The self-defense counterattack war against Vietnam was the last major war since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and in this war, a large number of outstanding commanders and fighters and grassroots officers and men of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) emerged. Bian Guixiang, commander of the 163rd Division, was one of the best, he is not only steady and ruthless in his use of soldiers, but also very loved by his subordinates, even the most basic soldiers know that Bian Guixiang is a good general who is responsible for his subordinates.
There were two lines of our troops participating in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, one was the eastern front troops fighting across the border from Yunnan, commanded by General Xu Shiyou, who had been in battle for a long time. On the other hand, the Western Front troops that invaded Vietnam from Guangxi were commanded by General Yang Dezhi. And the 163rd Division commanded by Bian Guixiang is the sharp knife of the Eastern Front troops, will be responsible for the most criticalThe main mission
The reason why the 163rd Division received this important task was inseparable from the division commander Bian Guixiang. Bian Guixiang could be regarded as the best existence among the first-class military commanders of our army division at that timeThe morale of the 163rd Division is like a rainbow, and all the officers and soldiers under its command can fight tough battles. It is undoubtedly the most suitable choice to use such a force as the main attack.
The first battle of the 163rd Division was to fight Dong Deng, a military town in northern VietnamIt was a very famous fortress city back in the French colonial period, it is not a simple matter to gnaw the hard bone of Tongdeng. The Vietnamese army also knew very well that the ownership of Dong Deng was the key to the war situation in northern Vietnam, so it also transferred YouVenus DivisionThe 3rd Vietnamese Division.
In other words, the 163rd Division not only had to shoulder the task of attacking fortified positions, but also had to fight against each other as soon as it came upVietnamese ace troops, the pressure is not small. The Vietnamese army experienced two wars of resistance against France and resistance against the United States one after anotherQuite a lot of combat experience。In order to delay the advance of the PLA, the Vietnamese army has planted a large number of mines on various roads leading from the Sino-Vietnamese border to Dong Deng.
Bian Guixiang's understanding of the Vietnamese army is actually very deepYou must know that during the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Vietnam, he guided the Vietnamese army as a Chinese affairs adviser, so what is the specific strength of the Vietnamese army, Bian Guixiang is clear. But in his opinion, the defensive position is inherently used to break through, and this veteran general, who has fought the Japanese army and the reactionaries, does not think that the young soldiers of our army will be inferior to the old Vietnamese oilmen, and he believes that his troops can defeat any strong enemy.
Bian Guixiang's confidence was in his strict requirements for the 163rd Division, which was definitely the most tightly trained and disciplined unit in the People's Liberation Army at that time. Don't look at the actual combat experience, it may be a little less than the Vietnamese army, but in terms of the quality of the soldiersBian Guixiang dared to fight to guarantee the vote, and the Vietnamese army was not an opponent of the PLA
After the Battle of Tongdeng began, Bian Guixiang's old and spicy campaign and tactical command and the strong personal qualities of the officers and men of the 163rd Division were very well coordinatedOn the front and on the flanks it took a very short time to break the defensive line of the Vietnamese Venus Division。In the battle, the 163rd Division once again demonstrated the exquisiteness of our armyInterspersed play, the Vietnamese army did not understand the situation on the battlefield at all, so they were surrounded and annihilated by our army.
In addition to the traditional infantry combat, the 163rd Division also completed effective coordinated operations with armored unitsIn just one morning, he basically won the initiative in the Tongdeng theater。Although Bian Guixiang had long expected that the Vietnamese army was not his opponent, he was still sincerely pleased that the war was going well, and he finally lived up to the expectations of his superiors.
The only thing that caused some trouble for the 163rd Division was when it captured the Guitun FortThis fort was built by the French according to the standards of a permanent fort in World War IAt that time, all the heavy artillery of the People's Liberation Army had no way to take the Guitun Battery. The 163rd Division originally wanted to bite this strong fortress, but several assaults were frustrated one after another, and in order to reduce the losses of the troops, Bian Guixiang decided to outwit it.
After hearing that the People's Liberation Army had suffered a setback in the Taguitun Fort, some Chinese border residents living on the Sino-Vietnamese border provided tremendous help, including one of whom was forcibly conscripted by the French to participate in the construction of the fort when he was youngWith memory, he helped the PLA find the ventilation port of the battery。With a wave of his hand, Bian Guixiang used several tons of explosives and gasoline to directly blast the Guitun Fort into the sky, conquering this so-called impregnable fortress in one fell swoop.
After the end of the Battle of Dong Deng, the 163rd Division was the vanguard of Lang Son, an important town in northern VietnamAt that time, many Vietnamese generals were terrified when they learned that the commander of this PLA unit was Bian GuixiangAfter all, Bian Guixiang was their teacher, and no one knows Bian Guixiang's power better than these apprentices.
Since they couldn't do it on the battlefield, the Vietnamese army planned to play yin, and they began to send it out to Bian GuixiangHigh bounties, hoping to assassinate Bian Guixiang and the forces behind the enemy to disintegrate the 163rd Division. But in the face of absolute strength, the conspiracy and trickery of the Vietnamese army came to naught. The 163rd Division not only captured Lang Son,The soldiers are even more directed at Hanoi
However, because this operation was a self-defense counterattack, the main purpose was to deter the Vietnamese ruling group, not to really defeat Vietnam, so after the 163rd Division gained a firm foothold on the banks of the Qiqi River, an order came from BeijingBian Guixiang was asked to release the prisoners, ready to withdraw troops.
This can make Bian Guixiang anxious, the battle is not over yet, isn't it irresponsible for the lives of the soldiers to release the prisoners like this?These Vietnamese troops are already very stubborn, once they let the tiger return to the mountainWill definitely find a way to retaliate against the troops。Bian Guixiang was the commander of the first division, and he was responsible for the soldiers, so he openly refused to carry out the order to release the prisoners.
You must know that it is the duty of a soldier to obey ordersBattlefield disobedience is an extremely serious disciplinary violation, squatting in a big prison is small, and if you don't get it right, you will be shot. But Bian Guixiang's attitude was very firm, he told the higher authorities that he would admit it whether he was dismissed or imprisoned, but he had to thinkRelease the captivesNo way!
Bian Guixiang's move made the officers and soldiers of the division awe-inspiredOf course, they knew how much the division commander had risked to protect them。Although Bian Guixiang was not punished for this incident later, he also missed the post-war promotion award. However, Bian Guixiang didn't care about this, the 163rd Division was affirmed by the best for its super performance in battle, he was already satisfied as the division commander, and personal honor and disgrace were not important to him.