There is such a person. He was awarded special merit by the Volunteer Army and was awarded the title of "First Class Combat Hero". North Korea also awarded him a third-class National Flag Medal. This man's name is Guo Zhongtian. He was the platoon leader in the battle that made him achieve extraordinary feats. His platoon was named "Guo Zhongtian Hero Platoon".
After that, he made another military exploit. 's company was awarded the title of "Level 2 Heroic Company" and was awarded a medal for "constant victory in battles".
But what people remember is that battle that year, and people still call him "Heroic Platoon Leader Guo Zhongtian."
Guo Zhongtian
The 38th Army was unlucky in the initial battle.
The Volunteer Army went abroad for its first battle. The Volunteer Army Command ordered the 38th Army to quickly pursue the enemies fleeing to the south of the Heichon River. They penetrated into Seyu-ri and Sinanju and cut off the enemy's southward retreat to Chongcheon. The passage of Jiang cooperates with the frontal 39th and 40th Army to annihilate the enemy.
However, the Thirty-eighth Army mistook a U.S. battalion for a black regiment in Xichuan, and while waiting to concentrate their forces for the attack, they missed the opportunity and let the enemy escape.
After the battle, the Commander-in-Chief of the Volunteer Army Peng Dehuai slapped the table to Liang Xingchu, Commander of the 38th Army at the summary meeting: "I ask you, why is your 38th Army procrastinating? I asked you to go straight in the direction of Xichuan." Enemy army, why didn't you act according to the plan? People say that you, Liang Daya, are a tiger general. I think your reputation is in vain. A black regiment stopped you. You are a famous rat general. How can you be an ace unit? I, Peng Dehuai, have nothing else. Although he has no ability, he still has the ability to kill Ma Su (sù)! "
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai and the 38th Army did not have any disputes. On the contrary, they had a very close relationship. Although the Thirty-Eighth Army came from the Chinese Army Siye, its predecessor was the army of the Chinese Pingjiang Uprising. Peng Dehuai hates that iron cannot become steel.
At that time, no one in the army held a grudge because of being scolded by their superiors. Scolding their subordinates was a way for many CCP generals to express their care.
But Peng Dehuai still felt that he might have scolded him harshly. After the meeting, Peng Dehuai's anger was almost gone, so he asked Director Ding Ganru of the Operations Department to pass a message on his behalf, telling Liang Xingchu: The criticism at the meeting just now may have been a bit harsh, but he has this temper and cannot do it because of it. You will be discouraged when you are scolded. In the next battle, you must build up the morale of Chinese People’s Volunteer Army .
After hearing this, Liang Xingchu was a little unconvinced and said: "I have never been discouraged. Our 38th Army is not a paper tiger. Our next battle is bound to show the morale and military power of the 38th Army. Otherwise, I will not be called Liang Xingchu!" "
Liang Xingchu
Liang Xingchu refused to accept it, and all his soldiers clamored to avenge his shame. Guo Zhongtian, commander of the second platoon of the 337th Regiment of the 113th Division of the 38th Army, is one of them. He and his comrades vowed to let the enemy know what kind of army the 38th Army is and what kind of people the Chinese are!
Target Sansho, avenging shame
Soon after, the second battle began. The campaign deployment of the Volunteer Army Headquarters is to concentrate 9 corps and 30 divisions to launch the second campaign on the east and west battlefields, focusing on the western front.
On the western front, 6 armies and 18 divisions participated in the battle. The 38th Army and the 42nd Army first annihilated the South Korean Puppet 7th and Ningyuan Divisions in Tokchuan and Ningyuan. Cut off the retreat route of the 39th Army and the 40th Army, including the US military and other multinational forces.
On the eastern front, three armies are concentrated, led by the Ninth Corps, which mainly attacks multinational forces such as the First Marine Division of the US Army.
On November 27, the 38th Army and the 42nd Army on the western front of our army quickly captured Tokugawa and Ningyuan, and the 40th Army had already attacked in the direction of Tiantian and Bichuan; at the same time, the 50th Army and the 66th Army The 39th Army and the 39th Army also launched assaults in the directions of Bochuan, Anzhou, and Jichuan respectively. The US military and the South Korean puppet troops have completely retreated.
Now, the key to the success or failure of the second battle is whether the 113th Division of the 38th Army can quickly insert itself into the third camp, close the "gate" and block the tide of fleeing enemies. If the "gate" cannot be closed, this battle will turn into a rout like the first battle.
Peng Dehuai gave the task of "closing the door" to the 38th Army, which lost the first battle, just to see if the 38th Army was the main force. This is both a test and a care. If you win, you can turn over!
Graduation photo of the fourth tank training team of the 38th Army
Sansuoli and Longyuanli
13 Division traveled day and night to the enemy's rear - Sansuoli, trying to reach the scheduled combat location as quickly as possible to stop the enemy.
On November 27, Guo Zhongtian and others launched a record-breaking night march. They did not use any modern means of transportation and covered 72.5 kilometers in 14 hours using only their own legs. According to the normal speed of the march, this was at least It takes more than 1 day to arrive. However, the soldiers relied on their tenacious willpower to march on the steep and rugged mountain roads despite the severe cold, and they were able to reach the position in advance, outperforming the enemy's four-wheeled cars. This can be said to be a miracle in the history of rapid marches in the world.
At around 7 o'clock in the morning on November 28, the 338th Regiment of the 113th Division's vanguard force arrived at Sansuoli. They adjusted their combat position and occupied the favorable terrain. Within 5 minutes, the US advance troops arrived at Sansuoli. Our army Immediately launched a "storm"-like attack on the US military. The enemy had no idea that our soldiers would appear here, and they were beaten into a panic by our side. The US Army's 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd and 25th Divisions and some Korean troops suffered heavy losses. They still wanted to launch a counterattack against our army, but this was just a desperate struggle. Our army used the terrain advantages and mountain cover to hold them firmly The land is locked in three houses.
The 338th Regiment smashed more than 10 violent attacks by the US military, repelled a battalion of the enemy from the south, and tightly closed the "gate" for the enemy's escape in the three camps.
Just when he was about to take a breath, the reconnaissance staff reported: "It was found that the US military had signs of escaping to Longyuanli to the west of Sansuoli. Longyuanli is likely to become another escape route for the US military."
Longyuanli is located south of Bichuan. The hilly area is to the west of Sansuo. Not only does it connect to Pichcheon and Garyu-ri in the north, and to Sunchuan and Pyongyang in the south, there is also a highway to the north that connects to Sanso-ri, which is only a few dozen kilometers apart. Therefore, not only the enemies who hit the wall in Sanzongli will divert to Longyuanli, but the US troops withdrawing from the south of the Chongchuan River can also escape here.
This news shocked everyone present. Once the enemy ran away from Longyuan, all previous efforts would be wasted, affecting the entire second battle, and the 38th Army would leave eternal regrets.
"Pull up the 337th Regiment of the second echelon, rush to Longyuanli with all your might, and hold Longyuanli to the death!" Division Commander Jiang Chao issued a death order.
The troops of the 337th Regiment were divided into two groups, with the 3rd Battalion and 8th Company as the right vanguard, and the 1st Battalion and 1st Company as the left avant-garde. A row of sharp knives is the second row.
In this way, Guo Zhongtian and his soldiers became the blade of the sharp knife advancing into Longyuanli, and were pushed onto the stage of history.
marched again, overcoming obstacles
Although Guo Zhongtian is only a platoon leader, he is the "sharp knife platoon" in his battalion and even the regiment. He is well-known in the 38th Army. Their deputy commander once commented on him: " When Guo Zhongtian led the troops, he always regarded the lives of the soldiers as very important. He made three requirements for the entire platoon of soldiers, which can be called three don't throw away, that is, don't throw away dry food, don't throw away weapons, and don't throw away small shovels! "
Guo Zhongtian
The first two can be understood. After all, they are treasures related to the life and death of soldiers. As for the third one, we will see its role soon.
When the soldiers marched towards Longyuanli, the second row had not slept for five days and five nights. Coupled with the two days and two nights of fierce fighting in the middle, the soldiers were simply exhausted. They were sleeping while walking, and soldiers behind them often bumped into them. Only then did the soldiers in front wake up. However, the soldiers were very determined and continued to advance against the clock.
On the way forward, the second platoon encountered a snowy mountain with sheer cliffs, overgrown with thorns, and no road at all.
Guo Zhongtian took the lead and led the entire platoon to climb thorns and cliffs, racing against time and speed with the US military.
Guo Zhongtian's clothes were torn by thorns in more than 20 places. After the skin was scratched, blood flowed. He ignored it and continued to encourage everyone: "Comrades! This is the time to test us. Overcoming difficulties is victory!"
Pass 3 After more than an hour of struggle, Dashan was finally left behind by the soldiers. However, there were still greater difficulties waiting for the soldiers, and Datong River blocked their way again.
The Datong River is about 300 meters wide. A thin layer of ice has formed on the surface of the river. The water is bitingly cold. Moreover, the soldiers do not know how deep the river is.
Without saying a word, Guo Zhongtian took off his cotton pants and waded across the river. As soon as they saw the platoon leader taking the lead, the soldiers jumped into the river one after another. Everyone was scratched by the thin ice, but no one complained.
After 12 hours of rapid march, in the early morning of the 28th, the sharp knife of Guo Zhongtian platoon finally penetrated into the heart of the " United Nations Army " - Longyuanli, and the door for the US military to escape was firmly closed.
Afraid of the enemy?
After arriving at Longyuanli, Guo Zhongtian's troops were arranged to guard Gexialing . As soon as they arrived, he led his troops to dig fortifications.
Someone complained: "We have been in North Korea for more than a month. From morning to night, we are either fighting or building fortifications for the war. But when we finish the repairs, the enemy's dense firepower network can instantly destroy the fortifications. If it is destroyed, it will be of no use at all. We are still extremely exhausted and covered in wounds!"
Guo Zhongtian still convinced them. In fact, the tunnel fortifications that Li De dismissed as "19th-century tactics" have always played an important role in the CCP's battles. And backslash is our key reliance when facing the artillery fire of the US military. That's why Guo Zhongtian asked the troops not to throw away small shovels.
After some thought, Guo Zhongtian finally decided to set up a strong position on the hill on the side of Gexialing Highway. There is a big bend here, and the road is not too wide. The enemy's mechanized troops passing here will definitely slow down. In this way, we Then you can take the initiative on the battlefield. After several hours of hard work, everyone built a strong defense.
After seeing the position, Guo Zhongtian had an idea and decided to build another fake fortification at the main peak of Gexialing. At this time, the soldiers began to question the platoon leader, thinking that he was acting too cautiously and whether he was scared by the previous "black regiment". But they finally held back and did not say this, so they could only do as they were told.
The role of fake positions
They had just built a fake fortification. After returning to the real fortification, they saw the fleeing US military troops rushing towards Gexialing. The US military vanguard force consisted of dozens of tanks. Guo Zhongtian knew that the difference in strength was too big and it was inappropriate. He fought hard and let them pass.
After a while, a large number of US military troops rushed here in a hurry. Guo Zhongtian saw more than a dozen US military large trucks driving in his direction, and immediately ordered the sharpshooters in the platoon to aim at the fuel tanks of the cars and shoot. With loud "bang, bang, bang" sounds, the bullets penetrated the iron sheet and hit the fuel tanks of many enemy cars. In an instant, the cars were engulfed in fire. Guo Zhongtian was so excited that he asked other comrades to launch a fierce attack on the American soldiers. The American soldiers who had just escaped from the car fled in all directions when they saw our soldiers shooting at them. With a wave of his hand, Guo Zhongtian asked the soldiers to immediately jump out of the fortifications and bring back the enemy's guns, ammunition and some supplies.
After the tank troops that the US military passed by earlier reacted, several tanks turned around and drove towards Guo Zhongtian and others. These arrogant and proud US commanders even got out of the tanks and directed the gunners to fight. When Guo Zhongtian saw this, he immediately let the snipers kill him. After receiving the instructions from these enemies who didn't know the heights of the sky, the snipers took aim and successfully "headshotted" several commanders. Then Guo Zhongtian asked the soldiers to throw grenades and explosive packets wildly, and several tanks were all "paralyzed".
Not long after, the US military rushed up again. Our army's light, , heavy machine guns, , and rifles fired at the same time. The US military fled in panic again. More than 80 US military corpses were covered with the hills.
Half an hour later, the U.S. military occupied the mountain opposite and fired back fiercely at the second row. The U.S. military felt that it had suffered a big loss and immediately called for air fire support. In just 10 minutes, the U.S. military sent multiple fighter planes to bomb our positions. At that time, the U.S. military who carried out the bombing mission believed that the commanding heights of Gexialing should be where the volunteers were. From the air, I saw some man-made fortifications below, which must be the main position of the volunteers. They poured countless ammunition down, and a raging fire instantly ignited on the commanding heights of Gexialing. But what they didn't expect was that what they tried so hard to bomb was the fake fortifications built by our own side.
Soon after, Guo Zhongtian led the soldiers to rebuild a false position. This made the US military think that another group of volunteers came to reinforce and rebuild the fortifications. At around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the US military sent more than a hundred aircraft to conduct a "carpet bombing" of the fake fortifications. Even the top of the mountain was shaved off several meters by the bombs, but this time the US military was happy in vain. .
Heroic Platoon Leader
As soon as the plane left, there was another overwhelming and indiscriminate bombardment by US tanks and howitzers. Then, more than 200 enemies gathered in front of the second row position, roaring, and rushed towards the mountain in three groups!
The second row position was in danger, and the regiment leader saw the crisis on the battlefield through the telescope.
"Comrades of the second platoon, this hilltop is related to the overall situation. I hope you will hold on firmly and fight to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea heroic platoon!" Guo Zhongtian heard the instructions of the regiment leader on the phone.
"Please rest assured, head of the regiment, the people are at the position!" Guo Zhongtian replied firmly. Guo Zhongtian ordered the soldiers to wait for the enemy to get closer before fighting. 100 meters, 80 meters, 70 meters..., the American soldiers' shiny steel helmets , high noses, and big beards were all clearly visible. The distance was only more than 30 meters away. Guo Zhongtian gave an order and all the firearms were fired in full force.
In less than two hours, the US military's successive charges were defeated. More than half of the more than 200 US troops were killed or injured and ran away with their tails between their legs. After the first group of people were killed by our army's bullets, the latter group of people didn't even run away. They rushed straight up and were about to surround the 2nd row's position.
Seeing that these Americans showed rare tenacity, Guo Zhongtian immediately said to the soldiers in the 2nd platoon: "Comrades, now is the most dangerous moment, and it is also our opportunity to avenge our shame. We must hold on. The troops will come to support us immediately!" The soldiers were excited after hearing this, and they defended their position and fought them back heroically. The enemy never broke through our defense line.
In the evening, our volunteer army rushed to the combat point. Guo Zhongtian led all the soldiers in the 2nd platoon to rush out of their positions to participate in the encirclement and annihilation battle against the US military. In this Gexialing blockade , the soldiers of the 2nd platoon were at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers and equipment, but they were still able to persevere and besiege the enemy for several hours.
After cleaning the battlefield, 215 American corpses were lying in front of the second row of positions. The company commander came over, and Guo Zhongtian gathered the entire platoon, stood at attention, and saluted, "Report to the company commander, there is no missing person in the whole platoon. Except for the fifth squad leader's ears, there are no casualties." He checked again today. A total of 1,305 rounds of ammunition and 14 grenades were fired. As a result, in addition to the elimination of 215 US troops, they also captured and destroyed 26 US military artillery pieces and 58 vehicles.
Then, Guo Zhongtian checked two shortcomings with the company commander: "The enemy tank was released without damaging it; not a single prisoner was captured."
Guo Zhongtian
The company commander smiled and said: "Letting go of the tank was the right decision. , in order to better eliminate the enemy. You are fighting a defensive battle, and having no prisoners is not a shortcoming."
Conclusion
After the war, the 38th Army and the Volunteer Army Headquarters awarded the second platoon the honorable title of "Guo Zhongtian Hero Platoon". Guo Zhongtian was awarded special merit and the title of "First Class Hero".
After the end of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Guo Zhongtian returned to the Northeast with his troops to continue garrisoning. In 1967, he served as deputy division commander.In February 1993, Guo Zhongtian, the hero who created miracles, passed away due to illness at the age of 67.
Guo Zhongtian
