The warrior's eyes were wide open, his face was full of ice, and his face was very serene after the ice melted. I have never seen such a scene, I have never seen so many people freeze to death at one time..." The movie "Chosin Lake" was screened, and people also knew about this fierce battle in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. The book "Blood Battle at Changjin Lake" is a documentary literary work published by modern publishing houses and co-authored by writers He Chuwu, Feng Ming and Lu Hongyu, this book truthfully records the battle situation of the volunteer army's bloody battle at Changjin Lake, and reproduces the fighting spirit of the volunteer army that regards death as a homecoming and can sing and cry.
The Battle of Chosin Lake was a decisive battle in which the elite units of the Chinese and AMERICAN armies changed the course of history in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and was a turning point in the second campaign to resist US aggression and aid Korea. More than 70 years ago, the Ninth Corps of the Chinese Volunteer Army, dressed in thin cotton clothes, fought a 28-day battle with the elite American unit, the First Marine Division, in the freezing cold of Chosin Lake approaching minus 40 degrees Celsius. The brutality of the campaign exceeded the imagination of all those involved, and the battle of weapons and tactics eventually turned into a desperate struggle of willpower on both sides. This is a tragic memory that the soldiers of China and the United States will never forget, and it has also become a classic example in the history of war that has aroused many sighs and sighs.
The Battle of Chosin Lake, this bloody battle is too cruel, can be called one of the most brutal battles in human history: the volunteer army suffered more than 14,000 casualties, frostbite reduced nearly 30,000 people, frostbite reduced 32% of the total number of corps, severe frostbite reached 22%; the US casualties of more than 7,000 people, including more than 2,500 killed and missing, frostbite reduction of 7,300 people. "On the high ground near the Watergate Bridge, the officers and men of a company of the Volunteer Army scattered in a battle formation, lying down in the snow, everyone looking ahead with a weapon in hand, and none of them fell backwards, all frozen to death on the mountain..."
Stills from the movie "Lake Chosin"
Through the movie "Chosin Lake", people learned about the fierce battle. The documentary literary work "Blood Battle of Chosin Lake", co-authored by writers He Chuwu, Feng Ming and Lu Hongyu, from the beginning of the Korean War to the Battle of Chosin Lake, has both a grand narrative and a microscopic interpretation, restoring the real war, politics and human nature. For example, some volunteer soldiers have also experienced the psychological process of light enemy, fear of enemy, and then hatred of the enemy in the US army; it also includes the interpretation of the details of the equipment, establishment, logistics and supply of the Chinese and American armies.
The three authors of this book spent more than two years, visiting dozens of volunteer veterans who lived all over the country and participated in the Battle of Chosin Lake, and also interviewed command organs at all levels and researchers of military science who participated in the war. They are the only remaining witnesses of history, telling rich battlefield details. At the same time, the book also refers to many oral materials of the U.S. military and other foreign militaries. This book truthfully records the battle situation of the volunteer army in the bloody battle of Chosin Lake, and a large number of battle plots and rich battlefield details come from the oral accounts of the old volunteers who personally participated in the war and the memories of the US army, which are true and credible and shocking.
According to this, the reporter interviewed He Chuwu, one of the authors of the book.
After the outbreak of the Korean Civil War, the United States immediately sent troops. In July 1950, a unit of the 24th U.S. Infantry Division arrived at Daejeon Station in North Korea.
New Yellow River client reporter (hereinafter referred to as the reporter): Please talk about the original intention and writing experience of the book "Blood Battle changjin Lake".
He Chuwu: Neither Chinese nor Americans want to recall the Battle of Chosin Lake because it was too brutal. The brutality of the battle exceeded the imagination of all the participants, and the contest of weapons and tactics eventually evolved into a desperate struggle of wills on both sides. Looking at the history of world wars, only Chinese military personnel have such a fighting spirit.
Over two years, I and two other authors interviewed 28 volunteer veterans living across the country, all of whom were witnesses to the Battle of Chosin Lake. The 28 witnesses of the Battle of Chosin Lake were from the 20th, 26th, and 27th Armies of the Ninth Corps of the Volunteer Army, including front-line commanders, combat heroes like Zhou Wenjiang who participated in the 1950 National Conference of Combat Heroes, and senior commanders and staff officers such as Zhan Danan who participated in strategic decision-making. In addition, we also interviewed the command organs at all levels and researchers of military science who participated in the war in that year, and tried to restore the war as realistically and comprehensively as possible.
Reporter: Please briefly introduce the main military strength of the two sides in the battle.
He Chuwu: The Ninth Corps of the Volunteer Army: An elite division of the Chinese army, it participated in the annihilation of the Kuomintang army's rapid column in the Battle of Lunan, swept through the Kuomintang security forces in the Yuwan-Anhui-Suzhou Border Region, participated in the annihilation of the reorganized 74th Division of the Kuomintang Army at the Battle of Menglianggu, and participated in the encirclement and annihilation of Du Yuming's hundreds of thousands of troops in the Battle of Huaihai.
U.S. First Marine Division: Participated in most of the wars since the founding of the United States, enjoyed the reputation of "Pioneer Division" and "Constant Victory Division", the "Proud Son of Heaven" in the US Army, became famous in the Battle of Guadalcanal I in World War II, and was the first in the US Military to be awarded the "Outstanding Unit" medal in the name of the President, and the first ace division of the US Military in the Pacific Theater.
On October 19, 1950, the Chinese Volunteer Army secretly crossed the Yalu River and went to Korea to participate in the war.
Reporter: In the process of interviewing and writing, which veteran soldier's story moved you the most?
He Chuwu: In the process of interviewing and writing, we were touched by the heroic deeds of the martyrs again and again. The officers and men of the Ninth Corps who participated in the Battle of Chosin Lake fought in the cold and snow, with empty stomachs and overhead bombs and extremely fierce battles with the US army, and many battle heroes and heroic company deeds were tearful.
I was more impressed by Kong Qingsan. Kong Qingsan was a soldier of the 27th Army, and was posthumously awarded the honorary title of "Hero of the First Class" after the Battle of Chosin Lake. In the battle of Chosin Lake, the gun hoe of the 92nd Infantry Gun was suspended in the air and could not be fired. Kong Qingsan took up the infantry cannon and used his flesh and blood as a cannon hoe, eliminating more than thirty enemies. Kong Qingsan died heroically, and he was shot in the abdomen and was shocked to death by the recoil of the infantry gun.
Reporter: The book "Blood Battle of Chosin Lake" describes many ordinary soldiers, even warriors without names. In your opinion, what kind of spiritual light shines on these ordinary warriors?
He Chuwu: In September this year, the "spirit of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea" was listed by the PARTY Central Committee as the great spirit of the first batch of Chinese communists in the spiritual genealogy. The spirit of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea includes many aspects, and the spirit of Shangganling, Songkufeng, and Chosin Lake are all important parts of it. The spirit of Chosin Lake is the spirit of revolutionary heroism that is heroic and tenacious and sacrifices life and death, as well as the spirit of revolutionary optimism that is not afraid of hardships and hardships and always maintains high morale.
On September 15, 1950, U.S. troops landed at Incheon Harbor.
Reporter: As a military writer, do you think that in the history of wars in China and even in the world, in terms of hardship and intensity, has there ever been a war comparable to the Battle of Chosin Lake?
He Chuwu: The fierceness of the Battle of Chosin Lake can be compared with the Tashan Blockade Battle and the Siping Defense Battle during the Liberation War, the Songkuofeng Blockade Battle to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Battle of Shangganling, the Stalingrad Defense Battle of World War II, and the Guadalcanal Battle.
The officers and men of the Ninth Corps of the Volunteer Army in the Battle of Chosin Lake had no air superiority, no heavy weapons, almost no logistical supplies, wore single clothes (cotton clothes for the southern winter), were hungry, and fought continuously for nearly a month in the cold of minus 40 degrees Celsius. This is very rare in the history of world wars.
Reporter: Have you seen the movie "Chosin Lake"? To what extent do you think the film recreates real-life battle scenes? Tell us about your viewing experience.
He Chuwu: I summed up the characteristics of the real Battle of Chosin Lake: "The enemy does not know me, I do not know the enemy." Due to the urgency of the battle, there was no time to reconnoiter the enemy situation, and the Korean People's Army, which was defeated by the US army, could not provide accurate military maps, and the Ninth Corps entering Chosin Lake was almost "two eyes and one black" The lack of accurate military maps led some of the units involved in the battle to run in the wrong direction and did not participate in the battle in time, including the 26th Army, which was responsible for enveloping and blocking the attack.
The Volunteers expected more than 10,000 American troops at Chosin Lake in the early stages of the campaign. During the Liberation War, our army used 5 times the enemy's strength to annihilate the enemy. The Volunteers expected a 1-to-15 ratio at the Battle of Chosin Lake, as the Ninth Corps was 150,000 men. In fact, there are more than 30,000 U.S. troops. Our army lost nearly 30,000 non-combat personnel due to frostbite, and the 26th Army did not directly participate in the war, so the ratio of volunteers and American troops was less than 3 to 1. The Americans had crushing heavy weapons, they surrounded the tanks around the position, like an iron wall, and they fired anti-aircraft machine guns flat, causing great casualties to the volunteers. The bullets of the anti-aircraft machine guns are more than a foot long, and each one is as powerful as a grenade.
No literary and artistic work can completely restore the real war scenes, and the movie "Chosin Lake" can show the fighting spirit of the volunteer army that is not afraid of death, the national spirit of not fearing the strong enemy, and persevering.
At the request of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Government of Korea and the need to safeguard China's security, on October 8, 1950, Mao Zedong, chairman of the Military Commission of the Chinese People's Revolution, issued an order to form the Chinese Volunteer Army.
Reporter: For young people living in peacetime, what do you think is the significance of understanding such a history?
He Chu Dance: The spirit of Chosin Lake nourishes the roots of the national spirit and condenses the strength to forge ahead. The days of peace and happiness are when someone forges ahead for us, from the martyrs who selflessly gave their blood and lives to the people's children and soldiers who are ready to fight when called upon. They are the true idols of young people.
The purpose of recalling history is to not forget the great national spirit, to remember history, and to let the days of humiliation never return.
New Yellow River reporter: Xu Min
Editor: Xing Zhibin
Proofreader: Yang Hefang