General Po Hui-chang?

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keith A
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General Po Hui-chang?

#1

Post by keith A » 21 Jul 2013, 23:02

This officer is mentioned as commanding the 58th Division of the 74th Army in the Hsuchow offensive, and the battle of Lanfeng. He appears to have replaced Yu Chi-shih (Yu Jishi) but was himself replaced by Feng Shen-fa (Feng Ching-fa) in the battle of Wanjialing.

Edward Chen
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#2

Post by Edward Chen » 23 Jul 2013, 00:05

Po Hui-chang [柏輝章; Bo Huizhang ?-1952] was never involved with 74th Army (sic).
In the period you cited, Po commanded the 102nd Division (beginning May 7, 1935) subordinated under Huang Chieh's [黄杰; Huang Jie] 8th Army (sic). On July 21, 1939 Po became 4th Army deputy commander, and in 1944 88th Army deputy commander.

Source: The Chinese Nationalist Party's Nine Thousand Generals [中国国民党九千将领], p564.

In typical OOB's, such as in Hsu and Chang's History of the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), p231 for the Northern/Eastern Honan Campaigns (Feb-June 1938), 8th Army is listed right after 74th Army, as they were part of General Hsueh Yueh's [薛岳; Xue Yue] ad hoc "Eastern Honan Army" [豫东兵团].

Yu Chi-shih [俞济时; Yu Jishi 1904-1990] commanded 58th Division from June 1935 until November 1937; he was also the 74th Army's first commander from August 1937 - June 1939, thereby concurrently commanding the division for three months.
Feng Sheng-fa [冯圣法; Feng Shengfa 1903-1957] took over command of 58th Division on October 20, 1937, and became 74th Army deputy commander on July 9, 1939.

The entry in Baike cites, interestingly enough, that the famous Zunyi Conference of January 15, 1935 during the "Long March" took place in what was General Po Hui-chang's private residence, as Po was a native of Zunyi, Guizhou. It was during this now-historic conference where Mao Zedong and his supporters wrested control of the Communist Party of China and the "Red Army of Workers and Peasants" from the Soviet Comintern-backed western-educated Communist faction led by Bo Gu and Otto Braun.

http://baike.baidu.com/view/1903361.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zunyi_Conference

Hope this helps,


keith A
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#3

Post by keith A » 23 Jul 2013, 19:16

Thanks Edward, that's weird. My notes indicate him commanding the 58th in the Hsuchow campaign of 1937-8, and the battle of Lanfeng. I have Feng Sheng-fa leading them in the battles of Wanjialing and Nanchang and that he was replaced by a general called Chen Shih? by the time of the Battle of Changsha in late 1939. Presumably he was replaced by Zhang Lingfu in 1941?

regards,

Keith

Edward Chen
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#4

Post by Edward Chen » 24 Jul 2013, 10:15

NRA 58th Division C.O.'s:
1935.06 - 1937.11: Yu Chi-shih [俞濟時; Yu Jishi]
1937.11 - 1939.09: Feng Sheng-fa [馮聖法; Feng Shengfa]
1939.08 - 1940.02: Ch'en Shih-cheng [陳式正; Chen Shizheng]
1940.02 - 1941.10: Liao Ling-ch'i [廖齡奇; Liao Lingqi]
1941.10 - 1944.07: Chang Ling-fu [張靈甫; Zhang Lingfu]
1944.07 - 1946.05: Ts'ai Jen-chieh [蔡仁傑; Cai Renjie]

The NRA 58th Division participated in the Shanghai-Nanjing Defense Campaign (Aug-Dec 1937); and the Northern/Eastern Honan Campaign (Feb-Jun 1938) culminating in the abortive counterstroke at Lanfeng, concurrent with but not the same as the Xuzhou Campaign.
The other campaigns cited are correct, among many others in the storied history of the NRA 74th Army [sic].

Po Hui-chang [柏輝章; Bo Huizhang] commanded the 102nd Division as mentioned before, through the Shanghai-Nanjing Defense Campaign; the Northern/Eastern Honan Campaign; the Wuhan Defense Campaign; and the First, Second and Third Changsha Defense Campaigns while also serving concurrently as 4th Army [sic] deputy commander.
Again, he never commanded any formations within 74th Army, let alone 58th Division.

Sources:
- The Nationalist Army's Elite: The NRA 74th Army Combat History [國軍王牌部隊 -- 國軍第七十四軍戰史]
- The Chinese Nationalist Party's Nine Thousand Generals [中国国民党九千将领];
- Condensed History of the Chinese Nationalist Forces [国民党军简史]

Hope this helps.

keith A
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#5

Post by keith A » 24 Jul 2013, 16:11

Thanks Edward. It's odd that the OOBs I took Po's name from seem to be ok, apart from this major error. Were the 74th equipped by the Americans after 1943? I realise that quite a bit of lend-lease equipment was supplied to X, Y and Z forces but was the 74th supplied with SMGs, mortars and artillery? Most of the photos I have found don't give unit details. I assume they had Vz-24 and model 88 rifles, but as an elite unit I have read CKS made an effort to provide them with the best equipment.

regards

Keith

keith A
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#6

Post by keith A » 24 Jul 2013, 19:34

The 74th certainly are an odd crowd. One commander imprisoned for murdering his wife, another executed for going on marital leave.... blimey!!!

Edward Chen
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#7

Post by Edward Chen » 21 Aug 2013, 08:14

keith A wrote:The 74th certainly are an odd crowd. One commander imprisoned for murdering his wife, another executed for going on marital leave.... blimey!!!
Keith, care to cite this cryptic quip in a little more detail?
(which commanders were accused of what, and sentenced with what)

keith A
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#8

Post by keith A » 21 Aug 2013, 18:59

Sorry Edward, I should have put more info in my e-mail. This is from Wikipedia:

(Zhang Ling-Fu) In 1936, he suspected his wife of being a communist sympathizer; she stole some military documents from him, so he shot her dead in his home. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek sentenced him to ten years in prison. He was released in 1938.

The second event is from a book on the Chinese military that I found on GoogleBooks. I will get the details and post them. Apparently the poor chap went on leave and when the high command found he was missing he was arrested and executed. I don't have the name to hand at the moment but this was in 1944. I will look up my source.

best regards

Keith

keith A
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Re: General Po Hui-chang?

#9

Post by keith A » 22 Aug 2013, 14:40

This is the general that was executed for taking leave to marry his wife. Liao Lingqi Major-General (1904 – 1941) (廖龄奇) (Liao Ling-chi)
He was rehabilitated. Found it here http://www.generals.dk/general/Liao_Lingqi/_/China.html

74th Army seems to have lost quite a few senior officers in the war.

best regards

Keith

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