History of the Long March -- Page 9

Conquering Lazikou Pass

On September 15 an order came through, "In two days we must conquer Lazikou." They skirmished with a battalion of the KMT Fourteenth Division and scattered them. From prisoners they learned the Fourteenth had built blockhouses at Lazikou. The pass at Lazikou was extraordinary narrow. The right side had a cliff that rose almost perpendicularly for a thousand feet. Across the pass, one hundred feet wide and narrowing to twelve at its throat, rose another cliff, not quite so high. It was jagged, not sheer. It could be climbed, perhaps, but not with machine guns looking down at you. The position, as anyone who observes it today can see, is impregnable.

The order was given, "We must take the Lazikou Pass or go back through the Grasslands." Three KMT regiments and two battalions defended the pass. A succession of night attacks failed. There were heavy casualties. Mao ordered direct assaults halted. A band of experienced mountaineers assembled for a new plan. These men, thirty to sixty in all, about twelve Miao and other minority fighters gathered in the darkness. There was no alpine climbing gear. From prisoners they learned additional KMT forces soon would arrive. Toward dawn, explosions came from the mountain. The mountain men had reached the peak and rained down grenades. Within minutes, the KMT soldiers ran for their lives. The Red Army would not have to return to the Grasslands.

Ma Cavalry

The Red Army had some Ma cavalry of the KMT harassing the rear. On the 20th, Mao set up a trap in the Wuqi area. Three rivers cut through the loess at this point. Mao put his men in a half-moon formation to lure the Ma cavalry up the valley. The Ma cavalry moved up to the attack, four regiments, about a thousand men in each. Mao's forced numbered about the same. Within two hours, the Ma fled the battlefield carrying the remains of their forces. The Red Army was home and no enemy faced them. Of the 86,000 who began, only 4,000 remained. The Long March ended. They had marched 25,000 li -- 6,000 miles.