After the large-scale and full-scale outbreak of World War II, this is not only a great test of life and death for combat soldiers, but also a comprehensive test for the rescue of an army on the battlefield. A few months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the strength of the US medical force had been unprecedentedly expanded. At that time, there were more than 130,000 medical officers and soldiers, and its growth rate even exceeded the rate of expansion of combat troops.
World War II medics (reenactment of the war)
In the hearts of soldiers, what does battlefield medics mean?
In the cruel battlefield at the moment of life and death, the soldiers' thoughts are actually very simple: whether the wounded can be properly rescued and whether they can be evacuated in time to save their lives is one of the most concerned issues for frontline soldiers. Enough medical conditions and enough ambulances are actually also an important factor that motivates soldiers to move forward bravely.
Therefore, on the battlefield, the military doctors and health rescuers are given too many expectations. The war they face may be more cruel and the most gloomy than the combat soldiers. Every scene of tragic injury and death will be the most terrifying test of human nerves and psychology.
US Medical Soldiers (Video)
In addition to work intensity and bloody pictures, the ambulance soldiers on the battlefield also face many unforeseen life risks. Although the world has experienced many wars, medical personnel in the field have been protected by the Geneva Convention. But on the battlefield, guns have no eyes! In order to allow the enemy to distinguish between medical personnel and combat personnel on the battlefield, the US military took great pains during World War II.
In the chaotic battlefield environment, the most conspicuous and direct way to distinguish is to equip the logo. These U.S. military medical soldiers will wear a distinctive red cross logo on their helmets, and they will also wear red cross sleeves on their left and right arms. This clearly shows the identity of its medical staff. This kind of U.S. military painting gradually appeared in the Italian battlefield, and it was a common practice in various European war zones after the Normandy landing.
U.S. medical soldiers treat German wounded
In many film and television dramas depicting European battlefields, we often see U.S. soldiers falling to the ground after being shot on the battlefield, and immediately themselves or their comrades will shout: "Medicine!" , And then there will be a medical soldier with a red cross armband and a red cross logo on a white background on his helmet, carrying a medical box, and rushing forward to rescue the wounded.
On the battlefields of Western Europe, the German army explicitly banned shooting enemy medical soldiers.
In many World War II film and television dramas, we rarely see shots of US military medical soldiers being shot. Is this the rhythm of the "magic drama"? In fact, it is not. In the European battlefield, the American ambulances did not hesitate to rush forward to rescue them, and such an eye-catching logo on their bodies became their confidence. Throughout World War II, the Germans had always adhered to the basic principles in front of the battlefield, and there were very few cases of deliberate shooting and killing of enemy medical soldiers.
If there are German snipers that specifically target the Allied medical soldiers and fire, the Germans will severely penalize soldiers who violate the regulations. And this is not only the case with medical soldiers. In the battlefields of Western Europe, if Allied soldiers go to fetch water, as long as they do not carry weapons, the Germans generally will not shoot them. Therefore, most of the casualties of the US medical soldiers in Western Europe came from stray bullets or artillery fire. They should feel very fortunate that the German opponents are at least "gentleman."
The US medical soldier
wearing a German military cap is not stupid after all. If the precedent for shooting the medical soldier is set, the other party will also shoot the German medical soldier in revenge. No one wants to lose the last hope of survival after being injured. The memories of the German veterans of World War II who were injured on the battlefield have an unspeakable taste. These veterans said that when they were hit by a bullet, they felt over! The only hope is that the medical soldiers can show up next to him and take back the last bit of survival for himself.
and the seriously wounded were even more afraid to recall the scene when they were transported to the battlefield hospital: medical conditions on the battlefield are limited, and temporary battlefield hospitals are often almost the same as hell. There are bloody smells and screams everywhere, and bodies are constantly being carried. Out. People who have not experienced war cannot understand what those medical soldiers mean to soldiers.
battlefield rescues the wounded (video)
However, the Germans do not shoot and kill Allied medical soldiers and it is only limited to Western Europe. In the case of both sides killing the red eye on the eastern front battlefield, many Soviet women have been fighting with guns, not to mention the medical soldiers. , And as long as you have a weapon,The Germans had every reason to shoot. Therefore, as described in the movie "Blood War Hacksaw Ridge", the US military medical soldier Desmond Dawes insisted on not carrying weapons, which is actually very reasonable!
Crazy Japanese army advocates raising butcher knives against U.S. medical soldiers
In fact, no convention can completely guarantee the safety of medical personnel. The Geneva Treaty has certain restrictions on rational soldiers, but it cannot restrain the already Crazy soldier. In World War II, the Japanese army often chose to bomb and attack when they saw the red cross emblem of the other side, causing a large number of tragic deaths of medical staff and civilians because they were not afraid of the constraints of the Geneva Treaty.
Allied prisoners of war abused by the Japanese (video)
Especially in the Pacific battlefield, the Japanese even encouraged soldiers to specifically attack the Allied medical soldiers, thinking that the effect of killing one medical soldier is comparable to destroying 10 enemies. The battle of Iwo Jima The Japanese garrison commander Su Lin Zhongdao specifically instructed his subordinates to do so, and also specially disguised the photos of American medical soldiers for soldiers to identify.
"Blood Battle on Hacksaw Ridge" also has such a plot: the protagonist Dawes's comrades ask him to take off his armband and put on a helmet without a red cross, telling him that otherwise he will die faster! During the battle, the crazy Japanese soldiers would not let go of the tents painted with the Red Cross. They often attacked and rushed into the tents to kill the wounded and medical staff.
The women's ambulance team recruited by the Japanese army
In fact, the Japanese army rarely has medical personnel accompanying the army in combat. They usually have field hospitals, but these field hospitals are basically transferred with Japanese officers, and ordinary small troops do not. There will be medical soldiers. Therefore, Japanese soldiers are very afraid of being injured on the battlefield, because they know that the army does not have so many medical resources and cannot get medical treatment after being injured. Therefore, soldiers who are seriously injured on the battlefield often choose to commit suicide.
Because even if these Japanese soldiers did not commit suicide, they would stay behind when the army moved. For the Japanese soldiers, they would be a burden and cruelly let them fend for themselves. It is precisely because of the Japanese army's contempt for the medical soldiers that the Japanese army suffered a lot in this regard. But the indiscriminate killing of the enemy's medical staff has also caused serious consequences for himself!
The "Japanese Army" in desperate situation (film)
In the southeast battlefield in the late war, the Allies, especially the Australians, "took a tooth for a tooth" against the Japanese army. They resolutely rejected the surrender of some Japanese troops and wished they would all these crazy Japanese soldiers The massacre was exhausted. This is entirely the Japanese army's own blame. If the army does not abide by the "Geneva Treaty", others will not treat you with the convention!
"Historical Miscellaneous Talking Station" picture source network, invaded and deleted!
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