Lin Hu (general) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lin Hu
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林虎
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Lin Hu in 1949, before the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China
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| Deputy Commander of the PLA Air Force | |
| In office 1985–1994 Serving with Li Yongtai, Liu Zhitian
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| Commanders | Wang Hai, Cao Shuangming |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 December 1927 Harbin, Heilongjiang, Republic of China |
| Died | 3 March 2018 (aged 90) Beijing, China |
| Political party | Communist Party of China |
| Alma mater | Northeast China Democratic United Army Aviation School |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  People's Republic of China |
| Branch/service |  Eighth Route Army People's Liberation Army Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938–1994 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars | Second Sino-Japanese War, Korean War, Second Taiwan Strait Crisis |
Lin Hu (born December 26, 1927 – died March 3, 2018) was a brave Chinese pilot and a high-ranking general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). He had a Russian mother and a Chinese father. Lin became an orphan when he was very young. He joined the army to fight in the Second Sino-Japanese War before he was even 11 years old!
After World War II, he learned to fly fighter jets. He flew in important conflicts like the Korean War and the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. Lin later became a top leader, serving as deputy commander of the PLAAF from 1985 to 1994. He reached the rank of lieutenant general in 1988.
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Lin Hu's Early Life
Lin Hu was born on December 26, 1927, in Harbin, a city in Heilongjiang province, China. His father, who was from Zhaoyuan, Shandong province, moved to Harbin. There, he met Lin's mother, who was a Russian woman. They had three children together. Lin was the middle child, with an older sister and a younger brother.
When Lin Hu was just a few years old, his father sadly passed away from the cold. Soon after, his mother and younger brother also became sick and died. Lin became an orphan at a very young age. He was adopted by a family named Lin and was given the name Lin Gensheng (林根生). His sister was adopted by a different family.
A Young Soldier and Pilot
In October 1938, when Lin was not yet 11 years old, he joined the Eighth Route Army. This was during the Japanese invasion of China. He fought as a guerrilla soldier in the Yimeng Mountains of Shandong province. His leaders gave him a new name, Lin Hu, which means "forest tiger."
In 1945, Lin became a member of the Communist Party of China. After Japan surrendered at the end of World War II, the Communist Northeast Army took over some Japanese warplanes. They also gained pilots and mechanics. This led to the creation of China's first aviation school. Lin was chosen to train as a pilot at this school. He finished his training in 1949.
On October 1, 1949, a big ceremony was held to celebrate the founding of the People's Republic of China. Lin Hu was one of the pilots who flew a P-51 Mustang fighter plane over Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Flying in Major Conflicts
During the Korean War, Lin was a deputy regiment commander in the People's Volunteer Army Air Force. He was known for his skill in the air. He was credited with shooting down one American F-86 Sabre jet fighter and damaging another. The F-86 Sabre was considered one of the best jet fighters of the United States Air Force at that time.
After the Korean War ended, Lin was promoted. He became the deputy commander of the 18th Division of the PLA Air Force. This division was based at the Shadi Air Base in Foshan, Guangdong. In 1958, during the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, Lin showed his bravery again. He shot down two Taiwanese warplanes and damaged a third.
A Leader in the Air Force
Lin Hu continued to rise through the ranks in the PLA Air Force. He served in many important roles. In 1985, he was promoted to deputy commander of the entire PLA Air Force. He worked alongside other Korean War veterans like Li Yongtai and Liu Zhitian. In 1988, he was given the rank of lieutenant general. He retired from active service in October 1994.
In August 1997, Lin made a special last flight. He flew a Sukhoi Su-30 jet at the MAKS Air Show. He performed amazing aerobatic moves, including the "Pugachev's Cobra." This was done with the help of another pilot, Anatoly Kvochur.
In January 2002, Lin published a book. It was called Fight to Protect the Motherland's Airspace—A Retrospective of the Air Battles in the First Twenty Years of New China. The book described the PLAAF's defense operations between 1949 and 1969.
Lin Hu's Passing
Lin Hu passed away on the evening of March 3, 2018. He was 90 years old. Interestingly, he died on the same day as his friend and colleague, Yao Xian. Yao Xian was also a Korean War veteran and a PLAAF lieutenant general. Both men were born in the same year and graduated from the same aviation school.
Personal Life
Lin Hu had a daughter named Lin Li (林莉).
