In the cruel years of the Korean War, there was such a battle, which not only tested the limits of the Chinese People's Volunteers, but also deeply touched the heartstrings of Commander-in-Chief Peng Dehuai, who commanded the overall situation, that is, the world-famous Cheorwon Blockade Battle. On this scorched earth, the 63rd Army wrote a tragic epic with flesh and blood, and their heroic resistance made Mr. Peng Dehuai unable to help but be moved and shed heroic tears.
In the early summer of 1951, the skies over the Korean Peninsula were filled with the haze of war. In the face of the powerful offensive of the "United Nations Army", the Volunteer Army is facing unprecedented strategic pressure. In order to ensure the safe transfer of the main force and the subsequent strategic deployment, Peng Dehuai issued an urgent order, requiring the 63rd Army to hold on to Tieyuan and block the surging offensive of the US army and its allies. This is an almost impossible task, but the officers and men of the 63rd Army did not hesitate at all, and they knew very well that this battle was related to the trend of the entire war situation and the life and death of hundreds of thousands of volunteer brothers.
The 63rd Army, a force of less than 24,000 men, faced a well-equipped enemy with nearly ten times its number. The four integrated divisions of the U.S. Army, plus other Allied forces, totaling about 90,000 men, carrying tanks, artillery, and air superiority, rushed towards Cheorwon like a torrent of steel. However, the 63rd Army, however, had to hold a defensive line as wide as 25 kilometers in front of the front in the absence of heavy weapons support and extremely difficult supplies, and every inch of land became a contest of life and death.
The battle was extremely fierce from the first day, and the soldiers of the 63rd Army took advantage of the terrain to build improvised fortifications, and fought to the death with the enemy in close combat, night combat, and white-knuckle combat. Under the intensive artillery fire and air raids of the US army, the position changed hands several times, but the officers and men of the 63rd Army never flinched. With rudimentary weapons, with stubborn will, they repelled enemy charges again and again. In this war-torn land, every day, every hour, and even every minute is the ultimate test of life.
14 days and nights, for the soldiers of the 63rd Army, seemed to be endless torment. They were hungry and gnawed dry food, thirsty and drank muddy water, injured themselves and bandaged them simply, and fell on the shoulders of their comrades, but no one gave up. In this defensive battle, which can be called a rare in the history of human warfare, the 63rd Army successfully delayed the pace of the US offensive at a huge cost of 22,000 casualties, and won valuable strategic adjustment time for the main force of the Volunteer Army.
When the smoke of the battle gradually dissipated, Peng Dehuai came to the front line and witnessed the devastated battlefield and the heroic sacrifice of the soldiers of the 63rd Army. He knew very well that it was these young soldiers who used their lives to defend the dignity of the country and the hope of peace. After the war, Peng Dehuai immediately ordered the 63rd Army to replenish 20,000 men, which was a consolation to the survivors and a tribute to the deceased.
The Cheorwon Resistance Battle is a hymn to courage, sacrifice and perseverance. It not only shows the tenacious fighting spirit of the volunteers in extreme difficulties, but also shows the world the invincible spiritual strength of Chinese soldiers. The feat of the 63rd Army not only changed the situation on the Korean battlefield, but also left an indelible glorious mark in the long river of history.