Chapter 124 The Battle of Cheorwon that Turned the Tide of the Battle

In the latter part of the fifth battle, the United Nations forces rushed forward, posing a great threat to the Volunteers. A place called Cheorwon is very important. If the U.S. military can easily cross Cheorwon, its armored forces will have a huge advantage on the northern plain. Not only will the tired main force of the Volunteer Army not be able to rest, but it will also face greater danger and sacrifice. The 63rd Army originally belonged to the 19th Corps of the North China Field Army. After entering the dynasty, it went through five battles and has been fighting on the front line. The commander is Fu Chongbi.

At that time, under the situation of running out of food and fighting against the water, Fu Chongbi made a decisive decision and decided to withdraw the whole army across the North Han River.When we arrived at the river, we found that the US military had also arrived at this time.In desperation, Fu Chongbi ordered the soldiers to put on the captured enemy helmets and swagger across the river.The U.S. military thought that the 63rd Army was a Korean army, so they let them go. The 63rd Army, which was exhausted and exhausted, had just arrived in Jiangbei, and before they had time to rest, they received Peng Dehuai's instructions: rush to the Cheorwon area and defend the frontal battlefield 25 kilometers wide for 15 days.

It turned out that due to the rapid progress of the United Nations Army, there were many loopholes in the entire volunteer army's defense line. In desperation, Peng Dehuai had no choice but to seize the 63rd Army to block the United Nations Army. This is a very difficult task for the 63rd Army, which is hungry, tired and heavily attrition. At this time, the United Nations Army in front of them had more than 50,000 troops, including the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division, the 25th U.S. Division, the 28th British Brigade, and the 29th British Brigade. The 63rd Army had more than 24,000 soldiers.The United Nations Army has more than 1,300 artillery pieces, more than 180 tanks, and an air force; the Volunteer Army has 240 artillery pieces, but no tanks or aircraft.

In the face of a strong enemy, Fu Chongbi showed extremely high commanding skills, and adopted the method of deploying in depth and echelon, placing fewer troops and stationing more troops, so as to reduce the damage to the volunteers caused by the enemy's intensive firepower.At the same time, use combat teams to entangle with the enemy at the front so that the enemy cannot approach the volunteer positions too early.In terms of tactics, the combination of frontal counterattack and flank counterattack is adopted, and small troops are sent to harass the enemy at night. The Cheorwon blocking battle was extremely fierce. The U.S. military often opened the way with large groups of tank troops, pressing down on the volunteer positions like a collapsed city wall.

However, due to the lack of anti-tank weapons, the volunteers had to fight the enemy with flesh and blood, and many companies died in battle. U.S. artillery fire hit mountains and tsunami, and the positions of the volunteers seemed to have been washed by fire.Fu Chongbi commanded the troops of the 63rd Army to defend tenaciously, to fight day and night, and to delay the enemy while constantly organizing counterattacks. He did not stick to the gains and losses of one city or one place, and generally contained the offensive of the US military. The 63rd Army filled in almost all its troops, and finally, government officials, correspondents, and cooks all went to the battlefield.

This earth-shattering battle lasted for 13 days. After the volunteer army retreated across the board and the troops stabilized the line of defense, Fu Chongbi led the 63rd Army to withdraw from the scorched-earth Cheorwon position.In the Cheorwon blockade, the 63rd Army successfully completed the mission of the headquarters, gaining time for stabilizing the entire front.However, the troops suffered heavy casualties. When the 563rd Regiment of the 188th Division entered the DPRK, there were 2,700 soldiers. After the Cheorwon blockade, only 266 people remained. After the troops withdrew from the position, Peng Dehuai asked Fu Chongbi: "What are your requirements?"

Fu Chongbi's first words were: "I want soldiers." Peng Dehuai said generously, "I'll give you twenty thousand." On June 1, the 20th, 27th, 42nd, and 47th armies of the Volunteer Army formed a deep defense line at Xinmu, Yichuan, Jixiongshan, and Heiyuntuling. On June 10, our army voluntarily withdrew from Cheorwon and Jinhua, and blocked the enemy forces at Wenshan, Gaolangpuli, Cheorwon, Jinhua, Yangkou and Mingpori near the "38th Line". The second battle ended. The fifth campaign was an unexpected event, which forced Mao Zedong and other leaders to think about the original strategic vision, campaign guidance methods, tactical principles, and even many issues in army building.

Although Li Qiwei was basically satisfied with the results of the battle, he was still surprised by the tenacity and combat quality of the volunteers: "The enemy once again traded space for time, and escaped safely with a large number of its troops and supplies intact."