That year, the Korean Peninsula was like a world away, the clouds of war had lifted, and the sunshine of peace was once again shining on this once devastated land. Qin Jiwei, who entered the ancient world, set foot on this familiar and unfamiliar land with the posture of a general to resist US aggression and aid Korea. When Kim Il-sung, the supreme leader of North Korea, politely asked him if there was anything else he wanted to go, Qin Jiwei groaned slightly, his eyes seemed to travel through time and space, and he firmly said the name of the place - Shangganling. The place where the once brave and fearless warrior had been transformed into eternity in his perseverance, he wanted to see it again. But what kind of historical memories will this scene trigger? What kind of waves will General Qin Jiwei's heart pass by?
Heroic Guard: The Battle of Shangganling breaks out
On the Korean Peninsula in October 1952, the smoke of gunpowder was filled with bullets and bullets. Shangganling was originally an obscure small village, but because of its proximity to Wusheng Mountain, a strategic point of the Volunteer Army, it fell into a bloody and tragic battle.
In the early morning of October 14, a sudden artillery fire was deafening, enveloping the entire Shangganling in billowing gunsmoke. Van Vliet, commander of the "United Nations Forces," spared no effort to wantonly and indiscriminately bomb the positions of the Volunteers on the 597.9 and 537.7 heights. He assembled 300 large-caliber guns, 40 aircraft, and 27 tanks from 16 artillery battalions, and fired more than 300,000 shells, an average of 5 or 6 rounds per second, completely leveling the positional fortifications on the surface of the high ground.
Faced with the enemy's frantic firepower, the defenders were in a desperate situation in just two hours. But at this critical juncture, Cui Jiangong, commander of the 45th Division of the Volunteer Army, urgently reported to the command post the battle report on the loss of the surface position.
There was an uproar in the command post, but Qin Jiwei, who had experienced a hundred battles, was calm and calm, and he immediately adjusted his deployment and concentrated the firepower of the 45th Division in Shangganling. "What's the hurry? If you lose it, you will take it back. Qin Jiwei's firm words boosted the morale of the officers and men of the whole army.
In the arduous battle, the Volunteer Army finally recaptured the surface positions of the two highlands that had been lost and regained, annihilating more than 1,900 "United Nations troops" and paying the price of more than 500 casualties.
The victory in this battle undoubtedly gave Van Vliet a blow in the face. He had thought that relying on his overwhelming superiority in firepower, he would be able to quickly resolve the battle with only two battalions of troops. But unexpectedly, the volunteer soldiers were so brave and tenacious, not only recaptured the position, but also severely damaged his main force.
Van Vliet was furious by the defeat, and he was determined to seize the Shangganling position at all costs. Since October 15, he has continued to increase his troops into this small battlefield. At the same time, Qin Jiwei also knew that Shangganling was a strategic bargaining chip for both sides, and he must take all possible measures to defend this land.
As a result, the two sides launched a protracted and fierce tug-of-war on this small position of 4 square kilometers. During the day, the "United Nations Army" seized the surface positions with heavy artillery fire, and as soon as night fell, the volunteers drilled out of the ground and launched a counterattack with the help of darkness.
The two armies engaged in fierce street fighting in this small space, and both sides suffered heavy casualties, and even the top of the hill was cut off. But no matter how frantically the enemy bombed, it could not extinguish the determination of the volunteers to hold the high ground, which made Van Vliet feel unprecedented pressure and confusion.
In order to find out the secrets of the volunteers, he constantly sent soldiers to reconnoitre, and finally discovered the hidden tunnels built by the volunteers by taking advantage of the terrain. The "United Nations Army" immediately set up bunkers on the positions in an attempt to block the attempts of the volunteers to recapture their positions.
On October 19, the 45th Division, under the orders of Qin Jiwei, launched a counteroffensive on the 597.9 heights. But just as they rushed to the high ground, rows of speechless machine gun muzzles suddenly poked out and fired at the volunteer soldiers, bursting out with bursts of blood mist.
At this moment, Huang Jiguang of the 2nd Battalion of the 135th Regiment stepped forward and heroically rushed to the bunker with two comrades-in-arms, blowing up the fire points of the three bunkers. When the machine gun of the last trench bunker was eyeing again, Huang Jiguang dragged his injured leg and resolutely rushed forward, blocking the enemy's gun hole with his own flesh and blood, clearing the way for the charging soldiers, and unfortunately died.
Watered with the blood of the heroic Huang Jiguang and other soldiers, the 45th Division finally regained control of the 597.9 heights. But the next few days and nights were still a brutal scene of you coming and going, repeatedly attacking and defending, and the entire battlefield was filled with artillery smoke and blood, which was heart-wrenching.
Flesh and Blood: The Volunteers Hold On
In Shangganling, a narrow area of only 3.7 square kilometers, the volunteers and the "United Nations Army" launched a fierce battle. As the fighting continued, casualties on both sides continued to rise, and the battlefield environment became increasingly harsh.
Ammunition and supply lines were often disrupted due to repeated changes of front-line positions. As a result, the volunteer soldiers were chronically short of supplies, and they had to survive in small, damp underground tunnels. Food and drinking water were so scarce that many of the soldiers were so hungry that they could not see a single piece of dry food for several days, and had to gnaw on the rotting bark of the trees.
What's more, some soldiers were even forced to drink the muddy water of the tunnels to survive. In such a harsh environment, coupled with the lack of sanitary conditions, the physical condition of the soldiers deteriorated, and miasma, dysentery and other diseases were rampant, resulting in a large number of sick and wounded in the elite division.
But even in this situation, the soldiers of the Volunteer Army still gritted their teeth and held their ground. They always kept in mind General Qin Jiwei's words of "if you lose it, then regain it", and they did not waver in the slightest belief in regaining the position.
When the "United Nations Army" launched a heavy artillery bombardment on the high ground, they burrowed into the tunnels to take shelter. When the artillery fire stops, they will immediately rush out of the ground and launch a counterattack on the enemy position.
When night fell, they took advantage of the darkness to launch a surprise attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. After hard battles again and again, their bodies were covered with scars, their clothes were in tatters, and their faces were blackened by the smoke of gunpowder.
But it was this bruised army that built impregnable fortresses with flesh and blood, and with its heroic and fearless tenacious will, it seized this small area to the death, blocking the pace of the "United Nations Army" attack.
In the most difficult moment, a group of warriors such as Huang Jiguang and Qiu Shaoyun bravely sacrificed themselves to win precious time and space for everyone. The positions they watered with their blood became a temporary stronghold for the volunteers to gather their fighting strength.
On October 25, 1952, after ten days of bloody fighting, the offensive of the "United Nations Army" was finally stopped. At this moment, two wounded communicators arrived from the frontline positions and reported to the command post the shocking news: the fighters on the 597.9 heights had been without food and water for several days, only a few wounded were left barely holding on, and the others had fallen into a semi-comatose state.
After receiving this news, Qin Jiwei did not say a word, and immediately organized a transport service team of 120 people, which passed through at night in the smoke of gunpowder, and transported a large amount of food and fresh water for the soldiers of the 597.9 heights, relieving their urgent needs.
In the early morning of the next day, there was a sudden burst of gunfire from the 597.9 heights. It turned out that when the soldiers of the volunteer army drank the boiling water and ate the hot dry food, a rapid force spontaneously emerged, and they immediately rushed out of the tunnel and launched a frenzied counterattack on the position of the "United Nations Army".
This counterattack came as a surprise to everyone, including Qin Jiwei himself. He later wrote in his diary: "During the first five nights of fierce fighting, the enemy used 15 artillery battalions, a tank battalion and a brigade of planes every day, flew more than 100 sorties a day, and dropped 300,000 rounds a day on an area of 4 square kilometers. It was the largest battle on the Korean battlefield in more than a year......
"Our cadres and fighters fought with their lives to defend national security, the Korean people, and world peace. Their deeds made me cry uncontrollably, but they made me confident and courageous. ＂
In the face of such a tenacious and fearless volunteer army, even Van Vliet, the commander of the "United Nations Army", had to be convinced. He said helplessly: "These Communists are like rats, you hold them down, you think you have crushed them to death, and in the middle of the night they will jump out again." ＂
Yes, it is the indomitable and steely willpower of this volunteer army that has finally created a heroic epic in Shangganling, a small battlefield of several kilometers. They have served the country and peace with their blood and lives, and have become models for generations to learn.
Tunnel Raid: Move on to a new tactic
Under the continuous artillery fire, the surface positions of Heights 597.9 and 537.7 were leveled, and the infantry of both sides could not hold their positions here. Faced with this predicament, Qin Jiwei judged the situation and decided to adjust the operational policy and switch to tunnel operations.
In fact, at the beginning of the campaign, the volunteers relied on the experience of the local people to build a large number of hidden underground bunkers and tunnel fortifications on the high ground. This will not only effectively avoid the enemy's artillery attacks, but also create conditions for future surprise attacks.
In late October 1952, as the fighting became more and more intense, the infantry positions of both sides were continuously destroyed. Finally, one night, the volunteers quietly withdrew from their ground positions in batches and entered underground shelters.
Early the next morning, the "United Nations Army" found that the positions of the volunteers were unguarded, so they immediately launched a frenzied artillery bombardment in an attempt to completely destroy the remaining positions. However, in the face of the smoke of fire, they did not realize that the main force of the Volunteer Army had already withdrawn underground and was ready to attack.
With the increasing artillery fire, it is true that the ground is no longer suitable for long-term entrenchment. However, the volunteer fighters did not take a passive beating, on the contrary, they began to take advantage of the favorable opportunity of the darkness at night to raid and attack through the tunnels.
Overnight, the volunteers fought in batches and dealt a heavy blow to the enemy. 597.9 Artillery on the heights destroyed 20 enemy guns in one day; The 45th Division launched a fierce offensive against the "United Nations Army" on the 537.7 Heights for three consecutive nights, breaking through the enemy's positions and occupying the heights several times.
Because the underground bunkers were relatively hidden, the volunteers were able to evade artillery fire during the day and then frantically pounce at night, which put tremendous pressure on the "United Nations Army." Faced with this strange tactic, Van Vliet was completely panicked and had to send additional troops to reinforce him.
On November 3, he gathered the main forces of the 7th Infantry Division, the 1st Marine Division and the 5th Armored Division to launch a general attack on the 597.9 heights, trying to annihilate the main force of the Volunteer Army in one fell swoop. However, after prior investigation, Qin Jiwei had already expected this move.
In the early morning of the same day, the volunteers lined up in the tunnels near the 597.9 heights. At the sound of the order, a large number of soldiers swarmed out and launched a fierce night attack on the enemy's position. In the dark, foggy and tortuous terrain, the volunteers took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and annihilated a large number of "United Nations Army" soldiers in one fell swoop.
At this time, the general attack of the "United Nations Army" on the 597.9 heights also began. The artillery fire was in the air, the fighters circled upward, and a dense rain of bullets enveloped the entire high ground. But when they rushed to the high ground, they found that there was no one to defend them, and all the volunteers had already retreated into the tunnel.
Enraged, Van Vliet angrily denounced his men and demanded that the entrance to the tunnel be discovered and sealed immediately. However, after several days of fierce fighting, the tunnels of the Volunteer Army had already spread all over the place, and the entrances were scattered and hidden, making it impossible for Van Vliet to start.
What is even more hateful is that as soon as there is a gap, the volunteers will burst out from the ground and launch a counterattack on the positions of the "United Nations Army", making them unable to defend themselves. This peculiar combat method of alternating offense and defense, and using both ground and underground, not only completely depleted the morale of the "United Nations Army," but also made them unable to figure out the deployment of troops and the combat intentions of the volunteers, and they were worried all day long.
Faced with the strange circle of Shangganling, Van Vliet felt unprecedented pressure and confusion. The Battle of Shangganling has lasted for more than 20 days, and the casualties on both sides have been rising endlessly, and he has never been able to occupy this small strategic place as he wished, but has been pinned down and counterattacked by the volunteers.
What frustrated him the most was that under the continuous shelling and ground charges, the combat effectiveness of the volunteers was still undiminished in the slightest. This tenacious force seemed to have inexhaustible strength, which completely caught him in a vicious circle of attacking and being counterattacked. Seeing that the situation was becoming more and more passive, Van Vliet finally made a difficult decision - to adjust his tactics and suspend the attack on Shangganling.
Life and death breakthrough: never give up
In the last month of the Battle of Shangganling, the battle entered a white-hot stage. The firepower of both sides continued to escalate, and the roar of guns and artillery constantly echoed over the entire battlefield. Although the "United Nations Army" continued to increase its heavy troops, the Volunteer Army was still as indestructible as steel.
On November 25, 1952, the commander of the Allied forces, Van Vliet, concentrated heavy firepower and launched a general attack on the 597.9 and 537.7 heights, in an attempt to conquer these two commanding heights in one fell swoop. But at this moment, a shocking news came - the 39th Army of the Volunteer Army launched a fierce attack somewhere on the Eastern Front, directly to the rear of the "United Nations Army".
Faced with a surprise attack from the rear, Van Vliet had to temporarily send part of his forces back to the defense. At this fleeting gap, the volunteers on the 599 heights immediately took advantage of the situation and launched a counterattack on the 597.9 heights.
After several days of fierce fighting, the Volunteer Army finally took control of the main position of the 597.9 heights. Seeing that the main target was being counter-controlled, Van Vliet was furious, and without saying a word, he immediately ordered the infantry, tanks, artillery, and air forces to fully meet and launch a devastating artillery bombardment on the 597.9 heights.
Tens of thousands of bullets rained down on the 597.9 heights. In this monstrous smoke and firelight, the volunteer officers and men on the high ground suffered unprecedented heavy losses. However, they still gritted their teeth and held their positions stubbornly, while constantly sending signals for help to their superiors.
Finally, on November 30, 1952, the Volunteer Army Command issued an exciting order: all troops must make every effort to break through the encirclement and withdraw from the Shangganling area on their own.
After receiving this order, the morale of the soldiers who stuck to the 597.9 heights was greatly boosted. Over the next few nights, they began to break away from their positions in batches, evacuating the battlefield along winding trails.
Those who remained on the high ground were a small group of officers and soldiers. They shouldered the heavy task of covering the retreat, constantly launching pinning and counterattacking the "United Nations forces", attracting firepower, and creating precious time for the retreating main forces.
Under the bombardment of artillery fire, these warriors constantly drilled out of the tunnels to give the enemy a powerful response. Soon, one surprise attack after another caused the "United Nations Army" defense line to collapse.
Just as Van Vliet was angrily organizing reinforcements, he received even more unbelievable news - by the early hours of December 1, there was not a single Chinese soldier on the 597.9 heights.
It turned out that in the previous few days, in addition to covering the retreating soldiers, most of the volunteers on the high ground had already assembled and reorganized in batches under the cover of night, and withdrew along the winding road to the northwest.
The vast majority of their lines of action evaded the firepower of the "United Nations Army", and only a few small units were unfortunately blocked and shelled in the process of transferring.
The farthest detachment from Heights 597.9 had to walk nearly 20 kilometers of mountain roads before they finally reached a new assembly site. During the long and difficult retreat, the unit was not only blocked by the "United Nations Army", but also endured artillery fire, cold and hunger.
Despite the great cost, the vast majority of the main force of the Volunteer Army finally managed to break through the encirclement and evade Van Vliet's firepower with extraordinary willpower and perseverance.
When the "United Nations Army" found that the 597.9 heights were empty, they couldn't help but hide their faces and sigh. In the long siege, they spent a lot of manpower and material resources, but in the end they were still unable to prevent the successful breakthrough of the volunteers. It was not until 8 December that Van Vliet reluctantly captured the already barren heights, marking the end of the Battle of Shangganling.
The reason why the volunteers were able to retreat in this tragic battle was not only the heroic and tenacious will to fight, but also the timely dispatch of the higher command. It was their decision-making that enabled the vast majority of volunteers to avoid the firepower of the "United Nations Army" and break away from the encirclement of Shangganling in time.
In the battle of Shangganling, the volunteers paid an extremely heavy price. However, it was the tenacious will condensed in this battle that laid the foundation for the Chinese People's Volunteers to achieve even better results on the Korean battlefield. Their heroic deeds and indomitable spirit have become a banner that has attracted the attention of all the people, shining on the future road of peaceful reunification.
Heroic Composition: Immortal Exploits
Although the Battle of Shangganling ended, the story of the heroic struggle of the volunteers will forever be engraved in the long river of history. In this arduous battle, countless commanders and fighters of the Volunteer Army wrote heroic chapters with their blood and lives.
Among them, the most well-known are the commander of the 39th Army, Park Won-yong, and the former scout Yang Geunsi. Park Won-young took the lead in the battle, personally participated in front-line operations, and made many military exploits. On November 24, 1952, he personally led his troops to stubbornly resist the "United Nations Army" attacking the 597.9 heights, and was unfortunately shot and killed in a fierce battle at the age of 36.
Park Won-yong was awarded the title of "Hero" twice before his death, and was awarded a total of 9 medals from China and North Korea. His farewell poem "Life has been for the cause since ancient times, and it is a pity to die to go to Huangquan" resounded in the sky and inspired the fighting spirit of the officers and men of the whole army.
Fighting side by side with Park Won-yong were Cao Zhenwei, commander of the 38th Army, and Pan Wu, political commissar of the 39th Army. The two commanded well in the battle, commanded with certainty, and made immortal contributions to the final victory.
In addition, a large number of brave and good soldiers have emerged on the battlefield, and they have watered this great land with their blood. For example, platoon commander Yang Xiaosheng and company commander Wang Yongjiang, who were born in the New Fourth Army, were not afraid of life and death at critical moments, stepped forward, and alleviated the critical moment.
Yang Xiaosheng once personally led the team to stubbornly resist in the fierce battle, destroying 2 enemy infantry cannons and destroying 6 pillboxes. In the end, he died heroically during the attack on the 597.9 heights and was named a "Battle Hero".
Company commander Wang Yongjiang, who fought side by side with Yang Xiaosheng, led his troops to break out of the encirclement and attack the enemy's rear in depth, destroying 6 enemy artillery pieces and destroying more than 160 enemy soldiers. He was eventually promoted to brigade commander and was named "Company of Heroes".
Unknown but heroic soldiers like Wang Yongjiang and Yang Xiaosheng can be seen everywhere on the battlefield of Shangganling. For example, the recruit soldier Jia Guijin, who regarded death as his home in the fierce battle, destroyed 8 enemy bunkers and 4 heavy machine guns in a row. In the end, he was martyred and was named a "heroic warrior".
Another example is the scout Dou Changxing, who rushed into the enemy formation without hesitation, annihilated 16 enemies with his own hands, and finally died in battle and was named "Hero Scout". When the tanker Jiang Baozhen blocked the "United Nations Army", he directly drove the steel giant beast into the enemy formation, shocking a large number of enemy troops.
On the battlefield of Shangganling, the deeds of heroes are numerous. In addition to the fallen heroes, there are many more disabled soldiers who have written magnificent epics with their blood and lives.
Among them, Zhao Zifeng, commander of the 39th Division of the 112th Army, is a living hero. During the defensive battle of the 597.9 heights, he was hit in the groin by an enemy shell and died of serious injuries. In the face of possible death, Zhao Zifeng still insisted on commanding the troops on the battlefield until the wound worsened and he lost consciousness before he was forced to transfer. He survived in the end and became a well-deserved "Iron General".
There was also You Rucheng, assistant to the commander of the 39th Army, who unfortunately lost his sight in the defensive battle, but he remained in danger and insisted on commanding until the end of the battle. You Rucheng was personally received by Chairman Mao and awarded a medal in recognition of his courage and loyalty to the revolutionary cause.
In fact, in the entire course of the Shangganling Campaign, more than 80,000 of our troops were killed or wounded. But it is precisely because of these heroes who sacrificed their lives and forgot to die that the volunteers were able to be as solid as a rock under heavy artillery fire and enemy assault, and finally broke through the siege and won the battle.
They wrote with their blood the indomitable spirit and the persistent pursuit of the cause of peace; Their heroic spirit illuminated the darkness of those arduous years on the Korean battlefield, and will surely forever illuminate the ideal road of peaceful reunification of the Chinese people.
After the Battle of Shangganling, a soldier once wrote in a poem: "My generation is an iron warrior, and my blood dyes Shangganling red. Smooth out the bumpy cliff road, and be born for peace! This is undoubtedly the best remembrance and tribute to all the heroes who participated in the war.