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The night stealth of the American army and the rapid response of our troops
On the night of February 2, 1951, the sky fell, and the thick night fog was like a thick curtain, obscuring the stars and moonlight, providing perfect cover for the 24th Division of the US Army. The division, consisting of thousands of light infantrymen carrying only the necessary weapons and equipment, crossed the border with the Chinese People's Volunteers with minimal noise of movement. Under the cover of late night, these soldiers, like ghosts, disappeared in the border strip, and then reappeared in the rear of the 38th Army.
The U.S. Army's 24th Division's plan of action was meticulous and thoughtful, and each squad had a specific understanding of their route and mission. They bypassed the front positions of the People's Volunteers, which remained heavily defended at night, but the extremely low visibility made it difficult for the defenders to spot the quietly moving enemy. Using the cover of the terrain, the U.S. squad snaked along the ridge, occasionally through dense forest paths, their footsteps swallowed up by thick fallen leaves and wet mud, almost silent.
The target of this force was the Yamanakari region, a high-lying and easily defensible position that was strategically important for controlling the entire theater of operations. Upon arrival in this area, the U.S. forces quickly moved into action, dividing their forces into several routes and methodically occupying several key high ground and observation points. In the dark, they used the faint light of their flashlights to quickly dig trenches and build makeshift fortifications. Soldiers carried sandbags and wood, built bunkers and sniper points, and quietly laid mines and traps in case the People's Volunteers counterattacked.
Although this action of the US military was stealthy and swift, its strategic intention was extremely obvious, that is, to open a breakthrough in the hinterland of the People's Volunteers, especially to directly threaten the headquarters of the 113th Division under the 38th Army, as well as the key positions controlling the south bank of the Han River. Once these positions are breached, they will not only be able to cut off the logistics supply lines of the People's Volunteers, but will also be able to deal a heavy psychological blow to the other side, so that the entire front can develop in a direction favorable to the US military.
The timing of this night attack, carefully chosen by the US commander, really caught the People's Volunteers off guard. Due to severe limitations in sight and hearing, the defenders were initially unaware of the enemy's infiltration. However, when the first rays of morning light pierced through the mist, the outlines of the mountains in the misty light gradually became clear, and the presence of American troops began to be revealed. As the sky grew brighter, the truth of the battlefield and the impending fierce clash brought unprecedented challenges to the 38th Army.
After learning that the US troops had infiltrated key positions, the commander of the 38th Army, General Liang Xingchu, immediately took action. He quickly assigned the 338th Regiment in the immediate vicinity to deal with the emergency.
The rapid deployment and resolute resistance of the 338th Regiment
After receiving the order of General Liang Xingchu, Xing Ze, the political commissar of the 338th Regiment, immediately took action and quickly organized the troops for combat deployment. The 1st and 3rd Battalions, as the main attacking forces, advanced to Heights 133 and 141 respectively, to ensure that they could effectively encircle and control the U.S. forces from two key positions.
The 1 Battalion moved quickly in the darkness of the night, taking advantage of the cover of the terrain, broke through the perimeter cordon of the American army and quickly climbed to the top of the 133 heights. Immediately after reaching the top of the heights, the soldiers began to dig trenches and set up machine-gun positions, preparing for a possible counterattack. At the same time, the 3 Battalion also successfully reached the 141 heights and quickly began the construction of positions, where they deployed mortars and heavy machine guns at strategic points to ensure effective fire suppression of enemy forces under the hills.
Realizing the importance of these two heights, the American commander quickly mobilized tanks and a large number of infantry units to launch a counteroffensive against them. With the arrival of morning light, the US tanks first drove towards the 133 heights, and tank guns and machine guns began to bombard the positions of the Chinese Volunteers on the heights. At the same time, infantry units, under the cover of tanks, tried to climb the heights from several directions.
On the 133 heights, the soldiers of the 1 battalion put up a resolute resistance using pre-prepared trenches and fortifications. Machine gunners fired at U.S. infantry as they went uphill, while mortarsmen fired at U.S. tanks in an attempt to combat the steel behemoths' ability to move. Since the high ground provided good visibility and firing positions, the volunteer soldiers were able to effectively suppress the American troops going up the hill, blocking their offensive.
At the same time, the 141 battalion of the 3 heights faced an even more tense situation. The U.S. military not only sent tanks to support the infantry attack, but also called in artillery to carry out long-range bombardment of the high ground. The shells caused a series of explosions on the high ground, stirring up dust and smoke. Despite this, the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion held their ground, constantly adjusting their firing angles during artillery and machine-gun fire to effectively counterattack the attacking American troops.
Fierce battles and communications support
As the battle intensified, the U.S. military felt the stubborn resistance of the Chinese Volunteers on the two heights and decided to use air power to change the tide of the war. At 10 a.m., the buzz in the sky was getting louder and louder, and a formation of more than a dozen fighters soon appeared over Heights 133 and 141. These fighters began a systematic series of bombardments on the two heights, unleashing the next wave of explosive shells and machine-gun fire in an attempt to destroy the volunteer fortifications and suppress their firing points.
The bombing by fighter jets caused significant damage. The sound of loud explosions and the shaking of the ground became the main theme on the battlefield. Dirt and soot were blown into the air, blocking out the sunlight and creating a serious obstruction of vision. Craters were everywhere on the heights, many temporary fortifications were directly destroyed, and part of the supplies and equipment on the positions were blown up.
In this extremely dangerous environment, it is essential that the communications of the 3rd Battalion continuously keep the communications of the positions open. Dressed in heavy combat suits and helmets, and carrying heavy communications equipment, the telephone operators had to find the damaged lines and repair them quickly in an environment of constant artillery fire. Telephone lines are often blown up, and telephone operators need to quickly identify problems and fix them to ensure continuity and efficiency in combat command.
These callers demonstrated a high level of professionalism and courage. Whenever a line fails, they have to brave a hail of bullets and move quickly to a location that needs to be repaired. They carry kits with cables, connectors, and other necessary repair tools. In between bombing and shooting, they quickly dug earth pits, buried new telephone lines, or repaired damaged lines. In battle, the importance of communication lines is self-evident, and it is directly related to the effectiveness of combat command and the coordination of troop actions.
During the peak hours of the bombing, communication lines were hit directly several times, causing serious disruptions. After each line outage, the callers had to assess the extent of the damage as soon as possible and act quickly to restore the connection. Their actions require not only technical ability, but also great courage and calm judgment in order to maintain a clear line of thought in the midst of explosions and flying debris.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the telephone operators, the communication chain was quickly restored on several occasions, despite the devastating damage caused by the bombing. This ensures that commanders are able to continuously receive battlefield information and adjust tactics and command troops according to the battle situation. The heroic performance of the telephone operators ensured that the operations of the entire battalion could be effectively directed and coordinated, greatly supporting the continuation of the fighting.
A decisive counterattack and a stalemate of the battle
As the battle entered the afternoon period, the US commander, after assessing the battle situation in the morning, decided to increase the offensive force and mobilized 11 tanks to charge again on the two heights controlled by the Chinese People's Volunteers. The tank formations were divided into two directions, one part advanced to the 133 heights, the other moved to the 141 heights, and the fire of tank guns and machine guns covered the volunteer defenses on the advance route, trying to open a breakthrough.
At the same time, the US logistics units began to carry out the withdrawal mission, they collected the bodies of some of the dead soldiers in the front-line combat area. This is a rare act on the battlefield and is usually only performed when the enemy is preparing to retreat or reorganize the defensive line. The sight of the American soldiers evacuating their fallen comrades while fighting under cover undoubtedly shows their current predicament and the instability of the front.
Political Commissar Xing Ze, who observed this series of actions, had insight into the fact that the US military might be preparing to retreat or at least weaken its fighting intentions to some extent. He quickly gave the order for a full-scale counterattack and decided to take advantage of this favorable moment to weaken the enemy's combat strength as much as possible. After receiving the order, the 338th Regiment quickly organized forces for a counterattack.
The whole regiment of soldiers was mobilized, they rushed out of the positions and attacked the enemy directly. Due to the proximity of the distance, the two sides engaged in almost zero distance, and the volunteer soldiers used a variety of melee weapons, including rifles, grenades, and even bayonets and butts. In this extreme melee situation, the battle becomes extremely fierce, and every inch of land is fought for blood.
Although the tank had great firepower, its mobility and defense were limited in the face of a dense infantry charge. Taking advantage of the terrain and the tank's blind spots, the volunteer soldiers approached the ironclad monsters and destroyed them with explosives packs and anti-tank grenades. Some soldiers even climbed into the tank and used bayonets and grenades against the crew inside the tank.
This fearless offensive dealt a major psychological and physical blow to the US military. As the tanks were destroyed, the morale of the infantry units also suffered. The actions of the American army began to look chaotic, and the chain of command began to lose its effectiveness under the fierce attack of the volunteers. Due to the breakdown of communication and the intensity of the fighting, the US military began to gradually lose control of the battlefield.
Victory in the battle and the retreat of the enemy troops
As the sun sets and the artillery fire gradually subsides, the former battlefield is shrouded in the afterglow of dusk, and the battle finally comes to an end. The 338th Regiment showed extraordinary courage and efficiency in this fierce battle, successfully annihilating the strength of 2 battalions of the American army. In the post-war Yamanakazato region, traces of war can be seen everywhere: large numbers of enemy corpses are scattered on the battlefield, destroyed cars, tanks and artillery have become silent witnesses, pieces of iron and shells are scattered in the dirt, the pungent smell of gunpowder smoke and burning engine oil is mixed together, and the air is filled with the cruelty of war and the bitterness of victory.
The next day, as the first rays of the morning sun shone on this land that was once filled with gunpowder, our army informed the US military by radio that it would allow it to recover the bodies of soldiers killed in the battle for humanitarian reasons. Shortly after being notified, the U.S. military sent several helicopters to carry out this mission. Helicopters arrived over the battlefield one after another and slowly landed in designated safe areas. Under strict vigilance, U.S. soldiers began to busily carry the bodies, carefully taking off and landing at every time to ensure that possible remnants of mines or unexploded ordnance were not triggered.
The helicopter back and forth continued all morning. As each body was removed, the scene on the battlefield gradually showed signs of recovering from the chaos. Although this is an extremely heavy scene, it also silently shows the harshness of war and the respect of human nature. In this case, both sides, even in a state of hostilities, showed basic respect for the fallen soldiers.
The officers and men of the 338th Regiment have accumulated rich experience in continuous battles, and have demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and excellent efficiency in tactical selection, troop deployment, and real-time response to battlefield changes. Their movements are fast and precise, and every transition between attack and defense is closely integrated with the actual situation on the battlefield, ensuring that every step of the battle can achieve the desired effect.
Resources:
From Wang Shuzeng. The Far East: Korean War (2nd Edition)[M]. 2004