Northern Shaanxi played an extremely important role in the Chinese revolution during the agrarian revolution, where an armed force of workers and peasants called the Northern Shaanxi Red Army flourished. At the peak of its strength, the Red Army in Northern Shaanxi had two armies, the 26th Army and the 27th Army. However, with the historic rendezvous of the main forces of the Red Army, the fate of the two Red Army forces in northern Shaanxi also ushered in a major turning point. So, where are they headed? What kind of changes and development has it experienced? Next, we're going to do it.
First of all, let us review the course of the 26th Army of the Red Army in northern Shaanxi. The army was founded in December 1932 and was one of the early important revolutionary armed forces in northern Shaanxi. In September 1935, with the arrival of the 25th Army of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Red Army in northern Shaanxi after the Long March, this unit was combined with the 26th Army and the 27th Army of the Northern Shaanxi Red Army to form the 15th Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. In this major reorganization, the 26th Army of the Red Army in Northern Shaanxi was reorganized into the 78th Division under the 15th Army Corps. Two years later, with the outbreak of the full-scale war of resistance against Japan, the main forces of the Red Army were reorganized into the Eighth Route Army to adapt to the new war situation. At this time, the 78th Division was split and incorporated into the 344th Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, specifically the 687th Regiment and the 688th Regiment.
However, the history of the 78th Division did not end there. At the end of 1937, the 344th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army decided to regroup the troops of the original 78th Division and form the 689th Regiment. Subsequently, this regiment followed the 344th Brigade south to support the New Fourth Army in combat, and continued to grow in battle, eventually evolving into the 10th Brigade of the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army. In the period of the Liberation War, the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army was ordered to go to the Northeast, while the 10th Brigade underwent many reorganizations and expansions, and successively became the 5th Division of the Second Column of the Northeast Field Army and the 116th Division of the 39th Army of the Fourth Field Army. It is worth mentioning that the number of the 116th Division is still retained to this day, and it has been modernized into a mechanized infantry division, which continues to shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending the country.
Next, let's talk about the fate of the 27th Army of the Red Army in northern Shaanxi. The army was founded in January 1935, and also underwent a major reorganization when the 15th Army Corps of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was formed, and was reorganized into the 81st Division under the 15th Army Corps. Only a year later, in January 1937, the 81st Division merged and expanded with a number of local regiments in northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong, and the number of the 27th Army was restored. After the outbreak of the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the 27th Army was reorganized into a unit directly under the 12th Division of the Eighth Route Army, including an artillery battalion, a baggage battalion, and a special service battalion, and was mainly responsible for the arduous task of defending the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo border region.
During the fiery years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the artillery battalion, baggage battalion, and special service battalion directly under the 12th Division underwent many reorganizations and reorganizations, and fought together with other units in the forefront of the anti-Japanese war. Eventually, the main body of these units gradually developed into the 3rd Brigade of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningjin-Sui Joint Defense Army. After the arrival of the Liberation War period, the 3rd Garrison Brigade was incorporated into the 4th Column of the Northwest Field Army and became an important part of the unit. With the victorious advance of the war, in February 1949, the 4th Column of the Northwest Field Army was reorganized into the 4th Army of the 1st Field Army, and the 3rd Garrison Brigade was also reorganized into the 11th Division of the 4th Army. Today, the 11th Division is still shining brightly, and has been transformed into a motorized infantry division, continuing to write a new chapter of glory.