In October 1950, the Korean battlefield was filled with gunsmoke. The 42nd Army of the Chinese People's Volunteers quietly assembled on the banks of the Yalu River and waited for it. This unit, known as the "Little Whirlwind", is about to set foot on a foreign battlefield and write a thrilling legend. What is little known is that the rise of this ace army is closely related to an unknown general.
[From unknown to famous, the transformation of the 42nd Army]
If you want to talk about the 42nd Army, you have to start from 1948. At that time, the Liberation War was in full swing, and the armies from all walks of life sang and I appeared. The predecessor of the 42nd Army, the Fifth Column, was born in a turbulent era.
Strange to say, when this unit was first established, it was not a well-known main force. You must know that at that time, there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers in our army, and old powerhouses like the 40th Army and the 38th Army abounded. In contrast, the 42nd Army is a little... How to say, mediocre?
Not to mention outsiders, even the 42nd Army itself felt a little embarrassed. What do you think, the brothers' troops are all fighting in the south and the north, and they have made great contributions. We? Squatting north of the Yangtze River to suppress bandits, he has never even crossed the Yangtze River. No one believes this record!
However, there is no end to it. Just when the 42nd Army was about to die of depression, the opportunity came! After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the situation on the northeastern border suddenly became tense. The superiors patted their heads: we have to form a Northeast Frontier Army! No, the 42nd Army was chosen.
This choice is amazing. The fate of the 42nd Army has since been like riding a roller coaster, rushing all the way. Who would have thought that this unknown army would be transformed into the main force to resist US aggression and aid Korea!
[From the border guards to the volunteer army, the gorgeous turn of the 42nd Army]
Speaking of the 42nd Army being able to become the main force of the Volunteer Army, we really have to thank our neighbors. In 1950, the Korean War broke out, and the situation instantly became tense. Chairman Mao looked at this posture and thought: "No, I have to send a capable general to the town." "
No, General Wu Ruilin was ordered. Don't look at this general, he didn't have much fame before, but he has real skills. The evaluation of his superiors for him was: "He can fight and lead troops." It sounds simple, but it wasn't just said at the time.
After Wu Ruilin took office, he immediately started his work in a big way. He knew that although the 42nd Army had a lot of numbers, it was, to put it bluntly, a "paper tiger". If you want to stand on the battlefield, you have to start from scratch.
So, the 42nd Army began devil training. Everyone practiced day and night, and even slept on the spot. Some people complained that it was too bitter, and Wu Ruilin said: "If you sweat now, you won't bleed in the future." As soon as these words came out, everyone immediately became energetic.
In this way, under the leadership of Wu Ruilin, the 42nd Army slowly transformed. From an unknown unit, it has become a formidable force that has terrified the enemy. By the time the horn of the Volunteer Army sounded, the 42nd Army was ready to show its skills.
[Bloodstained Exotic Battlefield, the Battle of Fame of the 42nd Army]
In October 1950, the 42nd Army set foot on the Korean battlefield. To be honest, no one expected that this army would make a name for itself in a foreign land.
The first battle was fought in Huangcaoling. The terrain is dangerous, and the U.S. and South Korean forces are heavily defended here. The 42nd Army received an order: this stronghold must be taken!
The situation was such that the enemy was fierce and well-armed. We? It's just a bunch of "mud legs", and there aren't even a few decent weapons. If you change to another unit, you may be cowardly. But the 42nd Army is different, they just relied on a bull's strength and fought with the enemy for 13 days!
In the past 13 days, the battle has been very fierce. The enemy's shells beckoned to our positions as if they didn't want money. But the officers and men of the 42nd Army were stunned and did not retreat, and started a face-to-face hand-to-hand battle with the enemy. The end result: the enemy lost more than 3,000 people, and the 42nd Army itself paid the price of 1,800 people.
After this battle, not only the enemy was dumbfounded, but even our own people were stunned. As soon as Mr. Peng Dehuai saw the battle report, he exclaimed on the spot: "Good job!" This is our iron army! "
After this battle, the 42nd Army can be regarded as raising its eyebrows. Everyone said, "Look, this is our 'little whirlwind'!" Since then, the name of the 42nd Army has resounded throughout the Korean battlefield.
[From "Little Whirlwind" to "Lingnan Heroic Division", the glorious journey of the 42nd Army]
After Huangcaoling became famous in the First World War, the 42nd Army was not complacent. They know that the real battle is yet to come.
When the second battle began, the 42nd Army received a difficult task: it had to block the 1st Cavalry Division of the United States, the ace unit of the American army. To be honest, many people sweated for the 42nd Army at that time. You know, the U.S. military is heavily armed, and our equipment... It's still the same sentence, and it can't be compared with others.
However, the 42nd Army relied on the strength of not admitting defeat, and was stunned to get on the bar with the US army. The two sides go back and forth, and the fight is called a lively. The final result was that although the 42nd Army failed to completely annihilate the enemy, it also made the American army suffer. The commander of the US military later wrote in his memoirs: "This Chinese army is simply a bunch of crazy people!" "
Although this does not sound very good, it is actually the highest praise for the 42nd Army. If you think about it, you can make the US military, which is known as the "world's first", complain about it, and this ability is not something that ordinary people can have.
Let's talk about the third battle. This time, the 42nd Army played a big game. They worked hand in hand with their brother unit, the 66th Army, and fought a beautiful ambush battle. The scene at that time was like acting in a movie. The enemy swaggered into our encirclement, and by the time they reacted, they had already been beaten by the 42nd and 66th armies.
As a result of this battle, the enemy suffered heavy losses, and the reputation of the 42nd Army reached the sky. Everyone said, "Yes, this time I really became a 'hero'!" "
Speaking of the most beautiful battle of the 42nd Army, we have to mention the Hengcheng counterattack. In this battle, it can be said that the 42nd Army played it to the fullest. They cooperated with their brother forces to defeat the US-ROK coalition forces to the ground. The final result was: more than 12,000 enemies were annihilated!
This figure was a miracle at the time. You know, the United States and South Korea have planes, artillery and tanks, and we? Just two legs and a few guns. Being able to fight such a beautiful battle shows that the 42nd Army has grown into a real ace force.
Since then, the 42nd Army has had a resounding nickname: "Lingnan Xiongshi". This title is not called casually. It represents the outstanding exploits of the 42nd Army on the Korean battlefield, and also symbolizes the transformation of this army from obscurity to might.
In the final analysis, the rise of the 42nd Army is inseparable from a key figure, General Wu Ruilin. It was this not very well-known general who turned an ordinary army into a trump card army that terrified the enemy.
Looking back at the 42nd Army, one can't help but sigh: sometimes, real heroes are often unknown. They don't have to be the ones who shine from the start, but they can step up and do wonders when it counts.
In times of peace, it may be difficult for us to experience the baptism of blood and fire.