Chapter 13 Chapter Eleven Victory Withdrawal

The battle of Lang Son commanded by Xu Shiyou wiped out the vital force of the Vietnamese army, captured the provincial capital of Lang Son, and advanced 5 kilometers to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, which dealt an unexpected heavy blow to the Vietnamese Le Duan Group.The Le Duan Group was afraid that our army would hit their capital, and urgently ordered the forward command post of the First Military Region to retreat. In fact, this command post had already fled back with its tail between its legs, like a dog that had been severely beaten with a stick. .The Vietnamese authorities felt that something was wrong, and quickly ordered the Hanoi City Defense Command to dig fortifications in the main roads in the urban area, preparing for urban defense operations.Inform the diplomatic missions of various countries to prepare to transfer to a safe area outside the city at an appropriate time.At this time, the Le Duan Group was terrified, and the capital Hanoi was in chaos.

When Xu Shiyou heard the news, he knew that the Le Duan Group was frightened by our army's advance to Hanoi.He said: In fact, this was a false alarm for them. Our army never wanted to go to Hanoi. It wasn't because the Le Duan Group started the propaganda machine to brag.Because our central government decided that the nature of this military operation is a self-defense counterattack with a limited purpose, and it is a punitive operation against the Vietnamese army. China and Vietnam will one day become friendly, and the purpose of the current operation is also for future friendship.This battle was caused by the provocation of the Vietnamese army. If the Vietnamese army stopped provoking border conflicts, we would not fight against Vietnam again; of course, if the Vietnamese army dared to provoke again, the Chinese government would use border troops to fight back in self-defense.

Xu Shiyou said solemnly: I don't want to fight with the Vietnamese army. This time I was forced to fight against the Vietnamese army.I hope that the people of China and Vietnam will live in harmony, that the border between China and Vietnam will be peaceful and stable, and that this battle will be the last battle between China and Vietnam. Our army's limited-purpose counterattack in self-defense against Vietnam dealt a major blow to the Vietnamese authorities and created a threat to Hanoi. It has achieved the expected goal and created a situation that is beneficial to the Chinese and Vietnamese people.

Under such circumstances, Xinhua News Agency, under the order of the Chinese government, issued a statement on the withdrawal of troops on March 5, announcing that starting from March 5, 1979, all Chinese border guards began to withdraw to China. This statement represents the interests of the entire Chinese people and reiterates the solemn position of the Chinese government. The Statement reiterates: We don't want an inch of land in Vietnam, and we will never allow others to invade our territory.All we want is peace and tranquil borders.We hope that the just position of the Chinese government will be respected by the Vietnamese government and governments around the world.We are hereby telling the Vietnamese authorities that after the withdrawal of the Chinese frontier guards, no more armed provocations and intrusions will be carried out on the Chinese border.The Chinese government solemnly declares that if the above-mentioned situation occurs, the Chinese side reserves the right to continue to fight back in self-defense.

We have always maintained that disputes between countries should be resolved peacefully through negotiations.The Chinese government once again suggested that China and Vietnam quickly hold negotiations to discuss ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas between the two countries, and then resolve disputes on border and territorial issues.We sincerely hope that the Vietnamese side will respond positively to this.The Chinese government is willing to give serious consideration to any suggestions that help to ensure peace and tranquility in border areas and resolve disputes. The Chinese and Vietnamese people have a traditional friendship.This friendship serves the interests of our two peoples.The Chinese people cherish this friendship with the Vietnamese people very much.Although this friendship has been sadly broken in recent years, we still hope it will be restored.We hope that the Vietnamese authorities will put the fundamental interests of the two peoples first, stop the policy of anti-China hatred, so that the friendship between the Chinese and Vietnamese people will continue from generation to generation.

We believe that China's positive and constructive stance will surely win widespread sympathy and support from the international community.At the same time, we hope that all peace-loving and justice-loving countries and people in the world will take measures to urge the Vietnamese authorities to immediately stop their aggression against Cambodia and withdraw all their armed forces that invaded Cambodia to their own territory, so as to benefit Southeast Asia and Asia. peace, security and stability. The Chinese government announced the withdrawal of troops at the right time. The timing was appropriate and the strategy of the struggle was flexible. It showed the world with practical actions that China has always kept its word.When the Vietnamese authorities were aggressively invading and opposing China, our government had repeatedly issued persuasion and warnings, hoping that they would rein in the precipice and stop their armed aggression and provocative activities.When the Vietnamese authorities ignored our warnings and our army was forced to fight back in self-defense, our government solemnly announced to the world that the goal, scope, and time of this counterattack were limited.We don't want an inch of land in Vietnam, all we want is a peaceful and stable border.We have said this and we have acted in this way, thereby gaining the initiative in political and military struggles.

Because the self-defense counterattack conducted by our army is reasonable, beneficial and restrained, it has aroused strong repercussions and welcome all over the world, and has been widely praised by peace-loving countries, regions and people. "The CCP has a plan to advance, and a plan to retreat. Advance and retreat are all part of the overall plan of this operation. And more importantly, Beijing's battle is forced by the situation. Winning this battle is like a thunderbolt. They 'taught' the Vietnamese invaders severely." This is a paragraph in a review article in Hong Kong's "Xin Bao".

A column in Hong Kong's "Overseas Chinese Evening News" pointed out: "The CCP took Lang Son, and then withdrew its troops after achieving a meaningful and formal victory. Generally speaking, the CCP has succeeded in this battle. The so-called success does not only refer to the state of affairs. The main part of its development is as expected by the CCP, and it includes all kinds of benefits that this event will bring to the CCP in the future.” The article also said that when China sent troops to Vietnam, although countries kept calling for a truce, they wanted China to beat Vietnam hard, the harder the better.Although China's bloody battle didn't hit Vietnam very deeply, it was still a big setback to Vietnam. In the future, it will have to rest and recuperate, and it won't be able to regroup. This kind of situation is naturally welcomed by Southeast Asian countries.China has made great contributions to Southeast Asian countries.

Leaders of some Southeast Asian countries have also made statements pointing out that China's actions are limited to border areas and the time for actions is limited. So far, China has insisted on doing so. The editorials or comments published by Nepal's "People's Daily", Pakistan's "Times", Turkey's "Guangming Daily" and the Philippines' "Today's Bulletin" stated: China's decision to withdraw troops from Vietnam proves that China only intends to stop Vietnam's blind arrogance. It is just; China's troop withdrawal confirms Beijing's repeated statement that there is no reason to doubt China's contention that it does not want an inch of Vietnam.Beijing has repeatedly proposed negotiations to resolve the border issue, and now that its troops have withdrawn, there is no reason for Vietnam to maintain a belligerent posture and refuse to negotiate.Some editorials also emphasized that China kept its promise, that is, this counterattack was a teaching action.The next step should be the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia.

The Malaysian newspaper "Malayan" published an editorial saying: "Looking at China from sending troops to withdrawing troops, it is far-sighted both in military and political terms. China's "one for one, one for one" style alone is enough to strengthen its attitude. International prestige." Newspapers, magazines, and radio stations in many European countries also pointed out that the Chinese people mean what they say and have taught Xiaoba a lesson. On the second day after I announced the withdrawal of troops, Macau's "Overseas Chinese News" also published a poem by an overseas Chinese:

In the middle of Yueyao, there is a laying ceremony, regardless of the frequency of harassment from friends and enemies. The tiger's head searches for lice, and the mantis is ignorant and pitiful. The flag of indignation and righteousness is raised to punish the reckless, and it becomes a flame to resist the invasion. The deployment of the army is only for the sake of peace, and it will be a triumphant return when it goes straight to Lang Son. This poem strongly criticizes the anti-China crimes of the Vietnamese authorities and their ambition to act as a regional hegemon, warmly praises the wise decision-making of the Chinese government, and represents the just voice of the majority of the people. After Xu Shiyou heard the announcement on the radio, he felt that it was just right, not too late.If it is too early, it will not be enough to teach the Le Duan Group a lesson, and it may provoke another day; if it is too late, it will have a bad influence and arouse doubts among people who do not know the truth.The content of the statement is very good, reasonable and convincing. It shows that we are not willing to fight wars, let alone wars with our neighbors. This war is because Vietnam invaded our territory and provoked border incidents. We had to fight back. We It was forced self-defensive retaliation.Promptly issuing a statement announcing the withdrawal of troops is beneficial to our country, which proves that the Chinese government means what it says.It is also beneficial in military terms. Our army has wiped out part of the Vietnamese army's effective forces, penetrated to a certain depth on the border, and captured two provincial cities, not far from Hanoi. The Vietnamese invaders already know that we are not easy to bully.Xu Shiyou wholeheartedly supports the statement of our government. He thought of the fact that the withdrawal of troops must be done in accordance with the order of the Military Commission, and it cannot be advanced or postponed.Because this kind of withdrawal is different from the withdrawal of troops during the war years, it is not purely a military action.It is both a military action and a political action.Execution of the withdrawal order must be very strict and precise. When the Chinese government issued the withdrawal statement, the main force of our army was taking advantage of the victory in the Gaoping and Lang Son areas to wipe out the remnants of the enemy and defend against the enemy's counterattack. After receiving the statement from the Chinese government, Commander Xu and the political commissar instructed to resolutely implement the wise decision of the Party Central Committee and follow the instructions for withdrawing troops.According to the instructions, each unit studied the retreat of the deployed units in a timely manner.According to the Central Military Commission's principle of sweeping and suppressing at the same time and withdrawing at the same time, and the sweeping and suppressing operation in the Gaoping area can be extended for some time, and the spirit of clearing out the remnants of the enemy is confirmed. Withdrew to our territory from Youyiguan, Youai, Beishan, and Aidian respectively; the troops in the Gaoping (north of Qixi) area, respectively, from Nianjing, Pingmeng, Longbang, Yuexu, Kejia, and Shuikou before March 13 , layout, and Nahua withdrew to our territory, and divided the withdrawal and assembly areas of various troops. The Operation Department drew up a withdrawal plan based on the above-mentioned deployment, and reported the specific withdrawal time and deployment of the troops to Commander Xu and the political commissar, and they all agreed in principle.Commander Xu instructed: "The withdrawal time of troops in the Gaoping area has been changed from the 13th to around the 14th." After the approval of Commander Xu, the order to withdraw the troops was quickly issued.The order required the troops in the Gaoping and Lang Son areas to completely wipe out the enemy.The first step of clearing and suppressing tasks of the North Group and the South Group was extended to around 12 days, and then it took about 3 days to complete the second step of clearing and suppressing tasks.In order to expand the results of the battle, the troops south of the Qiqiong River can fight for two days. They must withdraw to the north of the Qiqiong River before dawn on March 6. When retreating, all troops must be well organized and cover alternately so as not to suffer losses; It is necessary to do a good job in the work of the masses and the work of disintegrating the enemy army.In order to prevent the troops from being paralyzed and lax, and to allow the subordinate commanders to have the power to deal with the situation flexibly, the order did not specify the specific time for the retreat of each unit. War is a contest of life and death.Our army has dealt heavy blows to the Vietnamese invaders one after another, and they are still unwilling to fail.When our army was about to retreat, the Vietnamese army pursued and counterattacked our army in an attempt to save the defeat. "Mastering the stick, but aiming for the yard".The enemy's conspiracy had been expected by the old general.Xu Shiyou gave clear instructions on this: "If the enemy counterattacks, kill it and return to the carbine." The front command of the military area ordered all troops: When our army retreats, the enemy may follow and pursue, and it is most advantageous for our army to use the method of killing the carbine to annihilate the enemy.After receiving the instructions, the troops immediately designated a certain number of troops and artillery fire to serve as cover guards to prevent enemy ambushes and disturbances; to formulate a combat plan for attacking the enemy's counterattack and returning to the carbine, and in appropriate areas and favorable terrain close to our border, under the cover of our artillery fire Attack the enemy hard and expand the results of the battle.If the remnants of the enemy gather to attack and harass, they will be resolutely wiped out. Xu Shiyou also asked all the troops to step up their efforts to clean up and suppress the enemy, not to relax, and to clean up the enemy as soon as possible according to the tasks stipulated by the military region, and not to slip through the net. Xu Shiyou's instruction to kill back the carbine was very effective, and it took immediate effect. On March 5th, the 72nd Regiment of the Longzhou Brigade gradually closed in from Guangyuan to Fuhe. The 2nd Battalion found two platoons of the enemy trailing and harassing them in the Geling area. , killed 56 enemies and captured 1 enemy. The Nianjing Brigade was the last unit to withdraw from the Gaoping area. It killed a carbine in the area north of Gaoping and wiped out 1 enemy platoon.In the direction of Luping, the 1st Battalion of the 460th Regiment of the enemy's 338th Division and the 4th Battalion of the 462th Regiment of the enemy fled back to Luping County on March 8. Taking the Zhima Highway as the axis, they were divided into three routes from the left, middle and right. Assault and harassment.Our army has long been on guard against this kind of hooliganism of the Vietnamese army. Under the guidance of Commander Xu Shiyou, while organizing the withdrawal of troops, we are actively looking for opportunities to wipe out the enemy. On March 9th and 10th, they set up pockets in the 390 highland, Banri, Kuntong, Bankeng and 542 highland areas on the northeast side of Luping, wiped out about 600 enemies, and once again dealt a severe blow to the Vietnamese army. The main place of the battle is the 390 Heights, located 3 kilometers east of Luping County, Vietnam. It is a commanding height south of the Lu (Ping) Branch (Ma) Highway and on the north bank of the Qiqiong River. On March 6, the 1st Company of the 79th Regiment of the Aidian Brigade, which was responsible for the cover task, arrived at the northwest side of the 390th Heights to organize defenses, preparing to fight against the enemy's possible tail attacks from the direction of Pome and Bakeng. On the night of the 8th, the soldiers of the 1st Company heard dogs barking and the sound of cars in and around Pomo Village at the foot of the mountain, and the interpreters of the battalion command post and the 1st Company heard the enemy's chirping calls on the walkie-talkies: " Plains! Plains! I am the sea! I am the sea! I am in a safe place and I am ready to attack." Company commander Lin Hanqin and instructor Li Gan immediately sensed that the enemy might be playing tricks, and ordered the entire company to stand ready. At 7:40 a.m. on the 9th, a reinforced company of the enemy of our 79th Regiment was chased by the East Road. They touched the Qiqiong River from Pomo and approached the 390 Heights along the path from the direction of Bakeng.The first three men, wearing green military uniforms and wearing white towels on their left arms, were about 30 meters away from our own team. When they entered the position about 400 meters away from the 1st company and 3rd row, the 3rd row could not tell whether it was our army or the enemy. The 3rd platoon leader Xu Jianli immediately reported to the company commander and ordered the entire platoon to prepare for combat.The company commander instructed the 3rd platoon to strengthen observation and quickly find out the situation. If it is determined that it is the enemy, it should be shot closer. When the enemy's leading personnel entered about 200 meters away from the third row of positions, they suddenly retracted, and all other personnel also fell down.Then it unfolded, more than 40 people approached the position of the 9th squad, more than 30 people approached between the positions of the 8th and 9th squads, and more than 30 people detoured to the right side of the 8th squad.The other part of the enemy was evacuated and hidden in the small undulating area on the north bank of the Qiqiong River southwest of the 3rd row position. At 8:15 in the morning, the enemy was like a red-eyed gambler, holding a gun and screaming, and launched the first charge to the 1st company's position. The company commander of the 1st company, together with Yang Yancai, the deputy company commander who was originally in the 3rd row, commanded the entire company to fight.An enemy shell landed nearby, and both of them and the two correspondents were seriously injured.Instructor Li Gan immediately rushed to the third platoon position to take over the command of the company commander and report the situation to the battalion command post.The battalion commander ordered the 1st platoon leader Xia Chen to act as the deputy company commander, and sent deputy battalion commander Jiang to the 1st company to assist in command. When Commander Xu Shiyou saw this information, he said to himself: This instructor has inherited the combat tradition of our army. When the company commander is injured, he will automatically take over the command.Otherwise, this company may have no command. Instructor Li came to the front with a walkie-talkie and called on everyone to get ready, face the battle calmly, put the enemy in front of them, resolutely wipe them all out, and report to the motherland and the people!The soldiers calmly carried out the division of labor for annihilating the enemy, clarifying which squad will fight which area, and which person will fight which few.Seeing that there was no movement on the mountain, the stupid enemy accelerated the charge. 100 meters, 50 meters, 30 meters... The instructor gave an order, and the whole company suddenly opened fire violently, causing the enemy to flee in all directions.Machine gunner Zhang Xiangguo jumped out of the trench, with a machine gun in his hand, and swept wherever there were many enemies.The barrel of the gun was red, and the left hand holding the barrel was scalded with blood blisters. He ignored it and fired three and a half rounds of bullets in one go, killing 26 enemies. The third platoon leader, Xu Jianli, was wounded in his right arm, and blood ran down his clothes. The soldiers all shed tears of distress, and they all proposed in unison: We will send the platoon leader down the mountain.Xu Jianli insisted not to go to the front line, saying: "My arm is injured and I can't shoot, my feet can run, my mouth can speak, and I can still command!" He asked the health worker to bandage it briefly, and continued to command the battle. The heroic counterattack of the 1st company defeated the enemy's first charge.In less than 10 minutes, the enemy's second charge began again. However, the enemy who had suffered a lot no longer dared to roar and charge upwards swaggeringly. Instructor Li lay on the front of the trench and carefully observed the enemy's firing points.When I found that the enemy had a 60mm gun that was a big threat to me, I decisively ordered Zhang Zhimin, a soldier of the 82nd Recoilless Gun Company attached to the 1st Company, to: "Hurry up! Kill the enemy's 60th gun!" The enemy's 60 guns cannot effectively kill the enemy at a distance of 1000 meters according to the range of the 82 recoilless guns.How to accomplish this task?Zhang Zhimin thought for a moment, then resolutely unloaded the gun body from the gun mount, carried it on his shoulder, grabbed two shells, and ran towards the top of the mountain on the right under the roaring bullet rain. Zhang Zhimin is a well-known sharpshooter. In 1978, he won the first place in shooting 82 recoilless guns in a live ammunition shooting competition.He understands that only by raising the firing position and carrying out ultra-distance shooting can the enemy be knocked out.At that time, the enemy's artillery shells fell on the 390 Heights one after another, and the enemy's heavy machine guns also fired violently at this place. It was very dangerous to move the position. Zhang Zhimin had already ignored his personal safety and quickly climbed to the top of the mountain.He squatted on the ground, carried the gun barrel on his shoulder, aimed at the position of the enemy gun, and fired the first shell.Because the ballistic was slightly lower and the shot was close, he simply stood up, increased the firing angle, and fired a second shell. This shot was just right and hit it impartially. The gratifying situation of overthrowing people. At this moment, support artillery fire came up, and the shells rained down on the enemy's position and the slope where the enemy launched the attack.The soldiers fell on the edge of the trench and fired at the enemy together.Groups of enemies were bombed with grenades, and individual ones were "rolled" with rifles and submachine guns. The enemy's corpses were scattered all over the ground, and they retreated. Instructor Li found that 7 retreating enemies had drilled into the river and hid. He immediately ordered the 82 recoilless gunners to bombard the enemy's hidden ridge and blast the enemy out.At the same time, order the heavy machine gunners to get ready, the enemy will come out and kill one by one, and they will all be killed in less than two minutes. The 1st company won another victory. Everyone was elated, talking and laughing, but they didn't relax. They seized the time to rush to repair the fortifications that were blown down by the enemy, and prepare for the enemy's counterattack again.More than an hour passed, and there was no movement from the enemy.Instructor Li held the walkie-talkie, walked out of the trench and looked down, and suddenly found a group of enemies climbing up under the hill between the positions of the 1st row, the 3rd company position and the 2nd row position. It turned out that after the enemy charged twice from the front and was defeated, they changed their tactics and tried to use the mountain valley as a cover to sneak attack the position of the second row from the side and back. Instructor Li immediately ordered the acting deputy company commander Xia Chen to lead the 8th squad and a machine gun squad attached to the machine gun company to run to seize the hill.Xia Chen was injured in the leg during the battle on February 17 and was transferred to the rear hospital for treatment. Before he recovered, he sneaked out of the hospital and rushed back to the company.He received an order from the instructor, grabbed a light machine gun, and shouted: "Squad 8 and the machine gun squad will run with me, and we must get ahead of the enemy!" The machine gun company platoon leader Xiong Xinqi attached to the 1st company also carried He followed with a heavy machine gun. Time is victory, speed is the result.The enemy climbed up the left side of the hill, Xia Chen and the soldiers climbed up the right side of the hill.Whoever climbs up first will win the initiative. This is a race of bravery, wit and speed.Xia Chen knows that the enemy will go up the mountain before us, and it is very likely that they will reach the top of the mountain earlier.In order to delay the enemy and buy time, when he was approaching the top of the mountain, he ordered the soldiers to throw grenades over there while climbing. The enemy was desperately climbing up the mountain, but he didn't expect grenades to fly over his head, so he quickly got down to avoid it.When they stood up and rushed to the top of the mountain, Xia Chen and his comrades had already occupied the top of the mountain. Xia Chen was fighting at one end with a light machine gun, and Xiong Xinqi was fighting at the other end with a heavy machine gun. The two machine guns swept at the enemy like the wind, and the soldiers also fired at the same time. It didn't take long for 18 enemies to rush up. All were reimbursed, but the two squads led by Xia Chen had no casualties. When Xu Shiyou heard about it, he said in a praised tone: the instructor not only bravely took over the command of the company commander, but also fought well against the enemy. He is really a comprehensive instructor. During the fierce battle between the 1st Company and the enemy on the 390th Heights, at 9:30 pm on the 9th, the enemy of the 79th Regiment was followed by about two companies in the middle, humming the Chinese songs "The East is Red" and "Sailing the Sea Rely on the Helmsman", disguised as I withdrew my troops and migrant workers and approached me ostentatiously along the Zhima Highway in an attempt to sneak attack.The 8th Company of the 79th Regiment hiding in the bankeng position on the east side of the Zhima Highway noticed it in time and set up an ambush circle.About 1 company of the enemy's vanguard entered the 8th company's ambush area. The whole company fought fiercely and cut the enemy into two sections. The 8th company surrounded the squad pit, making the enemy unable to move. At dawn on the 10th, the 8th company launched a fierce attack on the bankeng. The enemies who were beaten to death, did not care about choosing concealed terrain, and fled for their lives in a hurry. The 8th company was divided into combat groups, chasing and annihilating the fleeing enemies like ducks, shooting those close by with guns and shelling those far away, annihilating the enemies one by one beside the road and in the rice fields, and wiped out all those who fled into the squad pit within two hours The enemy killed 68 people, and our 8th company had no casualties. After the vanguard of the enemy chasing in the middle was attacked by our 8th company in Bankeng, about one company of follow-up troops retreated to the area of ​​​​Banri and Kuntong, trying to use the cover of night to detour from both sides of Zhima Highway to Bankeng. Rescue the enemies trapped in the squad pit. The 9th Company of the 81st Regiment of our 81st Regiment, which is defending on both sides of the Zhima Highway, is already in full swing.At 11 o'clock in the middle of the night, Squad 5 serving as an ambush sentry encountered the enemy.Squad leader Hao Xiuchang sent people to report the enemy's situation to the company, and at the same time led the whole squad to use the darkness of night to deal wittily with the enemy in the mounds and rice fields, and dragged the enemy to death. The enemy, relying on their numbers, charged at the positions of the 5th squad in turn. The 10 heroic fighters in the 5th squad fought fiercely with the enemy for 5 hours with the heroism that overwhelmed all the enemies. At dawn on the 10th, the 9th and 8th companies of the 81st regiment encircled the retreating enemies in Banri and Kuntong, wiped out 150 enemies, and repelled the enemy's counterattack in the middle. After the three-way tail-chasing enemy was hit hard by me, the Vietnamese army still didn't give up and wanted to get some money from other directions. At 2:30 in the morning on March 10, the enemy's 338th Division first used howitzers and 82 mortars to bombard the 4th and 5th companies of the 42nd Regiment of the Banlan Brigade who were preparing to retreat on the 542th highland in the Naran area for 20 minutes. , Then, under the cover of anti-aircraft machine guns and light and heavy machine guns, the 1st Battalion of the 460th Regiment of the Vietnamese Army counterattacked with two companies. Movement, in an attempt to encircle the 4th and 5th companies of our 42nd regiment. The 4th and 5th companies captured the 542 Heights on the morning of March 2. After adjustments and supplements, they firmly stood on the ground and closely monitored the enemy. They were determined to use the enemy's counterattack to kill the carbine and wipe out more enemies . At 2:40 on the 10th, the enemy about one platoon of troops attacked the southeast side of the 542 highland defended by the 5th company and 2nd platoon. When the enemy advanced to about 100 meters from the first trench of the 2nd platoon position, they shouted in Chinese: " Come on, catch the living ones." He tried to lure me out of the fortifications, and then killed me with artillery fire. 5 companies and 2 rows were concealed and did not move.When the enemy saw no movement in our position, he rushed forward.When the enemy approached the front, the light and heavy machine guns of the second row fired at the same time, and the riflemen dropped bombs continuously, fighting fiercely for more than 10 minutes to repel the enemy.The retreating enemy fled to Height No. 5.The 2nd Battalion of the Howitzer of the Brigade Artillery Group used a company to conduct a surprise fire attack and surveillance shooting on the pre-planned targets No. 201, 202, and 203. They fired at the enemy from three directions: left, rear, and right, and gave the enemy a few shots. Mass destruction. At about 3 o'clock, the enemy shelled the forward position of the 5th company of our 42nd regiment.A few minutes later, a platoon of enemy troops, under the cover of anti-aircraft machine guns, heavy machine guns and bazookas, launched a second attack on the southeast side of Height 542.After fighting fiercely for more than half an hour, I suffered heavy casualties. 5 comrades including Instructor Liu of the 5th company died, 7 comrades were injured, and a few enemies broke into my first trench.At this time, the deputy squad leader of the 4th squad and 3 fighters who were sticking to the front took the initiative to reinforce the left flank along the trench, killed 6 enemies head-on, and repelled most of them. When the company commander learned that the enemy had broken into our position, he immediately ordered the 3rd platoon leader Yu Qingliang to lead the 8th squadron machine gunner Gao Wanshan and a new soldier to support the 5th squadron. Machine guns seized the second trench and blocked the breach.With the support of artillery fire, the 5th company and 2 platoons repelled the enemy after fierce fighting and restored their positions. For the third time, the enemy attacked the southeast side of Height 542 with about one platoon of troops, and attacked Height 542 head-on with a small number of troops. The fighting was fierce on the southeast side of the 542 highland. The 2nd platoon leader of the 5th company and 3 soldiers from the 4th squad were injured one after another. He commanded the comrades in Class 4 to fight tenaciously, but was later shot in the waist and unfortunately died a heroic sacrifice. In the fierce battle, the 3rd platoon leader suffered serious head injuries, the machine gunner died, and the deputy shooter was seriously injured. Only 3 comrades including Dugan Ling remained on the ground.They placed the 2nd and 3rd platoon leaders and other wounded in the anti-blasting holes, each with a machine gun, concentrated more than 30 grenades, constantly changed the shooting position, and used various weapons alternately, and finally repelled the enemy. After the fourth organization, the enemy launched an attack on us again, and with a multi-squad force detoured to the northwest of the 542 highland, in an attempt to surround the 5th company on three sides. Stick to the 3rd row, 8th squad (less than one group) and 9th squadron on the west side of the highland, relying on the position to fight fiercely with the enemy.A new soldier who had just been added to the company for 4 days found that several enemies had touched him, so he grabbed a water bottle and threw it at the enemy.After 20 minutes of fighting, most of the roundabout enemies were wiped out, and the remaining two attacking enemies were also repelled.After that, they repelled the enemy's two attacks in a row. At dawn, the 4th company and 1st platoon of the 42nd regiment reported that they found the enemy in the pine forest 1,500 meters northwest of the 42nd highland.The command post judged that it might be the enemy's reserve force, and ordered the artillery group to suppress it with rocket fire.The 12 rocket launchers that were on standby at the 455 highland earlier launched a fire attack immediately. The accurate and violent artillery fire turned the pine forest into a sea of ​​flames.After a while, they found that there were enemies fighting the fire in the pine forest.Our artillery group attacked and fired at the enemy again, annihilating most of the enemy's company. Before the troops retreated, Xu Shiyou said to the leading comrades of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Please organize the masses to welcome the troops when they retreat.The secretary said: I completely agree, and it must be done well. "Welcome to the triumphant return of relatives!" "You have worked hard!" "You are the cutest people!" The crowd cheered and jumped. Since March 6, the troops participating in the war in Guangxi have been withdrawn. As soon as they set foot on the land of the motherland, they were warmly welcomed by the people of all ethnic groups.On the thousands of miles of border defense line, gongs and drums are loud, and colorful flags are fluttering.In the bustling town streets, at the Friendship Pass with its head held high, at the head of the village lined with trees, and at the main roads and intersections where the troops retreated, there are triumphal arches with green pine branches everywhere.People of all nationalities dressed in colorful costumes, sang and danced, and greeted the triumphant heroic troops as if they were celebrating a grand festival. When heroic chariots and trucks covered with green camouflage nets, full of dusty soldiers, dragging cannons, drove over majesticly, when groups of heavily armed soldiers walked neatly and valiantly When they walked under the Arc de Triomphe in high spirits, the crowds of all ethnic groups who had been waiting on both sides of the road rushed forward together.They were extremely excited to express their deep affection for the soldiers.Girls in costumes of various ethnic groups danced joyfully, boys beat gongs and drums loudly, and young pioneers wore their beloved red scarves on the muzzle of the guns, and scattered colorful paper flowers on tanks and trucks. sprinkled on the soldiers; Daddy and Aunt called enthusiastically, and sent hot tea to the soldiers, fresh bananas, fried peanuts, washed and cut sugar cane, dyed red Boiled eggs... were stuffed into the pockets and satchels of the soldiers.The sound of cheers, firecrackers, and songs, one after another, lasts for a long time.A sister-in-law in her 40s, wearing new clothes, was also in the welcome team. She looked at the mighty and majestic soldiers who returned victoriously, and smiled from ear to ear. She said, "What a lovely soldier." When she saw that the soldiers had long beards, she looked serious, and when she saw that the faces of the soldiers were blackened by the sun and they were very thin, tears rolled down their chests like broken beads. He choked up and said, "It's really distressing!" Many people also cried. In the self-defense counterattack, no matter what difficulties and obstacles our soldiers encountered, they never shed a single tear.However, when they saw the majestic five-star red flag of friendship, the large slogans with welcome and salute written in gold letters, and the relatives from the motherland who came to welcome them, they could no longer hold back their tears.When they looked back and saw the green pines, verdant cypresses and fiery red kapoks on sacred territories such as Pu Nian Ridge, which had been recovered with blood and life, they were even more excited. Wherever the triumphant troops went, there was a heat wave celebrating the victory, and there was even more joy in the troops stationed.While sharing the joy of victory with their soldiers, the people of all ethnic groups expressed condolences and care to the troops from all aspects, so that the heroic soldiers deeply felt the warmth of the motherland. On March 6th, the troops of the Eastern Group who returned from the victory of attacking Lang Son came to the Aikou Brigade of Friendship Commune in Pingxiang City to rest. After 20 days of continuous combat, the soldiers were extremely tired, and some fell asleep as soon as they sat down.Seeing this scene, the people who came to welcome them in the rain were both excited and distressed.Everyone rushed forward, scrambling to pick up the mud-covered soldier, put it on his shoulders, and greet him home.The soldiers insisted on refusing, and the cadres also politely declined repeatedly, but the villagers were not willing. Zheng Xingqun, a member of the commune, "robbed" the two soldiers home, and his wife brought the freshly cooked porridge, sugar and ginger, to the soldiers.An old lady named Li Ruying invited our soldiers home, soaked hot water with ginger, and wiped everyone's feet.There were not enough towels at home, so she pulled off her turban, dipped it in hot water and applied it to the soldier's feet.The soldiers knew that according to local customs, women's headscarves cannot be used to wipe their feet.They didn't care about these at all, and the soldiers refused to put their headscarves on their feet, so anxious that the aunt shed tears.She kindly said: "You are away from your parents to defend the frontier and suffered the greatest suffering in the world. What else can we be reluctant about?" The soldiers had no choice but to obey her arrangement. It was late at night, and the soldiers fell asleep sweetly.However, how many old people are still guarding by their side.After the old lady Li Shaolin took care of the soldiers and put them to sleep, she was always worried. She tucked the quilts into the soldiers for a while, and touched the foreheads of the soldiers one by one.She found that a soldier's forehead was hot, so she woke him up gently, and gave him the medicine that was spared at home. The 66-year-old old mother Huang Yanhe, after the soldiers fell asleep, took out the black ginger wine she had collected and gently rubbed it on a soldier with a sprained foot.The feet were hot and red, but they didn't wake up the soldier.In the Daqingshan Forest Farm, Wei Ailan, a female worker in her 40s, boiled hot water for a whole day from morning to night, and sent loads of loads to the resting place of the troops for the soldiers to take a bath.There are not one or two people like this who love soldiers like children, but tens of thousands. This also shows once again that our army's self-defense counterattack has successfully defended the interests of the people and won the heartfelt support of the broad masses of the people; The heroic battles of the vast number of commanders and fighters who were born and died, and the spirit of not being afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice, won the incomparable love of the people. All the participating troops in the Guangxi theater returned to their original places according to the stipulated time.Commander Xu Shiyou deployed the fortifications on the first and second lines of the border defense force, and arranged for reconnaissance and security, and he could go home. But he seemed a little uneasy, so he sent Deputy Commander Liu Changyi and me to the front line to understand the situation, check the reconnaissance security, and inspect the construction of fortifications.The two of us spent half a month walking along the border defense line from west to east, observing and inspecting along the way, and reported to Commander Xu Shiyou when we came back. When Deputy Commander Liu Changyi said that along the Vietnamese side of the border, there were no people, let alone soldiers, Commander Xu Shiyou asked, "Where did the Vietnamese army go?" "It seems that everything has gone deep." Deputy Commander Liu Changyi replied. "Where is the police station on the front line?" "It turned out that all the houses in Gong'an Village were flattened and destroyed by this battle; there were still a few houses in some places, but there were no police officers in sight." "You didn't find out, did you?" "It may also be that the Vietnamese army is well concealed. Anyway, the border is very calm." "It's good to be calm. We fought back in self-defense against Vietnam for the stability of the border. Is the Vietnamese army so honest?" "At least for now it's honest." "Then even if our goal of fighting back in self-defense against Vietnam has been achieved, it's fine to be honest now. Will we be honest in the future?" "Hit again if you are dishonest." “当然，越军再向我们挑衅，也只好再打，国土是不能让人的。” “我们第一线的工事比还击作战时好多了，本军区的工兵部队和南京军区的工兵2团、工兵3团都在抓紧抢修工事。工兵2团在水口地区修的工事很好，便于打仗、便于生活，很隐蔽很坚固。工兵3团战后在友谊关地区施工，阵地构筑得很认真，质量也很好。越军再想夺取浦念岭、庭毫山，更加不容易了。” “我们不愿再打，越军一定要打，我们只好奉陪。” “这次对越自卫还击作战，我们消耗也不少，伤亡了不少好干部、好战士，从这点来说还是不打为好。” “自古以来都是'歼敌一千，自损八百'，打仗就要消耗财力、物力、人力，这是不可避免的。换来的是祖国的尊严、边界的安定，这是值得的。” “这次对越自卫还击作战是越南黎笋集团挑起的，我们是被迫还击。希望越军以后别在挑衅了，我们也别再打了。” “那当然，我们连这次对越自卫还击作战也不愿意打，更不愿意今后再和越南打仗。但愿这是中越两国之间的最后一战。” “我们都希望这是中越两国之间的最后一战，都希望中越两国人民永远友好相处，都希望中越边界和平安定。” 许世友听了这次汇报之后，觉得边界安定了，工事加强了，警戒布置好了，可以返回广州了。 这时，回撤的各部队已经到家了，准备进行战评、总结。我们军区前指在许世友司令员率领下，最先来，仍在南宁市未动。 6月中旬的一天，许司令员对我说：“我们要悄悄地回家，为了不让地方政府和群众兴师动众、劳民伤财地欢送、欢迎，尽量少给他们添麻烦，不要通知广西自治区党委，也不要通知广东省委。” 在许世友看来，这次自卫还击作战打得很好，严惩了越南侵略者，完成了中央军委交给的任务，打出了国威军威，部队也取得了作战经验，觉得自己尽到了职责。对自己来讲，这可能是最后的一仗，在一生的战争历史中，这个结尾也还算写得不错。现在要“班师回朝”了，还要发扬谦虚谨慎的作风，不能让地方同志破费钱财，也不能给地方同志增加负担，更不能自己把自己打扮成英雄。 军区前指是乘火车回广州的，许司令员也是和我们乘同一列车行动的。离开南宁市的前一天晚上，他突然下达回广州的号令，前指各单位连夜进行准备，第二天拂晓登车。 出发的这一天，完全是按夜间动作要求行动，各机关和直属分队按作战部的通告，悄悄地离开了各自的驻地，神不知鬼不觉地登上了火车。 清晨，火车从南宁市火车站开出，徐徐向广州方向前进。 天亮后，市民们发现解放军不见了，南宁市又有了传说：“许司令员的吉普车会飞，昨天在市内还看到前指的同志和许司令员，今天忽然就不见了，大概是飞走了。” 说吉普车会飞，广西壮族自治区党委领导机关当然不相信，但前指机关走了，这是真的。他们打电话问广西军区电话总机，话务员说：“军区前指回广州了。” 说起坐车，许世友确实经常坐吉普车，除非陪外宾偶尔坐一回卧车。自卫还击作战以来，他一直都是坐吉普车。他的车，都是普通的吉普车，当然是不会飞的，许世友清晨乘坐他的嘎斯-69吉普到火车站，下车后又上了前指的那列火车，和他的指挥所的人员一起回广州了。 在火车上，机关干部们都在议论，有的说：许司令员这个办法好，是高明之举，免得劳民伤财；有的说：军事行动就要这样，神不知鬼不觉；还有的说：许司令员本来可以坐飞机回广州，但他习惯和机关干部打成一片，所以他和我们大家一起坐火车回广州，这是他一贯联系和深入群众的工作作风。 他过去也是这样，在他担任南京军区司令员期间，每年都要深入基层到所属部队视察，从平原山林到沿海岛屿，到处都留下了他的足迹，几十年来始终保持了党的艰苦奋斗的作风。军区所属的最远的小岛、最高的山头、最偏僻的哨所、最险要的关卡，他都要去。因此，他对部队的武器装备、编制、人员及地形地貌等都很熟悉，连大炮的口径他也了如指掌。 他视察部队时，经常宣传党的方针政策，强调“我们的原则是党指挥枪”，强调党委领导。他对地方干部十分尊重，地方干部向他汇报工作，他总是认真听取并询问他们有哪些问题需要部队帮助解决。 部队每逢有重要任务，许世友都有具体明确的指示。一次，某部队移防，他不顾身体有病，坚持要亲自去看望。天下着小雨，他冒雨给部队讲话，鼓励部队到新的驻地要克服困难，勤俭建军。他指示部队离开城市、离开营房到山沟里去训练，说山沟就是战场和课堂，是锻炼部队的好地方，要自己动手割草盖房子，自己做桌椅床铺，培养艰苦奋斗的作风。部队执行了他的指示，在山地野营训练中，取得了丰硕成果。 许世友平易近人，处处同战士们打成一片。战士们开班务会，他要去参加。战士们看演出，节目他虽已看了多遍，但他总是与战士们一样席地而坐，直到看完为止。战士们一致赞叹说：“司令员是我们的好首长，是我们的知心人。” 1960年深秋，许司令员乘军舰视察某海岛，因水浅舰艇无法靠岸，守岛部队的战士争着要背首长上岸，但许世友坚决不让背，他把鞋一拖，裤腿一卷，踩着冰冷的海水走上了岸。在另一个海岛，驻地首长带了一二百名战士列队欢迎他，他不高兴地对前来欢迎他的领导同志说：“这么多人不上课训练，为我一个人，这是干什么？今后不管谁来，都不能再这样干！” 火车离开南宁市，前指的同志们顿时感到一种说不出的轻松、愉快，深深地吐了一口气，像是背着沉重的行李跑了几千公里，终于到达了目的地一样，有一种说不出的高兴。 许世友也和大家一样，一改过去的严肃态度。他笑眯眯地走到参谋们的车厢中。他说：“我们是打胜了，可是代价也不小，粮食、弹药、油料花了不少钱。'歼敌一千，自损八百'，我们也伤亡了不少同志。作为军人不能怕打仗，也不能怕伤亡。但愿这是我们前指指挥的同越南打的最后一仗。” 参谋们谈论着8个月的紧张的战斗生活情景，特别是打仗的那28个日日夜夜。搞情报工作的同志说：异国作战搞清敌人的情况比和国内的敌人作战难多了，不过，还是基本搞清了。搞作战工作的同志说：仗是打得好的，这是主流，但是两个穿插部队打进去后，3天3夜，就是不报告情况，上边一股劲催问，真急死人啊！搞机要通信的同志说：开战后，各级都发特急报，军区各大部也是都发特急报，压了一大堆发不出去，真难办。秘书们说：不管多艰苦，也不管多难办，反正我们是打了胜仗！这时大家都露出了笑容，齐声说：“对！” 军区前指的无名英雄们在火车上，有的说笑，有的打扑克，有的弹吉他，有的唱歌，有的讲笑话，列车上洋溢着一片喜气。我从车厢窗口眺望，看到沿途风景如画，山花遍野，农田葱绿，人民安居乐业，6月的暖风夹杂着醉人的气息，拂过大地，拂过车厢，拂过每一个人的心房。我望着我所敬爱的许世友司令员和军区前指的无名英雄们，忽然产生了某种冲动，我想，总有一天，我会用笔记述这些可亲可敬的人，记述这些可歌可泣的事，记述这令人难忘的日日夜夜的。 列车在前进，列车在欢唱。我不禁陷入久久的遐想之中……