" If you can meet Chinese veterans in the future, you must give them a hug. As a soldier, I respect them and they created miracles! "
A few decades later, a veteran who participated in the Battle of Changjin Lake in , once said this. The tone is full of respect for Chinese People's Volunteer Army .
It is true that in that battle, volunteers wore thin cotton coats and ate frozen hard potatoes, lurking in front of the position for several days in the weather of more than minus forty degrees Celsius. Some troops even had the entire company frozen to death. No matter what the subsequent battle results were, this perseverance alone had already surpassed the limits of mankind. Not only can American soldiers not do it, they even dare not think about it.
But it must be said that the result of the Changjin Lake Battle is regrettable. The First Marine Division of the United States escaped under the layers of defense of the Volunteers with its strong firepower and logistical support. Paying a huge price but failing to achieve a complete victory is a great regret for the commander of the Volunteer Army and a great luck for the US military. Of course, this is also a masterpiece of Smith, the commander of the first division of the Marine War Division.
Teacher Smith, full name Oliver Preines Smith. If he hadn't deliberately slowed down the marching speed and built an airport for transporting the wounded in advance, the end of this battle would have been hard to say. For the battle in the United States, Smith is undoubtedly a hero.
So what kind of ending did this Smith Division after the Battle of Changjin Lake? He is really a commander who is as insightful as the battlefield situation, just as many people think?
enlisted in the army and took the military road
smith is from the town of Menna, Texas. His father was a very reputable lawyer, so when he was a child, Smith never worried about life. But when he was seven years old, his father passed away, the pillars of the family collapsed, and the people in the town were no longer friendly to their family.
Texas is tough and after losing her husband's protection, it is difficult for Smith's mother to survive locally. In the end, she had to take her children to a quieter life in California.
Smith has been doing well in her studies in the next few years. In 1912, he attended the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating in 1916, he directly applied for the Navy. Due to his high level of education, he became a reserve officer and received the rank of a second lieutenant.
World War I entered the late stage, Smith was sent to Guam , and his relationship also transferred from the Navy to Marine Corps . In 1921, Smith was ordered to command the Marine detachment on the Texas battleship , and for the first time he had his own subordinates. After World War I, he came to the Marine Corps Personnel Office in Washington, and was promoted to Assistant Chief of Staff of the Commander of Defense of Haiti several years later.
In 1931, Smith entered the Fort Benning Infantry School in Georgia and became a student of the US Army Chief of Staff Marshall . This Marshall was the one who later formulated the policy of World War II first Europe and then Asia, and led the delegation to China for mediation. From this perspective, Smith himself still has some connection with China.
Smith's grades were good, and after graduation, he became an instructor at the Marine Corps School. Because of his serious and responsible training and elegant style, he has the nickname "Professor".
In 1934, Smith was promoted to major, and soon after, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel for his contributions in the amphibious combat course. In 1939, he became the commander of the Navy Fleet's Marine Corps and the following year he became the commander of the 1st Battalion of the Sixth Marine Corps.
From these resumes, it can be seen that Smith has also gone very smoothly in the military. However, because the United States has always been out of the situation with international disputes, his promotion has never had much to do with his military achievements. He is indeed a senior officer, but he has never been on the battlefield.
However, when the Japanese threw the bomb on Pearl Harbor , it was impossible for the United States to stay out of the matter.As a result, the Pacific War quickly kicked off, and Smith also began to become a wartime military commander. In May 1942, Smith was sent to Washington to develop combat plans at the Marine Corps headquarters.
After seven or eight months of strategic defense command, the US military finally seized the opportunity in Midway and solved several Japanese aircraft carriers at once. The battle situation began to reverse. Smith was also appointed as the deputy commander of the First Marine Division and led his troops to the South Pacific.
As soon as he took office, Smith was ordered to command the battle of Palau Islands . This is a tragic landing war, and its bloodiness is known as the most landing war in the United States. On September 15, Smith personally visited the battlefield to command. Looking at the blood-covered wounded people and the emergency telegrams flying in like snowflakes, Smith felt the cruelty of the battlefield for the first time.
The US military finally won the battle of the Palau Islands after 40% of the casualties. Overall, Smith's plan and command are well-behaved and have a typical academic style. It is hard to say whether it is successful or unsuccessful. However, his steady and cautious command style has been recognized by senior management.
Not long after, Smith once again led his troops to the Battle of Okinawa. This fierce battle, which was not inferior to the Palau Islands, allowed Smith to see the strength and perseverance of the Japanese again. His combat style is also closer to being cautious.
Before the end of World War II, Smith was promoted to major general and officially became a senior military officer. Because he was very personal about amphibious operations, he was appointed as assistant commander and chief of staff of the Marine Corps, and also served as editor-in-chief of the U.S. Marine Corps Gazette.
In 1950, the Korean War of broke out, and Smith was appointed commander of the 1st Land War Division and returned to the battlefield.
At the beginning, the Korean People's Army was in a tide of offensives, and the US military could not gain any advantage. The radical MacArthur proposed the plan to log in to Incheon . The cautious Smith immediately objected to the plan, citing too risky. In fact, this is true. The Incheon area is just behind the People's Army and the Busan position, and is easily attacked. Moreover, the tide situation in Incheon is complicated and it is difficult to transport sufficient troops as soon as possible. After the vanguard landed on the island, if the Korean People's Army had heavy defenses, they would not be able to establish a beachhead position.
However, MacArthur was too eager for a victory. He decided to take a gamble. It would be great if he won, but if he lost, he would still have subsequent troops. In order to force Smith and others to submit, he directly announced the landing plan to the senior management, and Smith had to follow.
Result, MacArthur won the bet. The Korean People's Army ignored the defense of Incheon despite the repeated reminders from the Chinese leaders. The result was that the landing in Incheon, the United States successfully made it, and the People's Army was cut off in half.
From then on, Smith became MacArthur's loyal assistant, playing an important role in battles such as Busan, Seoul , and has achieved remarkable results. However, when logging in to Yuanshan Port , Smith was blocked by mine , so he began to be cautious again, resulting in a serious mistake of being late for more than half a month.
Wind and Snow Changjin Lake
After the battle situation undergoes a major reversal, China has repeatedly solemnly declared that if the United States crosses 38th parallel, China will inevitably send troops to aid North Korea. However, American senior executives and MacArthur both regarded this attitude as a bluff. At that time, the New China was in a mess and there was not even a decent air force. Americans could not imagine what a simple army could do on the Korean battlefield. In MacArthur's words: Once the Chinese army really enters North Korea to fight, they will face the massacre of heavy firepower from the United States.
However, at the end of October 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army entered North Korea in seclusion and immediately launched the first battle. The American soldier was caught off guard and was defeated, and had to retreat to , south of Linjinjiang . Both the US military and political parties were instantly slapped in the face, and they couldn't figure out what was going on.
However, the volunteer army suddenly retreated on its entire line, giving people a feeling of weakness after succession.Based on this, MacArthur concluded that the Chinese military was limited, so he ordered the American soldiers to attack on the entire line again. The second battle began immediately.
According to MacArthur's deployment, the US military adopted a strategy of east-west advance. After the assembly was completed, the US Army's 1st Marine Division, the 7th Army Division, the 1st Marine Division, etc. advanced eastward from Yuanshan , Xingnan, Xianxing and other places. The assembly direction of the First Land War Division must pass through the Changjin Lake area.
After seeing the combat effectiveness of the Volunteer Army, Smith's cautious mentality came again. Before moving eastward, Smith personally visited the front line and found that the Changjin Lake area was located in the hinterland of the ridge of North Korea. The terrain was complex and the roads were rugged. Once his mechanized troops were in, it was difficult to get out quickly.
Moreover, North Korea is experiencing a huge cold current that has not been seen in a century. The temperature is already around minus 30 degrees during the day, and it will drop directly to minus 40 degrees at night. Even Americans with sufficient supply cannot stand this environment. Smith has ordered the quarconian officials many times that it is necessary to ensure that no soldiers in the army are frostbite. It is really too difficult to march in such a ghostly weather.
More importantly, Smith always has a feeling: a large number of Chinese troops are ambushing among the overlapping mountains. Once you go deeper alone, you may encounter a catastrophe.
With these concerns, Smith became resistant to executing the command. He began to command the troops to advance slowly, sometimes several kilometers a day. Smith ignored the strict orders of the superior headquarters. It was not until later that Elmond, the commander of the 10th Army of the United States, came in person that Smith had to make some moves.
But even if it is active, Smith is extremely cautious. He asked the troops to leave some troops along the way in Wulaoli, Zhenxingli, Gutuli, Xiajieyuli and other places, set up strongholds and stations, and reserve strategic materials. At the same time, he also ordered the expansion of the airport in Xiajieyuli in case of retreating after an accident.
At the same time, he also left his division headquarters in Xingnan Port to ensure the assembly of troops and the transportation of materials. Other troops contracted together and moved closer together to support each other when fighting occurs.
And Smith didn't know that while he was marching cautiously, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had quietly moved in place. They took advantage of the speed difference between several American troops to complete the intersecting encirclement and cut the 1st Marine Division and the 7th Infantry Division into 5 sections. And it was Smith himself who caused this situation. On November 27, 1950, the Volunteer Army launched a general attack.
The Volunteer Army's offensive was rapid, and even Smith, who had always been cautious, was caught off guard. When he came to his senses, the 31st Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division, known as " Polar Bear Regiment ", had been completely wiped out by the volunteer army and his regiment commander died in battle.
All Smith's previous worries were confirmed. He immediately ordered the troops to transport the wounded through Xiajieyuli Airport, and then all the troops turned back and retreated from Xingnan Port.
Of course, as the American ace force, it seems too embarrassing to retreat as soon as you get beaten, so Smith said self-deprecatingly: "We did not retreat, we just attacked in different directions."
The most important node along the way is Watergate Bridge. Smith had already arranged heavy troops here, but he still could not stop the volunteers from bombing the bridge three times. Especially for the third time, even the base of the Watergate Bridge was blown up, and it was impossible to repair it in a short time.
However, the strong industrial power of the United States played a role. They transported the prefabricated bridge structure that had been prepared long ago, built a temporary bridge directly on the fault of the Watergate Bridge, and finally completed the retreat in a mess.
Along the way, Smith's troops saw a strange phenomenon many times: the blockade of the volunteers along the way was not fierce, some positions only had sporadic gunshots, and some positions were even dead silent. They saw someone on the position, so they shot from a distance first, and then walked over to check it out. As a result, they found that the positions were frozen to death by volunteer soldiers. Their flesh and blood bodies finally failed to resist the cold of nature.But even so, they still held steel guns in their hands before their sacrifice and maintained a state of fighting. This made the retreating US troops feel respectful.
In the end, the volunteer army failed to wipe out the First Land War Division due to huge firepower and harsh natural environment. However, these American soldiers are still like frightened birds. This journey is called "Hell's Journey". Although the entire army was not wiped out, the casualty rate of the First Marine Division still reached 18%. Although this doesn't sound much, considering Smith's careful command, it cannot be said that it is less. Smith also said in his memoir that without the support of logistics and communication equipment, they might not be able to escape from the Changjin Lake area.
The glorious
defeated general after the war was originally invincible. However, in the American dictionary, being able to bring the troops back safely is already a hero. On December 15, Smith and the First Land Division arrived in Busan, where he was warmly welcomed.
Later, the US military's war history expert and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and twice, Thomas Ricks, once said that Smith is the best division commander in the history of the US military! The graceful manner he showed was fascinating. Especially when he dared to resist the wrong decision of his superior commander, this kind of courage is not something that everyone has and can be regarded as an example for officers.
However, in connection with Smith's performance during the landings of Incheon and Wonsan, it is not difficult to find that the general's performance was not entirely calm, and he was a little timid in it. Like MacArthur, he was gambling. If the situation of the Chinese army is really as MacArthur expected, then what Smith did was to miss the opportunity to fight. Such a general is actually not worthy of praise. Dare to resist the orders of superiors, one should never become an excellent quality of a soldier.
But no matter what, Smith still won the bet. He became a hero and the calmest one when all American generals were in a hot mind. He saved the army and the face of the US ace army. In the eyes of most American politicians, especially those who hate MacArthur, Smith has become a "hot commodity".
After that, Smith commanded his troops to participate in the 4th Battle of the Great Counterattack. However, as he usually performed, Smith still took three steps, not seeking merit on the battlefield, but seeking no mistakes. And not only him, but even the entire first division of the Land War was lost and became a spectator on the battlefield most of the time. Once again, Smith was not calm at all, but timid. Since this situation occurs, it means that Smith has not had much time on the North Korean front. In March 1951, Smith with honor and arguing, removed his military power and returned to the United States.
At this time, due to the failure of the first three battles and the loss of the capital of Seoul, South Korea, there has been a sluggish morale and high anti-war sentiment. The return of "hero" Smith happened to give the worried US government a life-saving straw.
US President Truman did not hold Smith responsible for his defeat in the battle, but instead spent a lot of effort to portray him as a hero who saved the lives of the soldiers. Smith's disobedience to orders and his unauthorized retreat were also reinterpreted. As Smith himself said, "We are not retreating, but launching an attack in another direction!" So since that's the case, it's natural to be promoted.
In May 1951, Smith returned to his second hometown California and served as commander of the Pendleton Marine Corps. In July 1953, he was appointed commander of the Atlantic Navy Fleet Marine Corps, and was promoted to lieutenant general and received the Presidential Medal. Interestingly, almost at the same time, the Korean War also officially ceased. This cowardly general who was interpreted as a hero finally didn't have to go to the battlefield anymore.
Perhaps the battlefield left a tragic impression on Smith. He was ready to retire after only two years as a lieutenant general. Although he was indeed 62 years old at this time, as a general, this age is not very old.Some people wanted to keep him, but he insisted on leaving. Finally, the US military agreed to the veteran's request and after he retired from active service, he was given a rank of general.
On December 25, 1977, Smith died in Los Altos, , , , , at the age of 84.
summary: How to evaluate Smith in
is indeed a difficult problem. Many people tend to think that he is a calm battlefield commander and a hero who saves American soldiers. But as I said before, judging from his several command experiences, he was not like this in the Battle of Changjin Lake, but was always slow and had no vitality in the war. I personally still believe that as a commander, you can raise your opinions, but under the order, the soldiers must obey. "Resisting the wrong decision of your boss" cannot be said to be an excellent quality. It is no wonder that Americans regard such soldiers as gods and are difficult to implement their orders.
