More than 70 years ago, when the Chinese Expeditionary Force forced its way across the Nu River, the soldiers did not expect it. When they set off, the summer sun shone at the foot of the mountain and they wore light summer clothes, but when they climbed Gaoligong Mountain, which was more than 4,000 meters above sea level, they encountered ice and snow. This snow-covered world has overwhelmed many people and frozen to death. This, combined with sudden rainstorms, killed more soldiers from cold and starvation. The story of the soldiers on Gaoligong Mountain freezing to death sounds unbelievable.
Although the counteroffensive took place during the summer, dark clouds, hunger and high altitude combined to result in a large number of non-combat casualties. The climatic conditions in Gaoligong Mountain are extremely harsh, and even in May, when you approach the summit, the temperature drops to zero at night. The climate of Gaoligong Mountain can be described as "one mountain with four seasons and ten miles of different days". At the foot of the mountain, on the Nu River, which is only seven or eight hundred meters above sea level, it is still a hot summer. But as you rise in altitude, the temperature plummets, and when you reach an altitude of 3,000 meters, the nights are as cold as winter. As long as it rains, it will turn into winter.
The soldiers of the expeditionary force were unaware that the temperature differences in the mountains could be so great. Due to the lack of resources during the Anti-Japanese War at that time, China could not transport enough thick clothing to the southwestern mountains. Therefore, when the soldiers went up the mountain in summer clothing, they were not prepared for the high mountain temperatures. As they climbed up the mountain, temperatures dropped sharply, and Gaoligong Mountain towered over the clouds and its tops covered with snow. This caused many soldiers to freeze to death. In addition, it often rained in the mountains, while the soldiers did not have raincoats and did not have enough food. In one battle, more than a hundred soldiers froze to death on the road due to cold and continuous rain, and the slippery road also caused some people to fall to their deaths.
Today, standing on Gaoligong Mountain, you can see the snow-capped mountains in the distance. These soldiers did not die on the battlefield, but fell in the bitter cold, which is heartbreaking. During one battle, many soldiers of the 198th Division also froze to death. The regiment commander, Tao Dagang, recalled the scene when two soldiers froze to death. At 9 a.m. on June 1, 1944, two soldiers were carried to the regimental headquarters, frozen to the point of immobility. Their hands and feet and foreheads were cold, only their eyes were wide open, and they kept moving. Although doctors injected a strong shot, it didn't help. Tao tried to feed them gruel, but they were no longer able to eat. He could only watch helplessly as the two soldiers froze to death by the fire.
At the time, soldiers knew little about geography, and they did not realize that the difference in temperature between the top of the mountain and the foot of the mountain could be so great. However, even if they understand, it is difficult to get enough warm clothes. Because at this stage of the Sino-Japanese War, China was already extremely short of resources to transport cotton from the occupied areas of the north to the southwestern mountains. In order to seize the battlefield, the soldiers of the expeditionary force wore soaked clothes and held out in hunger and cold. The tenacity and courage of the soldiers allowed them to overcome these difficulties and destroy the Japanese fortress on Gaoligong Mountain. A U.S. observer who witnessed the scene exclaimed: "Only the Chinese army can brave in such harsh terrain and weather conditions." ”