On September 27, 1955, the first grand award ceremony of the army, navy and air force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was officially held in Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai. The implementation of the military rank system is of epoch-making significance to the development of our army, which can not only meet the needs of military command, but also conform to world norms.
The people who were awarded marshals and generals on that day can be said to be well-deserved, and this day has also become a historic moment recorded in the history of New China.
However, at this awarding ceremony, Zhang Zongxun was actually awarded the rank of general, which made many people feel very surprised. Because no matter whether it is by looking at seniority or discussing battle achievements, Zhang Zongxun's level is no less than that of the Ten Great Generals, and he was once at the same level as Su Yu. So why was Zhang Zongxun only awarded the rank of general instead of a general?
Chairman Mao's words can be described as to the point, he said: "When it should be strong, it is not strong." ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="99" > rebel fighters from the Whampoa Military Academy</h1>
In 1908, Zhang Zongxun was born into a wealthy peasant family in Chishui Town, Weinan Province, Shaanxi Province. His parents attached great importance to education, and Zhang Zongxun attended private school at the age of seven, attended primary school at the age of 12, and attended the Weinan Chishui Vocational School at the age of 14.
During his studies at a vocational school, Zhang Zongxun came into contact with Marxism for the first time, which greatly touched his thinking and began to actively participate in the student patriotic movement.
In 1926, Zhang Zongxun was admitted to the Political Department of the Whampoa Military Academy and joined the Communist Party of China in the same year. Later, due to the "Zhongshan Ship Incident", Chiang Kai-shek did not allow dual party membership to exist, and Zhang Zongxun directly withdrew from the Kuomintang and disclosed his identity as a communist.
Zhang Zongxun
After graduating from the Whampoa Military Academy, Zhang Zongxun was assigned to the National Revolutionary Army as a political instructor.
In 1927, due to Wang Jingwei's rebellion in Wuhan, Zhang Zongxun originally wanted to lead the guard regiment to participate in the Nanchang Uprising, but for various reasons, he failed to do so, so he transferred to the Xiushui area of Jiangxi for activities.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="107" > Chairman Mao's guard</h1>
Later, Zhang Zongxun participated in the Autumn Harvest Uprising with Chairman Mao, because he had studied military theoretical knowledge, Zhang Zongxun had a good performance in many battles, and soon because of his personal ability, he was appreciated and concerned by Chairman Mao.
After the work transfer, Zhang Zongxun became the deputy company commander of the special service company, in layman's terms, Chairman Mao's guard.
Zhang Zongxun accompanied Mao Zedong in his review of the troops
At that time, there were reactionary armed forces and bandits everywhere, and even within our army there were no shortage of traitors and traitors planted by the enemy. Therefore, no matter where Chairman Mao goes, he needs to set up sentries, be on guard at all times, and not give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of it.
Zhang Zongxun was not yet 20 years old at the time, but he was very tall and strong, and he was a capable junior officer. In order to protect the safety of Chairman Mao, the two of them are inseparable. Chairman Mao marched to fight, and he fought side by side. When Chairman Mao rested, he made a bunk next to his bed and guarded Chairman Mao's safety 24 hours a day.
It was this experience that made Zhang Zongxun and Chairman Mao feel close affection.
Zhang Zongxun (left)
On October 23, 1927, just after dawn, the local reactionary landlord Xiao Jiabi launched a surprise attack on our troops, and at a critical moment, Zhang Zongxun took a platoon of fighters and urgently escorted Chairman Mao away.
Shortly after the autumn harvest uprising, Chairman Mao's instep had long been worn out by straw shoes, and he usually walked on a rocky mountain road, even more because of the severe pain of the wound, he would take a breath from time to time. But Chairman Mao never said "Ouch," let alone complained.
Xiao Jiabi
When the warriors saw his difficult appearance, they were too upset to go, so they had to find a stretcher to carry him away. Chairman Ke Mao always waved his hand and said, "Thank you for your kindness, it doesn't matter, I can still go myself." ”
Zhang Zongxun insisted that Chairman Mao sit down, chairman Mao insisted on not sitting, and the two sides argued, and finally Chairman Mao "took a step back": "You get me a bamboo pole, I will carry the bamboo pole, and walk slowly, okay?" ”
This incident greatly touched Zhang Zongxun, because he knew that Chairman Mao was a scholar, and unlike those of them who marched and fought, they were not good at long marches. However, Chairman Mao was able to persevere with everyone every time, and this perseverance was admirable.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="120" > "Captured King" Zhang Zongxun</h1>
Others fight well, but Zhang Zongxun likes to pick well-equipped fights, because this can capture more weapons and equipment. Therefore, after every battle, Zhang Zongxun always "returned with a full load" and captured a large number of weapons, and people gave him the nickname "Captured King".
In 1938, Zhang Zongxun, following the instructions of the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, came to the area north of Yanmen Pass to carry out guerrilla warfare and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese.
In October of the same year, Zhang Zongxun led his troops from the northwestern Jin dynasty into the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region, and exchanged fire with the Japanese 109th Division in the talc area, not only killing more than 700 enemy people, but also capturing 6 artillery pieces and 400 rifle machine guns, completely crushing the Japanese siege of Wutai Mountain.
In 1941, the Japanese army adopted the tactic of "iron wall encirclement" in a vain attempt to strangle all the anti-Japanese forces in Our country. Zhang Zongxun was in the northwestern jin region and often encountered sweeps by the Japanese Kou. In the process of circling with the enemy, Zhang Zongxun could always think of "new ideas", commanded everyone to maneuver around the enemy flexibly and flexibly, and also carried out a counter-sweep in the town of Miyu in northern Jinbei and the area north of it, annihilating more than 700 Japanese troops.
Zhang Zongxun and others studied the battle plan
Zhang Zongxun's repeated achievements in the anti-Japanese battlefield in northwestern Jin not only greatly defeated the arrogance of the Japanese army, but also allowed the anti-Japanese army and people to regain revolutionary confidence.
Zhang Zongxun's outstanding performance on the battlefield also spread to Yan'an, and Chairman Mao smiled when he saw this news.
In 1942, Zhang Zongxun returned to Yan'an to meet Chairman Mao, and seeing the guards he had not seen for ten years, Chairman Mao said with great joy: "Now that you have passed the age of establishment, you are bigger and more generous than before, and you have become the leader of the ten thousand armies." Today you stay, I want to invite you to dinner and congratulate you! ”
Zhang Zongxun (third from right)
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="129" > the Battle of Datong Jining</h1>
In fact, whether it is seniority or military merit, Zhang Zongxun is not inferior to the other ten generals, but why he was only awarded the general, there are many rumors. One of the reasons that everyone recognizes is the defeat in the Battle of Datong Jining.
Battle of Datong Jining
In 1946, after the signing of the armistice agreement between the Kuomintang and the Communists, the Kuomintang troops were still launching an offensive against our liberated areas and wanted to form an east-west attack in Zhangjiakou, resulting in our side being in a passive unfavorable situation.
In this context, the Central Military Commission of the COMMUNIST Party of China instructed the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region and the Jin-Sui Field Army to unite and seize Datong by force, and specially appointed Zhang Zongxun as commander.
On July 31, our army launched a peripheral operation, and by August 4, most of the strongholds around Datong had been occupied by our army, annihilating more than 2,000 enemy troops.
On August 14, our army began to attack the city. On September 4, Beiguan, Xiguan Station and some Chengguan neighborhoods were also occupied by our army, which greatly reversed the unfavorable situation of our army before.
Just as our army was about to take Datong in one fell swoop, Fu Zuoyi, a Kuomintang soldier, suddenly opened fire on Jining. Obviously, he wanted to stage a "Wei Wei to save Zhao".
I have to say that Fu Zuoyi's trick is really wonderful. If he successfully captures Jining, he can send troops to Fengzhen to the southeast, or shangyi to the east, and Zhangjiakou, the core of our Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, is in danger. Therefore, as long as we attack Jining, our army will inevitably send troops to rescue them, and the danger of Datong will be solved.
However, at that time, our army occupied a very large superiority in troops, and Zhang Zongxun adopted the method of "besieging the city and attacking reinforcements", dividing the troops to attack Jining and Datong. Fu Zuoyi was embarrassed at this point, not only to prevent our army from attacking Datong, but also to send troops to attack Jining, and he was in a dilemma for a time.
As time progressed, we gradually gained the upper hand, and the enemy was besieged in a corner southwest of the city. If our army continues to attack, it is entirely possible to completely annihilate the enemy army.
However, at this time, Zhang Zongxun felt that the casualties on that day were too large, so he rested the next day, which gave the enemy a chance to breathe, resulting in another fierce melee between the two sides in Jining.
The enemy's reinforcements, the 101st Division, arrived on the battlefield on the day of rest, and Zhang Zongxun had planned to attack the new 31st Division, but because of the arrival of the 101st Division, the artillery fire was concentrated on the 101st Division. And it was this misjudgment that led to the mistakes of this battle.
After the war, even Fu Zuoyi himself said that the victory of the Kuomintang at the Battle of Jining was actually a complete fluke.
"After the 101st Division entered the battle, the Communists made a fatal mistake, that is, they did not attack the new 31st Division, but the 101st Division. If the new 31st Division had been attacked at that time, we would have been very dangerous. ”
Fu Zuoyi
Luo Ruiqing later mentioned the battle: "The Battle of Datong was actually a defeat, and there was no clear plan in the execution of the campaign, and it was a fairly typical example of a complete violation of Mao Zedong's military thinking, such as the lack of a clear plan for the implementation of the campaign, the lack of caution in the initial battle, and the failure to concentrate forces! ”
In the face of Zhang Zongxun's mistakes, Chairman Mao also said: "When it should be strong, it is not strong." ”
However, just because of this incident, it is too one-sided to say that Zhang Zongxun was therefore not a general. More reasons are actually related to Zhang Zongxun's own qualifications.
Although he did have a good performance on the battlefield, he spent most of his time as the personal guard of Chairman Mao, and only some deeds show that he had the seniority of a general, but the truly representative merits were not as many as other generals, so he was awarded the rank of general.
Admiral Zhang Zongxun and his wife Du Fang
During the war years, Zhang Zongxun was born into death, and while fighting with the Japanese and Kou to the death, he also fought with the Kuomintang troops, especially in the Northwest Military Region, he commanded the struggle of the five provinces and districts in the northwest to suppress bandits and special forces, and made indelible contributions to the liberation of the great northwest and the development of the great northwest.
In the era of peace, he assiduously studied modern military science and continued to shine for the construction of our army. After leaving the holiday, he also took out his savings and often donated money and materials to the people in the disaster area.
He was not good at words all his life, and his personality was the same as his appearance, easy-going and loyal, and he carried a strong bookish atmosphere on his body, dedicating his life to his beloved motherland.
In 1998, zhang Zongxun died of illness in Beijing at the age of 91, and went to see his beloved Chairman Mao!