The 11th Brigade of the 4th Army of the Indian Army, as the ace unit of India, went to North Africa to fight the German army, and fought with the Japanese in Burma, and fought with the German army led by the "Desert Fox" Rommel in North Africa as a British army in World War II, which can be regarded as India's "division of a hundred battles". However, it was such a strongest brigade that was defeated by our troops in one fell swoop in the Battle of Warong. So how did such a battle, which caused the Indian army to fall from the altar of war, unfold?
1. The background of the Battle of Walong
There are deep historical and practical reasons for the outbreak of the Battle of Warong:
First of all, the border dispute between China and India has never been formally demarcated, and there is a problem of border demarcation left over from history.
During the United Kingdom's colonial rule in India, illegal border lines such as the so-called "McMah Red Line" were concocted, laying the foundation for the Sino-Indian border dispute.
Secondly, it has to do with India's expansionist policy. After independence, India inherited the colonial ideology of United Kingdom, attempted to occupy Chinese territory through encroachment and other means, and constantly provoked incidents in the border areas. Warong was used as a military base for invading China. Wa Lane is less than 20 kilometers away from the Line of Actual Control on the mainland, which can be used as a forward base; At the same time, the terrain is steep, the mountains are high, the valleys are deep, there are many cliffs, and the surrounding mountains stand on the walls, which can be said to be an easy place to defend and difficult to attack.
At the same time, the international environment at that time played a certain role in India's expansion. India mistakenly believes that China faces many domestic and international problems and has no time to take care of border affairs, underestimating China's determination and ability to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.
Against this background, India's aggression has escalated, eventually leading to the outbreak of self-defense and counterattack on the Sino-Indian border.
2. The course and outcome of the war
Walong, located in the Chayu region of Tibet on the mainland, is a disputed area between China and India, with a total area of more than 3,000 square kilometers, which was illegally occupied by United Kingdom in 1942 and continued to be occupied by troops after India's independence. Since the 50s, India has implemented a "forward policy", and Warong has become an important base in India and has been illegally occupied by India.
India's ambitions, however, do not stop there. The smoke of the 1962 war has broken its peace. India Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru formulated a "forward strategy" in a vain attempt to gnaw at the northeast border of the mainland, and he formed a "Northeast Corps" to be responsible for expanding against China.
In May 1962, after the Indian army illegally crossed the border, it exchanged fire with the PLA border guards, killing and wounding dozens of people by the PLA. India Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru protested to China for this, and then conducted military exercises in the border area and increased the number of troops by 50,000.
In the face of India's aggression, in October 1962, the Central Military Commission decided to launch a "self-defense counterattack against India", and the PLA attacked India's troops on the border, recaptured part of the territory, and killed and wounded more than 2,000 Indian troops. India then added 12,000 troops to the Northeast Corps, including a brigade in the Warong area, totaling more than 2,000 troops. India sent the 11th Brigade of the 4th Division of the Army to stationed in Warang, with 4 infantry battalions and 4 artillery companies directly under it.
Dong Zhanlin, the commander of the 130th Division, commanded the battle on the Warong front, and before the war, Dong Zhanlin first sent several companies to seize the high ground in the Warong area, occupied the heights 05 and 07 of Warong on November 12, and exchanged fire with the India army. The India army laid siege to the heights of 05 and 07, attacking nine times a day at the most.
From November 13 to 16, the India army continued to carry out offensive operations, and the PLA only had one company to defend the high ground, but the Indian army could not defeat even a battalion.
On November 16, the Chinese army bombarded the Indian positions in Warong with howitzers, and after the shelling, PLA fighters began to charge. The India army immediately retracted its front, and PLA fighters used "40 fires" and 75 recoilless guns to carry out targeted killings of its pillboxes.
At 13 o'clock on the afternoon of the 16th, the India army had been divided by our army, and the 11th Brigade retreated on all fronts. At 14 o'clock, the India 4th Army, which was supervising the battle on the front, saw that the general situation had gone, fled by helicopter, and the Indian army collapsed. At 17 o'clock, the People's Liberation Army occupied Walong. The Indian army fled into the rainforest in large numbers, and the battle continued on the 17th and 18th, liberating and capturing a large number of prisoners. More than 1,200 India 11 Brigade was killed or captured in the battle, of which more than 750 were killed. The PLA captured more than 60 artillery pieces and nearly 1,000 rifles, completely eliminating India's military strength in the Warong area.
After the Battle of Warang, the 11th Brigade was almost completely wiped out, and the India government was shocked when everyone heard about it. Lieutenant General Carr was removed from his post and investigated by Nehru.
On November 20, India's 48th Brigade was wiped out, and Nehru turned to United States for help to get out of the crisis.
On November 21, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced an armistice and withdrew 20 kilometers of troops, although India still illegally occupies the territory of the "McMah Red Line", but it no longer dares to cause trouble.
In the Battle of Walong, our army annihilated a total of 1,256 Indian troops, of which 754 were killed and 502 were captured, and the 130th Division evacuated Warong on December 7, 1962 and returned to Huichuan.
From April to May 1963, in Baditong, Chayu area, our army took the initiative to release all the Indian officers and soldiers captured in the Battle of Walong. seized 1 Indian military plane and 1 helicopter; 10 106.7 mortars, 8 75 mountain guns, 13 81 mortars, 31 51 mortars, and a total of 62 artillery pieces were captured; 94 light and heavy machine guns, 715 other long and short guns, more than 10,000 artillery shells, more than 1.02 million gun shells, more than 5,400 grenades, more than 1,400 mines, and a large amount of other equipment and military supplies were seized. Our army suffered 752 casualties, of which 198 were killed and 554 were wounded.
3. Analysis of the results of the war
The scales of history will eventually tilt in favor of justice, and there are deep historical reasons behind the Battle of Warang, India's defeat of China and its overwhelming victory.
From the India side:
First of all, India has problems with weapons and equipment. The Chinese army has been fully equipped with the "Type 56 gun family", with 56 and a half rounds of ammunition capacity in the hands of the soldiers, 30 rounds of 56 punches in the hands of the squad and platoon cadres, plus a Type 56 machine gun for each squad, the firepower is already very strong. But the weapons of the Indian army, the soldiers are still pulling the bolt, using the Lee Enfield rifle of more than half a century ago in United Kingdom, a few have semi-automatic rifles, and the number of machine guns is less than that of our army. The difference in firepower put the Indian army at a clear disadvantage in the war.
Secondly, the Indian army's military defense works are fragile. Even the carved castle is made of mud and tree branches. When building fortifications, a large number of wooden stakes and branches were used, and a few sacks were placed in front, and the wooden stakes were erected above the head to make a pillbox.
The surface is smeared with mud, and there is nothing reinforced concrete, how to resist it?
From the side of our army:
First of all, the strategy and tactics should be properly applied, and the command strategy should be flexible and changeable. Close night combat and roundabout outflanking tactics are used just right. Our army adopted a clever detour and interspersed tactics. By sending elite troops around the rear of the enemy army, cutting off their supply lines and retreats, the overall deployment of the Indian army was disrupted.
This tactic not only effectively divided the enemy's army, but also left it in a situation of isolation and helplessness, laying a solid foundation for the final victory.
Secondly, the heroic and tenacious fighting spirit of the fighters. Regardless of their personal safety, they charged forward, forgetting their lives for the sake of the dignity of the country and the integrity of the territory. Every fighter has the firm conviction that not an inch of the motherland will be allowed to be violated.
In a difficult combat environment, our army overcame many difficulties. The terrain of the Warong area is complex, with high mountains and steep mountains, deep ravines and dangerous ravines, which have brought great challenges to the march and operations. However, with their strong will and excellent adaptability, the soldiers crossed mountains and mountains, crossed dense forests, and put the interests of the country and the national interests first.
The victory in the Battle of Warong was not only a military victory, but also a spiritual victory. It has shown the world the bravery and tenacity of the Chinese soldiers, and has also deterred those enemies who covet mainland territory.
At the same time, the centripetal force of the nation is extremely strong, the army and the people are united, and the war readiness and supplies are sufficient. The People's Liberation Army mobilized tens of thousands of migrant workers to pull hundreds of yaks to transport supplies and deliver military supplies to the front line in a timely manner.
Fourth, summary
The victory in the Battle of Warong shook the government and public in India. United Kingdom Times reporter Neville · Max wrote the following:
"It was not until November 18 that New Delhi announced the fall of Warang, and there were reports of heavy fighting taking place in the Warong area. The news shook even more than the rout of the Tugla Ridge. The general public believed that the India forces at the Tagra Ridge had been attacked by surprise and that the Chinese attack was like a surprise attack by infantry at Pearl Harbor. But Warong was an important stronghold, controlling the access to the Brahmaputra Valley, where the Indian army had been preparing for three weeks, in fact an offensive, and now retreating. ”
The victory was a heavy blow to the expansionist aggressive ambitions of the Nehru government in India,
It is a great encouragement to the people of our country and to the peace-loving people of the world. However, after the victory, our troops withdrew. There is a cloud in "Sun Tzu • The Use of the Chapter": "Where there are 100,000 teachers, who go on a journey of thousands of miles, the expenses of the people, the service of the public, the daily expenses of thousands of gold, internal and external disturbances, those who are neglecting the road, and those who are not allowed to do things, 700,000 families." ”
War itself is a disservice to the common people. The most important thing our nation lacks is spiritual strength, which the Japanese do not understand, and the Indians do not understand.
Even if they use various economic models to calculate that they will definitely win, they will definitely lose, because they do not understand the Chinese, our nation is the toughest nation in the world, no matter what kind of difficulties we encounter, no one has ever really conquered us, after thousands of years, it is still the same. This is a nation with innumerable shortcomings, but also with innumerable advantages and innumerable advanced potential, which economists cannot calculate.
The sound of thousands of years is still endless, "Righteousness and martial arts, those who jump off the beam, although they are strong, will be killed!" ”
Bibliography:
1. Party History Research Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The 44th edition of the history of the Communist Party of China. [M].1992
2. "Report on the Heroic Model of the Counterattack on the Tile Lane on the Sino-Indian Border", Fu Xizhi
3. "The Battle of Walong on the Eastern Front of the Sino-Indian Border", Li Changhua