December 31, 1950, is destined to be a great day. At this time, only one week after the second battle to resist US aggression and aid to Korea, our volunteers took advantage of the victory and united with the Korean People’s Army to penetrate the entire defense. Strong1strong broke through the Linjin River defense line in only 13 hours, penetrated into the defense line 20 kilometers in depth in just one day, and completely collapsed the enemy's "38th line" defense line in only two days. On the 4th, our army successfully captured Seoul.
This campaign, in which our army and the Korean People’s Army actively launched an offensive and achieved full victory, once again broke the myth of the invincibility of the US coalition forces, and politically shattered the US coalition’s "retreat as advance" conspiracy.
When the weather conditions are extremely bad and the volunteers have just gone through a big battle and won a big victory, why don't our troops take a break and wait for the soldiers to return to their best conditions before fighting? There are still people wondering why we didn't try to negotiate with the victory of the second battle to maximize the benefits of victory?
Picture|The great proletarian revolutionary Mao Zedong
There is a reason to launch the third battle in a short time. On December 14, 1950, in the absence of a Chinese representative to participate in the discussion, the US government manipulated the United Nations to pass a resolution that established the "three-person Korean armistice committee" , and demanded an "immediate ceasefire."
Premier Zhou issued a statement on this: It would be hypocritical if there is no withdrawal of all foreign troops from North Korea and North Korea’s internal affairs are resolved by the North Korean people on the basis of the negotiation of a truce.
Chairman Mao clearly pointed out in the telegram to General Peng Dehuai: "At present, the United States and Britain are asking our military to stop north of the 38th parallel.To benefit the whole army to fight again. Therefore, our army must cross the 38th parallel. If it stops north of the 38th parallel, it will be politically disadvantageous. ”_Span17span
Figure|October 19, 1950, the Chinese People’s Volunteers crossed the Yalu River with great vigor and pride, and joined the Korean people to fight the invaders
After receiving Chairman Mao’s instructions, General Peng Dehuai Immediately make plans, solve difficulties, adjust the army, coordinate with friendly forces, and quickly enter a wartime state. The six armies of our volunteer army and the three armies of the Korean People’s Army, nearly 300,000 people, formed a mighty army.
A few days later, in the night of the end of the year, it traveled from north to south to the 38th parallel. This was the first offensive campaign organized by the Volunteers after entering the DPRK. It was also the first campaign for the Volunteers and the People’s Army. Large-scale coordinated operations .
The first cannon on the banks of the Linjin River was sounded. Since then, the horn of the third battle to resist US aggression and aid to Korea was officially sounded.
MacArthur is no longer a hero of the United States, and Li Qiwei is no longer at ease. US President Truman urgently convened the National Security Council to study the crisis brought about by this "catastrophic failure."
Figure | Stalin (most Right), Roosevelt and Churchill photo
When our Volunteers and the Korean People’s Army penetrated into the enemy’s interior and captured Yezhou and Icheon, after eight day and night battles, the "United Nations Army" retreated steadily and retreated. To Pyeongtaek and Ancheng line. General Peng Dehuai, commander and political commissar of the China-North Korea Joint Command, decided to stop the pursuit.
This move has puzzled many people. The North Korean leader Kim Il Sung was very dissatisfied with General Peng Dehuai's actions, saying "The show just started. The two sides have only been in contact for a few days, so why did Mingjin stop the troops?"
In his opinion, in the case of a major collapse of the enemy, the enemy can be driven into the sea by the pursuit of victory at this time. At this time, many people in the DPRK shared the same views as Kim Il Sung. Even so, General Peng Dehuai withstood the tremendous pressure and decided to give up the pursuit.
Picture|Stalin, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The dispute between China and North Korea also alarmed Chairman Mao and Stalin. Chairman Mao received a detailed report from General Peng Dehuai after the war. Strong1strong agreed with Peng Dehuai very much. The general's decision expressed support and understanding.
After Stalin learned the news, he praised General Peng Dehuai as a "leading wizard". In response to the doubts raised by the North Korean side to the Soviet side, Stalin responded to the Soviet ambassador to North Korea: Peng Dehuai is a tried-and-tested commander in command. Peng's command.
Many people wonder why President Peng made such a decision. If you have a more comprehensive understanding of the specific situation at the time, you can also know how strategic this decision is.
Picture|Chairman Mao and General Peng Dehuai
First of all, the climate and topography of the battlefield were two natural factors that were one of the biggest problems in the march. It was a cold winter and the twelfth month of the year. The weather was freezing and the Linjin River was fought. Strong1strong . In the snowy night of more than twenty degrees below zero on the north bank of the river, the volunteers concealed themselves in the traffic trenches covered by ice and snow. Can't stamp.
In order to hide whereabouts,Everyone handed out a piece of white cloth, and the soldiers curled up in the trenches in the snow, insisting on one night a day, all covered in snow.
Sun Rongchen, then deputy instructor of the 20th Army Company, described the conditions at the time: " The socks, shoes, and fleshy skin I wore were stuck together. The war is over. I can’t take off my socks or my shoes. Yes, I sat on the hot kang of the common people for a month before taking off my shoes and socks."
The enemy used the river as a defense. The frozen river surface was shattered by artillery. Our soldiers crossed the river through the icy waist-deep icy water. After landing, the cotton trousers and shoes froze. Volunteers sometimes had difficulty bending their legs. Strong1strong almost lost consciousness after a battle.
Picture|The soldiers of the transport troops are checking the vehicles (photographed in June 1952)
When crossing the river, in order to prevent the shoes and pants from sticking together and unable to separate after crossing the river, the soldiers all It was a futile, took off his cotton trousers and cotton shoes, and crossed the river on his head.
The water is piercing, and the soldiers are all wood when they step down. I don't know if they are mud or sand or stone. Some soldiers crossed the river in their shoes. They couldn't take off their shoes after the war, and their skins were torn off together.
It can be seen that marching in the severe cold has irreversible damage to the soldiers' bodies. The extremely low temperature is a condition that ordinary people can't stand, but the environment the soldiers are in is far more severe than imagined. Extreme terrain conditions are another factor in the harsh environment during the march.
Picture|In 1952, during the Battle of Shangganling, the Chinese People’s Volunteers, supported by artillery fire, attacked the 537.7 plateau Beishan
75 kilometers north of Seoul,The Linjin River traverses the north and south, and one section of the happens to lie horizontally on the "38 line" . The mountains on both sides are steep and the river surface is more than 100 meters wide. The South Korean Army, placed in the first line, built a depth on the south bank Three defensive positions of about 9 kilometers, multiple wire fences, huge minefields, and dense bunker groups.
The United Nations Army calls Linjin River the "bronze wall and iron wall" , and it is the "insurmountable place" for . Even if the Linjin River broke the defense smoothly in the first battle, the natural barrier will not disappear due to the defense, blocking the rear from the frontline fighters.
The enemy is already prepared for defense. The deeper the enemy, the stronger the defense. Our army's offensive has become increasingly difficult.
In order to find out the enemy's deployment of troops, as well as their bunkers, fortifications, depth, and frontiers, even if the terrain conditions are extremely unfavorable, the reconnaissance units at that time had to risk their lives every night to find out. Strong1strong 346th regiment investigator Zhang Guohan, crawling on the ice surface of the Linjin River breach while testing the thickness of the ice layer for nearly an hour, the bullets fired by the South Korean Army sentry across his head, he did not even the slightest. Did not flinch.
Figure|The Chinese People’s Volunteers who stood in the tunnel during the Battle of Shangganling accumulated water seepage on the tunnel rock wall to solve the problem of water shortage
same question. If the artillery's speed is too slow, the target is easily exposed, and the artillery unit has been bombed by the U.S. military many times due to terrain. can only be buried in an underground pit in order to conceal its position, so as to avoid aerial attacks by the US coalition forces, it is difficult to reach the designated position.
bad weather and unfavorable terrain,All these issues made General Peng Dehuai anxious.
The conspiracy of the United Nations on the battlefield, the illusion of a "temporary truce", does not allow policy makers to hesitate. Comrade Yang Feng'an, then General Peng Dehuai’s military secretary, described the situation as follows: Once President Peng received the chairman’s order, he immediately deployed his troops to fight the third battle.
Figure|The Chinese People’s Volunteers who are standing in the tunnels are ready to attack at night
The military must obey the political needs. General Peng Dehuai put aside the difficulties and prepared to fight, and soon reported to Chairman Mao that he had crossed the line The plan of battle, the volunteers rushed to the battlefield that night.
It can be seen that at the beginning of the third battle, the soldiers went directly to the new battlefield without any rest. Fighting for eight consecutive days and nights, take the right column of our volunteers as an example: broke through the Imjin River on the 1st and advanced 12 kilometers; on the 2nd, advanced to Paju-ri, Seonam-ri, Qibong Mountain and the northeast front line of Uijeongjang; In battle, enter Buddhism land south of Goyang; capture Seoul on the 4th; cross the Han River on the 5th and continue to pursue; on the 6th, enter and occupy Topyeong-ri.
They have no scooters, no advanced weapons and equipment. They propelled along the route almost by walking out in the snow with their feet little by little. After a difficult second battle, they barely dormant for eight days and nights without stopping. Forward.
Picture|The Chinese People’s Volunteer Army’s anti-aircraft artillery units violently fired at enemy aircraft at night
General Peng Dehuai, the top commander of the front line, knew that after three battles, many people’s bodies were no longer enough to support their advance. They are heroes of flesh and blood who fight for the motherland, not machines used to fight.
Even if one victory after another is enough to repay their fearless life and death bravery, even if General Peng Dehuai knows that as long as an order is given, the volunteers will still march forward courageously regardless of exhaustion .
At the same time, General Peng Dehuai also knew that they were the heroes of the motherland. It is what a commander should and must do to ensure their safety in the best possible combination of the war situation.
Reduce unnecessary casualties as much as possible, let the heroes return to their hometown as much as possible, and judge the price behind the victory as calmly as possible. In the end, General Peng Dehuai made the decision to stop the pursuit. The exhausted soldiers urgently needed to rest. The goal to be achieved in the third battle of has been completed, and the result is even better than expected. Now is the best time to stop. Otherwise, it is too late.
Figure|A unit of the People's Volunteers encircled and wiped out the remnant enemy after crossing the Han River
In addition, General Peng Dehuai also needs to consider whether the gradually consumed materials are sufficient to continue fighting.
There is a deep enemy camp in front, and a cross-section of Linjin River behind it. Volunteers and soldiers are getting farther and farther away from the rear. At the end of the third battle, 's original logistics force was more than 100 kilometers away from the domestic transportation line. As our army continued to deepen, the transportation line suddenly stretched to 500 kilometers. Volunteer Army Logistics supplies are becoming more difficult.
The food shipped from the country can only guarantee less than a quarter of the minimum demand. In the later stage, the North Korean government can only lead the North Korean people to raise food for the volunteers. Even so, only 30,000 tons have been raised. Food can only solve a temporary need. Strong1strong 's long-term combat food problem still cannot be solved.
Picture|The oil painting "Comrades of the Volunteers have worked hard, drink saliva" (partial)
Under the conditions of extreme hunger and almost no nutrition at all, thousands of soldiers won Enteritis, dysentery. Cannot eat a hot meal for many days, and hardly sleeps. This has become the norm for soldiers. Everyone can get a little rice every day, plus the wild vegetables they dug, this is their food for the whole day.
The farther you are from the rear, the more difficult it is for the troops to supply food. By the later stage, the ration of food has been reduced to a very low limit. The frontier troops are one catty per day, and the Corps organs are half a catty per day.
Enduring hunger and going to sleep for a short time under the extreme exhaustion of war is a daily experience they experience every day. However, this was only the prescribed number of distributions, and even this standard could not be reached most of the time in the later period of the third battle.
Even for the frontier troops, there was a shortage of supplies during that difficult period, and there was no shortage of ammunition and food. The staff officer returning from the frontier said that some companies of had no food, so they dug a plant called "tractor grass" in the ground to satisfy their hunger, and eating weeds would have many unforeseen consequences. Many soldiers ate noxious plants, causing noses to bleed . There were even some fighters who became unconscious due to extreme hunger and starved to death on the ground.
Picture|During the War of Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the engineers and soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers rushed to repair the bridge that was blown up by the enemy plane
Comrade Chen Yuxuan, then the logistics officer of the 20th Army Division, said in an interview: Chief The situation is that there is no supply in the rear, so go to the people's home to mobilize. After the people’s homes were cooked, the food was sent to the battlefield. It was not good to keep it warm. After being delivered to the battlefield, the food was frozen and could not be bitten.
Zou Shiyong, deputy instructor of the 27th Army Company at the time, described the dietary conditions at the time as follows: A soldier is divided into three or four potatoes, how to eat? We took the approach and put a potato in the armpit,Clamping one by one on one side, turning into a layer and gnawing on one layer, and then continuing to gnaw, just like this, gnawing a few potatoes in the ice and snow.
In addition to scarce food resources, clothing resources are even more in short supply. Most of the soldiers wore a thin layer of cotton clothes and went to the front. Faced with the cold weather that often snows, the soldiers can only carry them on their backs. A little bit of heat, the ice and snow melt into water, and the clothes will get soaked, and when it freezes, it will be cold. Not to mention the warmth of the hands, the cracked ice on the hands, the frostbite on the hands and the feet and the ears, almost every soldier is like this.
Picture|During the War of Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's transport force bravely rescued the military supplies that were bombed and set on fire by enemy planes. You don't need to deal with small wounds, you can't deal with large wounds, and basic medical supplies are completely insufficient. Many wounded can only go into battle with injuries, and every soldier has a large or small wound. Most of the soldiers who died in the battle were unable to keep up with medical supplies, and ran out of lives in the ice and snow.
There are still fewer and fewer ammunition resources, and the rear supply cannot keep up, and the frontline battles cannot be fought. Our military's equipment lags behind that of the U.S. Army, and as ammunition becomes more and more inadequate, the advancement of the frontline becomes more and more difficult.
In addition, our army’s guns are still at a loss in extremely cold conditions, which adds to the difficulties for troops with insufficient ammunition.
Considering the problem of resource supply at the time, it is not a wise move to continue the fight. General Peng Dehuai's decision is also reasonable.
Picture|March 17, 1952, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army female nurse bandaged wounds on the battlefield
The most important thing is to look at it from a strategic height.After the third battle, the rapid withdrawal of the United Nations forces is likely to achieve "entice the enemy to deepen." Since the beginning of the third battle, except for the enemy caught off guard in the first battle of Imjin River, since then, our volunteers and the Korean People’s Army have been advancing all the way, attacking fast along the way.
On the morning of January 1st, our army broke into the defense at a depth of 15 kilometers, breaking the connection between the 1st Division and the 6th Division of South Korea. But even so, when the left wing of our army roundabout to penetrate the defense and encircled the 6th South Korean Division with the 117th Division of our army in the afternoon, its large forces had already taken advantage of the gap and fled.
After more than ten battles, , on January 2nd, the United Nations defense line on the "38th Line" easily collapsed completely, and the US General Li Qiwei immediately ordered a full retreat on the morning of January 3.
Matthew Li Qiwei , A rising military star after World War II, he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine magazine, assistant chief of staff at the beginning of the Korean War. Li Qiwei is in charge of North Korean operations, and he is familiar with almost every place name on the Korean Peninsula.
Picture|Oil painting "Commander Peng Dehuai on the North Korean Front"
Major General Qi Dexue, the former deputy head of the Military Academy of the Academy of Military Sciences commented on him: Li Qiwei was among the three commanders-in-chief of the "United Nations" during the Korean War, military The American general with the strongest commanding ability is different from the arrogance of his predecessor MacArthur and the cautious behavior of his predecessor, Clark. Li Qiwei can manage the army and fight wars.
The leader in the US military,What kind of judgment did Rising Star General Li Qiwei make for quickly giving up the front line and retreating quickly? This has to be thought-provoking.
On January 3, the UN forces abandoned Seoul and continued to retreat. In just 3 days, after fighting with the Volunteer Army and the Korean People's Army whose equipment and materials were not as good as their own, they retreated frequently.
Figure|U.S. soldiers crying in the arms of their comrades
Although the United Nations is composed of soldiers from many powerful countries, it has long been a close match. The northern line of defense is almost always guarded by South Korean soldiers. Most of the US military is defending the rear defense line. Until January 8, the United Nations forces had retreated to the 37th parallel north, Pyeongtaek and Ancheng.
In the third battle, most of the casualties of enemy personnel, a large part of which were soldiers of the South Korean army. Under this premise, the southern defense line to the north retreats across the board and moves closer to the main British and American troops in the rear. If our army continues to advance, it will be a turtle in the urn.
When the Chinese and North Korean troops compete with the South Korean troops, the U.S.-led coalition army will be able to take advantage of the fishermen's profit by hiding in the back.
Picture|Volunteers broke through the Linjin River
Given that the enemy troops had been retreating in an orderly manner, everything seemed to proceed as planned. General Peng Dehuai made a decisive decision, not chasing the poor. Even if the enemy really retreats without the enemy, it needs to be adequate. Otherwise, our army may pay a higher price for the poor.
Facts have proved that General Peng Dehuai's considerations are completely correct. As early as December 31, the US Commander Li Qiwei had ordered that if broke the Linjin River, it would abandon its position and retreat according to the adjustment line in an orderly manner.
The two lines of defense set up by the "United Nations Army" in the South Korean Peninsula, one is from Linjin River along the "38th Line" to Xiangyang on the east coast; the second is from Gaoyang to Winter Delhi.Between the second line of defense and the line of 37 degrees north latitude, there are three mobile lines of defense. The instructions for each position in the front are "Able to defend, if not, retreat, once the strength permits, immediately resume the offensive."
Picture|The Volunteer Breakthrough Linjin River
After the third battle, General Peng Dehuai decided not to pursue victory anymore. In love, countless soldiers endured hunger, pressure and cold, and their bodies were incapable of fighting again; , the enemy retreated orderly, hidden conspiracies, waiting for the opportunity to fight no more.
Days are unfavorable from time to time, and the ancients said "Gentlemen move from time to time, follow the trend" , so General Peng Dehuai's retreat is the most decisive and correct decision at the moment.
Some people say that the success of the third battle to resist US aggression and aid to Korea was entirely due to the enemy's tactical retreat, a "false success" by chance. This is very wrong.
In the third battle, except for the fact that the enemy retreated without fighting, our army won a complete victory in every battle. Among them are the records of the 1st Battalion and Tank Battalion of the Royal Auster Rifle Regiment of the 29th Brigade of the British Army.
Picture|On March 17, 1952, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army’s artillery covered the tank attack on the battlefield. The 21st regiment encountered and wiped out one part of it, and then wiped out 2 companies of the 29th British Brigade in Pugol, west of the Uijeong government.
The 38th and 40th armies chased to the Shuiluoshan area, southeast of Uijeongbu,Defeat the 19th Regiment of the 24th Division of the US Army. The 42nd Army wiped out the first part of the US 2nd Division in Limuting, northwest of Hengcheng.
These results are all facts. Under the leadership of General Peng Dehuai, our army has repeatedly defeated the United Nations, which is superior to our army in all aspects, with a huge gap in equipment. This is an indisputable fact.
Even Li Qiwei, the commander-in-chief of the US military, said in his memory many years later:
The problem I faced was not much the same as the one I learned in the military academy and the war I experienced. This is not a difference in degree, but a fundamental difference in nature. The enemy has an advantage in combat effectiveness, and he is good at North Korea's mountain operations and night operations. The situation is sinister. If the instructor asked me what should I do now, how should I answer?
Figure|U.S. Army General Li Qiwei
At this moment, Li Qiwei and his troops on the battlefield are already in a state of complete collapse, not wanting to fight again, but powerless to fight again, and can only rely on retreat. In exchange for time to recharge, wait for the opportunity to launch a counterattack.
Li Qiwei said to the American army in the DPRK at that time: Our army's ancestors saw you in this state, they would all be rolled in anger in the tomb.
A reporter who was in charge of interviewing and recording the "United Nations Army" also described the state of the United Nations Army in his memoirs like this: Every command post gave me the same feeling that I lost my confidence and morale and was above a sergeant. All the commanders seem to be cold and unwilling to answer my questions, even if they want to hear some complaints from them, it is not easy.
And our volunteers are fearless even under the worst conditions.
Picture | General Peng Dehuai and North Korean leader Kim Il Sung
When a U.S. military adviser later recalled the scene of the most tragic battle of Linjin River in the third battle he saw,It is described like this:
They run very slowly because their trouser legs are frozen and cannot bend; their firepower is weak, and the gun seems to be frozen; they move like stiff logs, we use carbine, Machine guns and cannons fired at them, and they fell down like logs, but there were always people rushing across the river. The river water was red, and the white ice and snow were also red. I was stunned by the scenes that moved like stiff logs, and was shocked by the souls of the soldiers who died fearlessly. At that time, I knew that this was a hopeless war.
For the United Nations headed by the United States, this is a hopeless war. For the volunteers, it is a difficult but hopeful war. The main commander in this war is General Peng Dehuai. , Is one of the key creators of this hope.
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