Chapter 10 Chapter IX The Fourth Campaign with Defensive Victory

On January 25, 1951, in order to restore the impact of the loss of Seoul, the "United Nations Army" led by the United States concentrated a large number of troops to launch a new attack on the Chinese and Korean People's Army.From the same day to April 21, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army resolutely and bravely carried out defensive battles in the north and south areas of the "38th Parallel" and won victory. After the Chinese People's Volunteers entered the DPRK, they fought side by side with the Korean People's Army. After the first, second, and third battles, they expelled the invading army led by the United States from the Yalu River to the area near the 37th parallel, and achieved major victories. Acquired certain experience in combating enemies with modern equipment.However, due to continuous combat reductions, the troops were exhausted and had not been replenished. Under the condition of obvious disadvantages in weapons and equipment, the frontline troops only had a slight advantage over the enemy.At the same time, with the southward movement of the front line, the logistics transportation line has been extended to 500 to 700 kilometers. In addition to the indiscriminate bombing by enemy planes, our army's transportation has become more difficult, and the supply of food, ammunition and other materials is seriously insufficient.According to this situation, the Chinese and Korean People's Army was transferred to rest and reorganization from January 8, 1951.

At this time, the Central Military Commission, Chairman Mao Zedong, and Commander Peng Dehuai still estimated the future of the Korean War as pointed out before the third battle, that is, the enemy will not automatically withdraw from North Korea until its main force is defeated. Yes, because the United States wants to maintain its position in the Far East and the world, seeks colonial interests in Korea, and also believes that their superiority in equipment can help them hold their positions in southern Korea.Therefore, the task of the Volunteer Army is still very arduous. It is necessary to cooperate with the People's Army to make full preparations in all aspects, and then conduct several fierce large-scale battles before the North Korean issue can be resolved.Therefore, it is determined to start preparations immediately during the rest period, and strive to launch a spring offensive with the People's Army in March.

In order to sum up experience, unify thinking, and strive to win greater victories in the spring offensive, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army jointly held a senior cadre meeting in Junzili from January 25th to 29th.Prime Minister Kim Il Sung attended the meeting and delivered a speech.Commander Peng Dehuai made a report. The meeting summarized the experience of the previous three campaigns, analyzed the situation, and put forward the tasks and guidelines for the next operation.The meeting believed that the experience of the previous three battles proved that although the enemy's equipment was superior, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army could win by relying on a combination of flexible combat command and brave and tenacious combat.Under the condition of inferior equipment, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army must concentrate their absolutely superior forces and firepower in a focused way to annihilate the enemy one by one in terms of combat guiding ideology; daytime combat is still possible and necessary under the conditions of the enemy's rear, or scattered pursuit and defeat of the enemy), close combat, strive to implement bold roundabout encirclement, interspersed and divided, bravely penetrate deep into the enemy's depth and rear, and at the same time organize elite and brave small The troops attacked the enemy's artillery positions and command posts, confused the enemy's deployment, and took advantage of the momentum to attack in an all-round way, making the enemy dizzy.At the meeting, a passage Mao Zedong added to Peng Dehuai's draft report on January 19 was conveyed: All Chinese volunteer comrades in North Korea must earnestly learn from North Korean comrades, wholeheartedly support the Korean people, and support North Korean democracy. The government of the Communist People's Republic supports the Korean People's Army, the Workers' Party of Korea, and Comrade Kim Il Sung, the leader of the Korean people; the comrades of China and North Korea should unite as brothers, share weal and woe, depend on each other, and fight for the victory of the common enemy. fight to the end.Chinese comrades must regard North Korea’s affairs as their own, and educate and command combatants to love the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees of North Korea, and not take a needle or thread from the Korean people. Just like our views and practices in China, this is the same. It is the political foundation of victory.As long as we are able to do this, final victory will surely be won.

The meeting was full of an atmosphere of unity, and combat experience was also exchanged, which inspired confidence in victory.After the meeting, the various units of the Volunteer Army strengthened their ideological education work and logistical support work. The enemy lost Seoul after three consecutive battles by the Chinese and Korean People's Army, internal conflicts intensified, and the mood of failure was serious.Under such circumstances, the strategic issue of the Korean War among the U.S. ruling circles—whether to expand the war to China, or to hold an area in North Korea, or to withdraw from South Korea—was a very intense debate.The attitude of the U.S. government is that it is neither willing to take the risk of expanding the war nor to withdraw from North Korea.Truman personally wrote to MacArthur, explaining that the purpose of his war of aggression against Korea was to unite the so-called free world against communism around the world; to attack the political and military prestige of New China; to protect Japan's security status; to promote the expansion of armaments by Western countries, Improve the prestige and status of the United States.He asked MacArthur to try his best to hold an important area in North Korea for these purposes. If it was impossible, he would stick to the coastal islands of North Korea, especially Jeju Island.In the worst case, even if forced to withdraw from North Korea militarily, the consequences of withdrawal are not recognized in order to buy time and make a comeback.

On the Korean battlefield, Li Qiwei, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, in order to implement the policy determined by the U.S. government, while stepping up the deployment of defense lines in depth (including the defense line around Busan) as a retreat plan, he actively rectified his organization, adjusted his deployment, and used various means of reconnaissance.Beginning on January 15th, after the enemy started a tentative attack between Suwon and Icheon, they expanded this activity to the Wonju and Yeongwol areas. , Supplies are seriously difficult, the number of front-line troops has decreased, and it is even believed that the Volunteers "can no longer effectively fight."In this way, in order to restore the impact of its failure and ease internal conflicts, the enemy determined to launch an offensive in an attempt to recapture Seoul and push the Chinese and North Korean people's troops back to the area north of the "38th Parallel".

Beginning on January 25, the enemy gradually launched a large-scale offensive across the board from west to east.In this attack, the enemy concentrated 5 armies, 16 divisions, 3 brigades, 1 airborne regiment, and all artillery and tanks in North Korea from the 1st, 9th, and 10th armies of the U.S. Army and the 1st and 3rd armies of South Korea. There are more than 230,000 ground troops, including aviation and aviation, under the unified command of Matthew Ridgway, the commander of the U.S. Eighth Army. They adopt a steady and steady strategy of fighting hand in hand, and place their main force on the western front (west of the Namhan River) to carry out major operations in the direction of Seoul. Assault, carry out auxiliary assault on the Eastern Front (east of the Namhan River).

According to the situation at the time, the Chinese and North Korean People's Armies decided to first hold the enemy's main offensive group on the western front with a firm defense, and retreat in a planned way on the eastern front. Its momentum smashes its attack.According to this determination, the following deployments were made: the 38th and 50th Corps of the Volunteer Army (referred to as the Han Group) were commanded by the Deputy Commander of the Volunteer Army, Han Xianchu, and the 1st Army Corps of the People's Army fought together. 68 kilometers to the north organize defenses and resolutely resist the enemy's attack towards Seoul; Deng Hua, the deputy commander of the Volunteer Army, commands the 39th, 40th, 42nd, and 66th Armies of the Volunteer Army (referred to as the Deng Group) and the frontline commander of the People's Army Officer Jin Xiong commanded the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Corps of the People's Army (referred to as the Jin Group) to look for opportunities to counterattack in the Hengcheng area on the eastern front.

On January 25, the enemy was dominated by the U.S. Army on the western front. They concentrated 6 divisions and 3 brigades. With the support of a large number of aviation, artillery, and tank troops, they first launched an attack from Suwon to Yeoju.The 50th Army of the Volunteer Army, the 112th Division of the 38th Army, and the 1st Army Corps of the People's Army relied on temporarily constructed field fortifications to fight against the enemy's attack under the conditions of freezing weather, unfavorable terrain, inferior forces and equipment, and no troops resting. Ferocious attack, repeated scrambles for every point of the hold, the battle is extremely fierce.The enemy is divided into multiple groups every day to attack in turn with the support of a large number of tanks, aircraft, and artillery.The defense forces of the Chinese and Korean People's Armies fought fiercely with them with a high degree of heroism and tenacity.The 50th Army of the Volunteer Army fought fiercely for 10 consecutive days and nights from January 25 to February 3. It fought tenaciously with the determination to not hesitate to sacrifice and never retreat, and completed the task of holding on to the first defensive position. On January 31, the Volunteer Army Command issued an order to praise the army, especially the 148th Division, saying that they fought fiercely for several days, held their positions bravely and tenaciously, and fought repeatedly, showing a high degree of internationalism and patriotism.The 7th Company of the 443rd Regiment was at the Gushali position on the 29th, repelling 8 attacks by 1 company to 1 battalion of the US Army under the cover of 8 tanks, 8 aircraft, and more than 10 artillery pieces, killing and injuring more than 200 enemies .On the 29th, the 8th Company of the 444th Regiment repelled 4 attacks by 1 US battalion with the cooperation of 5 tanks, more than 10 aircraft, and more than 10 artillery pieces at the Suda Yili position on the 29th.The company held its position in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy when its ammunition ran out.

On February 5th, the "United Nations Army" used more than 100 aircraft, more than 200 tanks and a large number of artillery in front of its three divisions to attack the Han River violently.The commanders and fighters in various positions of the Volunteer Army fought against the enemy with a more heroic and tenacious spirit.From the fierce battle until February 7, our army stopped the enemy in the area of ​​Neifei Mountain, Wenheng Mountain, Wujia Mountain, and Yangzi Mountain south of the Han River, making it only advance 18 kilometers in 14 days and nights, and paid a heavy price of casualties.At this time, the Han River had begun to thaw, and the combat area south of the Han River was narrow.In order to avoid fighting with their backs, the Korean Group withdrew the main force of the 50th Volunteer Army in the west section of the Han River to organize defenses on the north bank of the Han River on the night of the 7th, leaving a force to stick to the bridgehead position on the south bank. Stay in the south of the Han River to stick to the original position and continue to clamp down on the enemy's main offensive group to ensure the smooth progress of the counterattack on the eastern front.At the same time, the main force of the 1st Army Corps of the People's Army also withdrew to the north bank of the Han River to continue its defense.The next day, the US army approached the Han River and occupied Incheon on the 10th.

At the same time, with the support of a large number of artillery, tanks, and aircraft, the enemy violently attacked the positions of the 38th Volunteer Army that continued to stand on the south bank of the Han River.At this time, after more than 10 days of fighting, the various units of the army were even more in short supply of food, and the living conditions of "a handful of fried noodles and a handful of snow" were unsustainable; ammunition was also very scarce, so they had to save the use of bullets abandoned by the enemy and pack them up. Or use shovels and stones as weapons to fight against the enemy; the fortifications that were repaired overnight were destroyed in a few minutes, and there were no fortifications to rely on during the battle, and the casualties increased.However, the commanders and fighters of the 38th Army still fought bravely with the determination of "people are in the position, and vow to live and die with the position".Every position has to be fought repeatedly with the enemy, and some positions are lost and lost as many as five or six times.The 3rd Company of the 337th Regiment of the 113th Division repelled multiple attacks from several companies to 3 battalions of the U.S. Army within 3 days, killing more than 260 enemies.The soldier Jiang Shifu continued to fight with his legs injured, and finally fired a grenade and died with several enemies who tried to capture him alive.The 1st Battalion of the 342nd Regiment of the 114th Division stuck to the 350.3 highland north of Jing'anli and fought continuously for 7 days and nights.The battalion commander Cao Yuhai and the instructor Fang Xin went wherever the battle was fierce. Their exemplary actions inspired the entire battalion commanders and fighters, and their fighting spirit became higher and higher.Cao Yuhai was shot and died while reorganizing the defense.When the enemy attacked the position, Fang Xin rushed towards the enemy with a chasing shell in his arms, and died together with the enemy.The roar of "revenge for the battalion commander and instructor" on the battlefield became one.The soldier Shen Deen was injured in his left eye. He said that he can still aim with his right eye, and he will stick to it as long as he has a breath.After his right arm and left leg were broken again, he still couldn't get out of the line of fire.Tu Jin, the squad leader, was wounded on the head, bleeding all over his face. He still charged around with his submachine gun, and finally shot the submachine gun against his chest with one arm until he died.When there were only 4 people left in the 3rd company of the battalion, they repelled the enemy 7 times. The company commander Zhao Lianshan charged at an enemy who rushed to the position with a shell gun without bullets. The enemy was so frightened that he rolled down the mountain. On February 10, the Volunteer Army Command issued a notice saying that the 38th Army held its position bravely and tenaciously on the south bank of the Han River, and dealt heavy blows to the enemy with continuous counterattacks.The leadership of the Volunteer Army awarded Xu Liancai, Jiang Shifu, Cao Yuhai, Fang Xin, and Zhao Lianshan the title of combat hero.

On the Eastern Front, the "United Nations Army" focused on the South Korean Army on January 31, and concentrated 8 divisions from the Wonju and Wuling areas to attack in the direction of Dipingli, Hengcheng, and Chuncheon.The forward troops of the Chinese and North Korean People's Army immediately blocked it.The blocking battle on the Eastern Front was the same as the defensive defense on the Western Front, and the fighting was also fierce.Among them, the 198th Division of the Volunteer Army fought bloody battles with the enemy on Wuyin Mountain and repeatedly charged. During the five days and nights from February 6th to 11th, it repelled the repeated attacks of the 8th Division of South Korea and wiped out more than 1,500 enemies. It was the main counterattack Favorable conditions have been created. On February 7, when Wang Rong, a soldier from the 2nd Company of the 594th Regiment of the division, fell to the 330 Heights in front of Wuyin Mountain, he led two combat teams to regain the position, and repelled the enemy's repeated attacks in 3 days and nights, killing and injuring the enemy. More than 150 people.After Wang Rong died, he was recorded as a special meritorious service. On the 10th, the 330th highland fell again. Li Hai, the platoon leader of the 5th company of the regiment, led 5 soldiers to regain the position again, and consolidated the position after repelling the enemy's repeated attacks.Wuyin Mountain, which the division sticks to, is praised as "the hero's position and the mountain of steel". While the Volunteer Army and the People's Army on the Eastern Front were launching defenses, the main forces of the 39th, 40th, and 66th Volunteer Army left Goyang, Dongduchuan, Jinhua, and Jincheng areas on February 5 and 6, respectively. The area south of Hongchuan moved quickly, preparing for a counterattack.As of February 9, the "United Nations Army" on the eastern front had entered the line of Topping, Hengcheng, Xiazhenfuli, and Jiangling, and the 8th, 5th, and 3rd divisions of the South Korean Army had advanced to about 10 kilometers north of Hengcheng The posture is prominent and the wings are exposed.The Chinese and North Korean People's Armies are determined to take advantage of this favorable opportunity to annihilate the enemy by adopting a frontal breakthrough and double-wing detour tactics. At 17:00 on February 11, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army started a campaign counterattack as scheduled.After the 42nd Army of the Deng Group broke through, the 124th Division quickly captured Shangwu'anli and 531 Highlands, and continued to attack Fuzuo Cave and Guangtian; the 117th Division attacked northwest of Hengcheng, advancing more than 30 kilometers overnight. The retreat of the South Korean 8th Division northwest of Hengcheng was cut off, creating a favorable situation for annihilating the enemy; the 125th Division entered Huiyan Peak southwest of Hengcheng at 8:00 on the 12th and intercepted the fleeing enemy from the direction of Hengcheng one part.The 40th Army launched an assault from the front to the enemy.After the 118th Division of the army broke through, it quickly split the deployment of the 8th Division of South Korea with brave actions, and went out to Guangtian, Biheshan, and Xiacaoyuanli areas before 9:00 on the 12th; Zhifeng and other places contained the enemy in front of them and supported the 118th Division to develop in depth. After the 198th Division of the 66th Army broke through Wuyin Mountain, it wiped out part of the enemy. Peak blocked.At this time, under the fierce attack of our army, the 8th Division of South Korea was completely disrupted in battle formation and was forced to flee in the direction of Hengcheng. On the 12th, our 117th Division and 118th Division surrounded most of the South Korean 8th Division in the Xiajiayunbeishan and Heguli areas, and the 120th Division and 124th Division also surrounded part of the enemy army in the Guangtian area.After a day of fierce fighting, all three regiments of the 8th Division of South Korea were wiped out.Due to the failure to cut off the enemy's retreat south of Hengcheng, part of the US 2nd Division, the South Korean 8th Division and most of the South Korean 3rd Division were able to escape in the Hengcheng area. The Jin Group launched an attack on the enemies in the Fudongli, Huatianli, and Tongshan areas from Quancunli and Xiaqintaili in the northeast of Hengcheng. On the 13th, it entered the Heguli and Xia'anxingli areas in the southeast of Hengcheng and wiped out The South Korean Army's 3rd and 5th Divisions each supported the Deng Group's counterattack. In the Hengcheng counterattack, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army chose the South Korean 8th Division, which was in a prominent situation and was in motion, as the first target to be annihilated, and concentrated four times the enemy's superior force, adopting a multi-layer encirclement deployment in shallow, near and deep depths , implemented a long-distance advance, and launched an attack suddenly, so the encirclement was achieved overnight and the enemy was disrupted.During the daytime of the next day, taking advantage of the enemy's chaos, they boldly and resolutely carried out tactical division and encirclement, and achieved the effect of quickly annihilating the enemy.During the battle, the volunteer army and the people's army marched lightly and interspersed bravely, once again showing their power.Among them, the 352nd Regiment of the 118th Division of the 40th Army of the Volunteer Army launched an attack from Xinfali in the southeast of Yangdeyuanli, and the attack on Guangtian was the most prominent.On the night of the 11th, the regiment walked along the path, stepped on the snow, climbed a 700-meter high mountain, broke through the enemy's blockade 4 times, traveled 30 kilometers, and arrived in Guangtian on time; at 9 o'clock on the 12th, controlled Hong (chuan) Yuan ( State) highway, resolutely prevented the enemy from fleeing south, wiped out a large number of enemies, captured more than 1,100 enemies (more than 300 US troops), seized more than 140 cars, 24 various guns, and destroyed 4 tanks.The division was commended by the Volunteer Army leadership. The counterattack in the Hengcheng area ended on the morning of the 13th. A total of 3 regiments of the 8th Division of the South Korean Army, one unit of the 3rd and 5th Divisions, one battalion of the 2nd Division of the US Army and some artillery units were wiped out, totaling more than 12,000 troops. people, including more than 7,800 prisoners.At this time, the enemy troops on the eastern front were forced to withdraw to the front lines of Wonju, Yeongwol, Pyeongchang, and Jeongseon, except for the troops in Topyeong-ri that were still in place. Regarding this battle in the Hengcheng area, Li Qiwei wrote in his memoirs: "We were forced to abandon some areas. In the face of the attack of the Chinese Communist army, the US 2nd Division once again bore the brunt and suffered heavy losses, especially the artillery damage. The losses were even more serious. These losses were mainly caused by the hasty retreat of the South Korean 8th Division, which completely collapsed in the face of an enemy night attack, leaving the flank of the US 2nd Division exposed. suffered heavy losses, they often have a very fearful mentality towards the CCP soldiers, and almost regard them as heavenly soldiers and generals. If the CCP soldiers wearing rubber-soled shoes suddenly appear on the South Korean army positions, they will always regard many South Korean soldiers as soldiers. The soldiers were so frightened that they ran for their lives without looking back." After the Hengcheng counterattack, the Chinese and Korean People's Armies determined to wipe out the 23rd Regiment of the 2nd Division of the US Army and the French Battalion in Topyeong-ri, seize the enemy in Wonju, and at the same time develop towards Pyeongchang and Yeongwol with a force. On the evening of the 13th and 14th, the Deng Group concentrated the forces of 6 regiments to attack the defenders in Topingli.Due to the relatively complete fortifications built by the defenders, they were underestimated based on their tenacious resistance, so they rushed into battle.In addition, the troops participating in the attack had many organizations, poor coordinated actions, few artillery pieces, and insufficient ammunition. Therefore, even after two nights of attack, the battle could not be resolved.At this time, the enemy's reinforcements have arrived, and the enemy in Yuanzhou has also concentrated.In view of the lost opportunity of annihilating the enemy, the Chinese and North Korean people's troops stopped their offensive on the evening of the 15th and gradually moved north.After the counterattack in Hengcheng, the People's Army Kim Corps launched an offensive to the southeast, regained Pyeongchang, approached Jeongseon, and effectively cooperated with the frontal battle.After the Toppingli battle ended, the Jin Group also gradually moved northward. In the previous stage of the battle, although the Chinese and North Korean people's armies won the victory, they did not wipe out many enemies, and it was not enough to stop the enemy's attack. It is estimated that the enemy will continue to invade the north after a slight rectification.At that time, the front-line troops of the Chinese and Korean People's Armies were very tired, with fewer troops and difficulties in supplying materials. The strategic reserve team was marching to the predetermined area, but had not yet arrived.Therefore, on February 17, the Chinese and North Korean People's Army transferred to mobile defense across the board, preparing to buy two months to gather troops, improve transportation, and hoard combat supplies. When the enemy penetrated deep, put the Han River behind it and then counterattack.The defensive deployment is as follows: the first echelon deploys 8 armies, starting from the mouth of the Han River in the west, along the north bank of the Han River, passing through Yangping, Zhongyuan Mountain, Hengcheng, Fengshan Mountain, Jiufeng to Xiazhenfuli area, forming the first line of defensive positions .The second echelon deployed 3 armies and 1 division, starting from Wenshan in the west, passing through Yizheng, Zhujinshan, Qingyushan, Zuofangshan, the north bank of Hongchuan River to Hongchuan and Fengyanli areas, forming the second defensive position . On February 19, the enemy first launched an attack on the eastern front, and the Chinese and North Korean people's troops fought back and forth, delaying the attack.The enemy's progress was slow. On March 6, they began to advance to the Yangping, Hengcheng, Xiasonghama and Jiangling lines on the east coast, and evened the eastern front with the western front of Hanjiang River.At this time, the enemy had completed preparations for crossing the river on the western front. On March 7, the 25th Division of the United States crossed the Han River in Niuchuanli and Badangli near the confluence of the North and South Han Rivers in two routes.Our 50th and 38th armies immediately blocked the enemy's advance at Taoguli, Lifeng Mountain, Yunji Mountain, and Furong Mountain.At the same time, the U.S. 9th Army and a part of the 10th Army, which were in the middle of the battle line, also stormed the positions of our 42nd and 66th Army on the line from Zhongyuan Mountain to Guoshifeng northeast of Hengcheng, and fought at Huacai Peak and Zhongyuan Mountain. most intense. During this stage of combat, the troops I was in charge of defended fought very bravely and tenaciously. Some companies did not evacuate their positions until the last battle, but they were not flexible enough in tactics.For this reason, the joint headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army and the Volunteer Army Command issued successive instructions, requiring commanders at all levels to study the enemy's offensive characteristics well and improve our tactics, and clearly stated: Our operational policy is " Actively defend, fortify in depth, use good terrain (mountains, rivers) to block the enemy, delay and kill the enemy, and gain time to wait for the arrival of follow-up troops to launch a campaign counterattack"; at the same time, it is pointed out that active defense in battle should be tactically The method of combining blocking and counterattack step by step.In addition, according to the characteristic that the enemy must use its superior artillery, tank and aviation firepower to bombard our position first before attacking our positions, and then the infantry will attack. The principle of light and heavy rear", pointed out: "In modern combat, especially when the enemy's air force and artillery are dominant, the principle of active defensive operations must be to control key points, shelter and evacuation, wide depth, light front and heavy rear." "The firepower organization should focus on anti-tank and killing enemy infantry", and "it is advisable to assign infantry firearms to the front echelon as much as possible to strengthen frontal firepower."These principles are what was later said: the principle of "the front is light and the rear is heavy when the troops are equipped, and the firearms are equipped with the front and the back". In order to save troops, reduce casualties, shorten the supply line and maintain the initiative, our first echelon armies will gradually move north according to the scheduled plan starting from March 10, and withdraw to Gaoyang, Uijungovernment, and Qing Dynasty in 4 to 5 days. From the north bank of Pingchuan and Hongchuan River to Fengyanli line, it will be replaced by the second echelon army. From March 12th, my second echelon began to contact the enemy.By March 14, the enemy advancing from both sides of the Han River cut off the road from Chuncheon to Seoul, and the enemy advancing towards the Hongcheon River had already occupied Hongcheon. The line between Xianli and Xiazhenfuli.In order to gain the initiative, our army waited to wipe out the enemy, and voluntarily withdrew from Seoul on the morning of the 14th, and the enemy occupied Seoul on the 15th. After switching to mobile defense on February 17, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army took advantage of the mountainous terrain and the warm and rainy weather in spring to nimbly and flexibly block the attack. They traded space for time and gained the initiative from passivity.Although the enemy occupied some places, they suffered heavy casualties and suffered enough.Ridgway wrote in his memoirs that although Seoul was recaptured or some new areas were captured, "the operation was not fully successful because the enemy's rapid retreat to the north was only a blocking battle. Weather and The terrain presented us with greater difficulties than the enemy's actions, especially in the central region, where the peaks plunge into the sky and the steep slopes drop down into valleys almost impenetrable to carts. We had to surround the strong fortifications on the desolate hills and launch a charge to capture them." "The melting snow and rain in spring made the roads as muddy as rice fields, so that supplies had to be carried by soldiers on their shoulders. The front line The troops were maintained there with minimal necessities until they were airdropped with supplies." American RM Potts also wrote about the battle in his book "Korean War Decisions": "The eighth Some officers of the group army believe that the Chinese army is better at defense than the well-known offensive. They are very good at concealment and camouflage, and a whole division can disappear from people's eyes in the barren mountains. Their retreat is also The retreat was very neat, and the rear guard was rarely trapped. Although they did not hesitate to stop the movement of the Allied forces at all costs, they still used logs and stones to build tunnels and bunkers along the mountain ridges to resist bombs and heavy artillery bombardment and reduce casualties When retreating, they often left some small raiding troops on the mountains on both sides of the main Allied advance route. These troops often came out at night to attack and make trouble, and sometimes gave people the illusion of a counterattack.” In order to create favorable conditions for the next battle The Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the Korean People's Army Joint Command decided on March 14th the starting position for our army's next campaign based on the advance of the Volunteer Army's second entry into North Korea and the terrain near the north of the "38th Parallel". From Changyuan on the west coast in the west, to Xinyuanli, Baichuanli, Louchuanli, Shuoning, Shibaura, Huachuan, Yangkou, Inje, and Xiangyang in the east.In order to control the starting position of this attack and allow our newly-introduced corps time to prepare for combat, all defensive units are required to block the enemy from the second line of defense positions to the "38th line" for 20 to 25 days, that is, by the end of March and the beginning of April ;From the "38th Parallel" to my planned starting position for the attack, I will fight for another 20 to 30 days. After March 16, the enemy continued to gradually advance by adopting "main forces moving closer", "equal development" and "magnetic tactics", attempting to rely on its mechanized equipment and superior firepower to wage a war of attrition with us.On the broad front, our army adopts key fortifications, echelon configurations, guards the key points, and controls the deployment of the surface with points. And other means, relying on each position to block the enemy step by step, killing and consuming the enemy in large quantities. On March 23, the enemy occupied the front lines of Goyang, Uijeongbu, Gapyeong, Chuncheon, Wayeri, and Zhumunjin, and with more than a hundred sorties of aircraft, the 187th US Airborne Regiment (about 4,000 people and a small number of tanks and artillery) was airborne on Munsan. area in an attempt to cut off the retreat of the 1st Army Corps of the People's Army, which is moving backward.At the same time, the 1st Division of South Korea attacked Wenshan.The main force of the 1st Army Corps of the People's Army had withdrawn to the north of the Linjin River at this time, and the troops still in the south of the Yangtze River immediately organized a resistance, but the enemy's attempt failed. On the 28th, when the enemy attacked Wangfang Mountain, they used helicopters for the first time, carrying more than 30 infantry, and landed behind our position, capturing the positions of our two squads.On that day, the troops of the 26th Army guarding Qifeng Mountain and Hailong Mountain competed with the enemy 11 times repeatedly, killing more than 1,000 enemies, and created a model battle example in which a squad destroyed 9 enemy tanks with anti-tank grenades. From the end of March to the beginning of April, the Chinese and North Korean people's troops gradually moved to the area north of the "38th Parallel" and continued to block the sluggish enemy's attack. In early April, the "United Nations Army" crossed the "38th Parallel" and entered the so-called "Kansas Line" around April 10, which started from the mouth of the Han River in the west, along the Linjin River, and passed north of the "38th Parallel" Nearby area to Xiangyang line.During this period, the 40th Army of the Volunteer Army fought against the attacks of the U.S. Army, the British Army, and the South Korean Army in the north of Chuncheon and south of Jinhua. It fought a total of more than 190 battles and wiped out more than 5,000 enemies.During the battle of the 40th Army, some commanders and fighters in the positions fought to the last bullet, showing the heroic spirit of vowing to live and die with the positions.Cao Qinggong, the deputy squad leader of the 1st company of the 360th regiment, was seriously injured three times, and when he was the only one left in the position, he repelled the enemy's 1 platoon's three attacks, and finally died with the enemy; the squad leader of the third company of the 358th regiment, Wang The style of study threw the last grenade at the enemy after he ran out of bullets and was seriously injured, and jumped off the cliff to make a heroic sacrifice; when the deputy squad leader Liu Weihan had only one grenade, he held up the smoking grenade and resolutely rushed to the enemy who had climbed up the position. enemy group.The leading organ of the Volunteer Army gave the three martyrs posthumous meritorious service and posthumously awarded the title of first-class combat hero. On April 15, the strategic reserve team of the Chinese People's Volunteers entered the DPRK and assembled in Yichuan, Cheorwon, and Pingkang. The region is assembled.At this time, the enemy had already detected the arrival of the strategic reserves of the Chinese and North Korean People's Armies. Therefore, except for continuing offensive operations in the Cheorwon and Kimhwa areas, the enemy basically stopped attacking in other areas. In order to lure the enemy to the predetermined battlefield for easy attack, the Chinese and North Korean people's troops actively adjusted their deployment while allowing the enemy to continue to advance.As of April 21, the enemy was pinned down at Kaesong, Changtan, Golangpo-ri, Wenhui-ri, Huachuan, Yangkou, Yuantong-ri, and Ganseong. The second battle ended. This battle lasted 87 days, and our army wiped out more than 78,000 enemies, causing the enemy to pay an average of 900 casualties every day before advancing 1.3 kilometers. In the fourth battle, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army were forced to immediately switch to defensive operations when they were preparing to launch a spring offensive after two months of rest.The reason for this situation is mainly due to the underestimation of the role played by the enemy's modern technology and equipment in the war, that is, the rapid replenishment, the rapid adjustment of deployment, and the rapid transition from retreat to large-scale offensive.At the same time, this battle lasted for nearly three months, and it was carried out under more difficult conditions than the previous three battles. The logistics supply was even more difficult, which also brought adverse effects on the operation.However, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army quickly identified the enemy's intentions and took measures to gain the initiative from passivity.In terms of combat guidance, we adopt the strategy of holding the defense on the western front to hold back the enemy's main offensive group, and on the eastern front, let the enemy advance in a planned way, and concentrate the main force to counterattack when the situation becomes prominent and the flanks are exposed, in order to shake the enemy's strength. Offensive position.When the counterattack is successful and the in-depth development is hindered and the enemy's attack cannot be broken, it will be transferred to the full-line mobile defense in a timely manner, and the space is exchanged for time. After the strategic reserve team is assembled, it will be transferred to the offensive.The Volunteer Army and the People's Army flexibly used combat styles such as defensive defense, campaign counterattack, and mobile defense to closely combine mobile warfare with positional warfare. The victory of the battle was won, time was gained, the assembly of the strategic reserve team was covered, and favorable conditions were created for the next battle.