In the early summer of 1950, the warm sunshine sprinkled on the newly reborn China. The 40th Army and the 43rd Army launched a large-scale maritime training to prepare for cross-sea operations, and the officers and men faced the vast sea, their thoughts fluctuated, and their worries were heavy.
The Qiongzhou Strait is more than 100 miles wide, and the nearest distance is also 60 or 70 miles. For soldiers who are not accustomed to water, the surging surge is insurmountable...
Even on a clear day, the waves were rushing, chasing, and swooping toward the reef on the shore, making a thunderous noise.
On the days when the wind was howling, the wild waves were even more imposing, like thousands of fierce horses roaring, unstoppable.
And there are enemy planes in the sky, enemy ships on the sea, and heavy troops on the islands.
At that time, some people's concept of war gradually declined -- they thought that they had been basically liberated, they had already hit the south pole of the mainland, and the troops had been fighting continuously since entering the Pass, and it was the spring festival, so the idea of peaceful pleasure was more serious, and some people began to buy watches, pens, and flower pillows.
First, resolving ideological fluctuations is the key to enhancing combat effectiveness!
After advancing into the Leizhou Peninsula, preparations for crossing the sea were proposed, but for some people, it was "counterproductive": there was no in-depth ideological mobilization, and the military training activities once produced a large ideological fluctuation.
1. Think, "The other units in Shino are resting, so why are we still fighting?"
These two armies (40th And 43rd Armies), from the ice and snow, all the way to the tropical coast, fought in the front, and ended in the end? After the Battle of Pingjin, the two armies, as the advance troops to the south, carried out the arduous task of crossing the Yangtze River.
This time, the two armies were jointly ordered to fight Hainan Island!
2. Fear of the sea.
Many warriors saw that the sea was like a layer of roof ridges and peaks, and their hearts panicked, and even some soldiers stood guard at night and heard the sound of the tide, and ran back in fright. Some people think that crossing the sea is "nine deaths and one life" and "there is no return".
3, some people fantasize. "The superiors must have a way to send planes and warships to cooperate!" Brother troops may come to change defenses, we will practice first! Some hope that "the enemy on the island would better surrender, revolt, or run away!" If you think about it, it's best not to hit yourself.
Some people, when eating, point to the fish with chopsticks and say, "Fish!! Today I eat you, tomorrow it's your turn to eat me. ”
Those who are more backward, get on the boat and come back, lie down and sleep, or tell strange things. A small number of people even have neuropathy, pretend to be sick, and eat and drink heavily.
But more people have been tested by long-term wars, "In the past, the rivers and rivers came over, and today this last ditch can't be crossed?"
The Battle of Guangdong and Guibian has produced many heroic heroes, who are willing to continue to march forward. "Newcomers" want to make meritorious contributions and join the Party. A few are willing to perform well in the last and biggest battle, determined to wash away the stains of the past with seawater.
Where is the "bottom line" of "carrying the revolutionary war through to the end"? At first, some people thought that the liberation of Guangzhou was the "bottom".
This "bottom" is to go all the way to the complete elimination of the enemy and the liberation of all territories!
The focus of various ideological concerns is on life and death. Some people said in their review: "I heard that when I hit Hainan Island, my heart fluttered, and I was afraid that I would eventually die on Hainan Island.
How to solve these ideological problems?
Briefly talk about the most useful measures of that era (you can skip 400 words if you don't like to read)!
The first key, understand the reason, tree typical!
All the commanders and fighters of the units participating in the war held various general meetings and small meetings to conduct education on the situation: Combining ideological education with the solution of tactical problems, the results were relatively great.
The second key is to complain about education,
Remembering the hardships is more bitter, compared with the situation in which the people of Hainan Island rose up at night to welcome the "big army" when they heard the gunshots -- "We are the People's Liberation Army, we are not going to liberate them, who is going to liberate them?"
The fighters also heard the local party organization introduce the guerrilla group they were leading, a "Sea Eagle Company", and just as the Kuomintang was retreating, the "Sea Eagle Company" was only about 30 people, armed with rudimentary weapons, while the enemy ships were docked, captured two enemy transport ships, and also repelled a ship full of enemy troops.
The ambition of the warriors said: "If the guerrillas can capture the transport ships, we cannot repulse the warships?"
"Grenades can hit tanks, but wooden boats can't hit warships?"
Filled with indignation, the fighters vowed to fly to the qiongzhou Strait and liberate Hainan Island. beat! Fight resolutely across the sea!
The third key is the meritorious movement. Repeated implementation of honor education: through the deeds of heroes such as Liu Meicun and Wei Laiguo... Explain the meaning of glory: one person makes meritorious contributions, the whole family is glorious: the chief loves and cares, and everyone respects; Famous at home and abroad, but also on the movie: Flowing for hundreds of generations, immortal (referring to after sacrifice).
Memories of Glory: All companies, battalions, and regiments held a meeting to recall the glorious history and hung up the award flags won by their units in the past
That was a very useful time!
In the end, they unanimously agreed that we should fight Hainan Island because we are worthy of us.
Second, vow to turn a fierce tiger into a dragon
The storm whistles and the waves roll.
The troops obtained some ships, and if they obtained the most precious treasures, the fighters ignored the bombing and strafing of the enemy planes, did not fear the rampage of the enemy ships, and drifted day and night on the angry and surging sea, and began a large-scale military training at sea.
However, the warriors who have been in the battlefield for a long time encounter unimaginable difficulties at sea.
On the first day of the first board of the 352nd Regiment, 60 people were sick, and many people came back from the exercise and lay down on the bunk to sleep, and some squad leaders said: "What kind of battle is this, the soldiers are dizzy!" The same is true of other regiments and battalions
The boat did not listen at all, the sail canopy would be east, the west, and the hull would drip in the huge waves.
Some overturned, some touched the reef, some warriors threw them off the sea....
They were drenched all day, sweat seeping outwards, and the sea water was soaking inward, completely uncontrollable.
Many warriors were dizzy when they saw the rolling waves.
The small fishing boat, like a leaf, was suddenly rushed to the peak of the wave, suddenly pushed into the whirlpool, and a few up and down, tossed those young and strong boys to the face of the blue, vomiting.
After spitting out the meal, they began to spit bitter water, spit out bitter water and vomited blood, and some warriors spit out roundworms...
"We must train the army into a navy!" Train into a company of heroes capable of both land and naval combat!"
"If you don't enter the dragon pond, how can you defeat the dragon?" train! train! Practice!"
Commander Han Xianchu and division commander Deng Yue's chief of staff Gou Zaisong said:
"Let's go, let's see!"
On the surface of the sea, people's heads are moving, and some are holding triangular frames and quadrangles made of bamboo tubes floating on the water, allowing the wind and waves to blow
Some shouted, "Rush!" Kill!" Rush from the waves to the beach, and from the beach to the waves.
As soon as the waves hit, the waves splashed and choked their heads, and many people, regardless of the countless sea oysters, mussel shells, seaweeds under the seabed... All kinds of things stumbled and stabbed their feet, straight to the shore...
On land, the swing swings higher and higher, and the bridge swings faster and faster. My hands were blistering, my legs were sore and sore, and I was still practicing vigorously.
Many people stretch out their hands and spin in place, or two people hold hands and spin around.
Spinning, dizzy, fainting, falling down, getting up and turning again...
Brand-new military uniforms, leached by the sea, are white printed.
Commander Han saw the enthusiasm of the troops for training, constantly nodded their heads and praised, after more than a month of hard training, the sailors basically mastered the operation of the sailing ship.
By the end of March friendly forces: the 43rd Army, with 4260 sailors trained.
Commander Han listened to the warrior Hou Zhicheng. It is said that a ninth squad in a row was in the sea training, and the shooting on the ship was inaccurate, and the soldier Liu Yuxue was a bit mouthbroken, and when he encountered difficulties, he nagged. The warrior Hou Zhicheng asked him to study shooting at sea,
The soldier complained that he could not aim and shoot at all, and Hou Zhicheng began to study shooting on the ship. At night, in the sea exercise, it was overcast, the wind and waves were strong, and he stuck his head out of the cabin and watched the waves deadly.
As soon as the waves moved, the boat shook, a wave passed, another wave came again, the bow of the boat pierced the waves, the waves rushed along the bottom of the boat, a small water droplet of white flowers, sometimes the small water droplets were still on fire, just at this time, he felt that the hull could be stable for a while, until midnight, others were in the cabin to play ton, he was still there to watch the waves carefully.
He didn't have a watch, so he counted 1, 2, 3, 4, first watching a wave flow from the bow to the stern, a total of several counts, and then watching the waves flow down the bottom of the boat... The result of the calculation is that the two ends are unstable in the middle, and in this stable time, he flattens the gun and quickly shoots empty guns... Experiment until the exercise comes back,
The next day, he didn't want to eat, and he didn't say much until he was about to practice again, he told the squad leader about last night's events, and Jiang Squad Leader was very happy, and even said: "Very good!" Nice!" Encourage him to think about it one more night.
This night the wind was small, the waves were not too urgent, and he calculated until midnight according to yesterday's method. When the exercise returned, he was busy leaving the squad leader in the courtyard to introduce his experience. He said affirmatively to the squad leader:
"That's right!"
The squad leader also said, "I can see it, tomorrow I will mention this matter to my superiors!"
On the third day, after the instructor announced this to the whole company, everyone used this method to calculate it in the exercise that night, and it was really used. On the fourth day, it was extended to the companies. Hou Zhicheng was also praised throughout the camp.
The battalion also gave him a small credit.
The Rok commander company claimed praise: "Good! Great, to be promoted throughout the army!"
Instructor Zhang then reported on the methods of the Second Company in solving the problem of fear of ship sinking
The second company took a broken ship to test, more than a dozen people stood in the cabin, the drainage could not be drained, blocked and blocked, and all the members fell into the water.
Explain them before the second trial; In case the boat is leaked, it can be quickly repaired with planks, nails, cotton, and wooden stoppers; In order to prove the buoyancy of the water, they called one person 113 pounds on land, and when they got to the water, they said that there were only 11 pounds, and a mast that was two feet long could float eight people in the water - everyone concluded: as long as you don't panic, you can land with a wooden board...
In conducting large-scale military training at sea, it is necessary to overcome the difficulties of natural dangers in the strait and to struggle against enemy aircraft and ships
In the beginning, some ships of our army encountered strong winds, the masts were broken, the bottom of the ship was facing the sky, and the whole ship was killed;
Some drifted to Vietnam (then occupied by France) and Hainan Island, where they were captured with boats.
When Wang Zihe, deputy commander of the third battalion of the 382nd Regiment, and Xu Chunyue, the squad leader, returned to the ship, they encountered wind and waves, and 30 wooden boats were scattered. One was caught by an enemy patrol boat and tied to the boat to be dragged away. The night soldier cut the rope and cable to get out of danger.
Hu Haixiaohai, commander of the 381st Regiment, suddenly dives and strafies the enemy plane, and commander Hu is shot, and he organizes the infantry machine gun to shoot at the air, so that the enemy plane does not dare to fly low.
How to deal with enemy ships?
After the single-ship exercise, the 43rd Army carried out the formation of combat formations, starting from the warships, and adopted the method of eight groups and one ship (that is, sailor group, command group, observation and liaison group, repair group, firepower group, demolition group, assault group, and ambulance group).
Organize escort ships, set up 57 and 37 combat anti-aircraft guns, mortars, 92 infantry guns, mountain guns and other artillery, and install heavy and light machine guns to deal with enemy ships.
There are 49 wooden boats in the whole army with engines, as the saying goes, "three paddles topped and one oar" and "three oars topped with one oar". If each ship has a three oars, it is equivalent to artificial power -- the military department has repeatedly mobilized commanders and fighters to rush to make oars.
The three battalions of the 383rd Regiment, day and night, two days and one night, made 100 oars and 30 oars.
Cadres of the 40th Army personally instructed Huang Yu, director of the artillery corps, organized some soldiers who could do carpentry and iron work, installed a knot engine on the wooden boat, installed a combat cannon, and built the first "earthen gunboat" - each division also built fifteen such gunboats, formed a unique "fleet", converted 55 machine sailing ships, and used them as command ships, communication ships, and assault ships.
The mood of training troops in various units is getting higher and higher...
Can wind boats cross the sea?
Historically, the Japanese attacked Hainan Island in the past, and the first time they could not directly dock with a warship, they suffered a failure, and the second time they switched to using a machine sailboat to realize the plan.
Through the people sent from the Qiongya Column, our army also asked the shipwrights to introduce their sailing experience. Explain the advantages of the wind boat: the target is small, light, fast, can be directly docked... Relieved of fear and dependence, he began to have feelings for the wind ship.
What if you climb into the enemy's den?
The enemy is on the shore, and we can't run in the water, don't we run?"
The enemy is defending on all sides and fighting on both sides. Just plan that he has 50,000 combat soldiers, the whole island is more than 6,200 miles a week, 3.1 million meters,
How many meters did he get a combatant? After this accounting, the warriors realized that as long as we choose a good landing site, we will be able to go up!"
During the naval exercises, some ships drifted to Hainan Island, some landed and rendezvoused with the guerrillas, and some returned, but the enemy did not notice, and the confidence of the troops was greatly enhanced.
The 43rd Army once used three kinds of food to test: one is to be too full and eat a lot of oil and water, one is moderate, eat a small amount of oil and water, the species is half-hungry, there is no oil and water, after the test results, it is proved that the first and third kinds of vomiting are more, the second kind of people are very small, and then from the scientific reasoning to explain that the prevention of dizziness should not be too hungry.
The 43rd Army once turned over the experience of training the navy to fight pirates during the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and studied it: the formation exercise, and finally some of the fleets really did the same as they did on the maneuver, and the maneuvering was as smooth as it was.
The deputy commander of the 40th Army often carried three or four ship work "consultants" with him to investigate and study the situation of the sea and ships. Headquarters at all levels often inform the whole army of the sea tides, meteorological conditions, and other conditions learned from the investigation.
For example, for the problem of lifebuoys, it initially took considerable energy and time to study various use methods, and when the war really started, it could only play a temporary emergency role.
However, the whole army stressed: "In any critical situation, resolutely do not diving, rely on ships to fight, landing is victory!" As soon as the troops jumped into the sea, they completely lost their combat effectiveness.
"Land combat depends on legs, and cross-sea combat depends on ships."
The Rules for BoatIng issued by the Political Department of the Fortieth Army state:
1. To cross the sea, we must rely on ships, love ships, and unite shipwrights like brothers.
2. Respect the customs and habits of shipwrights, and do not ridicule feudal superstitious rituals.
3. Abide by the order of life on the ship, and each person's position must be in order.
3. Wooden boats fight warships
On February 20, 1950, Lu Xiangyun led 8 soldiers, driving a small sailing boat, and was conducting an exercise in the open sea. They've been beating in the waves for hours... At 4 p.m., the battalion headquarters ordered a return voyage. The wind suddenly stopped, Lu Xiangyun's boat, no oars!
The other boats all sailed and shook their heads and went back...
Suddenly the wind stopped...
Lu Xiangyun knew: It is useless to be anxious, drop anchor and stop the ship, and wait for the wind to return.
It was dark, there was no wind at sea, and the boats drifted with the waves in the sea, and the warriors shook the sea all night.
The next day, the northeast wind whistled in the early morning, and the small sailing boat slowly traveled against the wind in the rolling waves according to the "zigzag" shape...
Wang Jinxiu, the warrior in charge of observing the observation, shouted, "Look, what is that black thing?"
Lu Xiangyun looked in the direction Wang Jinxiu was pointing—not a Kuomintang warship!
The dark guy was getting closer, and everyone was nervous. Wooden sailing ship vs warship, feeling bottomless in the heart.
But the daily training is also to liberate Hainan Island, otherwise? beat? This guy is too big!
The warship in front of me didn't know how to start for a while!
Lu Xiangyun's sailboat had a machine gun, four submachine guns, three rifles, and a grenadier.
"Comrades, whatever happens, we must fight to the end, come on..."
The enemy ships are getting closer and closer, eight hundred meters, six hundred meters, four hundred meters...
Suddenly, the roar continued to fall on the side of the small sailing ship, setting off a huge column of water, and the ship's anti-aircraft machine gun fire was in full swing.
The warship was so ferocious against the sailboat that it could almost swallow the galleon in one bite.
The wind and waves are high, the small sailboat is like a leaf fluttering in the waves, the big waves are coming, the wooden boat is lifted to the tip of the wave, and once the wave head passes, the wooden boat is buried in the wave valley, and only the swaying slender mast can be seen from the waves.
As a result, the enemy's shells and guns were temporarily smashed into the sea, but the artillery fire was still too fierce - some shells broke the ship's canopy rope and anchor car, and the rudder was broken.
The situation is critical!
Lu Xiangyun shouted, "Don't panic, even if the ship is broken, it will not sink for a while, and when the enemy ship arrives, we will beat it fiercely!"
After the warship shelled and strafed for a while, it was thought that the boat had lost its combat effectiveness, so it stopped shooting,
The gunners were placed in gun positions, and the barrels of the anti-aircraft machine guns were erected in the air.
Soldiers on the deck of the warship shouted: Surrender your guns and surrender...
The third class deputy Wan Dian Shen was very hot, and he was about to hit it with a submachine gun.
Lu Xiangyun said in a voice that could be heard on the boat: "Fight again when you get closer!"
There were still fifty meters away, and Lu Xiangyun shouted, "Fight!"
Bullets roared away, the soldier Wang Jinxiu fired continuously gun grenades, and the warship was blinded, watching several people fall into the waves,
The warship quickly moved towards the small boat and bombarded it with artillery. Then he rushed towards the boat with full horsepower, trying to smash the boat.
Lu Xiangyun and the soldiers unscrewed the grenade cover and prepared the explosive packet. Be prepared for the fish to break the net.
Enemy ships, imposingly pressing the top
Lu Xiangyun ordered the right helm and brushed past the enemy ship, and the soldiers took advantage of the situation to throw a row of grenades at the enemy ship, which blew up smoke on the deck of the enemy ship, and the anti-aircraft machine gun was also distorted.
This boat is quite bad, and it can't stand each other for a while! The Kuomintang warship smoked thickly and fled!
These eight warriors, with bravery and wisdom, fought fiercely with the enemy ships for more than an hour, creating the miracle of a wooden victory over the warships for the first time.
This was during the 6-month large-scale military training required by the 15th Group Army before the battle against Hainan Island, and this confrontation found that wooden sailing ships could not only rely on the wind, but should find ways to make the sailboats continue to advance when the wind stopped...
After two months of large-scale maritime training that "we must go up without difficulties and create difficulties," profound changes have taken place in the military quality of all the units participating in the war.
But the military is not yet sure: has it met the requirements for cross-sea combat -- that is, has it qualified for the "navy"?
IV. The 43rd Army Decided to "Pass the Examination"
The "examination" must be carried out under conditions with a changeable climate, complex situations and close to actual combat.
The incident of Lu Xiangyun's wooden boat attacking warships made the officers and men boil with enthusiasm, and they studied many ways to fight warships:
Grab the limelight and rush up and hit hard: light and heavy machine guns sweep the scattered soldiers on the deck;
Special Shooter Specialized Commander,
Communication Liaison: 80 cannons, rockets and rockets slamming into its command post, gun position:
The demolition team hooked the enemy ship with a cable with an iron anchor and climbed up, specializing in bombing its engine room, rudder wheels and other key points...
In short, we should not be afraid of the rampant enemy ships, but should carry forward the special skills of our army in close combat and night combat, get close, and fight accurately...
After studying the "Zhuge Liang" meeting of Lu Xiangyun to fight warships, the soldiers were full of confidence and their mood for war was getting higher and higher
"After practicing for almost two months, my hands are itching, just do it!"
But the commander understood that a few wooden boats fighting a warship, and indeed wisdom and bravery needed more opportunities!
If a thousand sails cross the sea, dozens or hundreds of wooden boats and a large number of enemy aircraft and warships fight fiercely at sea, which is the reality: difficult and complicated.
The ships convened by our army vary in size, complex in type, and have different speeds, and are basically affected by the direction of the wind and the tides...
How do I keep the formation sailing?
How do you align?
How to organize firepower?
How to fight?
How to get close to an enemy ship?
It is far away or the firepower of the army's light infantry cannot be exerted, and it is easy to be overturned by the huge waves set off when the enemy ships hit it too close!
How to pass through the mainstream (Qiongya Current) ?...... These questions kept them up all night.
In front of the map, in front of the sand table, in front of the model, they deduced countless solutions, but they still had no bottom in their hearts.
Thus, in the final stage of the naval training, the 43rd Army proposed:
"Go to Guangzhou Bay Gate to pass the exam!, break through, just forget!' Sail in formation, through the Guangzhou Bay Gate!"
"It's a hero, it's a good man, goodbye Guangzhou Bay Gate!"
Guangzhou Bay Gate is the outlet of Zhanjiang Port. There are three islands echoing, forming the Guangzhou Bay Gate. Here the channel is not wide, there is no wind and three feet of waves, the sea is turbulent, like a pot, constantly churning. For many years, many fishing boats have been buried here, that is, steamships, and there are also those in distress.
The troops sailed in a mighty formation towards the Guangzhou Bay Gate.
White waves crashed against the reef and rolled onto the side of the ship, forming a huge whirlpool, as if to swallow the small boats.
This is the army of Shino, and most of them have only been 2 months since they saw the sea!
The roaring waves make a mountain roar and tsunami sound. It's dangerous! What an amazing scene!
Wooden sailboats rushed through the wind and waves.
The regimental commander stood on the ship, looking at the convoy of ships that were crashing into the huge waves, and secretly pinched a handful of sweat.
"The past in front of you!" The back is coming!"
"Alas! In the end, the formation was still messed up!"
The problem of fleet formation is like a stone pressed against the commander's heart.
"The instructions from the superiors are very correct: a single ship must be used as a combat unit, and the tactics of "the ship fights for itself, and the ship attacks" must be implemented!"
"Carry forward the style of our army fighting alone, a boat, a person, but also to fight in the past, a boat, a person also to board Hainan Island ..."
How can we "fight for ourselves"?
According to the actual situation, commander Hu Fangchun collected the wisdom of the soldiers and reported the situation to the chief of staff of the division, Sun Ganqing.
Chief of Staff Sun said: "The sea is different from the land, and it is not conceivable that everyone will understand the order immediately, rush when they want, and collect it when they want." Therefore, every ship and even everyone should be a combat unit, in order to do it, the ship is fighting for itself, and the people are fighting for themselves. ”
"Yes! The grassroots combat units of naval warfare are ships. ”
That is to say: the formation of the company is disrupted, and according to the size of the ship, each ship sits in two infantry squads or an infantry platoon, with light and heavy firearms, and the cadres at all levels go to the single ship to participate in the command.
Each ship is organized into two sets of sailing and combat at the same time;
During the voyage, there are command groups, sailor groups, observation and communication groups, and repair groups; During combat, there are firepower groups, demolition groups, assault groups, and working groups. In this way, each ship has a surprise force.
This form of organization was popularized throughout the regiment, the whole division, and the whole army.
Problems are solved one by one, and confidence is increased day by day. Now, they have fulfilled their vow to train the army into a "navy", to turn a tiger into a dragon, to be able to fight both land and sea. They are eager to fly across the Qiongzhou Strait and liberate Hainan Island as soon as possible.