The hero who holds the defense line from 38 degrees to 38.5 degrees

A series of stories of the sons and daughters of Western Fujian in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea

The hero who holds the defense line from 38 degrees to 38.5 degrees

In order to resist the key attacks of the US army and stabilize the 38-degree to 38.5-degree defense line, Yang Chengwu (a native of Changting County) fixed his eyes on the South Mountain of Lichuandong. It is a fish ridge-shaped highland more than 600 meters high and more than 3,000 meters long, lying on the south bank of the Han River from east to west. The entire terrain except for one mountain leg in the northeast is relatively gentle, and the other three sides of the slope are steep and dangerous. The three tributaries of the Han River at the back of the mountain cross the valley, where they join the North Han River, and the road along the river that runs from north to south leads to Jincheng. To the southeast of the highland is the Black Cloud Tuling Ridge, and to the northwest of the highland is facing off from the Yuefeng Mountain. This unique geographical location makes The Namsan Mountain in Icheon-dong become a "natural barrier" of the Han River and a "throat" of the north-south highway.

Yang Chengwu consulted the chiefs of staff of the corps and made a decision: The key point of The South Mountain of Lichuandong on the south bank of the Han River will not be abandoned for the time being, and the Ninth Company of the 595th Regiment of the 199th Division will be supported and covered by deep artillery fire.

Early in the morning, Yang Chengwu received a report: The enemy, with more than 20 tanks as the guide, surrounded the South Mountain of Lichuandong, and all kinds of artillery shelled the positions of the Ninth Company in unison, and the enemy planes bombed and strafed one after another, and there has become a sea of smoke and fire.

After that, the commanders and fighters of the Ninth Company withdrew from the enemy and withstood the attacks of the enemy on three sides. Eight enemy attacks from one company to two battalions were repelled in more than four hours.

Yang Chengwu in the corps headquarters was infinitely touched by their spirit of not being afraid of sacrifice, and he said to political commissar Zhang Nansheng: We have such fighters, and we are still afraid of what difficulties cannot be overcome, and what kind of enemies are invincible!

In the darkness of midnight, a team appeared on the north slope of the south mountain of Ewandong. This was the Ninth Company behind the lone enemy, and it was moving north according to the orders of the Jiangbei Forward Command.

Soon, Yang Chengwu received a call from Li Shuiqing, deputy commander of the Sixty-seventh Army and commander of the 199th Division, from the 199th Division, saying that the Jiangbei troops had successfully completed their new combat deployment. Yang Chengwu put down the phone and gently breathed a sigh of relief. This heralded a larger battle the next day.

On the 17th, the US and ROK recalcitrant troops encircled with three regiments, more than 60 tanks, and more than 10 aircraft to the west heights of Thae Chuan Dong, which was held by the 598th Regiment and one battalion.

From the 18th to the 19th, the U.S. and ROK recalcitrant troops, with the strength of two to five battalions per day, supported by 40 to 60 tanks, launched a fierce attack on the 7 points in front of the 201st Division of the Volunteer Army at Qiaoyanshan.

On the 20th, a company of the 603rd Regiment of the 201st Division of the Volunteer Army resisted the continuous attack of two battalions and more than 20 tanks of the REcalcitrant Army of the United States and South Korea on a certain height. After a day of fierce fighting, the main peak of Qiaoyan Mountain is still in hand.

On the 20th, the US and ROK recalcitrant troops, supported by aircraft and artillery fire, attacked the main peak of Qiaoyan Mountain with a multi-regiment strength and more than 20 tanks. The four companies of the 603rd Regiment of the Volunteer Army repelled the repeated attacks of the Us and South Korean recalcitrant troops, and only 5 people were left in the company.

At this time, Yang Chengwu received a telegram from the Central Military Commission: The Twenty-second Division of Suiyuan would come to supplement the Sixty-seventh Army.

After reading the telegram, Yang Chengwu felt very pleased.

At dawn, the U.S. and South Korean recalcitrant troops pounced on the Nameless Mountain under the cover of aircraft and artillery. The Nameless Mountain is a mountain beam with a depth of more than 2,000 meters, facing a certain highland occupied by the Recalcitrant U.S. and South Korean troops to the south, and Jincheng 10 kilometers away to the north. In addition to the north-south railway, there is also a war-ready road that winds through the mountains. Since Jincheng was a strategic point that the US military was eager to seize in the so-called "Autumn Offensive," the Nameless Mountain became a thorn in the eyes of the recalcitrant US and ROK troops.

The 1st Company of the Rocket Artillery Battalion of the 200th Division cooperated with the three companies of the 598th Regiment to guard the high ground in this battle of Jincheng South.

With the cooperation of aircraft, artillery, and tanks, the US and ROK troops launched a series of fierce attacks on the Nameless Mountain, and the first company of the rocket artillery battalion of the 200th Division of the Volunteer Army fought tenaciously in coordination with the three companies of the 598th Regiment, and they resisted for 37 consecutive days and killed more than 700 enemy. None of the company was killed, and the guns were undamaged.

Yang Chengwu commanded the Twenty Corps to carry out strategic defense with positional warfare, smashed the enemy's offensive after offensive, not only regained some of the lost ground, but also inflicted heavy casualties on the "United Nations Army", firmly stabilized the defensive line between 38 degrees and 38.5 degrees, and solved the problem of defending.

Van Vleet's new tactics collapsed, and the Twenty Corps of volunteers killed american armored soldiers and lost their armor. Since then, the US military has never dared to use tanks to penetrate the Chinese army positions on the Korean battlefield, nor has it dared to use large tank groups to directly cooperate with infantry combat. On October 22, 1951, the United States and South Korea halted their offensive and were forced to agree to resume armistice negotiations.

Mao Zedong spoke highly of the tactical counterattack operations of the Autumn Counterattack Campaign, which were "more organized and more comprehensive," and pointed out in a congratulatory message to the Volunteer Army on October 24: "If this method of warfare continues to be implemented, it will certainly be able to control the enemy's death and force the enemy to adopt compromise measures to end the Korean War." In the spring of 1952, Yang Chengwu was in deteriorating health and was ordered to return to China at the end of February to recuperate under the personal care of Chairman Mao. According to the instructions of his superiors, after Yang Chengwu returned to China, Zhang Nansheng acted as the secretary of the party committee of the corps. On July 17, Zheng Weishan was appointed acting commander of the 20th Corps. Under the command of Zhang Nansheng and Zheng Weishan, the Twenty Corps won one victory after another.

On July 27, 1953, the two sides of the Korean Battlefield war signed an armistice agreement, which ended Chinese the victorious end of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

In 1955, Yang Chengwu was awarded the rank of general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and was awarded the Order of August 1, First Class, the Order of Independence and Freedom of the First Class, and the Order of Liberation of the First Class. (Arranged by Yang Yiling)