Because of his versatility, General Chen Geng was praised as "the party's golden oil" by the first marshal.
In the years of fire, the core leadership collective of our party can be called "the most outstanding team in history". They have visionary souls, such as *** and capable men who are in charge of themselves, such as *** Su Yu.
In glorifying the protagonists of these war arenas, we tend to overlook one role – the "jack-of-all-trades cadre". Senior General Chen Geng is a model of this kind of "party-wide cadre."
General Chen Geng is known as a "jack-of-all-trades cadre", and this kind of cadre has comprehensive ability and is capable of a variety of tasks. His revolutionary life seems to be inextricably linked with the "golden balm".
At the Whampoa Military Academy, Chen Geng majored in military majors, and his academic Xi grades have always been among the best. However, he has also become an indispensable and important figure in the "Blood Flower Drama Club", whether he plays a good guy, a bad guy, a man or a woman, he can become the "best substitute" candidate.
After leaving Whampoa, he followed *** to work underground, and quickly became an excellent intelligence worker. During the Long March, although the Red Army cadres with less qualifications than him were promoted to division commanders and army commanders, he only became a regiment commander because ** had higher expectations for him.
His "cadre regiment" was the "guard regiment" and "imperial forest army" of the Red Army, and at the same time it was an important institution for training cadres for the Red Army. At the most critical time of the Tucheng battle, Chen Geng led the "cadre regiment" to turn the tide.
These all prove that Chen Geng is not only a "jack-of-all-trades", but also a "diamond"!During the Anti-Japanese War, he led the 386 Brigade of the Eighth Route Army to become the most capable unit.
During the War of Liberation, Chen Xie's regiment terrified the enemy. No matter what position he holds, as long as the revolution needs it, Chen Geng can always hand over a satisfactory answer.
When the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea broke out, Chen Geng was in Vietnam, more than 3,000 kilometers away from North Korea. However, when he received the order, he did not hesitate to go to North Korea to dedicate his strength to the country and the nation.
Three months ago in Vietnam, in response to Comrade Ho Chi Minh's request, President Tran Geng sent him to Vietnam to provide guidance and assistance to the Vietnamese military and civilians in the war of resistance against France.
Chen Geng was a military adviser to guide the Vietnamese People's Army in its war against France, and he was also the first military adviser sent by New China to another country, and he had the status of a "diplomat."
Chen Geng not only has rich military command talents, but also has outstanding skills and abilities in getting along with people. In Vietnam, Chinese military advisers will have to spend some time with senior Vietnamese leaders, and how they get along and how they handle differences will be very sensitive matters.
There is no trivial matter in diplomacy", and there is no room for half a point difference. **The selection of Chen Geng was also based on this consideration. Facts have proved that Chen Geng, a "generalist", has lived up to the expectations of ***.
Chen Geng not only became good friends with Vietnamese comrades, but also successfully completed the strategic task of resisting US aggression and aiding Vietnam. When the 40th Army of the Volunteer Army won the first battle, Chen Geng had just commanded the Vietnamese People's Army to achieve a decisive victory in the border campaign.
When the Vietnamese People's Army was celebrating its victory, Chen Geng's heart had already flown to the Korean battlefield filled with gunpowder. He wrote in his diary: "I lost sleep last night and kept thinking about the war in Korea.
The work is hard and brutal, and I'm ready to give everything I have. Three months after the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea began, Chen Geng appeared on the Korean battlefield for the first time.
On November 1, 1950, Chen Geng returned to Beijing from Cao Ping, Vietnam. This day was exactly one week before the anniversary of the Volunteers' entry into the Korean War. After returning to Beijing, Chen Geng first went to Zhongnanhai to report to *** and *** on the work of the Vietnamese side.
In the following days, Chen Geng participated in several meetings convened by the leaders one after another. ** The Prime Minister officially informed Tran Geng: "Your work in Vietnam has been successfully concluded.
Next, I ask to go to North Korea", Chen Geng impatiently asked *** for instructions. **Say: "It depends on how *** is arranged". Accompanied by ***, Chen Geng met with Chairman ***.
Chen Geng said straight to the point that he wanted to go to the front line in North Korea. After listening to Chen Geng's words, ** was happy at that time. He said to Chen Geng humorously: "Chen Geng, Chen Geng, as soon as I heard about the fight against the US emperor, the complexion on your face changed for the better."
I just fought the French in Vietnam, and I'm going to Korea to fight the US imperialists, and I said you're a warmonger, aren't you?With the support of ***, ** agreed to Chen Geng's request.
So the group simply packed their bags, hurried to Shenyang, and went directly to North Korea after a short stay there. On January 23, 1951, Chen Geng's servants arrived at the headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.
Chen Geng just caught up with the "Joint Meeting of Senior Cadres of the Chinese and North Korean Armies" convened by the commander. At the meeting, the report made by the commander on "The Summary of the Three Campaigns and the Future Tasks" made him very excited.
As soon as the meeting ended, Chen Geng visited several front-line troops non-stop, talked cordially with the commanders and fighters, and greatly praised their achievements. In the Ninth Corps, Chen Geng inquired in detail about the battle of Changjin Lake and expressed his condolences to several companies that had sacrificed their lives in the battle.
On this trip to North Korea, Chen Geng did not have a specific combat mission, and his main task was to inspect the battlefield situation in detail and make some preparations for the next work.
General Chen Geng took a group photo with *** and others at the end of January 1951. At this time, the ** commander was preparing to arrange Chen Geng's specific work, but Beijing called to say that a new situation had appeared in Vietnam and hoped that Chen Geng would return to China as soon as possible.
Chen Geng had to pack his bags and leave North Korea with regret. Although he did not stay long in North Korea, his optimism and cheerful laughter remained in North Korea.
The comrades of the "Zhi Division", including Mr. Peng, hope that Chen Geng can come back as soon as possible. Mr. Peng even repeatedly told Chen Geng: "Come back as soon as you finish your errands, you can't go!."
On August 17, 1951, Chen Geng entered the DPRK for the second time. After arriving in North Korea, the first thing he did turned out to be to "extinguish the fire" for the commander ***. After the end of the first phase of the Fourth Campaign, although the Volunteer Army achieved some victories, it fell into passivity due to the defeat in the battle of Toheeong-ri.
In order to reverse the situation, the commander of ** made a special trip back to China on February 19 to report to Chairman *** on the situation of the war in Korea and put forward a request for additional reinforcements. **It is recommended that the Third Corps be driven up as soon as possible, and Yang Chengwu and Dong Qiwu's corps should also be ready to go abroad to fight at any time.
The Chair approved the request. On April 25, Chen Geng was officially appointed commander and political commissar of the Third Corps of the Chinese People's Volunteers. However, just as Chen Geng seized the time to gather his troops and prepare to take the Third Corps to North Korea, he suffered an old injury to his left leg.
Chen Geng tried to grit his teeth and push through, but the injury to his left leg worsened, not only in pain, but even to the extent that he could not walk on the ground. In desperation, Chen Geng could only stay in Beijing**.
The Third Corps was led by Deputy Commander Wang Jinshan and Deputy Political Commissar Du Yide to Korea. Chen Geng's injury did not improve until August 17 of that year, but his left leg still needed to walk on crutches.
At this time, Chen Geng couldn't wait any longer, he ignored the doctor's persuasion, left Beijing on crutches, and came to North Korea again via Dalian, Shenyang, and Dandong.
On August 22, Chen Geng finally arrived at the headquarters of the Third Corps in Daesudong, North Korea. At this time, the 3rd Corps had just suffered a rare defeat. The 60th Division of the 180th Army of the Third Corps lost more than 2,000 people in the battle, and about 4,000 were captured.
This was the biggest defeat of the Volunteers during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. At a meeting of cadres above the army commander level held by the Volunteer Army Headquarters, the participants noticed that Chen Geng, commander of the Third Corps, had arrived, and Wei Jie, commander of the 60th Army, had also arrived.
Wang Jinshan, the de facto head of the Third Corps in the previous period, did not attend the meeting. As soon as the meeting began, everyone saw the anger on the face of the commander. Everyone knows the temper of the commander, the 60th Division of the 180th Army suffered such serious losses, and it is inevitable that the leaders of the Third Corps at all levels will be scolded.
Sure enough, when it came to the 180th Division, the ** commander was furious. Because Wang Jinshan did not attend the meeting, the ** commander took his anger out on Wei Jie, the commander of the 60th Army.
In front of so many cadres at or above the army level, the ** commander sharply asked Commander Wei Jie: "How did you become a military commander?"You have an unshirkable responsibility for the matter of the 180th Division!
Commander Wei Jie of the 60th Army had long been ideologically prepared to be criticized. He also knows that no matter how many grievances he has, it is not appropriate to explain when Mr. Peng is "on fire".
Therefore, Wei Jie did not defend himself, but just lowered his head and remained silent. And the "fire" of the commander did not weaken because Wei Jie did not argue, but became more "spreading".
Chen Geng and others were on the Korean battlefield, and during their second trip to Korea, the Volunteer Army had formed a confrontation situation with the "United Army", and the military focus changed from strategic offensive to strategic defense.
Chen Geng proposed the "West Coast Defense Deployment Plan" to Mr. Peng, and personally organized the construction of the defense system. Due to the early preparation and tight defense of the volunteers, the plan of the US military to "land on a large scale from the west coast" was finally stillborn.
Just as Chen Geng was about to make a big move, a new situation occurred in China. In late February 1952, Chen Geng had to leave North Korea and return to China again.
A month later, Chen Geng entered the DPRK for the third time after handling his work in China. Chen Geng led the volunteer officers and soldiers to complete a major project that shocked the world - the "Underground Great Wall", and during the period when Mr. Peng returned to China for treatment, it was decided that Chen Geng would temporarily serve as the commander of the Volunteer Army.
Chen Geng focused his work on cooperating with the "armistice talks." In order to fight skillfully and ruthlessly, Chen Geng devoted himself to engineering research, and in a short period of time, he did a major event that shocked Americans.
In order to confront the enemy, the commanders and fighters of the Volunteer Army dug "cat's ear holes" in the position.
In the Battle of Shangganling, the founding generals such as Chen Geng and Su Yu faced the attack of enemy artillery, and the volunteer soldiers hid in the "cat's ear hole" to avoid being killed by artillery fire. Inspired by this, they decided to link the digging of "cat's ear holes" with the digging of tunnels and the construction of fortifications to form a completely new defense system.
After the successful pilot of this system in the 12th Army of the Third Corps, it was promoted by Chen Geng to all units of the Volunteer Army. At the same time, Chen Geng also transferred a large amount of strategic materials from China and made all preparations for a protracted war with the US military.
Volunteer soldiers can also eat dumplings, fritters, and drink soy milk in the tunnel. The data shows that the "tunnel defense system" of the Volunteer Army has played an ideal effect in the defensive war, and a single shell of the US Army may lead to several or even dozens of soldiers of our army in the first half of 1951, but by 1952, the ratio has increased to 660 to 1, that is, 600 shells of the US Army may not be able to hurt a volunteer soldier.
In the hands of the intelligent and intelligent soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers, the tunnel became an impregnable battle fortress. ** The chairman was pleased with this, saying that "whether or not you can fight is no longer a problem, and now, the question of whether you can defend it has also been solved."
It is said that the American negotiator once said to the volunteer negotiator: "Chinese is not here to fight, and in my opinion, Chinese seems to have come to build the Great Wall ......of China."In June 1952, Chen Gengfeng was transferred back to China to form the Military Engineering College of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
"Transferring Chen Geng back to China" is the proposal of the Prime Minister of ***, which has been agreed by the Chairman of ***. After Chen Geng handed over the work to Deng Hua, the acting commander of the Volunteer Army, he immediately embarked on the road back to China.
After returning to Beijing, Chen Geng went directly to Zhongnanhai, and in front of the chairman and the prime minister, he bluntly expressed his thoughts. Chen Geng said: "I am worried that I will not be able to run a military school.
** The prime minister said: "You graduated from Whampoa, and you also served as the principal of an infantry school during the Red Army, and led a 'cadre regiment' during the Long March. "We agree that you are the most suitable person," the Chair said.
In this way, Chen Geng was appointed as the dean and political commissar of the Military Engineering Academy. This is another "interdismical" transfer of Chen Geng. However, opening a military school is by no means an easy task: without school buildings, without teachers, without teaching materials and facilities, it can be said that there is nothing.
However, it is precisely because of the difficulties that Chen Geng, an almighty "jack-of-all-trades cadre", will be transferred back to China from the front line. A sentence that Chen Geng often put on his lips during that time shows his attitude: "Isn't our revolution just starting from scratch?"
We can run a military school from scratch!At the end of September of that year, a special meeting was held, and the theme of the meeting was to discuss the construction of the "Kazakh military industry".
Present at the meeting included principal responsible comrades of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Construction Engineering, and the General Staff Headquarters, as well as commanders of various arms of the People's Liberation Army. With excellent "popularity", "eloquence" and impeccable truth, the participants gave selfless support to Chen Geng's request for "money, people, and things".
In the end, Chen Geng "paid out of his own pocket" to set up a sumptuous banquet to entertain a group of old comrades-in-arms and new friends who unconditionally supported him. The "Kazakh Military Industry" broke ground on April 25, 1953, and was completed and opened on September 1.
Professor Qian Xuesen praised such efficiency and achievements: "It is hard to imagine how you can run a complete and comprehensive military technical academy in such a short period of time under the existing conditions.
I have to admit that General Chen Geng has created a miracle. ”
* At the opening ceremony of the Kazakh military industry, the marshal spoke highly of General Chen Geng's personality charm and his achievements in preparing for the establishment of the Kazakh military industry. He proposed the "Three Ones": one side of glass, one cannon, and one magnet.
One glass symbolizes Comrade Chen Geng's openness and selflessness, like a mirror;A cannon symbolizes his firm stance and strong determination, showing no mercy to enemies and undesirable phenomena;A magnet symbolizes his leadership excellence and attracts most people to follow him.
Whether it is commanding thousands of troops on the battlefield or in the preparation of Kazakhstan's military industry, Chen Geng has given full play to the role of a magnet. These "three ones" plus his characteristics of "where do you need to move" and "where can you drive" are the most vivid and expressive portrayal of General Chen Geng.