After the Anhui Incident, the New Fourth Army formed 7 divisions. Unfortunately, Peng Xuefeng, commander of the 4th Division, died on the battlefield in 1944.
Who will succeed Peng Xuefeng, the Central China Bureau did not consider candidates from within the New Fourth Army, but hoped to select cadres from the Eighth Route Army. I don't know what kind of consideration, it is rare to feel that no one in the New Fourth Army is competent? Or do you think that no one has the qualifications and ability to compare with Peng Xuefeng?
Finally, after analysis, the Central Committee decided to let Zhang Aiping, deputy commander of the 3rd Division, serve as the commander of the division. Why could he be appointed commander of the 4th Division by the Central Committee?
On seniority, on contribution
In 1938, he came from the Wuhan office of the Eighth Route Army to work in the Peng Xuefeng Department of Qishan Mountain.
It is said that he and Peng Xuefeng worked together as early as the Red Army period, one as a regimental commander, the other as a political commissar, and partnered for a period of time.
When creating the anti-Japanese base area in northeast Anhui, Zhang Aiping borrowed a regiment from Peng Xuefeng to open up the situation. After the army developed and grew, Zhang Aiping did not selfishly leave this unit around, but let him return to Peng Xuefeng.
He served as the commander of three detachments of the Fifth Column of the Eighth Route Army and has been fighting jointly with Shandong troops in northeastern Anhui.
After the Anhui Incident, the three detachments of the Fifth Column of the Eighth Route Army were reorganized into the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division of the New Fourth Army, and he served as the brigade commander.
When he was a brigade commander, Chen Yi once talked to him and hoped that he would serve as the chief of staff of the New Fourth Army. When the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division and the 10th Brigade of the 4th Division were reversed, Zhang Aiping was promoted to deputy commander of the 3rd Division.
In 1944, Peng Xuefeng died on the battlefield, and Zhang Aiping was appointed as the commander of the 4th Division, in addition to the ability position, there was another reason. When he was transferred from the 9th Brigade to the deputy commander of the 3rd Division, the soldiers of the whole brigade were very reluctant to him and hoped that he would concurrently serve as the brigade commander of the 4th Division.
From this point of view, Zhang Aiping commanded the old troops to be familiar with them, their abilities were ok, and their qualifications were appropriate.
If the Central China Bureau transfers cadres of the Eighth Route Army to serve as the commander of the 4th Division, they are not familiar with the situation of the New Fourth Army, and all aspects will affect the building of the troops. It can be said that the central authorities' consideration is comprehensive, and putting capable cadres in a certain position for training is also a way to train cadres.
Zhang Aiping did not disappoint the central authorities and led the 4th Division in the later stages of the anti-Japanese war, leaving a lot of battle achievements.
After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, due to the change in the war situation, the northeast was in a vacuum zone, and the Yan'an side mobilized the main force of Shandong, the first part of the New Fourth Army, and other troops to advance into the northeast. The New Fourth Army went north to Shandong, while Zhang Aiping, Su Yu and others stationed in central China insisted on fighting and served as deputy commander of the Central China Military Region, but unfortunately the opportunity to show his skills began immediately, and he left the front line unexpectedly, and could only watch his comrades kill the enemy on the battlefield and make meritorious contributions.