(This is the last time I will post about the macro background. I originally posted about the Battle of Changjin Lake before, but someone told me that Changjin Lake is not a battle at all, but only part of the second battle. I feel dizzy, so I’ll finish it. Let’s take this as a reference, I don’t care if you argue with me.)
The Second Battle of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea was a battle that turned the tide of the Korean War. The Second Battle of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea was from November 7 to December 24, 1950, when the Chinese People’s Volunteers, with the cooperation of the Korean People’s Army, defeated the U.S.-led The battle in which the "United Nations Army" and the South Korean (South Korean) army under its command lured them to the predetermined battlefield and launched a sudden counterattack was a battle that turned the tide of the Korean War.
First of all, after the volunteers entered the war in North Korea and won the first battle, the US government still insisted on the plan to quickly occupy all of North Korea with military offensives. The commander-in-chief of the "United Nations Army" D. MacArthur decided to launch a "general offensive" on the Korean battlefield. He planned to conduct a tentative attack with ground forces first, and then launch a general offensive northward with the US 10th Army on the eastern front and the 8th Army on the western front. , to end the Korean War before Christmas (December 25).
In order to realize this plan, the "United Nations Army" transferred the US 25th Division, the Turkish Brigade, and the British 29th Brigade on the second front to the western front, and transferred the US 3rd Division to the eastern front, increasing the number of ground combat troops on the front. There are 5 armies with a total of 13 divisions, 3 brigades and 1 airborne regiment, totaling more than 220,000 people. When the first battle was coming to an end, Peng Dehuai, commander and political commissar of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, judged that the "United Nations Army" might reorganize its offensive, and put forward the policy of consolidating victory, overcoming current difficulties, and preparing to fight again. If the enemy advances again, let it penetrate deeply. Then destroy it.
On November 5, Chairman of the People's Revolutionary Military Commission Mao Zedong agreed with the combat policy proposed by Peng Dehuai and pointed out: The Tokugawa side is very important, and the volunteers must strive to create a battlefield in the area north of the Wonsan and Sunchon railway lines. The area consumes the enemy's forces and pushes the front to the line from Pyongyang to Wonsan, while using the area north and west of Tokchon, Stadium, and Yongbyon as the rear is beneficial to long-term operations.
On the 9th, Mao Zedong once again pointed out: The Volunteer Army should strive to fight one or two battles on each of the east and west fronts within a month, annihilate seven or eight enemy regiments, and advance the front to Pyongyang and Wonsan to facilitate long-term operations.
Based on this, the Party Committee of the Volunteer Army decided to adopt the policy of fighting on the inside, luring the enemy in depth, and defeating them one by one. It planned to lure the "United Nations Army" to Daguandong, Wenjing, Miaoxiangshan, and Pingnan Town on the western front, and lure them on the eastern front. Arrive at Jiujinli and Changjin lines, and then concentrate our forces to annihilate them one by one. In order to enhance the combat strength of the volunteers, the 9th Corps (administering 12 divisions of the 20th, 26th, and 27th Army) was ordered to enter the DPRK to assume combat tasks in the direction of Jiangjie and Changjin on the eastern front.
The total strength of the Volunteer Army reaches more than 380,000 people in 9 corps and 30 divisions, forming advantages on both the east and west fronts.
On November 6, the "United Nations Army" began a tentative attack. The volunteers fought step by step with part of their forces according to the predetermined plan, luring the enemy deeper and moving the main force backward. Under the temptation of the volunteers, the "United Nations Army" marched north across the board.
On the 21st, the troops on the western front advanced from Jiashan and Longshandong to Tokchuan and Ningyuan. The main force on the eastern front, the 1st Marine Division, entered the Changjin Lake area and was lured into the predetermined battlefield by the volunteers.
On November 24, the "United Nations Army" launched a "general offensive" to end the Korean War before Christmas. On the evening of the 25th, the Volunteer Army first launched a counterattack on the Western Front.
The 38th and 42nd Army launched an attack on the 7th and 8th Divisions of the 2nd Army of the South Korean Army in the Tokchuan and Ningyuan areas; the 40th Army attacked the 2nd Division of the US Army in the Xingxingdong and Sumindong areas north of the stadium;
The 50th, 66th, and 39th armies attacked the US 24th Division, the 25th Division, the British 27th Brigade, and the South Korean Army's 1st Division in the Dingzhou, Taichuan, and Yunshan areas respectively.
On the 26th, the 38th and 42nd armies annihilated most of the 7th and 8th divisions of the South Korean Army, opening a gap in the battle. In order to achieve victory in the battle, the leaders of the Volunteer Army decided to adopt a tactic of roundabout and frontal attack, striving to divide and annihilate the "United Nations Army" troops on the western front in the areas north and south of the Chongchuan River.
By the 28th, the 40th and 39th armies, which were conducting frontal assaults, approached the stadium and Yongbyon respectively; the 66th army advanced to Guchongdong and Yongsandong.
The 50th Army entered Wulong Cave. The 42nd Army, which was responsible for the outer roundabout mission, captured Beicang-ri and continued to advance in the direction of Fake Cang-ri and New Cang-ri.
The main force of the 38th Army, responsible for the inner roundabout mission, defeated the Turkish brigade's blockade in the Gariling and Yukou Station areas, and advanced to the Peide Station and Wayuan areas.
The 113th Division of the army advanced more than 70 kilometers in 14 hours and arrived at Sanso-ri at 8:00 on the 28th, cutting off the retreat route of the US 9th Army from Junyu-ri to Sunchuan via Sanso-ri. On the 28th, the volunteers adjusted their deployment and continued the offensive.
The 113th Division repelled more than 10 U.S. attacks in Sansuoli, and then seized Longyuanri, cutting off another retreat route of the U.S. 9th Army from Junyu-ri to Sunchuan. The 42nd Army successively annihilated one unit each of the South Korean Army and the U.S. Army in Wolpo-ri and Jiachang-ri, and then advanced to Xinchang-ri.
The main force of the 38th Army annihilated most of the Turkish brigade and part of the US Army and advanced to Fengmingli.
The 39th and 66th armies entered the area south of Yongbyon, the 40th army advanced to the wonri area, and the 50th army entered the area west of Bocheon. The U.S. 9th Army was surrounded by volunteers on three sides.
On the 29th, the U.S. 8th Army began to retreat across the board. The U.S. 1st Army withdrew to the Anju area, preparing to retreat toward Pyongyang via Sucheon; the 9th Army shrunk to the Gecheon and Gunyu-ri areas, attempting to break through to Sunchon via Yongwon-ri and Samsu-ri.
The Volunteer Army on the Western Front launched an all-out attack, targeting the U.S. 9th Army, and launched a large-scale encirclement and annihilation campaign against the U.S. 8th Group Army in the areas north and south of the Chongchuan River. The 113th Division fought tenaciously in Sansuoli and Longyuanli, holding on to their positions and shattering the US military's attempt to break through and provide reinforcements from the north.
The main force of the 38th Army quickly moved closer to the 113th Division, broke into the ranks of the US troops retreating south from the flank, and started a fierce battle; the 40th Army captured Junyu-ri and used a force to coordinate with the 38th Army, and the main force continued to attack in the direction of Anju.
The 39th and 66th Army successively crossed the Qingchuan River, attacked and advanced southward, and coordinated with the 38th Army to annihilate the surrounded U.S. troops; the 42nd Army continued to attack the main force of the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division in Xincangli; the 50th Army moved from Bochuan Approaching Anzhou in the southeast.
The war ended on December 1, and the U.S. 9th Army was forced to abandon a large amount of heavy equipment and transferred to Anju to join the U.S. 1st Army and retreat to Pyongyang via Suchuan. The volunteer troops on the Western Front stopped their pursuit on December 2 and went into rest. After the Volunteers launched a counterattack on the Western Front, the U.S. 10th Army on the Eastern Front (which governed the 3rd and 7th Divisions and the 1st Marine Division) and commanded the South Korean Army's 1st Army Corps (which governed the Capital Division and the 3rd Division) continued to move north. Advance.
On November 27, the main force of the 1st Marine Division and a reinforced regiment of the 7th Division entered the Changjin Lake area. On the evening of the 27th, the 9th Corps of the Volunteer Army (commander and political commissar Song Shilun) concentrated the 20th and 27th Corps to launch a counterattack against the U.S. Army in the Changjin Lake area. After a fierce battle all night, the U.S. 7th Division and the 1st Marine Division were separated. Surrounded by Xiajieyuli, Liutangli, Xingxingli and Gutuli areas.
In order to open the way, the besieged US troops continuously attacked the volunteer positions. While the Volunteer Army launched attacks against the surrounded U.S. troops, they resolutely resisted the U.S. counterattack.
On the 29th, the 1st Marine Division of the US Army stormed the Dead Eagle Ridge and Fushengli positions. ***, commander of the 3rd Company of the 172nd Regiment of the 58th Division of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, led a platoon to defend the 1071.1 highland of Death Eagle Ridge and repelled 8 consecutive U.S. attacks. Finally, he picked up the explosive package and rushed into the enemy group. He died with the enemy and saved the enemy. position.
The 60th Division repelled multiple attacks by the British and American troops at the front-line positions of Fushengli and Xiaomintaili, and took advantage of the victory to launch a counterattack in the direction of Gutuli, killing, wounding, and capturing nearly a thousand enemies. Based on the battlefield situation, the 9th Corps decided to concentrate its forces to annihilate the besieged US troops one by one. On the evening of the 30th, the 27th Army concentrated the main forces of the 80th and 81st Divisions to launch an attack on the 31st Regimental Combat Team (reinforcement regiment) of the US 7th Division in Xingxingri. After two days of fierce fighting, they were completely wiped out.
After this battle, the "United Nations Army" on the eastern front was shaken across the board, and the US military in the Changjin Lake area began to break out south. The Volunteer Army entered the battle with the 26th Reserve Corps, overcoming difficulties such as cold weather, lack of food and ammunition, and severe frostbite and attrition, and launched a pursuit and interception of the 1st Marine Division.
On December 12, the remainder of the US 1st Marine Division withdrew to Wu Laoli with the support of the US 3rd Division. After the "United Nations Army" suffered heavy blows on the east and west fronts, MacArthur ordered the troops to implement a general retreat to the "38th Parallel" on December 3.
Taking advantage of the victory, the volunteers launched a combat pursuit. On the western front, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army regained Pyongyang, the temporary capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on the 6th and continued to advance towards the "38th Parallel".
On the 23rd, the Western Front armies of the Volunteer Army advanced to Jinchuan, Jiuhuali, Shuoning, Yenchuan, Cheorwon, Hwachuan and other areas. The 1st Corps of the People's Army crossed the "38th Parallel" and liberated the Yan'an Peninsula and the Wengjin Peninsula. Each of the 2nd and 5th Army Corps occupied Chuncheon and Gapyeong. On the eastern front, the People's Army troops recaptured Wonsan on the 9th, cutting off the land retreat route of the US and South Korean troops. The U.S. and South Korean troops then withdrew to the Hamhung and Hungnam areas.
The 26th and 27th Corps of the Volunteer Army and the 3rd Corps of the People's Army continued their pursuit, occupying Hamhung on the 17th, Yeonpu Airport on the 19th, and recovered the Xinnan area on the 24th. The 10th U.S. Army and other units retreated from the sea with the support of more than 300 ships. The second battle ended.
In the second battle, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army completely smashed the "United Nations Army"'s attempt to occupy all of North Korea, liberated all the northern half of North Korea except Xiangyang, pushed the front to the "38th Parallel", and occupied The Wengjin Peninsula and Yan'an Peninsula south of the "38th Parallel" forced the "United Nations Army" to switch from offense to defense, fundamentally reversing the situation in the Korean War.
During the battle, the Volunteer Army basically annihilated the 7th and 8th Divisions of the South Korean Army, annihilated most of the Turkish Brigade and a reinforced regiment of the US 7th Division, and dealt an annihilating blow to the US 2nd Division and the 1st Marine Division, severely damaging the US military. The 25th Division and the 1st Cavalry Division killed, wounded, and captured more than 36,000 enemy soldiers, including more than 24,000 US troops. The commander of the US 8th Army, WH Walker, was also killed during the retreat. In addition, more than 1,000 guns of various types, more than 3,000 vehicles, more than 200 tanks and armored vehicles, and 6 aircraft were seized and destroyed. The Volunteer Army suffered more than 30,000 casualties in this battle.
The second battle lasted 29 days and was the most strategic victory in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. This victory greatly exceeded Mao Zedong's expectations when the volunteers entered the DPRK and before the second battle. As the Volunteer Army regained Pyongyang and Wonsan, the US military began to retreat, all the way to the area south of the 38th parallel. The Volunteer Army not only completely smashed the "Christmas Offensive" launched by the "United Nations Army", but also pushed the battle line from the Qingchuan River to the 38th Parallel, regained all the territory north of the 38th Parallel (except Xiangyang), and liberated the 38th Parallel. The Wengjin Peninsula and Yan'an Peninsula south of the line completely reversed the situation in the Korean War.
The victory achieved by the Volunteer Army shocked the world and demonstrated the national and military prestige of New China throughout the world. As the New York Herald Tribune called it, this was "the biggest defeat in the history of the U.S. Army." It broke the myth that the US military was invincible, and completely changed the image of the Chinese nation in modern times as being backward and beaten on the international stage. The writer Wei Wei also wrote the battle of Songgu Peak, the second battle of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, into the famous battlefield newsletter: " Who is the cutest person?"
At this point, no one will think that China's "peasant armed" army is a force that can be easily insulted.
