It was recommended that the fierce generals form the 12th column, but Liu Deng's army did not adopt it.
Liu Deng's army started with a strong lineup, which was laid by the four main columns, and then successively ushered in Yang Yong's seventh column, Wang Jinshan's sixth column and Qin Jiwei's ninth column.
It is curious whether the twelfth column is also impressively listed? Who is its commander?
Many people may not know much about *** and the story of Zheng Weishan. In fact, there was a special team behind Liu Deng's army - the Twelfth Column, although it was short-lived, its birth was not accidental.
In May 1947, according to the ** decision, the troops led by the former 5th Division of the New Fourth Army were reorganized into the 12th Column, under the jurisdiction of three elite brigades.
To build a strong team, the key lies in the leader, and the column urgently needs an excellent commander. As the chief deputy commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, he knew that good generals were hard to find, and he had a discerning eye and put forward two alternative commanders.
The first was Zheng Weishan, a fierce general of the Red Fourth Front Army, who was promoted to the rank of full division at a young age and was known for his outstanding military talents. In the Red Fourth Front Army, ** once merged the three main regiments and gave Zheng Weishan the important task of commander, which shows that he has great trust in him.
**Discerning eyes, I strongly recommend Zheng Weishan, the fierce general of Dabie Mountain under the command of ***, not only because of his outstanding talent, but also has a deep relationship with the Fifth Division, and it is logical to hand over the leadership.
Zheng Weishan was not fully used in the North China battlefield, but the opportunity to leap into Liu Deng's army allowed him to return to his homeland, and his joy was overflowing, and he was ready to meet new challenges.
However, the commander of the North China Military Region realized his value and wanted to keep him in charge of the Third Column, and even asked Mr. Zhu to say it himself. Despite this, Zheng Weishan returned to North China and became the main general.
Similarly, Zhou Zhijian, the "Zhou Blacksmith" who became famous at a young age and was a powerful party in the Red Fourth Front Army, was recommended as the commander of the 12th Column because of his close cooperation with *** in the early days and his contribution to the Fifth Division, and for him, this was an excellent opportunity to return to the old army.
However, after the breakthrough of the Central Plains, Zhou Zhijian moved to Shandong, as Xu Shiyou's confidant general, Xu Shiyou greatly cherished his ability, and finally made him the commander of the 13th Column of the East China Field Army, and continued to charge under the command of Xu Shiyou.
Zheng Weishan and Zhou Zhijian, two rare handsome talents, regrettably failed to join, and their high popularity can be seen. Although the proposal of *** was not adopted, the heavy task of forming the twelfth column needed to be solved urgently.
* It is strongly hoped that Zheng Weishan will join, and if he cannot get it, Zhao Jimei will be considered to take over the position of commander. For Zhao Jimei, an important general of the Red Fourth Front Army who was born in Macheng Chengmagang, he has a high degree of trust, he has both civil and military talents, once served as the political commissar of the division, and is a capable general.
Zhao Jimei was transferred from the high position of deputy commander of the first column to the commander of the twelfth column with outstanding military and political qualities, and this promotion reflected the recognition of his ability.
However, as fate would have it, he died of illness in just a few months, becoming the only column commander in Liu Deng's army who failed to witness the founding of New China. With the departure of Zhao Jimei, the 12th Column was quickly transformed into the Jianghan Military Region, and its historical chapter was shortened.
If the proposal of *** had been adopted and Zheng Weishan or Zhou Zhijian had led the army, perhaps the 12th Column would have shown greater potential and created a more brilliant chapter.
Historical assumptions are always food for thought.