preface
In the 1950s, after the end of the Korean War, a group of returning volunteers were sent to another, more brutal battlefield before they could return home to visit their parents.
Because of the command "Don't ask what to do, don't ask where to go", all the warriors don't know what they are going to face.
Led by General Zhang Yunyu, chief of staff of the Fifteenth Army in the Battle of Shangganling, they rushed to the next unknown battlefield.
Picture | Zhang Yunyu
The first question before everyone: site selection
In order to maintain this hard-won peace, in order to defend the country, in October 1950, the Chinese Volunteer Army rushed to the Korean battlefield, in the face of the stronger US army, the volunteer army was not afraid, the US army was defeated and retreated, the United States in order to save the war, many times wanted to use atomic bombs against China.
At the end of 1952, after "visiting" North Korea, US President Dwight Eisenhower issued an order to secretly transport missiles carrying nuclear warheads to the Japanese island of Okinawa in preparation for the launch of nuclear missiles against China.
In 1955, after the liberation of Jiangshan Island and Dachen Island, the U.S. Congress also formally approved a mandate that the president could use nuclear weapons against China. Under this policy, the U.S. military has developed a variety of plans to attack China's southeast coast with atomic bombs.
The fundamental reason why the United States has so brazenly threatened the mainland is that China does not have atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and their means of delivery, and China does not have the ability to contain nuclear weapons.
To this end, Chairman Mao said at the enlarged meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee in 1956: "We still need the atomic bomb, and in today's world, if we want to be free from being bullied, we cannot do without this thing." ”
Pictured| Zhang Yunyu in Dalian in 1955
On May 22, 1958, under the comprehensive deployment of Premier Zhou, our party held an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission, and finally decided to start the work of atomic bomb research, and then the establishment of an atomic bomb development institution and the establishment of a nuclear test site began to be carried out in full swing.
In August, General Chen Geng recommended General Zhang Yunyu to the Party Central Committee as the leader of the atomic bomb test base, and after careful consideration by Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou and other leaders, general Chen Geng's recommendation was finally approved.
Afterwards, Chen Geng found Zhang Yunyu and solemnly said to Zhang Yunyu:
"Tell you to go to the atomic bomb range, that's what I recommend." Do a good job, China should have an atomic bomb. ”
Big head, black face plate, beard, this is Zhang Yunyu's first impression, but after getting along, you will find that this burly soldier who has been running on the battlefield for many years is also a knowledgeable and knowledgeable literati at home and abroad, familiar with Sun Tzu's art of war, speaking slowly and softly, forming a huge contrast with his appearance.
Picture | Zhang Yunyu
In 1955, Zhang Yunyu returned from the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and first served as deputy chief of staff of the Brigade Defense Zone, and then transferred to the chief of staff of the Third Corps. Zhang Yunyu, who received the order, did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately replied: "Obey the order." ”
Years later, Zhang Yunyu's son recalled the day his father received the order, saying:
"After receiving the task from General Chen Geng, his father went to the Northwest Gobi without saying a word, even though he was worried in his heart, but his father knew that this was a task entrusted to him by the party, and he had to complete the mission."
Since then, Zhang Yunyu has devoted the rest of his life to the vast Gobi in the northwest with the top-secret order of "deploying and forming a nuclear weapons research base in the northwest".
Pictured| Chen Geng
After receiving the task, Zhang Yunyu began to collect relevant information and understand the situation of the nuclear test. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense also organized Chinese and Soviet experts to find suitable atomic bomb test sites.
After more than a month of investigation, Dunhuang in Gansu was initially designated as a nuclear test site, so the expert team began to carry out corresponding geological surveying and communication construction.
However, after Zhang Yunyu's inspection, he found that there are many ruins in the ancient city of Dunhuang, such as the ancient Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, the beacon tower, and the stupa with a thousand-year history... Once the nuclear test site is set up here, the millennium civilization will be destroyed.
In addition, it is very close to Dunhuang City, the explosion center is 140 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang, the command area is 80 kilometers away from Dunhuang, and the living area is 10 kilometers away from Dunhuang.
Figure | location of Lop Nur
Therefore, once the nuclear test is set up here, the lives and health of the surrounding residents will be threatened, and in the end, even if the nuclear test is successful, the price we will pay will be very large.
Secondly, a large amount of water resources was needed for construction, but at that time, the only weir pond nearby had long been depleted, leaving only a wasteland, and the soil here was loose, which was not suitable for engineering construction at all.
However, Soviet experts at the time said that according to China's level at that time, only a 20,000-ton nuclear test site was needed, so the nuclear test area was selected as Dunhuang, Gansu.
The Soviet Union's reasons made Zhang Yunyu very angry, he said: "How can a field construction expert who has a nuclear power with tens of millions of tons of hydrogen bombs set the test target of a new nuclear test site within 20,000 tons?" 20,000 tons and 10 million tons at both ends of a balance will never be balanced! 20,000 tons cannot support a nation of 600 million people. ”
Picture | Zhang Yunyu (center) led the squad into the Lop Nur area for the first time to investigate the selection point
Zhang Yunyu's questioning made the arrogant Soviet experts say: "We are here to help you, if you can do it yourself, come by yourself." ”
Subsequently, after all-round analysis and weighing, Zhang Yunyu and the technical personnel came to a conclusion: negating the current site and requesting a new site.
Subsequently, Zhang Yunyu personally went to Beijing and at the office meeting held by General Chen Geng to report in detail to the leaders of the Ministry of National Defense on the real situation in Dunhuang and the experimental area, and put forward a request to the Ministry of National Defense to choose a new site to rebuild the site.
Chen Geng replied, "It's not okay there, you can find another one." ”
Picture | Zhang Yunyu
On December 22, 1958, Zhang Yunyu led a survey team into Lop Nur and after several days of continuous running on the desolate Gobi Desert, Zhang Yunyu found that it was vast and desolate, which was the ideal site for building a nuclear test site.
Tough living environment
From then on, Zhang Yunyu led the soldiers on a difficult road to build a nuclear test zone, and in late May 1959, they drove into the Malan base.
The Maran base, located in the hinterland of Lop Nur, is a tenacious weed that can bloom on the most barren land. Zhang Yunyu led the volunteer soldiers and workers to fight like Ma Lancao in a harsh environment without flames and smoke and without jinge iron horses.
Photo of some of the leaders of the front-line command of the first atomic bomb test |: from right to left Bi Qingtang, Zhang Aiping, Liu Xiyao, Liu Boluo, Zhang Yunyu, Yuan Huabing
Many years later, when someone asked why General Zhang Yunyu was scheduled to be in the northwest region of Lop Nur, Zhang Yunyu said very happily: "Broad! To the east of the center of the explosion, there were no people for more than four hundred miles. To the south is actually the Gobi Desert, where there is a Lop Nur Lake. To the west, by Thekorik, there are villagers, about 200 kilometers, it is downwind, nothing. Nuclear tests, missiles, underground nuclear tests are all there. ”
Although this place is suitable for nuclear testing, the deserted Gobi Desert is not suitable for survival here. Therefore, just arrived in Lop Nur and one of the most serious questions before everyone: how to survive.
Without houses, General Zhang Yunyu led everyone to set up tents, dig kilns, and build simple barracks to solve the most basic living problems of everyone.
Due to the large alkali content of the Peacock River, when you first start drinking, it is easy to have diarrhea, bloating and other problems, but fortunately, these symptoms are easier to cure, and slowly everyone has adapted to the environment here.
Pictured| commander in protective clothing - Zhang Yunyu
However, as time went on, a new problem was once again in front of everyone, that is, the depletion of water sources. At that time, zhang Yunyu led a team of about 50,000 people, even if it was just drinking, it was a huge consumption every day, and the Malan base was far from the city, and the supply time was long, so at that time, there was a saying that "dripping water is better than dripping oil".
On weekdays, in order to save water, soldiers often recycle a basin of water, washing their faces, washing their hands, washing their feet, washing clothes, and using a basin of water to have the effect of multiple basins of water.
Sometimes the water supply is not available, and the people at the base cannot bathe for half a month, and even steam steamed steamed buns with foot-washing water. During that time, "taking the Gobi as home and taking pride in hardship" became the loudest slogan of all comrades at the base.
As a commander, Zhang Yunyu did not engage in special because of his identity, but was very strict with himself, washing his face without a basin, only using a small teapot, washing his face first, and then brushing his teeth, over time, it became his habit, even if he later left the Malan base, life gradually improved, Zhang Yunyu's habit was not corrected, often "ridiculed" by children.
Figure | scientific and technological personnel participating in the research of the mainland's atomic bomb
In addition to this, because it is far from the city center, even fresh vegetables will spoil when they arrive here. Therefore, the only vegetables used by the warriors were squeezed vegetables and shallots, and as for meat, they did not dare to think, and over time, many soldiers became ill due to malnutrition.
Zhang Yunyu, who was anxious in his eyes, tried everything to find people everywhere to intercede, and finally entrusted someone to buy some cod liver oil pills from Lanzhou and distribute them to scientific researchers and troops to eat as nutritional products.
In 1961, three years of natural disasters, the base also entered its most difficult period. The base establishment had to be reduced, some personnel were transferred, and the standard of supply began to be lowered. But even so, Zhang Yunyu had no intention of backing down.
At that time, due to the small number of vehicles at the base and the inability to transport rations, Zhang Yunyu took the soldiers back and forth for more than 20 kilometers and carried the rations back one by one.
Figure | Commander Zhang Yunyu participating in the labor construction of the number
In such a difficult day, even if everyone had a difficult time, everyone never forgot their original intention to go there, and the kindness in their bones allowed them to maintain a love in the face of a life younger than themselves.
On June 13, 1959, the first enlarged meeting of the party committee of the base was held in a cellar in Maran. At that time, there was a nest of small swallows that had just broken out of their shells.
After Zhang Yunyu saw it, he stood at the door of the cellar and carefully instructed the people who came to the meeting: "Relax your steps, lower your voice a little, and don't disturb the swallows." ”
Who would have thought that a grand commander would also pay attention to such a young life. Not only that, Zhang Yunyu often told everyone: "We are Chinese who are engaged in atomic bombs, and we must know more about respecting life, loving life, and loving every grass and tree here." ”
Picture | Nie Rongzhen, Zhang Yunyu and researchers take a group photo
Perhaps under the influence of Zhang Yunyu, the feelings of the people at the nuclear test base began to become deep and delicate. The bird is injured and blown into the meteorological tent of the base by the storm, the warriors take good care of it, and then put the bird back into nature; the yellow sheep go to the outpost to find water, even if the outpost is very short of water, but the warriors will still secretly put the bucket outside the door...
This difficult situation lasted until 1962, when it slowly began to improve.
At the end of 1962, Premier Zhou made a short stay in Urumqi, and during a dinner, Premier Zhou stood up and said to the comrades around him: "Our country has an atomic weapons range in Xinjiang, and they have difficult conditions on the Gobi Desert and their tasks are also very arduous. ”
Pictured| Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai
These few words of Zhou Enlai greatly encouraged the soldiers fighting at the Malan base, and everyone was full of energy. From 1962 to 1963, Zhang Yunyu and the soldiers were full of energy, and in just one year, they built 540 kilometers of roads, built waterworks, power plants, dormitory buildings, etc. The originally desolate Gobi Desert suddenly had a breath of life.
With everyone's efforts, the command, communication, testing, observation and other infrastructure of the nuclear test base have been gradually completed, and looking at the gradually completed facilities, Zhang Yunyu said excitedly: "Just wait for the atomic bomb to explode." ”
Decades later, when Zhang Yunyu recalled these days, he was still in tears: "Yellow sand is flying all over the sky, extreme lack of water, many people have chapped lips, and they are malnourished and blind, and they ask me, what is the meaning of our here?" ”
The figure | Commander Zhang Yunyu at the nuclear test base
Zhang Yunyu will say: "We want to build an atomic bomb, I can't wait for one year if we can't build it, I can't wait for two years, when it is done, I Zhang Yunyu will leave here, China must have an atomic bomb." ”
In addition to the harsh environment, during the construction process, all the personnel of the base also faced a huge crisis.
Once again, great challenges lie ahead
Just as a large number of materials, precision instruments and valuable equipment were being transferred from all over the country to the testing ground, and the workers were working feverishly, an unexpected thing happened - the rupture of Sino-Soviet relations.
In 1957, China and the Soviet Union signed the "Agreement on New Technologies for National Defense" in Moscow, which stipulated that the Soviet Union would assist China in the development of atomic weapons, including providing China with teaching samples and drawings on atomic bombs.
After the regulations came into effect, the initial progress was very smooth, but in 1958, the Soviet Union proposed to establish a Soviet-controlled longwave radio station and a common fleet in China, a request that was severely rejected by the mainland, and the Soviet Union adopted a negative attitude towards the mainland.
The | the center of China's first nuclear test explosion
In June 1959, the Soviet Union unilaterally tore up the Sino-Soviet International Agreement on New Technologies, and in 1960, the Soviet Union withdrew all its experts in China.
The sudden rupture of Sino-Soviet relations brought great difficulties to the development of nuclear weapons that was underway at that time, and without the help of Soviet experts, it meant that the development of nuclear weapons on the mainland should almost start from scratch, and in addition to nuclear weapons, it also brought great difficulties to China's other construction undertakings.
In the summer of 1961, within the defense industry and national defense scientific research departments, there was a fierce debate about "getting on the horse" and "getting off the horse" and "getting off the horse" was generated. Those who advocate "getting off the horse" stressed that because the Soviet Union's assistance was gone and the missile and atomic bomb technology was complex, it was difficult to build "two bombs" just by relying on the mainland's underdeveloped industry and backward scientific and technological strength at that time.
Nie Rongzhen strongly opposed this proposition, and even publicly stated: "If I don't make 'two bombs,' I will not be blinded." "The 'two bombs' research has made great progress, the state has trained a large number of researchers graduated from college, uranium resources can also meet the demand, especially a group of patriotic scientists, so this cause can not be abandoned." ”
The picture | taken on the eve of the withdrawal of Soviet experts aiding China
It was not until October, after the Central Military Commission issued a policy of "cutting edges must be carried out, not relaxed", that the debate stopped completely. At that time, this fluctuation also spread to Lop Nur thousands of miles away, which affected the emotions and psychology of the soldiers who were full of enthusiasm for base construction at that time.
Even cadres from higher-level organs came to Malan and said: "I don't know when the atomic bomb will be built, the base troops can go to the land and herd sheep, and the organs can move to Wuxi and then carry out construction when the national economy improves." ”
Zhang Yunyu, who has always been gentle and elegant, suddenly became anxious after hearing such remarks, he said: "I will not go anywhere, just wait here." If you don't wait for me for a year, and if you don't wait for me for two years, China will always have an atomic bomb. ”
With this belief and persistence, Zhang Yunyu has always stood firm at the front line and coordinated the whole army. At the end of December 1963, under the leadership of Zhang Yunyu, all the construction of the nuclear test site was completed, and the 102.438-meter-high iron tower also stood solemnly in the Gobi, just waiting to embrace the "god bomb". Zhang Yunyu could not contain the joy in his heart and wrote a poem "Seven Absolutes • Kaiping Village":
Peacock river Han Dynasty water, Yumen Guandu wind in this world.
Loulan City decadent armor is abandoned, and the kaiping village rings the clock.
The | the tower that exploded the first atomic bomb
At 15:00 on October 16, 1964, China's first atomic bomb was successfully launched at Lop Nur and shot straight into the sky with a mushroom cloud that moved everyone present.
In October 1975, Zhang Yunyu once again led the nuclear test work, and fought this land for more than ten years, making great contributions to the development of nuclear weapons on the mainland.
He once said: "I have done two things in my life, one is to hit Ganling and the other is to conduct nuclear tests." When he said this, he was very calm and calm, but we all know that no matter which thing it is, in today's view, it is extremely shocking and moving.