Since its establishment in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area in the autumn of 1931, the Red Fourth Front Army has successively formed a number of armies, with many army commanders, such as Wang Shusheng, Wang Hongkun brothers, General Chen Zaidao, Lieutenant General Cheng Shicai, as well as Sun Yuqing, He Wei, Yu Tianyun and others, as well as General Xu Shiyou, who was born in Shaolin Temple in Henan. Who is the best fighter among these commanders?After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Major General Deng Yue, who was deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Region, once commented: Xu Shiyou served as deputy commander of the Red Ninth Army and commander of the 25 th Division in the Red Fourth Front Army, and later served as commander of the Red Fourth Army. Why did Deng Yue say this?First of all, Deng Yue has great respect for Xu Shiyou. Like Xu Shiyou, Deng Yue is also from Hubei, and both of them are outstanding generals in Macheng. Later, Xu Shiyou's birthplace was assigned to Xinyang, Henan. They were all generals of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Red Fourth Front Army. In the Red Fourth Front Army, although Deng Yue was not directly under the command of Xu Shiyou, Xu Shiyou's reputation was well-known. Deng Yue once faced execution for a defeat in battle, but thanks to Zhan Caifang's help, he was spared, and then became Zhan Caifang's bodyguard.
Zhan Caifang used to be Xu Shiyou's superior, and he often held meetings with Xu Shiyou, so Deng Yue had the opportunity to meet Xu Shiyou, but unfortunately Xu Shiyou didn't know him. After the Red Army's Long March arrived in northern Shaanxi, Xu Shiyou was imprisoned and sentenced for the anti-riot incident. Xu Shiyou felt aggrieved and often lashed out. Deng Yue happened to be in charge of these criminal generals, he recognized Xu Shiyou, he was very respectful in his heart, and did not change his opinion of Xu Shiyou because he was in prison. Deng Yue firmly believed in Xu Shiyou and gave him wine and roast chicken, which moved Xu Shiyou, who was in great trouble. During the Liberation War, Deng Yue became the right-hand man of the whirlwind commander Han Xianchu, and his reputation rose in the Northeast Battlefield, and he also fired the first shot to resist US aggression and aid Korea. After returning from North Korea, at a banquet, Xu Shiyou took the initiative to go to Deng Yue and revisit the past, Xu Shiyou never forgot the scene when Deng Yue once gave him roast chicken and wine. Secondly, Xu Shiyou is indeed a rare general, an indispensable general. Many of the commanders of the Red Fourth Front Army, such as Xu Shiyou, Wang Shusheng, Wang Hongkun, and Chen Zaidao, were up-and-coming generals on the battlefield, and they liked to lead their soldiers into battle, and even go into battle shirtless, fighting the enemy in close and hand-to-hand combat.
However, there is no doubt that Xu Shiyou's combat effectiveness is outstanding, he is good at Shaolin Kung Fu, his fists and feet are like the wind, the sword is like electricity, and the movement is like entering a no-man's land. Xu Shiyou has served as the captain of the death team more times than other army commanders, and his combat exploits are also more brilliant. At the critical moment, only Xu Shiyou can come forward, and no one else is inferior. In the battle of life and death when the Red Fourth Front Army entered Sichuan, it took decisive measures, and only when Xu Shiyou tore a hole in the enemy's defense line with a tough confrontation did the entire front army be able to turn the corner into safety. Objectively speaking, Xu Shiyou's performance in battle was better than Wang Hongkun and Chen Zaidao, and even more outstanding than other army commanders such as Wang Shusheng. During the Liberation War, Chen Zaidao and Wang Hongkun both served as column commanders, while only Xu Shiyou served as the commander of the corps and successfully commanded multiple columns to fight together. In terms of the scale of command, several of them are inferior to Xu Shiyou. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xu Shiyou's achievements were more significant than those of several other military commanders. He not only served as the commander of the large military region for 25 years, but also became a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, and served as a member of the Politburo for three consecutive terms, and held a prominent position in the army and the party. Xu Shiyou was born as a farmer, his education level is not high, and he has loved farming and breeding all his life.
However, this peasant-born general wore a military uniform and won many battles, which terrified the enemy and became a legendary hero of a generation, quite similar to Xia Boyang in the Soviet Union. Like Xia Boyang, Xu Shiyou is brave and fearless, but he needs a political commissar to assist. During his tenure as commander, Xu Shiyou rarely served as a political commissar, so he needed the cooperation of a political commissar to perform at his best. Although Xia Boyang is a fictional character and Xu Shiyou is real, he is more heroic than Xia Boyang. The last reason why Deng Yue spoke so highly of Xu Shiyou was that after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Deng Yue was transferred to the post of deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Region, and Xu Shiyou became the commander of the Nanjing Military Region, and Deng Yue was Xu Shiyou's direct superior. As a subordinate, the astute Deng Yue will of course speak for Xu Shiyou. In Deng Yue's mind, Commander Xu is the most outstanding figure.