Bloodthirsty Pioneer: A Chronicle of the Battles of the People's Liberation Army's Third Army

Author: Li Renyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: The 39th Army is a heroic unit with a glorious revolutionary history and fine traditions. Its predecessor was the 25th and 26th Armies. During the Long March, they arrived in Shaanxi first, establishing the Shaanxi-Gansu and Shaanxi-North Shaanxi revolutionary bases, creating conditions for the Central Committee to establish the Shaanxi-Gansu region as the headquarters of the Chinese revolution. At a critical moment in the history of the Chinese revolution, they achieved special merits. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the unit successively participated in establishing revolutionary bases in Hubei, Henan, Anhui, and Shaanxi, Gansu, and Border Regions, and took part in battles such as Pingxingguan and Lianghuai. During the War of Liberation, it advanced into Northeast China, opening up the Western Manchuria base, and successively participated in famous battles such as Xiushuihezi, Baicheng, and Sanqingjiang River. From the Songhua River to Zhennan Pass, the 39th Army fought tirelessly. As the first unit to enter North Korea during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, it participated in campaigns 1-5 and engaged in 340 days of defensive battles on the front lines. The 39th Army's footsteps spanned 18 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, covering a journey of over 100,000 miles and fighting in more than 6,000 battles, eliminating 400,000 enemies. It made significant contributions to national independence, people's liberation, and the establishment and defense of New China.