With the Nationalist Army in hot pursuit, the Red Army found itself in a precarious situation in late May of 1935 as it reached the Dadu River in western Sichuan. The only viable crossing, the Luding Bridge was a chain bridge from which all planks had been removed. A vanguard regiment had marched around 120 kilometers in a single day to reach it. On the morning of May 29, 22 volunteer soldiers crawled across these bare iron chains under heavy machine-gun fire, storming the enemy-held east bank, and securing a vital victory on the Long March. Thanks to their brave actions, the main force of the Red Army was able to cross the Dadu River safely, thereby breaking the encirclement and allowing the Red Army to continue its march northward.