Chapter 13 4. Peng Dehuai won a big victory

According to the above policy and deployment, Peng Dehuai started the "momentum building" operation to lure the enemy in depth on November 6. In order to create the illusion that the Volunteers were unable to fight any more, the two divisions of the Volunteer Army’s 42nd Army on the Eastern Front fought fiercely with 2 regiments of the U.S. Army and 1 division of the South Korean Army after tenacious resistance. The current position retreated, continued to block and lure the enemy, and covered the main force of the 9th Corps from Ji'an and Jiangjie to the Changjin Lake area.The 112th Division of the 38th Army of the Volunteer Army on the Western Front fought fiercely with a number of divisions from the South Korean Army and the U.S. Army on Feihu Mountain. The 119th Division of the 40th Army and the 117th Division of the 39th Army voluntarily abandoned their current positions and retreated on the 9th, 10th, and 11th, continuing to lure the enemy.

Since the U.S. Eighth Army was hit by the first battle of the Volunteers, especially the strength and deployment of the Volunteers was unknown, it acted more cautiously. In addition, the supply preparations for launching the general offensive had not yet been completed, and those who were preparing to participate in the "general offensive" The U.S. Ninth Army has not yet reached the front line, so the progress of the entire tentative attack is relatively slow.By the 16th, it had only advanced 9 to 16 kilometers to the north, far away from the area where the Volunteers planned to wipe out the enemy.

In view of this situation, Peng Dehuai, Deng Hua and others issued instructions twice at noon and night on the 16th in order to further create the illusion of the enemy and achieve the purpose of luring the enemy to the predetermined area for annihilation, stating: "We will not retreat on the western front, The enemy on the eastern front does not dare to advance aggressively, and even if we retreat on the western front, the enemy on the eastern front may not advance." Therefore, he ordered all units of the lured enemy to stop advancing from the 17th and continue to retreat northward, allowing the enemy to advance boldly.

From November 17th, the Volunteers disengaged from the "United Nations Army" on both the east and west fronts, and created some illusions of "fleeing in embarrassment".At the same time, after being reported to Mao Zedong for approval, when the Volunteer Army released 103 prisoners of war on the night of the 18th, in addition to publicizing that the Volunteer Army is a righteous army and the policy of treating prisoners leniently, it also spread to them that the Volunteer Army’s supply of food and ammunition was difficult, and they had to withdraw to the country. Confuse the enemy.When Mao Zedong approved the release of prisoners of war by the Volunteers, he pointed out: "The enemy still thinks that our strength is 60,000 to 70,000, 'not a force that cannot be insulted'. This is in my favor; the United States, Britain, and France have nothing to do with me. As long as our army wins a few more battles and annihilates tens of thousands of enemy troops, the entire international situation will change."

MacArthur in Tokyo and the Washington authorities in the United States were indeed confused by the retreat of the Volunteers, further creating illusions.They believe that the Volunteer Army is "cowardly and retreating". It is estimated that the CCP's army in North Korea is only 60,000 to 70,000, which is not an unassailable force. reason for their retreat.In particular, MacArthur believed that his aerial bombardment would turn the area south of the Yalu River into "a piece of scorched earth." MacArthur finally took the bait. Starting from the 18th, the US Eighth Army on the Western Front boldly advanced northward across the board. By the 21st, all of them had reached their scheduled attack start line.On the 21st, the US 7th Division under the command of the US 10th Army led a battalion of the 17th Regiment and entered Huishan Town by the Yalu River on the 21st.For this, MacArthur sent a congratulatory message to Almond, the commander of the US 10th Army, and Almond made a special trip to Huishan Town. The same group of officers took pictures with China on the other side of Huishan as the background to show "victory".The South Korean Capital Division and the 3rd Division are still advancing toward the Tumen River on the east coast. The 1st U.S. Army Division has entered Xiajieyuli on the south bank of Changjin Lake and the area to the north, and is preparing to continue advancing toward the river border. Covering the right flank of the Western 8th Army's attack.So far, the Volunteer Army has completed the scheduled task of luring the enemy.

At the same time, other preparatory work is basically completed. The ideological and political work experience, tactical experience of the first campaign and the operational characteristics of the US Army and the South Korean Army are initially summarized.According to the existing conditions to study the methods of air defense, cold protection, and improvement of food and accommodation, the Volunteer Army Command also issued special instructions on November 10 and 11, requiring all ministries to organize light and heavy machine guns to attack low-flying enemy planes, and notified the 124th Division and The 336th Regiment of the 112th Division shot down enemy planes with infantry firearms, which gave the troops confidence in winning the next battle.Unified deployment by the Volunteer Army, each department conducted reconnaissance on the situation of the enemy in front of the enemy and the terrain and roads in the shallow and deep depths behind the enemy, and generally found out the enemy's strength, designation, and military location.And jointly organized guerrilla detachments with the People's Army to go deep into the rear of the enemy's battle and carry out guerrilla activities.

On November 7th, the Ninth Corps crossed the Yalu River from Ji'an, Linjiang and other places, and entered North Korea in a covert manner.Around the 21st, the 20th and 27th armies successively arrived at the east, west and north of Changjin Lake where the enemy was scheduled to be wiped out. The 26th army also arrived at the designated Houchang River Estuary area and completed the assembly. According to the situation that the railways in North Korea were basically destroyed by enemy planes, the trains were impassable, the number of domestic vehicles was limited, and the enemy planes bombed them on the battlefield and suffered serious losses, the Central Military Commission and the Northeast Military Region urgently mobilized 200 commercial vehicles and about 600 carts to enter North Korea for the purpose of Volunteers delivered some supplies.The Volunteer Army uniformly deployed various ministries to borrow some food from the local government and the masses in North Korea.It was difficult for the troops to light a fire for cooking, and the Northeast region organized the production of fried noodles. By the end of November, the first batch of fried noodles in China had reached 2,000 tons.

According to the progress of the "United Nations Army" and the preparations of the Volunteers, Peng Dehuai, Deng Hua and others decided on November 20 that the western front will launch a counterattack on the evening of the 25th and the eastern front will launch a counterattack on the evening of the 26th. launch an attack), and required the Western Front troops to complete counterattack preparations by the 23rd. At this time, the "United Nations Army" had a total of 13 divisions, 3 brigades and 1 regiment attacking on the east and west fronts, with a total strength of about 250,000 people (at that time, the Volunteer Army judged it to be more than 220,000 people).The troops attacking on the western front consisted of 8 divisions, 3 brigades and 1 regiment, including 4 divisions and 1 airborne regiment of the US Army, 2 brigades of the British Army, 1 brigade of the Turkish Army, and 4 divisions of the South Korean Army. Commanded by the 8th Army; the troops attacking on the Eastern Front consisted of 5 divisions, including 3 divisions of the US Army and 2 divisions of the South Korean Army, all under the command of the US 10th Army.The east and west lines are still blocked by the Langlin Mountains.The Volunteer Army has more than 380,000 combat troops in 9 armies (30 divisions) on the east and west fronts.There are 6 armies (18 divisions) on the western front, directly commanded by the Volunteer Army Headquarters; 3 armies (12 divisions) on the eastern front, commanded by the 9th Corps.The Volunteer Army has a force advantage of 1.52:1.

On November 24, MacArthur ordered the launch of a "general offensive" and publicly announced his general offensive plan to the press. He believed that the goal of military occupation of all of Korea could be achieved immediately.However, he was too happy.He never expected that Peng Dehuai had already pocketed his troops. "Unexpectedly, attack those who are unprepared", "A good defender hides under the nine grounds, and a good attacker moves above the nine heavens." Peng Dehuai's defense and offense greatly exceeded MacArthur's expectations.After the Volunteers lured MacArthur's troops to the predetermined area according to Peng Dehuai's deployment, the western front suddenly launched a counterattack as planned on the evening of the 25th.

Peng Dehuai grasped the weak link of MacArthur's offensive deployment on the western front. First, with the cooperation of the 38th and 42nd armies and the first part of the 40th army, they attacked the 7th and 3rd South Korean 2nd Army Corps, which was responsible for the right-wing attack of the US 8th Army. 8 The two divisions launched a counterattack, and specially dispatched Han Xianchu, the deputy commander of the Volunteer Army, to specifically command the two armies to fight.After a day and night of fighting, most of the two divisions were wiped out.Opened the gap in the battle counterattack.

Then Peng Dehuai ordered the other troops counterattacking on the western front to fight actively, seize the enemy in front of him and annihilate them.At the same time, the deployment of double-layered campaign roundabouts was adopted, and the 38th Army was ordered to implement an inner roundabout, and the main force quickly moved westward to attack Junyu-ri, which is located south of Biancheon on the Qingchuan River. The south retreat route of the North American Ninth Army to the Qingchuan River, and the northern aid to block the enemies of Pyongyang and Suncheon passing through here.Sansuo-ri is located between Biacheon and Suncheon, and is the only way for the 9th North American Army to withdraw southward from the Chingcheon River, and the North American aid to Pyongyang and Suncheon. Suchuan cut in and cut off the southern retreat of the US 1st Army, which was attacking north from the west of the 9th US Army, so that we could pursue the main force from the front and defeat the fleeing enemy from the side. After the various departments of the Volunteer Army received orders, they took active actions, and launched an attack on the 40th, 39th, 66th, and 50th armies in front of the enemy. The reinforced Turkish Brigade and the main force of the 42nd Army annihilated a part of the 6th Division of South Korea in Beicangli, southwest of Mengshan, and continued to advance southwest.The 113th Division of the 38th Army, traveling day and night, after a rapid march of more than 70 kilometers in 14 hours, seized the Sansuoli area on the morning of the 28th. When it was discovered that Longyuanli, 1 km west of Sansuoli, was also a north-south passage, then A regiment was sent to take the lead in the afternoon of the same day, completely cutting off the retreat route of the US Ninth Army fleeing south. According to the situation on the battlefield, at 5:30 on the 28th, Mao Zedong called Peng Dehuai, Deng Hua, Park Yiyu, and Hong Xuezhi to congratulate the volunteers on their great victory in annihilating the 2nd South Korean Army.Also pointed out: "The current task is to concentrate our 42nd Army, 38th Army, 40th Army, and 39th Army to annihilate the main forces of the 1st, 2nd, and 25th divisions of the US Cavalry. As long as these three The main force of the division has been annihilated, and the overall situation will be very favorable." "The 1st US Cavalry Division (two regiments) is moving between Dechuan, Shunchuan, and Chengchuan, with the purpose of consolidating the Chengchuan and Shunchuan areas to prevent our southward advance. Our 42nd Army should be responsible for annihilating the enemy independently." "The 2nd and 25th Divisions under the command of the U.S. Ninth Army Corps, our 38th Army, 40th Army, Army and the Thirty-ninth Army should be responsible for attacking and annihilating the enemy. This is a very important battle, and all armies should work hard to implement it." At 24:00 on the same day, Mao Zedong called Peng Dehuai and others again, pointing out: "This time our army is aggressively annihilating the enemy. This is an excellent time for the enemy to solve the North Korean issue, and I hope you will boost your morale and strive for a big victory." Based on this, Peng Dehuai immediately ordered the 38th and 42nd armies to quickly complete the roundabout task of the campaign, and ordered the 40th, 39th, 66th, and 50th armies to attack the enemy in the stadium, Junyuli, and Yongbyon areas.By the morning of the 29th, the Volunteers had encircled the U.S. 2nd Division, 25th Division, and the entire Turkish Brigade commanded by the U.S. 9th Army, as well as parts of the U.S. Cavalry 1st Division and South Korean 1st Division from the north, east, and south. In the north and south areas of the Qingchuan River near Shichuan.The main force of the 42nd Army annihilated one battalion of the blocking enemy and entered the Xincangli area east of Shunchuan.MacArthur's entire offensive layout on the Western Front was disrupted.Volunteers launched a fierce siege and interception battle in the north and south of the Qingchuan River from Anju in the west to Biachuan in the east.The two divisions of the US 10th Army on the Eastern Front also suffered bad luck at the same time. MacArthur couldn't figure out where so many volunteer troops came from, as if they were magical soldiers descending from the sky.Facing the sudden and violent counterattack of the Volunteers, MacArthur was stunned and stunned.At this time, it was no longer a question of how he would annihilate the volunteers and fight them to the Yalu River, but how his troops would escape from the siege of the volunteers and avoid the fate of the entire army.At this time, MacArthur couldn't be happier.He had gone from the peak of optimism to the abyss of depression, from confidence and victory to panic and confusion.On the one hand, he reported to Washington in horror that he had encountered a brand new enemy; on the other hand, he summoned two front-line commanders, Walker and Almond, to Tokyo to discuss countermeasures, and decided to retreat to Pyongyang and Wonsan.However, it is not easy to escape.The 113th Division of the Volunteer Army has firmly blocked the only two passages for the southward retreat of the Sansuoli and the Longyuan Rimei Ninth Army.Although the U.S. Air Force bombed and strafed all day long, the U.S. Ninth Army also bombarded with hundreds of tanks and dozens of cannons. In the south, the main force of the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division and the northward reinforcements of the British 29th Brigade failed to break through the 113th. The division's resistance.At this time, the 113th Division only came up with two infantry regiments (the other regiment was cleaning the battlefield in Tokugawa), carrying only infantry light weapons, and only landmines, explosives, grenades and blasting tubes to deal with American tanks.This is in stark contrast to the modern equipment of the US military.With such equipment and the strength of the two regiments, the 113th Division had to get stuck at the two gates of Sansuoli and Longyuanli. This is the key to whether the volunteers can win this battle.The officers and soldiers of the division, relying on the indomitable fighting style of the People's Liberation Army and relying on favorable terrain, faced the enemy from the north and the south and stood firm to block.In this way, from the 29th to December 1st, the U.S. military conducted air force bombing and North-South counterattacks against these two gates.The 42nd Army had a long detour and was blocked by the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division in the Yinshan area east of Shunchon, failing to reach Suchuan on time. From the end of the war to December 1, the U.S. Ninth Army suffered heavy casualties.In view of the hopelessness of going south from the Sansuo-ri and Yongyuan-ri areas, they were forced to discard all heavy equipment, turned west to Anju, and then retreated south to Pyongyang via Suchuan.At this time, the US First Army had retreated to Pyongyang via Anju and Suchuan. On December 2, the fierce battle along the Qingchuan River ended.In this battle, the Volunteers annihilated more than 7,000 members of the U.S. 2nd Division, more than 5,500 members of the U.S. 25th Division, and more than 2,200 members of the Turkish Brigade. The U.S. 2nd Division was disabled and lost its combat effectiveness. On January 1, 11,000 UN troops were killed, wounded, missing or captured, the US 2nd Division lost 6,380, and the Turkish Brigade lost 1,000).When the U.S. military fled, it abandoned a large amount of equipment on the roads in the north and south of the Qingchuan River. According to statistics, there were more than 500 guns, more than 100 tanks, more than 2,000 cars, and more than 5,000 guns.However, it is a pity that the Volunteer Army has no air force cover, no anti-aircraft artillery units, and very few people who can drive tanks and cars. These equipment were quickly blown up by U.S. aircraft, and the roads turned into fire dragons.However, this is only a regret in victory, a regret caused by the inability of objective conditions. The Volunteer Army has won a complete victory within the scope of objective conditions, and the US military has suffered a disastrous defeat.MacArthur, the famous Allied commander-in-chief on the Pacific battlefield during World War II, commanded the "United Nations Army" dominated by the U.S. military with a fully modernized army, sea and air force on the Korean battlefield. The support is basically in the hands of Peng Dehuai, commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers who is equipped with millet and rifles.The Volunteer Army has cheered up, the people of China and North Korea have cheered up, and the people of the Soviet Union have also cheered up.On December 5, Mao Zedong called Peng Dehuai and others, pointing out that "the annihilation of more than 20,000 enemies on the western front is a great victory."Prior to this, Stalin had learned of the smooth development of the Volunteer Army's operations, and on December 1 he called Mao Zedong, telling him that the Chinese People's Volunteers' great victory against the U.S. Army on the battlefield made not only the Soviet leaders but also the entire Soviet people happy. He and the Chinese leading comrades "extend our heartfelt respect" to the Chinese People's Volunteers and all Chinese people. In the battle to encircle and annihilate the U.S. Ninth Army, the 38th Army, especially the 113th Division, played a key role.Therefore, Peng Dehuai personally drafted a telegram on December 1, issuing an order to reward all officers and soldiers of the 38th Army.The content of the telegram is as follows: Liang [Xingchu] Liu [Xi Yuan] turned to all comrades of the 38th Army: This battle overcame some excessive concerns of some comrades in the previous battle, and brought into play the excellent fighting style of the 38th Army. In particular, the 113th Division moved quickly, occupying Sansuoli and Longyuanli before the enemy, and blocked the enemy from going south. Fleeing to the north for aid, there were more than a hundred enemy planes and tanks each, bombing all day long, repeatedly breaking out of the siege, but none of them succeeded.As of the 30th of yesterday, the results of the battle were brilliant, and nearly a thousand tanks and cars were confiscated.There are still many besieged enemies, hope to overcome difficulties, muster up courage, continue to wipe out the besieged enemies, and pay attention to preventing the enemy from going north.Congratulations, and I wish you continued success!Long live the Chinese People's Volunteers!Long live the thirty-eighth army! While the Volunteers won a complete victory on the Western Front, they also achieved great victories on the Eastern Front.MacArthur's situation on the Eastern Front was even worse than that on the Western Front.Until the Volunteers launched an attack on the western front, the U.S. 10th Army on the eastern front did not find that the Volunteer Army's 9th Corps had hidden by their side without anyone noticing, and they were still marching northward in separate directions. On the evening of November 27, the 20th and 27th armies of the 9th Corps completed their attack preparations, and suddenly launched a counterattack, adopting the tactics of dividing and encircling. One of the "ace" troops with strong combat effectiveness) division headquarters and two multi-regiment, and one multi-regiment of the 7th Division of the United States, divided and surrounded Changjin Lake on the east and west sides and Xinxingli, Liutanli, and Xia on the south bank of the lake. On three isolated points in Jieyu. Northeast North Korea is very cold in winter, with the lowest average temperature reaching minus 30-40°C.At this time, heavy snow fell in the Changjin Lake area, and the temperature had dropped to minus 20-30°C.The 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army is a unit that grew up in East China. It is not suitable for the climate in cold regions and has no living and combat experience in cold regions.The entry into the DPRK to participate in the war was relatively hasty. When they took the train from Shandong to the north, the troops wore winter clothes from the East China region. The original plan was to go to the Northeast region for training for a period of time, and change into the winter clothes in the cold region, and then enter the DPRK to fight.However, due to the rapid changes in the battlefield situation, the 9th Corps was no longer allowed to stay in the Northeast, and went directly to North Korea to fight. It was just that when the train stopped briefly in Shenyang and other places, it hurriedly replenished the limited cold area clothing. The advance support capability was so weak that when the battle started, most officers and soldiers did not have overcoats, and many officers and soldiers even wore rubber shoes and single caps.Even U.S. soldiers who wear down clothing, are equipped with down sleeping bags, and have a steady stream of air transport supplies, there are still thousands of frostbite in this climate, so the situation of volunteer officers and soldiers who lack cold area equipment is even more conceivable .And he can't eat hot rice, so he can only eat rice balls, potatoes and steamed buns that are as hard as iron.The severe cold climate is the first huge threat encountered by the 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army.Many officers and soldiers had their hands and feet frozen, and their faces and ears were frostbitten. Some rifles were so cold that they could not be unbolted or their machine guns could not be fired. It was under such difficult conditions that the 9th Corps fought fiercely with the besieged US 10th Army.In order to avoid being wiped out, the besieged U.S. troops formed a ring defense with tanks, armored vehicles, and cars, and used the firepower of tanks and artillery to cover the infantry's desperate resistance, and there were aircraft support in the air.Due to the weak attacking firepower of the Volunteers, coupled with the reduction of personnel in combat and freezing and starvation, the attacking forces at all points are weak.From the war to the 29th, only more than 1,000 besieged enemies were wiped out. In view of this, Song Shilun adopted the tactics of concentrating superior forces and annihilating the besieged enemies point by point. From the evening of the 30th to the dawn of December 1st, they concentrated the five regiments of the 27th Army and wiped out the besieged enemies on the east side of Changjin Lake. The 31st Regiment and 1 Battalion of the 32nd Regiment of the 7th Division of the United States consisted of more than 3,100 people, seized 266 artillery pieces and bazookas, 2,455 guns, destroyed and seized 18 tanks and 345 cars, creating a An example of annihilation of multiple regiments of the US military. On December 2, Mao Zedong called Peng Dehuai, Deng Hua, Song Shilun, commander of the Ninth Corps, and Tao Yong, deputy commander, to celebrate the two major victories of the Ninth Corps in annihilating the enemy. Since then, the offensive of the U.S. 10th Army has wavered across the board. Beginning on December 1, it will retreat across the board to the south. Even the U.S. Army’s 1st Marine Division, which claims to only attack and win, has to use the word "retreat". Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai had foreseen that long before the 9th Corps launched a counterattack on the Eastern Front, they instructed Song Shilun to make arrangements to prevent the US Army from fleeing south. On the 80-kilometer section that the 1st Division of the US Marine War must pass through to flee south, set up a Several blocking ambush lines were laid.The 9th Corps immediately launched a siege and interception. On December 6, the 26th Army of the Corps Reserve rushed to the battlefield and also participated in the pursuit.Only in Gutuli and the area north of Shangtongli and Xiatongli, the 20th Army intercepted and annihilated more than 1,400 people. Since the 1st Division of the U.S. Marine War began to break out of the encirclement and withdraw to the south on December 3, it has been blocked almost layer by layer and intercepted step by step. Li Qiwei once said: "This is a long and tortuous retreat. Fighting continues along the way. Moved back inch by inch." The 1st Division of the U.S. Marine War fought hard all the way, panicked all the way, suffered casualties all the way, lost more than half, and was defeated until December 12, relying on the superior firepower of tanks and artillery, and relying on airlifted With continuous supply and support from the air force, the remnants of the army, under the support of the 3rd U.S. Division, struggled to break through the last resistance of the Volunteers, fled to Wulaoli in embarrassment, and survived the catastrophe of annihilation of the entire army.This is the most serious loss and the most embarrassing escape scene in the history of this "ace" force of the United States.Decades later, senior officials of the U.S. military at that time still felt terrible and shuddered when they recalled the situation where the 1st U.S. Army Division was almost wiped out in the Changjin Lake area.According to the book written by the Americans, from October 26 to December 15, the total number of combat casualties of the 1st US Marine Division was 4,418, and another 7,313 non-combat losses. The 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army carried forward the fine traditions of the People's Army, fought flexibly and tenaciously, and gave the first place in the U.S. Land War under the conditions of seriously backward weapons and equipment, serious shortage of transportation supplies, and severe threats of cold and hunger. The division and the seventh infantry division used a devastating blow to wipe out more than 13,000 enemies, completely reversing the situation on the Eastern Front.Both the Volunteer Army Headquarters and Mao Zedong called Song Shilun to speak highly of it.The headquarters of the Volunteer Army pointed out in a telegram on December 15: "You have fought hard against the enemy for more than half a month under the conditions of ice and snow, and the transportation of food and ammunition is extremely difficult. , recaptured many important towns on the eastern front, and achieved great victories. This kind of strong fighting will and fearless spirit are worth learning from the whole army. Because of the great victories on the eastern and western fronts, the situation in North Korea basically changed, and it quickly turned into a Counterattack the enemy." Mao Zedong pointed out in his telegram on December 17: "The Ninth Corps fought on the Eastern Front this time, and under extremely difficult conditions, it completed a huge strategic task." After the violent attack, he didn't pay attention to the Chinese army at all, and turned to be very afraid of the Chinese army.After ordering his troops to withdraw to Pyongyang and Wonsan on November 29, he ordered his troops to retreat to the 38th parallel on December 3.Walton, commander of the US Eighth Army?Walker, also died on December 23 in a car accident during a panicked retreat. Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai ordered the Volunteers to seize the opportunity and rapidly expand the results of the battle. On December 4, Mao Zedong called Peng Dehuai, Deng Hua, Park Yiyu, and Hong Xuezhi twice in a row, pointing out: "The enemy in Pyongyang seems to be preparing to retreat. After our volunteers rest for five days, if the enemy in Pyongyang has not retreated, we are going to attack the area near Pyongyang first." Then surround Pyongyang and study methods of attacking the city. If the enemy in Pyongyang has already retreated, then attack toward the 38th parallel.” “It can be generally determined that the enemy in Pyongyang is retreating, and its main force seems to have withdrawn between Pyongyang and the 38th parallel. Its rear seems to be still in the north and northeast of Pyongyang. You should send the main force of a division to advance to Pyongyang on tomorrow (5th) and seize Pyongyang as soon as possible.” Based on this, Peng Dehuai made deployments. On December 6, the Western Front troops of the Volunteer Army entered Pyongyang, and began to attack the 38th parallel on the 12th. On the 23rd, all armies on the western front approached the 38th parallel and gathered in the first-line areas of Yeoncheon and Hwacheon.The first part of the Korean People's Army regained the Yan'an Peninsula and the Wengjin Peninsula south of the 38th parallel.On the eastern front, the first part of the Korean People's Army regained Wonsan on December 9, cutting off the retreat of the US 10th Army from the south by land.The 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army continued to pursue the retreating U.S. 10th Army troops. On December 17, it occupied Hamhung, and on the 24th, it helped the Korean people recover South Korea and coastal ports.The remnants of the U.S. Army and the South Korean Army under the command of Almond, with the support of nearly 300 naval ships, withdrew to Pusan ​​by sea in embarrassment. So far, the Volunteer Army's second campaign ended with a complete victory. In this battle, Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai successfully took advantage of the US authorities' strategic misjudgment and MacArthur's arrogant and arrogant psychology, and used their tactics to lure the enemy by showing weakness. Take it easy.The Volunteer Army achieved a great victory far beyond expectations. It wiped out more than 36,000 enemies on the east and west fronts, including more than 24,000 American soldiers. It brought the American army back from the Yalu River to the 38th parallel and helped the Korean people regain the 38th parallel. The whole country to the north.The Volunteer Army not only gained a firm foothold, but also fundamentally reversed the situation in the Korean War, laying the foundation for victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. At this point, the initial concern of the Volunteers about whether they could fight was naturally eliminated after two consecutive victories.The practice of two consecutive battles has proved that although the weapons and equipment of the Volunteer Army are far inferior to those of the U.S. Army, causing many difficulties in combat, they can still fight against the U.S. Army and win the battle.The 38th Army summed up the combat experience of the second campaign. On December 16, Peng Dehuai forwarded this experience to various departments of the Volunteer Army and reported it to the Central Military Commission.Mao Zedong saw this experience and attached great importance to it. On the 18th, he forwarded it to the central bureaus, sub-bureaus, provincial and municipal party committees, military regions at all levels, corps, armies and newly formed military academies, pointing out: It is an extremely important experience, please pay attention to study it. The combat experience of the Volunteer Army has proved that our army is completely capable of defeating the US army with high-quality equipment and air supremacy.” Later, both Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai said that the question of whether we can fight or not can be resolved in two or three months. The enemy has more cannons than us, but their morale is low because they have more iron and less energy. "After more than three months, we have proved that we can repel the enemy, and we have brought the US imperialism back to near the 38th parallel." The Volunteer Army's campaign fooled MacArthur, the US authorities, and shocked the whole world.China is so poor and backward, facing so many difficulties, that it dared to dispatch such a large-scale army to compete with the U.S. Army. The Volunteer Army, relying only on infantry combat and a small amount of artillery support, defeated the U.S. Army with such sophisticated weapons and equipment, and combined land, sea and air forces. , it is incomprehensible.Even decades later, many people in the United States and other Western countries still feel that it is a mystery. From October 31, 1950, when the U.S. authorities confirmed the participation of the Chinese People’s Volunteers in the war, to the end of December, it was the saddest 60 days for the U.S. authorities. From the president to the top decision-makers of the government and the military, they were all worried and at a loss.Bradley wrote in his memoirs: "These 60 days were the most severe test of our professional military career. The Korean War unexpectedly changed from victory to humiliating defeat--Our Military History The most shameful failure ever." The Volunteer Army's victory in this battle immediately shocked the Chinese people, changed Americans' views on China, changed Westerners' views on China, and even changed the views of the socialist camp on China at that time.The Chinese people who stand up are not easy to mess with, and the determination and strength of the Chinese people to resist aggression cannot be underestimated.American Drew Middleton commented on this battle in his book "The Way of Using Soldiers": "The Chinese are the victors both in terms of military and politics. The Chinese army has achieved a surprising victory." politically, the victory affirms China’s status as the leading military power on the Asian continent, thereby increasing Beijing’s influence across the region.”