"Sun Tzu's Art of War" has clouds: "Therefore, if I am human and I am invisible, then I am dedicated to the enemy." I am for one, and the enemy is divided into ten, and if I attack one of the ten, then I am the enemy of the multitude; and if I can strike the widow with the multitude, then I will fight with the warrior. The place where I am fighting is unknowable, unknowable, and the enemy is prepared with many; and if the enemy is prepared, then I am with the warrior, and I am widowed.
Since ancient times, China's military experts have paid attention to concentrating superior forces to fight more and fight less, so as to achieve the effect of destroying the enemy and avoiding our losses as much as possible. In Mao Zedong's military thinking, concentrating superior forces to strike at the enemy is the most important task. Mao Zedong stressed many times that we should not consider the gains and losses of each city and one place, but should annihilate the enemy's effective forces to the greatest extent possible. With the strength of the lion fighting the rabbit, we must weaken the opponent step by step, drag the fat to the thin, and drag the thin to death.
In successive wars, Mao Zedong annihilated the enemy's ideas of living forces and constantly achieved miraculous results. The same was true in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
In the fifth campaign, Mao zedong and Peng Dehuai had hoped to annihilate 1 or 2 American divisions and end the war in a short time. However, during the Fifth Campaign, our army did not achieve this grand tactical goal, and even an organized regiment could not be annihilated. On the contrary, our army encountered an enemy counterattack at the end of the fifth campaign, causing serious losses.
Painfully, Mao Zedong changed the method of warfare in time. He profoundly realized that it was impossible to end the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in a short period of time. With the equipment and logistical standards of our army, it is impossible to annihilate Us divisions, regiments, and other units in a systematic manner. Therefore, Mao Zedong established the "zero knock candy" tactic, that is, to fight a small war of annihilation.
Every time in battle, the ambition should not be too big, and each time each army aims to annihilate a battalion of the American, British, and Turkish troops. In fact, during the War of Liberation, Mao Zedong had already practiced this tactic. When facing Chiang Kai-shek's ace army, the New First Army, the New Sixth Army, the Fifth Army, the Eighteenth Army, and the Guizhou Seventh Army, there was a process from a small annihilation war to a large annihilation war.
Under the guidance of Mao Zedong, the volunteer army changed its operational policy in a timely manner and established tactics of active defense and short surprise attacks. In the defense of position warfare and in the face of the enemy's attack, our army must know how to take the initiative to shrink, not to easily coexist and die with the position, and to use counter-charge and tactical counterattack to repel the opponent and retake the lost position. In this way, the enemy is circumvented, and when the enemy is weakened to a certain extent, its salient or weak parts will counterattack in the battle, thus destroying the opponent.
In order to better "knock the candy with zero knocks," our army has established a wonderful method of warfare in view of the characteristics of the US and ROK armies not giving way to any land -- "grasping one hand and grasping it continuously."
So what is "grab a handful, grab continuously"? In fact, it is to carry out continuous counterattacks on the same high ground, and then decide whether to repeatedly compete with the enemy or consolidate the occupation of the high ground according to the situation. That is to say, our army is trying to turn these highlands into "flesh and blood mills" for annihilating the enemy and exhausting the enemy's blood. After all, in terms of the comparison of troop strength, the reserve strength of our army is continuous, while the defense focus of the US military is still in Europe, and the investment in Asia is quite limited. Once killed in battle, it is difficult to replenish.
Seokdaedong North Hill is a small hill about 16 kilometers west of Cheorwon at an altitude of 300 meters, which is the outpost of the US army. Americans refer to this area as "Pork Chop Mountain." This rocky, bare mountain has nothing and is of very limited value. On this hill, there is often a reinforced company of American troops stationed. And this mountain has become an excellent place for our army to practice the tactic of "grasping one hand and grasping continuously." On this mountain, our army once "captured seven times and fought seven short battles."
On the night of June 9, 1952, the 349th Regiment of the 117th Division of our 39th Army launched its first attack on the north hill of Shih Da Dong. At that time, on the hill, there was a reinforced company of the US 45th Division. The U.S. military took advantage of the two-day incident to build a circular defense line consisting of bunkers, communication trenches and barbed wire. If our army wants to conquer this mountain according to the past, I am afraid that it will have to pay great casualties.
"Zero knock kraft candy" is not only to annihilate the enemy, but also to save yourself to the greatest extent. During World War I, the Germans attacked Verdun in an attempt to draw the main French army here and annihilate them in order to "drain the blood of France". However, the Germans were careless and annihilated the French army while "losing eight hundred" to themselves. Instead of shedding French blood, he dried his own blood. Therefore, avoiding too many casualties is the top priority of this battle.
However, our army is no longer the "Wuxia Amun" who lacked firepower in those days. With the help of Soviet weapons, our army's firepower has long been incomparable. In order to capture the north hill of Shih Da Dong, the 349th Regiment concentrated 12 artillery companies, saying that it was a cattle knife for killing chickens, which was not an exaggeration.
Cannons are the gods of war and sharp weapons. During the artillery bombardment on the night of June 9, the enemy's painstakingly built fortress was instantly shattered. In just one hour, two companies of the 349th Regiment planted the red flag on the main peak of the north mountain of Shih Da Dong. A reinforced company of the US army was completely destroyed.
Adhering to the principle of "attacking but not defending, quick victory and rapid retreat", the 349th Regiment did not love the battle, quickly withdrew from the mountain, and took away the remains of prisoners and martyrs by the way.
During the day on June 10, a reinforced company of U.S. troops reoccupied the north hill of Seokdandong and established a defense on the spot. The 349th Regiment saw that the American army was deceived, so at 0:30 midnight on the 11th, it launched a second battle.
In this battle, our army concentrated 6 artillery companies. As last time, our army once again ended the battle in a short period of time, and the two reinforced platoons on the mountain totaled more than 100 people, and our army suffered no more than 41 casualties.
It is called hitting iron while it is hot. Late on the night of June 20, the Volunteers gave the sleeping Americans nightmares. Under the intensive artillery fire of 16 artillery companies, the US bunkers were shaken and flew into the sky one by one. What is even more frightening to the US military is that our army actually invested three tanks, which is rare in the past.
But this time, the U.S. military finally had some defenses. The fire points they set up caused a lot of trouble for the advancing troops of our army. However, after repeated chargebacks, our army still annihilated the enemy on the hill- the 4th company of the 179th Regiment of the 45th Division. However, our army also paid 150 casualties, and the results of the battle were not satisfactory.
At the beginning of 1952, the headquarters of the Volunteer Army made adjustments to the front, and the 117th Division of the 39th Army handed over the defense to the 113th Division of the 38th Army. The moment of taking turns to sit in the village and be the devilish landlord of the United States has finally come. In the face of the "Banzai Army", the US troops stationed at the north mountain of Shih Da Dong can be described as good luck.
On September 17, 1952, the 337th Regiment of the 113th Division of the 38th Army launched the Fourth Battle of Seokdandong Beishan. Like the 39th Army, the 38th Army decided to attack without defending. During the mobilization of the battle, Su Zhang, director of the Political Department, stressed to everyone: "Do not lose weapons; do not lose martyrs; bring back prisoners, even if you win all." ”
At dusk that day, dozens of artillery pieces were in full bloom, and the cannon-like shells blew up the barbed wire and antlers that the enemy had painstakingly managed, and the enemy's positions were like volcanic eruptions. At 16:20, the warriors who had been lurking in the Tun Bing Cave for a day were like descending tigers, rushing to the remaining fire points of the enemy. They shoved explosive canisters into enemy bunkers, destroyed them one by one, and opened the gates leading to the summit road.
After conquering the main peak, the soldiers of the 38th Army defended on the spot, repelled the enemy's counterattack 5 times, and finally joined the reinforcements. In this battle, the US army killed 259 people, and the ratio of casualties between the enemy and us was 3.5:1, which can be described as a lot of money.
Soon after, the front line of The North Hill of Seok Dak Dong changed defenses again, and the 67th Division of the 23rd Army took over the position of the 38th Army and confronted the US Seventh Division at the North Hill of Seok Dak Dong. Although the reputation of the 23rd Army is not as loud as that of the 38th Army and the 39th Army, in the north mountain of Shih Da Dong, their record is higher than that of the former two.
At this time, the U.S. army strengthened the defense of the north hill of Seok Dak-dong. They were very confused as to why our army kept attacking the north hill of Shih Da Dong and never occupied it. They couldn't understand why the volunteers had put so much effort into this barren mountain. But in their view, the repeated attacks on the mountain by the volunteers were probably because the mountain had interests they did not know. Therefore, although the north mountain of Shih Da Dong has been reduced to a "chicken rib", the US military has strengthened its defense on this hill.
In March 1953, Tru, commander of the U.S. 7th Division, placed a reinforcement company on the main peak of the north hill of Shih Da Dong and a reinforced platoon on the southwest unnamed highland to form a corner. However, Tru's self-cleverness is exactly in the arms of our army. The division of troops and guards not only failed to prevent our army from attacking, but on the contrary provided an opportunity for our army to break through each other.
Therefore, the 67th Division of the 23rd Army launched the fifth and sixth consecutive battles of Seokdandong North Mountain. At 21:52 on March 6, the 5th Company of the 201st Regiment of the 67th Division, supported by 37 artillery pieces, completely annihilated a reinforced platoon on the nameless heights in just 15 minutes, a total of 53 men, and 7 of our army died.
At 20:00 on March 23, the 67th Division, with the strength of 3 companies, plus 35 guns of various types and 4 tanks, launched a fierce attack on the main peak. Within an hour, 3 platoons and 2 squads of American troops on the mountain were completely annihilated, killing and wounding more than 100 enemy troops. After the battle, the officers and men of the 23rd Army returned to our army position safely with all the wounded and the remains of the martyrs.
After the U.S. military recaptured the northern hill position in Shih Da Dong, General Tru poured down his blood and put in two reinforced companies plus 1 firearms company. At the same time, 6 obstacles and countless fire points were built. It can be said that Tru is indispensable to this highland.
At this time, Zhong Guochu, the commander of the 23rd Army, was tired of this cat-and-mouse game, and he decided to conquer the north mountain of Shi Da Dong. After all, the armistice negotiations have entered the final stages. The North Mountain of Seokdae-dong is small, but it must be returned to the hands of the Korean people. This time, Zhong Guochu invested 13 companies of troops, equipped with 90 artillery pieces and 16 tanks of the Fourth Independent Tank Regiment, which was an unprecedented big move.
The main offensive of this campaign was handed over to the 9th Company of the 200th Regiment of the 67th Division, and the remaining 12 companies were all used to counterattack the counterattack. At the same time, our army also started tunnel warfare. Just 120 meters from the U.S. army's obstacles, a 102-meter-long tunnel was unknowingly built. The tunnel has 7 exits, which can accommodate a reinforced company, and a large amount of ammunition, medicines and food and drinking water is stockpiled to attack. Retreat can be defended.
On July 6, heavy rain fell and thunder rumbled. The support artillery group of the 23rd Army suddenly attacked, and the overwhelming artillery fire and thunder intertwined, bombarding the enemy's positions to pieces.
In just 3 minutes, the enemy position felt as if it had been ploughed over and over again. According to the history of the US war:
"Even the fiercest Battle of Verdun during World War I has never fired so many shells on a single day."
At this time, the US troops stationed on the pork chop mountain finally tasted the pain that the volunteer army had suffered in Shangganling. However, the enemy fortifications were very strong, although the surface positions were destroyed. But the enemy's bunkers were still alive, and they formed a wall of fire with machine guns and flamethrowers, making it difficult for our attacking troops to move forward.
At this moment, Xu Jiapeng, a soldier of the 2nd Squad of the 9th Company, stood up. Under the fire of enemy machine guns, his legs were broken. However, with his superhuman will, he climbed near the enemy fire point and tried to detonate the explosive package in his hand. Then, unfortunately, the explosives were damp and could not detonate. Therefore, Xu Jiapeng jumped up with his last strength and blocked the enemy's spitting tongue of fire with his chest, becoming another Huang Jiguang-style hero.
Inspired by Xu Jiapeng, the warriors killed with great sound and scrambled one by one, and after an hour of fierce fighting, they finally wiped out the enemy on the mountain. This time, the volunteer soldiers would never go away again. The 200th Regiment held its position for two nights and one night, annihilating more than 1,000 people.
At the same time, our tanks made a great fuss in tank battles and chased the US troops everywhere to crush them. Among them, tank car No. 215 calmly responded to the battle, destroying 2 enemy tanks and injuring one in 5 minutes. In the end, a total of 5 vehicles were destroyed and damaged. By the end of the battle on the 18th, our tanks had destroyed a total of 18 opposing tanks, destroyed 11 opposing artillery, and destroyed 67 bunkers.
In the early morning of the 8th, the 200th Regiment handed over the position to the 199th Regiment. At the same time, our army and the US army launched an artillery battle of unprecedented scale. By the 10th, the mighty Katyusha rockets arrived on the battlefield. With only one salvo, the rockets of the two battalions destroyed more than 20 trucks of the American army full of infantry and blew them to pieces.
At the same time, 2 infantry companies of the US army suffered a devastating blow from our artillery, and almost all of them were destroyed. In the fierce battle of 3 days and nights, our army held the main peak position and annihilated more than 2,000 enemy troops.
At 23:00 on the 10th, the 199th Regiment withdrew from its position and was defended by the 201st Regiment. By the 13th, our army had successfully consolidated the position of the north hill of Shidandong. In the Seventh Battle of Kitasan of Seokdaeng-dong, our army annihilated 3,500 enemy troops, captured 37 people, and destroyed 19 enemy tanks and armored vehicles. However, the casualties of our army are far lower than those of the US army, with a total of more than 1800 casualties
In the early morning of the 11th, the US military seemed to have finally woken up to the fact that it did not have to pay so many lives for this useless hill. American General Taylor drove to Tru's headquarters and told him that "Pork Chop Mountain" was not worth putting in more people. And Tru also borrowed a donkey to make the battle impossible. The remaining Americans quietly evacuated at night.
Later, the British division commander, Major General Mike West, was asked how to get the "Pork Chop Mountain" back. His answer was crisp:
"No need, it's just a sentry."
The official history of the U.S. Army, Tents and Battle Fronts of the U.S. Army Armistice Negotiations during the Korean War, mentions:
"The Battle of Pork Chop Hill in the spring of 1953 was most typical, almost a symbol of the aimless fighting in the final stages of the war. The investment between the two sides is huge, but the results are minimal. It was an extremely hard and bloody battle. ”
Therefore, it can be said that the Americans have not seen through our army's strategy to this day. The focus of our army has never been on the north hill of Shih Da Dong, but on annihilating the US army as much as possible. In the eyes of the US military, our army attacked this mountain because it was "important."
In the end, the US military also fell into the strategy of our army, paying thousands of lives for a barren mountain. Our army, on the other hand, "kills chickens with cattle knives" and concentrates superior firepower and troop strength, and the casualties are far smaller than those of the US troops.
Coincidentally, to commemorate the battle, both China and the United States made films. The American film is called "Pork Chop Mountain" and is starred by the film emperor Gregory Parker. In the film, the senselessness of this battle and the confusion of the US military are fully demonstrated. They have no idea what they are fighting for.
The movie filmed in China is called "Hero Tanker", which tells the great deeds of the No. 215 Hero Tank. It was precisely because of what our army fought and how it fought that we finally won the victory in this great war.