In the long river of modern history, there has been such a special group, including founding major general Ji Tingxie, colonel Gao Peng, major general Han Zhuang, major general Zhang Rushan, major general Shi Jinqian, colonel Hu Ke, colonel Wang Jianzhong, colonel Liu Fengwu, former beijing mayor Jiao Ruoyu, former director of the Jinan Railway Bureau Chen Dafan... These heroes have a common experience, that is, they are all from the famous Pingxi National Anti-Japanese Army, and the commander of this unit is Zhao Dong.
Zhao Tong, a native of Xiuyan, Liaoning, was born in 1912. The famous anti-Japanese general Huang Xiansheng and the famous actress Yu Lan are his fellow countrymen. His family was wealthy, so he received a good education from an early age. At the time of the September 18 Incident, he was studying at the famous Northeastern University. After witnessing the numerous crimes of the Japanese army, he was furious and resolutely threw himself into the pen and came to Beiping to form the Northeast Classmate Army. In 1932, he returned to his hometown of Xiuyan in Liaoning Province, and since then he has repeatedly led his troops to fight against the Wokou.
The department developed rapidly, and by 1936 it had more than 10,000 troops. Under his command, this unit engaged the Japanese puppet army more than 300 times, annihilating no less than 3,000 enemies before and after. However, due to the enemy's outnumbered, difficult supplies, and no reinforcements, this force was eventually scattered by the Japanese puppet army. He had no choice but to settle in Beiping with his family, including his mother, Hong Wenguo.
Realistically speaking, he was only one representative of the many ranks of the Northeast Volunteer Army. His team is complex, and there are many students, and its combat effectiveness is not too strong. Some introductions about him generally elevated his status in the northeast and exaggerated his record in the northeast. However, he was a staunch anti-Japanese hero. In order to resist japan, Zhao Dong sold almost all his family property and had no complaints or regrets. After coming to Beiping, he still remembered when he would be able to fight back to the northeast.
Near the Drum Tower in Beiping, Zhao Dong bought a courtyard. In addition to his family, he also has dozens of old subordinates and like-minded friends. Among them was Ji Tingxie, who was Zhao Tong's college classmate. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was awarded the rank of colonel, later promoted to the rank of rear admiral, and served as chief of staff of the Naval Aviation Corps. According to the memories of Yao Xueyu and others, Zhao Dong is not greedy for money or lust, he treats people warmly, does not have any shelf, and has a special temperament.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Peiping soon fell, and the 29th Army, led by Song Zheyuan, was forced to leave the Pingjin area. Zhao Dong was not willing to be a slave to the country, and he worked hard to collect more than a dozen long and short guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, ready to find an opportunity to fight with the Japanese puppet army. Soon, he formed a team of young students and attacked the Gongdelin No. 2 Prison near Deshengmen. Subsequently, the famous Pingxi National Anti-Japanese Army was established, and this team was commanded by Zhao Dong.
Soon after the founding of the army, the famous Battle of Montenegro began. However, it is said that Zhao Tong first led his troops to abduct several French missionaries and demanded ransom. At the strong request of the French, the Japanese army entered Baiwang Mountain, located on the western outskirts of Beiping, and engaged in a fierce battle with Zhao Dong's troops. According to Yang Chengwu's recollection, Zhao Dong led his troops to kill dozens of ghosts and shot down an enemy plane with a rifle. However, under the heavy encirclement and suppression of the Japanese army, Zhao Dong was forced to retreat to the vicinity of The Zhaitang, and survival was difficult.
At this time, some commanders and fighters of the First Division of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army came to the western suburbs of Beiping under the leadership of commander Yang Chengwu. Our army quickly sent a letter to Zhao Dong and asked him to come with him to fight the devils. Zhao Tong's life at this time was very difficult, and at the same time he was very touched by the sincerity of our party, so he resolutely led his troops to join the Eighth Route Army. In December 1937, this team was officially reorganized into the Fifth Detachment and Fifth Military Subdistrict of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army, with Zhao Dong as its commander.
What is worth pondering is that before Zhao Tong joined the Eighth Route Army, there were already dozens of secret party members in his ranks, headed by his secretary-general Wang Lili. His favorites, Gao Peng and Ji Tingxie, had always been optimistic about the Eighth Route Army, and soon took the initiative to apply to join the party. There were a large number of young students in this contingent, and with their help, our army quickly completed the transformation of this contingent. As for Zhao Tong, he applied to join the party many times, but he has not been able to achieve his wishes.
General Shi Jinqian once recalled Zhao Tong: In September 1937, Zhao Dong annexed many local armed forces in Pingxi. For example, there is a team led by The High Charter, with a total of more than 400 people and dozens of machine guns. In the name of negotiations, Zhao Tong invited Gao Charter to a banquet. After Gao Charter came, he was quickly arrested by the ambushers. Subsequently, he was shot by Zhao Dong on charges of colluding with rikou. In this way, Zhao Dong successfully annexed his troops, which showed his fierceness.
These founding generals, their evaluation of Zhao Dong is very poor. They soon jointly demanded that Zhao Dong be relieved of his position as commander. Zhao Tong's face was like dead ash at once, and he never said a word. Later, under the persuasion of Nie Rongzhen, commander of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army, these people reluctantly agreed to continue to have Zhao Dong as the commander of this unit. However, Zhao Dong has lost their trust and support.
Yang Chengwu recalled that Zhao Dong repeatedly applied to join the party, but he never got the approval of our party, mainly because he had many ideological and moral problems. In this regard, my view is: Zhao Tong is not greedy for money, not greedy, willing to sell all his family property in order to resist Japan, especially sincere to friends, and very generous to subordinates. He always adhered to the anti-Japanese resistance and voluntarily joined the Eighth Route Army. But why has he repeatedly applied to join the party, but has not been accepted?
There was a butcher in Yi County, Hebei Province, and his name was Zhao Yukun. He once fell into the grass as a coward, and later pulled up a team to fight the devils, and was absorbed by the Eighth Route Army. This person has a problem, smoking a lot, playing with women, pushing cards nine, eating and drinking... Whether it was his character or ability, he was far worse than Zhao Tong. However, he was soon promoted to a reserve party member. Later, he became a traitor. Different people, different destinies, this has to be pondered.
Zhao Tong led his troops to fight in Laiyuan, Hebei Province, and he and Yang Chengwu's first division cooperated tacitly, repeatedly attacking the Japanese puppet army. For example, in March 1938, his troops ambushed a Japanese convoy at the Erdaohe River in Laiyuan. In this battle, our army annihilated hundreds of enemy troops, and at the same time annihilated more than a hundred Japanese reinforcements. After the war, his troops were commended by the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region. However, it said that this unit also suffered heavy losses, with more than 500 people killed or wounded, including chief of staff Chang Jiwu and others.
Less than a year after joining the Eighth Route Army, Zhao Tong suddenly and quietly left the army with a small number of people. He did not leave Pingxi, but stayed nearby, ready to re-pull up a team to continue to fight the devils, so that the Eighth Route Army could see his skills and performance. However, he has not been able to open up new situations. Therefore, under the solicitation of the Nationalist government, he finally went to the mountain city of Chongqing. What is touching is that he has always maintained the most basic restraint with the Eighth Route Army.
Our army once sent Jiao Ruoyu and others to meet with Zhao Dong and persuade him to come back. But Zhao Dong has always been indifferent, he once said: Originally I wanted to sweep away all your party members and pull the troops away, but then I thought about it, and after fighting together for a few years, why did I scratch my face when I broke up? We won't kill you, so let's bring a letter back." In fact, Zhao Dong took the initiative to leave our army, which was the best ending.
Subsequently, Zhao Dong's troops were reorganized into the Third Regiment of the First Division of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army. His old subordinates: Gao Peng was promoted to deputy commander of the first sub-district, Ji Tingxie was promoted to the head of the third regiment, Wang Jianzhong was promoted to director of the political office of the third regiment, Wang Yuanyin was promoted to deputy director of the political department of the first sub-district, Wang Zhili was promoted to director of the political department of the second sub-district, Chen Dafan was promoted to the director of the political department of the sixth sub-district, and only a few people were demoted, such as Liu Fengwu and others.
Personal view: At this time, the anti-Japanese armed forces in North China were mainly the Eighth Route Army, and Zhao Tong either surrendered to the enemy, or joined the Eighth Route Army, or withdrew from the stage of history, and he had no other way to go. From the very beginning, our Party sent many people to his ranks. After unremitting efforts, we finally completely controlled this team and reformed the thinking of most of the commanders and fighters. Zhao Tong's desire to maintain a certain degree of independence is completely whimsical. He either obeys or chooses to leave.
In this way, Zhao Tong came to Chongqing and was warmly received by some high-ranking officials of the National Government. He was also very atmospheric, and every time he was interviewed, he talked a lot about the idea of unity and resistance to Japan, and never openly complained or accused our party or our army. Only once, Vice Chairman Zhou came to Chongqing to meet him. In front of Vice Chairman Zhou, he criticized some of our policies and methods for transforming third-party anti-Japanese forces. It can be seen that this person is also a smart person, and he has some temperament.
But he was not willing to be lonely, and the National Government soon appointed him as the commander of the Major General. He was ordered to lead hundreds of men back to Northern China and regroup the guerrillas. Of course, in name, it is said that he was ordered to go to the northeast to develop anti-Japanese armed forces. He also took the letter of appointment issued to him by the Nationalist government and at one point went to the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army to borrow a way. In 1939, his troops entered the defense zone of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region of the Eighth Route Army. Immediately, his troops were ambushed by thousands of people and quickly completely destroyed.
Zhao Tong withdrew from the stage of history, and he was only 27 years old this year. As for his old subordinates, most of them are trusted and valued by our side. Some died during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, such as Wang Yuanyin, then political commissar of the Eighth Subdistrict of the Central Military Region of the Eighth Route Army. Some became founding heroes, mainly represented by Colonel Gao Peng, Major General Ji Tingxie, Major General Han Zhuang, and former Beijing Mayor Jiao Ruoyu. But it is said that Zhao Dong's mother, Hong Wenguo, she embarked on another road of no return.
Writing this, I will not continue to discuss The death of Zhao Dong, but casually say something about him: Zhao Dong formed the National Anti-Japanese Army in Pingxi, but the whole army was destitute. In order to raise military funds, he led his troops to dig up the grave of Prince Yizhen of Alcohol, and obtained a lot of gold and silver treasures. However, these things have always been difficult to get rid of. In the end, he and his men divided up the treasure. Ji Tingxie was also given two golden Buddhas, and he quietly threw away these things on the way back to Yan'an to study.
After Zhao Tong led his troops to join the Eighth Route Army, he considered that Yang Chengwu's troops were in urgent need of military expenses. Therefore, some people suggested that our army should either dig up the imperial tombs in Yi County and obtain a batch of property. Or kidnap some church foreigners and demand a ransom. General Yang Chengwu directly rejected their proposal, and no one dared to bring up a similar topic since then. It can be seen from this that this is the difference between the Eighth Route Army and the civilian armed forces, the difference between Yang Chengwu and Zhao Tong. Therefore, our army has come all the way to the end.
To sum up Zhao Tong's life: a rich son, a college student, took the initiative to throw in the pen and destroyed the family to alleviate difficulties. He was always a staunch anti-Japanese hero and a staunch patriot. He once led his troops to join the Eighth Route Army, but could not adapt to a new life, and repeatedly applied to join the party, but did not get approval, so he suddenly left the Eighth Route Army. In the end, he was used to lead his troops back to North China. Then his troops were ambushed and completely destroyed at the age of 27.