Chapter 62 A decision that violated orders saved the 1st Division of the US Marine War

Among the American military officers, it is not that there are no superiors. Known for his calmness and rigor, Oliver, the commander of the 1st Division of the US Marine War?Smith is one of them.With his calmness and prudence, he saved the 1st Marine Division and saved the entire 1st Marine Division from being wiped out on the Korean battlefield. On October 30, General Almond, the commander of the US 1st Army, flew to Wonsan in person to issue a northward mission to the 1st Marine Division.At this time, the army commander was relaxed, strolling, and laughing.When he explained to the officers of the 1st Marine Division how to attack the Changjin Reservoir, he "as if planning a pleasant weekend walk", as if it was a two-day mountain tour.

At this time, ominous news of the defeat of the US military is constantly coming from the front line.Commander Smith looked at the delighted and lovely Commander Almond, and felt a strong doubt in his heart.Relying on the intuition of a soldier, he had a premonition that something was wrong, and he always felt that the Chinese must be waiting for them somewhere in front! He observed that they basically passed through mountain roads.Especially the steep Huangcaoling, with high mountains and dense forests, dangerous terrain, countless sharp turns and winding roads, the south side of the mountain is a cliff, and vehicles cannot go up at all, so it is a good place to fight.

If the Chinese are lurking somewhere ahead, my goodness, we're not stewed! But he, the teacher, was powerless at this time, unable to refute.Because it's just a hunch, not the facts.The most important thing is that Commander Almond is already in a half-crazy state at this time. He has fallen into a kind of blind optimism about the Korean War situation like Commander MacArthur. This kind of blind optimism is like Fan Jin in Zhongju. Eight horses plus one mule cannot be pulled back.At this time, Army Commander Almond was eloquent and eloquent, "portraying the current situation as an unstoppable victory, and he is already sure of victory."

When someone puts forward a different view, Commander Almond is "aggressive almost to the point of being unbearable", and there is no doubt at all. Intuition, the intuition of a soldier who cannot convince others, is churning in Mr. Smith's mind.But intuition is just intuition, which neither constitutes logic nor becomes a fact, so it is very weak and cannot convince the military commander at all. It seems that there is only one thing that is really convincing, and that is to not shed tears without seeing the coffin, and let the "result" speak for itself. Don't hit the south wall and don't look back, this Chinese proverb is also applicable to Americans.

Seeing that there was no way to raise objections, the smart and responsible teacher simply stopped nagging and made up his mind within his own authority. He came up with an idea.Near Huangcaoling, there is a place called Xiajieyuli, where he suggested building an airstrip to transport supplies and evacuate the wounded during the battle. Before General Almond finished listening, he widened his eyes and asked sharply, "It's a joke, how could there be so many casualties?" Yes, the U.S. military did not suffer much damage in such a big battle as the Incheon landing!At this time, the old general actually thought that there would be no fighting at all on the way to the Yalu River.He took it for granted that the Chinese were scared out of their wits in front of the U.S. cavalry, so how dare they fight a war!

"He didn't even admit that there would be casualties! This is the situation you face!" The foresighted Mr. Smith later recalled helplessly and painfully. But this Mr. Smith, after all, has experienced many battles. At this time, his reason made him show his wisdom. He took the same method as the Chinese dealt with the ignorant and stubborn leaders. If it doesn't make sense, just don't say it. Do nothing. Commander Smith quietly issued an order: "In Xiajieyu, build an airstrip first, and wait for backup." Since the front may be a dead end, you have to prepare a way out behind.

Since the attack cannot be stopped, there must be a way to retreat backwards! Mr. Smith, Holy Ming! It was this small decision, it was this quiet decision, it was this airstrip, "from which we evacuated 4,500 casualties," that saved the 1st Marine Division's escape without annihilation. Many years later, Mr. Smith has been very excited about his wise and bold decision. As night fell, 8,000 officers and soldiers of the 1st Marine Division marched towards their destination of attack-the Yalu River, the border river between China and North Korea. Before departure, Commander Smith not only did not give a mobilization speech to his officers, but instead said something that seemed to be far-fetched.

He said cautiously with a gloomy face: "Guys, it is foreseeable that we will definitely encounter the Chinese army. We must be more careful, and we must not be careless!"