Behind this phrase lies a little-known history. The Battle of Shangganling was the most tragic battle in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and General Qin Jiwei, as the main commander, demonstrated outstanding military command skills in this battle. However, the cruel face of the war did not wear out Qin Jiwei's attachment to Shangganling. Decades later, when he set foot on Korean soil again, Shangganling was still the place he wanted to go to the most. What kind of story does this persistent attachment contain? What kind of scars did that battle leave that made a battle-hardened veteran general so unforgettable?
Bloody wars, difficult choices
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out. The war was triggered by the Korean People's Army's attack on South Korea on the territory of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea north of the 38th parallel. At the beginning of the war, the Korean People's Army (KPA) occupied a large area of the country, taking advantage of its outnumbered numbers. However, after the United States entered the war, the situation quickly reversed.
In September 1950, the Battle of Pyyang broke out, and the Korean Army held out stubbornly for more than two weeks, but was finally defeated by heavy artillery fire by the American army. In mid-October, the U.S. military captured Pyongyang, and the Korean war situation fell into the most critical moment. With North Korea on the verge of a complete rout, the Soviet Union and China had to consider whether they should intervene directly in the war.
The situation at that time was very dangerous for China. Once the DPRK is defeated, the US military may go straight to the Sino-DPRK border, posing a huge threat to the security of New China. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China under the leadership of Mao Zedong, after repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, finally decided that it could not let the Korean positions go unchecked and must directly participate in the war.
New China had just passed through the stage of civil war, and its economic situation was extremely weak. In contrast, the United States was the richest country in the world at that time, and its weapons and equipment were far more advanced than China's. However, Chairman Mao understood that this was a just war to safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity, and it was the first major test of New China on the international stage. With the support of the belief that "you can fight yourself, and if you can't fight someone," the volunteers crossed the Yalu River with the determination to see death as home, and started the journey of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea.
Located on the middle line of the Korean Peninsula, Shangganling is geographically crucial. To control this is to control the initiative in the entire Korean battlefield. Due to the difficult terrain, both sides regard it as an important place that cannot be easily abandoned. Once it is lost, it will inevitably fall into a situation of being passively beaten. Thus, in the months that followed, Shangganling became a hot spot filled with gunpowder, where the two sides fought fiercely and suffered heavy casualties.
A monument that does not fall, writes brilliantly
On October 14, 1952, the Battle of Shangganling began. In this battle, the two sides engaged in a desperate contest, and the volunteers and the "United Nations Army" suffered heavy losses in the Shangganling area. The battle was extremely fierce, and at one point it was in a stalemate.
As one of the main forces, the 45th Division of the Chinese People's Volunteers, when it first defended its position, it could not help but be a little complacent, believing that the enemy's offensive was not terrible. However, the American artillery fire was too fierce, and the 45th Division soon fell into a bitter battle. The division commander Cui Jiangong had to ask the higher command for help, and Qin Jiwei calmly told him, "Don't panic, if you lose it, you will take it back." This sentence gave Cui Jiangong great encouragement.
Despite heavy casualties on both sides, the People's Volunteers showed bravery and tenacity in the face of hardships and dangers. Although the Shangganling position changed hands several times, whenever it was taken by the "United Nations Army", the Volunteers always fought back bravely and tenaciously to recapture it again. Although the US military possessed advanced weapons and equipment and enjoyed absolute air supremacy and firepower superiority, the People's Volunteers, with their incomparable love for the motherland and their heroic determination to regard death as their home, finally made Van Vliet suffer a lot.
The Battle of Shangganling lasted 43 days, and more than 9,000 street battles were fought between the two sides. Finally, on November 26, 1952, Van Vliet was forced to order a retreat, and the Chinese People's Volunteers won a complete victory in the battle by an overwhelming margin. The defeat of the "United Nations Army" at Shangganling put the initiative of the entire war in the hands of the volunteers, and Van Vliet was also removed from command for this.
In the Battle of Shangganling, the Chinese People's Volunteers paid an extremely heavy price. The 63rd Division of the 39th Army suffered heavy casualties in the battle, and was organized into the "Lao Tzu Army" after the war. The 40th Division of the 120th Army died honorably in this battle and is immortal. The 112th Division of the 38th Army desperately held on to the Shangganling position, and its remnants were organized as the "Iron Army Division". Tens of thousands of volunteers sacrificed their lives and built this immortal monument with their blood and lives.
The Battle of Shangganling, although only a fierce battle fought in a small area, was of extremely important strategic significance. It shattered the myth that "the US military is invincible" and marked that the Chinese people had thoroughly grasped the initiative in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. In the ensuing battle, the Chinese volunteers continued to press the border, and finally drove the "United Nations Army" to the area of the 38th parallel, creating favorable conditions for ceasefire negotiations.
The tenacious fighting spirit displayed by the volunteers in the battle was called the "Shangganling Spirit" by later generations. It embodies the sincere love for the motherland, the heroic courage to treat death as home, and the tenacity and tenacity to never give up. The "Shangganling Spirit" has become a precious spiritual wealth that inspires countless Chinese sons and daughters to be immortalized.
Iron-clad and indomitable
Soon after the Battle of Shangganling began, Qin Jiwei was assigned to command this important battle. He was chosen in large part because of his outstanding military command skills on the Korean battlefield.
In July 1951, Qin Jiwei led the 39th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteers to participate in the Battle of Zhuligu. In this battle, Qin Jiwei took the lead, personally reconnoitered the position on the spot, and formulated a precise battle plan. With careful deployment, the 39th Army not only successfully stopped the attack of the "United Nations Army", but also dealt it a heavy blow. After this battle, Qin Jiwei was rated by the PLA headquarters as "good at fighting and commanding".
With the rich experience accumulated in the Battle of Zhuligu, Qin Jiwei also showed outstanding command talent in the Battle of Shangganling. With a precise grasp of the terrain, he mobilized the main force to key areas, making the defensive position rock-solid and impossible for the enemy to easily penetrate. At the same time, he skillfully used the tactic of "sucking and sucking, sucking, sucking" to lure the enemy into the trap and then fiercely counterattack when he was exhausted.
At the critical moment when the Shangganling position changed hands, Qin Jiwei personally went to the headquarters and repeatedly inspected the position to ensure that the deployment was in place. Whenever the frontline position was in an emergency, he quickly dispatched troops to resolve the crisis in a timely manner. Even when he went out to inspect, he was able to receive the latest war situation and make decisions at any time. Qin Jiwei's wise command ensured the final victory of this battle to a great extent.
In addition to his outstanding commanding skills, Qin Jiwei also won the love of the soldiers with his humanistic care. In his diary, he recorded in detail the living conditions of the officers and men of the army in a harsh environment. For example, once, Qin Jiwei passed by a camp of officers and soldiers, and when he saw them wrapped in sheets to keep warm, he couldn't help but sigh, "It's really cold." The next day, he immediately applied to his superiors for more cold supplies.
In the war-torn environment, Qin Jiwei often encouraged the soldiers. Once, when he saw a wounded man still fighting, he couldn't help but say earnestly: "The wounds on your body tell me that you are a good fighter." When the wounded man heard this, although his body was still very weak, he still smiled and nodded. Qin Jiwei's words undoubtedly gave the fighters great encouragement.
Even those soldiers who died in the war, Qin Jiwei misses them very much. In his diary, he wrote: "We saw many corpses on the positions, these were good comrades, all precious lives. These beloved words all show Qin Jiwei's sincere care for his officers and soldiers. It was this noble personality charm that allowed Qin Jiwei to win the support and love of the whole army, thus ensuring the smooth progress of this campaign.
A pen writes history, and a heart cherishes the family and country
During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Qin Jiwei had a unique habit, that is, he kept working hard and recording every day on the battlefield. This habit began in the thirties and forties of the last century, when Qin Jiwei was still an ordinary soldier and developed a hobby of writing a diary in the army.
At first, Qin Jiwei's purpose in writing a diary was very simple, just to record the bits and pieces of life. But as the years passed, his diary gradually changed. During the Civil War, Qin Jiwei's diary began to record battlefield experiences and recount the battle process in detail. By the time of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, his diary not only covered the battle scenes, but also had thoughts and insights into the overall situation.
Qin Jiwei's diary vividly reproduces the cruel scene of the Battle of Shangganling in simple language. He wrote: "The artillery fire poured down like a storm. The rain of bullets passed through the grass stalks, kicking up puffs of dust on the ground. "A piece of cooked red meat...... It was supposed to be hit by a shell and flew out. "The chilling pen and ink vividly present the bloody and tragic scenes of the battlefield in front of the reader.
At the same time, Qin Jiwei's diary also recorded the tenacious will of the Chinese soldiers to persist in fighting in the harsh environment. For example, on one occasion, when he saw a group of wounded people on a difficult trek, he couldn't help but write that "their wounds were steaming, and there was no pain on their faces, let alone any cry of pain." The tenacity and perseverance of the warriors come to life in the words.
Not only that, but Qin Jiwei's diary also describes the friendly attitude of the local residents of North Korea towards the volunteers. He wrote of a North Korean mother who "held a basket in one hand and a child in the other, and said to us cordially: 'Hard work, comrades! 'What a nice guy! "There are also Korean fathers who have given them food and cotton clothes to survive the cold. These warm details reflect the revolutionary friendship between the Chinese Volunteers and the Korean people.
From Qin Jiwei's diary, it is not difficult to see his endless love for the people's army and the motherland. In one paragraph, he wrote: "Today, an ordinary soldier in Lien Li said to me: 'We must drive the US imperialists out of Korea and do whatever it takes for the dignity of New China!'" I was impressed. As a soldier, Qin Jiwei often reveals his feelings for his family and country in his diary.
Moreover, Qin Jiwei also examined the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea from a larger historical perspective. He wrote in his diary: "We have defeated the American aggressors who swept across Asia and crushed their arrogance, which will go down in the glorious history of the Chinese army." It can be seen that Qin Jiwei clearly realized that the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea is not only related to the fate of the DPRK, but also to the dignity of the Chinese nation, and is the first major test of New China on the international stage.
It is with this pen that writes the history of the battle, Qin Jiwei narrates his battlefield life and what he saw and heard, vividly reproducing the revolutionary years that were repeatedly difficult and dangerous. And a pure heart that cherishes his family and country also makes him infinitely love the motherland and the people, and he is unswerving in the flames of war.
The division of a wolf is immortal
After the victory in the Battle of Shangganling, the Chinese People's Volunteers did not stop there, but launched fierce counteroffensives one after another, pressing the "United Nations Army" all the way to the area of the 38th parallel. In this large-scale counteroffensive operation, the 39th Division of the 63rd Army played a crucial role.
The 63rd Division of the 39th Army was originally just a thin division, and it suffered heavy casualties in the Battle of Shangganling, so it was nicknamed "Lao Tzu's Division". However, in the subsequent combat operations, this "Lao Tzu Division" won the reputation of "the division of a wolf" with its extraordinary heroic performance.
In March 1953, the 39th Division of the 63rd Army was ordered to participate in the siege of the "Steel Cone Position". The "Steel Cone Position" is known as the "Little Hacksaw Ridge", and the terrain is extremely steep, and it is a major pass on the defense line of the "United Nations Army". The U.S. military saw it as an impenetrable fortress and waited for it.
In order to defeat the "steel cone position", the Chinese People's Volunteers made careful arrangements and mobilized a large number of troops into battle. The 39th Division of the 63rd Army was sent to conquer the highest point of the position, the "Las Vegas position". The position lives up to its name, is covered with barbed wire, mines and firing points, and is extremely well fortified.
After receiving the order, Zhang Wenguang, commander of the 63rd Division, quickly made arrangements. He divided the remaining 700 men in the division into three columns and decided to adopt the method of "internal and external attack" to seize the position with the least casualties.
At 2 o'clock in the morning of 27 March, after a night of artillery preparations, the officers and men of the 63rd Division climbed into the "Las Vegas position" in the dark to carry out a surprise attack. As soon as it came up, it was bombed indiscriminately by the US army, and the 63rd Division suffered heavy casualties. But the officers and men gritted their teeth, marched forward bravely, and finally broke through the enemy's first line of defense.
The second line of defense was even more resistant, with barbed wire and grabens crisscrossing like a cobweb of steel. The officers and men of the 63rd Division fought to the death, and finally broke through many obstacles when the sky was about to dawn and occupied the commanding heights of the "Las Vegas position." By this time, their ammunition had been depleted, and the wounds on their bodies were bleeding.
Just when the officers and men of the 63rd Division thought they could take a breath for a while, a group of US reinforcements suddenly came over and launched a frantic counterattack against them. The two sides were locked in a hand-to-hand fight, with guns and grenades coming and going. The officers and men of the 63rd Division abandoned the last hope of survival and tried their best to fight the enemy hand-to-hand.
After nearly five hours of desperate fighting, the goal of occupying the "Las Vegas position" was finally achieved. However, less than 200 men remained in the entire 63rd Division, and the rest were killed or wounded. Division Commander Zhang Wenguang personally carried the wounded by hand and was wounded by artillery fire.
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In this battle, the tenacious fighting spirit displayed by the 63rd Division was shocking. Their persistent occupation of the position made the "steel cone position" fall into a heavy encirclement. Soon after, the position was completely lost and captured by the Volunteers. Although the 63rd Division suffered heavy losses, it made immortal feats with its immortal bravery. Since then, this originally unknown "Lao Tzu Division" has been respected as "the division of a wolf".