(Next, I will write about the official start of the Battle of Changjin Lake. Those who are interested can have a general understanding. There will also be key references at the end of this book, but it is mainly based on the framework of film and television fans for innovation and expansion)
(Note: Because this is a free chapter, I want you to learn more about popular science for free, so it is very long. If you don’t want to read it, I suggest you just skip to the next chapter. You will get tired of turning pages)
General: The 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army entered North Korea on November 7, 1950. The 27th Army lost 700 people to frostbite on the first night after crossing the Yalu River. On November 13, in Zhongjiang Town, the third battalion of the 237th Regiment of the 79th Division of the 27th Army held a meeting of company and above cadres. It was bombed by US military aircraft. More than 20 people were burned to death by incendiary bombs. All 14 battalion and company cadres present at the meeting were killed. This was also the first batch of casualties from the Ninth Corps entering Korea.
At that time, the Volunteer Army's intelligence showed that in the Changjin Lake area, the US military had only two regiments and one forward command post. Therefore, the 9th Corps deployed, and the 27th Army attacked the two US regiments. The 20th Army was responsible for cutting off the communication between various US military units and attacking the US forward command post. The 26th Army serves as the general reserve of the Corps on the border between China and North Korea. The original plan was to launch an attack simultaneously with the Western Front on the evening of November 25. However, heavy snowfall made it difficult for the troops to move. Coupled with the bombing by US aircraft, almost all the cars were blown up, and the logistics transfer could not keep up. (The artillery of the 26th Army was also blown up during the subsequent march. This was also an important reason for the dismal results of the 26th Army in subsequent battles.) In the end, the launch of the battle was postponed to the evening of the 27th.
On November 26, the actual strength of the US military was: in Xinxingli, there were the forward command post of the 31st Regiment of the US 7th Division, the third battalion of the 31st Regiment, an artillery battalion, and a self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery battery, standing in Neidong to the northwest of Xinxingli. They are the 2nd Battalion of the 32nd Regiment and the heavy mortar company of the 31st Regiment. Houpu, south of Xinxingli, is the headquarters of the 31st Regiment, a tank detachment, an engineer company, plus some Korean troops. There are more than 4,000 people in total.
Hajieyuli is home to the forward command post of the 1st Marine Division, the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment, the 1st Section of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Artillery Regiment, two engineering battalions, a tank unit, and logistics troops. The Navy, Air Force and Army Joint Logistics and Communications Forces and part of the Korean Army have a total of more than 3,900 people.
In Yudam-ri are the 7th Marine Regiment, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 5th Marine Regiment, three battalions of the 11th Artillery Regiment and part of the Korean army. A total of more than 8,600 people.
Other units of the 1st Marine Division are located along the line from Fusheng-ri, Gutuli to Jinheung-ri south of Changjin Lake. So far, the number of U.S. troops in the Changjin Lake area has doubled as expected by the Ninth Corps. In addition, there are the 7th Regiment of the 3rd U.S. Division in Shecang southwest of Changjin Lake, and the 7th U.S. Division and the 3rd Korean Division to the east of Changjin Lake. There are also seven aircraft carriers of the US Navy and the US Far East Air Force on the sea to provide air support.
Inaccurate battlefield intelligence, unclear understanding of the U.S. military's firepower superiority and maneuverability, and insufficient preparation for extremely cold weather have doomed the Ninth Corps to indelible pain before the battle even began.
November 27th:
During the day, the U.S. military in Yudam-ni launched an attack and was strongly blocked by the volunteers. The U.S. military advanced less than 1.3 kilometers. However, this also aroused the alert of the 1st U.S. Army Division, which immediately set up a circular defense circle in Yudam-ri.
In the evening, the 9th Corps launched a full-line attack.
The 79th Division of the 27th Army and the 267th Regiment of the 89th Division of the 20th Army stormed Yudam-ri and occupied part of the high ground in Yudam-ri during a fierce battle overnight. However, the U.S. Army was the main force of the 1st Division of the U.S. Army here. During the next day, the U.S. Army launched a counterattack with the cooperation of aircraft, tanks, and artillery, and many positions were lost. In the following days, the two armies continued to fight over each other.
The 80th Division occupied the high ground separating Xingxingli and Neidongzhi and the highlands surrounding Xingxingli. The 242nd Regiment of the 81st Division occupied Highland 1221, which divided Xinxingli and Houpu.
The 281st Regiment of the 94th Division of the 27th Army confronted the first section of the U.S. 7th Division in the direction of Huishan on the Yalu River, and the other two regiments were in reserve in Liutan. The 241st Regiment and 243rd Regiment of the 81st Division were monitoring the US 7th Division and the Korean 3rd Division in the direction of the battle lake east of Xingxingli.
The 175th Regiment of the 59th Division of the 20th Army attacked Highland 1419 between Liutanli and Hajieyuli, but failed. When they organized another attack at dawn the next day, they were met with napalm bombs dropped by US aviation, resulting in heavy casualties.
The 177th Regiment occupied Death Eagle Ridge and Seohung-ri between Yudam-ri and Hagaryu-ri, but failed to attack Deokdong Pass. Deokdong Mountain is located next to Death Eagle Ridge and is the main peak here. The mountain is high and the road is dangerous, and it can receive continuous support from the Hagaruyu-ri 105 howitzer group, so it has never been conquered. It later became a strong support point for the retreat of U.S. troops in Yudam-ri.
The 178th and 179th Regiments of the 60th Division occupied the highlands on both sides of the highway from Gutuli to Xiajieyuli, while the 180th Regiment entered Huangcaoling south of Gutuli.
The 265th and 266th regiments of the 89th Division entered Shecangli.
The 58th Division's original plan was to attack Xiajieyuli, but due to a map error and being unable to cross the mountains, it took an extra 70 kilometers of detour and was unable to launch the attack on time. This mistake caused the U.S. military in Hagareyuli to construct a 6-kilometer-long defense circle for a whole day on the 28th, causing irreversible consequences for the Ninth Corps.
November 28:
At dawn, the U.S. troops in Liutanli began to attack Death Eagle Ridge. The first section of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment in Hajieyuli attacked Xixingli. The 59th Division was attacked on both sides.
During the day of the same day, the U.S. Army in Houpu attacked Hill 1221, but was blocked by the 242nd Regiment of the 81st Division. The U.S. Army failed to break through and was forced to retreat. The accompanying Korean army collapsed. Brigadier General House, deputy commander of the U.S. 7th Division, boarded a tank and went alone on the pretext of coordinating reinforcements. Fleeed back to Xiajieyuli.
In the evening, the 80th Division stormed Neidongzhi and Xingxingli. At dawn the next day, the U.S. troops in Neidongzhi withdrew to Xingxingli. During the retreat, Colonel McClain, commander of the 31st Regiment of the 7th Division, was injured and captured. He died of his injuries four days later. The 31st regimental combat team was taken over by Feis, the commander of the 1st Battalion of the 32nd regiment.
In the direction of Xiajieyuli, the 58th Division launched an attack, concentrating all the artillery of the division, 18 82-guns, 54 60-guns, with 90 rounds of ammunition and 120 rounds of ammunition ready to fire. It's pitiful to see that this is so different from the firepower of a US regiment. A US regiment is equipped with 5 tanks, 12 107 guns, 24 75 recoilless rifles, 30 81 guns and several 89mm rocket launchers. Prepare ammunition. Countless, they are also equipped with an artillery battalion of 18 105 howitzers during combat. That night, the U.S. military fired more than 8,000 artillery shells in Hajieyuli.
That night the 172nd Regiment occupied Dongshan and nearby highlands. The 173rd Regiment once broke through the airport defense line, but in the end the firepower was too weak to expand the gap. The troops suffered too many casualties during the continuous attack, and they withdrew from the battle at dawn on the second day.
It was that night that the main force of the 89th Division of the 20th Army exchanged fire with the 7th Regiment of the US 3rd Division in Shecang.
November 29:
During the day, the U.S. military in Xiajieyuli stormed Dongshan 1701 Highland, and Mao Zedong died on the Xiaogaoling Highland next to it.
In the evening, the US military bombed the Dongshan position with artillery and night fighters, until the 58th Division was unable to gather for the attack.
In the direction of Gutuli, a task force composed of the 41st Commando of the British Royal Marines, two infantry companies of the 1st Division of the US Army, two tank platoons and other firepower units went north to support Hagareyuli. They were chased and intercepted by the 178th and 179th Regiments of the 60th Division. In the end, more than 300 people and 17 tanks broke into Hajieyuli. More than 300 people were injured and killed. The remaining 237 people surrendered to the 179th Regiment at 8 a.m. on the 30th.
November 30:
During the day, the U.S. military in Xiajieyuli continued to violently attack the 1701 Highland of Dongshan.
In the evening, the 58th Division organized the remaining forces to attack Xiajieyuli from the Dongshan position. However, they were unable to break through due to the lack of attack points and lack of follow-up troops. After that, the 58th Division and the enemy fought repeatedly in the Dongshan Highlands until the evening of December 5, and the blood of the 58th Division was drained here.
On the evening of the same day, the 27th Army concentrated on the 238th, 239th, and 240th Regiments of the 80th Division, the 4 regiments of the 241st Regiment of the 81st Division, and all the artillery of the entire army to besiege Xingxingli.
December 1:
The U.S. military in Yudam-ri broke through the encirclement and attacked Dead Eagle Ridge. The 79th Division of the 27th Army occupied the high ground on the west side of the northern section of the road, and the 94th Division occupied the high ground on the east side of the northern section of the road. However, the 79th Division was exhausted. The 94th Division had been frozen in the ice and snow for several days and had lost thousands of troops. Instead, it was blocked by the US rearguard. Unable to arrive at the preset position as scheduled, the 79th Division was unable to stop the U.S. military from retreating on its own.
In the afternoon, the 27th Army entered Xinxingli and captured the "Polar Bear Regiment" flag. The U.S. 7th Division decided to break through, but its command was chaotic. After 4 p.m., the U.S. troops in Pu withdrew to Xiajieyu, leaving no one to respond to the U.S. troops who broke out. Lieutenant Colonel Faith was shot dead while commanding the breakout, and the U.S. troops fled across the ice. By the end of the battle at 4 a.m. on December 2, more than 2,000 enemies were actually wiped out in this battle, and 1,050 people fled back to Xiajieyuli, of which only 385 were all killed. The 5th Company of the 242nd Regiment of the 81st Division all froze to death on the blocking position. This was the first "Ice Sculpture Company".
The 31st regimental combat team of the 7th U.S. Division was wiped out. First, its strength was exaggerated. Although it had the title of "Polar Bear Regiment," its actual combat power was at the level of the ordinary U.S. Army and cannot be compared with the 1st U.S. Marine Division. This is why the Ninth Corps decided to operate on him first after adjusting their operations. 2. The defense was weak. The troops were stationed in three places and were divided as soon as the war started. Later, although two places joined forces in one, they did not form a circular defense circle. The defense lines were distributed in a strip, and were subsequently broken through by the 27th Army. 3. The command was chaotic. After the breakout was determined, the Houpu troops received orders to retreat in advance, resulting in no response from the troops who had broken through. 4. The will to fight was weak. The top commander fled far away from the battlefield. After the two battlefield commanders were killed, the third commander gave up command. More than a thousand people fled, and the remaining troops fought independently.
On the Ninth Corps' side, poor battlefield reconnaissance and inaccurate intelligence resulted in the fact that the principle of concentrating forces to annihilate the enemy was not achieved at the beginning of the battle. One division of the 79th Division mainly attacked the main force of the 1st Division of the American Mainland. They fought and failed to defeat them. They surrounded and failed to encircle them. One division of the 58th Division delayed for a day and then laid siege to the command and logistics base of the 1st U.S. Army Division. It was also unable to defeat or encircle it.
Affected by hunger and cold at that time, the Ninth Corps had the strongest combat effectiveness on the first night, followed by the second night, and then its combat effectiveness dropped to a higher level. Whether it was an engaging unit, a latent unit, or a reserve unit, the actual combat effectiveness was The strength has been greatly reduced.
There was no understanding of the U.S. military's mechanized air-ground integrated combat capabilities, resulting in heavy casualties in offensive operations, and the strategy of occupying high ground on both sides of the highway to block the enemy actually failed to achieve the expected results.
So far, the Ninth Corps has suffered extremely serious attrition in battles, frostbite and frostbite, and has almost exhausted its food and ammunition. In fact, it is no longer able to carry out offensive operations.
December 2:
The 79th Division of the 27th Army fought bloody battles with the breaking out US troops on the northern section of the Liutan-ri to Hagaryu-ri highway, and the 59th Division of the 20th Army fought bloody battles with the breaking out US troops on the eastern section of the Liutan-ri to Hagaryu-ri highway.
December 3:
The 241st and 242nd regiments of the 81st Division of the 27th Army, which ended the battle at Xingxingli, crossed Changjin Lake and occupied the high ground on the north side of the eastern section of the highway. However, the Dead Eagle Ridge position was breached by the US military. More than half of the US company at Dedong Pass was lost. It still held the position for 6 nights and 6 days, and captured nearly a hundred volunteers. The 59th Division of the 20th Army withdrew from the battle, leaving only more than 60 people in the first battalion of the 177th Regiment. After receiving the order to retreat, they did not withdraw because their hands and feet were frozen and they could not climb. They were not carried back until night. The 2nd Battalion of the 177th Regiment insisted on retreating until dusk. All 6 companies froze to death on the blocking position. This was the second "Ice Sculpture Company". Song Amao, who wrote the last poem, was a soldier of this company.
At 7 p.m., the leading US military troops arrived at Xiajieyuli. At 22:00 in the evening, the 243rd Regiment of the 81st Division arrived near Xixin.
I don’t know if it was a matter of delayed communication or a problem of reporting the battle situation. Late at night on the 3rd, Mao Zedong still called the Ninth Corps, asking it to speed up the mobilization of the 26th Army, besiege the U.S. military in Yudam-ri, and implement a combat plan of encirclement and reinforcements.
December 4th:
The 243rd Regiment of the 81st Division and the US military repeatedly competed for the high ground near Xixin. After all, the daytime belonged to the US military, and they all retreated to Xiajieyuli after being seized by the US military. The U.S. military casualties in Yudam-ni totaled more than 1,500.
December 5:
The U.S. military in Xiajieyuli prepared to withdraw and began airlifting the wounded. By the second day, thousands of wounded were evacuated.
That day, the 89th Division of the 20th Army fought with the 7th Regiment of the US 3rd Division from Shecangli to Xiatongli and then withdrew from the battle.
At 8:10 p.m., two US B-26 bombers dropped six 500-pound bombs on Xiajieyuli. The oil was hit, and the flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire sky. The U.S. military and volunteers were stunned.
Late at night, the 76th Division and the 77th Division of the 26th Army rushed to Xiajieyuli to take over positions with the 58th Division. The 88th Division is still dilly-dallying on the road, while the 78th Division is covering the flanks of the entire Corps on the eastern front. The 26th Army originally planned to launch an attack on the evening of the 6th, but the US military began to attack and retreat at dawn, and the 26th Army was forced to respond hastily.
December 6:
At 4:30 in the morning, the US forwards began to retreat and fought fiercely with the 76th Division. By the afternoon, they broke through the blockade and left Xiajieyuli.
At 7:30 am, the US rearguard began to attack the Dongshan position and occupied it at 14:30 pm. The volunteers organized a counterattack but the command was incompetent. They actually organized troops on the ridge between the two hills in front of the 1701 Highland to prepare for the attack in broad daylight. It was immediately bombed indiscriminately by US military aircraft, causing heavy casualties. U.S. ground troops took the opportunity to occupy the hills on both sides and used heavy firepower to block the unit's retreat route. The unit was unable to defend or retreat. It was unilaterally massacred by the US military and had to surrender. In the end, 220 people were captured.
In the evening, the 26th Army once again organized a counterattack on the Dongshan position, but failed.
December 7:
At 2 o'clock in the morning, the 26th Army once again organized a full-scale attack on the Dongshan position and the US troops on the way to retreat overnight, but still failed. The Battle of Dongshan, which began on the evening of November 28, is the Battle of Dongqiu that is widely known in U.S. military history.
At 6 a.m., the U.S. rearguard began to retreat, but the 76th and 77th Divisions were still fighting tenaciously. At the same time, the US forward troops arrived in Gutuli. At 10 a.m., all the forward troops entered Gutuli.
At 8 o'clock in the morning, the U.S. defenders exchanged fierce fire with the 88th Division of the 26th Army, which had just arrived, and broke through the blockade at 15 o'clock in the afternoon.
In these two days and one night, the 26th Army was stunned. Its main force, the 76th Division, suffered losses of more than 6,000 people. It can be said that all combat troops were lost.
At midnight that day, the entire 1st Division of the US Army withdrew to Gutuli, with more than 600 casualties during the entire retreat. Lieutenant Colonel Harris, the son of General Harris, commander of the U.S. Naval Aviation, was shot dead while leading a team to cover the retreat of a cargo transport team of the 1st U.S. Army Division. This person had ordered a company to withdraw from the position to protect the safety of his battalion headquarters during the battle in Liutanli ahead. It was destiny that he could not escape after all.
December 8:
At 2 o'clock in the morning, the US military began to retreat as soon as they arrived at Gutuli and marched towards Huangcaoling. The famous three bombings of Shuimen Bridge occurred here (the 60th Division bombed the first time on December 1, the 60th Division bombed the second time on December 4th, and the 58th Division and the 172nd Regiment bombed the third time on December 6th). Blocking the attack north of Shuimen Bridge were the remnants of the 58th Division of the 20th Army, about 6 to 7 companies, each with less than a hundred men, led by the division chief of staff Hu Qianxiu and the political commissar of the 174th Regiment Hao Liang. However, the command post was unfortunately discovered by a US military aircraft. The rockets directly hit the cave where the command post was hiding, and all members died.
The U.S. troops who came north from Zhenheung-ri to attack Huangcaoling south of Suimun Bridge. The 60th Division was stationed here, but the 178th and 179th Regiments were disabled. Although the 180th Regiment did not have many early combat missions, it suffered from heavy losses due to sleeping in the ice and drinking snow. , the whole battle was very difficult.
December 9:
The Shuimen Bridge was repaired for the third time, but all 50 soldiers of the 172nd Regiment of the 58th Division froze to death on the nearby hill.
In Huangcaoling 1081 Highland, the 2nd Company of the 180th Regiment of the 60th Division of the 20th Army all froze to death on the position. This is the third "Ice Sculpture Company". Because it was first discovered by the US military, the deeds of the "Ice Sculpture Company" are the most widely spread. The company's first battalion had a total of 666 people. By the time it withdrew from the battle, only 16 of them were able to move on their own.
On the same day, the 26th Army rushed to Gutuli, but could not prevent the US military from retreating.
December 10:
The entire 1st U.S. Army Division passed the Shuimun Bridge and retreated across Hwangcaoling toward Jinheung-ri. There are only more than a hundred combatants left in the 58th and 60th Divisions of the 20th Army, and they are still pursuing tenaciously.
December 11:
At 1 o'clock in the morning, dozens of people from the 20th Army caught up with the rearguard of the 1st U.S. Army Division. The U.S. Army was frightened. The tank soldiers abandoned their tanks and fled wildly with the infantry. Seven tanks were captured by the volunteers.
On the same day, the entire 1st U.S. Marine Division entered Zhenheung-ri, and the U.S. military lost more than 300 people along the way.
The battle situation after that was that the US military retreated on the road covered by aircraft and tanks, and the volunteers pursued along the mountains on both sides of the road. There was no major battle.
December 12:
More than 100,000 troops from the U.S. 10th Army began to embark from Hungnam Port.
December 15th:
The 1st U.S. Marine Division began to embark from Xingnan Port.
US carrier-based aircraft and naval guns formed a dense firepower network to prevent the pursuing attack attempts of the 27th Army and the 26th Army.
December 24: The US military blasted and destroyed the remaining supplies and equipment, and left North Korea forever.
Having said that in general, let’s take a look at the more prominent Battle of Yudam-ri. Located 10 kilometers west of Changjin Lake, Yudam-ri is the prelude to the Battle of Changjin Lake. On November 27, 1950, a tragic battle took place in Yudam-ri. The prologue kicked off. The ones guarding Liutan were the US 1st Marine Division, which fought from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. The attacking party was the 79th Division of the 27th Army of the Huaye First Class Main Division of the People's Liberation Army. Its subordinate 235th Regiment is still famous. "Jinan First Regiment".
On November 9, 1950, the 27th Army of the Volunteer Army took a train from Andong City to Linjiang, stopping at stations along the way to distribute cotton-padded clothes, cotton hats and some cotton coats and cotton-skin shoes. Due to time constraints, ammunition, medical drugs, combat equipment, food None of them were supplemented, especially one-third of the personnel did not have cotton coats, fur hats, and cotton shoes. After entering North Korea, the 79th Division of the 27th Army marched on foot in the snow at minus 27 degrees for seven days. The way was sparsely populated and the roads were slippery on high mountains. , it also suffered five air strikes, resulting in 15 casualties. In order to defend against the air, the soldiers all wore white cotton clothes and marched at night. Due to the extension of the transportation line, the 27th Army quickly ran out of food and could only rely on potatoes and soybeans for support. On November 17 After arriving in the Lisuiping area to assemble, according to the order of the Ninth Corps, the 80th and 81st Divisions of the 27th Army attacked Xingxing-ri. The 59th Division, which was good at interspersing, moved back to the south of Yudam-ri and cut off the US military's retreat. The 79th Division simultaneously deployed three regiments to attack Yudam-ri from north to south.
Xiao Jinghai, commander of the 79th Division, ordered the 235th Regiment to capture the 1348, 1282, and 1241 Highlands first, the 237th Regiment to occupy Xiaode Dongshan and Southwest Mountains, the 236th Regiment to occupy the 1167 Highlands, and then cross the river to capture the 1200 and 1100 Highlands to separate Liutanli and Xingxing. connections there. The 236th Regiment will deploy the 3rd Battalion on the left road. After seizing the 1167.1 high ground, it will cross the river from Meixiangli. If it cannot cross the river, it will cooperate with the 1st Battalion to attack along the north bank road. The 1st Battalion will be deployed south of Xiaodongli, waiting for the 235th Regiment. The regiment occupied Highland 1240 before launching an attack. The 2nd Battalion occupied Highland 1264.6 with 6 companies and a reinforced platoon to serve as flank security. The main force of the battalion served as the regiment's reserve team. The 236th Infantry Regiment consisted of three infantry battalions, one heavy mortar company, and one It consists of a human transport company, a stretcher company and an animal transport platoon. There are 4 100mm heavy mortars, 18 heavy machine guns, 9 82mm mortars, and 27 60mm mortars.
The entire regiment should have 3,434 men, but the battle was imminent at that time. In fact, there were only 2,810 men, including 108 in the regiment headquarters, 80 in the logistics department, 55 in the special agent company, 166 in the reconnaissance company, 183 in the stretcher company, 100 in the rotation training team, and mortar. There are 62 people in the artillery company, 111 people in the artillery company, 42 people in the health team, 46 people in the first battalion headquarters, 144 people in the machine gun company, 161 people in the first company, 158 people in the second company, 139 people in the third company, 47 people in the second battalion headquarters, The machine gun company has 150 people, the 4th company has 156 people, the 5th company has 148 people, the 6th company has 143 people, the third battalion has 49 people, the machine gun company has 144 people, the 7th company has 137 people, the 8th company has 160 people, and the 9th company has 121 people, each Each infantry squad has 1 light machine gun and 2 submachine guns. One person is unarmed and the others hold a rifle. Each combatant also has 4 grenades, equipped with a base submachine gun and rifle ammunition, 0.5 base light machine gun ammunition, and 2.5 The base heavy machine gun ammunition and 1,250 tons of ammunition are left in Linjiang, because the entire 27th Army only has 20 2-ton trucks. The entire army needs 85 tons of food per day. It takes 5 days to transport one round trip. It is not even enough to transport food, let alone Talk about ammunition.
Major General Oliver Smith, commander of the 1st Marine Division, believed that Changjin Lake was not suitable for mechanized US military operations. However, under MacArthur's urging, his leading troops of the 1st Marine Division entered Yudam-ri on November 24. On November 24, the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Regiment of the 1st Marine Division, led by Lieutenant Colonel Landford Rockwood, first entered Yudam-ri, followed by the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment led by the regiment commander, Colonel Homer Litzberg. , 3rd Battalion also arrived successively. From November 25th to 27th, the 2nd, 1st, and 3rd Battalions of the 5th Marine Regiment also arrived at Yudam-ni. At 8:25 in the morning on the 27th, the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment arrived at Wilmont. ·Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harris, they advanced towards Wupingli and occupied Hill 1426 and Hill 1403. Then the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment, under the command of the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Haod Royce, advanced towards Hill 1271 and were encountered. When there was strong resistance, Colonel Homer Liesburg had a bad premonition, even though some prisoners testified that there were two Chinese divisions nearby preparing to attack Yudam-ri.
But Colonel Homer Litzberg looked at the prisoners' thin clothes and didn't quite believe that the Chinese army could fight in the field at minus 40 degrees Celsius wearing such clothes. Colonel Homer Litzberg sent out aerial reconnaissance and ground reconnaissance teams. Aerial reconnaissance found nothing, but the ground reconnaissance team discovered a large number of Chinese troops in the southwest and north. After noon, they also discovered that Chinese reconnaissance troops had arrived at Yudam-ri for reconnaissance. At 15:00, Colonel Lidsburg and Commander Raymond of the 5th Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Murray realized that the danger was coming and it was impossible to continue the offensive plan. He immediately ordered to stop the attack and switch to defense. At this time, the US military had a total of 5 infantry battalions plus 1 infantry company, 1 artillery battalion plus 4 infantry companies in Yudam-ri. An artillery battery with 18 155mm howitzers, 30 105mm howitzers and 24 107mm mortars. These artillery units set up artillery positions southeast of Yudam-ni and are under the unified command of Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Feehan, commander of the 1st Artillery Battalion. , the muzzles of the guns all point to the west and southwest.
Originally, each Marine regiment had an anti-tank battery with five tanks, but the U.S. troops in Yudam-ri did not have a single tank that could be used. Due to the roughness of the Hagaryu-ri-Yoodam-ri road, there was a thick layer of ice. , it might be difficult for the M26 heavy tank to pass, so an M4A3 tank was first sent to explore the road on the 27th. It took the M4A3 tank three hours to reach Yudam-ri. The tank crew returned to Yudam by helicopter before dark. Here, we are preparing to guide 4 M26 tanks through the Hajieyuli-Liutanli Highway on the 28th. On the same day, the 1st Service Battalion detachment transported a three-day supply of C field rations and B field rations, as well as chocolate, drinks, biscuits, bread, chewing gum, fuel and 2 base small arms ammunition, in order to send more In addition to leaving about 40 trucks of the 5th and 7th Marine Regiments, other trucks also returned to Hakoyu-ri with the detachment.
Yudam-ri is a basin where four roads intersect, surrounded by five peaks and rolling highlands. Colonel Homer Liesberg established 10 infantry companies around Yudam-ri to establish a circular defense line. H, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment The company is located on the top of Hill 1403. Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is located on the south slope of Hill 1403. Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is located on the top of Hill 1426. Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment is located on the north slope of Hill 1426. , Company G of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment is located on the top of Hill 1294, Company A of the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment is located in the valley between Hill 1294 and Hill 1276, and the 1st Platoon of Company C of the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment is located on the top of Hill 1276. Company B of the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment is located in the valley between Highland 1276 and 1167, which is directly east of Yudam-ri. Company D of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment is located on the top of Hill 1240. Company E of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment originally It was deployed on the top of Hill 1384, but E Company went up the wrong hill, leaving no one on the top of Hill 1384. There was only one platoon of Company 丨, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment on the south slope, and Company C and Company F, 7th Marine Regiment guarded Hajieyu. - Deokdong Pass in the middle of Yudam-ri Highway.
At 17:00 on November 27, the Chinese army took action on both sides of Changjin Lake at the same time. According to the plan, the 89th Division and the 237th Regiment of the 79th Division were responsible for defeating Company H of the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment, Company E and F of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment. The company first captured Highland 1403. The main force of the 79th Division was responsible for defeating Company I of the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment, Company D and E of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment, and captured Highlands 1384, 1282, and 1240. The 59th Division defeated the 1st Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment. C Company and F Company, 2nd Battalion, seize the retreat route to Yudam-ri at the Deokdong Pass. In theory, each Marine Battalion has to face one Chinese division, but the mountainous terrain makes it difficult for the Chinese army to deploy, and the advantage is not ideal. The focus of the 79th Division is On Highland 1403, H Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment originally planned to control the valley with favorable terrain, but there was a gap between the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. E Company and F Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment were on the road north of H Company. , Company D was south of the highway. At 22:00 on the 27th, the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the 237th Regiment of the 79th Division first launched the attack with the support of artillery fire. It happened to penetrate from the gap between Company H of the 3rd Battalion and Company E of the 2nd Battalion, and quickly Seize Highland 1403.
Company E of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment immediately counterattacked. The Assault Platoon of the 1st Battalion and 1st Company of the 237th Regiment of the 79th Division suffered heavy casualties under the fire from three sides of the US military. The remaining five people held on until the 3rd Company arrived. The two sides launched repeated battles on Highland 1403. , the 237th Regiment finally won, but suffered heavy casualties. Company E of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment also retreated to the valley. While fighting on Hill 1403, the 1st Battalion of the 235th Regiment originally attacked Hill 1240, but took the wrong path and attacked the 7th Marine Regiment. On Highland 1282 defended by E Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Regiment, Captain Philip, the commander of E Company, ordered the opening of fire only when the 1st and 2nd Companies of the 1st Battalion of the 235th Regiment were 3-4 meters away from the US military, causing serious casualties to the 1st Battalion of the 235th Regiment. The 1st Battalion of the 235th Regiment immediately changed its tactics. , using small units to attract the attention of the US military from the front, the main force moved back from the rear and killed Captain Philip. The two sides fought fiercely for 2 hours. The 1st and 2nd 1st Battalion of the 235th Regiment suffered all casualties, and 40 of the 180-man E Company were left. people.
At 3 o'clock in the morning on the 28th, the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 35th Regiment came for reinforcements and defeated Company A of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment who came for reinforcements. At 5 o'clock, they captured Highland 1282. Company C of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment of the US Army rushed in again. came to launch a counterattack and recaptured Hill 1282. The 2nd Battalion of the 235th Regiment was responsible for attacking Hill 1384. This highland was originally defended by E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, but E Company mistakenly went to Hill 1282. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment discovered Later, there was no time to remedy the situation, so they had to establish a cordon on the south slope with 1 platoon of Company I, 3rd Battalion. In addition, the Korean police deployed two machine guns 270 meters behind them. Since the main peak of Highland 1384 was undefended, it was easily occupied by the 2nd Battalion of the 235th Regiment. Then it took 45 minutes to break through the cordon of Company I of the 3rd Battalion. The Korean police turned around and fled. The 2nd Battalion of the 235th Regiment attacked the headquarters of the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment from a high position, killing the deputy battalion commander Major John Canney, and the battalion commander R- Lieutenant Colonel Taplett hid alone in his tent to organize a counterattack, recaptured the main peak and established a position.
The most important battle in Liudam is the 1240 Highland. The terrain of 1240 Highland is steep and dense. The top of the mountain is 20 meters long and about 4 to 5 meters wide. There are three domes 300 meters across. Standing on the top of the mountain, you can see Liu Dam on the lower right. Tanli and the highway, the mountain corner is connected to the 1282 Highland. On the left side of the highway is the 1167.1 Highland. This was originally the attack target of the 3rd Battalion of the 236th Regiment. At 21:30, the 236th Regiment arrived at Xiaodongli from Chishui. The 3rd Battalion was not on the 1167.1 Highland. The enemy was discovered. Part of the 8th Company of the 3rd Battalion occupied the southwest side of Highland 1167.1, and part occupied the southeast side of Highland 1240. The 79th Division requested to find the water gate. After more than 2 hours of reconnaissance, the water gate was not found. The commander of the 79th Division, Xiao Jinghai, ordered Commander Zhang Chen to take command. When the 236th Regiment crossed the river, they made a big mistake. If they continued to walk on Hill 1167, they would run into the artillery group commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Feehan, and they would have a chance to annihilate this enemy. They fired thousands of artillery shells overnight and drove back the 235th Regiment. The artillery group of the 2nd Battalion of the regiment's third round of fierce attack.
But Commander Zhang Chen didn't find the 3rd Battalion until 4:30 in the morning. Considering that it was getting dawn, he ordered the 7th Company to head west on the 1167.1 Highland, the 8th Company to the northwest on the 1240 Highland, and the 9th Company to head from the north. , jointly attacked Highland 1240, and missed the best opportunity to defeat Liudamri.
As the vanguard, 13 soldiers from the 6th and 4th squads of the 7th company crossed the road first. The D company of the 7th Marine Regiment on the 1240 Highlands suddenly opened fire 20 meters away from the 3rd group of the vanguard squad. The 6th squadron suffered two casualties, and the 6th squad leader Let the 3rd group and the fire team head-on containment.
Group 1 and Group 2 moved back from the right to attack the enemy from behind, annihilating more than 10 people and then moved to a place more than 10 meters away from the top of the mountain to throw grenades, injuring Captain Milton Hull, the commander of D Company. Squad 6 attacked in three directions. , drove D Company off the top of the mountain at once, and Captain Milton Hull, whose face was covered with blood, led 16 people to hold on on the slope.
At 1:45 in the morning, the 3rd Platoon of Company C of the 5th Marine Regiment came for reinforcements and collided with the 3rd Platoon of the 7th Company. The 3rd Platoon suffered more than ten casualties. The company commander died. Deputy Company Commander Nie Ziyu and 3rd Platoon Commander Lu Yicun was hesitating and was attacked by two American companies. The 3rd platoon suffered all casualties. The 8th company thought that the 7th company had succeeded and swarmed up. It was shot by D company and suffered heavy casualties. Seeing that the attack failed, Commander Zhang Chen ordered the 9th platoon of the 1st Battalion of the 236th Regiment. The company and the 3rd company covered the 7th and 8th companies to withdraw from the battle. During the cover, the 3rd company of the 1st battalion discovered that the US military was seizing the top of the mountain, but did not occupy the top of the mountain first. The opportunity was lost. The 3rd battalion of the 236th regiment suffered casualties until only 3 platoons were left. , rested until 8 a.m. to attack again. Due to the slow movement, it was changed to 3 p.m. This time, we learned the lesson and attacked with a dispersed formation. We successfully captured the main peak and drove D Company of the 7th US Regiment 150 meters away. D Company was almost All casualties were suffered, and half of the 3rd Platoon of Company C of the 5th Marine Regiment suffered casualties. At dusk, Company D of the 5th Marine Regiment replaced Company D of the 7th Marine Regiment in preparation for the counterattack, and the 236th Regiment also used the 2nd Battalion to replace the 3rd Battalion, which had suffered heavy casualties, to guard Highland 1240.
After 134 people from the 6th Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 236th Regiment took over the defense at 22:00 in the evening, company commander Wang Shaoyun led the 3rd Platoon and the 8th Squadron to defend the right side of the high ground in the front, the 7th Squadron defended the mountain corner, the 9th Squadron took cover on the left and right sides of the position, and the 1st Platoon and the The 2nd platoon was hidden behind the high ground, ready to attack from the left and right at any time. The 6th company had 3 60mm mortars, 6 light machine guns, and 25 submachine guns. The battalion commander also moved the 5th company, 3rd platoon, and two 82mm mortars. Artillery, three 60mm mortars, and two heavy machine guns were reinforced to the 6th company. The mortars were divided into three groups and deployed on the mountainside behind the 1st platoon position. With more than 200 people and only 40 shovels and 8 pickaxes, the soldiers It still took 5 hours to build fortifications, but most of these fortifications were without cover. The camouflage and communication trenches and artillery positions are also relatively exposed, and the right side of the position is empty.
At dawn on November 29, the deputy platoon leader of the 2nd platoon led three soldiers to go for reconnaissance. On the mountainside, they were shot by more than 40 people from D Company of the 5th Marine Regiment who came to attack. One person was killed. A few minutes later, U.S. artillery and fighter jets violently attacked After bombarding Highland 1240 for an hour, the U.S. troops rushed up. Originally, Company Commander Wang Shaoyun wanted to wait until the U.S. troops got close to 50 meters before opening fire to cover the flank attack troops. However, some soldiers opened fire at 200 meters, and Company Commander Wang's tactics could not be used. They had no choice but to order the entire company to open fire, defeating the first U.S. attack. However, the powerful artillery fire of the U.S. military destroyed many defenses. At 14:00, a U.S. platoon attacked the frontier of Highland 1240, but was defeated by the bayonet and grenade attacks of Squad 7. The 2nd platoon as a reserve team joined the battle, but the formation was very crowded. The US artillery killed and wounded 19 people. When the remaining people were near the top of the mountain, they were blocked by intensive firepower and lost their combat effectiveness before contact. The last 10 people were killed. According to the position of the 7th squad of the 3rd company, the attached 3rd platoon of the 5th company took over the position of the 2nd platoon of the 6th company.
At this time, the temperature dropped sharply to more than 40 degrees below zero, and the snow soaked clothes, causing many soldiers to suffer frostbite and freeze to death. Diarrhea was common due to the lack of hot meals and ice and snow. At 15:00, the 1st Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Regiment More than 100 men from the battalion launched another attack under the cover of fire, destroying almost all the positions of the 6th company. The 6th company repelled the frontal attack after fierce hand-to-hand combat. The US military used the dense forest to sneak to the front of the 3rd platoon and suddenly broke through the 8th squadron's position. Company Commander Wang Shaoyun Leading the 3rd Platoon of the 5th Company to attack along the left side to regain the position, the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment launched a fourth attack, but was repulsed again. By the evening of the 29th, the 6th Company had killed and wounded more than 100 US troops, and itself suffered 75 casualties. Commander Zhang believed that the 6th Company could no longer hold on, so he ordered the 1st Battalion and 3rd Company to replace him. On November 30, the 1st Battalion and 3rd Company repelled multiple three-pronged attacks by the US military. On December 1st, the 94th Division of the 27th Army Entering the battle, the US military began to flee, and the 236th Regiment occupied Yudam-ni at 14:30.
Throughout the entire Battle of Changjin Lake, the U.S. military lost 4,418 combat personnel and 7,313 personnel due to frostbite, of which more than 2,500 were dead or missing. The battle report of the Ninth Corps stated that more than 7,000 enemies were wiped out. One thing is that the statistical caliber is different. For example, when more than 1,000 U.S. troops were defeated in Xinxingli, the volunteers were included in the number of enemy annihilations, but the U.S. military had already gathered these people, so naturally they were not counted. The second reason is that because the volunteers had no food at all, many prisoners were let go.
Speaking of food, the 27th Army and the 20th Army were already running out of food while they were on the march, but logistical transportation was very difficult. The North Koreans did not trust the Volunteer Army, and large numbers of North Koreans crossed the Volunteer Army's defense lines and fled to the US military camps. There are also a small number of North Koreans who take advantage of the Volunteer Army's non-threat and non-blocking of North Koreans to cross the Volunteer Army's defense lines and report intelligence to the US military. It is also said that the accompanying South Korean troops pretended to be civilians. Starting from Yudam-ni, a large number of Koreans followed the US military in retreating. There were about a few thousand people in the Changjin Lake area. In the end, a total of more than 90,000 Koreans left with the US military at Hungnam Port. The 26th Army walking behind had no food to raise, and many people died of starvation.
The Ninth Corps lost more than 14,000 people in this battle, and more than 30,000 people suffered frostbite and frostbite, including more than 4,000 people who froze to death and more than 7,300 people were killed in action.
Although there were many major flaws in the battle preparations and tactical actions of the Ninth Corps in the Battle of Changjin Lake, the Ninth Corps overcame huge difficulties and displayed super will and courage to force the U.S. 1st Division and the entire U.S. 10th Army to withdraw from North Korea. Strategic It is undoubtedly a great achievement.
