In 1937, a young pilot, Liu Cuigang, made history by shooting down 11 Japanese fighters in just 12 days and becoming a double ace pilot.
He was named captain at the age of just 24, and his heroic deeds attracted widespread attention throughout the war.
Liu Cuigang piloted a Hawker and killed 11 Japanese planes in just two months.
However, his brilliant record did not last long, and during a support mission, the experienced pilot was accidentally killed in a plane crash. When his wife learned the news, she was so grief-stricken that she committed suicide by swallowing 36 silver dollars.
Although Liu Cuigang's life was short, his heroic deeds and spirit will always live in people's hearts.
It turned out to be an outstanding pilot, but why did he leave the world in such a way? What kind of unsolved mystery is hidden behind Liu Cuigang's sacrifice? Click to follow, let's reveal the truth about Liu Cuigang's crash.
In October 1937, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered a critical period, especially the 28th Destroyer Brigade on the Taiyuan battlefield, which fell into an extremely difficult situation, and ammunition and food were about to run out.
Before the arrival of November, Chiang Kai-shek received a distress signal. In order to support them, Lao Chiang selected an air squadron to go. The captain of this squadron is Liu Cuigang of the 24th Squadron.
He was known as one of the four kings of the Air Force, and from August to October, he managed to inflict heavy losses on the Japanese ** team and shot down 11 enemy planes. It can be seen how terrifying Liu Cuigang's strength is.
Liu Cuigang was a heroic captain of the Chinese Air Force during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and he defeated Japan's "Great Heavenly King" Captain Takeo Kato on the battlefield many times. After being beaten back to his hometown by Takeo Kato, he wrote this sentence in his diary: "Liu Cuigang is too terrible, we will use him as a model to train the Japanese Air Force." ”
This passage fully shows Liu Cuigang's bravery and excellence, as well as his deep insight and understanding of the Japanese Air Force. Regrettably, however, the support mission that Liu Cuigang carried out turned out to be the last mission of his life.
Liu Cuigang received the task on October 24, he said goodbye to his beloved wife Xu Xilin, and piloted five Hawker planes, which he was very familiar with. He planned to fly from Nanjing to Wuhan to refuel, then from Luoyang to Shaanxi and finally to Taiyuan.
However, during the formation flying from Luoyang to Shaanxi, Liu Cuigang could not find Taiyuan Airport. This is undoubtedly a very dangerous situation that can cause the formation to lose its direction and even lead to the crash of the entire aircraft of the formation.
Therefore, Liu Cuigang showed his bravery and resourcefulness in the crisis. He decisively decided to change the course and fly the formation to Xi'an, and then from Xi'an to Taiyuan.
This decision eventually helped the formation successfully reach Taiyuan and complete the support mission. Liu Cuigang's heroic behavior and his wise decision-making are undoubtedly the best proof of his status as an excellent air force captain.
In the windy sand in October, the visibility in the dark night was extremely low, and for safety reasons, Liu Cuigang had no choice but to make a forced landing in Gaoping County. At that time, his operation was normal, but after the plane circled, the fighter plane piloted by Liu Cuigang suddenly rushed to the southeast.
The southeast of Gaoping County is uneven, and below it is Kuixing Tower. Due to the rapid dive speed of the fighter, the Hawker 3 crashed directly into the pavilion in an uncontrollable manner.
The fuel of the Hawker 3 has been exhausted, but the spark did not cause **, but Liu Cuigang in the driver's seat died due to a violent impact.
When the news came, Lao Jiang was furious, and Liu Cuigang's wife couldn't accept it, and the 22-year-old Zhejiang lady committed suicide by swallowing 36 silver dollars that night.
Liu Cuigang's 24th squadron was in a wail, and along with sadness, there was a series of doubts.
First of all, Liu Cuigang's perennial flying experience makes it impossible for him to deliberately hit the building because of improper operation. Secondly, the inability to find Taiyuan Airport is itself a puzzling problem.
Taiyuan is about to be lost, and the airport is an important channel for receiving foreign aid, and it is very conspicuously set up. Why can't Liu Cuigang find the airport? Finally, when Liu Cuigang crashed, Hawk 3 obviously crashed towards Kuixing Tower.
This means that Liu Cuigang personally operated the plane and crashed into the attic. Why would an experienced ace pilot make such a low-level mistake? All of the questions may be related to Liu Cuigang's life experience.
What did Liu Cuigang go through before becoming an ace pilot? What is the truth behind this accident?
Liu Cuigang was born in 1913 in Jinjia Town, Changtu County, Liaoning Province, and his hometown was a well-known and wealthy leather merchant family. In 1920, Liu Cui just began his elementary school life in Jinjia Town.
Despite his wealthy family, Liu Cuigang was unpretentious, he was intelligent and hardworking, and initially showed the qualities of a pilot. In 1926, he entered the Liaoning Provincial First Industrial School, which is now the Liaoning First Engineering College, and began his high school studies.
If it hadn't been for that accident, he might never have crossed paths with the profession of pilot. In 1931, when Liu Cui was just in his second year of high school, the 918 Incident suddenly broke out, and people in the entire Northeast region were very panicked, and in order to protect himself, he had to drop out of school and go home.
According to his father's suggestion, Liu Cuigang will be sent abroad for refuge, but what no one expected is that before the war reached his hometown, he had already realized that his family and country hated him and had to take revenge. It was his first awakening at the age of 18.
In the war years, only by joining the army can you serve the country. So, in 1932, he entered the Nanjing ** Army Military Academy and became the ninth infantry cadet.
However, soon after, the Japanese artillery fire came again, and the ** Aviation School was established. When the news reached Liu Cuigang's ears, he did not hesitate to give up the infantry course and chose to join the ranks of the air force.
The requirements for applying for the first aviation school in the early days are very strict, on the one hand, they need to have extensive knowledge of navigation, which makes many students with low cultural level be blocked out; On the other hand, the test flight of the aviation school needs to pay various tuition fees and trial fees, which is undoubtedly out of the way for most civilian children.
The rich children became the first pilots, and their fate was sealed. Liu Cuigang is one of them, and he passed through layers of selection and entered Hangzhou Jianqiao Aviation Institute for further study.
The motto of the academy is that our planes, bombs, and even our bodies should be destroyed along with the enemy's warship positions.
This school motto is more like a tragic last word, indicating that almost all the early pilots were spared, and like Liu Cuigang, the pilots who were also the four great air force kings, including his instructors in the academy, all died on the battlefield in the end.
From this moment on, Liu Cuigang's fate has been doomed, and there is no turning back.
Liu Cuigang: Test flight is not fatal, not afraid of life and death for the country Liu Cuigang, a pilot who left a strong mark in the history of Chinese aviation, although his car is extremely dangerous, he has never flinched.
Every morning at half past five, he got up on time and went into test flight work. Liu Cuigang's spirit of test flight is known for "not wanting to die," and he has always firmly believed that test flight is to bravely face danger and do whatever it takes for the motherland's aviation cause.
In 1933, the aviation school imported an Italian plane, which was very rare, and the school organized a test flight as soon as it arrived. Liu Cuigang recommended himself, he knew that the test flight was very glorious, but no one was familiar with foreign planes, and no one could guarantee what accidents might happen on the way.
Sure enough, not long after takeoff, the Italian plane shook. In the face of this situation, many students will choose to parachute to protect themselves, but Liu Cuigang resolutely does not parachute, he would rather risk a fire, but also insist on completing the test flight mission.
He first closed the throttle, then manipulated the plane to land with inertia, and finally under the nervous gaze of the coach, Liu Cuigang landed safely on the ground. Liu Cuigang's spirit of test flight has set an example for us.
He proved with practical actions that only by not being afraid of difficulties and forging ahead bravely can he realize his ideals and goals. He made a significant contribution to the aviation of his country, and his deeds will always be remembered by us.
Liu Cuigang once explained why he risked his life to fly the scarce Italian plane: "This aircraft is an important model for us to study, and if we give it up because of me, it will be a loss we cannot afford." ”
Although he was only twenty years old, his determination was already as firm as a rock. In 1934, Liu Cuigang completed his studies at the Aviation Academy, and immediately joined the First Deportation Brigade after graduation. Soon after, he was promoted to captain.
In June of the same year, he tied the knot with Xu Xilin. Xu Xilin was born in Zhejiang and is a well-known lady. After the outbreak of the war, she went to Hangzhou and worked as the principal of Linping Town Primary School.
The two met in the summer of 1933, when Liu Cui had just arrived in Hangzhou to study, and happened to meet Xu Xilin on the way.
In 1935, Liu Cuigang tied the knot with his lover when he was 22 years old. However, the rules of the aviation school stipulate that pilots must be at least 28 years old to get married, but this does not affect their love.
Under the guidance of Coach Liu Cuigang, they dared to take risks and entered the palace of marriage. The following year, Liu Cuigang was promoted to the leader of the 24th Squadron of the Fifth Evacuation Team for his outstanding performance.
However, just when he was ready to continue to write brilliantly, he received the task of going to Nanchang Airport for training. Unexpectedly, the young squadron leader shot down 11 Japanese planes in just two months.
However, God is jealous of the talent, Liu Cuigang passed away due to an accident after completing this feat. What is the connection between shooting down an enemy plane and being killed in a crash? How did Liu Cuigang die?
In August 1937, Liu Cuigang's Fifth Brigade received an urgent task: the Japanese army in the Hongkou area began a large-scale bombing campaign. In order to stop the Japanese attack, they immediately mobilized 18 fighters and went to the area to block them.
The 18 fighters were divided into two echelons, and Liu Cuigang was in the second echelon. The first echelon was the first to engage the enemy, but due to bad weather and poor visibility, it was unable to achieve victory.
Liu Cuigang, the second echelon, took over. On August 16, Liu Cuigang flew a Hawker fighter jet to patrol Hongkou.
Prior to this, the difference in strength in air combat between China and Japan was obvious, and it was almost impossible to win in the air, so almost no one had high hopes for Liu Cuigang.
However, who would have thought that under the disparity in strength, Liu Cuigang would shoot down 11 Japanese fighters in a row.
Liu Cuigang showed valor in the war, he sank two Japanese reconnaissance planes on the surface, bombed a Japanese bomber, and shot down a fighter plane and a water reconnaissance plane again.
His achievements spread throughout the Air Force, and the troops were boiling. In September, Liu Cuigang led the second sequence and successfully bombed three Japanese **. His victory was a blow to the Japanese army, and in retaliation, the Japanese army sent 40 warplanes to attack Nanjing.
Liu Cuigang calmly responded to the battle and defeated the Japanese army's "invincible" Type 96 fighter planes, and these 40 planes walked around Nanjing, and when they returned, only 35 were left.
And the one who defeated these five enemy planes turned out to be only Liu Cuigang and one plane. From August 14 to October 12, in just two months, Liu Cuigang became one of the four great air force kings with the record of defeating 11 enemy planes.
After completing the combat mission, Liu Cuigang first rushed home to meet his wife Xu Xilin, the two got together less and left more due to work reasons, Liu Cuigang said: One day, he must step on Mount Fuji, when the country is peaceful, in order to be with his wife for a long time.
But unfortunately, not long after Liu Cui returned home, he received a new combat mission, and this oath was not fulfilled.
Another view is that it was the airport staff who lit the fire in order to guide the pilot to make a forced landing.
This speculation seems to have some truth, but it also faces the problem of how airport workers can keep themselves safe in the event of war, while at the same time being able to accurately light fires in dangerous situations.
Either way, there is no explanation why Liu Cuigang mistook it for an airport, leading to the tragedy. The truth of this accident remains a mystery to this day, leaving endless thoughts and regrets for future generations.
There are two theories, the first is that a resident of Gaoping County accidentally lit a torch, which was mistaken by Liu Cuigang for an airport light; The second theory is that the spies did it, because Liu Cuigang's existence posed a threat to the Japanese air combat force, and the spies ambushed near the Taiyuan airport to mislead Liu Cuigang.
However, what the truth is, the late Liu Cuigang himself knows. After Liu Cuigang died, his wife Xu Xilin swallowed 36 silver dollars that night and attempted suicide, but fortunately, the family found out and sent him to the hospital in time, although his life was saved, but her husband stayed in Taiyuan forever.
In 1990, 75-year-old Xu Xilin came to Nanjing Wangjiawan Aviation Martyrs Cemetery, in the dense tombstones, she looked at Liu Cuigang's inscription, tears rippled.
If it weren't for the cruelty of the war, they would have lived happily together, and heroes like Liu Cuigang deserve a quiet and stable life.