Arranged by time: Crossing the Jinsha River Crossing the Chishui River Crossing the Jinshan River Crossing the Jialing River Capturing the Luding Bridge Zhan Lazikou Battle of Baozuo Battle of Zhiluo

Arranged by time: Crossing the Jinsha River Crossing the Chishui River Crossing the Jinshan River Crossing the Jialing River Capturing the Luding Bridge Zhan Lazikou Battle of Baozuo Battle of Zhiluo Town Bloodshed on the Xiangjiang River Zunyi

Six major battles of the Long March

① Bravely crossing the natural danger of Wujiang River: On January 2, 1935, the main force of the first army and the ninth army of the right column of the Red Army were near Qingkou, Yuqing County. Defeat Wan Shijiongbu of the 8th Regiment of the Qian Army at Huilongchang Ferry and cross the Wujiang River. At 9 o'clock, the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the First Red Army, led by regimental commander Geng Biao and political commissar Yang Chengwu, used bamboo rafts to forcefully cross the Wujiang River at Jiangjie River but failed. After nightfall, the 4th regiment forcibly crossed the Wujiang River again. Mao Zhenhua, commander of the 3rd company, led 4 soldiers to the north bank. At 9 o'clock on January 3, the Red Army launched a fierce offensive at Jiangjiehe, defeated the 5th and 6th regiments of Lin Xiusheng's 3rd Brigade of the Jiangfang and Guizhou Army, and successfully crossed the Wujiang River. The Red Army cadre regiment and engineer company set up a pontoon bridge at the ferry. The Military Commission column and the Fifth Army Corps crossed the Wujiang River. The third legion of the left column crossed the Wujiang River at Chashanguan Ferry and stationed in Shangji, Zunyi.

3-1-1 Today’s Wujiang Ferry.

② Four crossings of Chishui: Starting from January 19, 1935, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 9th Army Corps of the Red Army departed from the Zunyi, Tongzi, and Songkan areas in three groups and headed towards Tucheng and Chishui. . The Guizhou Army immediately occupied Zunyi and Meitan; the Sichuan Army used one force to defend Yibin and Luzhou, and divided its eight brigades to advance to Songkan, Wenshui, Chishui, Xuyong and other places. On the 24th, the 1st Red Army Corps defeated the resistance of the Kuomintang Army and the Guizhou Army and captured Tucheng. On the 28th, the 3rd and 5th Red Army Corps, the Military Commission Column, the Cadre Regiment, and the First Red Army Corps launched a fierce attack on the two brigades of the Sichuan Army that were pursuing them in the Tucheng and Qinggangpo areas, and severely damaged them. At this time, four brigades of the Sichuan Army's follow-up troops quickly reinforced, and Mao Zedong and others decided to immediately withdraw from the battle, cross the Chishui River to the west, advance to the area south of Gulin, and look for opportunities to cross the Yangtze River north. A famous battle in military history was performed - crossing Chishui four times. At this point, the Central Red Army cleverly jumped out of the encirclement of the Kuomintang army and left hundreds of thousands of Chiang Kai-shek's troops north of the Wujiang River.

3-2-1 Zhu De and Mao Zedong issued an order to cross Chishui three times.

3-2-2 Erlangtan, one of the four crossings across Chishui.

③ Crossing the Jinsha River skillfully: The Jinsha River is the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and connects to the Tianhe River. It flows from the foothills of the Kunlun Mountains at an altitude of five or six kilometers. The water is so fast that it is difficult to cross on foot. The Kuomintang troops captured the boat To the other side. On May 3, 1935, the comrades of the Cadre Corps of the Military Commission accepted the task of seizing the Kyaoping Ferry. Without saying a word, they traveled 180 miles day and night over mountains and ridges, and arrived at the Jinsha River that night. At the ferry, they were lucky enough to find two boats. Then they quietly crossed to the north shore in these two boats. The enemy's sentry thought the spies were back and paid no attention. They launched a surprise attack, wiping out a company of regular troops and a security team in one fell swoop, and took control of both sides of the Jiaopingdu ferry. Later, they found five more boats and mobilized 36 sailors. From May 3rd to 9th, during 7 days and 7 nights, the main force of the Red Army relied on these 7 small boats to cross the river calmly. Two days later, the enemy's pursuers arrived at the south bank. But the Red Army had destroyed its ships, sealed off the rivers, and flown away without a trace.

3-3-1 Jiaoping Ferry when the Red Army crossed the Jinsha River

3-3-2 Propaganda slogans carved on stones during the Red Army’s Long March.

④ Forced crossing of the Dadu River: The Dadu River is a major tributary of the Minjiang River. The river is 300 meters wide, the water is deep and fast-flowing, and there are steep mountains on both sides of the bank. The terrain is dangerous and it is extremely difficult for large troops to pass. On the evening of May 24, 1935, the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division, the leading force of the Central Red Army, arrived at Anshun Field on the right bank of the Dadu River after a forced march of more than 80 kilometers. This place is garrisoned by two companies of the Sichuan Army, and the ferry is defended by a battalion of the 7th Regiment of the 5th Brigade of the 24th Army of the Sichuan Army. On the morning of the 25th, Liu Bocheng and Nie Rongzhen came to the forward position to take command. Sun Jixian, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Red Regiment, selected 17 warriors from the 2nd Company to form a river-crossing commando team. The company commander Xiong Shanglin served as the captain, and four local boatmen including Shuai Shigao were ferryed across the river. The commando team quickly landed ashore, fought bravely with the support of firepower from the right bank, repelled the Sichuan Army's counterattack, and took control of the ferry. The follow-up troops crossed the river in time for reinforcements, defeated one battalion of the Sichuan Army in one fell swoop, and consolidated the crossing point.

Subsequently, the 1st Division and Cadre Regiment of the 1st Red Army crossed the Dadu River, which was regarded as insurmountable by the Kuomintang army.

3-4-1 In September 1936, American writer Snow (third from left) took a group photo with 17 warriors who forcibly crossed the Dadu River in Ningxia.

3-4-2 The statue of the hero who forcibly crossed the Dadu River stands on the bank of the Dadu River.

⑤ Flying to seize Luding Bridge: On the morning of May 27, 1935, the leading force on the right, the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the 1st Red Army, led by regiment leader Wang Kaixiang and political commissar Yang Chengwu set off from Anshun Field. Defeating the Sichuan Army's blockade along the way, they forced their way 160 kilometers over two days and nights, and occupied the west bridgehead of Luding Bridge on the morning of the 29th. Luding Bridge spans the main road of Sichuan and Kangxi. It is more than 100 meters long and 2.8 meters wide. It is composed of 13 iron cables and spans the raging Dadu River. There are cliffs on both sides. The east bridge head is connected to Luding City. The 38th Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the Sichuan Army defending the city (less than 1 battalion) had removed the wooden planks on the bridge before the arrival of the Red Army, leaving only the hanging iron cables. At 16:00 that day, Liao Dazhu, commander of the 2nd company of the 4th Red Regiment, and other 22 commandos braved the intensive firepower of the Sichuan Army under the cover of the whole regiment's firepower, climbed the iron rope, and attacked the other side. When they approached the bridgehead, the Sichuan Army suddenly launched fire. After breaking the barrier, the commando bravely passed through the wall of fire, rushed into Luding City, and started a street battle with the Sichuan army. The follow-up troops entered the battle in time. After fierce fighting, the Red Army occupied Luding City. One part of the Sichuan Army was wiped out, and the rest fled towards the sky. The main force of the Central Red Army crossed the naturally dangerous Dadu River from the Luding Bridge, shattering Chiang Kai-shek's attempt to annihilate the Red Army south of the Dadu River.

3-5-1 Luding Iron Cable Bridge.

3-5-2 Today’s Luding Cable Bridge has become a tourist attraction.

⑥ Fierce battle at Lazikou: Lazikou is an important pass in the Minshan Mountains and the gateway from northwest Sichuan to Gannan. The mouth is about 30 meters wide and is surrounded by high mountains and the terrain is very dangerous. Chiang Kai-shek deployed two divisions in the Minxian and Lazikou areas in an attempt to block the Red Army's way out by relying on natural dangers. On the afternoon of September 17, 1935, the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the 1st Red Army launched a fierce attack on Lazikou. However, due to the unfavorable terrain, the troops could not be deployed. From the afternoon to midnight, they charged more than ten times in a row without success. At midnight, the troops suspended the attack and re-examined the battle plan. The battle started again. Just as the frontal battle was fierce, the outflanking troops had reached the cliff on the right side of Lazikou. Facing the Red Army descending from the sky, the enemy lost their weapons and fled. After the Party Central Committee led the Shaanxi-Gansu detachment through Lazikou, on September 20, they occupied Hadapu in southern Gansu. At this point, the Party Central Committee and the main force of the Red Army finally walked out of the Tibetan areas of the snowy mountains and grasslands, breaking Chiang Kai-shek's conspiracy to use the harsh natural conditions to "trap" the Red Army.