The (Rat twelfth lunar month, the ninth day), January 21, 1937, the Red Army's West Army expedition failed, Dong Zhentang sacrifice.


Red Army Fifth Corps Dong Zhentang In January 1937, the Red Army's West Army suffered heavy losses, and decided to East return. 1
1937, the Red Army's West Army Fifth Army into occupied linze county. The same day, captured the high-profile county, more than 1,400 enemy troops were all surrendered. on
12, tracking the West Army's Ma Bufang, Mabu Qing troops clamped to the part of the troops Linze region West Route the Ninth Army thirtieth Army, but concentrated about five brigades, began the onslaught West surface of the Fifth Army resident high station. Fifth Army commander Dongzhen Tang commanding troops fought a bloody war.
20, entrenched the high platform county Route Army Fifth Army, bloody week with the enemy, the end result be incorporated militia mutiny outnumbered, the fall high Taicheng. Main two regiments of cavalry regiments of the Fifth Army headquarters spy group of more than 3,000 people all losses, commander Dongzhen Tang, director of the Political Department of the Yang Keming martyred. Route Army headquarters had sent the Cavalry Division rush to the rescue, the way was Ma the volley, most loss. 21, Ma concentrate siege Linze city and its nearby Fifth Army directly under the team and the other two regiments, the Ministry after a bitter struggle, in the evening and most of the breakout, close to the headquarters located the Ganzhou the northwest Nijia yingzi total .
21 West Army leaders gave a call to the Central Military Commission, the decision led to the return of the East of the only remaining 14,000 people. Dongzhen Tang, Baoding Army officer school graduation. The 1931 uprising led his troops in Ningdou equally with Zhaobo Sheng, JI Zhen. Adapted for the Chinese Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army Fifth Corps troops, as deputy commander and chief the Thirteenth Army commander, he served as Army chief. Led his troops to participate in the Long March in October 1934. In January 1936, the Fifth Army and Red thirty three armed merger still any commander. In October of the same year, was ordered to the west across the Yellow River, fought in the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province.