Chapter 22 For the Western Expedition Army

  Zhang Zhenyu and Liu Gang went to arrange tasks, while Chen Haisong was thinking about the reason for the main force's southward action.

  In the original history, in October 1935, the Central Red Army marched out of the enemy's encirclement and joined forces with Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang's 26th and 27th Armies in northern Shaanxi, finding a foothold for the Chinese Revolution.

  After much effort, the Fourth Red Army and the Second Red Army joined hands to march northward. In October 1936, they finally achieved a meeting of the three main forces in Huining, eastern Gansu Province. Zhang Guotao's plan for division was foiled, and the scattered main forces of the Red Army were gathered together for the first time.

  Chiang Kai-shek was unwilling to see the Red Army gain a foothold and recover, nor did he want to see the Red Army unite its forces and strengthen itself. At the same time, he also hoped to take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate the Communist Party to consume the strength of local warlords. Therefore, under the coordination of Hu Zongnan's Central Army, Northeastern Army, Northwestern Army, Ningxia Ma Hongkui, Gansu Ma Bufang and other local armed forces launched a massive siege against the unstable Red Army.

  The North Shaanxi Red Army had limited forces, so they could only think of ways to disrupt the enemy's deployment from outside. The newly ended Long March Red Fifth Army, Red Ninth Army, Red Thirtieth Army and the headquarters of the Fourth Front Army crossed the Yellow River to execute the Ningxia Campaign plan.

  Due to the change in enemy situation, the Ningxia Campaign could not be implemented. The Jingyuan Ferry was occupied by the enemy, and the Fourth Army and Thirty-first Army of the Red Fourth Front Army followed the First Front Army back to northern Shaanxi.

  The troops crossing the river were called the Western Route Army, and they carried out a new mission of attacking westward and opening up an international passage.

  They should have taken advantage of the enemy's unfinished defense to advance quickly, break through the Hexi Corridor and receive military aid from the Soviet Union in Xinjiang, but the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region was under great military pressure. The Western Route Army, which was isolated outside, was the only one that could use strategic forces flexibly. To coordinate with the battle in Shaanbei, the Central Committee decided to establish a base area in Yongchang and Shandan for the Western Route Army.

  The terrain to the west of the river is narrow and long, with sparse population. To solve the food problem, the troops were scattered in various stockades from Gulang all the way to Shandan, and were called by Ma Bufang's Qinghai troops to participate in the siege.

  Ma Jiajun first launched a fierce attack on Gulang, the 9th Army suffered heavy losses and was forced to abandon Gulang, advancing westward to Yongchang. They were continuously harassed by Ma's cavalry, and the entire Western Route Army was entangled with the enemy near Yongchang for over 20 days, consuming a large amount of personnel and supplies.

  December 12, the Xi'an Incident broke out. Through negotiations, the cooperation between the KMT and the CPC to resist Japan together had taken shape. The military pressure in northern Shaanxi was alleviated, and the Central Committee instructed the Western Route Army to continue advancing westward, opening up an international passage to Xinjiang.

  The Western Route Army had just entered the Linze Plateau area and its forces had not yet been deployed when a sudden change occurred in northern Shaanxi, with a large enemy army approaching.

  After Chiang Kai-shek returned to Nanjing, he quickly sent Zhang Xueliang to Fenghua to read books and face the wall, mobilizing heavy troops to solve the Northwest Army and Northeast Army. As part of the tripartite entity of the Red Army, Northwest Army, and Northeast Army, the Central Committee was worried that Chiang Kai-shek would tear up the agreement and take the opportunity to attack Shaanbei. To maintain external military presence, it also instructed the Western Route Army to stop advancing westward and return to support.

  The change in strategic decision-making once again caused the various departments to become isolated, lacking in response, and were surrounded by the enemy, with the Red Fifth Army being annihilated, the Red Ninth Army suffered heavy casualties again, and the main force had no choice but to withdraw its troops and head south.

  It is now estimated that they are carrying out the deployment of returning east, responding to the Central Red Army.

  Following the historical development, the Western Route Army's eastward advance was blocked and unable to break through, so they had to return to Niujiaoying and defend for over 20 days.

  On February 21, they advanced east again and were blocked back to Nijia Camp in Xidunbao. After a fierce battle until March 5, they were unable to hold on and began to break through towards Qilian Mountain.

  Surrounded and attacked by the enemy along the way, nearly collapsing, Chen Haisheng was covering the headquarters' retreat on March 11th, leading the remnants of the 9th Army to defend the Liyuan Kou position, where he bravely sacrificed himself after being shot eight times.

  On March 13, the Western Route Army that escaped into the mountains had less than 2,000 people left. On March 16, Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao dispersed and broke through to return east (Xu returned to Yan'an, Chen secretly returned to his hometown). The remaining personnel dispersed and broke through.

  Wang Shusheng, Li Jukuai, Zhu Liangcai, Zheng Weishan, Du Yide, Ouyang Yi and Yan Fusheng were dispersed, disguised or begged to escape back to Yan'an.

  Li Xiannian, Li Zuran, Li Te, Huang Chao, Zeng Chuanliu, Cheng Shicai, Song Kanfu, Huang Huoqiong, Guo Tianmin, Li Tianhuan and more than 400 others fled to Xinjiang in an organized manner.

  Zheng Yizhai, Zeng Rishan and others sacrificed, Sun Yuqing, Xiong Houfa, Shao Liekun and others were captured and sacrificed, Zhang Qinqiu, Qin Jiwei, Peng Jiaqing, Xu Licheng, Tao Yong, Fang Qiang and others were captured and rescued.

  The Western Route Army of the Chinese Red Fourth Front Army, which made outstanding contributions to the Chinese revolution, disappeared in the Qilian Mountains.

  The entire Western Route Army crossed the Yellow River with 21,800 people. After five months of arduous battles and sacrifices of over 10,000 people, they broke through the siege and returned or were rescued: 6,000 people; more than 6,000 people were captured, killed or dispersed among the civilians, writing the most tragic page in our army's history.

  The failure of the Western Route Army's march to the west, apart from reasons such as deep penetration, difficulty in supplies and poor mass foundation, unclear strategy, erratic advance and halt, and missing opportunities were also major causes.

  But as a part of the Red Army, the Western Route Army must obey the overall situation and cooperate with the main force of the Red Army to respond to the complex and changing national situation is an unshirkable responsibility.

  As a subordinate, the task assigned by the superior is irrefutable and should not be complained about. The key is whether each level of commander can well execute the combat mission decomposed to their own hands, organize the troops well, choose tactics well, and thoroughly implement the principle of preserving oneself and annihilating the enemy.

  So, the role of his own Red Ninth Army Independent Division was crucial. The long-term consumption had left the main force with wounded soldiers filling the camp, and food and ammunition were running low. They had lost the enthusiasm and possibility to continue fighting a mobile war.

  Forced breakout and forced defense are both preludes to collapse in the absence of external support.

  Tomorrow's battle will decide the fate of the Western Route Army, and for the sake of the Western Route Army, we must capture Ma Yuanhai alive.

  January 27, 1937, in the early morning, Zhangye, which was sleeping in darkness, was awakened by the sound of footsteps and commands. More than three thousand troops were doing the same thing at different locations in Zhangye - performing morning exercises.

  The weather was still cold, but the moonlight on the 15th remained lingeringly gazing at these hastily running soldiers who refused to leave. On the playground, there were men and women, fully armed, following in the advancing troops, panting heavily, exhaling clusters of white mist. Canteens, bullet belts, grenade belts, and bayonets rhythmically emitted clashing sounds but couldn't keep up with the crisp shock of footsteps.

  Chen Haisong followed the guard battalion's column and ran for 20 minutes, feeling that the troops were undergoing changes. The strict discipline, consistent pace, unity and mutual assistance, and perseverance are the external manifestations of the troops' combat effectiveness and the spiritual guarantee of their victory.

  In addition to queue training and internal affairs training, the spiritual outlook of the troops will undergo a fundamental change. This is the main way for the people's army in later generations to maintain the style of trained soldiers.

  After running, each class conducts queue exercises in sequence.

  Chen Haisong led the company and platoon commanders of the guard battalion and reconnaissance company to learn the military boxing of later generations, a total of sixteen moves, which seemed simple but were actually exquisite, and could be used to subdue the enemy if applied properly.

  He was determined to build a special operations force in the Red Army, using advanced combat methods to help the weak Red Army defeat all powerful enemies.

  He first played it through completely, then broke down each movement and demonstrated the techniques and precautions in detail, and then had them play it three times.

  They were required to learn quickly, master and teach the soldiers after mastering it, and then gradually promote it to the whole army, becoming a killer in close combat. He also had more ruthless and practical grappling capture technology to give to special forces.

  He was fortunate to have arrived in this era full of idealism and heroism, where everyone is willing to dedicate themselves to lofty ideals, no matter how bitter or tired they may be, and no matter how dangerous or difficult the journey may be, they will persevere without fear. To be able to create a beautiful future for China with such national elites is an honor beyond compare.

  He is also fortunate to have come to this era where cold weapons still play a huge role, his skills can help him create more miracles and protect himself in this era of fighting for survival.

  He is even more fortunate to have arrived in this era of underdeveloped technology and unsmooth information, otherwise how could he have achieved this career under the constraints of satellites, airplanes, and wireless radio waves?

  After breakfast, the logistics camp began to make tense preparations, all of which were changed into civilian attire, with sharp blades hidden in their chests and prepared to load grain and fodder onto horse-drawn carts, rifles and machine guns hidden inside.

  The guards were all dressed in civilian clothes, riding horses with swords and carrying rifles on their backs.

  The reconnaissance company and the radio operators of the communication company all carried rifles, ready to ride horses behind Chen Haisong as a guard, while each company checked their weapons and ammunition, conducting pre-battle simulation exercises.

  Around 10 o'clock, all participating troops gathered outside the east gate, and Chen Haisong explained the purpose and steps of this surprise attack.

  Emphasize the focus on controlling the military camp during the enemy's prayer time, collecting weapons, and surrounding and capturing the unarmed enemy. Each unit should have a clear division of labor, first observe and understand the enemy's defense area, distribute troops evenly, and pay attention to mutual support between companies and platoons during combat. The personnel in this group should protect each other, surround tightly, and prevent the enemy from desperately resisting.

  Avoid using guns if possible and try to end the battle without bloodshed. The reconnaissance company should launch a quick attack, quickly occupying the enemy's radio station and combat room.

  At half past ten, a force composed of half the strength of the Independent Division left Zhangye City and rushed to Dong Shili Puping.