Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 106 The New China Air Force Enters the War!
"Great idea, Commander!"

"If the Wanli Plan succeeds, not only can the positions be breached with internal support, but even the US armored forces will be diverted, making it difficult to plug the gap."

"In that case, our elite troops can launch a fierce attack and achieve a major breakthrough in their center!"

"Once the main force advances into the town of Miri, where the American troops were buried, the overall situation will be settled!"

The chief of staff looked at the battle map and said with a hint of excitement.

"Wanli, you are truly my lucky charm!"

"Is it too late to adjust the general offensive direction according to Wu Wanli's plan?"

Kong Jie looked at Wu Wanli, praised him, and then asked a question.

"We prepared a lot in advance, so we have enough time!"

The chief of staff glanced at his watch and said.

"Alright, Staff Officer Wu!"

Kong Jie smiled slightly and deliberately shouted loudly.

"I'm here!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli immediately stood up straight.

"Can you write?"

Kong Jie asked.

"Yes, but I might misspell a word."

Wu Wanli said.

"Staff Officer Liu Xiaolou, you should take notes too."

"Wanli, you learn from him!"

Kong Jie gave Wu Wanli an appreciative look and said.

"Study...culture?"

Wu Wanli scratched his head and asked.

"It's a training regiment operation, the army commander values ​​you..."

The chief of staff leaned close to Wu Wanli's ear and whispered with a smile.

"Based on the original plan and incorporating Wu Wanli's ideas, I have made the following adjustments after the changes were completed!"

"Use the 76th and 77th Divisions of the 26th Army to strengthen the offensive on the northern front of the Miri Sangami, disguise it as the main attack direction, and attract the armored forces of the US 1st Marine Division!"

"After drawing the enemy to the north, the 79th, 80th and 94th Divisions of the 27th Army launched a fierce attack on the southern defense line of Zangmi-ri."

"Among them, the elite troops of the First Assault Regiment, spearheaded by the Seventh Steel Company, launched a fierce attack on the southeastern position of Zang Miri, thereby opening a gap in the general offensive."

"The 58th and 59th Divisions of the 20th Army launched an offensive in the east to tie down the US troops defending the eastern part of Zangmi-ri, thus changing the direction of the main offensive in the south."

"The 60th Division of the 20th Army attacked the US forces west of Zangmi-ri, putting defensive pressure on the US forces!"

"The 78th Division will serve as the general reserve force."

"Say it again!"

Kong Jie stood with his hands behind his back and turned to speak.

"76th and 77th Divisions, intensify the offensive on the northern front, feigning a main attack to draw the US 1st Marine Division's armored forces!"

"Then, the 79th, 80th and 94th Divisions launched a fierce attack on the southern defense line of Zangmiri."

"The First Regiment, spearheaded by the Steel Seventh Company, launched a fierce attack on the southeastern position, opening a breach in the general offensive."

"The 58th and 59th Divisions attacked the east and tied down the US troops defending the eastern part of Miri."

"The 60th Division launched a feint attack on American troops west of Zangmi-ri, putting defensive pressure on the American forces!"

"The 78th Division will serve as the general reserve force."

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli quickly repeated it.

Liu Xiaolou, who was standing next to him, was interrupted several times by Wu Wanli before he could even speak.

"Wow, you're pretty good, kid. Your memory is comparable to that of a skilled strategist, hahaha..."

Upon seeing this, Kong Jie was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter.

"Oh, not at all. I've loved listening to stories since I was little. I've heard them so many times."

Wu Wanli smiled slightly and said modestly.

Actually, in his past life, he loved watching the movie "The Great Battle" and thought the large-scale battle formations in it were very cool.

So he went out of his way to learn a lot about the relevant content, which is why he is very sensitive to these commands and can remember them very quickly.

"I'd like to add something."

"Concentrate half of the Ninth Army Corps' artillery and deploy it on the northern front."

"If the US military misjudges the main attack position and moves its armored forces and reserves to the north, then we can bombard their heavy armor with artillery!"

"If they guess the direction of their main attack correctly and move their armored forces south, we will launch a feint attack from the north and then launch our main attack, using heavy artillery fire to forcefully break through the American defenses!"

The chief of staff thought for a moment and then said.

"Alright, let's contact the US forces in the north and south for support and see how they fight!"

"But... if we split our artillery fire, is that really enough?"

Kong Jie frowned slightly, looking worried.

"Commander, this is all thanks to the spoils captured by Wu Wanli and his men in the previous two battles."

"Originally, let alone splitting the heavy artillery in two, we didn't even have a single heavy artillery piece in the strict sense."

"Now, these two halves, one half is the heavy artillery that the Steel Seventh Company seized first in Xinxingli, and the other half is the heavy artillery that the Steel Seventh Company seized first in Hagaru-ri."

As the chief of staff spoke, his gaze toward Wu Wanli was filled with even more astonishment.

"Indeed, if it weren't for this kid and the Steel Seventh Company, the US 1st Marine Division would probably have run from Watergate Bridge to Hung Nam Port."

"By the way, didn't the Seventh Steel Company also capture a batch of warplanes in Hagaru-ri?"

When will the air force of our new China be able to participate in combat?

Kong Jie looked at the chief of staff and asked, lost in thought.

"Originally, we could only rely on the Soviet Air Force for support."

"With that batch of fighter jets, aside from keeping some for research, it's possible to spare some for combat."

"but……"

The chief of staff guessed.

"But what?"

Kong Jie asked.

"However, it should not be now. We will have to wait until the Soviet air force provides support before our new China's air force can join the war in Korea with our big brother's air force."

"Otherwise, with its limited resources, how can the Air Force possibly go toe-to-toe with the US military!"

The chief of staff sighed, his eyes filled with pessimism.

"If we had a powerful air force, why would we have fought so humiliatingly in the Korean War!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie slammed his hand on the table and sighed.

"A powerful air force... I wish I could contribute to it too..."

Wu Wanli remained silent for a few seconds, then murmured.

"Comrade Wu Wanli, based on those captured warplanes alone, you are already the only one in the entire Volunteer Army who has made a contribution to the Air Force."

"Let's fight every battle well, defeat these Western powers, and fight for a century of peace for the rejuvenation of China!"

Seeing the regret in Wu Wanli's eyes, Kong Jie offered words of comfort.

"The commander is right. If we work hard and defeat that damned UN forces in one battle, then we can finally revitalize China!"

The chief of staff's eyes revealed a resolute look as he spoke.

"Let's start with this battle, this decisive battle on the eastern front of Chosin Reservoir, and show the world the strength of the Chinese army!"

Wu Wanli clenched his fists and shouted in the direction of Zang Meili.

"Well said!"

"The breakthrough in the southeast depends on your Steel Seventh Company!"

The chief of staff looked at Wu Wanli and said with admiration.

"Tonight, launch the final offensive as planned!"

Kong Jie glanced at his watch and said.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison and went to prepare.

1st Marine Division, Command

"Sir, our plan was a success!"

"The people on the northern positions contacted officers in the Chinese army and convinced their superiors that there was an opportunity to attack from the north."

"We can now deploy armored units and heavy artillery to ambush the main force of the Chinese army that has broken in!"

The U.S. Chief of Staff brought in a piece of intelligence with a hint of excitement.

"The plan succeeded?!"

Smith put down his coffee cup, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

"Sirs, I have a different opinion."

At this moment, Fan Wencheng, who followed the US Chief of Staff into the room, said.

"this is……"

Smith frowned slightly and looked at the US Chief of Staff to ask.

"That's the Chinese-American staff officer I mentioned before, the one who devised this plan."

"The battle has reached a very intense stage, and we cannot afford to make any more mistakes, so I brought him here."

The U.S. Chief of Staff pointed to Fan Wencheng and introduced him.

"Hey buddy, what's your opinion? Do you have any different views?"

Smith took another sip of his coffee and said.

"Sirs, I have a question to ask first."

"Why did they choose the north when we sent out so many decoy positions?"

Fan Wencheng asked.

"Well... the Chinese army can only have one main direction of attack after all. Maybe it's a gamble we're forced to take?"

Smith was still somewhat skeptical of Chinese people and frowned in rebuttal.

“Sir, I have studied the Chinese army’s tactics, especially that Chinese Iron Company.”

"They especially like to use feints and diversions, and when combined with night battles, the combination of deception and real attacks makes it difficult for us to defend against them."

"But our armored forces also have an advantage in providing support, which is that they can quickly return to their posts once a situation is detected!"

"So I think that even if we are to set up an ambush in the north, we should also set aside an extra reserve force and place it near the southern front."

"The southern front is the furthest from the northern front. If the armored forces are tied up by the Chinese army, it will take time to break free and provide support."

Fan Wencheng thought for a moment and then said.

"The southern front..."

"Indeed, the southern front was the one that participated the most in the Christmas party. If we had enough troops, I would definitely replace them all."

Smith nodded slightly, agreeing.

“Sir, in that case, we still need an elite force, at least one whose morale cannot be too low.”

"If I'm right, then blocking the main attack of the Chinese army's elite forces from the south won't be an easy task..."

"Or rather, what we need are soldiers who dare to go up and plug the gap."

Fan Wencheng glanced at the battle map and added.

"Elite troops, high morale, and a fighting spirit..."

"I'm sorry, after the previous battles, our 1st Marine Division can no longer muster such a reserve force."

Smith sighed and said helplessly.

“Sir, I’ve been thinking about it, and I think we can actually scrape together the money.”

"But it's just..."

The U.S. Chief of Staff swallowed hard, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Can you afford it?"

"Just say what you have to say. This is a life-or-death moment for the 1st Marine Division. Don't overthink it."

Smith said.

"Sir, your guard battalion is actually the most heavily armed and elite unit in the 1st Marine Division."

"Moreover, they did not participate much in the previous battles, so their morale is still quite good."

"The situation is tense on all fronts, and we are short of troops. It all depends on whether you are willing..."

The U.S. Chief of Staff hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

"Hahaha...Fuck!"

"So you brought this Chinese-American staff officer here because you had this plan in mind: to transfer my guard battalion to the war?"

Smith laughed angrily and cursed.

"Sir, please calm down. We were just making a suggestion. The specific operational orders still need to be carried out by you."

"If you don't think it's a good idea, we can think of other solutions."

The U.S. Chief of Staff, with a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, quickly explained.

"But if we do that, the defenses of our command center will become extremely weak..."

Smith remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"Sir, hold the line. If the Chinese army can't get in, the command center won't need to defend."

"If the defense line collapses, even if the command center's defense is strong, it will only be a last-ditch effort."

Fan Wencheng gritted his teeth and mustered his courage to speak.

"Fuck you!"

"How could you speak like that? Apologize to the general immediately!"

The US military chief of staff pretended to scold Smith, but in reality, he was observing Smith's expression.

"You don't need to act anymore. The opinions of the General Staff are discussed collectively and then submitted in a unified manner."

“I already guessed something about why you brought this Chinese-American staff officer with you.”

Smith smiled dismissively and pointed it out.

"Master, you are wise!"

"So what do you think of this plan?"

Upon hearing this, the US Chief of Staff gave an awkward smile and asked.

"Let's make a change. There's no need to transfer the guard battalion. I'll just lead the guard battalion to command near the southeast side of the front line."

Smith thought for a moment and then said.

Fan Wencheng, who was standing to the side, was slightly taken aback when he heard this. He did not expect that the American officers would be so courageous.

"Sir, wouldn't it be too risky to do that?"

"If the main attack direction of the Chinese army is indeed to the south, then you and the command post might be wiped out in the very first moment of the battle..."

The US Chief of Staff was slightly taken aback and quickly reminded him.

"Don't worry, if the main attack direction of the Chinese army is indeed to the south, I will stay with the soldiers and urge them to hold their positions..."

"You should know that after the Chinese army finished this Christmas psychological warfare, the fighting spirit of the guys on the southern front had already been weakened."

"The only thing I can do is try going to the battlefield myself and see if I can reignite their fighting spirit."

Smith spoke passionately, but inside he was incredibly nervous.

In reality, he didn't really want to fight to the last moment; the reason he fought for so long was simply because he couldn't abandon the US Marine Corps Division and run away.

He now sees that the US military only has a 30-40% chance of winning this battle, so he has brought his guard battalion to the southeast side.

If the eastern front collapses, we'll break out to the southern front; if the southern front collapses, we'll break out to the eastern front. We can't just get wiped out on the southeast side, can we?

"The commander is willing to fight alongside us to the death against the Chinese army. The men's morale will be greatly boosted when they hear that!"

Upon hearing this, the US Chief of Staff immediately praised him.

"No need for further discussion. Just proceed with the plan and carry out the orders."

"In three hours, the decisive battle that will determine the fate of the entire 1st Marine Division will begin..."

Smith looked at his watch and murmured to himself.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the U.S. Chief of Staff immediately agreed and went to relay the order.

(End of this chapter)