Enter the British and Model Forces to Resist U.S. Aid Korea
Hold high the banner of Ganling heroes and charge
In late autumn, on a training ground in northern Hubei, a certain brigade of airborne troops, "Shangganling Special Force Eighth Company", was conducting a tactical live-fire drill. With the powerful command of the company commander to the east, the eighth company broke through the "enemy" fire blockade. The Shangganling battle flag was planted on the forward position.
As a red army company with outstanding achievements, the Eighth Company successively participated in more than 150 battles such as the Long March, the Hundred Regiment Battle, and the Huaihai Campaign. Especially during the Battle of Shangganling in the War of Resistance against U.S. Aid Korea, the eighth company officers and soldiers fought bloody battles for 43 days and held the tunnel for 14 days and nights , The company was polished 3 times and rebuilt 3 times. Finally, the battle flag full of 381 bullet holes was planted on the main peak of Shangganling. With its brilliant record of annihilating 1,765 enemies, it was awarded the collective special merit of the 3rd Corps of the Volunteer Army. The spirit of Shangganling.
For 68 years, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company have always held high the banner of the Ganling heroes, adhering to the iron-blooded spirit of "only blowing the charge, not retreating". They have been the vanguard and the forefront of joint exercises and joint training, transformation and construction, and urgent, difficult and dangerous tasks for 66 consecutive years. Keeping advanced has become a business card for the grassroots construction of the airborne troops.
A battle flag
"Zhu Huafeng, now I'm handing over this iron-blooded battle flag with 381 bullet holes to you..." On April 22, the "Shangganling Special Kungfu Eighth Company" organized the chief officer handover and joining ceremony, which was full of bullets. The battle flag baptized by war was handed over from the previous instructor Lei Jinwu to the current instructor Zhu Huafeng.
The 15 characters on the battle flag "Go forward bravely and put the red flag on the position of liberation" are powerful. This battle flag is exactly the battle flag that the Eighth Company's ancestors planted on the main peak of Ganling during the Battle of Shangganling. Although 381 shells were shot by artillery fire Hole, but always stands tall.
On October 14, 1952, the Battle of Shangganling broke out. In an area with a total area of only 3.7 square kilometers, the enemy invested more than 60,000 people in front and back, used more than 300 long-range artillery pieces of 105 mm or more, more than 120 tanks, and more than 3,000 aircraft. , Launched more than 900 large and small attacks.
In 43 days, more than 1.7 million artillery shells were fired and more than 10,000 bombs dropped, cutting down the main peak of Shangganling by 2 meters.
At the beginning of the battle, the battle was unprecedentedly fierce, and the two sides fought repeatedly around the position.
Eight Company suffered heavy casualties in the tug-of-war. On the evening of October 17, the Eighth Company was counterattacked on the 597.9 highland mission, entered the main position No. 1 tunnel, and began the heroic feat of holding the tunnel 14 days and nights.
Facing the extremely harsh environment, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company had firm beliefs and strong will. Everyone took turns into the tunnel to fight the enemy desperately and stubbornly. In the end, a battle flag with 381 bullet holes was inserted on the main peak of Shangganling.
Over the past 68 years, this battle flag with 381 bullet holes has accompanied each of the officers and soldiers of the "Shangganling Special Kungfu Company".
"I swear to always hold high the hero's battle flag...resolutely complete the task." In mid-May this year, the Eighth Company went to the Northwest Plateau to carry out actual combat training. Before the expedition, all officers and soldiers of the company solemnly swore to the battle flag.
After the ceremony, the recruit Xie Zuyang, like all the new comrades in arms, signed his name on the company banner.
During a day and night stretch exercise, severe cold, hunger, fatigue, hypoxia, and battlefield conditions that appeared at any time constantly challenged Xie Zuyang’s physical limits. In the last armed attack, he was seriously overstretched and rushed to the finish line. At the end of the line, he knelt on the ground with his legs weakened.
"Even if you fall, you must fall at the end." Xie Zuyang said, whenever he wants to give up, the battle flag flying in front of the team always gives him infinite strength. The eighth company's ancestors have nothing to do with enemies armed to their teeth. Retreat, and I must never discredit the battle flag.
This battle flag, which carries the heavy history and honor of the Eighth Company, has always been a valuable resource for the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company to receive traditional education.
Instructor Zhu Huafeng said that regardless of participating in major exercises or urgent, difficult and dangerous missions, as long as conditions permit, the company will take the battle flag with the team. No matter what difficulties and challenges they encounter, the officers and soldiers of the entire company have successfully completed the mission every time.
A slogan
Entering the honor room of "Shangganling Special Kungfu Eighth Company", the ten three-dimensional golden characters are very eye-catching. These words are not just a simple slogan, but the artillery fire of the eighth company's ancestors in the Shangganling battle. After countless battles in the smoke of gunpowder, the iron and blood forged with blood and life connects the soul.
In September last year, the "Central China-2019" multinational joint exercise kicked off at the Dongguz shooting range in Orenburg, Russia. The officers and men of the Eighth Company entered the "battlefield" as a parachute assault force. Due to the excessive wind speed on the ground, Corporal Jin Tianyu When landing, his head fell heavily to the ground and almost fainted. Regardless of his injury, he struggled to get up from the ground, stood up 3 times and fell down 3 times, still crawling towards his battle position.
“The officers and soldiers who participated in the exercise on behalf of the Chinese airborne troops came from several units. Whether we can complete the mission is directly related to the honor of the company.” Jin Tianyu said firmly afterwards. Although he had become blurred, he remembered that “only the charge was played. There is only one thought in the heart of the iron-blooded soul that does not retreat, and that is to continue fighting if you are desperate.
History is always surprisingly similar. On the evening of October 17, 1951, Eight Connection was counterattacked by the 597.9 Highland mission.
In order to shorten the charging distance, the entire company had to pass through the 1500-meter-long fire blockade before the counterattack, and secretly entered the No. 1 tunnel of the main position.
The eighth squad leader Cui Hanbi, with superhuman bravery and composure, crawled in the blockade for 8 hours and made more than 20 round trips, bringing the entire company's officers and soldiers into the tunnel smoothly.
On October 19, when attacking position 3, the machine gunner Lai Fajun, who was in charge of the cover, was injured by a gun. He accumulated his last physical strength and jumped up, rushing to the enemy bunker with a grenade, and died with the bunker. !
In the Battle of Shangganling, many of the Eighth Company's ancestors blasted their grenades and blasting tubes and died together with the enemy at a critical moment. "Only the charge, not the retreat" was vividly reflected in them.
Taking over the steel guns of the ancestors, facing the difficulties and extreme challenges, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company of the new era continued to write new legends with a charge and battle attitude.
In August 2014, the "Peace Mission-2014" joint exercise kicked off at a training base.
During the third air-ground joint training, the plane suddenly encountered abnormal turbulence. At the time, Xu Cheng, the squad leader of the Eighth Company's "hard-boned 4th squad", was accidentally injured by the fixing nail under the seat, and an 8 cm long line was marked on his leg. Of blood.
"I am a member of the Shangganling Hero Force, and I will never retreat!" Xu Cheng was determined when the dispatcher advised him to give up parachuting.
Immediately, he stepped on the door of the plane with his left foot and dared to rush towards the sea of clouds. After the exercise, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Five-nation Joint Command.
A letter
In the honor room of the "Shangganling Special Service Eighth Company", a letter from the Party Committee of the 15th Army to the branches of the forefront tunnels has attracted much attention, which was left by the company in the world-famous Shangganling battle in 1952.
On October 28, 1952, a week of tug of war caused heavy casualties for the eight companies stationed at the main peak of Shangganling.
After entering the tunnel, the enemy often exploded with grenades and explosives, and burned with petrol bomb flamethrowers. The air in the tunnel was so dirty that it was suffocating.
After learning about the situation in the tunnel, the Party Committee of the 15th Army sent the second battalion instructor Li Ande to sneak into the tunnel No. 1 general division's letter on the determination to adhere to tunnel combat to the tunnel units. All the troops in the tunnel No. 1 were integrated into the eighth company and the tunnel was established. The temporary party branch is under the unified command of the eighth company commander Li Baocheng.
Under the strong leadership of the party branch, the officers and men of the Eighth Company were not afraid of sacrifice, and took turns to enter the tunnel to fight the enemy to the death, laying a solid foundation for the victory of the battle.
Over the past 68 years, the special organizational form of the "Tundao Party Branch" has been running through all aspects of the daily life, training exercises, and tasks of the Eighth Company. The belief in "Listening to the Party and following the Party" has also been deeply rooted in the Eighth Company generation after generation. In the hearts of officers and soldiers.
"Please rest assured that the company party branch, we will do our best to fulfill our mission..." In September last year, the Eighth Company participated in the "Central China-2019" multinational joint military exercise held in Russia.
On the eve of the exercise, Zhao Lu, member of the Party branch of the Eighth Company and platoon leader, expressed his determination to the Party branch of the company on behalf of the participating officers and soldiers.
In recent years, the Eighth Company has undertaken a variety of tasks. The company often distributes tasks in multiple areas. The company’s party branch has always carried forward the fine tradition of “building the branch in the tunnel” and proactively contacted party members outside the country through voice and video. Pass the theme party day and understand the thoughts of party members.
This summer, the Eighth Company participated in a certain plateau live ammunition drill mission in the brigade's organization. The firepower unit leader Yuan Wangshuai commanded the company's firepower unit to achieve multiple targets, which was praised by the brigade leaders.
However, everyone who is familiar with Yuan Wangshuai knows that he was originally a tank gunner in the company, and he was a well-known "skilled gunner" in the field of vehicle artillery.
In the new round of system and organization adjustment and reform, the Eighth Company has added a new firepower team organization. The new organization has realized the transformation from decentralized deployment to centralized use of affiliated firepower, which is of great significance for exerting the superiority of affiliated firepower.
Changing the guard means starting from scratch.
Facing the need for reform, Yuan Wangshuai resolutely obeyed the overall situation and took the lead in changing the guard.
After embarking on a new position, he and his comrades trained hard, and within a short period of time, the company formed the ability to build and produce combat.
Instructor Zhu Huafeng introduced that since entering the period of peace building, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company have always inherited and carried forward the fine traditions of the "Tundao Party Branch". From the 1998 flood fighting to the Wenchuan earthquake relief, from participating in joint exercises and training to the adjustment and reform of the army, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company have been brave. Loyalty profoundly explains the infinite loyalty of "the iron heart follows the party".
An apple
In August of this year, the aircraft group roared over the Northwest Plateau, and umbrella flowers bloomed in the sky. The Eighth Company descended from the sky as the sharp knife force of the control group. They fought fiercely for nearly 12 hours and finally successfully completed the goal of defeating the enemy.
"In the low-pressure and hypoxic environment, coupled with the multiple tests of extreme distance, extreme strength, and extreme courses, the company's outstanding task is inseparable from the unity and mutual assistance of the entire company's officers and soldiers to overcome difficulties." The eighth company commander said to Dong. Under the conditions of heavy tasks, long time, and limited supplies, the officers and soldiers helped each other, "a piece of bread was shared and a bottle of mineral water was passed on to drink" scenes can be seen everywhere. During the battle of Shangganling, "an apple was passed on to eat". The fine tradition has been inherited and carried forward on the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company in the new period.
During the Battle of Shangganling, during the Eighth Company defended the tunnel, there was a serious shortage of food and water.
The 15th Army quickly purchased more than 30,000 kilograms of apples from the rear and sent them to the tunnel.
But the U.S. artillery blockade was too strong, and it was difficult for the large baskets of apples to be sent up. When Liu Mingsheng, a transporter of the Eighth Company, braved the gunfire to transport ammunition to other tunnels, he picked up an apple on the way and took it back to the tunnel.
Everyone, you let me, I let you, pass it twice before eating.
It was precisely with this kind of unity and friendship that the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company held the tunnels for 14 days and nights under extremely difficult conditions, and finally won the battle.
The moving story of "An Apple" was also written into elementary school textbooks. For 68 years, it has also become a living teaching material that has inspired generations of officers and soldiers of the Eighth Company to unite, love, and help each other.
During the peace building period, the Eighth Company inherited and carried forward the fine tradition of unity and friendship in the Shangganling Campaign, insisted on strictly managing and educating the troops with rules and regulations, and created a comprehensive company with “strictly governing the army, leading troops in a civilized manner, strong branches, leading cadres, and mutual management of officers and soldiers”. Construction experience.
In September 1984, the Eighth Company was awarded the honorary title of "Eighth Company for Strictly Governing the Army and Leading Troops with Civilization" by the Air Force Party Committee. The story of "An Apple" was given a new era connotation.
Li Jie is a commentator in the Honor Room of the Eighth Company. He is always very proud of every time he introduces the company to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake relief mission.
In May 2008, as a recruit of the Eighth Company, Li Jie witnessed the life and death rescue.
"At that time, our recruits had no experience. The dry food and water we brought was eaten very early. Many veterans took out their water and dry food for us to eat." Recalling the scene at the time, Li Jie said with emotion, this is "a "Apple eats" is the most authentic portrayal in reality.
In May of this year, 25 new recruits followed the company to the Northwest Plateau for actual combat training in less than a month.
During a training session, a sandstorm struck suddenly, and a strong wind mixed with gravel hit the face.
The veterans of the Eighth Company took the initiative to form a circle holding hands to protect the recruits. They gathered together until the end of the sandstorm. The officers and soldiers used practical actions to interpret the profound friendship of "comrades-in-arms and comrades like brothers".
Xia Peng Source: China Youth Daily