There is a broken bridge on the Yalu River , which was blown up by U.S. fighter planes during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea . However, at the beginning of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, the United States did not intend to blow up the Yalu River Bridge. Why is this? Truman What was he worried about at that time?
Oil painting across the Yalu River Bridge
Without blowing up the bridge, the U.S. military would be defeated
The Korean Civil War broke out in June 1950. In September of the same year, the "United Nations Army" led by the U.S. Army landed in Incheon, reversing the situation of the Korean Civil War and escalating a national civil war into an international war. In October 1950, the US military crossed the 38th parallel, seriously threatening China's security.
On October 25, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army majestic and high-spirited, crossed the Yalu River to support the Korean War. During the period of resisting U.S. aggression and aiding Korea, the logistical supplies of the Chinese People's Volunteers were mainly transported through the Yalu River Bridge. It can be said that this bridge was the lifeline of the Chinese People's Volunteers.
The volunteer army's mules-horse logistics transportation
At that time, our army's equipment was backward, and most of the time we could only attack the U.S. military camps at night to consume them. After several attacks by our army, the "United Nations Army" was in disarray and could not sleep at night. MacArthur was very angry about this. He led the "United Nations Army" to attack our army many times, but all failed.
After many battles, MacArthur realized that China was difficult to deal with, and he began to consider cutting off China's logistical supplies. He said in a telegram sent to Washington that he hoped to blow up the Yalu River Bridge. Because the materials of the Chinese Volunteer Army must be transported to the battlefield through the Yalu River Bridge. If does not blow up the Yalu River Bridge, the US military may be defeated.
MacArthur always held a big pipe in his mouth
but U.S. President Truman replied "Stop immediately." After the proposal was rejected, MacArthur cursed at the front line, believing that the senior officials were just sitting in the office talking and did not understand or recognize the situation of the war, and were destined to make the "United Nations Army" fail.
Truman's considerations
In fact, For Truman, the benefits of not blowing up the bridge were the greatest. MacArthur was on the front lines, focusing on the physiology of a war without deeply considering the stakes. Truman rejected MacArthur's request mainly based on the following points.
Truman opposed blowing up the Yalu River Bridge
First of all, China was backed by the Soviet Union. The Yalu River Bridge is located just on the border between China and North Korea. If it is blown up, all Chinese people may join the war. Although the United States can ignore China, it must be extremely cautious in its attitude towards the Soviet Union.
Truman was very worried that if China fully participated in the war, the Soviet Union would also take the opportunity to join the war. Once the Soviet Union intervenes, World War III is likely to break out. By then, the US military will invest more materials in the war, and the outcome of the war cannot be guaranteed.
and US Secretary of Defense Marshall also said that if China had not assembled a large number of troops in Dandong, it would have been a wrong decision for the US military to bomb the Yalu River Bridge.
The Yalu River Bridge is of great significance to the Volunteer Army
Secondly, in the "United Nations Army", all countries do not support the expansion of the war. After the World War , the economies of many countries were hit hard. They also did not want to fall into the quagmire of a large war again, so Truman had to consider the situation of his allies.
Truman visited Europe after receiving MacArthur's telegram requesting that the Yalu River Bridge be blown up. The general opinion held by his allies was to limit the scale of the war and prevent more countries from participating in the war, so Truman could only choose to reject MacArthur.
A Corner of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
Furthermore, blowing up the Yalu River Bridge is not an easy task. MacArthur could see the importance of this bridge to the volunteers, and our army knew that we must protect this bridge.
In order to ensure that supplies can be continuously input to the battlefield, our country has deployed a lot of air defense firepower in the Dandong area. even dispatched the most advanced fighter jets in the country at the time to guard the bridge and guard against U.S. air strikes.
In addition to the deployment of our army, the North Korean army's air defense assets have also been placed near the Yalu River Bridge. When bombed, they can also severely damage the US military. What's even more frightening is that if a war is really launched by then, the Soviet Air Force will come to support, that is to say, the price the US military will pay for blowing up the Yalu River Bridge is still relatively high.
Soviet pilots secretly intervened in the Korean War
Finally, it was already winter when MacArthur proposed blowing up the Yalu River Bridge. The extremely cold temperature has frozen the Yalu River. Even if the Yalu River Bridge is blown up, the Chinese People's Volunteers will transport supplies through the ice, so blowing up the bridge is of little significance to the US military.
After many discussions, Truman rejected MacArthur's request.
Truman initially disagreed with blowing up the Yalu River Bridge.
The Iron-Skeletal Chinese
Of course, in addition to the above reasons, Truman refused MacArthur because he felt that the United States must win. After discovering the strength of the volunteers, the US military finally chose to blow up the bridge.
However, one thing needs to be emphasized here. Truman proposed a premise for bombing bridges - cannot bomb the half of the bridges that belong to China, and the U.S. Air Force cannot enter Chinese territory.
Since blowing up only half of the bridge required very high technical requirements for the U.S. Air Force, their initial bombing of the bridge had no effect at all.
The Yalu River Bridge was bombed (overlook)
So the U.S. Air Force invaded China's airspace. While blowing up the bridge, they also dropped bombs on some border areas in Dandong, seriously threatening the lives of the people.
In the end, the Yalu River Bridge was blown up. But because the Yalu River Bridge is so important, every time the US military blows up the bridge, our army will find ways to repair the bridge.
It was not until February 1951 that the Yalu River Bridge was turned into a useless bridge under the bombing of the US military. Afterwards, the Chinese, who refused to admit defeat, built a pontoon bridge on the Yalu River, so MacArthur ordered the bombing of the volunteer army's pontoon bridge.
However, the US military never completely blew up the pontoon bridge, which made MacArthur's intention to cut off the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's supply by blowing up the bridge in vain.
The bombed Yalu River Bridge
To this day, the Yalu River Bridge still stands on the border between China and North Korea, witnessing the profound friendship between China and North Korea, although it has been renamed "Yalu River Broken Bridge". At the same time, many tourists will take a walk there when they go to play. Through the incomplete bridge, they can let their thoughts travel back and forth briefly in time, imagining the bravery, fearlessness and tenacity of the volunteer soldiers back then.
