Veteran Zhao Shouwen: Amidst the hail of bullets, we defended Laotu Mountain!
2024-08-07
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Zhao Shouwen
Born in Zhaojiacha Village, Qingshuiyi Township, Yuzhong County, he joined the army in 1951 and entered North Korea in 1952. He served as a signalman and radio operator in the 313th Unit of the First Army of the Volunteer Army and returned to China in 1956.
"When the battle started, the enemy rushed up like crazy. The sound of gunfire was deafening, the air was filled with smoke and we couldn't see anything. But we were not afraid. We stared at the enemy and destroyed them on the hillside." When 92-year-old veteran Zhao Shouwen talked about the war-torn Korean battlefield, the bloody and fiery battle scenes seemed to appear before his eyes.
On the train to North Korea, the soldiers looked determined
In April 1951, in Zhaojiacha Village, Qingshuiyi Township, Yuzhong County, 18-year-old Zhao Shouwen volunteered to join the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. At the end of 1952, Zhao Shouwen went to Korea with the 313th Unit of the First Army of the Volunteer Army.
The night was as dark as ink, and the wind was cold by the Yalu River. A train full of volunteer soldiers was speeding on the rails. Inside the carriage, the young soldiers held their guns tightly, their eyes firm but unable to hide their nervousness. Zhao Shouwen sat on the train to the Korean battlefield, feeling heavy and anxious.
The wheels of the train collided with the rails, making a clanging sound that was particularly harsh in the quiet night. Zhao Shouwen and his comrades sat in the carriage, everyone was silent, and the atmosphere was solemn.
Overhead, enemy planes circled in the sky, and the low roar was like the roar of a demon, threatening their lives at all times. Everyone knew that if they were discovered by enemy planes, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Be quiet!" the company commander ordered in a low voice. The soldiers became even quieter, even holding back their coughs. Zhao Shouwen felt as if his throat was blocked by something, and he couldn't say a word when he wanted to say something. After an unknown amount of time, the train finally drove into a valley, and the sound of enemy planes gradually faded away. The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, but they still didn't dare to let down their guard, because there were more unknown and dangerous challenges waiting for them ahead.
The train arrived at the station, and they were evacuated with 70 kilograms of weight
As soon as the train arrived in North Korea, the tense atmosphere soared to the extreme again. As soon as the train stopped, Zhao Shouwen heard the roar of an airplane in the distance. The sound came from far away and was frightening. Everyone knew that the enemy's planes could appear at any time. The train was loaded with important equipment. If it was bombed by the enemy, it would have a huge impact on the front-line operations.
Without any hesitation or too much thinking, the soldiers acted quickly. Carrying their belongings and heavy equipment, they rushed to jump off the train and ran forward desperately. Everyone was in a hurry and did not dare to stop for a moment. "Just like the movie "Changjin Lake", someone accidentally fell down, and the comrade next to him immediately reached out to help him up and continued running. Some people were exhausted and panting, but still gritted their teeth and persisted. There was the whistling wind and rapid breathing in my ears, and I had only one thought in my mind: I must transfer the equipment safely and not let the enemy's conspiracy succeed." Zhao Shouwen recalled.
"Everyone was carrying at least 70 kilograms of equipment. That weight was no joke, but no one cared about being tired. They just wanted to run as fast as possible, the farther the better." Zhao Shouwen and his comrades ran on the bumpy road. The stones and mud under their feet made their steps heavier, but no one complained or backed down. Sweat soaked their clothes and blurred their eyes, but they always looked forward firmly.
Finally, they ran to a relatively safe place and properly placed their equipment. When everyone stopped to breathe heavily, looking at each other's tired but determined faces, their hearts were filled with determination and courage for future battles. In the end, Zhao Shouwen followed the troops to the middle line of the 38th parallel to change guard, and served as a communicator and radio operator in the regiment headquarters of the 313th Unit of the First Army of the Volunteer Army.
The thrill of the Imjin River
The battlefield at that time was like hell on earth. American warplanes circled in the sky, bombs rained down like raindrops, and set off a sea of fire. The task of the signal soldiers was arduous and dangerous. They had to shuttle through the gaps of death in the rain of bullets to ensure the accurate transmission of information.
"The third battalion in the regiment was at the forefront, and we were only 200 meters away from the enemy. Once, I received an extremely urgent task to deliver an important letter related to the battle situation to the commander of the third battalion." Zhao Shouwen said, "At that time, the bridge over the Imjin River had not been fully built, but time was short and the military situation was urgent. In order not to delay the opportunity to fight, I made up my mind and decided to take the risk and run over."
The pontoon bridge was very narrow, and it had to be dismantled before dawn, because the enemy would send planes to bomb it if they found it. It was already night when Zhao Shouwen arrived at the bridge. The pontoon bridge was half built and not yet fully built, but the time to deliver the letter was urgent. When Zhao Shouwen stepped onto the shaky pontoon bridge, he had only one firm thought in his mind: to deliver the letter to the front line safely and in time. However, at this critical moment, when he was about to run to the end of the bridge, the rope connecting the bridge body suddenly flipped, and in an instant, he fell into the icy and turbulent river like a fallen leaf.
"When I fell into the river, the water level had reached my waist. My mind went blank. I only felt the biting cold and the huge impact of the river water. But my instinct told me that I must protect the letter, which was the hope of the soldiers and the dawn of victory." Zhao Shouwen recalled the thrilling moment, his voice trembling slightly. At this critical moment of life and death, the engineers of the Volunteer Army found him struggling in the rapids. Everyone worked together and successfully pulled him out of the cold river water.
"After being rescued, I was almost unconscious from the cold, but my first reaction was to check if the letter was damaged. Fortunately, although the letter was soaked by water, the words on it could still be clearly seen."
Without time to rest or dry his wet clothes, Zhao Shouwen continued to run to the front line with the wet letter. In the end, he delivered the letter to the front-line headquarters in time, winning precious time for the victory of the battle.
We defended Laobalu Mountain
Nodolsan (also known as Sangpobangdongsan) is a place of great military significance. It is located on the east bank of Yeokokcheon Stream in Yeoncheon County, Hwanghae Province. Although it is only 260 meters above sea level, it is the gateway to Seoul and an important commanding height in the buffer zone between the enemy and us.
Before the fourth battle on July 17, 1952, the Volunteer Army had attacked Laotu Mountain three times, but due to the firepower advantage of the US military and other reasons, they failed to consolidate their positions in all three operations.
"The enemy built more than 200 bunkers on this ordinary hill, and there were seven barbed wire fences around the hillside. Here, the volunteers fought many fierce battles with the enemy. The fierce artillery fire peeled off a layer of skin on the hill, making it bare, so this hill got the nickname 'Old Bald Mountain'," said Zhao Shouwen.
Laotu Mountain had experienced many fierce battles. The Volunteer Army had fought for it many times before and was captured by the enemy. The last battle to defend Laotu Mountain was extremely difficult.
In early 1953, Zhao Shouwen's unit took over from other units to hold the position. "Before the battle began, the soldiers were determined to hold Laotu Mountain. The superiors made careful arrangements based on the terrain, and the soldiers were divided into several combat teams, responsible for facing the enemy head-on and defending the flanks, coordinating with each other," Zhao Shouwen said excitedly.
The enemy counterattacked again, rushing up like crazy, the sound of gunfire was deafening, the smoke was so thick that nothing could be seen clearly. But the soldiers were not afraid and stared at the enemy. When the enemy approached, machine guns sounded, grenades were thrown at the enemy like raindrops, and the soldiers roared and shot desperately in the artillery fire and rain of bullets. The scene was thrilling.
Zhao Shouwen said with emotion: "Although we finally held on, we also encountered many difficulties in the process of defense. The enemy's artillery fire was extremely fierce, the position was blown beyond recognition, and one line of defense was almost broken by the enemy. The situation was very critical. At the critical moment, several squad leaders took the lead and rushed forward to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. Everyone risked their lives and pushed the enemy back. The ability to hold the position depends on the unity, bravery and tenacious will of the soldiers. Even if they were injured, as long as they had a breath, they would never retreat. In the end, they were able to hold Lao Tu Mountain because the soldiers had a firm belief in their hearts: never let the enemy take the position again."
"I'm back from Laotu Mountain. It was a brutal battle. On the battlefield, artillery shells roared, smoke filled the air, and my comrades fell one by one, but no one retreated. Now when I think of those sacrificed comrades, they will stay in a foreign country forever and will never see the prosperity of the motherland again. Every inch of land in Laotu Mountain is soaked with our blood, and every charge was for the dignity of the motherland and the peace of the people. We tried our best just to protect the beliefs in our hearts." Zhao Shouwen said firmly.
Su Xiaowen, chief all-media reporter of Lanzhou Daily/Photo
