In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded, and a new era began. As the armed forces of this country, the people's army naturally shoulders the sacred mission of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, on this road to rise, they have suffered three heinous and painful defeats.
Battle of Kinmen: First defeat at the beginning of the country
On October 1, 1949, in Tiananmen Square, the Chinese nation, which had experienced thousands of years of suffering, ushered in a new dawn. When the solemn national anthem resounded in the sky and the salute was sounded, the People's Republic of China was officially proclaimed. This historic moment marks the birth of New China and the opening of a new chapter.
However, the People's Liberation Army at that time was not able to complete the great cause of liberation in a short period of time, but suffered its first painful defeat at the beginning of the founding of the country.
Kinmen Island, located off the coast of Fujian, was still under the control of Kuomintang troops at the time. As part of the territory of New China, the liberation of Kinmen was naturally a top priority.
On October 17, 1949, the 10th Corps of the People's Liberation Army pursued the victory and successively captured Pingtan and Xiamen islands. The officers and men had high morale and expressed their desire to take Kinmen in one fell swoop and "present gifts" to New China. But they probably could not have imagined that the battle would end at a terrible cost.
Kinmen Island is located in the Fujian Strait, and the sea-crossing operation was a new challenge for the PLA at that time. Although the 10th Corps had always been imposing on land, they did lack experience in naval warfare. What was even more unfavorable was that at this time, the top brass of the 10th Corps was busy dealing with all kinds of affairs that had just liberated Xiamen, so they handed over the task of attacking Kinmen to the 28th Army.
It is a pity that the commanders of this unit also have other important tasks, which has greatly reduced the overall combat effectiveness.
On the night of October 24, the 251st, 253rd, and 254th regiments of the 28th Army took the lead in the attack on Kinmen. Although the landing force quickly occupied the enemy's beachhead and engaged in a tug-of-war with it, it was severely tested.
Due to their unfamiliarity with the sea conditions, the landing boat they were on ran aground after the tide receded, and they could not evacuate in time. In the early morning of the next day, enemy aircraft and heavy artillery immediately bombarded the stranded ships, and the landing force immediately lost follow-up reinforcements. More than 9,000 officers and men held out for two days and two nights, knowing that there was no hope of returning.
They engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, and finally the army was completely annihilated. This elite force, which was supposed to sweep away Kinmen, was buried in this sea area. This also became the first major defeat in the early days of the establishment of the new Chinese army. At that time, most of the officers and soldiers of the 10th Corps of the People's Liberation Army were born in the old area of Shandong, and they made great achievements on land, and have always been regarded as the mainstay.
However, in the face of unexperienced naval operations, they still exposed many shortcomings. For example, there is a lack of full understanding of the local geographical environment and changes in sea conditions, and there is also a clear misjudgment of the balance of forces between the enemy and the enemy. These are clearly some of the problems that are inevitable in the transformation of the new army.
And the main commanders of the 28th Army at that time were also distracted by other trivial matters to varying degrees. This undoubtedly further exacerbated the decline in combat effectiveness. What's more, when the landing force suffered a setback and lacked follow-up reinforcements, the chain of command was seriously paralyzed, and it was difficult to effectively coordinate the movement. These became important reasons for this defeat.
When the heroic landing force of the People's Liberation Army launched a fierce attack on Kinmen Island, they probably could not have predicted that they would eventually die here. In two days and two nights of fighting, this army of more than 9,000 people was finally annihilated, becoming the first heavy loss of the army in the early days of the founding of New China.
The Bloody Battle of Tohei-ri: A tragic test for the Volunteer Army
The Battle of Kinmen dealt a heavy blow to the nascent People's Republic of China army, but they were not discouraged. On the Korean battlefield, the Chinese People's Volunteers, with their heroic and tenacious style, finally turned the tide of the war and began to counterattack the US army.
In February 1951, when the morale of the volunteers was high, they aimed at a small town near Hengcheng - Toheira-ri.
On the Korean battlefield at that time, the forces of both sides were seriously attritional. The Chinese and North Korean armies have made unremitting efforts in several battles. Finally, under the appeal, the US army was successfully forced back. Pushed the front south of the 38th parallel. At the same time, the U.S. military has also amassed a large number of elite troops, preparing to launch a full-scale counterattack.
At this critical moment, the Chinese People's Volunteers decided to strike a surprise attack on Hengcheng and Topingli, 30 kilometers to the west. The reason why the volunteers chose Toheiri is not for nothing. In the previous battle of Hengcheng, they showed excellent combat effectiveness and achieved good results.
In addition, at this time, there was not much difference between Hengcheng and Toheing-ri in terms of geographical conditions, so the volunteers thought that they could continue to use the previous tactics. On the premise of concentrating firepower and troops, they thought that it would be nothing more than to sweep away the peace. However, the truth of war is often unexpected.
When the Volunteers began to launch an offensive against Topyeong-ri, they discovered that it was not the "puppet army" of the North Korean army stationed here, but a strong defensive line composed of elite troops such as the 23rd Regiment of the Second Division of the US Army and a reinforced French infantry battalion. Coupled with the support of 50 mortars and 21 tanks, the Volunteer Army suddenly encountered a severe test.
In the face of such a large number of enemy troops and sophisticated weapons and equipment, the volunteers only possessed a limited number of light weapons. Although they were able to panic the enemy at first with a sudden attack, as the tug-of-war unfolded, their advantage was quickly snuffed out by the firepower superiority of the American army.
For 3 days and 3 nights, the volunteers launched a tragic siege battle. In this-for-tat smoke, they paid a huge price. According to statistics, the Volunteer Army suffered about 3,300 casualties in this battle, while the American Army only had more than 400. Such a tragic loss undoubtedly became a heavy blow to the volunteers.
However, this does not mean that the Volunteer Army will be in decline. On the contrary, it was this lesson that made them more aware of their own shortcomings, and then continued to improve and improve in the subsequent battles.
For example, in the subsequent battles, the volunteers paid more attention to the comprehensive grasp of the enemy's situation, and were no longer easily confused by the superiority of weapons and equipment. At the same time, they have also learned to use tactics more scientifically, and pay more attention to the first strike at the enemy's firepower point when attacking.
The 180 Division was thwarted
The astonishing performance of the Chinese People's Volunteers on the Korean battlefield undoubtedly added supreme glory to the military strength of New China. However, even the elite troops with outstanding achievements in the war will inevitably encounter unexpected and huge setbacks in the face of a brutal war.
At that time, it was a critical moment in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The Chinese and North Korean armies have successfully pushed back the US forces and pushed the front south of the "38th parallel". In order to further consolidate the results of the battle and prevent the enemy from breaking through, both sides launched fierce large-scale roundabout battles here. Against this background, the 60th Division of the 180th Army was ordered to go to the area and took on the key task of interdiction.
The 180th Division has made a lot of achievements in the battle of fortified positions in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei region and in the suppression of bandits in Xichuan. They were also trusted on the new Korean battlefield and were sent to this important position.
On April 21, the 180th Division received an urgent order from the military headquarters: two days later, on the 23rd, it must retreat to the vicinity of the North Han River and take up the task of blocking it. Their task was to gain three to five days to provide support for the strategic retreat of large forces.
The situation with the 180th Division was already quite difficult at this time. They had been fighting hard for three days under the fierce attack of the US 7th Division, and the soldiers suffered heavy casualties in the extremely difficult logistical supply situation. At the same time, the friendly forces of North Korea who fought alongside them were almost incapacitated.
Despite the unfavorable situation, the 180th Division showed incredible courage and tenacity in the face of this adversity, holding their ground in Jiuluan Mountain, capturing not only 16 American tanks, but also hundreds of enemy troops.
Originally, it was only necessary to hold out until the 23rd, and the 180th Division could retreat as planned. On the night of the 22nd, when the 63rd Army and the 39th Army on the right flank of the 180th Division learned that the neighboring 64th Army had retreated under the pressure of the American army and was in danger of being besieged, they urgently retreated but failed to notify the 180th Division in time.
Under such heavy pressure, the 180th Division also received news from the 15th Army on the other side - their granary had been destroyed by the US army and had to retreat first. Immediately afterwards, the military headquarters issued another order to "hold on to the spot and cover the evacuation of the wounded."
The 180th Division suddenly found itself surrounded by the 9th and 10th armies of the American army, becoming a lone army on the battlefield.
Division commander Zheng Qigui finally decided to hold on to it on the one hand, and applied to the military headquarters for evacuation on the other. Unexpectedly, this request was silent for three whole days because the radio station of the 3 Corps was attacked by the enemy during the movement of the battlefield.
After three fruitless days of waiting, on the 24th, the army commander Wei Jie still ordered the 180th Division to retreat to the North Han River without receiving an order from the corps. But the situation on the battlefield has changed dramatically, and the US military has taken control of the Han River crossing.
Facing the American troops occupying the Han River, the soldiers of the 180th Division, starving for three days, began to try to force the river. Some of the soldiers relied on the three wires left by the troops in front of them to reach the opposite bank, while others unfortunately sank in the river.
After a series of arduous battles, when the 180th Division finally reached its intended position, they received intermittent orders from headquarters to block first on the spot and then break through to Eagle Peak. In carrying out these orders, they encountered multiple challenges, not only did the heavy rain and the blockade of the American army prevent the expected reinforcements from arriving in time, but the soldiers were exhausted and out of ammunition and food.
Finally, in the early morning of April 28, the division commander Zheng Qigui issued the last order: smash the radio station, burn the data, and charge the whole division to break through the blockade line.
In this breakout battle, the 180th Division sacrificed about 3,000 soldiers in frontal combat, and about 5,000 more were killed, poisoned or captured in the breakout operation, and only about 4,000 people successfully broke through.
Rising from setbacks: the soul of the army that grows up
In the historical journey of the new Chinese army, there is no doubt that many unforgettable scars have been left. From the tragic defeat in the Battle of Kinmen, to the tragic test of the Volunteers in Toping-ri, to the total annihilation of the 180th Division on the Korean battlefield, these major setbacks undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the young army of the People's Republic of China.
In the Battle of Kinmen, although the People's Liberation Army suffered heavy losses, it was precisely this fighting spirit that made them brilliant achievements in naval operations in the future. After learning from the painful experience and summing up the lessons, the PLA began to pay attention to improving its grasp of the geographical environment and sea conditions in the sea-crossing operation, and at the same time strengthened its reconnaissance work before the war, striving to make an accurate judgment on the strength of the enemy and the enemy.
Resources:
The Battle of Kinmen: The First Painful Defeat of the New Chinese Army
"The Bloody Battle of Tohei-ri: The Cruel Test of the Volunteers"
The Annihilation of the 180th Division: A Cruel Page of War