Using lard instead of lubricating oil and wood as insulating material, he built the Eighth Route Army's own communication radio station | Time Letter

After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, in order to save the nation's survival, a group of scientists resolutely rushed to the revolutionary holy land of Yan'an. In that place where the economy and culture were extremely backward and scientific research conditions were extremely difficult, they dedicated their scientific wisdom to study scientific research topics that were urgently needed by the Party and the people.

Young Luo Peilin

Mr. Luo Peilin is such a "red scientist". In one of his manuscripts, "Two or Three Things in the Early Days under the Leadership of Comrade Wang Zheng", he recalled the stories of his time with Wang Zheng in Yan'an and the cadre school, and recounted his experience of going to Yan'an to participate in the anti-Japanese war.

Going to Yan'an to participate in the anti-Japanese war was a decision made out of despair of the Kuomintang at a critical moment when the nation was in danger. There were also some other factors. My classmate Yang Jinxin often came to my place and said that several classmates from Jiaotong University were preparing to go to Yan'an. There was also the influence of progressive classmates on me at school and reading some progressive books that gave me some vague ideas.

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

In December 1937, Luo Peilin gave up his generous salary of 120 yuan per month and went to Yan'an to join the revolution.

In March 1938, Luo Peilin secretly went to Yan'an and joined the Third Bureau of the Central Military Commission. He participated in the establishment of the Yan'an (Yandianzi) Communications Materials Factory and was in charge of technical and production work. This was also the first communications equipment factory in the border area.

At that time, Yan'an's communication equipment was mainly captured on the battlefield and modified, and it did not have independent research and development capabilities. Once the Communication Materials Factory was established, Luo Peilin immediately took the lead in developing a radio station. Due to the lack of raw materials, Luo Peilin and technical workers organized the collection of dry batteries from the masses' radios and flashlights, and on the other hand, they creatively used lard instead of lubricating oil, used liquor as alcohol, and used the pear wood in the mountains of Yan'an as insulating material.

Overcoming numerous difficulties, Luo Peilin and technical workers designed and developed a variety of radio parts such as variable capacitors, band switches and variable resistors, and finally built the Eighth Route Army's own communication radio. In addition, Luo Peilin led the communication material factory to design, assemble and manufacture about 60 7.5-watt mobile radios and 1 50-watt transmitter, providing a batch of urgently needed radio equipment for the anti-Japanese troops at the front, making up for the shortcomings of our backward communication equipment in the fight against the Japanese. At the same time, Luo Peilin also served as a teacher at the Radio Communication School of the Military Commission in Yan'an, training communication talents for the anti-Japanese front.

Chairman Mao Zedong once personally wrote an inscription to commend the outstanding contribution of the Communication Materials Factory: "With the development of creativity, any difficulties can be overcome, and the self-production of communication materials is proof of this."

In 1997, Luo Peilin (first from right) revisited Yan'an Source | Academic Growth Data Collection Project for Senior Scientists

Mr. Luo Peilin devoted his entire life to the scientific cause of the motherland and made important contributions to the development of my country's electronic technology and industrial construction!

Luo Peilin

(1913-2011)

Electronics and information scientists

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

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Academic growth data collection project for senior scientists

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