The Battle of Chosin Lake was the finale of the second battle of the Volunteer Army, and it was also a bloody battle that soldiers on both sides did not want to recall. In this battle, which coincided with the coldest winter in nearly 50 years, the cold of more than 30 degrees below zero was everywhere like a ghost, and many volunteer soldiers were not defeated by their opponents but froze to death in the cold snow. It was under such extreme climatic conditions that the 3 corps of the 9th Corps of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army launched an incomparably fierce contest with the US 10th Army, which is world-class in weapons and equipment and has made outstanding achievements in battle. It set a record of completely annihilating a whole regiment of the US army in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="2" > suffered the coldest winter in North Korea in 50 years</h1>
Chosin Lake is the largest lake in northern Korea, forming Chosin Lake north between Yootan-ri and Hagaru-ri from the Choso-ri River, which originates in the Huangcao Ridge, and finally flows into the Yalu River.
The Chosin Lake area is in the northeast of the alpine Gaima Plateau, the Gaima Plateau, known as the roof of the Korean Peninsula, with an average altitude of 1340 meters, and the highest peak of the peninsula, Baitou Peak (2749 meters, known as "Shogun Peak" in the DPRK), is located in the northwest corner of the plateau.
The 9th Corps on the move
Every winter, the Gaima Plateau is often the first to usher in snow and ice, and the coldest January temperature can be as low as minus 30 degrees. In November, the Gaima Plateau, which was supposed to be a scene of autumn high and crisp autumn leaves, encountered the coldest winter in North Korea in 1950, not only with heavy snow, but also when the temperature dropped to more than -20 degrees.
Before entering the DPRK, the 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army was participating in the Battle of Zhoushan Islands and the suppression of bandits in eastern Zhejiang. In November 1950, in order to solve the problem of the serious shortage of volunteer troops in the first battle and to crush the dream of the United States in its vain attempt to end the Korean War before Christmas, the Ninth Corps of the Chinese Volunteer Army was urgently ordered to fight in Korea.
At this time, the total strength of the United Nations army on the Korean Peninsula was as high as 553,000 people, of which 423,000 were ground troops, about 350,000 people were located in the first line of the northern part of the peninsula, while the first batch of volunteer troops into the DPRK only had 6 infantry and 18 divisions, 3 artillery divisions and another regiment, a total of about 230,000 people, the military strength was obviously inferior to the United Nations army, and the disparity in equipment and firepower was even greater. Before the start of the second campaign, the Volunteer Army urgently needed second-line troops to quickly enter the DPRK and cooperate with the troops who had entered the DPRK in advance
Since January 1950, the 9th Corps has been on standby in Zhejiang as the first echelon of the attack on Taiwan, ready to launch a campaign to liberate Taiwan. However, as the situation in North Korea changed rapidly, on November 1, the 9th Corps joined the Chinese Volunteer Army and immediately took a train north, beginning to enter North Korea on November 7. The 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army was rotated by Song Shi as commander and political commissar, Tao Yong as deputy commander, Qin Jian as chief of staff, and Xie Youfa as director of the political department, under the jurisdiction of the 20th, 26th, and 27th Armies. Most of the 9th Corps were southern soldiers, and they were also the main force in attacking Taiwan, so the 3 corps were over-appointed, and each regiment was a four-four or even five-five reinforced battalion. Due to the urgency of the war, these southern disciples did not have time to reorganize and prepare for the materials and psychological preparations for fighting in the alpine areas, so they received orders to directly enter the DPRK on the train to the northeast.
On November 7, 12, and 19, 1950, three corps of the Ninth Corps of the Volunteer Army quietly crossed the Yalu River into Korea under the eyes of the American Aviation Reconnaissance Unit. Without a short rest, he hastily threw himself into the battlefield on the eastern front of the peninsula, where the natural conditions were extremely harsh.
As soon as the 9th Corps entered North Korea, it was clear that the temperature in North Korea was much lower than in Dandong, which was across the river. It was only mid-to-late November, and the coldest temperature in Dandong was only minus 6 or 7 degrees, but the temperature in North Korea was generally below minus 15 degrees, and the temperature continued to decrease.
The 9th Corps, which had been mainly for the liberation of Taiwan, was ordered to enter the DPRK in a hurry and came to the Cold Korean Plateau without any preparations. Due to the urgency of the war, the soldiers did not even have time to change their clothes, so they crossed the Yalu River in thin autumn clothes. Soldiers in the south who have not seen the extremely cold climatic conditions in the north may be frozen at any time before they go to the battlefield. Seeing these single-clothes and single-pants soldiers who were trembling, He Jinnian, deputy commander of the Northeast Military Region, said worriedly: "You have entered the DPRK like this, let alone fought, and the frost has frozen you to death!" In order to solve the urgent need of the Ninth Corps, He Jinnian immediately took out all 50,000 Japanese coats and cotton shoes in stock and transferred them to the 9th Corps for use, and the cadres and soldiers of the Northeast Border Defense Force also took off their clothes and hats and gave them to the soldiers of the 9 Corps. However, in terms of these equipment, it was still far from enough for the nearly 150,000 soldiers of the 9th Corps. What's more, the time scheduled to enter the DPRK cannot be changed, which also leads to these temporary transfers and removal of clothes, hats and shoes, and many of them have not been able to send them to the DPRK in time.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" > test of extremely cold weather</h1>
In 1950, the Korean Peninsula suffered its coldest winter in nearly 50 years.
How cold this winter is, let's make a comparison. Before the 9th Corps entered the DPRK, the original garrison was in eastern Zhejiang, and the general temperature in the south in November was around 20 degrees, and before rushing to the Korean battlefield, Dandong, which was only one river away from Korea, was not very cold, and the temperature at night was about minus 6 or 7 degrees. However, as soon as he crossed the Yalu River and entered the Chosin Lake area deep in the Gaima Plateau, the temperature dropped sharply. When the 9th Corps first arrived at Chosin Lake, the temperature had dropped to minus 16 degrees Celsius, and the temperature continued to drop. This is the first time in nearly 50 years that the Korean Peninsula has entered winter so early, and it is very rare to have extremely cold and low temperatures in November.
Volunteer soldiers nibbling on potatoes in the snow and ice
The cold snap hit, mostly related to Siberia. The extreme cold snap weather that affects China and the Korean Peninsula is most likely due to the Siberian high pressure (also known as the Siberian Cold Snap). Located in the north of North Korea, the Gaima Plateau is known as the "roof of Korea", with an area of nearly 40,000 square kilometers and an average altitude of 1340 meters. The Gaima Plateau is like a natural barrier across northern North Korea, blocking cold currents for the rest of the peninsula, so every winter, South Korea, located on the south side of the peninsula, has an average temperature of a few degrees higher than North Korea's, because the Gaima Plateau blocks a large amount of cold air.
The Chosin Lake area is located in the hinterland of the Gaima Plateau. The coldest winter on the Korean Peninsula in 50 years will certainly be an unprecedented test for the 9th Corps, which is fighting for the first time in North Korea.
In just ten days after the 9th Corps entered Korea, the temperature in the Chosin Lake area suddenly dropped to more than -20 degrees Celsius, and the snow thickness was more than one meter. Due to the serious lack of preparation for the cold in the early stage, the 9th Corps only had one or two quilts per class of more than ten people, and at night, the soldiers spread these two quilts on the snow, and more than a dozen people huddled on the quilts to hug each other to warm up to resist the cold of more than minus 20 degrees, and on the first day of entering the DPRK, more than 800 people were frostbitten.
The 9th Corps, which lacked cold equipment, did not expect that only in November, North Korea had already entered an extremely cold winter, and the heavy snow and wind made the 9th Corps suffer a lot.
Most of this regiment, which is composed of southern disciples, comes from East China, where the average annual temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. When they entered North Korea, they did not realize how cold North Korea was in November, and most of them wore single clothes and pants, neither winter clothes nor the necessary gloves, hats and cotton shoes to protect themselves from the winter cold, so that many soldiers could not keep up with the team because of frostbite and colds.
For the haste of entering the DPRK, Zou Shiyong, an instructor of the 3rd Company of the 235th Regiment of the 79th Division of the 27th Army, recalled with deep experience: "When we entered the DPRK, our shoes were still rubber shoes, so when we were more than ten degrees below zero, our feet were frozen. Each of us only had a small quilt, but each of the American troops had a coat and a duck down bag, and after drilling in, they pulled the zipper, which was particularly cold-resistant. Therefore, in terms of clothing warmth, it is incomparable with the enemy. ”
At the end of November, the Chosin Lake area received heavy snowfall, the temperature dropped to more than -30 degrees Celsius, and the snow thickness reached more than 1 meter. Such extremely cold weather brought great difficulties to the march of the volunteer army. In order to conceal the whereabouts of 150,000 people, two corps of the 9th Corps, without trucks, walked hard through mountains and woods covered with thick snow. In such harsh weather conditions, the march had no speed at all. The terrifying cold and severe shortage of logistical supplies caused the 9th Corps to remain in its intended combat position on November 25, when the Volunteers launched the second campaign, and Shiji had to approve the 9th Corps' request to postpone the attack for two days.
In order to ambush the American troops, the officers and men of the 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army ambushed in the Chosin Lake area for 6 days and 6 nights, wearing thin clothes, nibbling potatoes frozen like stones, lying motionless in the snow of more than minus 30 degrees Celsius, and never daring to close their eyes. No one dares to sleep, because once they fall asleep, they will never wake up the next day.
Ice sculpture even
During the Battle of Chosin Lake, a retreating American army team found that the entire company of 129 volunteer officers and men were frozen into ice sculptures in the icy volunteer positions, but the muzzle of the gun was facing the direction of the enemy, still maintaining a fighting posture... The U.S. army wanted to take the gun from his hand, but it couldn't take it down, so it had to break three fingers...
Later, Song Shilun, commander of the 9th Corps, reported the battle situation to Mao Zedong, and the telegram read: "After the battle began, none of the company stood up, and when they went to clean up the battlefield, they found that all the cadres and soldiers of the company froze to death on the position in a combat formation, and the corpses were carefully examined without any wounds and blood." ”
In the face of such an enemy, the COMMANDER of the US Military could not help but salute the "Ice Sculpture Company"!
Records show that during the 27 days of the Battle of Chosin Lake from November 27 to December 24, 1950, minus 20 degrees Celsius was a common occurrence, and due to the cold current, the minimum temperature even reached more than minus 30 degrees, and many fighters were frozen alive before they could enter the battle. After the battle, more than 30,000 people died of frostbite and frostbite of the 9th Corps due to extremely cold weather, which showed the fierceness of the Battle of Chosin Lake.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="25" > The Battle of Chosin Lake, a nightmare for the U.S. military</h1>
The soldiers and horses did not move, and the grain and grass went first.
Logistical supplies are crucial to the ability to fight a good battle. At the Battle of Chosin Lake, the 9th Corps encountered unprecedented logistical supply difficulties. Before the battle began, Song Shilun, commander of the 9th Corps, had to withdraw the 26th Army to stay on the 2nd line, waiting for the Soviet weapons and equipment to be transported through the port to replace the old Japanese weapons used in the troops at that time. The food supply could only sustain two armies on the front lines.
U.S. military aircraft
After the 9th Corps entered The DPRK, the munitions were also followed, truckload after truckload to Korea. However, American planes are everywhere, unscrupulously scurrying along the border between China and North Korea, and seeing our military trucks is a bombing bomb. More than 40 trucks of the 27th Army full of supplies were burned by napalm bombs dropped by US military aircraft. The fighters had to carry the ammunition and other supplies they needed on their own. Without food, he took blankets, towels, and even medicines, and exchanged rice and vegetables with local North Koreans. Although it is a barter for food, blanket medicine is also a wartime necessity for volunteer soldiers, how can no blanket withstand the cold, how to treat injuries without medicine?
Enemy planes can be seen everywhere, they fight when they see people, they blow up when they see cars, and it is extremely difficult to transport them in the rear. When the 9th Corps first entered Korea, each soldier carried about 5 or 6 kilograms of sorghum rice, but it was quickly eaten. The warriors were hungry and could not do it, so they grabbed the snow and ate it, but eating snow was useless, and many soldiers were so hungry that they were dizzy and even hallucinated.
Later, the volunteer soldiers thought of a solution to the food supply, that is, to take it from the enemy. After the battle, the volunteers cleaned up the battlefield, and would first take off the rucksacks of the fallen American troops and look through them, and there would be more or less food, such as biscuits, canned food, sausages and so on. The U.S. army has a sufficient supply of food, and will give enough food before going to the battlefield, and these things have reached the hands of the volunteer soldiers, which just solves everyone's food problem.
The coldest winter in North Korea in 50 years was an extremely harsh test for both the Volunteers and the United Nations. The Gaima Plateau, where the Battle of Chosin Lake was located, was even more of an ice and snow hell. The 28-day fierce battle was accompanied by snow and a low temperature of more than 20 degrees below zero. The battle was a bloody battle that neither soldier could recall.
Let's see from the U.S. military's perspective how they assessed the battle.
American soldiers captured at the Battle of Chosin Lake
Although the U.S. military has perfect cold equipment and abundant food supply, they are also worried after the war in the face of such extreme weather. Corporal Heylord, A Company, 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps. Molhausen recalls: "Everywhere we went, there was snow and ice, and the average temperature was more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Although there are coats that protect them from the cold, they still can't stop the biting cold wind. To this day, whenever I think about the Korean War, I always think of the cold and windy winter. ”
The fully mechanized U.S. troops were helpless in the face of knee-deep snow, marching at a speed of only 500 meters per hour. During a battle break, an American correspondent asked a Marine soldier who was digging broad beans from frozen cans with a bayonet: If God could meet your demands, what would you need most? The soldier replied without raising his head: Give me tomorrow." The cruelty of the war actually made a US soldier who had seen many moments of life and death feel desperate and afraid.
The Gaima Plateau, where the Chosin Lake area is located, is known as the "roof" of the Korean Peninsula, and it coincides with the coldest winter in 50 years, with wind and snow, the temperature is as low as minus 30 degrees, coupled with the complex terrain of the narrow mountain road, even the basic survival is not easy, and the battlefield environment is very dangerous. Under such extreme weather conditions, the Chinese Volunteer Army and the US 10th Army, which was world-class in weaponry and equipment and had outstanding military achievements, fought for 28 days, creating a record of completely annihilating a whole regiment of the US army in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, forcing the US military's ace troops to experience the "longest retreat" in history. This campaign recaptured a vast area in the east north of the 38th Parallel. The volunteer army won a great victory on both the eastern and western fronts, reversing the situation on the battlefield in one fell swoop, becoming an inflection point in the Korean War and laying the foundation for victory in the final armistice negotiations.
After the war, Smith, commander of the US 1st Marine Division, told U.S. war historians: "The Chosin Lake area is not suitable for military operations at all, and even Genghis Khan would not want to conquer it." However, it was under such difficult and difficult conditions that the Chinese Volunteers inflicted heavy damage on the U.S. military, making Chosin Lake a nightmare that Americans still dare not mention.