Disclaimer: The content of this article is written with authoritative sources, and the source of the literature and screenshots have been marked at the end of the article, please be aware.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many generals have stepped onto the stage of political or military positions, and frequently appear in the public eye.
General Chen Shiyu, who was once famous on the battlefield and was known for his bravery and determination, seemed to gradually fade out of the spotlight.
Why did this high-ranking general, who orchestrated numerous victories in the War of Liberation, become so "inconspicuous" during the period of peacebuilding?
In the impression of many people, Chen Shiyu is always the determined soldier who dares to speak out, and even directly reports to the higher levels.
His decision-making courage and tactical vision were undoubtedly important factors in his military career.
At a critical period when New China needed stability and development, he did not occupy a conspicuous position in any major political or military activities.
What is the reason behind this? Was he given the cold shoulder, or did he choose to retire on his own?
Chen Shiyu's performance during the Chinese Liberation War, especially his role in the Battle of Subei, made a key contribution to the tactical adjustment and strategic deployment of the East China Field Army.
As chief of staff of the East China Field Army, Chen Shiyu's daily work involves all levels from tactical formulation to troop deployment to logistical support.
The success of the Subei Campaign was the embodiment of his all-round strategic planning ability.
During the Battle of Subei, Chen Shiyu faced a complex battlefield situation, and through accurate intelligence analysis and rapid decision-making, he mobilized several divisions to carry out a joint attack.
He not only commanded the troops to effectively cut off the enemy's retreat, but also carefully arranged fire support to ensure that the offensive of the front-line troops could be continuous.
Throughout the campaign, he maintained close communication with front-line commanders, adjusting tactics in real time to adapt to the dynamics of the battlefield.
At the strategic meeting of the East China Field Army, Su Yu and Chen Yi had a heated discussion on the campaign plan to be implemented.
Su Yu advocated sticking to the strategy of protracted warfare, focusing on attrition of the enemy's combat power; Chen Yi, on the other hand, prefers a quick decisive battle and strives for a decisive victory in a short period of time.
The two generals had their own opinions, and the atmosphere in the conference room was tense and heavy. As the discussion deepened, the differences of opinion gradually became sharp, and neither side was willing to budge.
At this critical moment, Chen Shiyu chose an unusual way of acting.
Without the unanimous opinion of Su Yu and Chen Yi, he decided to report his strategic views and suggestions directly to Chairman Mao.
Chen Shiyu sorted out a detailed strategic plan, including the deployment of troops, the timing of operations, and the expected battlefield dynamics. He believes that such a plan can make maximum use of the current strategic advantages and quickly change the tide of the war.
Chen Shiyu took the opportunity of a strategy meeting to submit his strategic proposals directly to Chairman Mao.
In his report, he elaborated on his views, emphasizing that by concentrating superior forces and breaking through the enemy's weak links, the duration of the war could be greatly shortened and our losses could be reduced.
His report was full of data and analysis of front-line intelligence, demonstrating his deep understanding and accurate grasp of the battlefield situation.
Chairman Mao listened carefully to Chen Shiyu's report and attached great importance to his direct reporting. Chairman Mao then summoned other high-ranking generals, including Su Yu and Chen Yi, to consider Chen Shiyu's proposal.
In the ensuing discussion, Chen Shiyu's strategic proposal became the focus of the discussion.
Although Su Yu and Chen Yi initially expressed dissatisfaction with Chen Shiyu's solo actions, they began to reconsider their position after further assessing the feasibility and potential advantages of the strategic proposals.
In the end, after a long period of discussion and weighing, Chairman Mao decided to adopt some of Chen Shiyu's strategic proposals, especially the part on concentrating forces to attack the enemy's weak links.
This decision indicates that the East China Field Army will adopt a more proactive combat method in the next campaign.
Although Chen Shiyu's direct report appeared to be a bit overstepping his authority in the military sequence, it effectively promoted the process of military decision-making and also embodied his spirit of daring to take responsibility as a military commander.
After entering the midfield stage, the battlefield situation became more and more complicated, and Chen Shiyu proposed an important adjustment in strategic deployment -- the concentration of unified command power.
He advocated that the East China Field Army should become the main attacking force and directly attack the enemy's strategic points. When this proposal was first raised at a meeting of the strategic command, it caused quite a stir.
Liu Bocheng and Deng Gong, as important members of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, had reservations about Chen Shiyu's proposal.
They are worried that such a major tactical adjustment will have a knock-on effect and may affect the balance of other theaters, especially in the deployment of troops and logistical support.
At the strategic meeting, the two men expressed their views on the feasibility of further intensifying the offensive at the risk that might result from too much concentration of forces, especially when the East China Field Army had been fighting continuously for a long time, and the fatigue and material consumption of troops had already been extreme.
Despite these doubts, Chen Shiyu stood by his views.
He elaborated on the importance of unified command in improving operational efficiency, ensuring tactical coordination, and rapidly breaking through enemy defenses.
At the strategic meeting, he showed other senior generals the data and analysis accumulated through the previous battles, and demonstrated the superiority and necessity of the East China Field Army's main attack.
He pointed out that by concentrating the main forces to strike at the enemy's weak links, it is possible to change the situation of the battle in a short period of time and create conditions for the success of the overall strategy.
As the discussion deepened, the atmosphere in the strategy meeting became tense.
After listening to Chen Shiyu's analysis, Liu Bocheng and Deng Gong began to conduct more in-depth discussions at the technical and tactical levels.
They asked about specific plans for troop movements, logistical arrangements and possible tactical risks.
Chen Shiyu gave detailed answers to every question, showing his keen insight into the changes on the battlefield and his strict control of details.
After several hours of discussion, although they did not immediately get full agreement, Liu Bocheng and Deng Gong showed a certain approval of Chen Shiyu's proposal, and agreed to test Chen Shiyu's tactical adjustments on a small scale.
It was a compromise decision that retained strategic flexibility and gave Chen Shiyu a chance to prove the correctness of his tactical insights.
In the ensuing battle, the East China Field Army carried out a well-planned offensive according to Chen Shiyu's plan.
Through a series of precise military operations, they successfully broke through the enemy's defensive line, and this result effectively verified the rationality of Chen Shiyu's proposal.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, China's urgent need in the field of defense science and technology prompted the government to secretly launch the two bombs and one satellite project, aiming to independently develop nuclear weapons and space technology to ensure national security.
As an experienced military commander, Chen Shiyu was selected to take charge of this important and confidential mission.
In 1958, he was entrusted with the leadership of Unit 7169, which began the first nuclear facility construction project in China.
After receiving the order, Chen Shiyu quickly organized troops and began clandestine construction in remote areas of western China.
The complex geographical conditions, inconvenient transportation and lack of resources here have brought great challenges to the implementation of the project.
Despite the difficult environment, Chen Shiyu and his troops showed great efficiency and loyalty to their mission.
In the early stages of construction, Chen Shiyu personally participated in the overall planning and daily management of the project to ensure that the project could be carried out steadily according to the established plan.
He strictly required the members of the unit to maintain a high degree of confidentiality, and no information related to the project was to be leaked.
In order to ensure the confidentiality and safety of the project, Chen Shiyu has also established a strict security inspection and information control system, and any personnel and materials entering and leaving the construction site must be strictly inspected.
During the construction of the project, Chen Shiyu emphasized the integration of science and technology with the military, actively cooperated with scientific research personnel, and overcame a series of technical problems.
They need to ensure that the quality of the project meets the stringent requirements of nuclear safety while maintaining the speed of construction.
In addition, he was very concerned about the life and health of the officers and soldiers, and despite the difficult conditions, he sought to improve the living conditions of the troops, and regularly organized medical teams to conduct health examinations of the officers and soldiers to ensure that they were able to maintain good physical condition in the harsh environment.
Due to the extremely high secrecy of the project, the project site is far away from the towns and cities, and there is a lack of basic living facilities in the surrounding areas, so the officers and men live in simple tents and the conditions are very simple.
Food supplies are also very limited, mostly dry and canned, with little fresh vegetables and meat.
In such an environment, Chen Shiyu paid special attention to improving the living conditions of officers and men.
He instructed the logistics department to provide as much livelihood support as possible, including improving the quality of food and adding necessary living facilities.
During a major construction mission, the troops needed to complete a critical infrastructure work in a short period of time.
The task was arduous and the time was pressing, so Chen Shiyu personally stood at the forefront and worked overtime with the officers and soldiers.
He was not only concerned about the progress of the project, but also about the physical condition of the officers and men, fearing that they would be overworked.
After working for many days in a row, he personally arranged for the officers and men to take turns off to ensure that everyone could get a proper rest.
It is precisely this approachable leadership style that makes Chen Shiyu deeply loved and respected by the officers and men.
They saw a high-ranking general put down his body and take risks and difficulties with everyone, and this spirit greatly boosted the morale of the officers and men.
Chen Shiyu also often sat with the officers and men, listened to their ideas and suggestions, and made the officers and men feel that they were truly part of this great project.
As the project progressed, Chen's health began to suffer. Long hours of high-intensity work, combined with difficult living conditions, caused him to suffer from severe stomach problems.
Despite this, he never complained and continued to work and make rounds every day. His spirit of perseverance and sacrifice has deepened the respect of the officers and men for him.
In 1959, as the project entered a critical stage, Chen Shiyu worked day and night, personally supervising every detail of the project.
He often went to the construction site to solve various problems encountered in the construction process with engineers and soldiers.
Under his leadership, Unit 7169 not only made a breakthrough in technology, but also showed a high sense of responsibility and sacrifice in spirit.
In the end, under the strong leadership of Chen Shiyu, this secret project was successfully completed, laying a solid foundation for the development of China's national defense science and technology.
In addition, his outstanding leadership and contributions to national security in engineering, although not widely known in public, have earned him great respect and recognition both inside and outside the military.
References: [1] Wu Dongfeng. Chinese Talent,2007(18):66-67