Sword of Light: Humanoid Self-Propelled Artillery

Chapter 273 Ace Polar Bear

Therefore, the general offensive was naturally about to begin, and the attack targets for each lion and each company of the Ninth Army Corps had already been identified.

The target that Wu Qianli's Eighty-Nine Lions were going to attack this time was the Polar Bear Regiment, which was known as the ace unit of the US military.

The Polar Bear Regiment got its name from its experience fighting in Siberia during World War I.

From 1918 to 1920, the United States, in order to intervene in the Soviet Union's reformation, dispatched approximately 8,000 soldiers to participate in the Siberian Intervention War.

As for why they want to stop the interference, it's because the US has made huge investments in the Soviet Union. If the Soviet Union successfully changes its regime, the US's interests will be greatly affected. Therefore, for its own benefit, the US has no choice but to send troops by force.

The 31st Regiment was assigned to Nikolayevsk near Vladivostok, where it fought alongside Japanese troops and other Chinese forces against the Soviet Union's Red Army and guerrillas.

However, due to the cold climate in the region, with winter temperatures reaching minus forty degrees Celsius, the soldiers of the regiment wore thick leather coats and fur hats, making them look like polar bears.

Therefore, they were known as the Polar Bears by locals and other Allied forces. During their operations in Siberia, the regiment participated in numerous battles and patrols, clashing with the Honduran army and partisans, and capturing several important railways and bridges. They also faced resistance and opposition from the local people, and even experienced skirmishes and clashes with Japanese troops.

However, the situation was beyond saving, so in April 1920, the United States ordered the withdrawal from Siberia.

Although they did not succeed in stopping the attack, they still deserved credit for their hard work. To commemorate their achievements in the Siberian campaign, the then-US President personally awarded the 31st Regiment the polar bear flag and bestowed upon them the title of "Polar Bear Regiment".

Historically, the battle fought by the Polar Bear Regiment at Xinxingli was the most brutal of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

This elite US military unit suffered heavy losses and was almost completely wiped out under the siege of the Chaozhou reinforcements, the Eighty-Nine Lions.

According to US statistics, more than 3,100 officers were killed in the battle of Xinxingli, including senior officers such as Regiment Commander McCrian and Deputy Regiment Commander Faith.

Furthermore, the regiment lost all its artillery, tanks, and vehicles, as well as a large quantity of weapons and ammunition.

Most importantly, the regiment's blue regimental flag was also captured by the aid-to-Chaozhou army and has become a cultural relic in a museum.

The disastrous defeat of the Polar Bear Regiment not only damaged the morale of the US military, but also shocked the United States and the world.

This was the first time in the Chao-Kuo War that an entire regiment of the US Army had been completely annihilated by the Chao-Kuo forces. It was also a rare and devastating defeat in the history of the US Army.

This was roughly equivalent to the Battle of Taierzhuang during the War of Resistance against Japan, directly shattering the myth of the invincibility of the US military and lowering its morale.

After all, the US military was incredibly strong after defeating the Chaozhou army. Even though the Chaozhou reinforcements routed the Chaozhou soldiers in the first battle, the Americans believed that it was because they hadn't taken the lead; they thought they would have won if they had.

The reason for this view is mainly because the Chaozhou army at the time had T-34 tanks supported by the Japanese, as well as a large amount of Japanese equipment. Therefore, in terms of equipment alone, the Chaozhou army was better equipped than the army that came to its aid.

That's why, before the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the US military didn't take the Chaozhou reinforcements seriously.

The disastrous defeat of the Polar Bear Regiment also revealed the weaknesses and shortcomings of the US military in the Chaozhou battlefield.

First, the US military underestimated the strength and tactics of the reinforcements from Chaozhou, was careless and negligent, and failed to make adequate defense and emergency preparations.

Secondly, the US forces were unfamiliar with the terrain and climate of Chaozhou and failed to take effective cover and camouflage measures, thus exposing their operational routes and target locations. Thirdly, the US forces relied too heavily on mechanized equipment and air support, neglecting the importance of infantry warfare, resulting in inflexible movement in mountainous terrain and allowing them to be surrounded and cut off by reinforcements from Chaozhou.

Finally, and most importantly, the US military lacked the courage and spirit of sacrifice to match the reinforcements. When suddenly attacked, they often panicked and became confused, unable to organize an effective counterattack or break out.

However, despite the heavy losses suffered by the Polar Bear Regiment in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, only a few survivors escaped to Hagaru-ri and joined the U.S. 1st Marine Division.

According to US statistics, 385 men in the regiment were still able to fight after the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, while the rest were annihilated or captured by the reinforcements from Chaozhou. The regimental flag was also captured by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

Surprisingly, the remnants of the Polar Bear Regiment rebuilt their headquarters after reorganization and continued to participate in the Korean War the following year.

However, the temporarily formed regimental combat team revoked the title of the 31st Regiment, also known as the Polar Bear Regiment.

Therefore, this regiment was no longer the elite Polar Bear Regiment. Although the regiment continued to participate in many battles afterward, including the Spring Offensive, the Iron Triangle Campaign, and the 38th Parallel Defense, and even achieved considerable success, it could not escape the fate of having its name, Polar Bear Regiment, revoked.

Meanwhile, the polar bear group was setting up camp!
At this point, the polar bear group seemed to feel some problems and unease, so they chose a flat area to set up camp.

This flat area is large enough to accommodate the polar bear group in batches.

This way, the command post can be protected very well.

However, the consequence of this was that the rear could not be contacted at all. If troops were retreating, they would have buried landmines or explosives along the way.

That would mean completely blocking any way out.

After the Eighty-Nine Lions received the mission to annihilate the Polar Bear Regiment, Wang Gensheng's Marine Corps naturally did not receive any missions.

After all, Wang Gensheng was not under the jurisdiction of the Eighty-Ninth Lions, nor even the Ninth Army Corps. The only ones who could control Wang Gensheng were the front-line command.

Of course, although Wang Gensheng's marines had a lot of freedom, they could not be deployed at will; for example, they could not attack before launching a general offensive.

So, to prevent the Polar Bear Regiment, an elite unit of the US military, from escaping, Wang Gensheng led his Marines to wait two kilometers behind the US lines.

What Wang Gen was waiting for was to start laying landmines and explosive charges on the highway after dark.

Although Wang Gensheng did not bring a special high-yield anti-tank mine, he could have used an explosive charge instead.

Bury the grenade launcher ammunition with the safety pin removed, warhead facing upwards, and then place an explosive charge next to it. This will create an anti-tank mine.

While the explosive charge may not be powerful enough to shatter a tank or even penetrate its armor, it can certainly sever its tracks, rendering the tank immobile.

Of course, conventional mines for dealing with trucks also need to be deployed.

(End of this chapter)