Chapter 65: The Bloody Battle of Yangping Town (4)

  The battles of Xi Town and Yangping Town were extremely brilliant.

  Back in Yangping Town, Liu Yimin looked at the statistics of the battle results sent by Wu Zheng: The Qingxi Town Battle annihilated the enemy's 59th and 93rd Divisions, killing 3,520 enemies, severely injuring 1,260, lightly injuring 2,750, and capturing 7,472 enemies including Division Commander Han Hanying and Tang Yunshan. The Yangping Town ambush heavily damaged the enemy's 90th Division, routed the enemy's 92nd Division, First Detachment, and Fifth Division, killing 4,260 enemies, severely injuring 1,540, lightly injuring 2,370, and capturing 8,532. The main peak of Yangping Town's rear mountain blocking battle eliminated 1,373 enemies, heavily damaged the 74th Regiment, routed the 75th Regiment, and killed the commander of the 73rd Regiment Liu Rui with 70 men. In total, 12,780 enemies were killed, 2,800 severely injured, 5,120 lightly injured, and 16,474 captured. The combined statistics show that a total of 34,290 enemies were eliminated, equivalent to three and a half divisions of Xue Yue's forces.

  Booty was even richer, with 15 radio stations captured, 75mm guns 36, 60mm guns 208, light and heavy machine guns, rifles, submachine guns, pistols and ammunition piled up like mountains.

  Liu Yimin thought to himself, many National Army soldiers were running back empty-handed, now Xue Yue's logistics supply would have to be busy again. Thinking of the time when the Red Army crossed the Chishui River for the second time and defeated Xue Yue's 59th and 93rd divisions, capturing an arsenal of weapons and ammunition, many soldiers had exchanged their old guns for new ones, Liu Yimin sighed, the Central Army's equipment was much stronger than that of the Hunan and Guangxi armies. A division of the Hunan army only had one mortar company, a regiment only had one heavy machine gun company, while the Central Army had heavy machine guns assigned to companies and mortars assigned to regiments. As the Red Army soldiers said, if you want to fight, fight the Central Army, fighting the Central Army is practical.

  However, the casualties were too great, with 2000 casualties and 940 deaths. Although compared to the enemy's losses, it is small enough to be negligible, but the Red Army has few people and replenishment is difficult. On the other hand, the enemy can quickly replenish, and the war resources of both sides are disproportionate. According to the reflections of the soldiers, the casualties were mainly caused by the 13th and 90th divisions. It seems that I still underestimated the combat effectiveness of the National Army. Only saw the banditry style of the National Army, did not think that once face-to-face fighting, the combat effectiveness of the National Army is still very strong. Especially the 13th Division of Wan Yaohuang, originally a miscellaneous army, the 4th, 5th, and Guard Regiments, and the Engineer Regiment could not eat him up, fortunately, I led the 1st and 2nd Regiments to arrive in time, otherwise, it is likely that we would not have eliminated the enemy, but rather might have been defeated by the enemy.

  What to do with so many weapons and ammunition, as well as the captives? The seriously wounded soldiers of the National Army can be handled according to the method used in the Xiao Shui battle, bandaged and treated, and left in Yangping Town. What about the lightly wounded ones? These are all old soldiers, after all. Zunyi has a hospital, so they should recover quickly. Let's bring them along too. There are too many captives, we can establish a new regiment with the Xinbing Camp as its backbone, and another one with the Leihong Camp as its backbone. The logistics camp, artillery camp, cavalry camp, and engineering camp can all be expanded into regiments. All combat regiments will have a firepower support battalion added to them, and each battalion will have a firepower support company attached to it. As for the remaining captives, let's leave them to the main force to digest!

  After thinking clearly, Liu Yimin ordered Li Qing to choose a mountain with good feng shui behind Yangping Town to bury the martyrs who had sacrificed. The troops in Yangping Town hastened to have dinner and after the martyrs were buried, they all withdrew back to the county seat of Zhenyuan.

  At this time, Xue Yue had already established his command headquarters in Xin Dian.

  The 13th Division has returned, and Wan Yaohuang settled the troops before going to report to Xue Yue. As he walked into Xue Yue's headquarters, he saw several division commanders and Wu Qiwu, Zhou Huan, all listlessly accompanying Xue Yue in silence. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the 59th Division commander Han Han Ying and the 93rd Division commander Tang Yunshan were missing. His heart skipped a beat as he wondered if these two division commanders had been taken captive by the Red Bandits?

  Seeing Wan Yao Huang come in, Xue Yue stood up without waiting for him to pay his respects and said: "Wu Xiao brother, you've worked hard!" Then he stretched out both hands and shook hands with Wan Yao Huang.

  Wan Yao Huang thought to himself, what day is today? Xue Yue, who was usually strict, would take the initiative to shake hands with him. It seems that the loss of the Central Army is greater than he imagined.

  Want to return home. Wan Yao Huang saw Xue Yue stretch out his hand and hurriedly stepped forward, grasping Xue Yue's hand with both hands. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Commander, for your concern!" Then he stood at attention again and reported: "Reporting to the Commander, my unit encountered an ambush by the Red Bandits in the main peak of Yangping Town. The commander of the 73rd Regiment, Liu Rui, and 3,000 men were killed in action. Our troops suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, the Commander ordered us to retreat; otherwise, I might have sacrificed myself for the country."

  The 13th Division also suffered heavy losses. Several people in the house immediately became emotional and came over to greet us, asking about the battle situation.

  Xue Yue also wanted to know. He said: "Brother Wu Kui, don't mind telling us the details of the battle situation. Let's discuss it together."

  Wan Yao Huang then made a detailed report of the battle situation. Finally, he said with lingering fear: "Thank you, Commander, for ordering the 13th Division to retreat. If the order had been given an hour later, I'm afraid the 13th Division would have been wiped out."

  Xue Yue asked: "How many troops does the Red Bandit have in ambush against our vanguard regiment?"

  "Report to the commander. About 6,000. Should be three regiments. One regiment is defending the front. Two regiments are flanking from both sides. The enemy's combat effectiveness is very strong. My vanguard regiment and the 74th and 75th regiments are all seasoned veterans who have been through hundreds of battles. Yet they suffered such heavy casualties. However, the Red Bandits didn't get off easy either. Judging from the battlefield situation, their casualties are about the same as ours, also around 3,000. Commander, this time the 13th Division really lost a lot. You must take charge of the 13th Division!" As he spoke, he burst into tears.

  Li Huasheng said impatiently, "Alright, Old Wan, you're lucky. The 59th and 93rd divisions were completely annihilated. Your losses are nothing to cry about."

  Wan Yao Huang listened and indeed it was so, immediately stopping her tears.

  "What about the enemy's main reinforcements?"

  Wan Yao-huang replied, "The number of enemy reinforcements is unclear, but it's clear that the enemy's main force has divided into two routes to encircle our main force after climbing the mountain, with the intention of wiping us out. Moreover, the artillery fire from the enemy's reinforcement troops was very fierce, and after a trial shot, the first wave of shelling was dozens of rounds, fortunately we retreated quickly, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable."

  "Commander, the situation is now clear. The main force of the Red Bandits has secretly marched south from Zunyi to intercept our army. They must have cracked our military radio code and learned our route of march, which is why they launched a surprise attack on us. What about the Red Bandits attacking the northern counties? It seems that was just a diversionary tactic. I said that the 1st and 3rd Corps of the Red Bandits suddenly disappeared from Fuquan and Kaiyang, and after the 5th Corps occupied Zunyi, there was no movement. It turns out they all came here. It appears that the ones active in the north must be the 9th Corps of the Red Bandits."

  Wu Qiong said with a worried tone: "The next battle will be tough to fight. After the Red Bandits devoured three divisions of the Xiang Army, their strength has greatly increased. Now they have achieved such a great victory, and their weapons and equipment have been greatly updated, with ample ammunition. Plus, Mao Zedong is full of tricks, so we must be careful from now on."

  Xue Yue's chief of staff said: "From today's bandit tactics, it is clear that they are using infantry ambushes and firepower to kill the enemy, attaching great importance to the role of firepower. This is very different from the bandits' usual way of fighting. In the past, the bandits were very careful with their bullets and relied on human wave tactics to win, rather than losing a single rifle. Now the bandits have changed their ways and are willing to use shells and bullets to win. But I wonder, where did the bandits get so many heavy machine guns and artillery from? Are they all from the Hunan Army?"

  Xie Fu said, "Liu Jianxu's 28th Army has a mountain artillery battalion, which is said to be equipped with 12 brand-new French Schneider-Danglis mountain guns. I remember that the battle report mentioned that after the fierce battle of Xiangjiang, He Jian and Liu Jianxu awarded the 16th Division's Zhang Liangji unit for their meritorious service in the Battle of Xiangjiang by replenishing personnel and equipment, and also handed over the mountain artillery battalion to him for command. Adding to the three divisions of the Hunan Army's original howitzers, the secret of the Red Bandits' fierce firepower was revealed."

  Liang Hua-sheng said: "Didn't Zhang Liangji and others break out? Haven't they already been replaced?"

  Xie Fu sneered: "Bullshit, what breakout? It must be that bastard He Jian who is afraid that the Chairman of the Committee will cancel his three regiments' establishment, and secretly traded with the Reds to redeem his regimental commanders, brigade commanders, and possibly some mid-to-low-level officers and wounded soldiers. Maybe the artillery shells and machine gun bullets used against us were given by this old bastard to the Reds."

  Wan Yao Huang thought for a moment and said, "Thank you, Master. What you said makes sense. He Jian has a base, people, guns, and food. As long as the men return, they can naturally report to the Central Committee that the troops have successfully broken through. However, the losses are quite large, so it's better to quickly reorganize them in the rear. I think that in order to exchange Tao Guang, Zhang Liangji and others back, He Jian will be willing to pay a price."

  "Huaiji immediately said: 'Commander, I still hold the same opinion as before. We should send a telegram to the Chairman right away and let Dai Li's men investigate. Can't have our Central Army fighting at the front lines while He Jian's warlords support the Reds from behind? How can we fight this battle?"

  Xue Yue listened and several army commanders and division commanders began to find excuses again, saying: "Everyone, let's discuss how to report to the chairman!"

  These few people didn't say a word, how can we report it like this after such a big fight?

  After a good while, Liang Hua-sheng ventured to say: "Commander, I have an idea. Should I mention it or not?"

  Xue Yue said: "Let's hear it."

  Li Huasheng said, "The 59th Division Commander Han and the 93rd Division Commander Tang are not coming back now. It is estimated that they have fallen into enemy hands. Since He Jian's division commander and brigade commander can come back, why can't our Central Army commanders come back? It's just a transaction. Everyone is acting on orders, and the Red Bandits and these two division commanders don't necessarily have any deep hatred towards each other. If they can come back, bring back some officers and lightly wounded soldiers, wouldn't that still be considered as having a complete establishment? This way, your face will be saved, and the report will naturally be easier to write. We'll think of a way to get some militia to supplement our forces, have these two divisions guard the rear during battles, and with a bit more time, I believe that with Han and Tang's abilities, the troops will quickly form combat effectiveness."

  Xue Yue was secretly surprised, not expecting his brother to have such insight. This method is indeed a desperate measure, if it can really exchange for two division commanders, I estimate that even if the commander-in-chief knew about it, he wouldn't say anything, after all, it's much better than letting the Red Bandits shoot them dead. As he thought about this, his gaze turned to Wu Qiwang.

  Wu Qiwu heard Liang Huasheng's plan and thought it was great. This guy is a good brother, has a sense of justice, and can help his brothers in critical moments. Seeing Xue Yue's gaze, Wu Qiwu said directly: "Let's do it this way, nothing is more important than saving people back. If the commander blames us in the future, just hand me over."

  "I think it's feasible. The key is to be quick, if we wait for the bandits to move or the outside world to find out, things will become difficult to handle."

  Xue Yue thought for a moment and decided to do so. But what can be exchanged with the Red Bandits? Weapons and ammunition are not feasible, as many soldiers have returned empty-handed, and it is unclear whether the stored weapons will be enough for their own troops. Moreover, if Delegate Zhang finds out that they used weapons and ammunition to exchange for people, no matter what reason, he will make them look good. How about exchanging prisoners? Those captured in Jiangxi were either shot or imprisoned. The prisoners caught along the way were also left in local prisons, and it's hard to solve the problem with distant water.

  It seems like money is the only option now.

  The decision has been made, and it's time to assign someone to take charge of the transaction. This person must be a trusted aide, and their position cannot be too high. If their position is too high, in case the Reds turn against us and frame someone, the joke will go too far.

  。

  Wu Qiongwei saw Xue Yue hesitating, knowing that he was selecting personnel, so he said: "Commander, Mr. Ouyang, a senior advisor to the Commander's Office, has been relatively idle recently."

  Xue Yue immediately approved and ordered the 92nd Division to dispatch a cavalry company to escort Ouyang to Yangping Town or Qingxi Town to negotiate with the Reds.

  After the battle in Yangping Township ended, the negotiation representative of Xue Yue's Central Army came to Yangping Township.

  At 8 o'clock in the evening, on a sunny slope behind Yangping Town, torches were lit. The Central Guard Regiment of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was holding a funeral ceremony for the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives.

  On the hillside, the graves had been dug out in advance, neatly arranged in rows, just like martyrs lining up for inspection when they were alive.

  Liu Yimin and Cai Zhong, Liu Jianli, Li Qing, Wu Zheng led the regimental commanders and political commissars to inspect each martyr's military uniform for tidiness and their facial expression for cleanliness and dignity. After finishing the inspection of one, they would cover it with a white cloth.

  There were too many sacrifices, and time did not allow for the preparation of coffins. The martyrs were all placed on wooden boards. Liu Yimin specifically instructed that the name, place of origin, and unit number of each martyr be engraved on the wooden board, so that in the future when relatives wanted to dig up the remains, they could identify them by comparison.

  After the inspection, the burial began. After the burial was over, a wooden sign with the name and unit number was inserted on each grave mound.

  Liu Yimin began his speech:

  "On December 23, 1934, the Central Guard Regiment of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army clashed with the enemy's Central Army led by Xue Yue, totaling around 100,000 people, in Qingxi Town and Yangping Town, Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province. At noon that day, the enemy's vanguard 59th Division and 93rd Division entered our ambush circle and were completely annihilated."

  Our army then advanced to Yangping Town, 20 miles away from Qingxi Town, and set up an ambush along the Xiang-Da Road. In the afternoon, the enemy's main force came to reinforce, our army blocked the enemy's vanguard 90th Division, waited for the enemy's main force to gather on the highway, then launched a sudden fire attack, after that, all elite troops were dispatched to launch a surprise attack on the enemy, and the enemy was defeated. Later, in the main peak of the mountain behind Yangping Town, our army blocked the enemy's 13th Division, which intended to encircle and attack from behind, annihilating the enemy's vanguard 73rd Regiment and heavily damaging the enemy's 37th Brigade. In this battle, we eliminated 34,290 enemies, captured a large number of weapons and ammunition, greatly striking the arrogant atmosphere of the enemy's Central Army. Our Central Guard Division suffered 2,000 casualties and 940 deaths. In the fierce battle, the Red Army warriors fought against the enemy with bayonets, embracing the determination to die together with the enemy, defeated the strong enemy, created a miracle of the weak defeating the strong, and wrote an epic heroic song that shook heaven and earth!

  The martyrs have gone, and we who are alive must inherit their revolutionary will, carry forward their fighting spirit, eliminate all reactionaries, and establish a new China that is prosperous, strong, democratic, free, civilized, and happy.

  "Later generations who come here, should think of the pioneering work of our predecessors, who struggled hard and made sacrifices. Don't forget to nurture the land and plant trees, bless the heroic souls of our martyrs, pass on the spirit of sacrifice, and protect the red flag that flies high!"

  In the cold winter night, Liu Yimin's voice was sorrowful, low and powerful, word by word, sentence by sentence, touching every person's heartstrings.

  Liu Jianli's eyes were filled with tears as he loudly commanded: "The whole army is present to see off the martyrs. Present arms, fire!"

  The sound of gunfire was heard from a distance, and the central army representative who was riding a horse to Yangping Town was startled, thinking that they had been ambushed again.

  After the funeral, Liu Yimin ordered the second battalion to take the lead, and the troops set off overnight, escorting prisoners and captured weapons and ammunition, moving towards Zhenyuan County. He himself led the first battalion to cover the rear.

  When the representative of the Central Army arrived, the Second Regiment had already set off.

  Liu Yimin received Xue Yue's representative Ouyang Jian in a civilian house in the town.

  When he saw Liu Yimin, Ouyang Jian was extremely surprised in his heart. He did not expect the Red Army division commander to be so young. Afraid of failing to complete the task, Ouyang Jian tactfully suggested whether he could meet Mr. Run or Mr. En Lai, Commander Zhu.

  Liu Yimin was in a bad mood because his troops had suffered heavy casualties. He was shut down with one sentence: "Who do you think you are? Even if it were Chiang Kai-shek wanting to see Chairman Mao, he would have to wait and see if Chairman Mao is in the right mood. Just state your purpose, I don't have time to bother with you!"

  Ouyang Jian was so choked with rage that he couldn't catch his breath for half a day.

  Ouyang Jian said: "I am under the command of Commander Xue, and I have come to negotiate with your army about the release of prisoners. Please forgive me!"

  Liu Yimin sneered coldly: "What, you think you can just spend some money to redeem the person after beating them up? You're dreaming! I'm going to hold a public trial and have all these counter-revolutionaries shot!"

  Ouyang Jian is an old slicker, seeing Liu Yimin's bad mood, he said: "Respected teacher, you're in a bad mood, can I arrange for someone to talk to me? As the saying goes, 'no deal no friendship', don't hit a smiling face!"

  Liu Yimin thought to himself that he was used to dealing with these guys, and when it came to He Jian and Bai Chongxi, he had even written a long letter. Now they were coming to him automatically, so he might as well talk to them. However, Xue Yue was not like He Jian or Li and Bai, without financial power, and probably wouldn't be able to squeeze out much oil, so he instructed Li Chengwei to take this guy to see Li Qing.

  Ouyang Jian followed Li Chengwei to see Li Qing. Liu Yimin found Gao Yuan and asked him to go find Li Qing later to report that the First, Third and Fifth Army Corps had sent telegrams asking when our troops would depart, when they would arrive in Yushui, when they would launch an attack, and also brought several battalion commanders disguised as regimental commanders to ask for battle, scaring the representatives of the Central Army, letting them know that the main force of the Red Army was hiding nearby, withdrawing back to Yushui to defend.

  Gao Yuan asked if he wanted to play Zhou Yu's trick on Jiang Gan?

  Liu Yimin said it was just to scare them.

  Working overtime in the office today, feeling depressed. Wishing all book friends a smooth work next week, prosperous business, winning big prizes and good luck! Shanren thanks for your support!