After the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea entered 1952, the front near the 38th Parallel tended to stabilize, and the two sides launched a tug-of-war. In order to kill and deplete the effective forces of the United Nations Army in large quantities, on January 29, 1951, the Volunteer Command issued an order to the garrison on the front line, requiring the organization of special marksmen throughout the army to shoot at individual targets of the coalition forces, which expanded into an army-wide sniper campaign from May onwards, and artillery also joined in August, eventually forming a whole-army cold gun campaign, which lasted until the end of the war.
After the start of the cold gun campaign, the Volunteer Army concentrated a large number of snipers and gunners to actively fight, killing an American soldier on average every two bullets, destroying a tank every 30 shells, and destroying a car with 25 shells, causing heavy casualties to the United Nations Army. During this period, there were also many excellent sharpshooters, sharpshooters, and Zhang Taofang was a typical example.
Born in 1931 in a small village in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, Zhang Taofang entered the Children's Regiment from an early age and became the leader of the Children's Regiment, providing intelligence for the New Fourth Army and helping the villagers to move. In 1951, Zhang Taofang signed up for the Chinese Volunteer Army. In September 1952, Zhang Taofang's 24th Army of the Chinese Volunteer Army was ordered to enter the DPRK. In mid-September, the 24th Army rushed to the strategic north Korean garrison of Wonsan.
In a small village here, Zhang Taofang's 24th Army, 72nd Division, 214th Regiment, 3 battalions, 8 companies, entered the first target shooting since entering the Korean War. Before entering the DPRK, the troops had carried out live-fire target training, and Zhang Taofang's results were not good, but they were not very bad, but this time, Zhang Taofang shot three shots out of the target. The company commander sighed and said, "I ate three large burnt cakes." After Zhang Taofang heard it, her face burned red.
After that, Zhang Taofang began to concentrate on practicing guns, often holding the gun and staring ahead, staring for an hour. In order to practice arm strength, Zhang Taofang also tied two sandbags to her arms, and at night, Zhang Taofang stared at the faint light in the tunnel and practiced her concentration. After several months of hard training, Zhang Taofang's marksmanship finally made great progress.
On January 11, 1953, Zhang Taofang's unit entered the Shangganling position, and the position held by his company was the 597.9 heights held by Huang Jiguang. On January 29, Zhang Taofang went to the sniper station for the first time, he originally thought that he would win the flag, but the first shot did not hit, the squad leader patiently taught him how to hit the moving target, how to fight the enemy who went down the mountain, how to fight the enemy who went up the mountain, how to fight the enemy who walked fast, and how to fight the enemy who walked slowly. The squad leader's words made Zhang Taofang suddenly realize that he successfully killed an American soldier during the second shooting.
After having the results of the battle, Zhang Taofang lay on the sniper table all day long to observe the enemy's movement pattern. In the 18-day battle, Zhang Taofang used 220 bullets to eliminate 71 enemies, killing almost one enemy every three bullets. After that, Zhang Taofang was selected to study in the sniper training team for two weeks, and after returning, she killed 140 enemies with 212 rounds of ammunition in 13 days.
Zhang Taofang's title of sharpshooter soon spread to the military department, and Pi Dingjun, commander of the 24th Army, was very happy after hearing it, but when he turned his head and thought about it, he felt incredible, and he did not dare to believe that this was true. He summoned Xiao Staff Officer from the Operations Department of the Military Department and handed him a pair of leather warmer boots specially issued by the Volunteer Army Headquarters to senior leading cadres, and this kind of leather warming boots was only issued two or three pairs per army, and Pi Dingjun had always been reluctant to wear them and put them under the bed, but this time he took them out, and he said to Xiao Staff Officer: "You take this with you, go to the Eighth Company to find that Zhang Taofang, you follow him to the forward position, if he destroys an enemy with three bullets, that is true, give him the boots." If it is fake, I will take it back, and I will punish his company commander and battalion commander. ”
Counselor Xiao was worried that it would affect Zhang Taofang's play, so he did not say that the military commander asked him to come down to check, but only said that he had come to publicize Zhang Taofang. When Counselor Xiao came, he also went to the Political Department to call the photographer Wang Jirong. The commander of the Eighth Company was very happy to see that the military department had sent people to publicize it, and asked Zhang Taofang to go out with a gun to beat up a few American devils and let them have a long insight.
Zhang Taofang led Xiao Staff Officer and photographer Wang Jirong along the trench for a while, and finally arranged them in a place that was both hidden and easy to observe, told both of them not to move, and then quickly entered the sniper position. Zhang Taofang lay motionless on a sniper stand, looking for a target.
Not long after, at a distance of 300 meters from Zhang Taofang, a U.S. soldier walked out of the trench, looking like peeing or collecting firewood, Zhang Taofang decisively shot, almost at the same moment, the U.S. army's bullets also fell in front of Zhang Taofang, the U.S. sniper also shot, but did not hit Zhang Taofang, Zhang Taofang immediately changed a sniper station. After that, Zhang Taofang killed two AMERICAN troops in a row and successfully completed the mission.
Every time Zhang Taofang killed a U.S. soldier, Xiao's staff officer held a watch and watched, because there was a rule at that time, and the enemy who had been knocked down had not risen for more than 15 minutes, even if it was killed. After the last 15 minutes, Zhang Taofang and Xiao Staff Officer, the photographer withdrew from the position, Xiao Staff Officer said to him with admiration: "Great, this time really let me see it for a long time." In the tunnel, Xiao staff officer conveyed the commander's instructions to the company commander and gave Zhang Taofang the leather boots given by the commander.
But Zhang Taofang treasured the leather boots given by the army, and he was always reluctant to wear them. Since then, Zhang Taofang has become more and more courageous in the war, and has also trained a large number of special shooters. Once, Zhang Taofang sneaked near the Rokka capital division with a gun and imposed a 24-hour blockade. Zhang Taofang and the fighters lay in the snow and took turns firing cold guns, and as soon as the enemy came out, he began to shoot. Finally, an enemy in a bunker held up a white flag and shouted: Don't fight, you don't fight righteously, you always have to let people eat and and pee, and have the ability to come out with a knife and a gun. At this time, Zhang Taofang saw a figure dangling in the window of the bunker, Zhang Taofang raised his hand to shoot, and the enemy was immediately dumbfounded.
After the end of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Zhang Taofang was awarded the Special Meritorious Service, a second-class hero and a first-class National Flag Medal of the DPRK by the Headquarters of the Volunteer Army and the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Korean People for killing 214 enemies.
In July 1976, at the memorial service of Pi Dingjun, commander of the Fuzhou Military Region, accompanied by deep mourning, a forty-five or six-year-old veteran soldier knelt in front of Pi Dingjun's portrait and knelt down, and also took out a pair of leather warm boots. ”