Awarded the title in 1955, Tang Duo is very special among the 1614 founding generals. Unlike the founding generals who made great achievements at home, Tang Duo not only studied abroad, but even stayed abroad for 28 years.
At home, he had no military merits or achievements, and did not return to China until 1953. But in 1955, when the People's Liberation Army first conferred the rank, Tang Duo was awarded the rank of major general.
Some people wonder, why? Some people questioned that it was unfair. In the eyes of ordinary people, the founding general is a soldier who has made outstanding achievements in the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation and has experienced hundreds of battles. They were born and died on the battlefield to get this hard-won opportunity to confer titles. Why is a man who has been abroad for 28 years and has not made the slightest merit at home be awarded major general? But if you understand the first half of the life of this "flying general", you will find that this result is fair.
The year Tang Duo was born was at a time of domestic changes. The Qing government was already unable to support itself, and warlords everywhere took advantage of the chaos, and he was still just a cattle herder in an ordinary peasant family. There are eight brothers and sisters in the family, and Tang Duo ranks seventh.
Different from the traditional cattle herding dolls, the Tang family is well-off and the father is enlightened, and at the age of four, he entered the Enlightenment Children's Bookstore opened by his father, and at the age of 11, he went to Changsha Fangzhi Primary School to study.
Looking at history and knowing the present, when thinking about progress and retreat, reading Mingzhi can understand the Spring and Autumn! In these chaotic times, schools are often the first holy place for ideological enlightenment. Tang Duo, who was accustomed to imperialism running amok and warlords fishing the people, knew that only by reading books could he change the present. Soon, he was admitted to the Hunan First Normal Affiliated Primary School.
In addition to Tang Duo, Ren Bishi and Liu Bocheng all received enlightenment education in this school. Li Weihan, Chen Shaolin, and others were their enlightenment teachers, and with classmates and teachers leading by example, Tang Duo's thinking progressed rapidly, and the idea of revolutionary salvation was born for the first time.
However, there were too many brothers and sisters in the family, and he had to interrupt his studies and return to his hometown to do what he could for his parents. But Tang Duo was not reconciled and hoped to get the opportunity to continue his studies. This wait is more than a few months.
In the summer and autumn of 1918, Chen Shaolin sent a letter. The letter mentioned various past events, saying that he had excellent grades and hoped that he would continue his further studies, so that Tang Duo could pack his bags and participate in the preparatory class for studying abroad sponsored by Cai Hesen.
At this time, he did not know who Cai Hesen was, let alone the meaning of this name, Tang Duo only understood that he had books to read and learn, as for the rest, he had not thought so much for the time being.
In particular, at the turn of the spring and summer of 1919, Cai and Sen brought several well-performing students in the junior class to Beijing, including Tang Duo. In this historical city that has been passed down for thousands of years, Tang Duo not only met Mao Zedong, Li Dazhao and others, but also participated in the May Fourth Movement, which had a far-reaching impact on future generations.
After the country gradually calmed down, Tang Duo took a ferry to France. The companions were Zhao Shiyan, Fu Zhong and others, all of whom had the heart of serving the country and the feelings of revolution, so that after arriving in France, they successively participated in the "World Society of Engineering" and the "February 8 Movement", at this time Tang Duo was only 15 years old, but he was already a staunch revolutionary fighter.
Having just emerged from the may fourth movement, he stepped into the problem of membership within France on his hind feet. The enthusiasm and persistence of the revolution have been perfectly demonstrated in one positive activity after another. What's more, at this time, Tang Duo was also surrounded by Zhao Shiyan, Cai Hesen and others, especially Cai Hesen, who pursued innovation, released himself, and became a staunch Marxist in the course of seriously studying the October Revolution in Russia.
Cai and Sen
Under the leadership of Cai hesen, these international students talked about the future in France. From China's way out and the trend of the world, to the current situation and social pattern, the spark of wisdom burst out among this group of students.
Unfortunately, such a day did not last long, and the unexpected insertion of the National Government students broke everyone's plan. For their personal interests, these people forcibly occupied the quota of international students at the Sino-French University of Lyon, and the admission qualifications that originally belonged to Tang Duo and other students were squeezed out.
When unfair things happen, there will naturally be resistance. However, the Nationalist government and the French government were partial to each other, leaving Tang Duo and a group of other students with nowhere to seek justice. They were even falsely accused of being "radicals" and forcibly repatriated to China.
At this time, the domestic situation was turbulent, and these students who were sent back to China each found a way out. He either joined the army or entered politics, while Tang Duo chose to continue his studies.
With the financial support of fellow villager Tan Yanmin, he was able to continue his studies at the Sino-French Tonghui Industrial and Commercial School. After Tan Yanmin went to Guangzhou, Tang Duo, who had lost his support, decided to find Tan Yanmin. Tan Yanmin knew this talent of the same country well, and promised him to become an officer in the Xiang Army, wanting to pull him into the camp, but Tang Duo wanted to learn to fly, so he could only introduce him to Yang Yixian, director of the Aviation Bureau, and work as an intern at the Guangzhou Aircraft Factory affiliated to the Aviation Bureau.
Soon, the National Revolutionary Military Flight School enrolled, and Tang Duo joined the Kuomintang and entered the flight school. As one of the first 10 flight cadets enrolled in China's first military flight school, Tang Duo's own professional level and learning ability ranked among the best, so he was selected to continue his studies in the Soviet Union.
Unlike the first time he studied abroad, this time to Moscow, the Soviet Union, he can be described as a lone soldier. In his early years, he often heard Cai and Sen mention Marxism, but this time he was fortunate to go to the Soviet Union, which made him more aware of the gap between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang.
The domestic situation is chaotic, but Tang Duo can discern between right and wrong. The Kuomintang army was firmly in the hands of Chiang Kai-shek, and coupled with the warlord melee, the whole of China had no way forward, and the Communist Party was like a light that gave him hope.
Tang Duo decided to join the Communist Party of China, and under the introduction of Liu Yun, Chen Dingyuan and other three people, he joined the Communist Party of China in Moscow. After the defeat of the Great Revolution in China, Tang Duo, who had already achieved success in his studies, received a telegram from the Kuomintang asking him to return to China to "fulfill his loyalty to the party-state."
Tang Duo, who had long abandoned the darkness and had a bright heart, refused to return to China to serve the Kuomintang government and chose to stay in the Soviet Air Force Academy to study. After graduation, he remained in the Soviet Union as a major in the Soviet Army.
From a Soviet major and lieutenant to a Soviet captain, in just five years, Tang Duo grew into a qualified pilot. But what really made him famous was the commemoration of the October Revolution in 1933.
October 1933 marked the 16th anniversary of the October Revolution. The Sixth Air Brigade was ordered to send some aircraft over Moscow's Red Square. Like China's Tiananmen Square, Red Square is also a place of honor that every Soviet fighter wants to walk through, so who is the pilot of the pilot has become a hot spot of controversy.
Unexpectedly, the commander of the Sixth Air Brigade ordered Tang Duo to serve as the navigator. Not to mention that Tang Duo is from China, just to say that the sixth brigade is as strong as a cloud, but those who serve as navigators must have outstanding business ability and excellent flight skills. Obviously, Tang Duo was recognized.
After this review, Tang Duo was received by Stalin.
But in addition to his honor in the Soviet Union, he also encountered suspicion and was even arrested and imprisoned as a spy. But regardless of honor or misunderstanding, he maintained the determination and consciousness that a Communist Party member should have from beginning to end.
Shortly after the beginning of the Soviet-German war, Tang Duo, who served as the squadron leader of the strong strike aircraft unit, received the task of attacking the enemy's field airfield.
Under the leadership of Tang Duo, the four planes continued to sail at ultra-low altitudes. When they spotted the enemy field airfield, they rushed to the target. Before the enemy could react, all kinds of aircraft and refueling trucks roared, and the sound of explosions, fire, and smoke enveloped the entire field airfield, and dozens of planes were destroyed, and Tang Duo became famous in one battle!
In high-altitude combat, in addition to the excellent level of operation, the most important thing is to have a heart that "dares to shine the sword". And Tang Duo not only has a heart that "dares to shine the sword", but also has the action of "daring to shine the sword".
It was a battle to liberate Minsk, the capital of Belarus, where Tang Duo's regiment was ordered to raid the enemy tank cluster that was blocking him. The Germans were known for their "blitzkriegs," of which tanks were one of their biggest supporters. In order to ensure the smooth progress of ground forces, these tanks must be destroyed. As the deputy regimental commander, Tang Duo led three brigades to sail at a super low altitude again, and this time the enemy had already taken precautions.
But even so, Tang Duo led the strike group to wander among the enemy groups. The planes took turns bombing the enemy tank groups, and one anti-tank shell after another exploded in the enemy tank groups, and the tanks were scrapped in situ. Tang Duo led the brigade back again and again, and he used his machine gun to strafe again and again, and wherever there was an enemy, a strong strike plane would chase after him.
After most of the heavy fire on the ground was eliminated, Tang Duo found that the enemy commander wanted to run with a large number of enemies. Even though his machine gun was out of bullets, he was still reluctant to spare the enemy. He minimized the plane and cut off a large piece of the enemy's head with the rotation of the propeller.
The pilots in the back did so, giving the enemy no way to live. Originally, they were only responsible for cooperating with the ground forces to fight against the enemy tank group, but instead became the main force of the operation. In this battle, Tang Duo alone killed more than a dozen tanks and effectively cooperated with the Third Front to liberate Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Fighting again and again, and completing combat tasks again and again, Tang Duo has successively won a variety of medals such as the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, and the Order of the Red Star.
Talented people shine everywhere. Tang Duo's flight ability and actual combat command have made everyone see an outstanding air force general. There is no doubt that Tang Duo is an indispensable talent.
But like most of the Chinese wanderers abroad, Tang Duo has been abroad for more than twenty years, and he is eager to return to the motherland. To learn about the domestic situation on a daily basis, you can only participate in it through radio, newspapers, etc., and you cannot participate in it personally.
When he first came out of his hometown, he had planned to succeed in his studies and serve the motherland. But he was not there in the War of Resistance Against Japan; nor was he in the War of Liberation. He didn't want to wait any longer, especially when he learned of the founding of New China.
When Liu Yalou visited the Soviet Union, Liu Yalou wanted to meet this "flying general" who was stranded in the Soviet Union. The old friends reunited, and the two felt a lot. When he heard Liu Yalou say that at the beginning of the founding of New China, talents are needed in all aspects, and the motherland hopes that he can return to China to build, which makes him very excited.
Immediately, he expressed to Liu Yalou his determination to return to China, and even made a strong request to the Soviet Union through the Chinese military delegation to return to China. The Soviet Union did not want to release people, after all, Tang Duo was a rare talent, and if he were to return to China in this way, it would be a big loss for the Soviet Union.
Therefore, Liu Yalou's visit to the Soviet Union this time did not bring Tang Duo back to China. Fortunately, Tang Duo's determination to return to China was firm enough, even if the mountains were high and the road was far, but with this heart, he would definitely be able to ride the river.
In 1952, Liu Shaoqi went to the Soviet Union to participate in the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and once again proposed to let Tang Duo return to China. China has made many representations, which makes it difficult for the Soviet side to refuse, and can only agree. Whether to agree to consent, when to release people, is not the Soviet Union in charge? So the matter was once again put on hold.
The Soviet Union adopted delaying tactics, but China was unwilling to wait so endlessly. The following year, Zhou Enlai attended Stalin's funeral and again offered to let Tang Duo return to China, and this time the Soviet Union was not embarrassed to continue to drag on, and could only order release.
When they learned that the Soviet Union had agreed to let them return to China, the Tang Duo family was very happy. Overnight, he was ready to return to China, and on April 18, 1953, Tang Duo returned to his long-lost motherland. When he stepped on the motherland, his heart was agitated and happy, this was the first time in 28 years that he stood on the chinese soil and breathed the air of the motherland.
What is happiness? I'm afraid that's the greatest happiness. In an article written later by Tang Duo, he mentioned the return to the motherland, saying: "I still remember that there is a sentence in the Soviet novel: It is the cooking smoke of the motherland, and we also feel sweet. After 28 years of leaving my motherland, my mood at this moment is exactly like this. When the train pulled into Manchuria, I burst into tears of excitement when I saw the liberated motherland and the industrious people who were full of vigor. ”
In that era, there were too many people like Tang Duo and Qian Xuesen, who had left their homeland for more than decades, but when they learned that the motherland needed them, they would always be the first to stand up. As the veteran said before retiring from the army: "When called, there is a war, and the battle will be won!" ”
For Tang Duo, when the motherland needs him, he will not hesitate to stand up. Now that he has returned to the motherland, he naturally wants to devote all his life's learning to the cause of building the motherland.
As a rare air force talent, Tang Duo was asked by Chen Geng to go. Chen Geng believes that such talents must of course be used on the blade of the knife, and it is precisely at this time that the motherland is preparing to build the Harbin Military Engineering College.
In 1952, Stalin proposed to Mao Zedong to open a military academy integrating land, sea and air. Since the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the CPC Central Committee has clearly realized that in the modernization war, the role of military technology and modern weapons is indispensable.
Contemporary times not only need powerful modern weapons, but also excellent military talents, so as to keep pace with the rapid changes, so under the advice of the Soviet Union, a modern military university is in the bud.
In June 1952, Chen Geng, who was still in the Korean battlefield, received an order to return to China as soon as possible. At this time, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea had entered the final stage, and the "tunnel tactics" he proposed had already played a huge role. It was a little reluctant to let him return to China at this time. But the military order was like a mountain, and Chen Geng quickly returned to Beijing.
When he saw Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, Chen Geng, who had a straightforward personality, asked impatiently: "Chairman and Premier, is there any new task in transferring me back from the front." ”
Looking at Chen Geng's hurried appearance, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai looked at each other and smiled, and Mao Zedong took the lead in speaking: "Don't be in a hurry first, drink the saliva, and speak slowly." ”
Under the narration of Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, Chen Geng knew that the leader wanted him to build a modern military college. Chen Geng was well aware of the heavy responsibility and immediately expressed his commitment to complete the task.
However, new China had only just been founded, and many generals were fighting on the front line. Nowadays, there are no instruments and equipment, no cadres and teachers, and it is difficult to imagine the difficulty of creating a modern military university out of thin air. Chen Geng made a meticulous investigation and study to this end, formulated a general construction plan, and adopted a two-handed approach: one hand grasped the construction of the campus, and the other hand grasped the selection of teachers.
In the Soviet Union, Tang Duo was not only a lieutenant colonel air force technical instructor, but also a professional mechanical engineer, coupled with his rich practical combat experience, he was obviously an excellent teacher candidate. Therefore, Chen Geng proposed to the central authorities that he should go to Kazakhstan to participate in the construction of the academy. Tang Duo had long wanted to repay the motherland, and naturally agreed with his mouth. Just a few days after returning to China, he followed Chen Geng to Harbin.
After arriving in Harbin, Tang Duo served as the head of the Air Force Engineering Department. With his past experience, he presided over the construction of a teaching building that took into account teaching and scientific research, and created six majors such as aviation instrumentation and aviation meteorology, which contributed to the construction of the Air Force. In 1955, Tang Duo was awarded the rank of major general in the Air Force.
Many people said that Tang Duo had no merit in the country and should not be awarded the rank of major general. But in fact, at the 1955 award ceremony, there was not only Tang Duo who was a returned overseas Chinese general. For example, the founding general Ye Fei, the lieutenant general Zhuang Tian, and the major general Wu Kezhi, they were all returned overseas Chinese generals.
There were also Qian Xuesen, Hua Luogeng, Deng Jiaxian, and so on; after the founding of New China, these people broke through many obstacles and chose to return to the motherland and contribute to the construction of the motherland.
These returned overseas Chinese generals may not have made outstanding military achievements, but they could not hide the fact that they broke through obstacles for the country and firmly stood behind the motherland when the motherland needed them.
For example, Xu Haidong, Zhang Yunyi and other generals were almost in a semi-retired state in the War of Liberation and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, but they were still awarded military ranks when they were awarded titles. Because the criterion for awarding titles is never the length of participation in the war and the number of meritorious service, but the contributions made to New China and even the whole world.
As a Communist Party member, Tang Duo, even if he was in another country, still resolutely fought against fascism and made outstanding contributions to defending world peace, and this merit is indelible and forgotten.
Especially when he learned that the motherland needed him, he repeatedly asked for his return, and this friendship was enough for future generations to remember for a lifetime.
On November 20, 1983, this "flying general" who was full of enthusiasm and sincere enthusiasm for the motherland fell on the cause he loved the most, and died at the age of 80.