Chapter 11 Chapter 10: The Fifth Battle of Exterminating the Enemy's Viable Forces in Mass

At the end of January 1951, the "United Nations Army" led by the United States resumed its offensive on the Korean battlefield. In late March, after paying a heavy price, it advanced the front to the area near the "38th Parallel".At this time, the United States, Britain, France and other countries that invaded and participated in the war against Korea, as well as within the ruling group of the United States, disagreed again on whether the "United Nations Army" would cross the "38th Parallel" again and how to end the Korean War. Britain, France and other countries were afraid of suffering greater losses, and were afraid of being involved in the invasion of Korea for a long time, weakening the power of Western Europe, losing the strategic balance of power with the Soviet Union, and affecting the stability of Europe.They believe that the return of the "United Nations Army" to the "38th Parallel" is the "psychological opportunity" to end the Korean War, and advocate the establishment of a "de facto ceasefire" at the "38th Parallel" in order to seek to end the war through negotiations. MacArthur, the commander-in-chief of the "United Nations Army", insisted on resolving the North Korean issue by military means until a "unified North Korea" under the control of the United States was established, and they even did not hesitate to expand the war of aggression to China for this purpose.The political leaders of the U.S. government and Congress believed that the entry of the Chinese People’s Volunteers into North Korea had fundamentally changed the situation of the Korean War.Not only that, the protracted Korean War will definitely weaken the position of the United States in Europe and affect the strategic deployment of the United States to achieve global hegemony of "Europe first, Asia second".They painfully "look back on those dark days in December 1950", fearing with lingering fear that "the Chinese have assembled in Manchuria...much more reserve troops than the United Nations Army...have yet to fight"; worried about the protracted war, The enthusiasm and "determination" of the US allies when they invaded North Korea are disappearing; "American citizens who have never been enthusiastic about the Korean War are becoming increasingly sober"; therefore, "For the United States, military action alone cannot satisfactorily resolve the North Korean issue." ".After consultations with Britain, France and other countries, it was decided not to expand the scope of the war, and steadily advance to the north of North Korea. After occupying favorable areas, it is based on the "strength policy", or conducts diplomatic negotiations with China and North Korea, or continues. Its military actions to maintain America's position in Asia.

According to this policy of the U.S. government, the enemy invaders crossed the "38th Parallel" again in early April, and planned to land from the side and back to cooperate with the frontal attack, pushing the front line to the 39th parallel north latitude and the area north of it. Establish a new line of defense at the waist of the peninsula (that is, the line from Wonsan to Pyongyang).The enemy believes that this line has a narrow front (170 kilometers) and favorable terrain. It is also the hinterland of northern North Korea. It can be attacked militarily and defended when retreating. Politically, it can obtain a favorable position for negotiation.

On March 20, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff telegraphed the U.S. government's policy on the war of aggression against Korea and Truman's upcoming policy statement to MacArthur.The statement declared that "it is ready to discuss the conditions for resolving the North Korean issue" and that "before the army advances north of the 38th parallel, further diplomatic efforts should be made to achieve reconciliation."However, "until a satisfactory deployment to end the fighting is achieved, UN military operations must continue".Truman's statement had not yet been published. On March 24, MacArthur ignored Truman's order and issued a statement in Tokyo, loudly clamoring to expand the war, so as to influence the US government's Asia policy and carry out new military intimidation against the Chinese people.MacArthur's statement did not frighten the Chinese people, but it caused confusion among the US ruling group and the countries that invaded Korea and participated in the war.Truman believed that MacArthur's statement was a "flagrant defiance of the orders issued by the President and the Supreme Commander", a "challenge to the power of the President, and a contempt for the policy of the United Nations".Britain, France and other countries demanded clarification from the United States, and even protested.Under such circumstances, Truman revoked all MacArthur's positions on April 11, appointed Matthew Ridgway as the commander-in-chief of the US Far East Army and the commander-in-chief of the "United Nations Army", and James Van Fleet as the commander-in-chief of the US 8th Army .

At the beginning of April, the "United Nations Army" crossed the "38th Parallel" and attacked northward frantically. At the same time, it bombed our rear with unprecedented violence. The enemy navy also stepped up shelling and reconnaissance activities against our east coast ports and coastal islands.In the middle of the year, the enemy discovered the build-up of the Volunteer Army's strategic reserve team. After judging that the Chinese and North Korean troops might launch an offensive in late April or early May, except for the western front that maintained the offensive in the Cheorwon and Jincheng areas, the central and eastern fronts temporarily switched to defense and stepped up their efforts. Prepared for side rear landing operations.

At this time, the ground combat forces of the "United Nations Army" consisted of 6 armies, 17 divisions, 3 brigades and 1 regiment, with a total of more than 340,000 people.Its first-line force consists of 12 divisions and 2 brigades; its second-line and rear forces consist of 5 divisions, 1 brigade, and 1 regiment, which are located in Chuncheon, Suwon, Wonju, and Daejeon.The 40th and 45th divisions of the American Civil Guard have been transferred from the mainland of the United States to Japan, and they will form the 16th Army with the 34th U.S. Regiment in Japan, ready to be used in the Korean battlefield.Its first-line deployment: the U.S. First Army is located on both sides of the Linjin River and the east and west areas of Lianchuan; the U.S. Ninth Army is located in the east of Lianchuan to the Huachuan area; Yuantongli and Gancheng areas.

After the victory in the Hengcheng counterattack, our army prepared for a new counterattack in order to gather troops, and carried out extremely difficult defensive operations for more than two months.This action was carried out on the basis of Chairman Mao Zedong's incisive analysis of the Korean War situation on March 1.Chairman Mao pointed out: According to the combat experience in January and February, three armies of ours were heavily damaged in the battle north of Hamhung and were engaged in rest and reorganization. As a result, there were only six armies fighting on the front line, which was greatly reduced and was not replenished.Because I have no reserve force, I can't expand the results of the battle when the battle is won, and I can't fight the enemy's reinforcements when the enemy reinforces.At the same time, our army is advancing southward, the rear line is long, and supply is very difficult, so we should stay on the garrison.Therefore, under the condition that the enemy has not been wiped out in large numbers and we have no air force cover, if we chase the enemy and retreat southward too early, it will not be good for us to divide and annihilate the enemy.In view of this situation, before my second unit arrives at the front line in early April, I should refrain from launching a campaign attack when the enemy's army still has an advantage over us.Chairman Mao proposed: If the enemy forces us to fight, let the enemy enter the north and south areas of the "38th Parallel", and start a new powerful battle after the 9 armies of our second volunteer army have arrived. At the beginning of April, the second unit of our Volunteer Army began to assemble on the front line from the domestic and northern Hamhung area of ​​North Korea, striving to have 9 to 11 volunteer armies, 7 to 8 artillery divisions, and 3 to 5 tanks in the new counterattack campaign About 550,000 to 600,000 people from the regiment and 2 to 3 regiments of the People's Army participated in the battle.At the same time, our logistics force has also increased to 180,000 people. Although great efforts have been made in logistics support, the enemy's air assaults have become more frenzied. Therefore, the supply situation has not improved, and we can only guarantee the minimum supply, which cannot meet combat needs.

At the beginning of April, the enemy did not stop on the "38th Parallel" and continued to invade the north. On April 6, the Volunteer Army Committee of the Communist Party of China held the fifth enlarged meeting, focusing on studying and deciding on the issue of holding the fifth campaign.At the meeting, Commander Peng Dehuai conveyed the war guidelines of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chairman Mao Zedong on "preparing for a long-term war and striving for a short-term as much as possible", and pointed out: the current War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea is still in a difficult and tense stage.In order to eliminate several divisions of the "United Nations Army", shatter their side landing plan, and regain the initiative, the meeting decided to take advantage of the opportunity of entering the north and south areas of the "38th Parallel" before the enemy's landing was not stable, and implement a new campaign counterattack.In terms of campaign guidance, Commander Peng Dehuai proposed; according to the fact that the enemy's battle layout only has tactical depth and its main force comes from the horizontal direction, the policy of combining campaign division and encirclement with tactical division and encirclement is adopted, and the 40th Army's battle from Jinhua to The Gaping Line splits the gap in the battle, cooperates with the 39th Army and the 3rd and 5th Corps of the People's Army to split the east and west, and prevents the enemy from east and west reinforcements.Concentrate the 9th, 19th, and 3rd Corps to detour from the east and west wings respectively, combined with frontal assaults, divide and encircle several enemy divisions in the Tokucheon, Yongping, Uijeongbu, and Pocheon areas, and annihilate them one by one.The 38th, 42nd, and 47th armies and the 21st and 6th armies of the People's Army were placed in Suchuan, Wonsan, and Pyongyang to deal with the enemy's side and then land.

In mid-April, after the enemy discovered that our army's strategic reserve team had assembled, they actively consolidated their positions and prepared to resist our army's attack.In order to avoid the enemy's permanent fortification, consolidate the position, and use the advantages of equipment to consume our army before advancing, the Volunteer Army decided to launch an attack early. On the evening of April 22, the assault groups of the Chinese and North Korean armies launched a full-line counterattack against the enemy as planned.The left-wing assault group, under the command of Song Shilun and Tao Yong, the 3 armies of the 9th Corps and the 39th and 40th armies broke through the "United Nations Army" line of defense in one fell swoop.Our army took the opportunity to advance in multiple ways and developed smoothly. On the night of the 23rd, they entered and occupied the Shanghai Feng and Baiyun Mountain areas, annihilating one part each of the 24th Division of the United States and one part of the 6th Division of South Korea, completing the first task. On the 25th, Qingxishan and Zhongbanli areas were occupied. The right wing of the "United Nations Army" is under threat.The 40th Army, which was tasked with splitting the battle, repelled the attack of the 6th Division of South Korea with a brave counterattack. More than 50 vehicles.Afterwards, they went straight into the depths of the enemy in two routes.The 3rd Battalion of the 354th Regiment of the 118th Division was led by Liu Yuzhu, chief of staff of the regiment, and broke through 5 enemy blocks along the way. At noon on the 23rd, it advanced more than 30 kilometers and inserted into Mudong northeast of Gapyeong in advance.At this time, the British 28th Brigade, a regiment of the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division, and two battalions of the Canadian 25th Brigade were maneuvering northwest of Gapyeong to reinforce the British 27th Brigade in Gapyeong.In order to win the overall victory, the 3rd Battalion of the 354th Regiment of the Volunteer Army fought fiercely against the enemy several times, preventing the enemy's western aid. In the early morning of the 24th, the main force of the 40th Army advanced to the vicinity of Gapyeong, and on the 25th they repulsed the enemy and counterattacked many times.A total of more than 2,200 enemies were wiped out, 230 vehicles and more than 60 artillery pieces were seized, and the task of splitting the battle was successfully completed.The 39th Army advanced to the south of Hwacheon, separating the 1st Division of the U.S. Army from the east of the Bukhan River from the west.

The 3rd Corps, which served as the central assault, was commanded by Wang Jinshan and Du Yide to break through the enemy's frontier, and was resisted by the US 3rd Division and the Turkish Brigade. On the 23rd, the Turkish Brigade was defeated and broke through the defense line of the US 3rd Division. On the 24th, the 35th Regiment of the 3rd US Division was surrounded in the Huidong and Asumi areas.Under the cover of a large number of aviation, tanks, and artillery, the enemy broke through and fled south. On the 25th, the 131st Regiment of the 44th Division surrounded a battalion of the 3rd US Division in Daejeon. After 40 minutes of fighting, they wiped out 2 companies of the enemy.Afterwards, the Corps made slow progress in confronting the enemy in the sentinel city and Yongping area.

The 19th Corps and the 1st Corps of the People's Army commanded by Yang Dezhi and Li Zhimin of the right-wing assault group, after clearing away the enemies on the west bank of the Linjin River, the first echelon division bravely braved the enemy's artillery fire and rushed across the 100-meter-wide area in the early morning of the 23rd. , Waist-deep Linjin River.The 188th Division of the 63rd Army quickly occupied the first-line position of the 29th British Brigade, and fought repeatedly with the enemy. The battle was very fierce.The two squads of the 7th Company of the 564th Regiment of the division competed with the British army on a small high ground, and only one soldier, Chen San, remained.With a fearless fighting spirit, he used 5 weapons including a light machine gun and a submachine gun to repel three consecutive attacks by more than 200 enemies, killing and wounding more than 80 enemies, and held his position.The 561st Regiment of the 187th Division crossed the mountains and ridges with an invincible fighting spirit, smashed the enemy's repeated resistance, seized the key point in the south of the Yangtze River, and severed the connection between the British 29th Brigade and the US 3rd Division.After that, the regiment continued to attack the main position of the 29th Brigade of Mocha Shanying.The 64th Army, which was responsible for the roundabout mission of the campaign, broke through the Linjin River. Because the artillery was separated to the north of the Linjin River, no effective artillery support was organized, and the attack on the south bank of the river was blocked.At this time, the two divisions of the 65th Corps of the Second Echelon of the 19th Corps also crossed the Linjin River, causing most of the five divisions to be crowded in a small area of ​​20 square kilometers in the south of the Yangtze River. They were attacked by enemy artillery and aviation, causing heavy casualties. It affected the on-time completion of the task of implementing a detour to the Ui government and annihilating the British 29th Brigade.During this period, the Xianyi Detachment, composed of the Reconnaissance Detachment of the 190th Division of the 64th Army and the 3rd Battalion of the 569th Regiment, after 20 hours of continuous combat, broke through the enemy's obstruction 7 times and captured more than 100 enemies. km, and successfully occupied Dobong Mountain southwest of Uijeongbu.This advance detachment stood on Daofeng Mountain for 3 days and 4 nights, like a sharp knife piercing the enemy's chest, threatening the enemy's left flank. On the 25th, after the 19th Corps adjusted its deployment, it launched a fierce attack on the enemy in front of it at 18:00.After fierce fighting, they captured the main positions of the 1st Division of South Korea and the 29th Brigade of the British Army, and bravely charged in the direction of Uijeongbu.In the pursuit, more than 4,000 people were wiped out, including a part of the South Korean 1st Division, the 1st Battalion of the British 29th Brigade Getest and most of the tank regiment.During the battle of chasing and destroying the 29th British Brigade, Liu Guangzi, a soldier of the 2nd Company of the 561st Regiment, found that many enemies were crowded in the ravine. When entering the enemy group, he yelled "Pay your gun and don't kill".Deterred by the sudden gunshots and shouts, the enemy disarmed and surrendered.Liu Guangzi captured 63 British soldiers alone and won the first-class meritorious service.The 189th Division of the 63rd Army surrounded more than 2,000 people from the 3rd Division of the United States at Tuqiaochang, and only used one battalion to cut off the enemy's retreat. With the support of more than 20 aircraft, the enemy broke through and fled south with more than 80 tanks as the guide.

The "United Nations Army" on the western front was threatened by the Chinese and Korean People's Army's continuous assaults on its two wings, and retreated while fighting.The Chinese and North Korean armies fought continuously for 3 days and nights. Although a battle gap was opened in the direction of Gaping, which posed a serious threat to the enemy's flank, the 64th Army did not complete the campaign detour on time. , did not annihilate the enemy troops organized into regiments and divisions. On the 26th, Commander Peng Dehuai made a report to the Central Military Commission and Chairman Mao Zedong on the development of the campaign and the next battle plan. Starting on the 22nd, all preparations were insufficient.The enemy's troops were deployed close together without any gaps; tactically, when advancing, we stepped at every step, and when retreating, we fought every step of the way; when we penetrated into the enemy's depth, we had to go through serious battles before we could open the gap. Therefore, after three days and nights of fighting, we failed to achieve a detour and cut off the enemy's return route. the plan of.It is estimated that the results of the battle are limited and not enough to break the enemy's landing attempt. (2) North Korea has a narrow terrain, a long coastline, many ports, and the enemy has a powerful navy and air force. These are the convenient conditions for its landing.The enemy has sent a large number of reinforcements to Japan, and the landing attempt in our rear will become more obvious. In the next battle, we must prepare to fight the enemy's landing force.If our army is fighting in North Korea, if it cannot wipe out a large number of enemy landing troops, it will never give up its landing ambition. At the same time, North Korea has a narrow terrain.It is better to use the enemy's landing to isolate its connection, which is conducive to defeating each one. (3) If the enemy lands soon, although we are prepared, it is still difficult for us to deal with the two-front battle. If we can delay the enemy's landing for a month to one and a half months, our army will be able to deal with the two-front battle at the same time. (4) According to the above, in this battle, the main force of our army should not go too far south.After breaking the enemy's resistance, one corps and two corps of the People's Army are proposed to pursue as far as the 37th parallel north latitude.If the enemy is guarding the Han River and the bridgehead positions in Seoul, our army will monitor and attack them with small units, and send part of the enemy's reserve corps to reinforce the front, delay their landing time, and weaken their landing force in order to annihilate them.The main force of our army is placed on the "38th Parallel" and the area north of it, ready to annihilate the enemy's landing troops, or attack the enemy's frontal counterattack. The Central Military Commission agreed with the above-mentioned operational policy and deployment, and pointed out: Judging from the situation of the enemy fighting and retreating and the previous coastal raids and harassment, the enemy did indeed have an attempt to lure our army to the south and land in the north.However, if the main force of the enemy stops at the "38th Parallel" and the area north of it, and we only have one corps and the People's Army advancing southward, it is estimated that the enemy will still have a period of hesitation before receiving a large number of supplements or reinforcements can be used. Still in a tug of war with me, trying to consume us.If such a situation arises, it will not be detrimental to me.As long as we avoid attrition of the main force and instead attrition and disperse the enemy, it would be desirable to delay the enemy's landing and northward attack so as to facilitate our various preparations.But at present, we should prepare for the enemy's landing soon, so as not to be passive. In accordance with the above spirit, on the 26th, our army on the western front continued to attack the enemy in depth and occupied the enemy's second-line positions from Jinping Mountain to Gapyeong. On the 28th, the right-wing assault group approached Seoul. The 19th Infantry Regiment occupied Jinpingshan and Baiyunli areas in the northwest of Seoul.The central and left-wing assault groups occupied Toegyewon-ri, Geumgok-ri, Moshiyu-ri, and Cheongpyeongcheon, which are key points in the north bank of the Han River.The Jin (Xiong) Group of the People's Army clamped down on the enemy on the Eastern Front with active actions.The main enemy forces withdrew to Seoul and organized defenses south of the Bukhan River and Soyang River.The 1st Division of the U.S. Cavalry moved westward to Seoul, and formed a dense fire control zone around Seoul, trying to lure me to attack the city and take the opportunity to kill me in large numbers.Commander Peng Dehuai lost the enemy fighter planes north of Seoul, but after the first stage of operations, the enemy's oblique defense situation appeared from the southwest to the northeast, and the entire eastern front from the east of Belaori to the east coast It is defended by 6 South Korean divisions, and the outstanding situation is conducive to our various annihilation.Under such circumstances, Commander Peng Dehuai, in accordance with the combat policy on the 26th and the spirit of the instructions of the Central Military Commission, in order to continue to annihilate the enemy's vital forces, "resolutely implement the spirit of annihilating more South Korean troops" to isolate and disperse the U.S. forces and create a plan to wipe out the U.S. forces in the future. On the 28th, it was decided to stop the first phase of operations and immediately transfer troops to the Eastern Front. It was determined to target the South Korean Army and concentrate on the Ninth Corps (owed to the 26th Army, attached to the 12th Army) and the People's Army Jin ( Xiong) Group (2nd, 3rd, and 5th Army Corps) launched the second phase of operations in the section from Belaori to Seorak Mountain.So on the 29th, it was decided to stop the offensive and prepare for a new operation.In order to deal with the possible landing of the enemy, the 40th and 26th armies were transferred to the north of Shayuanli and the area north of Pingkang.So far, the first phase of the fifth campaign has come to an end.In this stage of the battle, more than 23,000 enemies were wiped out, a large number of weapons and equipment were seized, an average of 48 kilometers was advanced, and many towns and large areas such as Kaesong and Wenshan were occupied. After the first phase of the battle, the 9th and 3rd Corps moved eastward under the cover of the 39th Army after a little reorganization and supplementation. On May 6, Commander Peng Dehuai, after consultation with the People's Army, decided to concentrate the 9th Corps and the Jin (Xiong) Group of the People's Army on the eastern front. First, wipe out the South Korean 5th, 7th, 3rd, and 9th Divisions in the southeast of Inje County, and then continue to wipe out the South Korean Capital Division and the 11th Division as appropriate.The 3rd Corps (owed to the 12th Army, attached to the 2 divisions of the 39th Army) assaulted Jiucheng Puli, severed the connection between the U.S. Army and the South Korean Army, and prevented the U.S. 10th Army from aiding the West; the 19th Corps and the People's Army on the Western Front Focusing on Seoul, the 1st Army carried out feints on the wide front of the section from Goyang to Gapyeong to clamp down on the main force of the US troops on the western front. On May 8th, Commander Peng Dehuai issued instructions on the second phase of combat guidance, pointing out: several important joints to realize the intention of this campaign, first, the 19th Corps must seriously and actively implement feints in the direction of containment, and will The main force of the U.S. military was attracted to the Western Front; second, the 3rd and 9th Corps effectively concealed our army's intentions, and the enemy must not be discovered in advance that our army moved eastward; The encircled pincers can arrive at the predetermined pincer closing position on time, and quickly achieve two-wing roundabouts, multiple cuts, and layer upon layer encirclement; fourth, the key to mastering fighters and concentrating forces to wipe out the enemy in time lies in the ability of each unit, especially the units that perform the pincer roundabout task. Whether to report the enemy's situation and the location you have arrived in time, and take the initiative to put forward opinions on cooperating to wipe out the enemy, and actively put them into action. On the evening of May 12, our troops on the western front began to feint against the enemies in the Uijeongbu, Seoul, and Chuncheon areas.Li Qiwei was confused by the feint, exclaimed "Seoul is facing a second crisis", and judged that our army was about to launch an offensive on the center line.Then the 7th Division of the United States was transferred, and the 2nd Division of South Korea strengthened the central defense line.At the same time, the 3rd and 9th Corps entered the combat area in secret on the 15th, completing the campaign. At 18:00 on May 16, our assault corps launched a violent assault on the enemy after a brief artillery preparation. The enemy's defense line collapsed. The 5th Army Corps of the People's Army went straight into the depths of the enemy with a devastating momentum. The 5th Company of the 178th Avant-garde Regiment of the 60th Division of the 20th Army, under the leadership of the company commander Mao Zhangmiao, pursued bravely and made continuous assaults. , seized more than 70 vehicles, advanced 30 kilometers, and seized Wumazhi, the key point of the encirclement, in time, opening up the way for the main force to advance.On the morning of the 17th, the main force of the division captured the main points of Houpingli, Meishanli, and Wangshenggu, wiped out more than 500 enemies, and cut off the retreat route of the 3rd and 9th South Korean Divisions in the county area.The 5th Corps of the People's Army also occupied the key points of Dongli Town and Fangtai Mountain in the southeast of the county before noon on the 17th. After the 27th Army broke through the defense of the 7th Division of South Korea, the 79th Division and the 80th Division attacked and wiped out the enemy in Uron-ri, and then attacked in the direction of Wonju-ri.The 81st Division, which was in charge of the roundabout task, did not hesitate to suffer casualties, and was not tempted by the small enemy, and continued to attack and move forward without stopping.The division commander Sun Duanfu personally led the 2nd Battalion of the 242nd Regiment as the leader, along the ravines and dense forests, and drove deep into the enemy at a speed of more than ten miles per small pair.After 18 large and small battles along the way, more than 250 enemies were wiped out. At 5 o'clock on the 17th, they broke into the enemy at a depth of 28 kilometers, seized Yandadong, Zhenqiao, Fangnei, and Shangnanli on time, and cut off the southwest retreat of the enemy in the county.With the cooperation of the 60th Division, the main force of the division defeated the 5th and 7th Divisions of the South Korean Army who had fled south in the Shangnanli area, wiped out the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 8th Regiment of the 7th Division of South Korea, and the 30th Division of the 9th Division. The 3rd Battalion of the Regiment, the 3rd Battalion of the 27th Regiment of the 5th Division and the 3rd Battalion of the 35th Regiment, a total of 5 battalions with more than 3,000 people. The 12th Army attached to the 9th Corps, which was responsible for the roundabout mission of the campaign, broke through the defense of the 5th Division of South Korea, annihilated part of its 5th Division in Sanjuli, and continued to fight with the 2nd US Division and the French Battalion on the north side of Ziyinli. (Before the war, I knew that the Yinli area was the South Korean Army). A fierce battle started.Soldiers Mei Yonghong, Zhang Zaiyun, and Wu Jiande of the 130th regiment cleverly placed minefields and destroyed 7 enemy tanks with rocket launchers and anti-tank grenades.After two days of arduous encirclement and annihilation battles, the two battalions of the 23rd Regiment of the 2nd Division of the United States and most of the French battalion were wiped out.The main force of the 31st Division, which made a detour to the deep and deep Shali area, was blocked by the enemy. Only one regiment detoured from the enemy's left flank and penetrated into the enemy's depth. On the morning of the 18th, the 3rd and 9th Divisions of the South Korean Army in the county area wavered and collapsed, and began to break out to the south and southeast.Our 20th Army went from west to east, and the 5th Army of the People's Army went from east to west, flanking the enemy on both sides, annihilating most of the enemy, capturing all the enemy's heavy equipment, and part of the enemy was scattered in the mountains and forests.The 20th Army of the Volunteer Army and the 5th Army of the People's Army successfully joined forces in the battle of encirclement and annihilation. The commanders and fighters were extremely excited and joyful, hugging and shaking hands warmly, greeting each other and wishing each other victory.Then divide the roads into the mountains to search and suppress the remnants of the enemy.By the 21st, more than 1,000 enemies were captured during the search and suppression.In order to continue to wipe out the enemies fleeing south, the 12th Army, the 27th Army, and a part of the 5th Army Corps of the People's Army advanced to Fengyanli, Xiazhenfuli, and Dongshali on the 20th.However, because the retreat route of the battle was not cut off by us on time, the rout enemy was not surrounded and wiped out, and the remnants of the rout 5th and 7th divisions were still able to deploy their defenses in the areas south of Puli and Fengyanli in Jiucheng; South Korea The Capital Division and the 11th Division planned to withdraw to the Jiangling area for defense.In addition, the US 3rd Division quickly reinforced on the 20th, and successively entered Fengyanli and Xiazhenfuli areas, blocking the gap in the battle.The 8th Division of South Korea transferred Pingchang and Jecheon from Daejeon to the north and established a deep defense line, so the enemy formed a complete defense line connecting east and west.At this time, our army had carried out two consecutive battles within a month, and the troops were quite tired, and supply was also difficult; in addition, the complete divisional formation of the US military was not wiped out in this campaign, and the enemy may still advance northward.Under such circumstances, if our army continues to advance southward, not only will it not be easy to destroy the enemy, but it will only increase the difficulty. It is better to retreat, let the main force rest, wait for work, and look for opportunities to wipe out the enemy.Thus, the second phase of operations ended on the 21st. In this stage of operations, after the 15th Army of the 3rd Corps launched an offensive, the 45th Division captured Shawulangzhi and wiped out more than 200 people from the 2nd Division of the United States.The 44th Division quickly penetrated into the depths of the enemy. On the night of the 18th, the main force of the 38th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the United States was found camping in Daejeon, north of Hongchuan. The enemy retreats and starts a hand-to-hand fight with the enemy.Cui Jiantuan, leader of the 2nd platoon of the 9th company, stabbed to death 6 American soldiers by himself, and killed more than 20 enemies with captured weapons, captured 8 enemies, and was awarded the title of first-class combat hero.After a night of fierce fighting, the 44th Division wiped out most of the US 38th Regiment, killed and injured more than 1,800 enemies, and captured more than 240 enemies, which effectively contained the US troops in front of them. (After the war, in order to commemorate this victory, the Korean people erected a monument on Mount Garri to record the heroic fighting of the volunteers and the fighting friendship of the Chinese and Korean people.) After the 15th Army wiped out most of the 38th Regiment of the United States, it continued to develop in depth. The 2nd Division and the 1st Division of the US Marine War continued to resist, and their progress was blocked.The 180th Division of the 60th Army took active actions to attack the enemy in front of it. On the night of the 19th, it occupied the law office north of Hongchuan, which prevented the US 7th Division from being able to come to the east. The 19th Corps on the Western Front, with 4 divisions, attacked and annihilated the enemies in Goyang, Jinguli, Qingpingchuan, and Shangquanli on the 17th. On the 18th, the 63rd Army crossed the North Han River to the south and captured the key points of Tongfang Mountain and Fengwei Mountain. In the fight against the enemy's counterattack, it wiped out 1 battalion of the U.S. Army and most of the 3 companies of the South Korean Army, effectively clamping down on the enemy on the western front. . On the 20th, in order to reduce our army's pressure on its 9th and 10th armies, the enemy on the western front began to attack the 19th Corps with 3 divisions and 3 brigades of the 1st US Army.The 19th Corps then went on the defensive. In this battle, our army killed and injured more than 23,000 floating enemies.Ridgway said in his memoirs: "Late on the second day after the (Volunteer Army) offensive was launched, the South Korean 5th and 7th Divisions defending the right side of Chuncheon fell apart under the blows of the Chinese." "The 3rd South Korean Army, which suffered a heavy blow when the Chinese attacked, was dismantled." Li Qiwei was most annoyed that the South Korean Army lost a large amount of weapons and equipment. He said: "These discarded weapons should not be taken lightly. These weapons and equipment are enough to equip several complete divisions." In order to improve supplies, strive for the main force to gather rest and supplement, sum up combat experience, and create favorable fighter opportunities in the future, so as to wipe out more enemies, they decided to move the main force of each corps northward to the north and south areas of the "38th Parallel". On May 23, the main force of the Chinese and North Korean troops began to transfer; each corps left one division to one army, and from the position at that time, adopted the method of mobile defense, blocking the enemy step by step, killing and consuming the enemy, buying time, and covering the main force to rest.On that day, the "United Nations Army" took the opportunity to launch a violent counterattack across the board in a planned way with the strength of 13 divisions from 4 armies. The counterattack of the "United Nations Army" is to use the advantages of technical equipment to form a "special team" of motorized infantry, artillery, and tanks. Under the cover of aviation, they violently attack the Chinese and North Korean troops in depth. On the 25th, the main force of the "United Nations Army" was fully launched and advanced steadily northward along the Seoul, Yeoncheon, Chuncheon, Hwacheon, Hongcheon, and Inje highways. The transfer of the Chinese and North Korean people's troops was originally an initiative to return to the division in victory. However, due to the planned organization of the "United Nations Army" in the form of a mechanized "task force" to penetrate and split in depth, the main force was quickly launched to implement a full-line counterattack. Insufficient, so the organizational plan for the transfer is not thorough enough.Some troops serving as mobile defenses needed two days' travel to make lateral movements before they could enter the defensive area; some troops entered the defensive area, but failed to control the key points and roads well and organized effective alternate cover. There is a gap, so that the enemy's "task force" can take advantage of the gap to enter, resulting in a very passive situation in the early stage of the transfer of the Chinese and North Korean people's troops.The 27th Army of the Volunteer Army, the 180th Division of the 60th Army, and the 91st Regiment of the 12th Army were cut off behind the enemy. From the 24th to the 27th, the 27th Army took active actions to block the enemy's attack in Inje and the county area, and dealt a head-on blow to the 2nd Division of the United States, the 187th Airborne Regiment, and the 5th Division of South Korea, stabilizing the situation on the Eastern Front .The 180th Division was in the direction of Chuncheon, and the areas on both sides of the North Han River stubbornly resisted the attacks of the 7th US Division, the 1st Marine Division, and the 6th Division of South Korea. On the 27th, it retreated to the Jiade Mountain area, and suffered heavy losses from the enemy on three sides.The 91st Regiment was not afraid of difficulties, and returned victoriously by detouring north of Xiazhenfuli along the east coast. On the 27th, the Chinese and North Korean People's Armies fought for the initiative, and on the 27th, the Volunteer Army's 63rd, 64th, 15th, 26th, and 20th Army and the People's Army's 5th, 2nd, and 3rd Army Corps, which were on their way to the north, were successively launched. Organize defense in the north and south areas of the "38th Parallel". From the 28th to the 30th, the 65th Army launched a powerful counterattack against the 1st Army that attacked Yeoncheon, and the 20th Army launched a powerful counterattack against the 9th Army that occupied the Hwacheon area, annihilating part of the enemy, and regained Hwacheon. On June 1, the four armies of the Volunteer Army formed a deep defense line at Xinmu, Jixiong Mountain, and Heiyun Tuling.With the victory of the counterattack and the completion of the defensive deployment across the board, the counterattack of the "United Nations Army" was stopped. On June 10, the Chinese and North Korean troops voluntarily withdrew from Cheorwon and Jinhua, and stabilized the front line on the 38th parallel, and the nearby Wenshan, Lianchuan, Cheorwon, Jinhua, Yangkou, and Mingpori lines.Both warring parties turned to defense, so far, the fifth battle ended with victory. In this battle, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army invested a total of 15 armies (corps) in the battle for 50 days, and achieved a major victory in annihilating more than 82,000 enemies. The plan to build a new line of defense around North Korea's waist has regained the initiative on the battlefield. The Chinese and North Korean People's Army also paid a considerable price in this battle (more than 85,000 casualties).In this campaign, although the infantry of the Chinese and North Korean people's troops has a great advantage, and the artillery, tank units and logistical support have also been partially strengthened, the situation of the disparity in technical equipment has not changed. There is still no freedom of movement during the day, and the mobility of the troops and the supply of the rear are limited. However, it is still difficult to give full play to its combat effectiveness.This battle has further proved that under such circumstances, it is difficult to wipe out the enemy's heavy army group.The key to solving the North Korean issue is to wipe out a large number of the enemy's vital forces. This will take time, a gradual transition from small annihilation wars to large-scale annihilation wars, and a process of improving equipment, improving combat skills, and completing the growth and decline of the enemy and our forces.Based on this, the Chinese and North Korean People's Armies have made adjustments in their strategic policy, with the guiding ideology of fighting small annihilation battles and "zero-knocking brown sugar" as their guiding ideology, gradually changing from mobile warfare to positional warfare. After this contest, the "United Nations Army" also re-evaluated the strength of the Chinese and Korean people's troops. In front of the powerful Chinese and Korean people, J. Laudon Collins, the then chief of staff of the US Army and the Army representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came up Will have to admit: "The turbulent ups and downs of the Korean War in the spring of 1951 have clearly shown that no matter which side will win a decisive military victory", "We admit for the first time that for the United States, military action alone cannot Satisfactory solution to the North Korean issue." After the fifth battle, the "United Nations Army" had to switch to strategic defense and accept armistice negotiations.Since then, there has been a two-year strategic stalemate on the Korean battlefield.