In the winter of 1950, the Korean Peninsula was embroiled in war, and Changjin Lake became the battlefield of fierce confrontation between the Chinese and American armies.
The Ninth Corps of the Chinese People's Volunteers, dressed in single clothes and carrying frozen potatoes, fended off heavily armed US troops in the bitter cold of minus 30 degrees.
Shouldering the mission of protecting the homeland and defending the country, the volunteers crossed the Yalu River and resolutely set foot on the land of North Korea. On their first day, they were exposed to extreme cold, and their ears, noses, and fingers were quickly frozen. The soldiers supported each other and struggled forward.
As night fell, the volunteers crawled through the snow, fearing that their targets would be exposed. Each soldier had only a small amount of dry food and a frozen potato in his backpack. They silently gritted their teeth and moved on, with only one conviction in their hearts: the aggressor must be repulsed.
Battles in the snow
The U.S. military was well-armed and well-fed, sleeping peacefully in thick goose-down sleeping bags. At the same time, the volunteers could only rely on each other's body temperature for warmth. The cold of Changjin Lake is like an invisible enemy, threatening their lives at all times.
In one battle after another, the volunteers relied on rudimentary weapons and tenacious will to gradually approach the US position. Despite the enormous difficulties they faced, they maintained a high level of vigilance and combat effectiveness. During the day, they hide in the snow, and at night they launch surprise attacks to strike at the enemy.
On the night of November 27, 1950, the Volunteer Army began a division and encirclement operation against the US army. In the icy snow, the volunteers marched silently, they could not make a fire to keep warm, they could only endure the biting cold. Every step was extraordinarily heavy, and every breath was as painful as a knife.
The volunteers divided into small units and quietly approached the American positions. In order not to reveal their whereabouts, they tried to avoid making any sounds, only breathing and heartbeat could be clearly heard in the cold night sky.
The assault began, and the volunteers used old rifles and grenades in their hands to engage in fierce battles with the advanced weapons of the American army. The battle was extremely fierce, the blood stained the snow red, and the warriors stubbornly resisted the enemy's attack with their flesh and blood.
The U.S. military, with its powerful firepower, carried out a fierce counterattack. The Volunteers launched a counter-encirclement with extremely high tactical literacy and flexible mobility. They took advantage of the cover of the snow and quickly transferred, constantly giving heavy blows to the American troops.
When night fell, the volunteers lurked in the snow, preparing to surprise the American troops. They waited quietly, weapons in their hands ready to be fired at any moment. There was a dead silence in the snow, only the cold wind howled.
The U.S. forces tried to hold their positions by airdropping supplies, but the stubborn resistance of the volunteers made their operations extremely difficult. The US military gradually realized that in the face of such an enemy, it would be difficult for even the most advanced weapons to win.
During the long battle, the volunteers gradually ran out of food and ammunition, but they still persevered. They fed their hunger with frozen potatoes, quenched their thirst with snow water, and relied on their stubborn will to persist in fighting.
The intensity of the battle was beyond anyone's imagination. Many volunteer fighters gave their precious lives in battle. Of the 157 fighters of the 7th Interspersed Company, only 1 remained in the end, and behind this number are stories of countless heroic sacrifices.
In between the battles, the surviving fighters hurriedly buried their comrades and continued to fight. They have no time to grieve, and can only turn their grief into strength to continue fighting. Every fallen comrade-in-arms is the driving force for them to move forward.
Endless cold nights
At night at Changjin Lake, it is as cold as ice. The volunteers persevered in the snow, and every ambush was a life-and-death contest. With their flesh and blood, they built an impregnable line of defense.
Despite the heavy fire of the enemy, the volunteers still maintained a high level of combat effectiveness. They lurk in the snow, waiting for their next chance to raid. Every fighter knows that the future of the motherland is at stake in this battle.
In December 1950, the battle for Changjin Lake entered its most intense stage. The volunteers used their flesh and blood to resist the frantic attack of the American army. In the cold wind of minus 30 degrees, they stubbornly persevered and defended the dignity of the motherland with their lives.
The Volunteer Army decided to destroy the Watergate Bridge, the only way for the retreat of the American troops. They are well aware that by cutting off this road, the US troops will not be able to withdraw quickly. It was a difficult and dangerous mission, but the volunteers had no option to back down.
The Ninth Company of the Volunteer Army was ordered to blow up the Watergate Bridge. The soldiers, under the cover of night, quietly approached the target. In the cold air, there was a tense atmosphere. The explosive bag was tied to a key position on the bridge, and the soldiers quickly evacuated, followed by a loud bang, and a corner of the bridge deck was blown up. However, the U.S. military repaired the bridge with astonishing speed, and the bridge deck was quickly restored.
The Volunteer Army attacked again, and the Ninth Company and the follow-up troops worked together to blow up the bridge for the second time. The enemy was defended more tightly and fired more fiercely. Fearless of life and death, the soldiers braved artillery fire, strapped explosive packets to their bodies and rushed to the bridge. The second explosion increased the damaged area of the bridge deck, but the U.S. military still repaired it quickly.
The Volunteer Army decided to make a third and final attempt. This time, they completely blew up the bridge, along with the substrate. Some of the soldiers attracted the fire, while the others strapped explosives to their bodies and rushed directly to the piers. The bridge collapsed with a huge explosion, but once again, the U.S. military demonstrated its amazing ability to repair it, bringing in a special steel bridge from Japan by air, and repairing it in just two days.
After receiving the news of the bridge repair, the U.S. military quickly assembled troops and prepared to retreat from the Watergate Bridge. The volunteers realized that this was the last chance to stop the enemy from retreating. They gathered their forces and prepared for a final decisive battle.
The volunteers laid an ambush on the high ground near the bridge. The soldiers lay on their stomachs in the snow, weapons in their hands ready to be fired. The cold wind howled, the snowflakes fell, and the volunteers quietly waited for the arrival of the enemy.
When the U.S. troops approached the Watergate Bridge, they found a dense crowd of volunteers on the high ground, and their guns were pointed at the enemy. However, the US military did not hear any gunfire. The scouts cautiously went to inspect and found that the volunteers had frozen into ice sculptures and maintained a fighting posture.
The U.S. military was shocked by what they saw, but they had to quickly cross the Watergate Bridge. The ice sculptures of the volunteers were still intimidating them, and the atmosphere of the battle was extremely tense.
The volunteers were on the other side of the bridge, ready to meet the arrival of American troops. They built a defensive line in the snow and ice, and used their last strength to hold their ground. The firepower of the American army was fierce, and the volunteers put up stubborn resistance under the double pressure of the cold and the enemy.
The artillery fire of the American army fiercely bombarded the positions of the volunteers, and the bombs exploded on the snow, splashing large snowflakes. With a small amount of weapons and ammunition, the volunteers put up a stubborn resistance. They took advantage of the terrain to constantly harass the enemy and weaken the combat effectiveness of the US army.
The U.S. military gradually realized that it would be difficult for them to achieve victory in the face of such a tough enemy. The stubborn resistance and heroic sacrifice of the volunteers finally made the US military realize that they could not defeat these soldiers who fought for their country.
The American army was forced to give the order to retreat, and the volunteers, in the joy of victory, continued to pursue the retreating enemy. Their victory was not only a military one, but also a spiritual one.
The victory of the Volunteer Army
After the Battle of Changjin Lake, the volunteers embarked on their way home. This winter, full of suffering and victory, has witnessed the heroism and sacrifice of countless soldiers. The surviving soldiers returned to the embrace of the motherland with the remains of their comrades, full of glory and sorrow.
The journey home was long, and the volunteers walked in the ice and snow. Each step was extraordinarily heavy, and although their bodies were exhausted, each warrior walked firmly on the way home. The wind and snow blew mercilessly on their faces, but they didn't stop.
When the volunteers returned to the land of the motherland, the people of their hometown held a grand welcome ceremony for them. The village was renovated, and the villagers spontaneously gathered at the entrance of the village to welcome the return of these heroes. Every volunteer soldier is the pride of his hometown.
The villagers held high the red flag to welcome the return of the volunteers. The innocent smiling faces of the children and the excited tears of the old people constitute the warmest picture of this cold winter. The volunteers were treated like heroes, and although their bodies were exhausted, their hearts were full of warmth and touch.
At the welcoming ceremony, the volunteers displayed enemy weapons and equipment captured on the battlefield. These trophies are not only a symbol of victory in the war, but also a manifestation of the heroic and fearless spirit of the volunteers. The villagers gathered around the trophies and listened to the stories of the battlefield told by the volunteers.
The volunteers recounted in detail the battle at Changjin Lake, and their heroic deeds made the villagers extremely admired. Every story is full of tests of blood and fire, and every battle shows the fearless spirit of the volunteers. The villagers listened attentively, their eyes shining with admiration.
After the battle, the volunteers were not only heroes who returned to their hometowns, but also the main force in the reconstruction of their hometowns. They participate in the construction of their hometowns and build new homes with their own hands. Thanks to their efforts, the village has been revitalized.
Volunteers work with villagers to build roads and houses. They used their sweat in exchange for the prosperity of their hometown. The village is full of busy volunteers, who are no longer soldiers on the battlefield, but workers who build their homes.
In order to commemorate the comrades who died in the Battle of Changjin Lake, a monument was erected in the village. The name of each victim is inscribed on the monument. Villagers come regularly to pay respects to the souls who sacrificed their lives for the country.
The return of the volunteers is not only the glory of their hometown, but also the pride of the whole country. They have defended the dignity and security of the motherland with their lives and blood, and their heroic deeds will forever inspire future generations.
Resources:
He Sai. How the Chinese People's Volunteers were evacuated from North Korea[J].Party History Bocai (Part I),2023(02):52-56.Literature included in CNKI
Wu Zhiqi. The Battle of Changjin Lake: A Great Strategic Victory——Also on the Strategy of Traditional Chinese Military Science[J].China Military to Civilian,2022(21):31-33.)