"The enemy's guns give us combat effectiveness", in the fierce years of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, our army captured a lot of enemy equipment, not only replenished its own firepower, but also created countless legends. Yu Xinfa, he used an American's own machine gun to kill 228 enemy soldiers!
Yu Xinfa, this name may not be so loud in the dust of history, but in the Korean battlefield in 1951, he wrote an amazing record by himself. Born in December 1920 in Yuyao, Zhejiang, Yu Xinfa's life trajectory was originally unremarkable, until he decided to join the army in 1950 and became a junior soldier. He joined the 20th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteers, a unit with a long history, the former Red Army guerrillas, the New Fourth Army during the Anti-Japanese War, and the East China Field Army in the Liberation War, all of which were the predecessors of this unit.
Let's go back to that war-torn era, when the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was in full swing, and Yu Xinfa's unit won a complete victory in a battle against the US army, and the US army fled in defeat, leaving behind a large amount of equipment. Yu Xinfa picked up an American M1919A6 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun on the battlefield. For Yu Xinfa, who saw this advanced weapon for the first time, this was not only an accidental chance, but also a turning point of fate.
The M1919 machine gun, a design derived from the old machine gun of the First World War, was widely used by the US military in World War II. Compared with the Japanese-made Type 92 heavy machine guns previously used by our army, the M1919 has obvious advantages in weight and mobility. Although Yu Xinfa was not familiar with this machine gun, he quickly mastered the use of this machine gun by virtue of his sensitivity to machinery and intuition on the battlefield.
In May 1951, the fifth battle of the Korean War broke out, and the United Nations forces attempted to force the Chinese and North Korean forces to retreat south of the 38th parallel through a series of offensives. Yu Xinfa's unit was sent to the Qianfoshan area, where the terrain was complex and provided unique conditions for the use of machine guns. Yu Xinfa and his comrades-in-arms struggled to carry the M1919 machine gun weighing more than 20 kilograms in the mountains, and they had no transport vehicles, so all the equipment had to be carried on their shoulders.
The battle began, and the enemy's counterattack was fiercer than before. But Yu Xinfa relied on this captured American-made machine gun to exert amazing firepower. For several days of fighting, he barely rested, and the muzzle of the machine gun almost never stopped. His position became a firepower point on our defensive line, and whenever the American troops tried to break through the defensive line, Yu Xinfa could react quickly and suppress the enemy's attack with dense firepower.
According to post-war statistics, Yu Xinfa single-handedly killed 228 enemy soldiers using this machine gun in the battles of the past few days. This achievement caused a huge shock at that time, not only because of his bravery, but also because it showed the fighting spirit of the officers and men of the Volunteer Army who were not afraid of strong enemies and dared to fight. Yu Xinfa's deeds have been widely praised and have become a legend on the battlefield.
However, the story behind it is far more tortuous than that. Yu Xinfa's outstanding performance on the battlefield is not only a manifestation of his personal bravery, but also the result of the strict organization and tactical application of the entire unit. His unit has been fighting in a difficult environment for a long time, and has a deep understanding and rich experience in how to use the terrain and how to carry out fire coverage. Yu Xinfa's ability to perform well on the battlefield is inseparable from the close cooperation of his comrades.
During those war years, Yu Xinfa was not only a machine gunner, but also a hero who came out of the war. His story is not only about personal bravery and victory, but also about the struggle and perseverance of an era. Yu Xinfa and his comrades-in-arms used their flesh and blood to write an unforgettable history.
After the war, Yu Xinfa returned to a peaceful life, but his performance on the battlefield and the story of him counterattacking the enemy with his weapons have been praised by future generations. This is not only because of his personal bravery, but also because he represents the image of the Chinese military of that era: tenacious, daring to fight, able to find victory in the face of adversity.
Yu Xinfa's story reminds us that history is written by ordinary people who can stand up at critical moments. They may not have been born heroes, but at critical moments, they chose not to back down and chose to fight for the good of the country and the people. Yu Xinfa is such a person, he is not only a witness to history, but also a creator of history.
Yu Xinfa's story is a spectacular battle narrative and a profound reflection of the spirit of the times. He defeated the enemy with his weapons, which not only demonstrated material tactical wisdom, but also spiritual transcendence and victory. Whenever we recall this period of history, we should remember that every shot behind us is for a peaceful tomorrow. Yu Xinfa, this ordinary but extraordinary hero, uses his actions to interpret what true courage and sacrifice are.