Author: Jiuyuting
According to the pre-plan, Gaogang and He Jinnian had prepared winter clothes for the Volunteer Army 9th Corps. However, due to military emergencies and temporary changes in plans, many troops hurriedly entered the DPRK without having time to receive cotton-padded clothes, hats, gloves, and cotton shoes in advance, which paved the way for subsequent non-combat attrition.
The military column of the 20th Army only stayed in Shenyang for a moment before rushing to North Korea. He Jinnian, deputy commander of the Northeast Military Region , saw the soldiers only wearing thin cotton-padded clothes and rubber-soled shoes from East China. Due to the enemy's blockade and insufficient troop preparation, frostbite occurred in the troops. The 58th, 59th, and 89th Divisions of the 20th Army went directly to North Korea without stopping in the Northeast. Only the 60th Division received some cotton clothes during their short stay, but it was only a drop in the bucket.
Tan Bingyun, an old hero of the Volunteer Army , was a squad leader of the 7th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 239th Regiment of the 80th Division of the 27th Army. In 1943, 20-year-old Tan Bingyun joined the National Army and worked in the National Army for 5 years. After the army uprising, Tan Bingyun became a liberation fighter until he joined the Korean War.
When Tan Bingyun entered the court, he had been a soldier for 7 years and participated in many battles. However, he was not talkative and was just a squad leader. However, Tan Bingyun's combat experience and tactical level were very high, which was an important reason why he was able to walk out of the battlefield alive and made great achievements.
But sometimes, if you want to survive on the battlefield, you need not only enough courage, but also a lot of luck. Tan Bingyun's 239th Regiment was issued cotton-padded clothes after crossing the Yalu River. Although they were much stronger than the 20th Army, the number of cotton-padded clothes was still not enough. Tan Bingyun was lucky enough to receive a thick cotton-padded coat.
Originally, the soldiers wore cotton-padded clothes from East China. The cotton-padded clothes contained only one and a half kilograms of cotton, while the thick cotton-padded clothes contained three and a half kilograms of cotton. The extra two kilograms of cotton seemed to have little weight, but at special moments, it could save the lives of soldiers.
In addition, Tan Bingyun passed a small town during the march. He picked up a thick bedding in a ruins. Tan Bingyun recalled after the war: "It was this bedding that saved my life!"
At that time, many volunteer soldiers saw the bedding. Why didn't anyone pick it up? It turned out that the tattered quilt was stained with blood and brains and was extremely dirty, and there was a dead Korean lying on it. The soldiers considered it unlucky and no one wanted to take it.
Unlike other soldiers, Tan Bingyun was a veteran who had been in the war for many years and climbed out of the dead. Therefore, he didn't care at all. He picked up his thick bedding and carried it on his back.
Many soldiers, including cadres, have misunderstandings about the severe cold of North Korea's winter and the firepower of the US military. The temperature of minus 30-40 degrees will make the soldiers lose their combat effectiveness quickly, and the US military aircraft will make the soldiers hungry.
During the march, the soldiers had to dig holes immediately, on the one hand to avoid the US bombing, and on the other hand to keep warm. A cave was dug that could accommodate more than 20 people, and then the entire squad got into it. The soldiers leaned on each other and relied on each other's body temperature to stay warm.
Before Tan Bingyun's unit crossed the river, everyone received a bag of sorghum rice at the military station. It only weighed 5-6 kilograms. Obviously, such a small amount of food was not enough to eat. In the first two days, I only dared to eat until I was 80% full. After three days, I could only eat half full. After five days, I had nothing to eat.
Under the blockade of US military fighter planes, food supplies were not in place, and the soldiers began to starve. In fact, this is also related to the conditions of the combat environment. During the War of Liberation, our army adhered to the approach of "millet plus rifles, and warehouses at the front". It had local advantages in the country, and the people helped our army solve the food security problem.
But when we arrived in North Korea, it was completely different from that in China. Not only was it freezing cold, but there was also no way to raise food locally, so logistical problems were exposed. Volunteer soldiers not only had to face enemies armed to the teeth, but also faced cold and hunger.
When a certain regiment was crossing the Yalu River, many soldiers suffered frostbite due to a lack of knowledge about keeping out the cold and a wrong order.
Due to the adjustment of the combat plan, this regiment was first transferred to the front line. The soldiers received the order and rushed forward regardless of the cost. The reason why our army was able to achieve the final victory in the Korean War was largely due to our army's firm will to fight.
When the group was crossing the Yalu River in ji'an , heavy snow fell from the sky, and the temperature dropped to below minus 20 degrees. US military fighter planes blew up the bridge, and the river was covered with ice slag and ice cubes.
The commander saw that the military situation was urgent and did not care about anything else. He ordered the soldiers: "Brothers, we are not even afraid of American imperialism. Are we afraid of a heavy snow? I will be the first to go into the water. Those who are afraid of death will stay on the shore for me!"
His character is very similar to General Wang Jinshan. There is no doubt that this is a brave and powerful general, but he underestimated the horror of ice, snow and low temperature.
After that, the commander took off his pants and rubber shoes, and was the first to dive into the cold river water. Seeing the commander's behavior, the soldiers took off their pants and shoes one after another, jumped into the river, and swam to the other side.
The slogan "man can conquer nature" is very effective in many cases, but the ice and snow at this time is not something the human body can bear. The first commander to enter the water only walked a few dozen steps before he collapsed in the water due to the freezing water, and the same happened to many of the soldiers who entered the water.
It is difficult to verify the exact number of soldiers who suffered frostbite. Many of the soldiers who survived in the end were also physically disabled.
In order to save the commander's life, his legs and arms were sawed off, and his whole body became a rectangular "piece of meat." After that, he could only lie on the bed.
The commander knew clearly that his command at that time was wrong. After the amputation, this 28-year-old cadre once couldn't think about it and wanted to commit suicide on hunger strike. Fortunately, with the care and care of his wife and the comfort of the nurse, he survived with difficulty. In the countless days and nights that followed, he fell into self-blame and guilt.
There is a name for these amputated cadres and soldiers called "stump men". Compared with their comrades who were killed or wounded in the Korean battlefield, they are also heroes!
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