In the smoke of the Korean War, a seemingly ordinary weapon unexpectedly became the savior of the volunteer soldiers. This is an old mountain cannon that originated in Japan. When the U.S. military suppressed the use of large-caliber artillery with its strong air superiority, these Japanese-style mountain guns became an important force for the volunteers to obtain fire support in the steep mountain operations by virtue of their light and mobile characteristics. Why does this weapon, which is considered backward, show an irreplaceable role in a special environment?
The Battle of Shangganling was an unprecedentedly large-scale mountain battle on the Korean battlefield. In this undulating mountainous northeastern mountainous area with complex terrain, the US military relies on its absolute air supremacy, which makes the heavy artillery units face a severe existential threat. As soon as the artillery position is revealed, it will be immediately sniped and bombed by enemy aircraft. Faced with this grim situation, the Chinese People's Volunteers had to find a way to find a suitable alternative.
At this juncture, the old mountain guns captured from the Japanese once again flashed their unique value. The Type 41 and Type 94 mountain guns, although their range and destructive power are relatively limited, they are light in weight, small in size, and easy to conceal and maneuver. In the mountainous environment with heavy canyons and narrow field of vision, these "small" mountain guns can be quickly deployed and fired, giving full play to their due assault firepower, and can disappear in an instant after completing the support mission, making the enemy unpredictable about their whereabouts.
On the Korean battlefield, whenever the infantry unit encountered stubborn enemy resistance, the mountain artillery team would open fire in time and bombard indiscriminately, clearing the way for the infantry unit to advance smoothly. When the enemy tried to strengthen the position and build fortifications, the mountain gunners of the Volunteer Army would also immediately launch a fierce artillery bombardment, forcing the enemy engineers to be unable to build a defense in place. It can be said that behind every position or breakthrough, the assault power of these old mountain artillery is condensed.
In addition to being the main force of fire support, Japanese mountain artillery also played the role of "guerrillas" on the battlefield. Due to its small size and strong concealment, mountain artillery units can quickly weave through hilly terrain under the cover of night, waiting for an opportunity to carry out surprise attacks on enemy positions along the way. Immediately after the shelling, the mountain gunners dispersed the curtains, leaving the enemy at a loss. This guerrilla tactic caused great distress to the enemy and greatly increased their psychological pressure.
In the winter of 1952, at the height of the Shangganling Campaign, the 45th Division's mountain artillery ammunition consumption reached an astonishing daily average of 3.38 bases. This not only illustrates the brutality of the battle, but also reflects the indispensable role played by the mountain artillery unit. Until the final stage of the Korean armistice negotiations, the mountain artillery units to which the various armies belonged still had a large reserve of ammunition for Type 41 and Type 94 mountain artillery, which shows the importance of their play.
In the cruel environment of the Korean War, although the Japanese mountain artillery was backward in technology and limited in firepower, their light mobility became an excellent "adaptor" for them in this rugged mountainous terrain. In contrast to the bulky heavy artillery, the mountain artillery units were able to move their positions quickly at nightfall, and enemy planes could not catch their tracks at dawn. During the day, mountain gunners will also make full use of natural shelters such as trees and rocks to quickly hide the muzzles of the guns after waiting for the opportunity to fire, so that the enemy will not be able to attack.
The enemy also tried to track the sound of mountain artillery fire, but often found nothing. The reason for this is that the mountain artillery only emits a short "sneeze" sound when it fires, and the smoke and dust produced are extremely weak. This, coupled with the echo effect of the mountainous terrain, made it difficult for the enemy to accurately determine the direction of the source of the artillery fire. This concealment undoubtedly greatly increased the survival rate of the mountain artillery team, and also put great psychological pressure on the enemy.
Mountain artillery shooters are not only good at hiding themselves, but also good at using the terrain to fight back. They often choose to ambush at the mouth of a valley or by a steep mountain road where the enemy must pass, and take advantage of the smoke and echo effects created by the terrain to carry out surprise attacks on the enemy. The enemy lost his way in the smoke of gunpowder, and his pace was suddenly blocked, and he suffered heavy losses. The mountain gunners, on the other hand, took the opportunity to quickly evacuate and prepare for the next ambush.
It is precisely by virtue of this unique tactical application that the Japanese mountain artillery has played an irreplaceable and important role in the Korean battlefield. Although they are not very good at range and destructive power, they can always maintain their vitality and deal surprise blows to the enemy under the cover of the steep mountains. The precise raids have made these ordinary-looking "little men" gather into reliable "land and air knights" for the volunteer soldiers.
Another factor that cannot be ignored is that the use and maintenance of Japanese-style mountain guns are extremely simple, which greatly reduces the difficulty of operation. In the brutal environment of war, even ordinary soldiers can master the principles of fire and basic maintenance of mountain artillery after a short period of training. This concise and practical design has enabled the mountain artillery to be widely popularized and applied, and has become an indispensable member of the fire support of the People's Volunteers.
Until the final stage of the Korean War, the reserves of mountain artillery ammunition of the field armies of the armies remained at a considerable level, which fully illustrates the key role played by this weapon in the entire war. The old mountain artillery that accompanied the soldiers through the smoke of gunpowder has become a solid cornerstone for the undefeated volunteers.
Through the epitome of the Battle of Shangganling, we can see that in the environment of war, any seemingly ordinary weapon, as long as it can play its unique value, can become an important force in determining the battle situation. Although the old Japanese-style mountain artillery was outdated in terms of technology, with its characteristics of lightness, mobility and strong concealment, it unexpectedly became an important force for the volunteers to obtain fire support when fighting in rugged mountain areas, and won many victories for them.
The extraordinary power contained in this ordinary is the result of continuous innovation and adaptation in the war environment. It reminds us that we should not rely too much on high-precision weapons in any environment, and we should be more adept at discovering and using the unique value of each force under existing conditions, and this is the fundamental point of winning a war. #头条首发大赛#