General Zhang Zizhong died heroically in the Battle of Zaoyi in 1940.
This battle was an important battle in the Sino-Japanese War and took place in Hubei Province, China. At that time, in order to control the Yangtze River traffic and cut off the transportation line to Chongqing, the Japanese army gathered a large number of troops to launch an attack, with the goal of capturing Zaoyang, Xiangyang, Yichang and other places.
General Zhang Zizhong originally led his troops to defend the area west of the Xiang River, but when the Japanese army broke through the first line of defense in the Fifth War Zone and went straight to Xiangyang and Zaoyang, General Zhang Zizhong decided to personally lead the reserve 74th Division and the special service battalion of the military headquarters to cross the Xiang River east to resist the invading enemy. He wrote to the 59th Army in Hedong, stating that if the enemy attacked, he would go to Hedong and die with his brother troops. His determination was firm, saying that even if the sea dried up and the stones rotted, his determination would not change in the slightest.
After crossing the river, General Zhang Zizhong stubbornly resisted the Japanese army near the pumpkin shop, causing a major ** to the Japanese army and cutting off the rear supply line of the Japanese army. However, after the Japanese army encircled General Zhang Zizhong with heavy troops, in order to contain the main force of the Japanese army and create an opportunity for the squadron on the outer line to counter-encircle, General Zhang Zizhong insisted on not retreating and fought fiercely with the enemy. During the battle, he was shot seven times and died a heroic death.
After the death of General Zhang Zizhong, Guo Rongchang, as a platoon commander, joined the death squad and risked his life to retrieve the remains of General Zhang Zizhong. The sacrifice of General Zhang Zizhong was a great loss in China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and he was hailed as a national hero and made great contributions to the country and the nation.
General Zhang Zizhong
General Zhang Zizhong (August 11, 1891, May 16, 1940), the name Xun Chen, later changed to Xun Chen, Han nationality, Shandong Linqing people, is the Chinese Kuomintang general rank of lieutenant general, posthumously awarded the rank of second-class general, anti-Japanese famous general, national hero. He performed well during the Anti-Japanese War and was known as the "First General of the Anti-Japanese War".
General Zhang Zizhong has a rich life experience, he served as an officer during the Beiyang ** period, and later defected to Feng Yuxiang and became a member of the Northwest Army. In the 1930s, he was gradually promoted to division commander, corps commander, and after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, he became the commander-in-chief of the 33rd Army.
General Zhang Zizhong participated in many important battles in the War of Resistance Against Japan, including the Battle of Linyi, the Battle of Xuzhou, the Battle of Wuhan, the Battle of Suizao and the Battle of Zaoyi. He showed great command and heroism in the battle, especially in the Battle of Zaoyi, where he personally led his troops in a fierce battle with the Japanese army, and finally died a heroic death near the pumpkin shop.
The sacrifice of General Zhang Zizhong greatly boosted the morale of the squadron and became a heroic model in the War of Resistance Against Japan. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the people posthumously recognized General Zhang Zizhong as a revolutionary martyr, and in 2009, he was named one of the 100 heroes and models who made outstanding contributions to the founding of the People's Republic of China.
General Zhang Zizhong's deeds and spirit have always been praised and commemorated by future generations, and his patriotic spirit, heroic deeds, and lofty character have become valuable spiritual wealth that inspires the Chinese people to unite and struggle.
The battle of Zaoyi
The Battle of Zaoyi was an important battle between the first squadron and the invading Japanese army during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which took place from May to June 1940. The campaign centered on Zaoyang and Yichang in Hubei Province and involved several surrounding areas, including Xiangfan, Suizhou, Jingmen, etc.
The background of the battle was the decision of the Japanese army to eliminate the main forces of the Chinese Fifth Theater in order to consolidate its occupation in the Wuhan area and cut off the logistical supply lines of the squadron. To this end, the Japanese army gathered about 200,000 troops and launched an offensive against the Fifth Theater.
China's Fifth Theater of Operations, under the command of its commander, Li Zongren, mobilized about 380,000 troops for defense. The battle was divided into two phases, the first stage centered on Zaoyang, where the squadron put up fierce resistance and surrounded the Japanese army to a certain extent. The second phase was centered on Yichang, and the two sides fought over the surrounding areas of Yichang.
In the battle, the squadron showed a very high will to fight and the spirit of sacrifice, especially General Zhang Zizhong, commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang 33rd Group Army, who personally led his troops to fight fiercely with the Japanese army in the battle, and finally died heroically near the pumpkin shop. The sacrifice of General Zhang Zizhong greatly boosted the morale of the squadron and became a heroic model in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Although the Japanese eventually occupied Yichang, they suffered a major ** during the campaign and failed to achieve their goal of destroying the main forces of the 5th theater of operations. At the same time, the squadron failed to completely stop the Japanese attack, but their heroic resistance accumulated valuable experience for the subsequent anti-Japanese war.
Anti-Japanese famous general Zhang Zizhong