Zou Xixiang, the prototype of "Sniper": the more legendary Shangganling "cold gun hero" than the movie
Our reporters Li Jingya and Liu Zhiqiang
"Whoosh - bang -" The Chinese Volunteer Army sniper held a rifle, and the bullets were not empty, and the enemy in the trench was shot in the head.
This is a scene that appeared many times in the popular film "Sniper" in the Spring Festival. The film was adapted from the deeds of the sharpshooters in the Cold Shot and Cold Shot movement of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
Director Zhang Yimou once said in an interview with the media that many outstanding snipers such as Zhang Taofang and Zou Xixiang emerged in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, which provided rich and vivid materials for the creation, and created this "Sniper" inspired by their heroic stories.
A similar scene also appeared in the TV series "Crossing the Yalu River". In a segment of the 36th episode of the film, the US military general said that the sniper Zou Xixiang was "especially scary. It has been used, and he has never been caught."
70 years ago in Shangganling, the Gelao man Zou Xixiang wiped out 39 enemies with 78 rounds of bullets.
The North Mountain on Height 537.7 where he was located was called "Sniper Hill" by the terrified American soldiers.
After returning to his hometown, he never mentioned his contributions on the battlefield, and he didn't eat another bite of canned food until his death.
Recently, the reporter walked into Zou Xixiang's hometown of Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, Wuchuan Gelao and Miao Autonomous County, to trace the story behind this "cold gun hero" to resist US aggression and aid Korea.
The coldest gun: 78 bullets kill 39 people
When the reporter came to Liyuan Village, Nigao Town, Wuchuan County, with an average altitude of more than 1,300 meters, it was in the middle of winter, the mountains were foggy, and the cold wind was piercing.
"It's grandpa! It's grandpa!" In Zou Xixiang's old house in Liyuan Village, Zou Xixiang's grandchildren shouted when they saw a photo brought by the reporter.
This is a photograph of Zou Xixiang in the early 1950s, taken by Xinhua News Agency war correspondent Wang Yuzhang, titled "Sniper on the Frontline of North Korea".
In the photo, Zou Xixiang is wearing a simple uniform, carrying a steel gun, with a straight body and a youthful face.
"Majestic, high-spirited, crossing the Yalu River..." After the outbreak of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, nearly 30-year-old Zou Xixiang resolutely signed up and was incorporated into the 1st Battalion, 1st Company, 135th Regiment, 45th Division, 15th Army of the Volunteer Army to fight in North Korea.
This peasant, who was good at hunting since childhood, sniped and fought bravely on the Korean battlefield, won the first-class merit once and the second-class merit twice, and became a well-known sharpshooter of the 15th Army.
Wusheng Mountain is the commanding height of the Korean central battlefield. Beishan Mountain, the 537.7 highland guarded by the 1st Company, is located in the left front of Shangganling Village. The gain or loss of the high ground is related to the safety of the entire line of defense.
In April 1952, the snow was melting, but the US military was arrogant and openly basked in the sun, bathed, and played ball in groups of threes and twos on the position opposite the 1st Company, forcing young North Korean women to dance.
The 1st Battalion and 1st Company's tribute materials wrote that this series of provocative actions angered the volunteer comrades.
One morning, Zou Xixiang, the deputy squad leader of the seventh squad, saw three or five enemies on the main peak of the 537.7 highland basking in the sun outside, so he killed three enemies with three shots.
When the enemy discovered his location, more than a dozen machine guns and artillery fire retaliated for more than two hours, while Zou Xixiang and his comrades all went into the tunnel to hide, and no one was injured.
According to the request of the superior, that night, Zou Xixiang held a research meeting in the class and organized a sniper team.
In order to prevent the enemy's firepower from retaliation, they built many fake fortifications in front of the positions and deliberately fired to lead the enemy out.
When the enemy probed to find the target, the snipers in ambush on the flank suddenly opened fire to destroy the enemy; when the enemy was transporting grain and ammunition at night, Zou Xixiang and other snipers lurked on the enemy side, and on the side of the road the enemy must pass, Fire suddenly and destroy the enemy.
At this time, the 1st Company also studied the approach and observation, found the enemy's movement patterns and roads, selected the cold gun shooting route and blockade line, built a shooting range, approached the enemy's front line to fight, cooperated with the machine gun platoon to eliminate the enemy's firepower, and cooperated with the infantry and artillery. Cold guns and cold guns and other methods of destroying the enemy made the enemy unable to lift his head.
In the Military History Museum of the 15th Army in Xiaogan, Hubei, there is a photo of Zou Xixiang in military uniform.
There is a line of small characters below the photo to explain: Zou Xixiang, a sniper from the 1st Company of the 135th Regiment of the 45th Division, has been moving into the bushes in front of the enemy, killing 39 people with 78 rounds of bullets.
After the war, he was awarded first-class merit.
Sniper Hill: America's Nightmare
Regardless of the artistic scenes shown in the TV series "Crossing the Yalu River" and the movie "Sniper", or the "cold gun hero" Zou Xixiang emerging in the battlefield, they are all inseparable from the cold gun and cold gun movement.
On the Korean battlefield in 1952, in view of the long-term confrontation between the enemy and us, the daily activities were limited to small-scale combat activities. In order to kill and consume the enemy in large numbers, the Volunteer Army carried out cold gun and cold artillery sniping activities, requiring the sharpshooters and sharpshooters to be organized. Adopt the strategy of "zero-knock cowhide", and kill the enemy with the guiding principle of accumulating small wins as big wins.
Soon it was in full swing across the board, and gradually formed a persistent tactic that achieved significant results.
"Cold gun war, cold gun war, the devils can't move; today's two, tomorrow's three, add up to a war of annihilation. Hey! Let's all start a cold-gun battle, let's call the American devils an end..." This is the call for cold guns and cold guns. The song of killing the enemy.
At that time, each unit not only carried out cold gun and cold gun competitions, but also actively summarized and communicated. The soldiers summed up the experience of "running to hit the chest, going up the mountain to hit the head, and going down the mountain to hit the leg". The crisp gunfire of the volunteer soldiers echoed between the mountains.
"Zou Xixiang and other snipers used the Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle, which we commonly call 'Shuilianzhu', which is not much better than the gun used by the Eighth Route Army during the Anti-Japanese War. This kind of rifle relies on eye observation to aim and shoot, while the opponent has A sniper rifle with a 4x optical scope. For Zou Xixiang, fighting on the battlefield is not hunting in the mountains. The highly tense atmosphere will affect the hit rate. But with this equipment, he eliminated an enemy with an average of 2 shots. It is remarkable to beat the U.S. military unbearable," said Zhang Songshan, an expert on military history.
According to data released by the 15th Army Military History Museum, during the entire defensive operation, the 15th Army killed nearly 20,000 enemies with cold guns and cold cannons.
"The 15th Army's best team is Zou Xixiang's 1st company. Among the 30 sniper teams in the 1st company, Zou Xixiang's team has the best record." Zhang Songshan said.
According to the "Military History of the 15th Army of the Army", after the general launch of our cold gun and cold artillery campaign, the enemy's front positions were dead and dead. Except for a few sentries, most of them were huddled in bunkers or in dead corners behind mountains.
The enemy kept deepening the traffic trenches in order to prevent our cold guns and cold artillery fire.
The sentinels on the enemy's forward positions rarely show up, and they have to rely on periscopes for observation.
The enemy huddled in the bunker all day and did not dare to go out. When he had to go out, he was extremely nervous and ran through.
Even so, it is difficult to escape the cold gun of my hunter.
When enemy cars want to pass through the areas where I am often attacked, they use dawn and pass behind a large number of smoke screens to prevent my anti-aircraft machine guns from attacking.
"'Sniper Ridge' was written into the U.S. military's combat report and included in their military history. Using a cold gun to hit a place name on a foreign land is the only example in our PLA's war history." Zhang Songshan said.
Nine Dead Lives: Returning to the Pastoral Heroes Without Words
In the autumn of 1952, the Battle of Shangganling started.
Zou Xixiang recalled this tragic and unusual battle to his family before his death.
At that time, the ammunition and food were exhausted. He and his comrades hid in a hole. There was no water. When he was thirsty, he licked the stone wall. He was hungry for seven days and seven nights.
Everyone discussed that they could no longer sit still and decided to let Zou Xixiang, who is the best, go out to find rescue.
In order to distract the enemy, Zou Xixiang deliberately threw an empty can, used the sound to attract the enemy, and ran out of the hole himself.
In order to avoid the enemy's searchlights, he got under the piles of corpses, and even so, he was almost stabbed by the enemy's bayonet.
When Zou Xixiang found the troops, he was extremely weak and woke up after a long coma.
By the time the troops found their comrades in the cave, many had already died.
"When he was a child, the movie "Shangganling" was played in the village. He saw the scene of soldiers throwing empty cans to attract the enemy, and he said, 'I threw it'," said Zou Jun, 51, the grandson of Zou Xixiang.
"In the battle of Shangganling, Zou Xixiang was one of the few heroes in the 45th Division who had experienced the whole process of the Battle of Shangganling. Moreover, in Shangganling, the fighting heroes of the 15th Army, such as Huang Jiguang, Qiu Shaoyun, Sun Zhanyuan, etc., were able to stand. First-class merit is not easy." Zhang Songshan said.
Zou Xixiang returned to China in 1954.
In April 1956, at the age of 34, he changed his career and returned to Wuchuan County.
When he returned to his hometown, he never mentioned his achievements on the battlefield in front of outsiders.
He once worked in the township, and assisted the brigade to develop a variety of operations, and later returned home to work in obscurity.
It is said that when he occasionally went up the mountain to dig wild vegetables and chatted with a child herding cattle, he would say lightly, "Shooting a gun? I'm pretty sure." Until the 1980s, the county came to the village many times to learn about Zou Xixiang's situation and gave him Sending condolences, the villagers know that this veteran with "strong character, upright temper, and love to help people" was a sharpshooter on the Korean battlefield, and for the first time had the opportunity to see his many medals.
"In those days, canned food was a high-end product, but grandpa never ate it. He would return the canned oranges and pears given by others." The reporter asked whether the reason for not eating canned food was related to the use of canned food to attract enemy fire on the battlefield. , Zou Jun replied: "We don't dare to ask, for fear that it will arouse his sadness. Once, he told me that if we talk about heroes, those comrades who died are heroes, and those who are alive are not."
Zou Xixiang has frostbite all over his body and attacks frequently. He always keeps a homemade ointment at home: dew grass is dried and burned into ashes, and fried with vegetable oil.
When the itching was unbearable, the family used chicken feathers to apply this ointment to help him relieve the itching.
In recent years, with the popularity of film and television works such as "Crossing the Yalu River", the Propaganda Department of the Wuchuan County Party Committee and the County Archives have collected the life stories of this hero in his hometown, and many bits and pieces have been gradually excavated.
The portrait of Zou Xixiang, widely circulated by media reports, was drawn by a painter more than 20 years ago by his family.
"Grandpa didn't take many pictures when he was alive. One year, the county came to take pictures of him. I remember that he rarely dressed so formally and wore medals. A few years after his death, I found that the picture was broken, especially The piece of the medal was blurred, so I asked someone to draw this image according to the photo." said Zou Yinqiang, grandson of Zou Xixiang.
On March 26, 1993, Zou Xixiang, the sniper hero of Shangganling, passed away suddenly at the age of 71.
The hottest blood: dedicate youth to the motherland
In Liyuan Village, many people can tell a story or two about Zou Xixiang.
In April 1922, Zou Xixiang was born into a poor Gelao peasant family.
The children of the poor go to the home early.
Before he was 7 years old, Zou Xixiang ran cattle and horses for the landlord, worked as a laborer, and did farm work. At the age of 13, he learned to do carpentry work from others.
Work hard all year round, but still can't fill your stomach.
Liyuan Village is located in an alpine area, lacking in water resources, with a lot of soil and less fields. The local people rely on corn, fern roots and sweet potatoes as their staple food, and hunting in the mountains is the only source of supplementary meat.
At the age of 7, Zou Xixiang began to follow his parents to hunt in the mountains with homemade gunpowder guns.
He is well versed in the way of hunting in harsh environments. As long as the prey appears in front of him, even if there is a slight disturbance, he can quickly and accurately observe the prey's position, escape direction and speed, and can skillfully reload, lurk, aim and shoot.
"He is a natural hunter and has never come back empty-handed. He has sharp eyes, quick skills and accurate marksmanship. He is a good hunter here," said Zou Shuzhong, 77-year-old nephew of Zou Xixiang.
Zou Xixiang is kind to people, and when he comes back from hunting, he will always share the "trophies" for everyone to taste.
After the founding of New China, Zou Xixiang joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and in the subsequent Southwest Bandit Suppression, because of the reconnaissance of bandits, he completely wiped out a bandit company, and captured the bandit leader Laoman alive in Huangping County, Guizhou Province, and was awarded by the division and regiment.
"Since I was a child, I felt that my grandfather was very witty, brave, and powerful." Zou Jun remembered that when he was a child, he went up the mountain with his grandfather to herd cattle, and often heard him tell stories about bandit suppression.
Once, Zou Xixiang and two comrades found a lot of bandits in the valley. He was worried that it would be too late to go back and report the news, so he discussed with the other two and said that the one who was talking among the bandits should be the leader. I beat the speaker first. , you shoot your guns in the air again, shouting "give up your guns and don't kill them".
"My grandfather said that he killed the speaker with one shot. He shouted to hand in the gun, but the bandits threw up their hands and surrendered. The three of them handed over the guns of the bandits and took them back." Zou Jun said.
Although it has been nearly 30 years since his death, in Zou Xixiang's old house, his family still retains many of the tools he used for carpentry and farm work.
"We have deep feelings for Grandpa. He loves us very much and has strict requirements. We must study hard." Zou Yinqiang said.
"Zou Xixiang is a hero who has gone out from here, and more people will come to know about his deeds in the future," said a local village cadre.
In front of Zou Xixiang's tomb, there is a couplet on the gate of the stone fence: the people's heroes are immortal and dedicated to the country and the people.
"Now, his tomb is often filled with flowers presented by strangers," said Zou Yinqiang.