The 60th Division of the 20th Army, this is a famous unit of our army during the Liberation War! This team fought in the south and the north, made countless contributions, and produced a large number of founding heroes. Among them were several provincial party secretaries and more than a dozen founding generals, such as: Tan Qilong, Huang Zhizhen, Zhang Yixiang, Peng Lin, He Kexi, Zhang Wenbi, Liu Hengyun, Qiu Xiangtian, Xie Zhongliang, Zhong Fazong, Chen Ting... As for this article, I would like to introduce the predecessor of this unit: the Zhejiang Eastern Guerrilla Column of the New Fourth Army.
The former site of the Zhejiang Eastern Guerrilla Column of the New Fourth Army
The anti-Japanese base areas in eastern Zhejiang mainly include siming mountains in Zhejiang, Huijishan, Sanbei (Yuyao, Cixi, and Zhenhai north of the Yao River), and Shanghai Pudong. It reaches both sides of the Huangpu River in the north, the Jinyong Highway in the south, the Jinxiao Line on the Zhejiang-Gansu Railway in the west, and the sea in the east, so its strategic location is extremely important. In 1941, the Japanese army dispatched about 40,000 people to launch the famous Battle of Ningshao, which destroyed more than 100,000 local garrisons in less than a month and occupied eastern Zhejiang.
Wherever the Japanese army went, it was said that they burned and killed and plundered, which could be described as no evil. According to statistics, after the Japanese army occupied Zhuji, it killed thousands of civilians and destroyed tens of thousands of houses in less than two months. After the occupation of Yuyao, hundreds of civilians were killed under a single forest. In addition, the Japanese army also frantically plundered the local tung oil, tea, raw silk, fluorite and other strategic resources. Against this background, our party resolutely decided to send He Kexi, Tan Qilong, Zhu Renjun, Lian Baisheng, and others to open up an anti-Japanese base area in eastern Zhejiang.
Hokshi
To establish a base area, we must first have an anti-Japanese armed force. At that time, our party had some armed forces in Pudong, Shanghai, mainly including the 5th Detachment of the Songhu Guerrilla Detachment in the Third Theater headed by Lian Baisheng and the first detachment of the pseudo-13th Division headed by Zhu Renjun. According to statistics, these two teams have hundreds of people, mainly Shanghainese. In May 1941, our Party drew some men from these ranks. They were ordered to cross Hangzhou Bay in batches and drive north of the Yao River in eastern Zhejiang.
By September 1941, no less than 700 commanders and fighters had arrived in the area north of the Yao River, which was the basic component of the Guerrilla Column of the New Fourth Army in eastern Zhejiang. In addition, our army has also sent many old Red Army troops to transform this unit, among which the representatives are: Tan Qilong, He Kexi, Zhang Wenbi, Liu Hengyun, Qiu Xiangtian... These old Red Army quickly mingled with the locals, and with their efforts, the military discipline, consciousness, and combat effectiveness of this team... There has been a qualitative leap forward.
Tan Qilong
In 1942, the Party Committee of Zhejiang Eastern District was formally established, with Tan Qilong as the Party Secretary. In the same year, the Three North Guerrilla Command was formally established, with He Kexi as commander, Tan Qilong as political commissar, Lian Baisheng as deputy commander, Liu Hengyun as chief of staff, and Zhang Wenbi as director of the political department. At the beginning of 1944, the Provisional Administrative Committee behind the enemy lines in eastern Zhejiang was formally established, with Lian Baisheng as the chairman. These three organs are the highest leading departments of the party, government, and army in the anti-Japanese base areas in eastern Zhejiang.
In June 1941, the Japanese army twice attacked the Xianggong Hall in Cixi County. Under the command of Lian Baisheng, our army won successive battles and defeated more than 20 enemy soldiers. Although the scale of these two battles was small, it was the first time that the Japanese army had been hit since the invasion of eastern Zhejiang. Therefore, it greatly encouraged the anti-Japanese enthusiasm of the local people. Since then, our army has repeatedly attacked the enemy in the Three Norths and has gained a lot. In 1942, He Kexi and others led their troops to defeat nearly 3,000 local recalcitrant troops.
Lian Baisheng
In this way, our army finally gained a firm foothold in the Three Northern Regions. In April 1943, our army entered the Siming Mountains. After 16 hours of fierce fighting, our army annihilated a battalion of the puppet army at LiangLong. Through unremitting efforts, our army finally took control of the Siming Mountains. In December of the same year, our army sent more than 130 people to Zhuji, Yiwu and other places under the command of Cai Qunfan and others. This unit soon developed into the famous Jinxiao Detachment, and quickly grew to nearly a thousand people.
Sanbei, Simingshan, and Huijishan were all victorious, and At the same time, Zhu Yamin led some of the commanders and fighters back to Pudong, Shanghai. In early 1943, they killed 13 most heinous traitors at once in the town of Hesha. Since then, this team has shocked the entire Shanghai area. With the cooperation of the local people, they haunted the harbor and river channel in Pudong and repeatedly ambushed small units of the Japanese puppet army. Subsequently, the Songhu detachment was established. By the end of the War of Resistance, the ministry had grown to thousands of men.
Zhu Renjun
According to General Zhang Wenbi's recollection, in August 1944, more than 500 Japanese puppet troops suddenly attacked a coastal defense squadron of our army. This unit of our army is only more than 70 people, does not have a single artillery, and mainly relies on rifles to defend the country. Under the cover of warplanes and warships, this enemy force took turns to storm our positions. Our army preferred to die unyieldingly, and in fierce battles lasted for days, annihilating no less than 60 enemy personnel. But the enemy was outnumbered, and in the end they were all martyred, and it was a bloody battle for the famous Big Fish Mountain Island!
This unit repeatedly attacked the Japanese puppet army and the recalcitrant army, and established four administrative districts and 14 county-level political powers in Pudong, Sanbei, Simingshan, and Huijishan. By the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the anti-Japanese base area in eastern Zhejiang had expanded to about 20,000 square kilometers and had a population of about 4 million. At the same time, this force has also grown from nearly a thousand people when crossing the south to more than 10,000 people. According to statistics, this strategic area has annihilated more than 9,000 enemy personnel. At the same time, it also lost nearly 3,000 people.
Zhang Wenbi
In December 1944, Su Yu, commander of the First Division of the New Fourth Army, led his troops south, and then joined the anti-Japanese armed forces in eastern Zhejiang. When the two armies met, everyone was inexplicably excited, and even many commanders and fighters shed tears. At the beginning of 1945, the New Fourth Army and the Eastern Zhejiang Guerrilla Column were merged into the famous New Fourth Army Jiangsu-Zhejiang Military Region. This force consisted of four columns and three military sub-districts, with Su Yu as its commander. The guerrilla column in eastern Zhejiang was reorganized into the second column, with He Kexi as its commander.
The second column of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Military Region, which is a brigade-level unit. In July of the same year, a unit of the Third Theater joined the New Fourth Army. The old units of the Second Column were reorganized into the First Brigade, with Zhang Yixiang as the brigade commander. This rebel force was reorganized into the Second Brigade, with the rebel general Zhang Junsheng as the brigade commander. At this time, the second column, with a total of two field brigades under its jurisdiction, plus direct subordinate troops, had grown to more than 10,000 people. Together with some local cadres, there are about 15,000 people in the whole army.
Liu Hengyun
After the end of the War of Resistance, this unit was ordered to withdraw north. Before the retreat to the north, the second column was mainly under the jurisdiction of the first brigade, the second brigade, the Jinxiao detachment, the Songhu detachment, the Yushang special service battalion, the three northern independent battalions, the coastal defense brigade, the guard brigade, the military and political cadre school... In October 1945, He Kexi, commander of the Second Column, led a detachment north across Hangzhou Bay. Unfortunately, near Weipu in northern Zhejiang, this force was besieged and blocked by more than 10,000 recalcitrant troops, losing hundreds of people.
After several days of fierce fighting, Zhang Junsheng led more than 2,000 people to the northern Zhejiang region. After more than ten hours of bloody fighting, the second group of troops commanded by He Kexi jumped out of The Pu and also killed the encirclement of the recalcitrant army. Eventually, the vast majority of the commanders and fighters of the Second Column rushed out. In November of the same year, the unit came to Lianshui, Jiangsu Province, to rest. According to the instructions of the Central Military Commission, the main force of this unit of about 8500 people was reorganized into the third brigade of the first column of the Jinpu Front Field Army of the New Fourth Army.
Xie Zhongliang
The Third Brigade was headed by Zhang Yixiang and Political Commissar by He Kexi. After coming to northern Jiangsu, this unit quickly grew to more than 10,000 people. At the same time, the second brigade of the second column of the former New Fourth Army's Jiangsu-Zhejiang Military Region was reorganized into an independent first brigade directly under the New Fourth Army. According to statistics, there are more than 2,000 people in this unit, and Zhang Junsheng is the brigade commander. In addition, the coastal defense brigade of the second column of the former New Fourth Army's Jiangsu-Zhejiang Military Region was reorganized into the second brigade of the Central China Coastal Defense Column. The above units are all from the New Fourth Army in eastern Zhejiang.
Tan Qilong was reappointed deputy political commissar of the First Column and concurrently director of the Political Department; Zhang Wenbi was reappointed deputy political commissar of the Third Brigade of the First Column; Zhang Junsheng was soon reappointed deputy chief of staff of the First Column; Lian Baisheng went to Tonghua to work in the northeast region; Peng Lin, former commander of the Jinxiao Detachment of the New Fourth Army, was promoted to political commissar of the Second Brigade of the First Column; Huang Zhizhen, former secretary of the Party Committee of the Sanbei Central County CPC Committee, was changed to political commissar of the Logistics Department of the First Column; and Liu Hengyun was later changed to commander of the Third Division of the First Column of the East China Field Army.
Huang Zhizhen
Under the command of Zhang Yixiang, He Kexi, Zhang Wenbi, Liu Hengyun, Qiu Xiangtian, Chen Ting, and other generals, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Column- the 3rd Division of the 1st Column-60th Division of the 20th Army successively participated in the Jinpu Road Blockade Battle, the Subei Campaign, the Lunan Campaign, the Laiwu Campaign, the Menglianggu Campaign, the Yudong Campaign, the Huaihai Campaign, and the Crossing River Campaign. This unit marched south to the north, and successively emerged heroic models such as the Great Meritorious Company of the Menglianggu Campaign, the Great Meritorious Company of the Huaihai Campaign, Shou Zhigao, and Mao Xingbiao.
In 1949, the unit was reorganized into the 60th Division of the 20th Army of the Third Field Army. The main division consisted of Chen Ting as the division commander, Qiu Xiangtian as the political commissar, Zeng Zhaoxu as the chief of staff, and Yao Nian as the director of the political department. At this time, He Kexi had been promoted to political commissar of the 35th Army, Tan Qilong was promoted to political commissar of the 7th Corps, Peng Lin was promoted to political commissar of the 32nd Army, Lian Baisheng was changed to deputy secretary of the Finance Committee of the Liaodong Branch, Zhang Wenbi was changed to the political commissar of the 59th Division, and Liu Hengyun was changed to deputy commander of logistics of the East China Navy.
Zhang Yixiang
In 1950, the 20th Army came to Korea under the leadership of its commander, Jang Yi-cheung. Among them, the 60th Division was not afraid of a strong enemy, brave and good at fighting, and successively participated in the Second Battle of Qiancikai, the Battle of Wuma Ridge, and the Battle of Jixiong Mountain in Qianfo Mountain. The 5th Company of Sharp Knives, the Iron Arm Company of Steel Walls, the Breakthrough Chaoyang River Company, Mao Zhangmiao, Shen Shugen, Wei Yude, Zhang Yiren, Yu Xinfa, Niu Shicai, Ying Baofu, Pan Zemin, Zhu Youheng, Cheng Jiuling, Cao Guangjing and other combat heroes emerged.
In 1952, the 60th Division was ordered to return to China and has been stationed in northern Zhejiang ever since. In 1955, the unit took part in the famous Battle of Yijiangshan Island. In this battle, the 60th Division threw in one regiment after another battalion. With the cooperation of the Navy and the Air Force and other fraternal units, this unit bravely moved forward, liberating Yijiangshan Island in less than half a day and annihilating nearly 1,100 enemy troops. The chairman praised: The landing battle on Yijiangshan Island was fought very well! Our army's first joint operation was successful.
Penlin
After the war, the 60th Division of the 20th Army was stationed in Zhejiang for a long time. In 1975, the 20th Army moved to Kaifeng, Henan. In 1984, the division's reconnaissance company came to the Sino-Vietnamese border area to fight. After the war, this company was awarded the honorary title of "Heroic Reconnaissance Company" by the Kunming Military Region, and 4 officers and men, including company commander Zheng Xianyong and deputy company commander Zhang Weimin, were awarded first-class merit. In August 1998, the 60th Division rushed to the Jingjiang River in Hubei Province to fight floods and rescue dangers, and because of its outstanding performance, this division was collectively awarded the second class meritorious service once.
At present, this unit has been reorganized into a mechanized infantry brigade and is still active on the battlefield of defending the country. According to statistics, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, many founding heroes have emerged in this unit, among which the more famous ones are: He Kexi, the founding major general, former commander of the armored corps of the East China Military Region, and vice chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Tan Qilong, who was not awarded a military rank and was former first secretary of the Shandong Provincial CPC Committee; Lian Baisheng, who was not awarded a military rank, and former deputy director of the Planning Commission of the Southwest Bureau and deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Commission.
Chen Ting
In addition, there are: Peng Lin, founding lieutenant general, former political commissar of the Naval Aviation Department; Zhang Yixiang, founding lieutenant general, former deputy commander of the Second Artillery Corps; Zhang Wenbi, founding major general, former commander of the Zhejiang Provincial Military Region; Liu Hengyun, founding major general, former deputy commander of the Zhejiang Provincial Military Region; Chen Ting, major general in 1961, former deputy commander of the Fujian Provincial Military Region; Qiu Xiangtian, founding major general, former deputy political commissar of the armored corps; Huang Zhizhen, unsentified, former governor of Hubei Province, director of the Standing Committee of the Hubei Provincial People's Congress...
In addition, there are: Major General Xie Zhongliang, former deputy commander of the Jiangxi Provincial Military Region; Major General Zhong Fazong, former director of the Political Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Military Region; Major General Zeng Zhaoxu, former deputy commander of the 20th Army and concurrently chief of staff; Yao Nian, former director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Colonel Cai Qunfan, former deputy chief of staff of the Shanghai Garrison District; Zhu Renjun, former deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Transportation Department; Zhu Renxia, former director of the East China Branch Affairs Management Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Lu Bingkui, former director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of the Ministry of Health; and Zhang Junsheng, former deputy director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture.
This article mainly refers to the following materials: Memoirs of Ye Fei, Memoirs of Tan Qilong, Centenary of He Kexi's Birth, Military History of the Twentieth Army, History of the Anti-Japanese Base Area in Eastern Zhejiang, Zhang Wenbi's Remembrance of the Guerrilla Column in Eastern Zhejiang, History of the Third Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Collection of Essays commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Victory of the Liberation of Yijiangshan Island, The Beginning and End of the Pudong Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Group, Zhejiang Literature and History, Historical Contributions of the Anti-Japanese Base Area in Eastern Zhejiang, History of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and Base Areas in Eastern Zhejiang... If there are any mistakes, please correct them!