Author: Rainbow Kursk
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics kicked off in The Spring Festival in China. The Beijing Winter Olympics are divided into 7 major events (Sport), 15 sub-disciplines and 109 minor events (Event). Major events include Biathlon biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge Sledding, Skating Skating, Skiing and more.
In fact, many of the winter Olympics programs are related to the Winter War.
Skiing, for example, was not originally a sport, but a survival skill, and by the Middle Ages, skiing had been used by the Scandinavian army in the winter war. The English word "ski" begins with the old Norse word "skith".
Pictured: PLA fighters skiing, which was originally used by the Scandinavian army.
We saw that in the opening ceremony of the athletes' entrance ceremony, many Nordic countries sent large teams, which is in stark contrast to many countries that only sent 1 or 2 team members.
When it comes to the history of skiing used in war, the Nordics are indeed the originators.
In 1200 AD, during the Oslo War, King Sfarlies of Norway sent ski scouts to scout the Swedes. The Swedes also used skiing in the war in 1452. From the 14th to the 18th century, skiing was used in the wars of Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden. In 1718, a small Swedish force marching into Norway was wiped out by Norwegian troops in the snow because they did not have skiing skills.
Photo: Soldiers of our army galloping in the snowy plains of Linhai.
During the First World War, the military ski unit developed rapidly, and France, Germany, and Austria all established alpine skiing units. On the eve of World War II, Finland formed ski patrols to fight against the Soviets. In December 1939, the Soviets also began to form ski units in infantry divisions in preparation for future Winter Wars.
In World War II, although the German army relied on the "blitzkrieg" of tank troops to conquer a large area of Soviet territory. But as winter fell, the ill-prepared Germans suffered a devastating blow. German tanks were generally covered in narrow tracks, caught in the mud of autumn rain and winter snow, while German infantry on foot were struck by Soviet soldiers on skis in the snow.
These skiers, clad in white camouflage capes, come and go in the snow without a trace. The Soviets were also specially equipped with snowmobiles, and tanks were replaced with wide tracks, capable of fighting frozen Germans on ice sheets.
Photo: Soviet ski cart
Photo: The Soviet 02SS heavy snowmobile was actually equipped with the turret of a light tank.
When did our army start learning to ski?
It is now unverifiable, but it must have started from the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance. In the famous novel "Lin Hai Snow Field", the ski training of the bandit squad is also brilliantly described.
Yang Zirong said: "The snow is deep and the horse's legs are tripped, and the trees touch the horse's head!" Soldier Xiao Dong added: "Branches sweep people's faces, bushes hit horse's eyes, it is not as good as our skis, light and dexterous, drill when there is time, down the mountain faster than the train, let the bandits run for three days first, the insurance can not reach the top of Changbai Mountain, just tell him to go back to his hometown." ”
Photo: Yang Zirong of Weihu Mountain.
Today, skiing skills are still a compulsory winter subject for our army's troops in northern Xinjiang. Just like the navy learns to swim, when the border guards in northern Xinjiang, they must learn skills such as skiing and snowmobiling.
At the same time, skiing is silent and fast, which is also particularly suitable for special forces to maneuver at high speed and infiltrate raids in the cold snow fields in winter.
The sport of the Winter Olympics symbolizes peace, but for soldiers to fight in any season and in any environment, skiing has become a necessary skill, indispensable! Only in this way can we truly defend our country!
Photo: The Winter Olympics of our warriors.