reason why the Red Army was able to break through the blockade and cross the river smoothly was due to the correct strategic and tactical deployment and the strong support of the Sichuan army and the local masses. The existence of the Duck Beach was nothing more than an "if", not an alternative for the Red Army at that time.
end
However, Mr. Peng's questioning fully illustrates the spirit of the older generation of revolutionaries in managing the army with excellence in military operations and taking precautions. They are not only good at summing up experience, but also thoroughly rethinking each successful action, with a view to continuously improving in the next operation and avoiding strategic mistakes. This spirit is precisely the precious wealth that our contemporary military personnel should carry forward.