The last battle,years of command, in exchangeyears of peace.
In January 1974, Marshal ** and *** visited ***'s mansion. The two of them looked solemn, while *** was studying the map intently with a magnifying glass, and his eyes were focused on the South China Sea.
Although he was 81 years old at this time and suffering from physical pain, he knew that if the Paracel Islands problem was not resolved immediately, the consequences would be unimaginable.
As a matter of fact, not long ago, in disregard of China's strong condemnation, South Vietnam arbitrarily incorporated some islands of China's Xisha Islands into its territory, and repeatedly sent ** to ram China's fishing boats, behaving extremely arrogantly.
Intolerable, intolerable! After a full discussion, ** decisively ordered: fight, destroy all the enemies who come to attack! As a result, the sick *** personally commanded the Xisha Naval Battle, and this battle also won a peaceful development environment for our country for more than 40 years.
**'s wise decision came from careful consideration, because at that time our country was facing a serious international situation, and there was no room for mistakes. "
Before the end of the war in South Vietnam and North Vietnam, the United States, as a supporter of South Vietnam, provided a large number of advanced ships to strengthen its naval power to its own interests.
Of these, the largest ships have a displacement of 1770 tons, and the smallest exceeds 600 tons. Although these figures may not seem conspicuous now, at that time, there was still a considerable gap compared with the naval power of the United States and the Soviet Union.
However, it is worth noting that due to the weakness of our naval forces, the maximum displacement of the South China Sea Fleet participating in the operation is only 570 tons, and the total tonnage of the participating ships is only 1,760 tons, which is even less than the displacement of a South Vietnamese ship.
Therefore, there is a large gap between the two sides in terms of equipment.
Despite the tension between China and the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union deployed a large number of troops on the northern border of our country, which could attack us at any time, and if the Xisha naval battle was carried out at this time, it could face a threat from the north.
Therefore, when South Vietnam** and warships constantly challenged China's sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, we initially chose to negotiate through diplomatic means, hoping that South Vietnam** would recognize the current situation.
Regrettably, however, South Vietnam** did not pay enough attention to this. However, we also know that ** is well thought out and forward-thinking. If he decides to go to war, he will definitely be well prepared.
So, where do you think we have an advantage?
The Paracel Islands have been part of our country since ancient times, and this is supported by ample evidence in history. As early as the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Chinese fishermen discovered the Xisha Islands and left a record in the history books.
In the following centuries, our fishermen continued to develop and operate on the island. In the Song Dynasty, with the development of maritime **, China began to exercise effective jurisdiction over the Xisha Islands.
In the Ming Dynasty, when Zheng He went to the West, he personally boarded the Xisha Islands and erected a flag and standing stones, further confirming that the Xisha Islands belong to China's territory. Therefore, all our actions are based on this indisputable fact.
The Xisha Islands are composed of the Xuande Islands and the Yongle Islands, and the names of the two islands are derived from the era names of the Ming Dynasty emperors, which is undoubtedly a strong evidence that China has sovereignty over the Xisha Islands since ancient times.
Therefore, it is only natural for China to take all reasonable and lawful actions to safeguard the sovereignty of the Xisha Islands. In addition, an in-depth analysis of the international situation in 1974 is provided.
He realized that South Vietnam was fighting alone, and that the United States would not clash with China over South Vietnam. In fact, after Nixon's election, the United States has begun to adjust its global strategy, the most important of which is to seek détente with China.
Acutely grasped this trend, arguing that U.S.-China cooperation would be of great benefit to China's own development.
After Nixon's visit to China in 1972, the relationship between China and the United States began to change substantially. ** It is believed that the world at that time was dominated by the struggle for hegemony between the United States and the Soviet Union, and due to the arms expansion of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Brezhnev, its overall military strength had surpassed that of the United States.
Therefore, in order to better confront the USSR, the United States needed to cooperate with other countries, including China. Even if there is a conflict between our country and South Vietnam, the United States will not directly confront China for the sake of South Vietnam, an unstable ally.
** Convinced of the strength of our navy, he foresaw the importance of the Paracel Islands and ordered the navy to patrol the area to gain a deeper understanding of the local environment.
That's where the confidence in his decision lies. ** personally coordinate this war, appoint *** marshal and *** comrades as commanders, and be responsible for specific arrangements.
From January 15 to 16, 1974, South Vietnam continued to escalate its provocations, repeatedly sent ** to ram our fishing boats, and openly opened fire on the militia guarding Ganquan Island, which was extremely rude.
If you dare to come up, you will be wiped out! ”
In a fierce battle, some of the soldiers of the South Vietnamese vanguard were frightened by our offensive and fled in all directions. Despite this, our commander Wu Xianfeng did not let his guard down because of this, and he knew that we must remain vigilant to deal with any threats that may arise.
He immediately reported the actions of the South Vietnamese Navy to his superiors, and after obtaining the approval of Ye Shuai and ***, our South China Sea Fleet quickly dispatched ** to the sea area where the incident occurred to participate in the battle.
After receiving the commander's order, the Navy's minesweeper and submarine hunter successfully divided and surrounded the enemy's four ** ships in two ways.
Our naval officers and men are fully prepared and ready to destroy all enemies who dare to attack.
In the face of the enemy's strong tonnage and fierce firepower, the commanders and fighters of our army skillfully brought into play their own advantages and resolutely adopted a close battle, drove the ships to the enemy's side, and concentrated their firepower to launch a fierce attack on the key parts of the enemy ships.
Although our ** boat did not have an advantage in size, our agility and the courage and fearlessness of our fighters were a nightmare for the enemy. With this, we heroically drove our ships straight into the enemy ships, taking them by surprise.
After a fierce battle, finally at 14:52 in the afternoon, the enemy ship Fury Wave completely sank, and the other three enemy ships also fled in confusion, and the Battle of Xisha ended with the complete victory of our army.
Ye Shuai was stationed in Beijing, and after receiving the good news, he was excited, and cheered in the war room again and again: "Fight beautifully!" Well played! Seeing the summary report, ** also smiled.
However, ** did not let down his vigilance, but firmly instructed: "The front-line fighters will take advantage of the victory to pursue and recover the islands occupied by Saigon!" "In fact, ** was confident in the defeat of the South Vietnamese Navy by our fighters and had long foreseen the need to recover the island.
His strategic thinking of "it is advisable to chase the poor bravely, and not to become famous and learn from the overlord" is an indispensable component. After receiving the instructions, the officers and men on the front line immediately took action and began to recover the three islands and reefs of Ganquan, Coral, and Jinyin.
Our troops moved quickly, and the South Vietnamese Navy suffered heavy losses, so the recovery operation proceeded smoothly. The enemy on Ganquan Island resisted for less than 10 minutes before disarming and surrendering, and the enemy on Coral Island quickly collapsed under the sandwich of our troops, taking more than 40 prisoners, including an American liaison officer.
The enemy at Treasure Island took the initiative to evacuate when our navy fled, and our troops easily recaptured Mishima and quickly built a new fortress in case the enemy returned. After our army took the three islands, the chairman did not continue to recover some of the islands and reefs of the Nansha Islands, taking into account the voyage of the sea boats, and the war was effectively controlled.
Although there was a significant gap between the naval strength of our participating units and that of the other side, we still succeeded in defending the territorial integrity of the motherland with excellent tactics and heroic fighting spirit.
In this battle, 18 naval officers and sailors died heroically, and their great contributions will always be remembered. ** The strategic vision led us to issue a diplomatic statement immediately after our victory on January 20, 1974, demanding that the Saigon authorities cease all military provocations and illegal occupation of our territory, otherwise they must bear all the consequences.
This is China's firm stand on resolutely safeguarding territorial sovereignty and is also a solemn warning to the aggressor.
Ships of the South China Sea Fleet did not chase the enemy ships closely, but conducted routine patrols in the waters near the Paracel Islands. Seeing that our troops did not move further, the tension of the South Vietnamese Navy eased somewhat.
However, they have not given up their attempt to occupy China's islands, after all, they have only lost one ship, and their overall strength is still superior to that of China's South China Sea fleet. As a result, they often cruise the outer seas of the Paracel Islands, waiting for an opportunity.
Taking this situation into account, it was decided to send ships of the East China Sea Fleet to the South China Sea to support and completely dispel the enemy's illusions with great force.
In the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the maritime threat of our country came mainly from the East, and the fighting took place mainly near the Taiwan Strait, therefore, the development of our naval forces was mainly focused on the development of the East China Sea Fleet.
The East China Sea Fleet has the most advanced ships of our army, including the Type 01 missile frigate independently developed by our country. The total length of the ship is 915 meters, with a full load displacement of 1460 tons, equipped with 3 130-mm single-barreled naval guns, its combat strength is comparable to the lead ships of the South Vietnamese Navy.
In order to form an absolute superiority, the East China Sea Fleet sent three Type 01 missile frigates south at one time to reinforce them. However, they needed to pass through the Taiwan Strait, where the Kuomintang Navy was active.
When tensions arise in the South China Sea, we are faced with a dilemma. If we detour east of the island of Taiwan, we may lose the initiative on the battlefield. But if it passes through the Taiwan Strait, it may again clash with the Kuomintang Navy.
This is a challenge for the commander of the East China Sea Fleet. However, ** resolutely ordered: "Directly through the Taiwan Strait!" "As expected, Chiang Kai-shek did not order the Kuomintang navy to obstruct us.
**After learning about it, he said with a smile: "Mr. Jiang still pays attention to national righteousness. "This decision has enabled our navy to add three new missile frigates in the South China Sea, and the South Vietnamese navy's original advantage has been wiped out, and it will no longer dare to covet it.
The 81-year-old commander finally won this war of far-reaching significance and won an environment of peaceful development for our country for 40 years. Some people will question what is the value of this just defeating a weak South Vietnam**?
This is a clear exaggeration. As a matter of fact, this war was the first comprehensive victory of our People's Navy in a foreign war since its founding, and it not only accumulated actual combat experience for the navy fighters and enhanced their confidence in combat, but also enabled some countries to no longer despise our naval forces.
During the war, New China demonstrated to the world its firm belief that any country that attempts to infringe on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity will face a resolute counterattack. Despite the great disparity in strength between us and the enemy, we will never compromise, and anyone who dares to attack will surely suffer heavy losses and return in vain.
In addition, this war successfully curbed the illegal occupation of China's islands in the South China Sea by the South Vietnamese regime, and even enabled us to recover the occupied Xisha Islands, laying a solid foundation for China's construction and development in the South China Sea.
More importantly, the victory in the Battle of the Paracels had a significant impact on the South Vietnamese regime's will to resist, indirectly supporting the North Vietnamese People's Army on land, making the United States more aware of the situation and prompting them to strengthen their decision to withdraw from the Vietnam battlefield, which played a key role in the stability of the surrounding environment of our country.
From this moment on, the Vietnamese Navy no longer has the courage to confront our army, and the peaceful environment in the South China Sea has laid a solid foundation for our country's reform and opening up. **'s wise decision has been confirmed once again.
Of course, this naval battle has sounded the alarm for our army, that is, we must increase investment in the research and development of naval equipment, build more advanced naval boats and equipment, and strive to be technologically ahead of potential enemies.
Only in this way can losses be minimized and more confident in dealing with battles that may arise at any time. After all, the brave wins. When a real war comes, a firm belief in victory and a fearless fighting attitude are also the keys to victory.