On this day, 27 years ago, on August 6, 1998 (June 15, 1998 in the lunar calendar), Comrade Deng Zhaoxiang, captain of the Chongqing, died in Beijing due to illness. On August 6, 1998, Comrade Deng Zhaoxiang, a famous patriot, an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, an outstanding leading cadre of our army, an outstanding military commander, vice chairman of the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth National Committees of the China People's Political Consultative Conference, and former deputy commander of the Navy, died in Beijing due to illness at the age of 95. Comrade Deng Zhaoxiang was born in Gaoyao County, Guangdong Province in April 1903. At the age of 11, he was admitted to the 16th term of study at Huangpu Naval School. In January 1930, he went to study at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, England and the British Naval Torpedo School. After returning to China in 1934, he successively served as deputy captain, battalion commander and captain of the Water Torpedo Battalion. In February 1949, he led the entire ship's officers and soldiers to hold the "Chongqing" Uprising that shocked China and foreign countries. In March of the same year, he was appointed captain of the "Chongqing" ship of the China People's Liberation Army Navy. After the founding of New China, he served successively as vice president of the First Naval School, deputy commander of the Qingdao Naval Base, and deputy commander of the North Sea Fleet. He is a member of the First, Second and Third National Defense Commissions, a member of the First National Committee of the China People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress. In 1955, he was awarded the rank of Rear Admiral. Extended reading: Captain Deng Zhaoxiang of the "Chongqing" Extended reading: Captain Deng Zhaoxiang of the "Chongqing" was born in April 1903 in Shuangmiancun Village, Zhaoqing Town (now Zhaoqing City), Gaoyao County, Guangdong Province (now Duanzhou District, Zhaoqing City). Teenager Deng Zhaoxiang was admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy with the support of his fellow villagers. In school, Deng Zhaoxiang worked hard to gain strength, studied naval knowledge, and has always been a top student. In 1929, the National Government sent outstanding naval officers to study in Britain. This was the first batch of international students sent by China after the Revolution of 1911. Deng Zhaoxiang was selected with excellent results. During his five years of studying abroad in the UK, he spent almost all of his time and energy on his studies and became a "naval official" in the UK. In April 1934, the ambitious Deng Zhaoxiang graduated and returned home by boat from Britain. He was assigned to the Shanghai Kuomintang Naval Torpedo Battalion as the battalion commander. Torpedo ships were attack warships. However, during the Shanghai Songhu War of Resistance, Chiang Kai-shek implemented the "no resistance" policy and did not want to fight with the Japanese Navy at all. He refused to provide reinforcements from torpedo ships, resulting in the fall of Shanghai. Deng Zhaoxiang's enthusiasm for serving the country was poured on a bucket of cold water. On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. It happened that while the Allies were distributing surplus war materials, a British warship was to be presented as a gift to the China navy. Under the nomination and recommendation of Zhou Xianzhang, staff member of the Naval General Command, Deng Zhaoxiang was appointed as the captain of the first brigade of the Cadet Corps going to Britain to receive ships. In September 1945, he was appointed lieutenant colonel captain of the "Changzhi" left behind by Japan. In May 1946, Deng Zhaoxiang led his students to Britain to receive donated warships. This cruiser, once the flagship of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, was originally called "Oulu". Chiang Kai-shek changed its name to the "Chungking" and appointed Deng Zhaoxiang as the captain of the ship. In order to accept and use the "Chongqing" well, Deng Zhaoxiang stayed in the UK for more than two years, conducting training in various combat techniques and long-range navigation. In early October 1948, Deng Zhaoxiang was ordered to lead the "Chongqing" north to join the Liaoshen Campaign. When the ship sailed to Huludao Port near Jinzhou, Chiang Kai-shek personally boarded the "Chongqing" to deploy the war in Northeast China. Navy Commander Gui Yongqing was also stationed on the "Chongqing", commanding the ship's main gun and six artillery pieces with a range of 50 miles to launch an attack on our fourth column, which was holding on to Tashan. However, Deng Zhaoxiang hated civil war and refused to approach the coast of Tashan to attack the People's Liberation Army positions on the pretext of the deep draft of the warships. After five days of blind bombardment, he withdrew from Hulu Port, returned without success, and returned to Shanghai. At this time, the best anchor positions in the Huangpu River were occupied by American warships, and the "Chongqing" could only live in remote corners, which severely affected the self-esteem of the officers and soldiers. Deng Zhaoxiang thought at that time, the United States helped Chiang Kai-shek fight against China, but the People's Liberation Army was unstoppable. If this goes on, what good future does Chiang Kai-shek have in launching a civil war? The "Chongqing" has a gun, weapons and librarian named Bi Zhongyuan, who is an underground member of the Communist Party of China. Under his secret organization, the "Chongqing Warship Soldiers Liberation Committee" was established on the ship, preparing to launch an uprising among the officers and soldiers of the warships and sail the warships to the Jiefang District. On February 24, 1949, the "Chongqing" was transferred from Gaochang Temple to Wusongkou to anchor and stand by. Bi Zhongyuan and the "Chongqing Warship Soldiers Liberation Committee" decisively decided to uprising at Wusongkou, Shanghai at 1:30 on February 25, and decided to get Captain Deng Zhaoxiang to participate in the operation. Deng Zhaoxiang resolutely decided to revolt and defect to the Communist Party. He personally drew the chart and deceived the Kuomintang naval authorities. At 5:45 on February 25, under Deng Zhaoxiang's order, the 7000-ton cruiser carrying 574 sailors left Wusongkou in the morning. In order to avoid accidental attacks by the People's Liberation Army, a homemade red five-star flag on a white background was specially hung on the mast of the "Chongqing". At 6 a.m. on February 26, 1949, after 25 hours of sailing, the cruiser "Chongqing" successfully arrived at Yantai Port in Shandong Province. This morning, an early militiaman suddenly discovered a giant creature appearing on the misty sea outside Yantai Port and hurriedly reported it to the Yantai Military Region duty room. The commander of the military region immediately led his people to the beach. As the sea fog dissipated, a huge warship appeared in front of him. After contact, it was confirmed that this was the famous Kuomintang's largest cruiser-the "Chungking"! "The 'Chongqing' revolted!" A radio wave flew to the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Xibaipo. Mao Zedong was overjoyed when he heard this and said repeatedly: "Good, good, great!" At this critical moment, the most lethal flagship "Chongqing" defected and came to the Jiefang District. How can it not be happy? Deng Zhaoxiang led the "Chongqing" to defect to the "Communist Army", which surprised Chiang Kai-shek, who dreamed of defending the Yangtze River defense line. On the one hand, he dismissed the naval commander Gui Yongqing and prohibited all naval ships from going to sea; On the other hand, it ordered the Air Force to blow up and sink the "Chungking" at all costs. On the afternoon of the day of the uprising, the "Chongqing" was discovered by a Kuomintang civil aircraft. The next day, Kuomintang aircraft came to bomb. Considering the safety of the uprising officers and soldiers and warships, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De personally went to the ship to study countermeasures with Deng Zhaoxiang and decided to sail the warship to Huludao Port in Liaodong, occupied by the People's Liberation Army. On March 3, the Northeast Military Region sent Wu Xiuquan, Chief of Staff, to the port and terminal to personally welcome the "Chongqing". On March 5, Deng Zhaoxiang and the 574 officers and soldiers on board called Chairman Mao Zedong and Commander-in-Chief Zhu De to join the People's Liberation Army and serve the people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. On March 15, with the approval of the central government, the Northeast Military Region officially appointed Deng Zhaoxiang as captain of the cruiser "Chongqing" of the China People's Liberation Army Navy. At this time, the People's Navy had not yet been established, and Deng had already been appointed captain of the People's Navy. This is an interesting phenomenon in the history of our military. On March 26, the Party Central Committee sent He Long to Huludao in the rain to express condolences to all officers and soldiers of the "Chongqing" and delivered an enthusiastic speech. He specially met Deng Zhaoxiang and said to him: "You are an expert in the navy. Building the People's Navy requires talents like you. Don't have any worries. I used to be a military commander of the Kuomintang, but I came here a few days earlier than you. Boss Zhu, Boss Peng, and Liu Bocheng were all regiment commanders and brigade commanders in the Kuomintang army. Now it is they who command the troops to overthrow Chiang Kai-shek. I hope you can contribute to the construction of the People's Navy. Deng Zhaoxiang felt great relief after listening to what He Long said. He said: "Thank you, Mr. He, for your trust and concern. I will do my best to contribute my modest contribution to the construction of the People's Navy." The China People's Liberation Army is in urgent need of naval talents. In August 1950, Deng Zhaoxiang volunteered to establish the first naval speedboat school in New China in Qingdao and served as the first principal. In March 1955, he was transferred to the position of vice principal of the Dalian Naval School, assisting the naval commander and principal Xiao Jinguang in his work. Under extremely difficult conditions, Deng Zhaoxiang and his teachers compiled teaching materials, made teaching aids, researched and improved teaching methods, and cultivated a large number of outstanding naval talents for New China. Among them, the speedboat unit composed of the first batch of graduates made extraordinary achievements in the battles to liberate Dachen Island and Yijiangshan Island, and was praised by Mao Zedong. In 1955, Deng Zhaoxiang was awarded the rank of Rear Admiral and received the First Class Liberation Medal. In June 1956, he was transferred from the academy to the Qingdao Naval Base, where he successively served as deputy chief of staff, deputy commander and deputy commander of the North Sea Fleet. In September 1965, Deng Zhaoxiang, 62, joined the Communist Party of China. In December 1981, 78-year-old Deng Zhaoxiang was transferred from Qingdao to Beijing to serve as deputy commander of the People's Navy. In 1985, following Deng Zhaoxiang's repeated sincere requests, the Central Military Commission approved his retirement, ending his more than 70-year naval career. It is rare in the history of the world's navies to have served in active service continuously for so many years in his life, and there is only one person in China. On August 6, 1998, Deng Zhaoxiang passed away at the age of 95. In accordance with Deng Lao's wishes, relatives scattered his ashes into the Yellow Sea. The waves of the motherland embrace the heroic spirit of this son of the sea and stir up his extraordinary and legendary life. Representatives of the People's Liberation Army and Deng Zhaoxiang reviewed the officers and soldiers of the Chongqing Ship Uprising together