In 1969, after the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region was incorporated into the 50th Army, why was the division headquarters stationed in Leshan ?
When you mention Leshan, Sichuan, what do you think of? I think everyone will think of Leshan Giant Buddha . It is true that the Leshan Giant Buddha is a world-famous tourist attraction. But for military enthusiasts, this was the headquarters of the 149th Division of the 50th Army. The 149th Division has a complicated military history. It was formerly the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region and was incorporated into the 50th Army in 1969.
▲Leshan Giant Buddha
You may not understand, what is the bond between the 149th Division and the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region? After the division was incorporated into the 50th Army, why was it stationed in Leshan? Here, the author will not go into details about the history of the old 149th Division, but will directly talk about the past and present life of the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region, which is the real main body of the 149th Division of the 50th Army. Regarding the history of the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region, we must start after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.
In October 1945, the Independent 2nd Brigade of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region was established, later renamed the 20th Brigade of the 7th Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Luyu Military Region, with jurisdiction over the 58th, 59th, and 60th Regiments. In June 1946, the 60th Regiment was ordered to disband. In July of that year, the 20th Brigade was transferred to the 1st Column and incorporated into the 62nd Regiment of the 21st Brigade of the column. In February 1949, the brigade was organized into the 52nd Division of the 18th Army. The first military and political officers were Wuzhong and Liu Zhenguo, and were under the jurisdiction of the 154th, 155th, and 156th regiments.
▲ Battle of Crossing the River Old photos
The 52nd Division and its predecessor units lacked the Red Army foundation and were basically formed based on local armed forces. However, the 52nd Division has a tenacious style and is not afraid of sacrifice. In the battles of Heze, the Thousand Miles Advance to the Dabie Mountains, Huaihai, and Crossing the River, it performed remarkably, and gradually grew into an "Iron Fist Army" in the second field battle sequence. In July 1952, the 52nd Division was deactivated. In June 1962, the Tibet Military Region, based on the original 154th and 155th Regiments of the 52nd Division, together with the 157th Regiment of the 53rd Division and other units, was jointly organized into the Tibetan Character 419 Unit .
Afterwards, the Tibetan 419th Unit participated in the counterattack against India, wiping out more than 4,000 enemy troops and causing heavy casualties to the enemy's 7th and 62nd Brigades. The Central Military Commission praised the unit for " good news came frequently, and it was extremely satisfying.". In this battle, the Tibetan 419th Troop took advantage of our army's fine tradition of seeing red with a bayonet, and heroic individuals and units emerged, represented by "battle heroes" Zhang Yingxin and "Yangting'an Ban". In May 1965, the Tibetan Unit 419 was renamed the 52nd Division, with jurisdiction over the 154th, 155th, 156th Regiments and the 309th Artillery Regiment.
▲ " Yangting'an " squad battle flag
In May 1967, the 50th Army of the Shenyang Military Region was ordered to enter Sichuan. The military headquarters was stationed in Chengdu, and the 149th Division was stationed in Leshan. At this point in the writing, do you feel it’s a bit abrupt? It feels like this place has little to do with the 52nd Division. In fact, this involves the adjustment of the organizational structure of the Chengdu Military Region . In January 1969, the Central Military Commission notified the Chengdu Military Region via telegram that the 149th Division and the 52nd Division would switch defenses. At the end of November, the two divisions exchanged numbers and establishments.
At this point, the history of the 149th Division has undergone a major turning point. Except for the division headquarters stationed in Leshan, the military history has nothing to do with the old 149th Division. It has to be said that the old 149th Division is also an old main force with great military exploits and glorious military history. On the Korean battlefield, it became famous in the Han River Blockade and formed a heroic unit known throughout the army - the " Baiyun Mountain Regiment ". Therefore, if you want to study the history of the old 149th Division, you need to look at the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region and its subsequent development.
▲Old photos of a certain unit of the 149th Division of the 50th Army
According to the author’s analysis, after the 52nd Division of the Tibet Military Region was renamed the 149th Division, its headquarters was stationed in Leshan for the following four reasons:
1. Leshan has an advantageous geographical location;
Leshan is located in central Sichuan, southwest of the Sichuan Basin, and is more than 140 kilometers away from Chengdu. This location advantage is similar to that of Xuchang, Henan. Xuchang is also located in the middle of Henan, nearly 100 kilometers away from the provincial capital Zhengzhou. In the Military Region era, the 58th Division of the 20th Group Army (Army) (58th Motorized Infantry Brigade, 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade) was deployed in Xuchang.
By analogy with the situation of the 58th Division, it is not difficult for us to understand why the 149th Division is stationed in Leshan. It is easy to maneuver to cope with neighboring troops . This deployment method is very common in our army, and it is also the basic principle of military use by great military strategists of all ages in our country.Let’s talk about the topography of Leshan itself. This is a rare land of God-given good water, as shown in the following picture:
▲ Leshan topographic map
Although Leshan’s administrative divisions have been adjusted and changed several times, the map above can generally reflect the topographic characteristics of the place, which brings together mountains, hills, flat dams and other landform types. This can not only satisfy the various tactical training of the 149th Division, but also allow for easy advance and retreat to hide troops.
2. The Chengdu-Kunming Railway passes through;
In July 1958, after years of deliberation, the Chengdu-Kunming Railway officially started construction. In 1965, Jiajiang Railway Station was built as a third-class station on the Chengdu-Kunming Line. Although Jiajiang Station is small in scale, it has special historical significance for Leshan, and the pattern suddenly opened up. The historical mission of the Chengdu-Kunming Line is to connect the Chengdu-Chongqing and -Baocheng Railway . The former leads to Chongqing, and the latter goes directly to Baoji, Shaanxi, connecting the southwest and northwest together.
▲Old photo of Chengdu-Kunming Railway
The 149th Division is deployed here, and it is extremely convenient to connect with Chengdu, where the 50th Army Headquarters is located. Furthermore, the 149th Division is the main division of the 50th Army and even the Chengdu Military Region, shouldering the important task of the reserve force. Since it is a reserve force, it must be deployed in a position that is convenient for maneuver. This is the key. Although the Chengdu-Kunming Railway had not yet been fully opened to traffic when the 149th Division was stationed in Leshan, the military and geographical importance of this place cannot be denied.
3. Leshan has a certain industrial base;
In 1964, a landmark event in the history of my country's industrial development - third-line construction kicked off in Sichuan. Thanks to its superior location and convenient transportation, Leshan has been identified as one of the key areas for the deployment of national third-tier construction projects in Sichuan. The third-line construction has brought the pharmaceutical industry, defense industry, paper industry, crystalline silicon material industry, etc. to Leshan, which has far-reaching historical significance for Leshan and laid a solid industrial foundation.
▲Old photos of third-line construction
Combined with this historical background, it is not difficult for us to understand why the 149th Division was stationed here. Industry is particularly important to the construction and development of the army, and areas with developed industries are also key targets for military garrison. This was also an important principle of our army's deployment at that time. For example, when the 54th Army transferred north to Henan, the 162nd Division under its jurisdiction was deployed in Anyang, an important industrial town in the province. There is no other reason. Anyang is not only industrially developed, but also close to the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway.
4. Leshan is an important agricultural area in Sichuan;
Sichuan enjoys the reputation of "Land of Abundance" and has been a "granary" relied on by all dynasties. According to records in the "Sichuan Provincial Chronicle·Food Chronicle", during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty Sichuan's surplus grain exports amounted to millions of dan, which shows that the "Land of Abundance" is well-deserved. Therefore, basically all parts of Sichuan have certain agricultural advantages. Citing an introduction from the Leshan Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, Leshan has a long history of agricultural development and huge development potential. It plays a prominent role in the agricultural pattern of Sichuan Province.
▲Agriculture is a major traditional advantage of Leshan
The advantages of Leshan's agriculture are mainly reflected in the fact that it is suitable for the growth of various food crops. The area has a humid subtropical climate with no severe cold in winter, few frosts and snows, no scorching heat in summer, and mild weather all year round. It is especially suitable for the growth of rice, wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, rape and other grain and oil crops. Combined with the third reason, Leshan has obvious advantages in industry and agriculture, which can provide strong combat support for the 149th Division.
To sum up, the reason why the 149th Division is stationed in Leshan can be summarized as "the transportation is convenient and the location is good, and both workers and farmers can strengthen the army." This is the fact. After the 149th Division was stationed in Leshan, it had strong troops and solid training, and became the "Iron Fist Army" guarding the southwest. In the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam , the 149th Division severely damaged the enemy's ace main force, the 316A Division, leaving a strong mark on the division's magnificent poem.
▲Old photo of the 149th Division of the 13th Group Army of the Chengdu Military Region
The 149th Division has survived the successive streamlining and reorganizations and has continued to grow and develop.In 1985, during the one-million-dollar disarmament, the 149th Division was incorporated into the 13th Group Army and implemented the Southern Class A Motorized Rifle Division organization. By the organizational adjustment in 1998, the 149th Division was already the "First Quick Reaction Division in the Southwest" and a flag of the Chengdu Military Region. In the new round of military reform in 2017, the 149th Division implemented the "division to brigade", and its blood was diverted to the 76th and 77th Group Armies of the Western Theater Command.
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