Zhao Dengyu or Chao Teng-yu (, 1898–1937) was a Chinese general, distinguished for his service at the beginning of the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
.
He was born in a peasant family in
Heze
Heze, formerly known as Caozhou, is the westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong province, China, it borders Jining to the east and the provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively.
History
Caozhou was at the center ...
,
Shandong Province in 1898. He first served as a soldier in the troops commanded by
Feng Yuxiang
Feng Yuxiang (; ; 6 November 1882 – 1 September 1948), courtesy name Huanzhang (焕章), was a warlord and a leader of the Republic of China from Chaohu, Anhui. He served as Vice Premier of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1930. He wa ...
in 1914. After 1922, he distinguished himself on the battlefield and rose through ranks and became successively platoon leader, company commander, battalion commander, regiment commander, brigade commander and division commander. In 1930, he was transferred to be the commander of the 109th Brigade, 37th Division, 29th Army.
On March 8, 1933 during the
Defense of the Great Wall
The defense of the Great Wall () (January 1 – May 31, 1933) was a campaign between the armies of Republic of China and Empire of Japan, which took place before the Second Sino-Japanese War officially commenced in 1937 and after the Japanese in ...
, he was ordered to relieve the troops stationed at the
Xifengkou Pass on the
Great Wall
The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups ...
. On the 10th, he led his troops to launch a night surprise attack on the bivouac of the Japanese troops, in which his troops annihilated hundreds of the Japanese troops, captured over 10 machineguns and burned over 10 Japanese supply-carrying vehicles. On the 11th, the 109th Brigade was ordered to take a devious route to attack the rear area of the Japanese troops. In this battle, the Chinese soldiers Killing the Japanese invaders 3000 enemy troops and destroyed 18 enemy artillery pieces. After the battles at the Great Wall, he was promoted to be commander of the 132nd Division, the 29th Army and led his troops to garrison Chahar.
On July 27, 1937, during the
Battle of Beiping-Tianjin
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, Zhao led an advance regiment to arrive at the headquarters of the 29th Army in
Nanyuan,
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. On the morning of the 28th, the main force of the Japanese troops launched a fierce attack against Nanyuan under the fire support of dozens of its fighter planes. Together with
Tong Linge, deputy commander of the 29th Army, Zhao directed the troops stationed in Nanyuan to resist the Japanese troops. In this battle his right arm and leg were wounded, yet he still remained at the frontline to command his troops in fight. Later, he was ordered to lead his troops to assemble at
Dahongmen, making preparations for counterattack. However, on the way to Dahongmen to the south of the city, he was shot in the chest by Japanese ambush troops and died in action. On July 31, 1937, the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
government conferred posthumously the rank of army general to him.
Source
PLA Daily, Zhao Dengyu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhao, Dengyu
National Revolutionary Army generals from Shandong
1898 births
1937 deaths
People from Heze