Bloody 38th Line 95: Volunteer Anti-Tank Combat Series 2
The tank, as a coarse-skinned behemoth, must use weapons of sufficient power to deal with it effectively. Among the volunteers, several weapons became their weapons in anti-tank warfare, including blast canisters, explosive packs, and anti-tank grenades. This article will detail how the volunteers used these weapons against tanks.
First, let's talk about the blast cylinder. Before the volunteers entered the DPRK, each army received 200 blast canisters, some of which were imitations or captured enemy equipment. Blasting cylinders are one of the few powerful explosives of the volunteers, and in the early days of the war, it was not easy to use against general targets, but for key targets such as tanks, the volunteers were not merciful and frequently used blast cartridges.
The operation of the blaster is not easy, since the tank is in large bumps during travel, so it is difficult to insert the blaster into the gap of the track wheels or throw it on the engine cooling window at the rear of the tank. If you accidentally fall, not only will you not blow up the tank, but you may also injure the demoman and comrades. However, Qin Yongfa, the hero of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, blew up the first US tank with a blaster. In the battle with the enemy, he ran in front of the tank, inserted the blaster into the gap of the track wheel, and then rolled into the trench next to it, and the tank suddenly stopped. This battle merit made Qin Yongfa a combat hero.
This is followed by explosive packs, which are also a weapon widely equipped by the volunteers. Explosive packs usually weigh 10 kg or 5 kg and, like blast canisters, are stuffed into tank tracks. However, compared to blast cartridges, explosive packs are not easy to roll, so you can calculate the route and time of movement of the tank in advance, and put it on the road and wait for the tank to come and blow it up.
Take special meritorious Li Guanglu, for example, he picked up the explosive bag and climbed onto the road, pushed the explosive bag to his calculated position, and quickly rolled into the rice field to avoid the tank's attack. The moment the explosive package exploded, the tank immediately turned into a fireball and was completely destroyed. Such heroic deeds are not uncommon in war.
Finally, anti-tank grenades. The most commonly used anti-tank grenade by the volunteers was the Soviet-made RPG-43 and its imitation anti-43. The RPG-43 is the world's first anti-tank grenade to use the principle of armor-breaking with shaped charges, with strong armor-piercing capabilities. Unlike blast canisters and explosive packs, anti-tank grenades are thrown at a relatively long distance, so they are more widely used.
In a battle in 1951, the Ninth Company of the Volunteer Army destroyed 11 American tanks at Seven Peaks Mountain, mainly using anti-tank grenades. The soldiers of the Ninth Company set up an ambush and waited for the American tanks to approach, then they jumped forward and threw anti-tank grenades, destroying one tank after another. This was the highest record of the anti-tank combat record of the infantry squad in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
However, all three types of anti-tank weapons share a common weakness, which requires soldiers to be close to the tank in order to be used. Tanks are usually protected by infantry and equipped with weapons such as machine guns, posing a great threat to volunteer blasters close to the tanks. Even if they successfully approach the tank, the soldiers face the threat of explosion from the thrown explosives. Many volunteers were wounded or even killed in such battles.
Fortunately, during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the anti-tank weapons in the hands of the volunteers were rapidly upgraded to long-range light weapons such as bazookas and recoilless guns, which gradually reduced this kind of close "hand-to-hand" combat. These long-range weapons not only improved the combat capability of the volunteers, but also reduced the casualties of the volunteers. On the front lines of the war, volunteers bravely fought tanks in flesh and blood, and their bravery was awe-inspiring. May we always remember these heroic warriors who gave their precious lives for the security of their country and people.
