Zhou Xihan
Vice Admiral who fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Zhou Xihan (August 27, 1913 – November 7, 1988) was a Vice Admiral of the People's Liberation Army Navy. He served in the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and Eighth Route Army, fighting through the Chinese Civil Wars and Second Sino-Japanese War. Over his career, he held roles from staff officer to army commander, participated in the Long March, and later helped establish anti-Japanese bases in southern Yue. After the founding of the People's Republic, he became Chief of Staff of the PLA Navy and was awarded the Second Class August 1 Medal, the First Class Order of Independence and Freedom, and the First Class Order of Liberation in 1955. Shortly before his death, he received the First Class Red Star Medal of Honor.
Quick Facts
- Honorific prefix
- Vice Admiral
- Born
- 27 August 1913
- Died
- 7 November 1988
- Birthplace
- Macheng, Hubei, Republic of China
- Place of death
- Beijing, China
- Branch
- China
- Service years
- 1928-1987
- Party
- Chinese Communist Party
Facts from the source article.
Military career
Zhou Xihan began as a staff officer at the headquarters of the Fourth Red Front Army, then served as Director of the Operations Section at the headquarters of the 9th Red Army and the 31st Army. He participated in anti-encirclement and suppression operations in the Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Sichuan, Shaanxi Soviet areas and later the Long March. After the war against Japan broke out, he became Director of the Operations Section and Chief of Staff of the Supplementary Regiment of the 386th Brigade, 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army. He fought at the battles of Qiwan Village and Shentouling and the anti-"Ninth Route encirclement and suppression operation" in Southeastern Shanxi. In June 1938, he was made Chief of Staff of the 386th Brigade. He later entered Southern Hebei to carry out guerrilla warfare in the plains and participated in the command of the Battle of Xiangchenggu. In June 1940, he served as Commander of the 386th Brigade and the Southern Advance Detachment of the Taiyue Military Region, and concurrently Deputy Commander of the Second Military Division of the Taiyue Military Region. He was one of the leading figures in opening and developing anti-Japanese bases in Southern Yue and other areas. In November 1943, he trained at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. After the war, he commanded the 10th Brigade of the 4th Column of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Field Army, participating in the battles of Wenxia, Linfu, Lüliang, and marching to Western Henan, Luoyang, Wanxi, Wandong, and Huaihai. In 1949, he became Commander of the 13th Army of the Second Field Army and fought at Dujiang, Guangxi, and Southern Yunnan. After the founding of the People's Republic, he was Commander of the Yunnan Garrison. In January 1951, he studied at the newly established People's Liberation Army Military Academy. Later, he was transferred to Chief of Staff of the PLA Navy through a program by the Revolutionary Military Commission. During this period, he participated in the sinking of the Kuomintang naval frigate Taiping, the Battle of Yijiangshan Islands, and the anti-landing military exercise on the Liaodong Peninsula. In December 1958, he became deputy commander and consultant to the PLA Navy. During the Civil War, his troops maimed or captured 61 Kuomintang generals, including eight two-star generals such as Tang Yao, Commander of the Kuomintang Eighth Army Corps and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang Army, Yu Yingqi and Huang Zhengcheng of the Yue-Gui Bandit Suppression Headquarters, and Qiu Xingxiang. In spring 1950, he was ordered to train and equip the People's Army of Vietnam. He drilled them rigorously, and four months later, Chen Geng assessed them with excellent results.
Peculiarities
Zhou Xihan started smoking at age seven or eight and was never seen without a cigarette after joining the army. He followed three self-discipline rules: no smoking before bed, no smoking in front of his superiors, and no smoking when meeting with his superiors. On the battlefield, he invented the "squatting pit smoking method": he would dig a pit, cover half his body, squat in it, and use his coat to cover his head while smoking, making it impossible to emit any light within 200 meters. This method was widely adopted by smokers in various units during the Civil War. Duan Jianxun recalled that after the founding of the republic, whenever Zhou inspected troops, he always went to the kitchen—first to check the food, second to teach skills. He was skilled at making dumplings (rolling dough, mixing filling, wrapping quickly) and making pickled vegetables. In February 1949, the 13th Army was formed in Huangge Village, Yancheng County, Henan with Zhou as commander. Deng Xiaoping asked him: "Zhou Xihan, you should have been an army commander long ago. Do you know why it's only now that you've been promoted?" Zhou answered: "Is it arrogance?" Deng nodded: "Exactly, that's what we need to do to curb your arrogance." Zhou said: "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. I know this is my shortcoming, but I just can't get rid of it." Deng responded: "Whether you can change it or not, you must change it! You absolutely must change it!" Zhou's arrogance was related to his upbringing: he became a section chief instead of a battalion commander, a brigade commander instead of a regimental commander, and an army commander instead of a division commander. He fought in countless battles but had not a single bullet wound. In the 1980s, Zhou was in Guangzhou for winter rest at the Pearl River Hotel. Li Xiannian, then President, was also staying there. Zhou's secretary suggested a visit; Zhou waved it off. Li Xiannian pushed open the door and said, "Others know I'm here and drive all the way to see me. And you? You just sit here, not even giving me a proper greeting." Zhou replied, "I went to rest early. I was afraid your threshold would be too high and I'd trip over it. How was I supposed to know you wanted to come see me?" Li sighed, "You're so stubborn!"
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