In 2020, the "Moving China" Person of the Year selection was announced, and one of the winners was the late General Wang Haihai, who was a hero of the Volunteer Army's air combat, a first-class meritorious hero to resist US aggression and aid Korea, and a former commander of the Chinese Air Force. His deeds have inspired generations of Chinese and shown the annual spirit of the Chinese.
Moving China" The evaluation of Wang Hai in the award speech was: "Swooping under the rising sun and facing the west wind**." The sharp knife in the air, one is ten; The shield of the territory, surveying the sky and defending the country. The mountains and rivers are safe, the eagle of the motherland has flown higher, and the stars you engrave on the fuselage are the cruising coordinates of the fighters. This is a high summary and affirmation of Wang Hai, and it is also the highest honor for the winners of contemporary China.
How did Wang Hai become an air combat hero? How did he "move China" in the new era?
In the 50s of the 20th century, the world's first large-scale jet-era air battle was fought over North Korea, thus rewriting the history of world air warfare. Wang Hai, captain of the 1st Brigade of the 9th Regiment of the 3rd Division of the Chinese People's Volunteer Air Force, was only 26 years old at the time and was a young pilot. At the swearing-in meeting before the expedition, he swore an oath on behalf of the participating pilots: "We will fight bravely and not be afraid of sacrifice to win the air battle." We have the heroism to overwhelm all enemies without being overwhelmed by them. ”
On November 9, 1951, Wang Hai led his comrades-in-arms of the 1st Brigade to fight and set the record for shooting down an enemy plane for the first time. However, because Wang Hai led four fighters against one US plane, he shot down the enemy plane only after almost all the shells were gone. Despite the victory in the first battle, Wang Hai was not satisfied. After summing up the lessons and lessons of the first operation, Wang Hai no longer fought alone, but paid attention to formation and gave full play to the role of team combat.
On the morning of 18 July, Wang Hai led the 1st Group to attack more than 60 F-84 fighter-bombers of the US Air Force that were bombing the Qingchuan River Bridge. In this air battle, Wang Hai was flexible and maneuverable, and he adopted the method of teamwork and coordinated operations, not only cracking the "circle formation" of the US Air Force alternately covering it, but also winning more with less, using six planes against 60 enemy planes, and winning a 5 0 victory.
In the air combat contest with the US Air Force, Wang Hai's brigade became more and more courageous the more it fought, and from not being able to fight air battles to learning how to fight air battles, and from not knowing how to fight tactics to paying attention to tactics. In actual combat, he studied air combat and successively created a record of 5:0 and 6:1, and for a period of time created an outstanding record of 15:0, making the "Wang Hai Brigade" a fighting collective that made the enemy fearful.
Wang Hai's unit participated in two rounds of battles, and the 9th Regiment and 1st Brigade led by him participated in more than 80 air battles. In the contest with the US Air Force, Wang Hai and the 1st Brigade led by him studied war in war and air combat in actual combat, shooting down and damaging a total of 29 enemy planes. The pilots all have a record of success, and each plane is painted with the red five stars that mark the exploits.
When Wang Hai stepped onto the ace list, the pilots of this brigade also received their due honors: squadron leader Sun Shenglu (martyr), who shot down and damaged 7 enemy planes, was posthumously awarded the title of first-class combat hero; Wang Hai's wingman pilot Jiao Jingwen shot down and damaged 4 enemy planes and won the title of second-class combat hero; Liu Delin (martyr), shot down 3 enemy planes, ...... first-class meritorious heroDue to its outstanding achievements, the brigade was awarded the collective first-class merit and was known as the "heroic Wang Hai Brigade". Wang Hai himself shot down and damaged 9 enemy planes, and was awarded a special merit and a first-class merit, and was awarded the title of first-class combat hero.
The Air War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was the first air battle of the jet age in modern warfare, which played the prestige of the new Chinese Air Force, established the position of the new Chinese Air Force in the air combat of the jet age, and wrote the glorious war history of the new Chinese Air Force.
On December 26, 1951, the U.S. Far East Air Force had to admit that its so-called "air superiority" in the Korean theater had been greatly weakened and was facing serious challenges. Vandenberg, then chief of staff of the US Air Force, returned to the Pentagon after an inspection in North Korea and lamented: "Communist China has become one of the world's leading air powers almost overnight." ”
Many years later, Wang Hai, who is already the commander of the Air Force, said in an interview with **: "In the history of world wars, I am afraid that only the Chinese Air Force dared to rush into the battlefield of blood and fire when it was so weak and immature, and dared to compete with the world's air hegemon." ”
Wang Hai's air combat deeds not only shocked the US Air Force, but also caused an opportunity for Sino-US exchanges between the two countries. In July 1984, Wang Hai visited the United States as a member of the Chinese delegation and was warmly invited by the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, Charles Gabriel. Gabriel was Wang Hai's opponent in the Korean air battle, and he was shot down by the Chinese air force in an air battle. He paid tribute to Wang Hai and said, "I was shot down by you in an air battle in Korea back then. Wang Hai replied, "If you attack us again, we will defeat you!" Their conversation drew laughter and applause from the room. Wang Hai and Gabriel became friends who did not know each other, and they invited each other to visit China and the United States, thus enhancing the understanding and friendship between the air forces of the two countries.
In April 1987, Wang Hai visited the United States again and was received by McPitt, deputy chief of staff of the US Air Force. McPitt was one of Wang Hai's opponents in the Korean Air War, and he admired Wang Hai's flying skills and fighting spirit. He specially opened an umbrella for Wang Hai, personally opened the door for him, and also briefed him on the latest equipment and development of the US Air Force. He said to Wang Hai: "Whether it is the Korean War or the Vietnam War, the Chinese ** people are the only opponents we have not defeated. You are our old friends and our old adversaries. We hope to maintain friendly and cooperative relations with you and jointly safeguard world peace. ”
Wang Hai's air combat deeds not only won the respect of the U.S. Air Force, but also inspired the successors of the Chinese Air Force. In the Air Force Aviation Museum, there is a MiG-15 fighter plane numbered 079, this once terrifying fighter is Wang Hai's landline, although the years make it look old, but the nine red stars printed on the nose are particularly dazzling, it records the highest record of the new Chinese Air Force pilots in the first air battle of the world jet age.
Pilots of the "Wang Hai Brigade" of an air force brigade of the Eastern Theater Air Force taxi during night flight training (photo taken on July 14, 2023). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Li Jiguang).
These red stars are also Wang Hai's spiritual legacy, and his comrades-in-arms and juniors are proud of it, inheriting and carrying forward Wang Hai's spirit of air combat. In a certain brigade of the air force of the Eastern Theater Theater, there is a "Wang Hai Brigade" named after Wang Hai, and the pilots of this brigade all regard Wang Hai as their idol and role model; in their training and missions, they have always maintained Wang Hai's fighting spirit of daring to fight and winning and not being afraid of sacrifice, striving to improve their own flying skills and combat capability, and contributing their own strength to the building of the air force in the new era.
Wang Hai is a banner of the new Chinese Air Force, and his deeds and spirit have not only moved China, but also the world. With his life and actions, he interpreted the patriotism and heroism of the Chinese people, demonstrated the might and ambition of the Chinese Air Force, won the respect and friendship of the Chinese and US air forces, and laid a good foundation for Sino-US exchanges and cooperation. He is the pride of the Chinese Air Force and the pride of the Chinese people. He is the person of the year who "moved China" and the hero of the Air Force who "moved the world".