The year 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and on the Korean battlefield more than 70 years ago, the Chinese Volunteers created countless battlefield miracles. Beginning at the end of 1950, the PVA launched successive offensives with Kim Il-sung forces of North Korea, driving the "United Nations Army" near Seoul.
Among the troops carrying out the pursuit of the "United Nations Army", one army is quite special, it is the 50th Army of the Volunteers. Two years ago, this unit was the Kuomintang 60th Army, a local unit of the Yunnan military system. During the Liaoshen Campaign, the 60th Army rebelled in Changchun, becoming the first unit of the Kuomintang Army to revolt.
On the evening of January 2, 1951, the 149th Division of the 50th Army of the Chinese Volunteers was ordered to pursue the enemy in the Goyang area north of Seoul, and the 1st Battalion of the 445th Regiment and the 2nd Battalion of the 446th Regiment suddenly found that in a valley called Fomidi, the 29th Brigade of the British heavily armored force was stationed. This unit has a long history and many combat achievements, and has always been an ace tank unit in the hands of the "United Nations Army".
A tough battle with a disparity in strength is inevitable, how will the two infantry battalions of the 149th division face the British ace tank troops?
"Blockage and tail blocking"
During the Anti-Japanese War, in the Yuwangshan Blockade, the 60th Army of the Yunnan Army created a miracle of attacking tanks with infantry weapons, but at that time they faced small Japanese tanks, and now they are facing large tanks.
Kim Jin-jong, political commissar and acting commander of the 149th Division, thought twice and decided to start a war against the tank battalion.
Son of Kim Zhenjong, political commissar of the 149th Division of the Chinese Volunteers
Jin Xiaofei
At that time, the terrain was more favorable, and it was a narrow passage like a canyon. At that time, my father gave the order to use all means and all efforts to bring it down. We had to at least crush it this time, and my father also felt that total annihilation was unlikely, because there were no anti-tank weapons.
Taking advantage of the night, the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 446th Regiment quietly ambushed on the side of the road where the tanks were traveling, preparing to blast the passing tanks.
However, at the beginning of the operation, the operation of the demoman was not smooth, and Li Guanglu, deputy squad leader of the 5th Company, watched the tanks drive by one and was anxious, and he jumped onto the road without much thought, decisively cutting the fuse short.
Son of Zeng Zesheng, commander of the 50th Army of the Chinese Volunteers
Zeng Qiang
This fuse can't be long, and it can't be short. Long point and thrown under the tank, the tank reeled over, it exploded in the back with a bang, and it did not damage the tank.
When Li Guanglu blew up the first tank, because he cut the fuse too short, so he had already exploded before he could run a few meters, he was stunned, but he lay in the snow, and then the snow soaked his face to wake him up.
After a deafening loud noise, the tank in the middle of the long tank dragon was blown up and stopped on the road, and the British "Royal Heavy Tank Battalion" was cut off, unable to move front and back.
Staff officer of the headquarters of the 442nd regiment of the volunteers
Zhang Changshun
There is a saying in the tank column called "block the head and cut the tail and cut the waist", and if it is blown up, it will be chaotic. The road was already narrow, and the entire tank complex was trapped in this very narrow road.
After cutting off this tank unit that night, the fighters of the 2nd Battalion of the 149th Division began a full-scale attack on the tank unit.
Son of Kim Zhenjong, political commissar of the 149th Division of the Chinese Volunteers
Jin Xiaofei
I did not expect that the so-called "ace army" of the British army was also unbeaten. The point is that he did not expect the volunteers to go so fast. Our quick battle, which was also a quick march, seized the fighter and blinded him with a dozen.
After waking up, Li Guanglu did not care about the injuries on his body, got up and held the explosive bag, and rushed towards the tank. This time, Li Guanglu adjusted the length of the fuse and successfully blew up the second tank.
After a fierce battle, the explosive packs and blast cylinders in the hands of the soldiers were quickly exhausted. In desperation, they had to choose the most dangerous method, climb on the tank, lift the lid and throw grenades inside the tank.
Because most of the fighters involved in the battle came from Sichuan and Yunnan, that night, in the valley of Buddha Midi, the shouts with the local accent of Sichuan and Yunnan - "Cover the cover" echoed one after another.
Son of Zeng Zesheng, commander of the 50th Army of the Chinese Volunteers
Zeng Qiang
Why say "uncover"? That is, at that time, everyone did not have more effective explosives in their hands, and the effective way was to rush up with a grenade and lift the lid on the top of the tank. This move blew up several more tanks.
So in the end, at that time, the British tank battalion, the heavy tank battalion, a total of 31 tanks, which were blown up, accounted for 27 vehicles, and 4 although they were not blown up, the crew had fled.
Mr. Peng, who was half-convinced
After several tanks were bombed in a row, the British gradually discovered the ambush of the volunteer anti-tank men, and they immediately brought in a Churchill crocodile Spitfire tank to open the way.
This is a special tank converted by the British army during World War II based on the Churchill MkIV tank, and its Spitfire range reached about 75 meters in actual combat, which was extremely lethal.
Instructor of the 1st Battalion of the 445th Regiment of the Volunteers
Lin Jiabao
The fire of the fire-breathing tank, after it spewed out, still had iron sand inside, and the iron sand exploded against each other. Our burned soldiers, one whole person burned to the ground, the remains of the martyrs are all honeycomb eyes.
In order to blow up this Churchill crocodile Spitfire tank, a whole platoon of the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 445th Regiment of the 50th Army was basically lighted, and 15 people of the 1st Battalion of the 445th Regiment alone were burned alive.
Seeing that his comrades were sacrificed one after another, it was Li Guanglu again, he picked up the grenade and crawled to the path where the Spitfire tank had to pass, and when the Spitfire tank drove over, he suddenly jumped up, boarded the tank, and then lifted the cover on the turret and stuffed the grenade into the car.
Five hours later, this extremely unequal battle ended with the complete annihilation of the British "Royal Heavy Tank Battalion"; the 149th Division of the 50th Army captured and destroyed 31 tanks and armored vehicles, killed and wounded more than 200 enemy soldiers, and captured 227 officers and men below the commander of the enemy's battalion major.
The humble valley of Buddha Midi, because this battle was written into the war history of the Chinese and British armies.
Son of Zeng Zesheng, commander of the 50th Army of the Chinese Volunteers
Zeng Qiang
Later, this war report was reported to the headquarters of the volunteers, and after reading it, Mr. Peng basically did not believe it, how can you annihilate a whole tank battalion without anti-tank weapons at all? It was even said that he took this war report and said: "Lying about war merits is to kill the head." ”
Peng Dehuai, who was half-convinced, specially called Xu Wenlie, political commissar of the 50th Army, and asked him to investigate the situation clearly. Xu Wenlie quickly sent photojournalist Hu Baoyu to the scene to take photos and collect evidence.
Lin Jiabao, who was an instructor of the 1st Battalion of the 445th Regiment at the time, accompanied reporter Hu Baoyu to the battlefield.
Instructor of the 1st Battalion of the 445th Regiment of the Volunteers
Lin Jiabao
The reporters rushed here overnight, rushed to the place where we were fighting, and rushed to the camp to find me personally.
I was an instructor at that time, checking with me one by one, where and how to fight, how many tanks were destroyed, how many enemies were caught, checked one by one, the tanks were photographed, and the enemy counted.
When these extremely convincing photos were placed in front of him, Mr. Peng was extremely excited and immediately asked the headquarters of the Volunteer Army to send a joint commendation telegram to the 50th Army.
Li Guanglu, a soldier of the 50th Army rebel unit in Sichuan, became famous for blowing up three tanks in a row, became an "anti-tank" hero, and was later awarded the "special meritorious service" of the Chinese People's Volunteers.
When the British 29th Brigade "Royal Heavy Tank Battalion" was completely destroyed, the US troops were also rapidly withdrawing, and the officers and men of the 50th Army of the Volunteer Army did not have time to rest more, and immediately embarked on the road of pursuing the US troops. In the early morning of January 4, 1951, Chen Ping, deputy commander of the 442nd Regiment of the 148th Division, led troops to take the lead in attacking Seoul.
After the volunteers conquered Seoul, the US military resorted to "magnetic tactics", which took advantage of the lack of logistics of the volunteers and suddenly launched a large-scale counterattack when the volunteers' logistics were tight. In the face of the menacing main forces of the US army, how will the 50th Army respond to the battle?
Watch the Phoenix Vision
"A Hundred Battles Alone - A Record of the Conquest of the Dian Army"
Editor: Wang Dingyao