When New China was first established and the coastal war was imminent, Marshal Peng Dehuai would not sit idly by. In the cold wind of 1954, Peng Dehuai set foot on Chongming Island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, intending to comprehensively review the coastal defense construction of New China. Unexpectedly, however, the scene in front of him made him furious, and he bluntly denounced the regiment commander who accompanied him for "being dealt with by military law"! Marshal Peng, who has always been known for his iron-blooded strictness, was so angry this time? Follow my strokes to find out.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was faced with the dual pressure of external threats and internal construction, especially in coastal defense, which can be said to be "as dangerous as an egg". On the other side of the Taiwan Strait, the remnants of the Kuomintang are eyeing each other, and the shadow of the US military may appear in any corner of the coast at any time. Peng Dehuai, a veteran general, knows that "soldiers are noble and fast", but he also knows that "stability as Mount Tai" is the foundation of protecting the country.
After Peng Dehuai returned to China, he immediately threw himself into the general inspection of coastal defense. As the gateway to Shanghai, Chongming Island is naturally the focus of inspection. But when he arrived at the scene, what he saw was a terrifying scene: the cannons we had purchased from the Soviet Union were lined up like ornaments, with no cover and no effective camouflage. This is not only a tactical taboo, but also a serious contempt for war!
In Marshal Peng's view, this was not only a regiment commander's dereliction of duty, but also a slackness on the part of the entire army in dealing with combat readiness. He angrily reprimanded the regimental commander, in fact, he was sounding the alarm bell for the entire army. After all, "be prepared", our enemies are sleepy-eyed and waiting for us to make mistakes.
Back in 1951, Mao Zedong instructed to "lead the enemy deep" and use the tactics of movement warfare to consume the enemy. But after Peng Dehuai returned from the Korean battlefield, his views changed. He realized that in the face of the high degree of mechanization of modern warfare, it was difficult to cope with it by movement warfare alone. In this case, strong fortifications are particularly important, as they can become a "meat grinder" to attract and consume the enemy.
This shift in thinking is not a whim. Peng Dehuai's personal experience on the Korean battlefield told him that only by digging deep holes, accumulating grain, and slowing down the claim to the throne can we give full play to our army's combat effectiveness when the enemy is strong and we are weak. He advocated the construction of semi-permanent or permanent fortifications at important coastal defense locations to ensure that we had sufficient defense forces to respond to an enemy attack.
From 1952 onwards, Peng Dehuai began to promote the implementation of this defensive strategy. He personally inspected various places and constantly stressed the importance of fortifications. In his opinion, the defense of every inch of land should not rely only on crowd tactics, but should be an organic combination of technology and tactics. This kind of thinking, in the Chinese army at that time, can be said to be quite forward-looking.
Peng Dehuai's emphasis on coastal defense is also closely related to his personal experience. As a veteran of countless battles, he knows the brutality of war and its long-term impact on the country. His strictness on the issue of coastal defense was, in fact, a deep consideration for the future security of the country.
Returning to the incident on Chongming Island, Peng Dehuai's anger may have been impulsive, but it also reflected the extreme importance he attached to national defense and security. He knew that in the face of war, the slightest negligence could lead to irreparable consequences. His harsh rebuke of the head of the coastal defense regiment also hoped that in this way, all military personnel would be aware of the importance of combat readiness.
As for the cannons lined up, in fact, they also reflected some backwardness of the mainland in terms of military equipment and tactical thinking at that time. Although we have introduced advanced weapons from the Soviet Union, we still have a long way to go in terms of how to effectively use these weapons and how to carry out tactical innovations in the light of our own realities. Peng Dehuai's anger is, from a certain angle, also dissatisfaction and anxiety about this backward state.
Peng Dehuai's inspection also directly promoted a series of subsequent military reforms. These include strengthening military training, improving the use of equipment, and optimizing the tactical layout, all of which have been gradually implemented under his promotion. It can be said that Peng Dehuai is not only a stern military leader, but also a far-sighted strategist.
Under Peng Dehuai's promotion, New China's coastal defense work has been markedly strengthened. Although many difficulties and challenges remain, at least we have taken solid steps on the right path. This ability to extract strategic thinking from specific problems and then guide actual operations in turn is precisely what makes Peng Dehuai unique as a military leader.
Through an in-depth analysis of Peng Dehuai's inspection of Chongming Island, it is not difficult for us to see that this veteran general has extraordinary foresight and determination for the country's coastal defense and security. His angry denunciation was not untargeted, but a profound understanding of the grim situation of national defense and security and a foresight of future forms of warfare. Although on the surface it is firing at the placement of several cannons, behind it is a serious requirement for the state of full armament and combat and a high degree of responsibility for national security. This sense of responsibility and foresight is exactly the true portrayal of Peng Dehuai as an outstanding military leader.