[The content of this article is based on authoritative historical data, and there are citations at the end of the article, please be aware.] 】
In the war-torn years, fate is like a blade hanging on a thin line, which can easily change a person's life. Wen Qiang and Du Yuming, two generals who were famous in the Anti-Japanese War and the Kuomintang-Communist Civil War, their fates were closely linked in 1948 by a single order.
This paper order not only changed the trajectory of Wen Qiang's military career, but also drew out an indescribable deep friendship in the later years. Wen Qiang may have had a bright future under Cheng Qian, but because of Du Yuming's request, he was forced to embark on a completely different path.
Dispatch and war
On the Chinese battlefield in 1948, the wheel of history was turning sharply, and the fierce fighting of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party changed the fate of countless soldiers. Wen Qiang originally served under Cheng Qian, and his career seemed to have developed steadily, but a paper order, that is, an order signed directly by Chiang Kai-shek, pushed his life trajectory in a completely different direction.
The order required Wen Qiang to leave Cheng Qian's asylum and become Du Yuming's deputy chief of staff. At this time, Du Yuming was already an important general in the Kuomintang army, and he confronted the People's Liberation Army in Xuzhou and shouldered heavy military responsibilities. For Wen Qiang, this transfer was undoubtedly pushed to the forefront of the war from the relatively safe rear work.
When the appointment was issued, Cheng Qian and Wen Qiang both deeply felt that this was a major change, Cheng Qian, as Wen Qiang's superior, had deep care and expectations for him, and this sudden appointment broke all arrangements. Du Yuming had a detailed understanding of Wen Qiang before receiving him.
He knew that Wen Qiang not only had outstanding military talents, but also had rich battlefield experience and decision-making ability, which was exactly the talent he urgently needed. Du Yuming's previous chief of staff, Shu Cun, was a staff officer of Peng Dehuai of the Communist Army, which made Du Yuming wary of him. In Du Yuming's view, Wen Qiang's arrival can make up for the shortcomings of his staff team and strengthen the decision-making power of the command.
After the appointment was implemented, Wen Qiang quickly adjusted his status and accepted new roles and challenges. He had to immediately leave the relatively safe rear and go to Xuzhou, the front line, and directly entered Du Yuming's command system. In Xuzhou, Wen Qiang's arrival was seen as an important addition to Du Yuming's command team.
Together, they participated in a number of important military deployments and decisions in the theater. Wen Qiang actively participated in every operational deployment and tactical adjustment, adapting to and giving full play to his professional skills as soon as possible to help Du Yuming maintain an advantage in the fierce battle as much as possible.
A twist of fate in the captive camp
With the acceleration of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Wen Qiang's military career moved to a new stage - the Xuzhou front. On the eve of the outbreak of the Huaihai Campaign in 1948, Wen Qiang's military duties became even more important and urgent. The battle was a pivotal showdown between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party, with decisive implications for China's post-war political landscape.
As Du Yuming's deputy chief of staff, Wen Qiang was mainly responsible for assisting Du Yuming in formulating strategic plans and executing military operations in the Xuzhou Headquarters. During the Huaihai Campaign, the Kuomintang army faced fierce fighting and major challenges, and Wen Qiang and Du Yuming together planned and executed a number of military operations in an attempt to stop the advance and encirclement of the communist army.
During the war, Xuzhou became the focus of the war. Wen Qiang participated in organizing the defensive and counteroffensive operations of the Nationalist Army, arranging troop deployment, dispatching logistics supplies, and monitoring battlefield dynamics.
At critical moments in the campaign, Wen Qiang was responsible for communicating and coordinating with other commanders to ensure that units could effectively carry out combat missions, while dealing with emergencies such as troop movements, casualty handling, and material distribution.
As the fighting continued, the situation of the Kuomintang troops became more and more difficult. The encirclement of the communist army was gradually tightened, the supply lines of the national army were cut off, and the intensity and frequency of fighting were constantly increasing. In this case, Wen Qiang had to frequently adjust his tactics and strategies in an attempt to find a breakthrough.
He participated in the development of a number of counterattack strategies, including night raids and the use of terrain to defend, in an attempt to stabilize the morale of the army and gain tactical superiority. However, despite the resistance of the Nationalist troops under the command of Wen Qiang and Du Yuming, the situation in the Huaihai Campaign gradually tilted in favor of the Communist forces.
With the precise implementation of the communist army's strategy and some strategic mistakes within the national army, cracks began to appear in Xuzhou's defense line. In the later stages of the campaign, the encirclement of the communist army gradually formed, and the situation of the national army became extremely difficult.
At this critical moment, Wen Qiang was at the forefront of the battlefield, and his command headquarters became the key target of the communist army's attack. In a fierce battle, Wen Qiang's headquarters was broken through by communist troops, and the defense line of the national army was completely broken. In the chaos, Wen Qiang was captured, and his military career and freedom came to an end for the time being.
Tokens and nostalgia
After being captured, Wen Qiang was placed in a prisoner-of-war camp set up by the Communist army, which housed several high-ranking Kuomintang officers. In the camp, Wen Qiang's daily life consisted of strict supervision and regulations, and he carried out daily roll calls, food distributions, and simple labor with other prisoners.
In this environment, Wen Qiang was forced to adapt to a new order of life, which was very different from his military life at the front. During a daily food distribution, Wen Qiang's presence caught the attention of a major general who had served under his command.
After identifying Wen Qiang, the major general quickly took out a personal item from his belongings, a pair of leggings, and tied Wen Qiang's legs with his own hands, which was to provide him with extra warmth in cold weather. This caused a slight commotion in the camp, and other prisoners and guards expressed varying degrees of concern about the situation.
In the days that followed, another major general who was aware of Mr. Wen's rank and identity showed similar respect and concern. During a meal, the major general gave his chopsticks to Wen Qiang to use, showing respect for his past status. These behaviors were not common in the camps, and there was usually a certain hierarchy among the captives, but they were rarely so clearly expressed.
These little gestures didn't stop. In the next few days, more captives began to provide Wen Qiang with various household items, such as towels and personal hygiene items. This phenomenon attracted the attention of the Communist guards, who began to doubt Wen Qiang's true identity, believing that he might be an important military figure.
Observation and analysis of the situation continued for some time. Communist interrogators began to question and observe Wen Qiang more frequently, trying to confirm his identity and background. During this process, Wen Qiang has always kept a low profile and tried to avoid leaking more information.
Eventually, a communist political commissar came to the camp with a newspaper containing a photo of Wen Qiang, clearly pointing out Wen Qiang's true identity. The political commissar offered to let Wen Qiang read the newspaper, a test designed to get Wen Qiang to admit his identity on his own. The newspaper article entitled "Carry the Revolution to the End" was not only a political test of Wen Qiang, but also an investigation of his state of mind.
Amnesty and redemption
After Wen Qiang's identity was confirmed, he was transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Yidu, Weifang, Shandong Province, where prisoners of war were deemed to be of special value. The site was once a landowner's mansion and was converted into a prisoner of war camp.
Living conditions here were relatively better than in previous prisoner camps, and the prisoners of war were housed in several spacious houses within the walls, each with basic living facilities. In this new environment, Wen Qiang's daily life began to have a pattern. Along with several other high-ranking Kuomintang officers, he was allowed to walk, read, and do some light physical activity in the courtyard.
The POWs' diet also improved, with three more meals a day and occasional fresh vegetables and meat. In addition, the management of the camps was more humane, and the attitude of the guards towards prisoners of war was relatively gentle. On a cold winter morning, Wen Qiang received 10 packs of American Camel cigarettes.
This unexpected gift came from Du Yuming, who was also imprisoned in a nearby hut. The cigarettes were handed to Wen Qiang by one of the camp guards, who simply explained the source, much to Wen Qiang's surprise. Cigarettes were scarce in POW camps and were usually distributed to POWs only on special occasions or on certain special occasions.
In the days that followed, Wen Qiang distributed these cigarettes to a number of other POWs, which caused some concern among the POWs. Cigarettes became a medium of communication between them, and some prisoners of war shared their stories and experiences while sharing cigarettes, which to some extent alleviated their loneliness and depression.
A few days later, Wen Qiang was transferred again, this time to a library in Jinan, which had been converted into another prisoner-of-war camp. Located in the heart of the city, the library was once a cultural exchange center in Jinan and is now a temporary residence for prisoners of war.
The internal structure of the library was simply remodeled, and the reading room on the first floor was converted into a dormitory, while the original library area provided reading materials for prisoners of war.
During his time in the library, Wen Qiang had more time to read a variety of books, including history, literature, and philosophy, which became his way of spending time. In addition to reading, Wen Qiang was involved in a number of organizational activities within the library, such as lectures and group discussions, which provided a platform for the POWs to exchange ideas.
Witness to history
As time passed, the war drew to a close, the PLA expanded its area of control, and the KMT's military power was declining. Against this backdrop, Wen Qiang's life in the library prisoner of war camp has also undergone new changes.
He moved from passive acceptance to involvement in the day-to-day management of the camp, which included organizing the library's book management and assisting in educational lectures to provide opportunities for the POWs to learn and improve. Due to Wen Qiang's high educational background and military experience, his role in the POW camp gradually changed from that of an ordinary prisoner of war to that of an educator and organizer.
He began to lecture other prisoners of war about Chinese history and the changes in world politics, and these lectures were widely welcomed and became a highlight of life in the camp. At the same time, Wen Qiang also made use of the abundant resources of the library to teach himself many new areas of knowledge, such as economics and international relations, in order to adapt to possible changes in his life in the future.
During this period, Wen Qiang's behavior and attitude were recognized by the communist guards. Through his own efforts, he gradually improved relations with the guards and other prisoners of war, and promoted a harmonious atmosphere within the camp.
The educational activities organized by Wen Qiang were not limited to lectures, but also included debates and book discussion groups, which were aimed at encouraging the prisoners of war to train their thinking and language skills. At the beginning of 1949, with the founding of the People's Republic of China, the policy of the prisoner of war camps also began to change. Many prisoners of war were reassessed to determine their presence under the new regime.
In the process, Wen Qiang received special consideration for his performance in the POW camp and his active promotion of peace. He was listed as one of the candidates for early release, mainly because of his educational background and active contributions in the camp.
While waiting for his release, Wen Qiang continued his educational activities while also participating in the day-to-day management of the camp. He assisted the wardens with a number of administrative issues, such as food distribution and sanitation improvements, which further strengthened his position in the camp.
In 1950, Wen Qiang was finally released. On the day he left the camp, he simply packed his belongings, which included a few books and some personal belongings, which were testimonies of his studies and life in the camp.
Bidding farewell to the library and his friends there, he faces the future with a sense of peace, ready to start his life anew, this time in a completely new social environment.
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Resources:
From Wu Changhua. Huangpu Fengyun 6[M]. 2009