Looking back at China's modern war history, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was unavoidable, and the Chinese nation spent fourteen years to carry out long-term resistance and counterattack; at that time, domestic resources were extremely scarce, the gap in army equipment was very large, and even it was not clothed and cold, and there was not enough food, and in such a difficult environment, it was necessary to win the war, and the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan was really not easy to come by.
"Millet plus rifle" is a description of the equipment of the Eighth Route Army, in the face of enemies much stronger than themselves, it is important to have tenacious faith and will, and there are some seemingly simple but quite practical "local methods" to make up for these deficiencies. For example, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, almost all members of our army used cloth leggings, and its use rate was so high that it almost became the standard of the Eighth Route Army. Today we will take a look at this traditional equipment with great historical contribution.
Various advantages of leggings
Military leggings have a long history, about the end of the 19th century, India is still a British colony, soldiers serving there often quietly wrapped leggings made of long cloth on the calf belly, with the development of time, the method of leggings has become more and more formal, and gradually became part of the soldier's clothing. In China, it can be traced back to ancient times, and the ancients marched and fought to inherit this "soil equipment". The reason why it is still widely used in the modern War of Resistance Against Japan is that in the final analysis, its benefits are too many.
First of all, playing leggings can help the Eighth Route Army, which is often in a long journey, prevent pain and complications caused by blood accumulation, and improve the army's marching and combat efficiency. The front line of the War of Resistance Against Japan was deep in the east, west, south, and north, and at that time our army did not have sufficient means of transportation such as horse-drawn carriages and automobiles, and soldiers often relied on walking during the day, and when they traveled long distances, it was common to walk from one battlefield to another, and the ability to walk long distances would even become an important factor in assessing a soldier's military quality.
Not to mention that the main positions of our army are often some rugged mountainous areas, the environment restricts the development of transportation, coupled with insufficient economic conditions, so soldiers have begun to rise a "soil method" of beating leggings, and use cloth strips to firmly wrap their calves and stomachs. It plays a great role, because after a long period of exercise and force, the joints on the legs and other parts will become red and hot, which is due to the accumulation of blood and lead to poor blood circulation. If this situation is not properly handled, it will cause leg swelling and pain and disease, which is a hidden danger that cannot be ignored for soldiers on the march.
The situation in the War of Resistance Against Japan cannot be postponed, and when the Eighth Route Army evades the invasion of the enemy army or supports large troops, it often has to travel hundreds of miles at night, and it is inevitable that the next day it will feel severe pain in its legs and it will be difficult to continue to fight. After hitting the leggings, the problem was solved: the cloth strip hindered the rapid flow of blood, alleviated the accumulation of blood, and the warriors were able to avoid the pain caused by varicose veins. A few small strips of cloth were also economical, and the method of beating leggings immediately became popular in the barracks.
In addition, leggings can also resist mosquitoes and thorns, and this effect is especially evident in mountain jungle areas. It is common for mountain marches, overgrown with weeds, scratched by thorns or branches, and hanging on to the legs of their pants, which is very wrong if there is an enemy chasing after them. When you have to rest in the jungle at night, the legs tied tightly with cloth can also prevent insects and ants from crawling down the trouser tube into the trouser legs and sucking.
In the event of an injury or emergency rescue situation, these strips of cloth can also come in handy. When the Eighth Route Army was wounded, the leggings cloth was removed and reused to fix the bones and stop the bleeding; when the comrades were seriously injured, the branches and leggings cloth could be temporarily made into a simple stretcher to play a role in transporting the wounded over short distances.
In addition, the leggings cloth can also play a specific role in the steep slopes of the mountain, that is, to connect them with tape, make them into fixed ropes, and use them as traction, which is much more convenient for local materials; if enemy prisoners are captured on the battlefield, the leggings cloth can also be removed and tied, these cloth strips do not look thick, but they are very solid, and they cannot be broken off for a while and a half.
Finally, leggings protect military pants and ankles. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Eighth Route Army could not get timely logistical supplies, the trouser legs were damaged and difficult to replace in time, and the military pants were also considered to be one of the main military materials, and the leggings could protect it well and improve durability; compared with military boots, the leggings were more flexible when fixed, and could be pulled tighter, which played a certain positive role in protecting the ankles.
The transition during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
Since there are so many benefits to playing leggings, why is it no longer standard in the PLA? Even in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the volunteer army rarely used this kind of leggings cloth. In fact, the leggings were originally widely used by the volunteers, but it soon did more harm than good, allowing the soldiers to learn a lesson with their lives.
The enemies during the period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea were different, and the Japanese army invading China was replaced by a "United Nations Army" headed by the United States. The military strength of the US imperialists is second to none in the world, and all kinds of advanced weapons and equipment are not to be mentioned. Their mode of warfare was also different from that of the Japanese, dropping napalm and incendiary bombs on the battlefield on a large scale, which would burn in the target area after firing and was difficult to extinguish, and simply sprinkling water and rolling mud would not work. If volunteer soldiers are hit by petrol bombs on the battlefield, the only way to survive is to take off their clothes as soon as possible to prevent further fire. The leggings cloth strip is easily combustible, and coupled with the time-consuming time it takes to untie it, it is quite fatal.
Unlike home-grown combat, the climate of the Korean battlefield is drier and it is not difficult to adapt without leggings. Moreover, during the period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the volunteer soldiers generally rushed to the front line by train and no longer had to march on foot like the War of Resistance Against Japan. Armaments have also expanded a lot, such as more practical bandages than cloth strips, and medical facilities are more complete, so the role of leggings has been greatly weakened.
As for why the Platon's liberation army is not using leggings, the main reason is because of the progress of the times and the importance of materials. There are now better armaments to replace the old-fashioned leggings, which are modern military boots. The material of military boots is very strong, the styles are diverse, and there are detailed classifications according to different combat environments, such as the most common combat boots, which are suitable for jungle field battles; and the cold and heatproof military boots that are suitable for cold zones and the tropics.
Although the form and method have changed, its core connotation has not changed. For example, knee pads and leggings, which are now similar to leggings, play a role in slowing down the blood flow during the march, while protecting the joints when crawling, reducing wear and consumption. Not only is it prevalent in the military, but even some outdoor enthusiasts will be prepared for it.
epilogue
Everything has disadvantages and advantages, and in different environments and objects, the same thing will have two sides, and leggings are no exception. Although it has a large role and a wide range of adaptations, playing leggings also requires soldiers to judge according to the situation. It is important to learn to be flexible, and different enemies and combat environments are likely to make the once invincible methods ineffective, produce negative effects, and become a burden to soldiers. Therefore, in order to be able to adapt to the new battlefield, the volunteers naturally gave up the traditional leggings, which is also a reason to help the war achieve final victory, and the Chinese army is a good interpretation of the importance of flexibility.
The leggings that had no place to use gradually withdrew from the battle stage and became a period of history of the Eighth Route Army in the War of Resistance Against Japan. But it has not disappeared like this, it also represents a spirit, that is, trapped in a harsh external environment, the Chinese nation is still indomitable spirit of resistance, but also represents the flexible and flexible wisdom of the ancestors. This spirit of bearing hardships and standing hard work deserves to be remembered and carried forward by future generations.