Liu Zhen once served as the commander of the 2nd Column of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, leading the troops to perform many miraculous feats on the bitter cold battlefield, especially in the battles of Jinzhou and Shenyang, showing his outstanding talent in military tactics.
It was those brilliant achievements in his youth that led him to the honor of founding general at the age of 40 - becoming the guardian of the country and a hero of war.
However, the life of the number one tiger general is not limited to command on the battlefield. In between battles, he was also the father of two sons, both of whom also entered the military.
Liu Zhen's early military career and the Three Battles of Jiangnan
In 1947, when Liu Zhen was the commander of the 2nd Column of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, he participated in the first major battle of his military career, the Sanxia Jiangnan Campaign. The campaign was part of a broad counterattack against the Kuomintang forces in the liberated areas of northeastern China, especially in the control of the strategically important Jiangnan region.
The 2nd Column, commanded by Liu Zhen, was a mixed force of several infantry regiments and artillery batteries, equipped with limited heavy weaponry, but with high morale. In the preparation stage of the campaign, Liu Zhen personally reviewed the topographic map and the intelligence of the enemy's deployment, ensuring that each commander was clear about his mission and course of action.
During the battle, Liu Zhen deployed a multi-front offensive in order to disperse the enemy's firepower, and he particularly emphasized the need to take advantage of the night and terrain to launch a surprise attack and give the enemy a sudden blow. At the beginning of the battle, Liu Zhen closely monitored the movements of each unit by radio at the front-line command post.
The first wave of the offensive was launched by the main regiments at night, who quietly approached the enemy's outpost line. Using the cover of the terrain, the soldiers managed to cross the enemy's radar surveillance zone, and then quickly occupied several key positions, ensuring a breakthrough of the battle line.
As the battle deepened, Liu Zhen commanded the rest of the 2nd Column to attack from the flanks and rear, forming an encirclement of the enemy. This strategy forced the enemy forces to adjust their positions and fall into disarray. In the fierce battle, Liu Zhen's artillery battery showed excellent fire support, causing significant damage to the enemy's command post and logistics line.
When the battle entered the white-hot stage, Liu Zhen decided to launch a general attack. He personally went to the front line to inspect the deployment of various units and ensure that each commander was clear about the final order to attack. In the general offensive, Liu Zhen took advantage of the mobility of the troops, adjusted the direction of the attack, and successfully cut off the enemy's retreat. This put the enemy on the back foot, and a large number of enemy troops began to surrender.
In the process of cleaning up the battlefield and reorganizing the troops, Liu Zhen paid special attention to collecting lessons and experiences in the battle and organized the troops to review the battle. He particularly stressed the need for improved command and coordination and the use of firepower in future battles in order to enhance the overall combat effectiveness of the troops.
Tactical use of the summer offensive and the winter offensive
After the Sanxia Jiangnan Campaign, with the arrival of the summer of 1947, Liu Zhen once again led the 2nd Column into a new campaign, this time a summer offensive. Liu Zhen's troops were given the task of advancing and clearing the remnants of the Kuomintang in the vast northeastern expanse. He organized several squads, using guerrilla tactics, to deliver multi-point strikes on the enemy's supply lines.
This tactical deployment requires a high degree of coordination and rapid movement to guarantee the rapid completion of the mission and evacuation before the enemy reacts. During the summer offensive, Liu Zhen paid special attention to taking advantage of the terrain and weather conditions. For example, during a special operation, his troops infiltrated an important base of supplies for the enemy army before dawn.
Using the darkness of night and morning fog as cover, the troops successfully approached and destroyed several ammunition depots and fuel depots of the enemy, which directly affected the enemy's ability to continue operations. After the end of the operation, the troops quickly withdrew to a safe area and suffered almost no losses.
In the winter of 1947, Liu Zhen faced even more difficult challenges. In winter, the climate in the Northeast is extremely harsh, with temperatures plummeting to tens of degrees below zero, and wind and snow combined. To fight in such conditions, it is necessary not only to confront the enemy, but also to overcome the extreme tests of the natural environment.
Liu Zhen not only ensured that all soldiers had adequate winter clothing and warm equipment, but also adjusted the action plan to adapt to the harsh climatic conditions. A key operation of the winter offensive was a night attack on a large enemy camp, which was one of the important command centers of the Kuomintang in the area.
Liu Zhen personally planned the operation, choosing to carry it out at night after a heavy snowfall, in order to use the snow to reduce the noise of the march, and also to use the freshly fallen snow to cover the whereabouts of the troops.
During the operation, the soldiers of the 2nd column quietly approached the enemy camp, quickly suppressed the enemy's resistance with the use of explosives and firepower, destroyed the enemy's communications facilities and part of the ordnance. This operation not only succeeded in weakening the enemy's command ability, but also caused a great psychological shock to the enemy's troops.
The key battle to conquer Jinzhou and liberate Shenyang
With the deepening of the Northeast Campaign, Liu Zhen led the 2nd Column into the battle against Jinzhou according to the orders of the higher-level party organization. As an important transportation hub and military fortress, Jinzhou's geographical location was crucial to controlling the entire Liaodong Peninsula.
Liu Zhen carefully planned this campaign and decided to strategically carry out a rapid breakthrough in Jinzhou, shorten the battle time, and reduce the consumption of troops. In the Battle of Jinzhou, Liu Zhen chose to launch the main attack from the northwest gate of the city, a choice based on an in-depth analysis of the weak links of the enemy's defenses.
On the eve of the siege, he organized several pre-battle meetings to detail each step and the specific tasks of each unit, ensuring that the chain of command was clear and responsive. At the beginning of the battle, the 2nd Column, relying on strong artillery support, quickly advanced to the outer defense line of Jinzhou City, using in-depth tactics to divide the enemy's defensive forces.
The troops under Liu Zhen's command quickly penetrated a number of defensive points on the north side of the city wall, and they used the method of concentrating their forces to quickly charge and break up the enemy's position. Once the walls had penetrated, the troops quickly extended their gains and penetrated deep into the city. After entering the city, the 2nd Column quickly captured key government institutions and military forts, cutting off the enemy's chain of command.
After Jinzhou was successfully captured, Liu Zhen did not stop, he quickly adjusted his troops and prepared to attack Shenyang. Shenyang is the industrial center and largest city in Northeast China, and is of great strategic importance. Before attacking Shenyang, Liu Zhen summoned the command team and formulated a detailed plan for night battles.
The battle in Shenyang was scheduled to take place at night, in order to use the darkness to cover the movement of troops and reduce their own casualties. In the battle of Shenyang, Liu Zhen's troops showed extremely high combat efficiency. They quietly approached the city at night, breaking through several key defenses outside the city and quickly entering the city.
In the city, the troops captured the enemy's command center and important military base with lightning speed, completely destroying the enemy's will to fight. After a night of fierce fighting, Liu Zhen's troops successfully liberated Shenyang and completely annihilated the defending enemy in Shenyang. This victory greatly shook the Kuomintang's military strength in the northeast and consolidated the strategic superiority of the People's Liberation Army in the northeast.
Through the successive battles of Jinzhou and Shenyang, Liu Zhen not only demonstrated his excellent command skills in large-scale urban siege battles, but also further improved the combat effectiveness and morale of the 2nd Column.
Commander of the Air Force in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
In the early 1950s, with the outbreak of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Liu Zhen was appointed as the commander of the Air Force of the Northeast Military Region and the commander of the Air Force of the Volunteer Army. This appointment marked his transition from a successful commander in the Army battlefield to a key position in charge of air operations.
Under his leadership, the Chinese Air Force is faced with new tactical challenges and operational environments, and he needs to quickly adjust tactics and strategies to meet the needs of high-intensity air operations. On the Korean battlefield, the air force led by Liu Zhen was responsible for carrying out important air combat and ground support tasks.
He first conducted rigorous tactical training for the troops, ensuring that the pilots were able to accurately carry out orders in a complex battlefield environment. Under his guidance, the Air Force strengthened coordination with ground forces, improved the accuracy of air strikes, and made air support more efficient.
Liu Zhen paid special attention to the enhancement of aerial reconnaissance and early warning capabilities, and he organized a special reconnaissance crew to continuously monitor the enemy's movement and arming. Through timely intelligence, the Volunteer Army can effectively plan air raids and launch precision strikes against the enemy's important facilities and troop concentrations.
Under his command, the Chinese Air Force carried out several large-scale air raid missions, successfully disrupted the enemy's logistics supply lines and command centers, and inflicted heavy strategic losses on the enemy. In the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Liu Zhen also faced technical challenges. Due to the technological superiority of the enemy's air power, Liu Zhen promoted the innovation of air force tactics.
He encouraged pilots to use flexible tactics, such as low-altitude raids and night flights, to evade enemy radar detection. In addition, he strengthened the pilots' survival skills training to ensure that they had the best chance of surviving forced landings or combat. Liu Zhen's tactical adjustments and combat tactics have significantly improved the combat efficiency and combat effectiveness of the Volunteer Air Force.
Under his leadership, the Chinese Air Force not only demonstrated outstanding combat capabilities on the Korean battlefield, but also proved its tactical innovation and fighting spirit in the international military arena. These achievements have greatly improved the overall morale and combat capability of the volunteers, and also laid a solid foundation for subsequent battles.
The inheritance and sense of responsibility of the military family
In 1955, at the all-army award ceremony, 40-year-old General Liu Zhen was awarded the rank of general. Despite such a high honor, General Liu Zhen was not complacent. On the contrary, he is extremely strict with his family, resolutely not allowing them to reveal their identities in their daily interactions, let alone using them for personal gain.
Liu Zhen's eldest son, Liu Weidong, under the influence of his father, chose to pursue a career in the army. Unlike his father, Liu Weidong did not enter the army, but chose the navy, which to some extent reflects his independent choice of personal career path.
Liu Weidong received systematic military education and training at the Naval Academy, and his performance in the academy was extremely good, showing his talent in maritime tactics and warship management. After graduating, Liu quickly distinguished himself in the Navy for his exceptional leadership and tactical acumen.
During his naval career, Liu Weidong participated in many major maritime exercises and combat missions, and the fleet under his command performed well in many exercises, successfully completing various missions, including anti-submarine warfare and ocean-going patrols. These achievements led to his rapid promotion, culminating in the rank of Major General in 1988 and a further promotion to Lieutenant General in 2001.
Liu Zhen's third son, Liu Weiping, also chose to join the army under the influence of the military family. Liu Weiping was influenced by his father and elder brother since he was a child, and he was full of strong interest in military affairs. He also excelled in his studies at the Military Academy, particularly in the areas of tactical planning and inter-service operations.
After graduating, Liu Weiping quickly rose to prominence in the Army, where his unit was repeatedly rated as an outstanding unit, and he himself was promoted for his outstanding performance in a complex battlefield environment. Liu Weiping was eventually promoted to major general and continued to shine in the PLA.
His career, like that of his older brother, proved the correctness and effectiveness of Liu Zhen's strict requirements for the military education and professional ethics of his family members. This strict way of governing the family has enabled Liu Zhen's family to not only inherit outstanding talents in the military field, but also show the good image and rigorous style of his family in the wider society.
Resources:
- Lin Yunfan,Ma Hongjiao,Liang Zhanfang.General Liu Zhen in the Air War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea[J].Century Xing,2002,0(8):41-44