Original Zheng Shiji
division chief at the nuclear test site. From left: Deputy Division Commander Duan Changjin, Division Commander Gao Huanchang, Political Commissar Lu Deyi, Deputy Political Commissar Wang Tong, Deputy Division Commander Li Huaien, Director of Jin Yuxuan.
(Photo by Liu Su, Division Propaganda Section Officer)
Based on the training at all levels, the division selected terrain similar to the nuclear test site in the northern mountainous area of Korla in the winter of 1975, and organized the "Division and Regiment Headquarters Communication" Tool Exercise", and then organized a "real-force exercise to strengthen the infantry regiment's attack on an unstable enemy under the conditions of atomic weapons ".
In order to carry out this off-site simulated terrain exercise, Deputy Division Commander Duan Changjin and Deputy Chief of Staff Yang Shuyuan led more than ten cadres from the headquarters and logistics department to make intense preparations in Korla for more than a month in advance. There were no large-scale military maps for troops to use in the planned exercise area, so Lin Wanxiang, deputy chief of the reconnaissance section, led me and several staff officers, including Dai Shubin, Shao Yongsheng, Su Zenglu, etc., to travel dozens of kilometers back and forth over mountains and ridges every day to survey and map the exercise area. Deputy Section Chief Lin is recognized by the entire division as an expert in military topography. He is very skilled in map recognition, map use, and map surveying. He participated in the Tibetan counterinsurgency and bandit suppression operations in 1960 and the Sino-Indian border self-defense counterattack in 1962. In the Karakoram Mountains where there were no large-scale military maps required for operations, he undertook many mapping and reconnaissance expeditions, serving the troops. The combat operation provided an important basis and was awarded the third-class merit .
During this field survey and mapping in Korla, I did learn a lot about military topography from him. Especially in terms of understanding and using pictures, simple surveying, drawing and posting pictures, it has been of great help to me. Some little experiences and tips are very practical. Under his leadership, it took us just over 20 days to draw all the large-scale maps covering tens of square kilometers of the planned exercise area. Then, we worked non-stop to publish maps to ensure that every department of the division and every company and platoon had a topographic map, which basically met the needs of the exercise. At the same time, other comrades also rushed to draft the exercise director's documents and implementation plan, making full preparations for the large-scale actual military exercise.
On the day of the simulated terrain exercise in Korla, after the explosion of the simulated " atomic bomb " made by the engineers using explosives and gasoline, the huge red fireball rolling in the air and the mushroom-shaped smoke cloud formed by the tall dust pillars rising from the ground were not radioactive. In addition to the unique destructive and destructive factors of atomic bombs such as contamination, it has almost reached the level of being fake and real.
This exercise on simulated terrain exercised agencies and troops. Through the exercise, cadres at all levels became familiar with the exercise procedures and learned about the main tasks they should do and the issues they should pay attention to at each stage of the exercise. Know it by heart.
also exposed many problems through drill practice. For example, after the "atomic bomb" exploded, infantrymen rode in Jiefang brand transport vehicles to launch an attack on the soft Gobi Desert. From the offensive starting position to the "explosive heart" 11 kilometers, 46 vehicles traveled for a full hour, causing a disconnect between infantry and tanks and failing to seize the " nuclear weapon " breakthrough before the enemy. Many problems like this have been exposed in off-field exercises. In line with the attitude of "having the courage to discover problems and solve them in a timely manner", divisions and regiments have strengthened agency business training and troops' tactical, technical training and adaptability training in a targeted manner in response to problems such as the disconnect between infantry and tanks, so that these problems can be solved in a timely manner. Before the atomic bomb live explosion drill, it was gradually corrected and overcome.
In order to improve the professional level of division cadres, the division headquarters organized Shao Yongsheng, Su Zenglu, Chen Kai, Jin Juyang, Lei Mingxue, Zhao Zhimin and other comrades to organize and compile relevant military theories, staff operations, services and arms around the exercise topic Hundreds of thousands of words of information such as knowledge and foreign military research are printed and distributed to the troops for use in exercises.
Based on the special requirements for staff officers in tactical exercises under nuclear conditions, the 10th Regiment Headquarters compiled data and basic answers to 32 questions in four aspects. Everyone memorized them by heart, which served as a "living dictionary" for the commander. The role of "living map".
(to be continued)
