History of pontoon bridge troops

From the Xia Dynasty, the army began to build cities, set obstacles, build bridges and roads and other engineering operations. According to the Zhou Li, the army of the Western Zhou Dynasty held official positions such as "Zhang Gu" and "Si Xian", which were responsible for the construction of Guo Cheng ditch and related defense matters. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, engineering operations to ensure military operations have reached a considerable scale. The Six Towers recorded the names and tasks of full-time military officials who organized engineering operations, the equipment that the army must carry when marching, such as crossing the river, bridging, building cities and setting obstacles, and tools for civil engineering. In 257 BC, during the war of annexing Korea, Zhao and Wei, the State of Qin built a pontoon bridge on the Yellow River near Puban (now west of yongji city, Shanxi). When the Liao army attacked the city, the logistics soldiers were "armed to the teeth and rotated by regiments" ("Liao Shi Bing Wei Zhi") to carry out engineering operations, organize the rural soldiers to move with the army, and specially build roads and bases. During the Song Dynasty, Xiang Bing was mainly responsible for building cities, erecting obstacles, and building roads and bridges. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, professional troops began to undertake engineering support tasks. There is a "artisan army" in the army, which is specialized in loading artillery ammunition and building bridges and roads. The title of its general manager was "Marshal Gunner", and then the "Ship Bridge Sailor Army" was established, specializing in pontoon bridge erection and ferry crossing. During the attack on Luzhou, more than 20 pontoons were erected in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In the army of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, there used to be earth camps and water camps. Tuying consists of miners from Daozhou and Chenzhou, and is responsible for "privately digging tunnels, burying mines and bombing city walls"; The water camp is responsible for water transportation, combat and erection of pontoon bridges. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Xiang Army and Huai Army were assigned "long commanders", each with a quota of 180, who were responsible for transportation and undertaking engineering tasks such as building foundations, digging trenches and repairing roads. The new army is composed of engineering battalions (teams), including fortification team, lightning team, bridging team, drawing team, mechanical maintenance team and telegraph team. Engineers have thus become an arms.

Republic of China (19 12- 1949)

During the Republic of China, independent engineering corps and military (division) engineering detachments were established, and engineering schools were established; Some engineers went to North Myanmar to participate in the allied war against Japan, and built the Sino-Indian Highway connecting China, Myanmar and India (Kunming, China-stilwell road, Lido, India).

August 1927, 1, 20th Army Battalion of the National Revolutionary Army,1/24th Engineering Battalion of the Army participated in Nanchang Uprising with the troops. On the way of the uprising troops leaving Nanchang for Guangdong, the engineers took part in the battles of Ruijin and Huichang, and dragged the self-made bamboo raft and grass guard troops across the Han River by steamboat in Sanheba, dapu county, Guangdong, in order to gain time to get rid of the pursuit of the Kuomintang troops. 1929 65438+February 1 1, the 7th Red Army composed of the baise uprising troops was organized into an engineering company. In order to adapt to the transformation of the Red Army from guerrilla warfare to mobile warfare,1In May, 930, the Central Committee issued the "Draft for the Creation of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army", which stipulated that the division should be composed of engineering teams. 10 On June 7th, Red 1 Corps set up an engineering team with Anyuan coal mine workers as the main body (later renamed as engineering company). In June, 193 10 was expanded into the Red Army Engineering Battalion in Jianning County, Fujian Province, and then divided into division engineering company and military engineering company. By the end of 1933, the Red Army's corps, armies, divisions and regiments had generally established engineering detachments. 1In June, 934, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission set up an engineering battalion directly under it in Wuyang Town, Ruijin County, Jiangxi Province. From 1933 to 1934, the Second and Sixth Army Corps of the Red Army (later co-edited as the Red Second Army) and the Red Fourth Army successively set up engineering detachments. In previous operations against "encirclement and suppression", the Red Army Corps of Engineers used simple tools and equipment such as explosives, shovels and pickaxes to carry out tasks such as bridging roads, blasting tunnels, building fortifications and setting obstacles. During the Long March, most engineering units were incorporated into the advance troops to undertake road reconnaissance tasks and overcome natural obstacles such as rivers, roads, snow-capped mountains and grasslands along the way with engineering actions; Bridge with bamboo rafts and wooden boats, cross the river on water, ensure that the main force of the Red Army can skillfully cross the Jinsha River and Dadu River, erect pontoons such as Shui Yuan, Xiaoshui, Xiangjiang, Wujiang, Chishui and Jialing River, cooperate with infantry to cut off and seize the pass, and ensure that the troops can reach the Shaanxi-Gansu revolutionary base smoothly.

after liberation

After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the corps of engineers entered a new stage of development. 1951March, the China People's Liberation Army Corps of Engineers was established. 1955 August 1 1 renamed China People's Liberation Army Corps of Engineers. Chen Shiju and Tan successively served as commanders; Huang Zhiyong, Tan Furen, Li Zhen and Wang Liusheng successively served as political commissar. After it was renamed the Corps of Engineers, it set out to set up colleges, establish and improve scientific research institutes and research institutes, and adjust and rectify the troops. 1September, 953, the whole army corps was divided into three professional units: engineer, pontoon bridge and construction. On June 5th1955,65438+1October 65438, the Corps of Engineers redefined the serial numbers and sequences of the Corps of Engineers, the Pontoon Bridge Corps and the Construction Corps according to the development of the troops, and put some Corps of Engineers under the organization and leadership of the military region according to their tasks. 1961may, engineers and architects were established. Subsequently, China's Central Military Commission added two posts to the engineering corps and corps of major military regions to form and enrich the construction force and help Vietnam build roads and coastal defense projects. By the end of 1965, the engineering department (sub-team) had grown to more than 490,000 people.

During the period of 1967 ~ 1975, according to the change of tasks, engineers gradually streamlined their construction forces and developed pontoon bridge troops accordingly. Some construction units were placed under the leadership of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, the Second Artillery Corps and the General Logistics Department, and some were reorganized into infantry and garrison troops. 1975, the State Council and the Central Military Commission decided to hand over the engineering corps responsible for national defense industrial projects and civil airport and highway construction to the Capital Construction Engineering Corps. At the same time, some construction groups were reorganized into pontoon groups.

In order to meet the needs of military modernization, after 1976, engineers continued to streamline the construction troops, focusing on the development of engineers and pontoon bridge troops, and developed camouflage and field water supply engineering troops accordingly according to the instructions of the military commission. By 1985, the number of engineers increased by 2.5 times, and camouflage corps and water supply engineers were established one after another. 1982 September 16, the Central Military Commission decided to downsize the leading organs of the Central Military Commission and the Military Region Engineering Corps into the General Staff Department and the Military Region Command Engineering Corps respectively. 1985, China's central military commission decided to incorporate most divisions into the group army to strengthen the engineering corps.

Since 2000, China People's Liberation Army (PLA) Zhouqiao Force has been given a new mission to engage in flood control and disaster relief. In our army's war history materials and war memoirs series, most of them describe heroic groups and individuals who charge from the front and shine with aura. Today, the author used a chapter to introduce an unknown arms-pontoon bridge army to friends. You may have witnessed their elegance from daily training, but few people know how our pontoon soldiers fought bloody battles in that earth-shattering self-defense counterattack against Vietnam.

Strictly speaking, the unit I want to introduce is not the pontoon bridge unit in the regular engineering sequence, but an infantry company temporarily undertakes the task of crossing the river and becomes an excellent pontoon bridge unit, which has made great contributions to our army crossing the river.

After the Army's 39th Division arrived in the war zone, it deployed its troops according to the unified arrangement of its superiors, and devoted all its efforts to preparing for the war. According to the predetermined operational plan, our 39th Division 1 6th Company of 2nd Battalion of the regiment is the task of the Sharp Knife Company. While the commanders and fighters of the whole company are racing against time to carry out combat training, 6 is connected to the superior order, and the sharp knife attack is changed into a cross-river support company. The shocking bad news shocked the enthusiastic commanders and soldiers. They can't figure it out. The lice on the bald head-the obvious thing: the cow's head becomes the cow's tail!

According to our army's operational plan, this operational task is guaranteed by pontoon bridge troops. However, tens of thousands of vanguard troops on the western front wanted to cross the river under the eyes of the enemy, and the specialized pontoon bridge troops could not meet the needs of the Red River and nanxi river. The superior requires all units to arrange certain troops for cross-river support training, so as to ensure that tens of thousands of vanguard troops on the western front cross the river and nanxi river.

After all, since the combat mission has been issued, as a soldier, there is nothing to be willing or unwilling, only unconditional implementation.

Company 6' s task of crossing the river is to safely transport an infantry regiment and 1 reinforcement battalion to the other side of the Vietnam River before the fighting starts. This is an arduous and arduous glorious task. At this time, it is an ordinary task for the professional pontoon bridge troops, but it has become a new task for the infantry detachment that fights and kills, that is, swimming in the water and taking the helm, just like the predecessors who crossed the Yangtze River in those years, carrying out water training, and everyone has become "white stripes in the waves" and "Ruan Sanxia" among Liangshan heroes.

While unifying the cadres' ideological understanding, the company commanders and fighters should educate the company's soldiers on the ideological turning point, mobilize the company commanders and fighters to raise their awareness, and overcome the wrong concept that "infantry is engineers, and good steel is not needed on the cutting edge" and "ignorance of technology and experience may discredit the company's history". Through education, the officers and men of the whole company deeply realized that crossing the Red River was the first battle for our army to punish the Vietnamese army. Whether the vanguard troops can successfully transport and land on the beach is the key to our army's success in the first battle. To break through the natural obstacle of the Red River, we must not only fight against the undercurrent, but also be ready to fight the Vietnamese army on the other side at any time. The completion of the task directly affects the overall situation of the counterattack against Vietnam. The superior entrusted the task of crossing the river to the Sixth Company, which is a trust in the Sixth Company and a severe test for our glorious traditional company.

Lu Hongxi, the instructor of the Sixth Company, said affectionately to the company cadres and soldiers: "Crossing the river is a new topic. We have no technology, no experience, the enemy situation is unknown, and the water situation is unknown, so it is difficult to complete the task. But we have the correct command of our superiors, strong artillery cover, sufficient equipment for crossing the river, the support of our brothers, and the concerted efforts of the whole company's Qi Xin. We are fully confident to complete the task! " After in-depth ideological mobilization, the mental outlook of the officers and men of the whole company has taken on a new look, and the cadres and soldiers have expressed their determination and tasks. They are determined to race against time to practice the skills of crossing the river, resolutely complete the task of crossing the river, win glory for the motherland and make new contributions to the people.

During the pre-war training, they carefully studied the experience of their brother units. Lian Changwen led the cadres to observe and study at the scene of the Brothers Company, and held a training competition in the whole company to drive boat machines and rubber boats. In view of the drowning deaths in some troops, the officers and men of the whole company are required to pay attention to science and safety in training, overcome carelessness and conduct training according to operating procedures.

During the training, Lian Changwen was both a commander and a trainer. He took the lead in learning boat skills with the soldiers and solved problems in training at any time. Driven by the company's cadres and party member's backbone, the company's personnel worked hard on their internal skills. Within a few days, except for the cooking class and artillery class, 50% of the company learned to operate the boat machine, and 70% of the officers and men learned to row rubber boats. Every cadre is omnipotent, can plan meetings, can drive cars, and can troubleshoot general problems.

In order to make the preparations for crossing the river more detailed, all the cadres and soldiers of Company 6 used their brains and made suggestions one after another. According to the terrain, water conditions and possible situations at the crossing site, they formulated corresponding countermeasures. According to the thinking and system technology of the whole company, the battle group is organized to ensure the completion of the combat task, and they have prepared artificial support rods for possible machine failures; In order to ensure that the landing troops could not rely on the ship, they prepared springboard and wooden pier; In order to ensure that boats can carry out combat missions at any time, they have to carry out safety and technical inspections on crossing equipment every day, and everything is ready except the east wind.

/kloc-in February of 0/6, the battle order of the former commander was issued. 6. After receiving the battle order, the whole company mobilized to fight and asked the cadres and party member of the whole company to come forward at the critical moment of the battle; Call on * * * party member and * * members to play a vanguard and exemplary role in the battle, and strive to be the firewire to join the Party for meritorious service. The commanders and fighters of the whole company have said that they will never live up to the entrustment of the party and the people and win glory for the motherland and the people in the battle!

At 2 1: 30 that night, the smuggling operation began. At this time, the red river suddenly changes current at night, and the water depth drops by nearly 1 m, forming a mudflat with a width of about 15 m and a shallow water area with a width of 30 m on the bank. People who take part in sailing crossing should not only get on and off the ship with springboard, but also reduce the load of the ship. The boat, which was originally assisted by the crossing troops, was temporarily changed to be carried by the pontoon troops themselves. At this time, it was raining lightly in the dark night sky, and the river bank was very muddy, making it difficult to walk, which brought great difficulties to the 6 th company to carry the equipment for crossing the river. In this weather and environment, the cadres of Company 6 have a clear division of labor and perform their duties. Company commander Wen and deputy company commander are responsible for the handling of boat carriers, and two political cadres, instructor and deputy instructor, are responsible for transporting rubber boats.

The weight of each ship loader exceeds 500 kilograms. Seen from less than 20 meters away, the small rubber boat weighs more than 200 kilograms and is very difficult to carry. With the fighting of 6 company cadres and soldiers, it only takes 1 hour to transport 18 steering boat and 14 rubber boat to all crossing points. After crossing the river, the bank of the Red River was muddy, which was an excellent opportunity for our army to dive aboard. In order to ensure the safety of the combat troops, the cadres and soldiers of Company 6 took the lead in jumping into the cold river and organized soldiers to help the soldiers get on board. When the first batch of boats of the Sixth Company set sail, the instructor found a rubber boat washed down more than 200 meters by the rapids. He jumped on the boat, personally led the crew, and transported my vanguard troops to the other side one by one. A few excellent party member are the backbone in thy company, and they are all well-behaved. In crossing the river, he was calm, not afraid of hardship and fatigue, and his paddling movements were coordinated, fast and stable. The number of ships transported reached 23, setting a record of 6 companies.

Rain, rain, sweat and rain. The commanders and fighters of Company 6 are brave and tenacious, fighting continuously on both sides of the Red River. Because it is a smuggling operation, the earth-level order does not allow the boat to be operated, and it is completely supported by paddles, which consumes a lot of physical strength. In particular, the resistance of assault boats and sports is greater than that of rubber, so it is very difficult to run, and they are often pulled by rapids for hundreds of meters. Cadres and soldiers strode hard to reduce the deviation of landing point as much as possible. In Vietnam, ships and boats can't dock in shallow water near the shore; In order not to let attack force's comrades get wet, the soldiers of Company 6 jumped into the river and pushed their shoulders to try to get the boat close to the river bank. Where they can't reach the shore, they take the soldiers to the shore. When encountering the steep river bank, the 6 th company soldiers pulled the river bank and the long skin and bow to let their comrades step on their backs and go ashore. Several backbones with good physical strength each carried twenty or thirty comrades ashore. In a foreign land, the officers and men of my attacking troops looked at the six boat soldiers in the river; Their hearts were full of gratitude, and they shouted: "Brothers have worked hard, we should learn from you and thank you with the good news of victory!" " "

The hero's 6th company boatman worked hard for nearly five hours, successfully completing the combat task of ensuring that attack force, the pioneer, sneaked into the Red River, which made great contributions to the success of our western troops in the first battle. This also wrote a glorious page for the history of their heroes. From Honghe to nanxi river, our army smuggled nearly two divisions. After completing the task of crossing the river, my hero 6 company commanders joined the new battle. Heavy casualties occurred in the "8 12" dangerous goods warehouse of Hairui Company in Tianjin Binhai New Area. In order to rescue the wounded, a rescue road was opened. A pontoon bridge unit in Tianjin Garrison quickly assembled and rushed to the scene for rescue.

On the night of August 15, 13, 2065438, 2065438, 2065438, 2065438, 2065438, 2065438, 2065438.

At 7: 35 on August 14, a pontoon bridge unit in Tianjin Garrison opened a fire rescue channel overnight within the expected time. Before 8: 00 a.m., the rescue passage into the explosion core area has been completely penetrated, and large rescue machinery can enter. In this all-night rescue, in order to get through this road of life, the soldiers overcame many difficulties such as a small explosion at the scene and won a crucial victory.

Before the opening of these two fire rescue channels, it was difficult for the original rescue channels to pass. Because many stacks, containers and container boxes collapsed and were blocked when the explosion occurred. The officers and men of a pontoon bridge unit in Tianjin Garrison received the order to prepare for construction at 23: 30 on August 13, and officially began to repair the rescue passage closest to the central fire after 0: 00 on August 14. More than 400 officers and men use professional equipment such as heavy excavators for their operations. After continuous hard work by officers and men, at 7: 35, good news came from the scene: a channel with a width of 6-7 meters has been completely penetrated, and large rescue equipment has been able to enter the core area of the explosion.