Early life
Born in Hunan province, Chen Geng joined Communist Party of China in 1922 and enrolled Whampoa Military Academy in 1924. Chen, along with Jiang Xianyun and He Zonghan, was called three best students of Whampoa Military Academy. Chen earned Chiang Kai-shek's deep trust and became the commander of Chiang's garrison. In October 1925, during the second campaign against local warlord Chen Jiongming, Chiang's vanguard force, the 3rd Division commanded by General Tan Shuqing , ventured too fast and too isolated in their advance after taking Huizhou, Chen Jiongming's base, and was ambushed by Chen Jiongmin's force commanded by warlord Lin Hu at Huayang . Against the advise of Chen Geng, Chiang insisted on going to the frontline to command, but situation was impossible: after beheading half a dozen deserters and personally led the charge with a sabre in hand in an attempt to counterattack, General Tan Shuqing was unable to control his fleeing troops and the force completely collapsed. Chiang was so ashamed and refused to flee, and attempted to commit suicide. Chen Geng succeeded in taking aways Chiang's pistol and carried Chiang away from the battlefield by force, and thus saved the life of Chiang Kai-shek, whom in turn, trusted him even more. However, when the Kuomintang broke with the Communists in 1927, Chen began to work as a secret agent for Communists in Shanghai.
In March 1933, Chen Geng was sent to Shanghai to have better medical treatment of his leg wounds, but he was captured by Kuomintang, however, because he had saved life of Chiang Kai-shek - Kuomintang's leader, his life was spared. Chiang was still very grateful to Chen and order his transfer to a much better facility to put Chen under house arrest instead of jail like ordinary prisoners, but taking this opportunity, Chen Geng escaped a month later with the help of communist agents. Once again, Chiang spared Chen for saving Chiang's life previously by not ordering the nationalist military and police to capture Chen at all cost like other important communist figures, but instead, claimed that Chen was to be released soon anyway.
After his escape in Nanjing, Chen Geng was ordered by the communists to return to communist base in Jiangxi via train, but he was recognized by nationalist officers riding on the same train. The former vice president of Whampoa Military Academy in charge of educational affairs, General Qian Dajun , Chen's instructor at Whampoa Military Academy, also happened to be on the same train, and like his followers, he also recognized Chen Geng. General Qian ordered his deputy to invite Chen for diner at his personal coach, and Chen initially refused, trying to disguise as a businessman, but his attempt only drew laugh from the nationalist officers, since both knew the try identities of each other. Knowing he was discovered, Chen had to go to General Qian Dajun's coach, and the two chatted for a while, when General Qian revealed that he was sent by Chiang Kai-shek to Jiangxi to help to plan another campaign to exterminate the communists. Chen was obviously nervous and made an excuse to leaving, claiming that he had to get off the train after the train had passed Xuzhou and General Qian let him go. Chen Geng then boarded the same train and sat in the corner of a different section in a different coach in order to reach his destination, but once again, General Qian's deputy officer appeared in front of him with a big smile on his face:"Mr. Chen, you haven't gotten off the train yet, General Qian is asking for you again." Chen Geng had no choice but to go and this time he stayed longer and finished meal with General Qian Dajun before he was finally let go. Chen and General Qian's subordinates were equally baffled why General Qian let Chen Geng escape, and General Qian revealed later that since Chiang would not order Chen Geng executed and allowed his escape by claiming Chen was to be released anyway, arresting Chen Geng and having him executed would put Chiang in a very difficult position because public opinion would blame Chiang. Furthermore, general Qian Dajun personally like the excellent student who was a favorite of his despite their political difference, and thus allowed Chen to escape. Chen eventually managed to enter the Communists' base in Jiangxi and later completed the Long March in 1935.
Military Experiences
When the Sino-Japanese War broke out, the Communists' Red Army organized as the Eighth Route Army and Chen Geng was appointed the chief commander of the 386th Brigade. He led 386th brigade won several battles against Japanese and his brigade had been called the best brigade in China by Evans F. Carlson. In 1940, he commanded his brigade in ShanXi during the Hundred Regiments Offensive. After Japan's surrender in 1945, Chen's 386th brigade evolved into the 4th Column of the Shanxi – Henan – Hebei – Shandong Military District. He led his troop in many important battles of Chinese Civil War, such as Shangdang Campaign in 1945, Datong-Puzhou Campaign, Linfen-Fushan Campaign and subsequent Lüliang Campaign in 1946, Campaign at the Eastern Foothills of Funiu Mountain in 1947, and Huaihai Campaign in 1948. By the Chinese civil war ended, the 4th Column became the 4th Army Group and Chen served as Commander and political commissar. His troop entered Yunnan in 1949.
At the request of H&, who was a long time friend of Chen Geng, Chen entered Vietnam and helped Vo Nguyen Giap to launch a series of successful attacks on isolated French bases along the Chinese border in 1950. Back from Vietnam, he went to Korea War and served as the Commander and political commissar of the 3rd Army Group of Chinese People's Volunteer Army. When the Commander of Volunteer Army, Peng Dehuai went back to China, Chen worked as the acting Commander. He was made a Da Jiang in September, 1955. Chen Geng's borther-in-law, Tan Zheng , who is married to Chen Geng's younger sister Chen Qiuju , was heavily influenced by Chen Geng and thus joined revolution, and was also rewarded the rank of Da Jiang with Chen Geng in the same time.
Back from Korea War, Chen founded the Military Engineering Academy in Harbin, engaging in developing high-tech weapons. This school became one of the most famous universities in China within a few years. Although defuncted in 1970, many military engineering colleges today in China such as the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, can traced their origins to the Military Engineering Academy. Due to this experience, Chen later focused on the ballistic missile program and nuclear weapon program of China. However, he didn't see the success of these programs. He died of heart attack in 1961.
Personal life
Chen Geng is also famous for his straight forward and humorous personality. He often joked with his colleague, even with senior officers such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Lin Biao, and he has been said as the only one that dared to joke with Peng Dehuai. Chen's first wife is Wang Genying , who was killed by Japanese troops in late 1938 in southern Hebei during a Japanese mop up operation. His second wife is Fu Ya .
In addition to his daring, Chen Geng was also known for his cunning, which he used to his advantage among his comrades just like the way he fought his nationalist adversaries: during the time at Yan'an, the communists faced great material shortage and there was time that not enough food was available. To help to increase food supply, communists tried anything possible, and the commander-in-chief of the communist forces, Zhu De, took a good care of an apple tree in his yard and Chen Geng convinced his buddy, another communist commander Chen Xilian to "harvest" the apples in Zhu De's yard when the apples were ripe: since Zhu De only had a single body guard and the local garrison for the communist leaders had to patrol all of the residence of communist leaders, Chen Geng came up with the idea of Chen Xilian would go to Zhu De's residence during windy days when the local garrison was away patrolling other areas, and Chen Xilian would talk to both Zhu De's and his wife as well as his bodyguard to distract them by keeping them in the room, while Chen Geng would in the yards to use a stick to get as many apples on the ground as possible. Chen Geng would then go to Zhu De's room and pretends to meet Chen Xilian by accident and as the two were leaving, Chen Geng would tell Zhu De that there were so many apples on the ground and they would like to have some. Zhu De always agreed and the two would take as many as possible. When asked why not just taking the apples and leave or just letting a single person to take the apples, Chen Geng humorously but honestly answered that he discovered when asking instead of stealing, Zhu De would always help them to load apples into their bags and pockets, and he was capitalizing on Zhu De's free labor. In addition, Zhu De had always given a slightly higher amount per capita when more people were present in comparison to a single person. Everybody would then burst into laughs, accusing Chen Geng of stealing the apples and exploiting the commander-in-chief free labor to help thieves like Chen Geng to steal his own apples. It was rumored that Zhu De already realized Chen's trick but allowed it to be played out because he like to help his fellow comrades.
Anther example of Chen Geng's cunning was that every communists cadre must volunteer his/her own labor for production or construction, and Chen Geng, was assigned as one of those to build Yan'an airfield with his buddy Chen Xilian. Chen Geng told Chen Xilian that they were wasting energies by walking a long distance and pushing a cart on the way, and suggested that he would allow Chen Xilian to ride the cart, and he would push, so that once they reached the construction site, they would have more energy to contribute to actual work. On the way back to home, the role would be reversed with Chen Geng would be riding in the cart and Chen Xilian being the one would do the pushing. Chen Xilian was originally very happy to do so, but soon discovered that he was played by Chen Geng: on the way to work, it was not a problem of pushing the cart with a man in it because the day was just starting and no work was done. However, once off work, everybody was so tired because of the hard work and pushing a cart with a man in it was very exhausting. Obviously Chen Xilian demanded the practice to be changed with the two rotating the roles, Chen Geng refused and even though Chen Xilian stopped the practice after Chen Geng's refusal, Chen Geng already had a week's free ride.
In August, 1948 at Wuhan, Chen Geng played a role as a matchmaker by introducing the younger sister, Ms. Wang Xuanmei of his late-first wife to his buddy, the communist military commander Chen Xilian, who is now the commander -in-chief of communist III Corps, whose first wife named Su Ge died of illness in the autumn of 1948. Ms. Wang Xuanmei and Mr. Chen Xilain soon married afterwards, and the two family remained good friends even after the death of Chen Geng.
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