At the end of May 1951, in view of the situation of the invading US troops gathering heavy troops to attack the north, the headquarters of the Volunteer Army ordered several units in a state of recuperation to immediately march into the designated area to prepare to resist the enemy.
Fu Chongbi, commander of the Sixty-third Army of the Volunteer Army, received the task from the corps headquarters to lead the whole army to advance to the south bank of the Northern Han River and make every effort to intercept the enemy in the north.
In the deployment of the entire corps, the Sixty-third Army was the one that advanced the deepest to the south, and formed a steel defense line with friendly and neighboring units such as the Sixty Army, the Sixty-fourth Army, and the Sixty-fifth Army in the rear.
It can be seen from this that the headquarters of the Volunteer Army and the Corps Headquarters relied heavily on Fu Chongbi and his Sixty-third Army, otherwise it would have been impossible to put them in the forefront.
Of course, Fu Chongbi also knew very well in his heart that the strength of a mere army could obviously not compete with the enemy's heavy troops who had committed large-scale northern attacks, especially when the troops were wedged into the deepest depths, and special attention must be paid to guarding against the enemy's counterattack.
What worried him even more was that if the Sixty Army in the east contracted to the north, then the Sixty-third Army was bound to suffer from the enemy on its back, and the situation would be extremely passive.
After the defensive line was deployed, Fu Chongbi was still not at ease, and together with the political commissar Long Daoquan repeatedly studied the map and examined the weak points of our army's deployment.
The guards entered the door to serve food, and Fu Chongbi realized that he had not eaten well for almost a whole day.
The basin containing the meal was placed in front of him, Fu Chongbi took a look at it, there was no rice in it at all, only half a basin of soup boiled out of mulberry leaves, it looked yellow and not rattled, and it was a little bitter to drink.
Fu Chongbi didn't say a word, and took a drink. Because he knew that because our army's supply lines were too long and they were constantly attacked and harassed by the enemy, the troops had long been deprived of food and could only overcome the difficulties as much as possible.
Long Daoquan also drank the half pot of soup, sighed and said, "Old Fu, this is not the way to go!" Old eat these things, where does the combat effectiveness of the troops come from..."
"The situation is such a situation, but we..." Fu Chongbi wanted to stop talking, he also understood that this situation was difficult to maintain, and he had to find a way to get through the difficulties.
Just at this moment, the 189th Division suddenly sent an urgent telegram: the eastern side of the division was suddenly attacked by the US army, and the enemy and us were fighting fiercely!
Both Fu Chongbi and Long Daoquan were astonished: although they were ready to meet the enemy, they didn't expect the enemy to come so quickly!
That night, they received another call from the 189th Division, informing that the enemy of the 18th Division was the US Seventh Division.
What surprised Fu Chongbi and Long Daoquan even more was that the 189th Division learned from the mouths of the two American prisoners they had captured that the American army had mobilized the elite troops of several divisions and was attacking the North Han River in three ways, with the intention of cutting off the retreat route of the Third and Nineteenth Corps of the Volunteer Army, thus launching a fierce attack with the momentum of a north-south attack.
This means that the US military has targeted the weaker weakness of the volunteer army's western front and is plotting to strike hard. The Sixty-third Army, which was at the forefront, was undoubtedly the most dangerous unit.
Both Fu and Long were caught up in a bitter struggle: How should the troops make a decision now? Is it time to seriously consider the question of whether to continue fighting or to retreat in time?
If it continues to fight the enemy, the Sixty-third Army is likely to be attacked by the enemy's north and south, and it will be difficult to break free from the trap set by the enemy.
If you don't want to see the whole army destroyed, you must retreat as soon as possible, but the withdrawal is a major event that affects the whole body and must be approved by the superiors.
Faced with this dilemma, Fu Chongbi and Long Daoquan could not make a decision, and could only call a meeting of cadres to study countermeasures.
However, it took a lot of time for the meeting to go on, but everyone had their own opinions, some advocated a deadly battle, some advocated the withdrawal of troops, and it was never possible to reach an agreement.
At this time, the 187th Division called again and reported an emergency: the division fought a bloody battle with the enemy on the south side of Luoshan for a day and a night, and not only failed to break through the enemy position, but paid a considerable casualty price, so it asked the head of the army for instructions on what to do next.
Time is not waiting for people, we must make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise the situation will be more passive, and even difficult to recover!
At this extremely critical moment, Fu Chongbi finally made up his mind: not only the 187th Division must be withdrawn quickly, but even the entire Sixty-third Army must be withdrawn in its entirety!
Hearing the commander's order, the cadres present were stunned: At present, neither the corps headquarters nor the headquarters of the Volunteer Army has given instructions for the sixty-third army to withdraw, and if our unit withdraws at its own initiative, it will inevitably have serious consequences.
Of course, Fu Chongbi also understood this, but he could not watch the situation continue to deteriorate, he could only resist the huge pressure and take out the courage of a strong man with a broken arm to make a decision.
"I know what it means to do so, but when the break is constant, it is chaotic. If they continue to fight in a stalking, the troops will soon run out. Now that I have decided to withdraw my troops, I am alone to take responsibility for any problems! ”
Long Daoquan also did not hesitate to express his position: "This is not your business alone, the military party committee will jointly bear the responsibility!" ”
Immediately afterward, the two men personally drew up the telegram and reported their decision to the Corps Headquarters and the Volunteer Army Headquarters.
Shortly after the whole army withdrew to the north bank of the Han River, the headquarters of the Volunteer Army sent them a telegram ordering the Sixty-third Army to blow up the artillery, vehicles, and other guns and retreat north.
This telegram finally relieved the generals of the Sixty-third Army who withdrew under pressure: it seems that the opinions of the commander and Shiji coincide, and it is safe to continue the retreat.
Not long after, Yang Dezhi, commander of the corps, also approved fu Chongbi's decision to withdraw his troops: Fortunately, you should withdraw in time, otherwise you will inevitably suffer from the enemy on your back, and then it will be too late to withdraw again!
There has been controversy for decades as to whether the timing of the sixty-third army's withdrawal was appropriate, but it is undeniable that it was precisely because of the timely withdrawal of the sixty-third army that an elite force was retained for the later resistance of the Volunteer Corps on the western front against the American army, thus creating the Iron Plains Blockade Battle, which was extremely important and extremely tragic.
Under the leadership of General Fu Chongbi, the commanders and fighters of the Sixty-third Army fought fiercely with the US army on the iron-blooded front line for 13 days, and under the circumstance that the enemy's weapons and equipment, logistical supplies, and the number of soldiers (our troops were 28,000 and the enemy's strength were 47,000) were at an absolute disadvantage, the Sixty-third Army annihilated more than 2.5 enemy troops at the cost of almost fighting, firmly holding the Tieyuan defense line, and shattering the dream of the US army to drive straight in.
It is no exaggeration to say that the victory of the Sixty-third Army in the Battle of Tieyuan Was a great victory that turned the tide of the war and made the history of the war.