CHINA REPORT POLITICAL SOCIOLOGICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP04-01460R000100180001-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 28
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 19, 2008
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 29, 1981
• Content Type: REPORT

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JPRS L/10081
29 October 1981
China Report
POLITICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
(FOUO 18/81)
IFBISI
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
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JPRS L/10081
CHINA REPORT
POLITICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
(FOUO 18/81)
CONTENTS
MILITARY AND PUBLIC SECURITY
Air Transport Dadui Contributes to Vietnam Border War Victory
(Chen Weiyue; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 23 Apr 79)
Rocket Launcher Battalion's Exploits in Border War Described
(Wu Jinzhao; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 25 Apr 79) .................. 4
Heroic Exploits of Tank Regiment in Vietnam Border War Recounted
(Xu Guangxin; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 25 Apr 79) ................. 7
Army Commander Envisages Development of Combined Arms Training
(Cao Budie; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 7 Jun 79) .................... 10
Regiment Trains Well With Available Equipment
(Xu Haowen; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 9 Jun 79) ................... 16
Defense Said Vital to China's Victory in a Future War
(Chen Hongwu; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 20 Mar 81) ................. 19
East Sea Fleet Devises New Way of Training Corvettes
(Tong Shiping; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 20 Mar 81) ................ 21
Construction Battalion Dismantles Project Without Loss
(Du Rumiao; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 20 Mar 81) .................. 22
Regiment Commander Urges Better Use of Artillery
(Ge Lugai; JIEFANGJUN BAO, 20 Mar 81) .................... 23
- a - (Iii CC - 80 FOUO]
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AIR TRANSPORT DADUI CONTRIBUTES TO VIETNAM BORDER WAR VICTORY
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 23 Apr 79 p 2
[Article by staff correspondent Chen Weiyue [7115 0251 1971] et al: "Battles on
the Air Transport Line--Record of a Certain Air Force Transport Dadui of the
Guangxi Border Defense Units"]
[Text] With feelings of respect for the valiant flyers of the motherland, we in-
troduce to the readers a dauntless contingent of the air transport line--a certain
transport dadui of the Guangxi border defense units. The comrades of this group
thought of the front and its urgent requirements, surmounted numerous difficulties,
promptly transported war-service civilian personnel, delivered orders, and rush-
transported seriously wounded personnel, thereby contributing to the victory of the
war of self-defensive counterattack, for which it was acclaimed by the cadres and
fighters of the units. When our ground forces triumphantly returned to the mother-
land, the leadership organizations of the border defense units instructed the Air
Force department concerned to commend and award the transport group.
Let us first begin with a night before the shooting began in the war of self-de-
fensive counterattack. When the dear ones of the motherland had entered (Meng
Xiang), Li Lianzhong's [2621 6647 0112] flight crew of the 2d Squadron was ordered
to rush-transport a batch of war-service civilian personnel and urgently needed
war materials. The flyers, who for a long time had been ready and waiting, im-
mediately picked up their map bags and climbed aboard the aircraft. In a little
while, the propellors turned over and the aircraft took off, flying at high speed
toward the front. Smoothly circling around a large thunder cloud area at the half-
way point, after several hours of flying they transported their cargo to a certain
place. Owing to the changing situation, they were required to fly to another front-
line airfield. "We will fly to wherever the front requires us to fly!" The com-
rades, carrying out the work style of consecutive operations, did not think of
taking a break. After refueling, they again swiftly took off in their "silver
swallow" and flew all night to a certain frontline airfield. When they had success-
fully completed their mission, it was early morning and rosy clouds filled the sky.
Group commander Xue Fei [5641 7378], walking to the messhall with the flyers, said
humorously: "You will eat dinner and breakfast at one meal." While covering this
story we also heard that, in order to race against time in completing their mission,
some flight crew members did not stop to eat but just grabbed a light pastry and
boarded their aircraft, and some flight crew members flew 8 hours in succession
and close to 12 hours without eating. In this way, for the sake of victory in the
war of self-defensive counterattack, they flew to wherever the upper levels directed
them to fly.
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Western and southern Guangxi are mountainous areas in which mountain peaks stand
in great numbers like trees in a forest and in which ditches and gullies criss-
cross; there are precipices and steep cliffs everywhere. In early spring, could
and mist wind around the areas, and the terrain and weather are extremely complex.
In carrying out its mission here, the transport group found that most of the air
routes and landing points were ones that it had never encountered before, that it
was unfamiliar with conditions, and that there were many difficulties. The type
of helicopter possessed by this group requires a comparatively large flat surface
to take off and land, and the obstacles surrounding the surface cannot be high.
In carrying out its mission, the group found that there were over 20 new landing
and takeoff sites, and the majority of them did not meet this criterion. Sometimes
the helicopter had to land in mountain valleys or sand dunes along rivers, some-
times it had to take off or land over obstacles as tall as a 4- to 5-story building.
Faced with numerous difficulties, the comrades said loud and clear: "For victory in
the battles of self-defensive counterattack, we can overcome countless difficulties
and dangers!" At dusk one day, Yang Fengqun's [2799 6646 5028] flight crew was
ordered to go to a certain place on a mission. The mission was extremely critical,
and they had to fly at night over a plateau. This was the first time they had
flown at night through the complex weather conditions prevailing over a plateau.
Because they had made full preparations, they were confident that they would triumph.
As their aircraft was flying along smoothly, their radio was subjected to iono-
spheric interference and they were suddenly cut off from contact with the ground.
Pilot Yang Fengqun and copilot Ying Li'an [3602 4539 1344], thinking of the front's
requirements, decided to weather this crisis. In close cooperation, they strictly
followed instrumentation data in calmly operating the aircraft. After an over 3-
hour struggle, the aircraft landed safely at a certain place, when-the curtain of
night was hanging low. Once, as Hu Zhaoshu's [5170 3564 2885] flight crew was
finishing its evening meal, it received an operational order to perform a critical
mission. When they had. been flying for a little over 20 minutes, there was a sudden
change in the weather: a pitch-black cumulus congestus blocked the air route.
Squadron leader Hu Zhaoshu, thinking to fly over the cloud, took the aircraft from
1,800 meters up to 3,600 meters, but still could not climb above this thick cumulus
congestus. The weather became worse and worse; if it had been peacetime and such
harsh weather conditions had been encountered, he certainly could have requrested
permission to turn back. However, the comrades of the flight crew bore in mind that
they had been given an operational order to deliver cargo, and that 1 minute earlier
that the cargo was delivered to the unit would mean it would have 1 more minute to
prepare and this would mean 1 more minute to guarantee victory. Hu Zhaoshu suddenly
hit on a way out of the predicament by circling the aircraft around the fringe of
the cumulus congestus and thus in the end triumphed over the threat posed by the
cloud. Unexpectedly, when the aircraft had speedily reached its destination, it was
attacked by torrential rain. Filling the whole sky, heavy rain hammered the air-
craft, which was rocked like a small boat on a vast sea. At this critical juncture,
the comrades of the flight crew, without the slightest fear, and as directed by the
ground, calmly and courageously approached.the landing airfield at high speed.
Braving the storm, they safely landed the aircraft. The senior officers, joyfully
shaking hands with each comrade of the flight crew, highly praised'their brave,
indomitable revolutionary spirit and their superb skill.
After the guns of the war of self-defensive counterattack sounded, the transport
group was charged with the mission of rush-airlifting seriously wounded personnel.
In order to convey the warm feelings of the party and motherland toward the wounded
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personnel who had by bloody valiant struggle defended the motherland's border
area, the members of the group tried by all ways and means to soften the movements
of takeoffs and landings and the movement of aircraft.in flight so as to lessen the
pain of the wounded. At high altitudes, the wounds of some of the wounded personnel
were easily opened and bled, so the flyers at their own initiative requested per-
mission to fly at a lower altitude. The two flight crews of Zhou Caibao [0719 2088
0202] and Zhao Yukui [6392 3768 1145], battling shoulder to shoulder with the
fighters, completed many difficult missions of this kind. The comrades of this
group were pilots, navigators, radio operators, and ground crew members and also
nurses. Every~f ime an aircraft arrived at a place, besides safeguarding the air-
craft, together with the nursing staff they carried stretchers and bore the wounded
on their backs. Once, after a seriously wounded soldier was put aboard an aircraft,
engineer Liu Zequi [0491 3419 6311] saw that the wounded man did not turn his head
very often and that he appeared to be uncomfortable. On examination, Liu found
that the man's pillow was too low, which increased the pain of his wound. Liu
Zegui immediately took off his sweater and gently put it under the wounded man's
head. One field hospital was situated among high mountain ridges around which
clouds and mist curled, and it was very difficult for aircraft to take off and land
there. The flyers, despite the risks, rush-airlifted wounded personnel to the field
hospital. Once, a certain field hospital at the front requested that an aircraft
be dispatched to rush-transport wounded personnel. After receiving this mission,
deputy group commander Zhang Zhenqiu [1728 2182 3808] immediately took the controls
of a helicopter and flew off. The location of this field hospital was not clearly
marked on the map. In order to save the lives of his class brothers, deputy group
commander Zhang circled his helicopter and looked for the hospital time after time,
lowering his altitude to-800, 500, 300 meters.... Suddenly he spotted two persons
in white clothes walking in front of a building and also many white bedsheets air-
ing in a drying yard. He landed his aircraft and, as expected, it was the field
hospital he had been searching for. The flight crew comrades and the nursing staff
were extremely happy, and they swiftly put the wounded personnel aboard the air-
craft. The helicopter carrying the wounded men safely took off.
The air transport fighters, entrusted by the party and people with an important
mission, and harboring hatred for the enemy and love for their comrades-in-arms,
soared to great heights and time after time completed their transport missions. On
the motherland's beautiful and richly endowed southern border, they opened up a
dauntless, unblockable, and unbreakable air transport line.
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ROCKET LAUNCHER BATTALION'S EXPLOITS IN BORDER WAR DESCRIBED
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 25 Apr 79 p 1
[Article by staff correspondent Wu Jinzhao [0702 6855 6856] et al.: "2d Rocket
Launcher Battalion Displays Wonderous Skill in Combat"]
[Text] "The angry roar of big guns!" During the war of self-defensive counter-
attack, the 2d Battalion of a certain rocket launcher regiment. of the Guangxi
border defense units, with timely, accurate, and fierce artillery fire, destroyed
enemy positions, smashed enemy command posts, and powerfully supported infantry
operations.
The 2d Battalion was attached to four infantry units and fought at (Fu He), (Dong
Xi), (Gao Ping), (Guang Yuan), and (Chong Qing). In these battles it destroyed or
neutralized 4 artillery positions, 1 command post, 10 strong points, and 1 blocking
point. The battalion closely coordinated with infantry operations: whenever the
infantry required it to fight there it fought. On 27 February, when a certain
deep-thrust infantry unit had launched an attack on the district seat of (Fu He),
it was imperilled by enemy artillery fire. The 2d Battalion's observers swiftly
determined the position and distance of the enemy artillery position, and the'bat-
talion immediately neutralized the enemy artillery with fierce firepower, thereby
supporting the infantry attacks. On 19 February, when acertain infantry unit was
pressing forward it was blocked by fire from enemy troops defending a solitary hill.
The hill was over 230 meters high and shaped like the lower part of the letter "A"
bounded by the horizontal stroke. It guarded two important lines of communication.
On the hill the enemy had built three layers of defense works--upper, middle, and
lower--and this, combined with the open terrain all around it, made it impossible
to approach the hill closely. Temporarily blocked, our infantry urgently requested
artillery support. After receiving this mission, the 2d Battalion immediately
held a "Zhuge Liang" [referring to a master strategist in China's history] meeting
to study ways of attacking the hill. Relying on their great proficiency acquired
in peacetime training, they did not even trial fire. Using only 10 minutes to pour
down several hundred artillery rounds on the heads of the defending enemy soldiers,
they instantly silenced the once frenzied enemy's strong firepower point. Our
infantry, taking advantage of these circumstances, launched an assault and in one
stroke took the solitary hill, thereby opening up a route for the follow-up units.
Our infantry repeatedly praised the 2d Battalion: "This was truly marvelous combat
skill!"
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r6K Vrrul.1F-L u t VIVLl
In order to strike relentlessly and accurately, in battle the 2d Battalion sent out
forward observation teams 17 times, crossed enemy minefields 5 times, and braved
enemy firepower blockades 9 times to make forward observations of the enemy.
During the Battle of (Chong Qing), when the battalion was attached to a certain
infantry unit attacking that city, the battalion's observation team was at a high-
way bridge that had been blown up when it came under enemy fire. The team members
jumped from their vehicles and while organizing a counterattack ran through the
enemy's crossfire zone and arrived on time at the region designated for carrying
out their observations. When our infantry attack on an unnamed hill north of (Ding
Ke) was held up and fire support was requested, the battalion swiftly set to work.
The entire battalion and another company were ordered to fire in volleys. With
accurate and fierce artillery fire, they supported the infantry, whhc victoriously
occupied the hill. When the Battalion was attached to a certain infantry deep-
thrust unit that was fighting enemy reinforcements at (Gao Ping XiO, rain and mist
made visibility very low. Pan Ruining [3382 3843 1337], deputy commander of the 2d
Battalion's command company, led a forward observation team in crossing over 3
hills and climbing up a 16-1i mountain path to the top of an unnamed hill only
several hundreds of meters from the enemy, from where it observed the enemy. The
rations brought by the team were insufficient so the team members divided the food
in equal portions so as to make 1 day's ration last 2 days. Maintaining their
battle stations for 6 days and nights, they finally discovered an enemy command
post on Hill 505. They immediately reported their discovery to the artillery
group, which blew the command post-to smithereens, and our infantry instantly
charged up,the hill. So that the observed enemy's situation would be swiftly and
accurately reported to the artillery groups for the directing of fire, the 2 Bat-
talion's special detachments (fendui 0433 7130]--computational,-wired and wireless
communications, and vehicle driver--worked in close conjunction with each other.
The computational detachment calculated 996 items of firing data for 320 targets
without making a single error. The wired communications detachment braved artillery
fire 17 times, erected 149 kilometers of line, and fixed 315 breakdowns. The wire-
less signal communications detachment insured uninterrupted liaison by sending or
receiving over 2,200 order and over 66,000 messages without a single error. A
total of 20 firings and 14 battalion slavo firings were timely and accurately di-
rected, each time accurately covering the targets and producing outstanding combat
results.
The officers and men of this battalion have a vigorous fighting will, and they fight
bravely and tenaciously. When a bombardment was most intense, there was no time to
properly clean shells, so the fighters, holding the shells, each weighing over 80
jin, cleaned them by rolling them across their uniforms and then pushed them into
the gun chambers. Some fighters, overcome by gunpowder smoke,. lost consciousness,
but on regaining consciousness rushed back to their posts. Some fighters, knocked
over by a big blast, struggled to their feet and continued the battle. On 4 oc-
casions, the battalion's artillery position came under enemy fire, but without the
slightest trace of fear, the officers and men firmly and steadily counterattacked
on each occasion from beginning to end. In accordance with the division of work,
battalion commander Hao Yangchun [6787 7122 2504] directed fired from the basic
command post. In order to discover targets more quickly and to accurately exercise
his command, on 7 occasions he went to a highly risky advanced observation post to
direct fire. Under the leadership of the cadres, the battalion shifted its posi-
tion 17 times, no matter whether it was bright day or dark night, windy or rainy,
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the members of the battalion moved the artillery pieces and vehicles to the new
position without a hitch and did not miss a single opportunity for combat. Once
the 3d Battalion received an order one evening to shift position and attach itself
to a certain infantry unit that was about to mount an operation. The battalion
promptly set out and, after groping its way in the rainy night for over 20 kilo-
meters, reached the designated spot and immediately seized a position. At 4 an on
the following day, at the order of the infantry leading organization, the battalion's
rocket launchers with an angry roar poured an avalanche of fire on the Vietnamese
army.
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HEROIC EXPLOITS OF TANK REGIMENT IN VIETNAM BORDER WAR RECOUNTED
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 25 Apr 79 p 2
[Article by staff correspondent Xu Guangxin [1776 1639 0207] et al.: "Heroic
Armored Cavalry Performs Wonders"]
[Text] During the war of self-defensive counterattack along the China-Vietnam
border, a certain tank regiment performed outstanding military exploits and was
warmly praised by a high-level commander of the border defense units, who said that
the regiment was composed of men who had achieved prodigious feats.
Prodigious feats emerge under special complex conditions but they can also be
produced under normal battle conditions. In this, the decisive factor is the spirit
of devotion, with great wisdom and bravery, displayed by the officers and men.
In the words of the tank forces, "We tankers should have the same spirit as Huang
Jiguang, who sacrificed his life to blow up a pillbox; this is the nature of Chinese
tankers!"
When our infantry was converging on (Ge Kan), it was stymied by an unnamed hill.
The higher level ordered the 3d Tank Battalion to immediately attack and destroy
the belt of permanent defense works around the hill and to cover the infantry's
advance. Several dozens of tanks boldly and powerfully assaulted the hill. The
tanks especially rushed toward the places in the enemy position from where artillery
and rifle fire was heard. Some of the enemy's antitank guns and antitank rocket
launchers could not be aimed and, together with the soldiers manning them, were
crushed by our tanks; some of the soldiers, under the tank's fire, were blown
into the sky along with their pillboxes. During the fierce battle, deputy regi-
mental commander Zhu Shitao [2612 0013 34471 and deputy political commissar Li
Guangrui [2621 0342 3843], who were accompanying the 3d Battalion, discovered
that on one side of the hill the enemy had built strong defense works concealed on
top of a factory's smokestack, on the top of the building, and at the lower corner
of the same building, which formed a three-tiered--upper, middle, and lower--fire-
power that posed a great threat to our infantry and tanks. Deputy regimental com-
mander Zhu immediately ordered the 9th Company to destroy this defense works. At
the command of Xu Xuaizhou [6079 2037 516B], political instructor of the 9th Com-
pany, Chen Dusheng [3088 1653 0524], chief gunner of tank No 907, took aim with his
two guns on the enemy firing point on the smokestack and blew it into several pieces.
At the same time, platoon leader Lu Jinzhou [0712 6855 3166] in a loud voice re-
ported the accurately estimated distance to the enemy's firing point on top of the
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building, and several tanks fired a salvo that in a twinkling of an eye flattened
this firing point. Company commander Lui Shiwu [0491 1102 2976] gave an order to
chief gunner Zhu Manjing [4376 3341 4200] on Tank No 907 and several guns knocked
out the enemy firing point at the bottom of the tall building. The heroic tankers
fired point-blank at the enemy's strongpoints, each gun scoring a hit and shaking
the enemy's courage. The 9th Company successively destroyed each row of the enemy's
defenseive position without the loss of a single tank. After the 7th and 8th
companies with fierce cannon fire had wiped out the enemy soldiers defending the
unnamed hill and a solitary mountain, the 3d Battalion received an order to make a
long-range raid into (Fu He) district and coordinate with the infantry in relent-
lessly annihilating the stubborn enemy there.
There was fierce and hard fighting in (Fu He), and time was pressing. Battalion
commander Nei Yujiang [5119 3768 3068] led the 9th Company and some tanks of the
7th and 8th companies at top speed, and in a little over 1 hour they dashed into
(Fu He) district. The enemy trained his cannons, machineguns, and rocket launchers
on our tanks and fired frenziedly. The tanks boldly and powerfully broke into the
enemy position, took aim and opened fire on the enemy. The more they fought the
bolder they became: their cannons and machineguns turned in circles and fired at
the enemy, and the tanks charged about furiously, crushing and striking down the
enemy soldiers. At the position one only saw enemy corpses lying everywhere and
flesh and blood flying about. One by one the pillboxes collapsed and became tombs
for the stubbornly resisting enemy.
At this time, the enemy soldiers, driven to distraction, fled for their lives in
all directions. Could the tankers let the enemies slip through the net? They
could not! The tankers, with the spirit of fixing bayonets, followedn pursuit
to annihilate the enemy. During the pursuit they lost sight of the cunning enemy.
The crew of each tank carefully searched for the enemy through the tank's periscope
and in the end spotted a large horde of enemies hiding in a jungle of cogongrass
on a mountain slope. One by one the tanks broke into the enemy group and opened
fire with their machineguns, bullets splashing down on the enemy soldiers like a
torrential rainstorm. The enemies, having no way to escape, one after another fell
dead. The Vietnamese aggressor army, which had boasted that it was expert in jungle
warfare, had cut a contemptible figure before the military might of our bold and
powerful tanks and was in a sorry plight. When our infantry charged this position
to mop up the battlefield, they found everywhere cannons, rocket launchers, machine-
guns, submachineguns, and hand grenades that had been abandoned by the enemy.
Scattered on the mountain slope and on the sides of the road were over 200 enemy
corpses. The infantrymen couldn't hold back their priase: What a battle victory,
what a miracle!
In order to secure total victory in the battle, the heroic tankers were willing to
face any danger and suffer greatly, even to the extent of making bloody sacrifices,
to support their infantry comrades-in-arms with all their strength. For the Viet-
namese aggressor army, each of whose soldiers at this time was absorbed in fleeing
for his life, it was a "stunning blow" and, as a result, also a miracle.
During one battle, Chen Zhongjun [7115 0112 6511], commander of the 3d Battalion
ordered one powerful tank after another to carry infantry for a swift assault on
the enemy's in-depth position. On the way, enemy soldiers, hiding in dense forests
and thick grass, frenziedly fired at the infantry on top of the tanks. Battalion
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commander Chen, by fadiophone, told the infantrymen riding on the tanks to observe
the enemy's firing points and immediately direct the tanks to the targets. He
ordered each chief gunner to fire without letup at the enemy firing points on both
sides of the road-, thereby powerfully covering the infantry's charge through the
enemy's zone of blocking fire. When the infantry met with fire from the enemy
hidden in places unsuited for display of the tank's firepower, battalion commander
Chen made a prompt desicion: he ordered the antiaircraft machinegunner of each
tank to open the gun turret hatch, squeeze through it, and, braving enemy fire,
fiercely strafe the enemy with the tank's antiaircraft machinegun, thus silencing
the savage enemy. During another battle, Tank No 703 of the 7th Company was hit by
a shell and stopped in its tracks. In front of the tank, the infantry that had
launched an assault was pinned down by enemy fire and could not advance. Tank
No 703's gunner Chen Tian [7115 1131] thought boldly: his mission was to coordinate
with the infantry operation; if the tank could not move, his weapon could not be
brought into position to fire. Swiftly unbolting the machinegun mounted on the
tank, he jumped off the tank and fired furiously at the enemy's firing points,
thereby helping the infantry to silence the enemy fire and covering the infantry
comrades-in-arms as they charged the enemy's position and annihilated the enemy,
who put up a desperate struggle.
On the battlefields, our heroic tankers and infantrymen pressed forward side by
side in close coordination and performed miracles in defense of the motherland's
border.
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ARMY COMMANDER ENVISAGES DEVELOPMENT OF COMBINED ARMS TRAINING
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 7 Jun 79 pp 1, 2
[Article by army commander Cao Budie [2580 2975 1066]: "On the Coordinated Training
of All Service Arms"]
[Text] How are we to conduct combined arms training so that the fighting capability
of the units will meet the demands of modern warfare? This has become an increas-
ingly acute problem for every level of leadership. In the past several days, I
and some comrades of headquarters have gone down to the units to gain an understand-
ing of the situation in this respect. Here I will discuss some of my ideas on the
question of coordinated training.
With regard to the units' problem of coordinating the training of all service arms,
the fighters make a telling criticism: "Now, all that a leader gets a grip on, from
general to squad leader, is a single service arm." This has truly been a very weak
link in the units' training for a long time. Why has this situation arisen? There
are three main reasons: One is that their thinking has not adapted to new condi-
tions and they are used to dealing with only a single service arm. Once there is
talk of training, what they think of is infantry training, and what they think of
for the infantry is bayonet and handgrenade training. The training of special
troops or the coordinated training of all service arms are beyond their field of
vision or "does not register" with them. Even if they train two service arms,
owing to the fact that they don't have much understanding of them, they often do
not get the point and just go through the motions. This "one-track" mentality has
a "remote cause" and an "immediate cause." During the war of resistance against
Japan, our army was one of "millet plus rifles" and the war was basically an in-
fantry war; in the period after liberation and during the war to resist U.S. ag-
gression and aid Korea, our army had some special arms, but there were not many
coordinated operations by all service arms. At present, many commanders at all
levels had their "origin" in the infantry. Although they have fairly rich experience
in actual warfare, most of them have no experience in commanding operations by all
service arms. In addition, for several years in the past Lin Biao nonsensically
said that "there is no necessity for combined training at the regimental, divisional,
and army level" and that it would be "a waste of money and manpower." This chopped
off the coordinated training of all service arms and caused a "one-track" mentality
to become deeply ingrained in some commanders. Our army's current training system
is basically geared to a "single service arm" military establishment. Second, the
training methods are unsuitable. In the training of each service arm, basically
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the old methods continue to be used, each arm conducting its own training. With
regard to the time and energy put in by leaders at all levels, the focal point is
not coordinated training. To put it briefly, there are "four too much's and four
too little's": too much training of soldiers and too little training of cadres;
too much training of infantry and too little training of special arms; too much
separate training and too little combined training; and too much combined training
of small elements and too little training of units of regiment size and larger.
Third, the funds, sites, and equipment for training are inadequate to satisfy the
requirements of coordinated training of all service arms.
How are we to change this state of affairs and transform the habit of the training
of only one service arm into the coordinated training of all service arms? Accord-
ing to our initial practice, we feel that there are four problems that need to be
inquired into and solved.
Extricate Oneself From The Habit of Thinking in Terms of a Single Service Arm
In-the final analysis, how big an effort should be made to conduct coordinated
training of all service arms? Leaders at all levels, because their understanding
of this problem differs, also put a different amount of effort into it. I think
that if we are to conduct coordinated training well, there are several ideas that
need to be changed.
Is whether the coordinated training of service arms is done well or poorly of 'the
utmost importance or of little importance to raising a unit's fighting, capacity?
The understanding of many comrades is unclear with regard to this question. Many
of them measure the training successes of a unit by the number of meters a hand
grenade is thrown and the number of the ring hit when firing a weapon. As for what
the tactical level of a unit is and what a cadre's ability in coordinated command
is, these things do not draw much of their attention. The experience of this was
of self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam once again tells us that, in a war
under modern conditions, if we are to be victorious it will not do to only depend
on a single service arm. Now, when modern science and technology are changing
with each passing day, the Soviet and American armed forces are going all-out to
renew their weapons and equipment in competition to develop new service arms, and
our army is also developing into a combined force of all service arms. Coordinated
operations by all service arms have developed from the era of "cold" weapons to the
era of "hot" weapons, have developed from being the product of rifle warfare to
being the product of cannon warfare, and are a change in the forms of war brought
about by technological progress. To vigorously conduct good coordinated training
of all service arms poses a major problem for our peacetime training.
Should the training of special arms and special elements be "major" or "minor"?
For a long period of time, the training of special arms and special elements was
neglected, and it was held that they were "minor" and the infantry was "major."
In fact, if we conscientiously look at the existing equipment and military estab-
lishment, this argument is untenable. Special arms and special elements account
for 61.1 percent of a company's total strength. There is a high degree of speciali-
zation. 'Their demands are high and their command is complex; the degree of diffi-
culty in coordinating them with all service arms is fairly large. Our commanders
at all levels are in general laymen with regard to special service arms, and therefore
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every time there is a coordinated training exercise they often "make an exhibition
of themselves" on some questions of elementary knowledge. This situation demands
that we swiftly transform the habit of only grasping infantry into the habit of
paying serious attention to grapsing well special arms and special elements. In
peacetime, commanders at all levels must put more effort into the intensive study
of knowledge pertaining to special service arms and solve actual problems encountered
in coordinated training.
Is organizing coordinated training a matter for all levels or is it only a "matter
for the higher-ups"? In the past the annual training exercises for a unit were all
organized by organizations at the army level and above. In this way, the middle-
and lower-level commanders formed a misconception and thought that coordination of
all service arms was a "matter for the higher-ups," a matter for the higher-level
commanders. These comrades do not understand that modern warfare constitutes an
organizally linked "chessboard." Of course the higher-level commanders bear the
major responsibility for coordinating the operations of all service arms, but the
middle- and lower-level commanders must also organize coordinated operations of
all service arms. Take a company for instance. If you as a company commander are
strengthened by the addition of tanks, artillery, antichemical warfare troops,
engineers, and signal troops, how will you make rational use of them? It is not
only a company commander that bears this responsibility; This is also a technical
problem for platoon and squad leaders. If the lower-level commanders in peacetime
do not have the concept of coordinated training, when was breaks out the various
service arms will not hold together, and will even mistakenly harm themselves and
the parts will adversely affect the whole. Therefore, we must give full play to
initiative from the higher to the lower levels and make coordinated training exer-
cises a regular training topic.
Interchange Infantry and Special Arms Cadres To Provide a "Combined Group"
As I have said above, most of the commanders at the regimental and above levels in
our army are of "infantry origin," and the developmental trend of modern warfare
is for the formation and proportion of special arms to become greater and greater.
In order to strengthen the components of the leadership groups at all levels which
deal with training in coordinated operations, we should select and train some
members of these groups who are fairly familiar with special arms. Practice has
proven that those groups among whose members are special arms "experts," and those
units in which the leaders have benefited from the coordinated training of all
service arms, achieve good results. On the basis of unifying thinking and under-
standing, we began this year an interchange of infantry and special arms cadres
on an armywide scale in order to do all we could to form a large reserve of special
arms cadres and technical backbone elements, and to gradually make the leadership
groups at all levels "combined groups" that understand both infantry and special
arms. By doing this we will insure organizationally the coordinated training of
all service arms.
There are now many members of leadership groups at all levels, and the division
of work among them is very elaborate, a situation which is not very beneficial to
the leadership of coordinated training of special arms and special soldiers. In
order to change this situation, we thought of a way, within the existing authorized
strength norms of each level at the regiment and above, to change the title of one
to two cadres who hold the post of deputy to a chief and put them in charge of
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the special arms'. Before the authorized strength is changed in this manner, this
year every level of our army at regiment and above set up on deputy with military
responsibility and a leadership group for training special arms participated in
by the chiefs of headquarters, political, and logistical organizations, in order
to strengthen the organizational leadership over the training of each special arm
and to create conditions for the coordinated training of infantry and special arms.
Based on Existing Conditions, Reform Training Methods Under the existing conditions
of authorized strength, how can we carry out sell the coordinated training of all
service arms? This year we found a way by reforming training methods, and the
results of some tryouts have been fairly good.
First, commanders at all levels were organized to study the knowledge pertaining
to the service arms. Commanders of combined arms forces study the knowledge
pertaining to the service arms, and the commanders of special arms study combined
arms tactics. Both sides should emphasize "understanding," and in particular the
principal leading comrades certainly must personally go to the special arm units
to try to find out things for themselves, "not feeling ashamed to ask and learn
from their subordinates," and change themselves from laymen to professionals. We
adopted these methods: One method was to increase the amount of time that combined
arms commanders spend in studying the specialized knowledge of the service arms dur-
ing the cadre group training. In April, during the 30-day group training of divi-
sional and regimental cadres, we set aside 10 days' time for their study of the
scientific and technical knowledge pertaining to service arms. We chose the method
of "going out for walks" and "asking for explanations," looking at material exhibits
and asking "experts" to give instruction, things which broadened their horizons and
enriched their minds. The second method was to organize the commanders of combined
arms forces to take part in the specialized training of special arms so that they
will truly obtain the right to speak in commanding special arms. The third method
was to mainly use the weekly military study day for cadres on the job for doing
research on enemy armies and for studying knowledge pertaining to the military
service arms and combined arms tactics. The fourth method was to make an important
content of the training the comparing, assessing, and testing of them on knowledge
of the service arms and on coordinated operations.
Second, we organized the commanders of combined arms forces to study military staff
work. To be a commander of a combined arms force, one must understand staff work;-
be able to read, use, and mark maps, and be familiar with the main method, sequence
content and demands of organizing the command of battles; otherwise, one will not
be able to command well coordinated operations of all service arms. In addition
to demanding that commanders at all levels strengthen their independent study of
staff work, we decided that the principal commanders at the army, regiment, and
division level will this year take part in a period of concentrated training in
staff work in order to lay the foundation for conducting good training in coordi-
nating all service arms.
Third, we combined as much as possible specialized training of service arms and
training of infantry. With regard to training practice, infantry-artillery co-
ordination-was fairly good, but for infantry-tank coordination, because the autho-
rized tank strength is fairly small, and also because of the restrictions imposed
by motor-hours and.sites, it is somwhat more difficult to organize training, and
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requires more vigorous creation of conditions for the training of leaders at every
level. For example, the tank forces must train in driving up and down slopes and
in driving over obstacles. These things also provide an extremely good tactical
background for infantry antitank exercises. We conduct training by pulling nearby
infantry to the tank driving ground and by sending some tank elements to the in-
fantry antitank training points. The shared tactical background of the infantry
and tank forces brings out the best in infantry training and tank training, and
both promotes mutual understanding between the service arms and creates good con-
ditions for coordinated training.
Fourth, we carried out more tactical combined training of all service arms under
conditions approximating actual warfare. This combined training is the main method
for improving the ability of commanders at all levels to organize and command com-
bined operations. During this year's combat-preparedness training, in order to
solve the problem of training all service arms in coordinated operations, the
regiments, battalions, companies, and platoons of our army all carried out one or
more live tactical exercises. By having layer by layer coordinate their plans and
practice coordinated movements is a concrete method for commanders at all levels
to learn how to organize troops and firepower and for coordinating and readjusting
by season the service arms. Everybody has said: "The more we train in this way
the more lively our minds become, the more methods we find, and the greater be-
comes our confidence in victory."
The Fundamental Way To Conduct Good Coordinated Training Is To Reform the System
In order to suit the features of coordinated operations by all service arms under
modern conditions, the armed forces of many countries in the world today have re-
formed their establishments. For example, in order to solve the contradiction in
which the temporary composition and coordination of service arms was poor, France
reformed its military establishment. Some organic regiments are composed of several
service arms. Some infantry battalions still are interwoven with aircraft, tanks,
and signal communications troops, and beginning with the battalion commander the
coordinated training of all service arms is organized. They think that the coordi-
nated training of all service arms is like playing basketball: a temporarily
formed basketball team can never coordinate as well as an originally organized
basketball team.
Our army's current establishment is basically a single service arm establishment.
If this system is not reformed, there cannot be a big breakthrough in training; if
we are fundamentally to improve coordinated training, we must reform the current
establishment. However, owing to limitations in economic and technological develop-
ment, it will be difficult to make a big reform of the units' system within a short
period of time. Under these conditions, if one can imagine it this way: a field
army would first form a regiment comprised of all service arms as an "experimental
plot." This regiment would have infantry, tanks, and antiaircraft guns and also
small antitank and antiaircraft guided missiles, and reconnaissance, signal com-
munications, engineer, antichemical warfare, and logistical elements, as well as
the corresponding command structure and command equipment. once this kind of unit
trains, starting from the company and battalion level there would be combined arms
training, the concept and habit of training only a single service arm would be
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fundamentally changed, and bit by bit the concept and habit of training a combined
arms force would be cultivated in peacetime. This would be a significant way of
improving our army's training of combined arms forces and its operational capacity.
Naturally, this is still only something to be envisaged and looked for in the future.
There are many issues involved in the reform of the military establishment and sys-
tem that require overall consideration and study by the Military Commission of the
[CCP] Central Committee. I have set out this hypothesis in order to stimulate dis-
cussion at this time.
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MILITARY AND PUBLIC SECURITY
REGIMENT TRAINS WELL WITH AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 9 Jun 79 p 1
[Article by Xu Haowen [1776 1170 2429] et al.: "Improve 'Three Defenses' and 'Three
Attacks' Skills on the Basis of Existing Equipment"]
[Text] Can training in the "three attacks" and "three defenses" be done well with
existing equipment? The "Jinan No 2 Regiment" mobilized the masses and, by seeking
methods through a correct analysis of the enemy and by tapping the latent poten-
tialities of existing equipment, raised the "three attacks" and "three defenses"
training, which studied the regiment's experience and broadened the horizons of
comrades at the meeting.
Correctly Analyze the Object of Military Operations, Avoiding His Strong Points and
Attacking His Weak Points
Can we cope with the enemy's tanks, aircraft, and atomic and chemical weapons as
well as its airborne units? This was the first problem that the "Jinan No 2 Regi-
ment" paid serious attention to solving with regard to training in "three attacks"
and "three defenses" on the basis of existing equipment. After launching a study of
foreign military maneuvers, the unit broke away from its adherence to old ways of
training. However, a new problem emerged: some comrades regarded only the enemy's
many strong points in a weapons and equipment and did little research on his weak
points and how to cope with him. Since training began this year, the regiment's
party committee has made a point of providing correct guidance so that everyone is
clear about the fact that we are studying the equipment and establishment of the
foreign army in order to understand, in the spirit of seeking truth from facts,
the other side's strong points and weak points so that we can seek to avoid his
strengths and attack his weaknesses; and that the study of the foreign army's
weapons and equipment should temporarily stop at the point of studying methods of
coping with them. To this end, the regiment set up tactical and technical research
groups, conducted special courses in military theory, combined the contents of
"three attacks" and "three defenses" training, concretely studied the foreign
army's establishment, equipment and tactical methods, and mobilized everybody to
study methods of coping with them. The cadres and fighters of the 82 mm recoilless
gun detachment [fendui 0433 7130] when analyzing the new-type tanks possessed by
the foreign army, looked at the strong points of mobility, shock power, and pro-
tective strength and, also looking at its great dependence on technical and logis-
tical support with regard to line of communications and POL, found 5 major weak
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points: 1) its'-loud noise when moving makes it easy to discover its intentions;
2) its wide blind angle makes it easy to conceal a close approach to it; 3) its
large bulk makes it easy for us to hit its vulnerable spots; 4) its many terrain
limitations makes it easy for us to use advantageous terrain to attack it in a
mobile and flexible manner; and 5) its large consumption of fuel makes it easy
for us to entangle it so that its mobility is reduced or lost. This analysis less-
ened our blindness about this tank and increased our confidence in coping with it.
During the training everybody vigorously studied ways of dealing with this tank.
In order to cope-with the enemy tank's great mobility, they changed the conventional
training in firing from a fixed position to firing from the shoulder, thus im-
proving their skill in using swiftness against swiftness. In order to cope with
the enemy tank's strong firepower, they repeatedly trained in using advantagous
terrain and in seizing advantageous opportunities to avoid the enemy's strengths and
strike at his weaknesses. In order to cope with the enemy tank's strong protective
armor, they found specific weak points and trained hard in precision firing. In
order to strike with effect at massed enemy tanks, they also trained hard in fast
salvo firing with shoulder weapons.
Reform the Methods of Training a Single Service Arm and Display the Total Power
of Existing Equipment
How are we to display fully the power of existing equipment in the "three attacks"
and "three defenses"? The "Jinan No 2 Regiment" switched from the former method of
training a single service arm to conducting combined training of all service arms,
thereby effecting a breakthrough in this problem. In the past some cadres and
fighters did not look at our army's existing equipment as a whole. The infantry
only looked at their own rifles and satchel charges, the artillerymen only looked
at their own artillery pieces, and the other special elements also only looked at
their own equipment. They did not look at the existing equipment from the entire
regiment to the entire army, and even less understand the total power of existing
equipment. In order to solve this problem, they conscientiously worked on three
aspects: First, they asked the armored, antichemical warfare, artillery, and other
specialized elements, as well as departments concerned, to instruct everybody in
the knowledge pertaining to their respective service arms, thereby strengthening
the concept of the combined arms forces as a whole. Second, they let the cadres
and fighters view tests of the effect of tanks, artillery, and rocket launchers
as antitank weapons, so that everybody recognized that existing weapons and equip-
ment can be used in the "three attacks" and "three defenses." Third, they reformed
training methods to display fully the power of existing equipment. This year, in
"three attacks" training, they improved on the past method of operations of a single
service arm by emphasizing good infantry-tank and infantry-artillery joint train-
ing; by making a point of bringing into play the roles of all service arms; by
dispersing weapons and concentrating firepower, with the company, platoon and squad
organizing antitank fire teams; by bringing into full play the roles of the artil-
lery pieces, rocket launchers, and bangalore torpedoes attached to unit; and by
organizing fire power so that small groups advance in many columns, attacks are
launched at long range close to artillery bursts, and attacks and artillery bursts
are integrated. Formerly, infantry-artillery coordination normally required that
the infantry be 200 meters or more from the point of impact of artillery shells.
In a demonstration this time, they had the infantry make an assault 100 to 120
meters from the point of impact, and at the closest only 80 meters, and over 170
artillery rounds were fired without mishap. This method more closely coordinated
infantry and artillery.
17
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Create Conditions for Making Up for Inadequacies in Equipment, and Guarantee Good
Results in "Three Attacks" and "Three Defenses" Training
The leadership of the "Jinan No 2 Regiment" also vigorously created conditions that
made up for the inadequacies of existing equipment so as to conduct good training
in the "three attacks" and "three defenses." This year the regiment's leaders
took personal command; they set up a technical innovation group and mobilized the
masses to innovate by their own efforts over 110 pieces of equipment in order to
create good conditions for approximating actual warfare, and thus solve the long-
standing problems of "ground to ground" when. attacking tanks, "air to air" when
attacking aircraft and airborne forces, and "false to false" when engaging in the
"three defenses."
In order to solve the "ground to ground" problem when attacking tanks, deputy
regimental commander Zhong Deyuan [6988 1795 6678] stayed at the 3d Company "grass-
root level" for over 50 days, studying science and making innovations together with
the cadres and fighters there. They made a small model of a tank electrically
controlled by a dry cell battery that could advance and turn by itself at the re-
quired speed. The fighters said happily: "This time the antitank training is
not 'coarse,' and the 'dead' has come 'alive."'
In order to solve the "air to air" problem in striking at aircraft and airborne
forces, they made teaching aids for antiaircraft firing, which consisted of model
aircraft of various types, operated manually or electrically, that were able on'
the training ground to demonstrate different angles of flight. Basing themselves
on the principle behind the firing of the 82-mm mortar, they also made by themselves
paratroop targets for projectile fire. Every projectile launcher can fire at two
"enemy paratroopers" at one time as the targets slowly decend. Thus the fighters'
training in antiaircraft and antiparatrooper firing is more lifelike and vigorous.
The 7th Squad of the 3d Company on this occasion obtained excellent results in its
anti-airborne demonstration.
Formerly, when training in the "three defenses," many fighters looked upon the
conditions as fake and were not conscientious about wearing their gas masks. The
leaders used black explosive charge, wood shavings, and a mixture of a small amount
of toxicants and gasoline to make atomic and chemical "gas shells." When exploded
the shells give out a thick, rolling, odiferous smoke that chokes people. When
the fighters go through a "contaminated sector," they wear their gas masks so that
they fit tightly and thus their actions are true to life. This regiment has built
a comprehensive training ground on which coordinated exercises by all service arms
can be organized. The fighters report that by training in the "three attacks"
and "three defenses" under these conditions, which approach actual warfare, they
understand the essence of warfare and rapidly improve their techniques.
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DEFENSE SAID VITAL TO CHINA'S VICTORY IN A FUTURE WAR
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 20 Mar 81 p 3
[Article by Chen Hongwu [7115 3163 2976]: "Do Not Despise Defense"]
[Text] During our army's protracted armed struggle to liberate the entire country
and establish the revolutionary regime, offense was the main form of warfare and,
compared to defense, not only were there more actual battles but also there was
richer experience accumulated. This uncommon experience influenced, to a greater
or smaller degree, our understanding of the other important form of warfare--defense.
For a period of time, some comrades have regarded defense as a common synonym for
"right-deviationist conservatism" in military affairs. In the initial period of
a future war, even if objective reality requires that we give priority to the hold-
fast defense form of warfare, some comrades still would think that only by giving
priority to offense could they solve the problem. This idea of stressing offense
and belittling defense, although not very widespread, is definitely tendentious.
It also is adversely affecting our correct understanding and our conscious implemen-
tation of the strategic policy of active defense, and is an ideological obstacle
to our investigation into new tactics for defeating a superior force with an in-
ferior force.
For some comrades,. once they hear the word "defense," a fixed idea pops into their
heads--"passivity." This is a great misunderstanding. Offense and defense are
the two basic forms of warfare, and they are both indispensable means of preserving
oneself and destroying the enemy. Comrades with experience of actual warfare under-
stand that, based on the actual conditions with respect to the enemy's situation and
our strength, sometimes one gives priority to offense and sometimes to defense, and
that by cleverly combining offense and defense and by using them in alternation,
one can pursue advantages and avoid disadvantages and thus vanquish the enemy.
Since wars began, there has never been a war in which one side was always on the
offense and never on the defense, and even less was there a precendent for only
relying on offense to reach its goals. On the contrary, states or generals that
blindly demanded that the offense be used to win victory have left a record of
defeat in history. Napoleon, Hitler, and Japanese imperialism all began by attempt-
ing to use fanatical offense to realize their goal of conquest, but finally all of
them ended in tragic defeat. "Compared to offense, defense is the stronger form of
warfare."" This thesis of clausewitz' is very convincing.
To be sure, in defensive war one cannot display initiative as fully as in offen-
sive war. However, defensive war has a content in which in passive form there is
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a struggle for the initiative, and it can be transformed from a passive stage to an
active stage in form and content. We say that defense supplements offense, or is
a means of preparing for and switching to offense. Usually, it is part of the entire
process of a war, and we definitely cannot say that in the entire process of war,
offense is the main form. Just the opposite is true. With regard to the main
direction of defense, in the initial stage of a war, only by making holdfast de-
fense the primary form of warfare can one hold the strategic and battle points im-
portant to one's safety in order to shatter the enemy's assault, stop the enemy's
unopposed advance, and shield the country while it puts itself on a war footing.
If one does not make holdfast defensive warfare primary during the initial period
of a war, one will not be able to proceed to the stage of strategic counterattack
or strategic offensive with offense as the primary form of warfare. From this
one can see that defensive warfare in the initial period of a war is not only not
passive but is the primary strategic measure for seizing the initiative.
One argument holds, "Defense can only cause casualties but cannot solve the main
problem." Actually, this is not so. In the great battle of Kursk during World
War II, the Soviet Red Army, during its defensive stage alone, wiped out 70,000
German soldiers and destroyed 2,900 tanks, 159 self-propelled guns, 844 cannons, and
1,392 aircraft, losses which had a decisive effect on changing the balance of
strength. Our volunteers, in the 2 years 9 months of the war to resist U.S.
aggression and aid Korea, used strategic defense to change the relative strength
of the enemy and ourselves by annihilating, in a period of 2 years 1 month, 54.4
percent of the total number of enemy soldiers who were wiped out in the entire war,
losses which forced the enemy to the negotiating table. One outstanding feature
in the initial period of a future war is that the enemy will be stronger than us,
so what method should be adopted to resist the superior enemy's offensive? The
optimal method is to depend on the active defense of positional warfare, and by
relying on advantageous terrain to display the superior points of our army's in-
feriority, and first of all blunt the momentum of the aggressors' offensive, and
finally vanquish the superior force with an inferior force and create conditions
for eliminating the aggressors or driving them from our territory.
In brief, making holdfast defense the primary form of warfare in the initial period
of a war is the circumspect policy chosen as the best by our army in proceeding
from reality. The implementation of this policy requires that we overcome the in-
fluence of the "leftist" ideology in the military realm, get rid of the mistaken
bias toward despising defense, and make considerable changes in our understanding,
habits, and ways of doing things.
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MILITARY AND PUBLIC SECURITY
EAST SEA FLEET DEVISES NEW WAY OF TRAINING CORVETTES
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 20 Mar 81 p 1
[Article by Tong Shiping [4547 0013 1627]: "Training Begins at Three Newly Organized
Corvette Training Points"]
[Text] Early in March, organized training began in succession at three corvette
training points of the East China Sea Fleet. This was a new form or organized
training adopted by the fleet's training department in drawing on the experience
of the warship training center, and, proceeding from the reality of corvette units,
is designed to improve the quality of basic training in corvette techniques.
At the end of last year, the fleet decided to take the training experience of the
warship training center and apply it to the small warship training represented by
corvettes, and at various bases it organized and built training points. These
points are not part of the formal establishment and no full-time personnel are al-
located to them. Because of this, they are called "small training centers out-
side the establishment."
The superiority of corvette training points are mainly shown in the benefits derived
form "three concentration's": 1) energy is concentrated by having all corvettes
that come to the points for training excused from noncombat duties and from com-
bat-preparedness missions in order to insure that the training topics are completed
on schedule; 2) time is concentrated by, beginning in March, devoting 5 to 6 months'
time on the training, thereby avoiding fragmentation and stops and starts in train-
ing and insuring its continuity; and 3) leadership and teaching strength is con-
centrated by forming a work team, which is capable and technically strong, to carry
out face-to-face leadership and to pass on experience, give help, and set an ex-
ample in training.
During the process of building the corvette training points, various bases held to
the principles of suiting measures to local conditions and of being hard working
and thrifty in training, fully utilized existing training facilities and equipment,
and as far as possible spent little or no money. During the preparation to con-
struct the training points in certain naval garrison district, the difficulty of
insufficient classrooms was encountered. The leadership of the naval garrison dis-
trict and the departments concerned mobilized organizational cadres to merge their
offices and living quarters so as to vacate over 10 rooms, which were then remodeled
into offices and classrooms for the training points, thereby insuring that the train-
ing began on schedule. The leading organizations of the Fujian bases, when building
the training points, fully utilized the existing docks, training materials, and
teaching equipment, and did not pay out any money for additional facilities.
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CONSTRUCTION BATTALION DISMANTLES PROJECT WITHOUT LOSS
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 20 Mar 81 p 1
[Article by Du Rumiao [2659 3067 3267]: "Construction of Project Postponed Without
Loss to State Property"]
[Text] The 3d Battalion of a certain engineer construction regiment under the
Logistics Department of the Nanjing Units, after it had been decided to postpone a
certain project that the battalion had contracted to build, carried on the glorious
traditions of arduous struggle, hard work, and thrift in building up the army, and
conscientiously did good work on all items connected with the aftermath of the de-
cision, basically completing them by the end of February.
The 3d Battalion had contracted to build a large-scale construction project. At
the end of last year, after the higher authorities had decided to postpone this
project, the battalion's party committee immediately formulated a plan to carry out
the decision, and exhorted the entire battalion as follows: "Implement with practic-
al actions the party Central Committee's policy of readjusting the economy and do
not allow any losses of state property." The battalion first of all organized its
strength to put the worksite in order. It worted out, put in good repair, and
stored away one by one over 100 pieces of machinery and equipment; it conscientiously
checked and registered over 1,000 pieces of equipment and materials of all kinds and
assigned one person to be responsible for their care; and it retrieved the steel
and wood fragments, empty boxes of dynamite, and empty cement bags that were scat-
tered about on the worksite. The fighters, fearing neither hardship nor difficulty,
recovered one by one big and small wooden materials from struts, troughs, and mold
boards, and even devised a way of digging out pieces of wood embedded in stones.
They retrieved from the work site over 40 cubic meters of wood.
When moving the machinery, equipment, goods, and materials, they adopted vigorous
measures and strove hard to avoid losses. When they were dismantling and removing
the builders' temporary sheds, snow flakes suddenly began to fall thick and fast.
Unafraid of the bitter cold, the cadres and fighters climbed to the top of the sheds
despite the snow and carefully dismantled and passed down in basically intact con-
dition several tens of thousands of tiles. In order to improve the effective use
of materials, they decided not to dismantle the sheds' wooden A-frames so that they
could be used in erecting builder's temporary sheds at another worksite. The fighters
by hard manual work removed intact and shipped out over 100 large A-frames. From
the middle of January to the end of February, the battalion transported without loss
by road and rail the large batch of machinery, equipment, goods, and materials in
over 40 truck hauls and over 40 freight car trips.
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REGIMENT COMMANDER URGES BETTER USE OF ARTILLERY
Beijing JIEFANGJUN BAO in Chinese 20 Mar 81 p 3
[Article by Ge Lugai [5514 1462 5556]: "Military Notes of an Artillery Regiment
Commander"]
[Text] Should We Promote the Strong Points and Avoid the Weak Points, or Should We
Keep the Weak Points and Throw Away the Strong Points?
For a period of time, because we have stressed giving priority to firing on tanks,
some comrades think that firing on enemy artillery is not very important. There-
fore, they stress that the primary mission of indirectly aimed artillery is to attack
enemy tanks. Actually, tests in recent years of indirectly aimed artillery fire
directed at moving tanks revealed a direct hit rate of only 1 percent, and its
saturation and penetration capacity was even less. Therefore, if we were to in-
discriminately advocate that artillery fire only at tanks, then with the existing
technical state of our indirectly aimed artillery, it would not be worthwhile. If
we can cleverly use our artillery firepower to effectively neutralize the enemy
artillery, then we can strip the enemy tanks of their fire cover and can provide
cover for all kinds of our tank-attacking weapons and equipment that will destroy
large numbers of enemy tanks. Therefore, in my view, to give priority to having
indirectly aimed artillery five at enemy artillery will promote its strong points
and avoid its weak points, and to indiscriminately stress the priority of its
directly firing at tanks will keep its weak points and throw away its strong points.
The Deployment of. Artillery Positions Cannot Be of One Pattern
In the past we learned from the Soviet army to deploy cannons uniformly in one line
with small frontages and spaced at equal intervals. At present, in order to im-
prove their capacity to survive, there is indiscriminate stress on deploying cannons
irregularly with broad frontages and spaced at unequal intervals; and the control
and signal equipment, as well as the means of towing cannons, that our army is now
equipped with do not very well meet the requirements of this kind of deployment.
For some years, our tactics have always been fond of a fixed pattern, and if there
are occasional changes then the tactics only evolve from one pattern to another
pattern.
I think the correct deployment of artillery should be suited to the time, the place,
the cannons, and the enemy, and the basic demand is that the artillery be dispersed,
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camoflauged, mobile, and irregular, and the most important thing is that the artil-
lery be mobile. The enemy's present means of reconnaissance are rather advanced ;
if I remain in one position for too long a time it will be easy for the enemy to
discover me. Therefore, our artillery positions should be deployed as much as pos-
sible in the manner of "two early's, three fast's, and two shift's": early selection
and early preparation; fast occupation, fast attack, and fast withdrawal; and dili-
gent shifts and short shifts. In this way we can achieve the following: when I
attack you I try to be sure, accurate, and relentless; when you attack me you can't
find me.
We Must Be Good at Fighting a Battle of Wits With the Enemy
At present, the enemy's means of reconnaissance and methods of command are both
considerably advanced, and once he discovers the specific location of our artillery
positions, he can very quickly concentrate his fire to neutralize them. Therefore,
we have thought of a way of moving the positions with alacrity so as to evade the
enemy's fire. But most of our army's artillery is now towed and has very little
mobility. The diligent shifts of position are easily halted by firepower, and if
a position is shifted fewer times then it easily comes under attack. Focusing
on this situation, through research we have come up with a method of shifting posi-
tions known as "leaping over the squares," because with out equipment deficiencies
we must wage a battle of wits.
Generally, every time the enemy fires he uses a fixed number of rounds for a pre-
scribed square area of ground. Thus, we can, after firing a certain time during
which our position has probably been revealed, swiftly leap out of the enemy's
"square" and at a nearby new position again fire at the enemy. In order to shift
position with alacrity over a short distance, we should have permanent position-
preparation teams. When the artillery in one position is carrying out its mission,
the preparation teams must be doing good preparatory work at 1, and even 2 or 3,
reserve positions, and as fast as possible change the former method of cannon wait-
ing for data to the method of data waiting for cannon, thereby insuring that the
cannons can fire side by side and after firing can be moved to a new position.
Owing to the short distance involved in such shifts in position, and because the
cannons combine to organize well the shifting of position in turn, these shifts
cannot be halted very much by enemy fire.
In Holdfast Defense It Is Even More Necessary To Set Up an "Observation Network"
During the war of self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam, a certain artillery
unit deployed 6 observation posts, and within a short period of time, by superim-
posing one spotting report upon another, they discovered 18 major targets. After
repeated fixes and mutual checks, the error of the target coordinates was only 10-
20 meters. This was an extremely valuable experience.
Now, our units charged with holdfast defense have mainly set up their defenses in
mountainous regions. Mountainous regions are extremely disadvantageous for ground
observation by artillery, so that even if you occupy a high position, there remain
many blind angles in the field of vision that are hard to overcome. Practice in
combat-prepardness training has made us realize that artillery reconnaissance can-
not be done by a single observation post. Many observation posts should be organized
on a battlefield, like a radio network. In this way, what you can't see I can see,
what I can't see you can see clearly; and our artillery will be observant and alert.
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rVK Grin i/tL t.JOF- vtILa
We Cannot Undervalue Artillery Self-Defense
Now, artillery self-defense should really be understood by raising it to an ap-
propriate position, and this is particularly true of artillery charged with a
holdfast defensive mission. Because in a holdfast defensive situation usually
one's troops are few, the territory to be defended is wide, and the intervals be-
tween positions are large, a jigsaw-like situation readily emerges. Therefore,
mutual covering fire is relatively difficult. Even if the artillery is deployed
in depth, there is a possibility of it being directly fired on by the enemy.
However, in the strategic training of our units, insufficient attention is paid
to training for self-defense, and the units in tactical exercises frequently only
train in wiping out the enemy and not in preserving themselves. If this situation
continues, we will suffer undue losses in wartime.
The strengthening of self-defense training brooks no delay, and especially since
our army's equipment is still inferior we cannot treat this question lightly.
While Fighting a War We Should Also Encourage Thrift
During the war of self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam, our artillery
truly displayed martial prowess. However, the number of artillery shells expended
was quite alarming. If, in a future big war, we fight in this fashion, we will
have a problem in continuing a protracted war.
The firing course of study currently in effect makes a basic stipulation with re-
gard to the amount of ammunition expended, and the standard for assessing achieve-
ments is also stipulated. Those who run counter to the course of study by firing
fewer artillery shells get lower marks. Therefore, many commanders are habituated
to thinking of area, time, and number when firing artillery, as if the larger the
area covered by fire the better, the more shells fired the better, and the longer
the time spent in firing the better. Even if the artillery is firing on the small
target presented by an enemy squad or platoon, the expenditure of several hundreds
of artillery shells is not stinted. If a target is fired upon that cannot be ob-
served, the expenditure of shells doubles and redoubles.
I think that the amount of ammunition expended in actual warfare should be deter-
mined by a look at the concrete situation and should not be blindly stipulated be-
fore the event. As for insuring to a reliable degree that a target has been neu-
tralized, in addition to grasping tightly the research on and manufacture of more
advanced reconnaissance and.command equipment, we should obtain more reliability in
getting fixes on targets and more accuracy in firing data, and should work harder
on and make more probes into precision in operating artillery pieces as well as
flexibility of command. In short, we should encourage the scientific attitude
and oppose blindness in action.
(The author is now the deputy commander of a certain division, and these military
notes were written when he was the commander of an artillery regiment--Editor)
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