One
In 1921, at this time, the northeast was under the rule of Zhang Zuolin, and the finances, taxes, and military affairs of the entire three eastern provinces were decided by him alone, and its sphere of influence even included the provinces directly under the jurisdiction at that time, so it can be said that Zhang Zuolin was a veritable "king of the northeast".
But in the northeast, Zhang Zuolin is not the only one who has the final say.
Since the Sino-Japanese War, Chen Bing's northeast region has coveted the most fertile land in China, and even went to war with the old imperial Russia at that time, and paid a blood price to establish its rights and interests in aggression in the three eastern provinces.
It can be said that This bloodthirsty beast in Japan is the most dangerous time bomb around Zhang Zuolin.
Against this background, in 1921, Zhang Xueliang visited Japan at the invitation of Japan and visited Japan's "Autumn Exercise" military exercise.
In the process of visiting the "Autumn Exercise" in Japan, Zhang Xueliang was greatly shocked. It was a shock from a country that had completed the Industrial Revolution and had a modern, systematic army at the time.
From individual equipment, to land tanks. From naval ships to air force aircraft, the Japanese army at that time crushed the Chinese army from all directions, allowing Zhang Xueliang to realize the huge gap in strength between the Chinese and Japanese armies and made up his mind to revitalize the northeast military industry.
Two
After returning to the northeast, with the strong support of Zhang Xueliang, the northeast army air force began to expand recruitment, from the original reconnaissance aircraft that were only old, even served in World War I, to the northeast army air force began to go to European countries to purchase the most advanced fighters at that time.
In 1926, Zhang Xueliang formed a flying brigade and selected students to study flying technology in France. After learning the news, Gao Zhihang resolutely signed up to participate, because he believed that compared with being an army officer and becoming a fighter pilot, he could better defend the motherland and serve the country.
But Gao Zhihang was defeated because his height was only 1.67, and the pilot's physical requirements were very harsh. But Gao Zhihang did not flinch, he wrote a letter to Zhang Xueliang in French, and changed his name "Mingjiu" to "Zhihang" to show his determination.
In the end, Zhang Xueliang was touched by his persistence and determination, and agreed to his request, and he went to the Moulana Aviation School in France and the East Army Aviation School to learn military flight as he wished.
In January 1927, the 19-year-old Gao Zhihang returned to China with excellent grades, and was subsequently appointed by General Zhang Xueliang as a major (army rank) pilot of the Flying Eagle Team of the Northeast Aviation Department, and rotated to be a major instructor in the Northeast Aviation Education Class.
During this time, because of his technical excellence, he was rewarded for each exercise. During an exercise, his right leg was broken by a pop-up joystick. After two surgeries, Gao Zhihang's legs were one point shorter than the original. But he insisted on returning to the blue sky and offered a test flight.
To know that the aircraft at that time was simple, not like the current civil aviation passenger aircraft, the same constant temperature and constant pressure comfortable environment, the aircraft at that time did not have a glass cover, the entire body was exposed, in the high-altitude flight, the pilot had to endure the biting cold wind, and the pressure of change. In this case, Zhang Xueliang was impressed by Gao Zhihang's spirit and appointed him as the captain of the Flying Eagle Team of the Northeast Airlines Department.
Three
In 1931, after the outbreak of the September 18 Incident, due to the order of the National Government in Nanjing to "not resist", Gao Zhihang swore to die to save the country. In a fit of grief, he took his two younger brothers and hid in the train toilet and fled to Kannai. After being introduced by his classmates, he joined the Nanjing Aviation Committee and was awarded the position of lieutenant detachment leader of the 8th Air Force Team.
After that, through self-study, he mastered flying skills such as taking off without lights at night, flying backwards and flying in arc. At that time, the mastery of these techniques was rare in the international flight world, and it was unique among Chinese pilots, so he was promoted to deputy of the Major Corps of the Air Force Instruction Corps.
In 1935, Gao Zhihang was ordered to Italy to investigate air expulsion technology and purchase aircraft. His stunt performances conquered Mussolini, who loved flying. Mussolini wanted to keep him with the highest honorarium and the best position. But Gao Zhihang replied: "My position is in China, and I am only willing to be a Chinese soldier!"
After returning to China, the National Government immediately set up 5 flying brigades, and Gao Zhihang was transferred to Nanchang as the commander of the fourth brigade, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel and deputy of the general team of the Air Force Instruction Regiment. It has jurisdiction over squadrons 21, 22 and 23, assisting The Commander-in-Chief Mao Bangchu in his work, and at the same time began to train newly recruited pilots at the Central Aviation School of Jianqiao, Hangzhou. Gao Zhihang is a serious, upright and loyal person, and has won the trust and support of his subordinates.
It has cultivated air combat heroes such as Liu Pugang, Liu Zhesheng, Dong Mingde, Li Guidan, Zheng Shaoyu, Le Yiqin, Luo Yingde, etc., such as Li Guidan, who was heroically martyred in the defense of Wuhan. Another of his students, Liu Shanben, flew to Yan'an in June 1946, setting a precedent for the Kuomintang Air Force to pilot an uprising and later making significant contributions to the creation of the New China Air Force.
In 1936, Gao Zhihang was appointed as the commander of the Fourth Expulsion Brigade of the Air Force for his outstanding performance.
On October 31, 1936, Chiang Kai-shek celebrated his 50th birthday. In order to celebrate Chiang Kai-shek's birthday, the Aviation Committee specially held an air combat technology and flight aerobatic performance in Nanjing. At that time, there were Britain, France, Germany and other first-class air force powers at that time.
After hearing the news, Gao Zhihang, who was stationed in Hangzhou, took the initiative to fly the Eagle III bomber to participate in the performance. The Eagle III was the main fighter of the Chinese Air Force at the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japan, also known as the Hawk III. It was the advanced bomber that the Nationalist government spent a lot of money to purchase from Europe and the United States.
Major Gao Zhihang, commander of the Fourth Brigade, led thirty-five Hoksan into an aerial column with the word "Zhongzheng" over the Ming Palace Airport in Nanjing, during which he displayed his best tricks in the air, winning the applause of all the guests on the field and dwarfing several foreign military stunt teams that wanted to compete for supremacy. After Chiang Kai-shek watched it, he asked who the pilot of the performance was, and Mao Bangchu said, "It was Gao Zhihang's deputy general who was performing." Chiang Kai-shek immediately ordered a summons. Chiang Kai-shek said to Gao Zhihang: "Your technology is very high and you are catching up with and surpassing the world level." He immediately gave his "skylight" aircraft award to Gao Zhihang for use. Soon, the news spread through various media at home and abroad. Since then, Gao Zhihang's name has been known to almost everyone in the military.
Four
On August 13, 1937, the Battle of Songhu broke out. The commander of the Japanese Navy's Third Fleet, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, planned air raids on several Chinese airfields in Hangzhou, Nanchang, and Hongqiao, destroying the Chinese Air Force in one fell swoop. At that time, it was the time of the typhoon crossing, and the Chinese Air Force decided to take the initiative to attack. On August 13, the Chinese Air Force dispatched 76 sorties and bombed important military targets such as the Japanese command, ammunition depots, and landing docks in 9 batches.
Hasegawa Kiyoshi ordered 18 Type 96 land attack aircraft stationed in Taipei to attack Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport at 14:50 on August 14 in an attempt to destroy the Chinese Air Force and airfield equipment.
At 18:10 on the same day, Hangzhou issued an air raid siren. At this time, the 21st, 22nd and 23rd Squadrons of the 4th Brigade of the Chinese Air Force had taken off from Zhoukou, Henan, and after a long flight of bad weather conditions, the fuel was about to run out and was about to land at Jianqiao Airport.
Due to the lack of communication equipment, Gao Zhihang in the rain could only take off again with shouts, gestures and other orders to take off again, and use the last bit of residual oil to intercept the Japanese aircraft. He quickly jumped on the American-made Hawker-3 and led two wingman planes into the sky. In less than 30 minutes of fighting, the 4th Group shot down 3 Japanese aircraft and injured 1, while only 1 fighter on its own side was slightly injured.
The "August 14" air battle was successful, breaking the myth that the Japanese Air Force was invincible. On August 15, the Chinese and Japanese air forces again launched large-scale air battles in Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and other places. The Chinese Air Force shot down 17 enemy aircraft, and on August 16, it shot down another 8 Japanese aircraft. To commemorate the first air victory, the Nationalist government in Nanjing designated August 14 as "Air Force Day."
And China's "air force battle soul" Gao Zhihang has also been reported by the media of various countries. After that, Gao Zhihang made many meritorious achievements, was promoted to the commander of the air force colonel destroyer unit, directly commanded 3 destroyer brigades, and concurrently served as the captain of the 4th Brigade, and the 4th Aviation Brigade was also named "Zhihang Brigade".
On November 21, 1937, Gao Zhihang was ordered to Lanzhou to receive Soviet fighters aiding China, and when he transferred to Zhoukou Airport in Henan, the troops encountered enemy air raids and suffered heavy casualties.
Gao Zhihang stepped into the cockpit to prepare for take-off to meet the battle, but the landline could not be started, and his comrades advised him to avoid it for the time being. He said: "As the Chinese Air Force, how can you let the enemy's planes fly overhead?" just as they started the plane for the third time, a dense number of bombs were dropped from the air, and Gao Zhihang and 14 planes disappeared into a sea of fire.
Gao Zhihang, who was martyred, still clutched the joystick of the plane with both hands, was 30 years old at the time.
Five
After Gao Zhihang returned from France, when he was on a mission in Inner Mongolia, he met the White Russian exiled nobleman Greer, who was full of exoticism and won a great favor from Gao Zhihang, who was also full of admiration for Gao Zhihang, a handsome Chinese who took good care of her because of exile.
Subsequently, the two naturally married and had a daughter: Gao Liliang, and a son: Gao Youliang.
In 1932, Gao Zhihang joined the Central Aviation Administration, but at that time the Central Aviation Administration stipulated that air force officers could not intermarry with foreign women.
In the case that "saving the country" and "love" can only choose one or the other, Gao Zhihang and his wife are painfully separated, and Greer is deported, and there has been no news since. Because of the war, Gao Zhihang left his 4-year-old eldest daughter Gao Liliang in his hometown and never met again.
After Gao Zhihang's death, the Nationalist government and the Military Commission posthumously awarded Gao Zhihang the rank of major general and prepared to send his coffin from Yichang, Hubei Province, to Chongqing for a thick burial by waterway.
On November 22, 1937, Gao Zhihang's memorial service was held in Hankou, and Chiang Kai-shek, chairman of the Military Commission of the Nationalist Government, presided over his memorial service in the great hall of the Hankou Chamber of Commerce, and the Nationalist Government posthumously awarded him the rank of major general. Tens of thousands of people in Hankou spontaneously took to the streets to mourn.
At the beginning of 1938, due to the frequent bombing by enemy aircraft, the chaos at the Yichang wharf, and the tense war, for security reasons, Gong Liang, the priest of the Catholic Church on The Erma Road in Yichang, and others held a burial for the martyr Gao Zhihang on the spot.
On August 14, 1946, the Chinese Communists held a symposium in Yan'an to commemorate the great victory of the "August 14th" air battle to commemorate the heroic deeds of Gao Zhihang and his comrades-in-arms.
During the Qingming Dynasty in 2010, the Yichang civil affairs department mobilized the masses to search for Gao Zhihang's cemetery, and after verification by the relevant departments, it was confirmed that Gao Zhihang's cemetery was located under the camphor tree in the hospital of Yichang Central People's Hospital (Old Medical College).