This is the eighth in a series of 85 divisions of the 27 corps of the Chinese Volunteer Army.
During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, which lasted for more than 2 years and 9 months, a total of 27 armies and 85 divisions of the Volunteer Army went to fight in Korea. It was their bloody struggle that enabled New China to win the victory in the battle to defend the homeland. As senior commanders on the front line, the role of division commanders is extraordinary, they are at the forefront of the battlefield, and the rapidly changing battlefield situation requires them to respond to changes and adjust combat deployments at any time. On the Korean battlefield, the division commanders of the Volunteer Army led the troops to the south to fight in the northern war, and they ate and lived with the officers and men, fought together, and made great achievements.
From October 25, 1950 to January 8, 1951, the 13th And 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army launched three consecutive offensive campaigns against the US-led "United Nations Army" in just over two months, driving it from the northern part of the Korean Peninsula to the vicinity of the 37th Line. In order to reverse the situation on the battlefield, the United States drew a large number of veterans from the mainland, Europe and the US military stationed in Japan to fight in Korea. Ridgway, who succeeded Walker (who died in a car accident on December 23 and was the supreme commander of the U.S. Military In Korea) as commander of the U.S. 8th Army, saw the volunteers fighting continuously, extremely tired, and logistically difficult to supply, and began a counteroffensive on January 15. The 19th And 3rd Corps were ordered to fight in Korea.
Xie Zhengrong, 191st Division of the 64th Army: Ma Liangshan severely damaged the 1st Division of the British Commonwealth, an example of multi-service coordinated operations of the Volunteer Army
In 1918, Xie Zhengrong was born in Hong'an, Hubei Province. He joined the Red Army at the age of 12. During the Liberation War, he successively served as regimental commander, deputy brigade commander, commander of the 191st Division of the 64th Army, etc., and participated in major battles such as the Zhangjiakou Defense War, the Yi (County) Man (Cheng) Campaign, the Jirecha Campaign, and the Pinglu Campaign. On February 17, 1951, he led the 191st Division of the Volunteer Army (under the jurisdiction of the 571st Regiment, 572nd Regiment, 573rd Regiment) into the Korean War, and after a month of marching, arrived in the Kaesong area on March 17.
On 22 April, the fifth battle began. The 64th Army (commander Zeng Siyu, a native of Xinfeng County, Jiangxi) was ordered to cross the Linjin River from Changhu and Gaolangpuli, then capture Wenshan, occupy Gaoyang and the Government of Hui, and wait for the opportunity to capture Seoul. The 191st and 192nd Divisions served as the first echelons. In the early morning of the 23rd, the 191st Division broke through the U.S.-Rok coalition defense line and crossed the Linjin River. The U.S.-South Korea coalition forces used strong preset positions to fight and retreat, and even counterattacked with the assistance of aircraft and tanks during the day. The 191st Division was slow to progress.
After seven days and nights of continuous offensive operations, the 191st Division attacked the area of Zhouqiaoli north of Seoul on the 29th. The U.S.-ROK coalition retreated to Seoul and its surroundings for defense. The first phase of the Fifth Campaign ended. The 191st Division withdrew with the 64th Army to the 38th Line for rest and reorganization.
On 16 May, the second phase of the battle was launched. The 19th Corps gave the 64th Army the task of holding the American 24th Division and annihilating its 24th to 4 battalions in the area of Mill Stone Corner and Branch Courtyard to cover the main eastward advance of the Volunteer Army to annihilate the Han 3rd, 9th, and 7th Divisions. The 573rd Regiment of the 191st Division fought fiercely with a regiment of the US 24th Division on The 2nd, annihilating more than 360 enemy troops. The U.S. 25th Division sent reinforcements, but was repulsed by the 572nd Regiment at Height 238, annihilating more than 150 enemy troops.
In the fifth battle, the 64th Army killed and wounded a total of more than 3,500 enemy prisoners. From 27 May, the entire army retreated to Kaesong and Matianli north of the Imjin River to conduct defensive operations. Objectively speaking, the fifth battle, the 191st Division and the 64th Army fought average.
The Battle of Ma Liang Shan finally made the 191st Division fight a turnaround battle. On July 10, 1951, armistice negotiations for the Korean War were held in Kaesong. In order to increase the bargaining chips, the "United Nations Army" launched the "Autumn Offensive" in an attempt to force China and the DPRK to comply by force. The 191st Division's defense of Mount Maliang was an important barrier to Kaesong, controlling three major transportation routes from Lianchuan to Shibianli and Baochuan to Jiuhuali, which was regarded as a thorn in the eye by the US 8th Army.
On 2 October, the Commonwealth 1st Division (under the command of the British 27th, 28th, and 29th Brigades) and the 5th Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Cavalry Division began a fierce attack on Mount Marang. Xie Zhengrong commanded the 191st Division to fight fiercely with the British and American forces for 6 days and nights, annihilating more than 2,600 enemy troops. After changing hands several times, on the evening of the 7th, the main peak of Ma liang mountain was occupied by the enemy. The 191st Division withdrew to the second line for defense.
Captured British soldiers
On 4 November, the 191st Division, supported by 57 artillery pieces and 10 tanks (the Volunteer Panzer Corps was officially put into operation in July, with a total of 160 tanks), launched a counterattack operation against Ma LiangShan. After 3 hours of fierce fighting, 1 battalion of the British 28th Brigade was completely annihilated and the position of Ma LiangShan was retaken. From the 5th to the 7th, the British organized 4 battalions of multiple counterattacks, all of which were repelled. In the defense and counterattack operation of Maliang Mountain, the 191st Division killed and wounded more than 4,400 prisoners, shot down 14 aircraft, destroyed 6 tanks, and suffered more than 1,600 casualties. The Ma LiangShan counterattack was also a classic battle in which the volunteer army coordinated operations with multiple arms.
Volunteer tanks in the Battle of Marang Hill
Later, the 191st Division took part in the West Coast Defense Operation. In August 1953, the 191st Division returned to China with the 64th Army.
In 1955, Xie Zhengrong was awarded the rank of major general. In 1961, he was appointed commander of the 64th Army, and in 1969, he was appointed deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Region, commander of the Sichuan Provincial Military Region, and secretary of the party group of the Provincial National Defense Work Office (during which he presided over the construction of the Chengdu-Kunming Railway). He died in Beijing on December 4, 1977.
He Youfa, 192nd Division, 64th Army: 1st Cavalry Division, a fierce battle at Tokusa-ri
In 1920, He Youfa was born in Jingyang County, Shaanxi Province. At the age of 13, he joined the Red Army in northern Shaanxi. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he successively participated in the Battle of Shizuzi and the Battle of the Hundred Regiments. During the Liberation War, he successively served as regimental commander and deputy division commander, and led his troops to participate in the battle of Gubeikou Defense, the Battle of Yingxian County, Qingfengdian, Shijiazhuang, Pingjin, and the campaigns of marching into the northwest and liberating Ningxia. On February 17, 1951, He Youfa led the 192nd Division of the Volunteer Army (under the jurisdiction of the 574th Regiment, 575th Regiment, and 576th Regiment) into the Korean War.
In the first stage of the fifth campaign, the 192nd Division and the 191st Division served as the main attackers, and on the night of April 22, they began to forcibly cross the Linjin River, fighting a bloody battle for 8 days and nights, and once hit tens of kilometers north of Seoul. In the second phase of the operation, the 192nd Division fought fiercely with the 5th Regiment of the US 24th Division for several days in the area of Mount Mali and Jiuyanli, and annihilated the enemy part.
In the summer and autumn defensive operations of 51 years, the 192nd Division fought fiercely with the British 29th Brigade on the north bank of the Linjin River for 4 days and nights, repelling more than 10 of its attacks and annihilating more than 220 enemy troops. In order to hold the existing position and curb the offensive of the "United Nations Army", on September 5, the 64th Army ordered the 192nd Division to counterattack the 5th Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division in Tokuji. He Youfa commanded the main attack of the 574th Regiment, the 576th Regiment and the 575th Regiment as the blockade, and fought fiercely for 2 days, annihilating more than 1130 enemy troops. After that, the 192nd Division participated in the Kaesong Defense Operation and the West Coast Defense Operation. In August 1953, the 192nd Division returned to China with the 64th Army.
In 1955, He Youfa was awarded the rank of colonel. In 1960, he was appointed deputy commander of the 64th Army, and in 1967, he was appointed commander of the Jilin Provincial Military Region and secretary of the Cpc Jilin Provincial Committee. He was promoted to the rank of major general in 1964. He died in Shenyang on April 12, 1999.
In the more than two years since entering the DPRK, the 64th Army has experienced hundreds of battles, large and small, and annihilated more than 23,000 enemy personnel.
Zeng Siyu, commander of the 64th Army
Zheng Sansheng, 193rd Division of the 65th Army: Surrounded and annihilated the British 29th Brigade, and hit the American army addicted
In 1916, Zheng Sansheng was born in Shicheng, Jiangxi. He joined the Red Army at the age of 15. He participated in the anti-"encirclement and suppression" in the Central Soviet Region, the Long March, and the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. During the Liberation War, he successively served as regimental commander, brigade chief of staff, division commander, etc., and led his troops to participate in the battles of Qingfengdian, Taiyuan, Pingjin, and Lanzhou. On February 21, 1951, he led the 193rd Division of the Volunteer Army (under the jurisdiction of the 577th Regiment, 578th Regiment, and 579th Regiment) into the Korean War. After more than 20 days of forced marching, it traveled more than 500 kilometers to reach the Dapyeong area of North Korea.
In the fifth campaign, the 65th Army was tasked with crossing the Linjin River, capturing Midas Temple, and coordinating with the 63rd Army to encircle and annihilate the British 29th Brigade. The 193rd Division was ordered to seize the Midas Temple Heights. Zheng Sansheng arranged for the 578th Regiment to serve as the main attacker. Only 9 kilometers from the south bank of the Linjin River, Mida Temple is a dangerous terrain, and it is a necessary place for the 65th Army to enter the east to encircle the Area of The 29th Brigade of the British Army.
After the frontal attack of the 3rd Battalion of the 578th Regiment was blocked, two squads were arranged to intersperse in a roundabout way, breaking through from the flank and rear, disrupting the defenders' positions. After nearly 2 hours of fierce fighting, the main peak of Midas Temple was finally captured, and more than 200 enemy people were annihilated. The passage was opened for the 194th Division to march east to besiege the British 29th Brigade.
After that, the 193rd Division continued to the south and directly joined the government. On the 29th, the first phase of the operation ended. The 65th Army was ordered to defend the area around the Government of Parliament and cover the retreat of the 63rd Army and the 64th Army to the north. The 193rd Division conducted defensive operations in the area of Xiapaili and Moyishan. From May 18 to 19, the U.S.-ROK coalition launched several attacks on the positions of the 193rd Division with more than 3,000 men and more than 40 tanks, all of which were repulsed. On the 22nd, the 193rd Division was ordered to retreat to the area around Hailong Mountain and Garang Mountain to carry out defenses.
On the 24th, the US 24th And 25th Division launched a fierce attack on the positions of the 193rd Division. After 3 days and nights of fierce fighting, the 193rd Division moved to the area around the Hantan River and continued its defensive operations. On the 27th, the US 1st Cavalry Division launched an attack on the 233.2 position of the 577th Regiment of the 193rd Division. After 4 days and nights of bloody battles and several repeated battles, the 577th Regiment finally held its position and annihilated more than 690 enemy troops.
From May 18 to June 1, for 16 days, the 193rd Division successively faced the US 24th Division, the 25th Division, and the 1st Cavalry Division, showing extraordinary combat effectiveness. On June 16, the 193rd Division entered the Qingxi and Daping areas with the 65th Army to rest. In the fifth battle, the 65th Army killed and wounded more than 8,000 enemy prisoners, including more than 6,000 American troops.
On August 26, the 65th Army was ordered to garrison the Kaesong area and take on the heavy responsibility of defending Kaesong. In order to do a good job in positional defense, the 193rd Division and two other brother divisions built a large number of tunnels, which can be used for air defense, artillery defense, anti-poison, tun soldiers, and grain. During the defense of Kaesong, Zheng Sansheng responded to the call of the military department and organized the whole division to carry out "zero knocking on the candy" (attacking the enemy army with small units), cold guns and cold artillery battles, fighting the enemy more than 200 times and annihilating more than 2,000 enemy people. In October 1953, the 193rd Division returned to China.
In 1955, Zheng Sansheng was awarded the rank of major general. He successively served as commander of Tianjin Garrison District, deputy commander of Beijing Military Region, deputy commander of Xinjiang Military Region, and deputy commander of Jinan Military Region. He died in Beijing on January 11, 1990.
Zhao Wenjin, 194th Division of the 65th Army: If it cannot be solved at the negotiating table, it will be solved from the battlefield
In 1913, Zhao Wenjin was born in Dawu County, Hubei Province. He joined the Red Army at the age of 16. He participated in the anti-"encirclement and suppression" struggle, the 25,000-mile Long March, and the War of Resistance Against Japan. During the Liberation War, he successively served as brigade commander, commander of military sub-districts, commander of the 194th Division of the 65th Army of the 19th Corps, etc., and participated in major battles such as Taiyuan, Lanzhou, and Pingjin. On February 21, 1951, he led the 194th Division of the Volunteer Army (under the jurisdiction of the 580th Regiment, 581st Regiment and 582nd Regiment) into the Korean War.
In the fifth battle, the 194th Division ushered in the first battle of The Korean War. Its mission was to coordinate with the 63rd Army in encircling the British 29th Brigade around Shermari.
After the 194th Division broke through the Linjin River, it passed through the Mituo Temple captured by the 193rd Division and plunged directly into the Wujianli area, cutting off the retreat route of the British 29th Brigade. On the 25th, after the British army detected the intentions of the 194th Division, it immediately attacked in three ways. Zhao Wenjin personally led the first regiment to conduct a roundabout interspersed operation against the British army, annihilating a part of the Gloucester County Regiment of the British 29th Brigade.
On 1 May, the 194th Division moved to the defense of the area south of Qifeng Mountain, south of the Uighur government area, to prevent the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division from advancing north. In 20 days, the 194th Division fought fiercely with the US army dozens of times in Huangmeidong, Tumeishan, Silaodong and other places, annihilating more than 1,400 enemy troops. On the 22nd, the 194th Division withdrew north to The Area of Jinguli and Mizutani to continue, blocking the US 24th and 25th Divisions. The 194th Division fought fiercely with the American army for 4 days, annihilating more than 1,100 enemy troops. On the 26th, the 194th Division moved to the area north of the Hantan River to continue defensive operations. On the 31st, it was transferred to the area of Yunu Peak for defense. On June 1, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division attacked, fought fiercely for 6 days, and was repulsed. On June 16, the 194th Division, which had been fighting continuously, was ordered to enter the Qingxi and Daping areas for recuperation.
On August 26, the 194th Division was stationed in the Kaesong area with the 65th Army. In order to clear the Han 1st Division from attacking kaesong's positions, at the end of October, the 194th Division was ordered to carry out a "clean-up operation" against it. By November 10, the Han 1st Division on the north bank of the Han River and the west bank of the Cheongcheon River had been basically driven away, and the 65th Army's position had advanced by more than 280 square kilometers.
In 1952, in order to consolidate the defense of Kaesong, the 194th Division and two other brother divisions built a large number of tunnels around Kaesong, with a thickness of 20-30 meters, which could prevent air defense, artillery, poison, soldiers, and grain. It was widely promoted and applied by other units of the Volunteer Army. Zhao Wenjin also organized the whole division to carry out the "zero knock candy" battle (attacking the enemy army with a small unit) and cold gun and cold artillery battle, annihilating more than 1,900 enemy troops.
In the September 1952 Panmunjom armistice negotiations, there was a small episode: when discussing the armistice line, the United States claimed that the 70 heights east of the Sagawa River (the Chinese and North Koreans called the 67 highlands) were controlled by it. As a result, Zhao Wen ordered the 582nd Regiment to seize the 67th Highland and the surrounding Hongshan Bao. From September 19 to October 2, Hongshan Bao changed hands with 67 Highland three times, and was eventually occupied by the 194th Division. In October 1953, the 194th Division returned to China.
In 1955, Zhao Wenjin was awarded the rank of major general. In 1957, he re-entered the DPRK as the first deputy commander and chief of staff of the 54th Army of the Volunteer Army. In 1959, he was appointed deputy commander of the Tibet Military Region and commander of the Chang Commandery, and participated in the command of the Self-Defense Counterattack On the Sino-Indian Border. Later, he served as the principal of the Military and Political Cadre School of the Chengdu Military Region, the deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Region, and the commander of the Sichuan Provincial Military Region. He died on 26 August 1998.
Nguyen Binh, 195th Division of the 65th Army: Zhuang "Little Red Devil" bloody Korean battlefield
In 1915, Ruan Ping was born in Silin Town, Tiandong County, Guangxi, and was a Zhuang ethnic group. At the age of 14, he joined the peasant Red Guards, participated in the Baise Uprising in the same year, and participated in the third to fifth anti-"encirclement and suppression" struggles and the 25,000-mile Long March with the Red Seventh Army. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he participated in battles such as crossing the Yellow River in the east and Pingxingguan. During the Liberation War, he successively served as deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, division commander and other positions, and led his troops to participate in major battles such as defending Zhangjiakou, liberating Shijiazhuang, Chasui, Pingjin, Taiyuan, and Lanzhou. On February 21, 1951, he led the 195th Division of the Volunteer Army (under the jurisdiction of the 583rd Regiment, 584th Regiment, and 585th Regiment) into the Korean War.
After the start of the Fifth Campaign, the 195th Division served as a reserve of the 65th Army. After the first phase of the battle on 29 April, the 195th Division defended north of the Government of Parliament. On May 3, the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division launched an attack on the FoguoShan position defended by the 583rd Regiment of the 195th Division, attacking for 7 days in a row, with more than 400 casualties, but failed to capture.
After that, the 195th Division successively participated in the Lianchuan Defense Battle and the Kaesong Defense Battle. He also commanded the construction of the tunnel fortifications before the Battle of Shangganling. In October 1953, the 195th Division returned to China.
In 1955 Nguyen Binh was awarded the rank of colonel. He retired in 1956. He died in Beijing on May 13, 1970.
Xiao Yingtang
Xiao Yingtang, commander of the 65th Army, killed, wounded, and captured more than 8,000 enemy soldiers in the fifth campaign, including more than 6,000 American troops. During the period of guarding Kaesong, the whole army built nearly 250 kilometers of tunnels and excavated and constructed more than 1,000 kilometers of trenches and anti-tank trenches. On the eve of returning to China, Tucheng Airport was also built.
(To be continued)