Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 129 The Battle of Imjin River Begins!
“Buzz buzz buzz—”

U.S. warplanes circled and swooped down over the command post, their black dots falling one by one.

Below the command post, three captured M16 armored anti-aircraft vehicles roared and fired into the sky.

"Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump—"

Large-caliber anti-aircraft bullets were launched into the sky, blocking the maneuvering direction of a US warplane and hitting the aircraft's wing.

"Oh!"

With the sound of its wing being hit, the fighter jet, billowing black smoke, plummeted helplessly downwards.

Other American bombers angrily concentrated their firepower on the anti-aircraft gun positions.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers showed no fear and fired at the anti-aircraft guns with reckless abandon.

"You American devils, I'll fuck your ancestors!"

An old soldier operated an anti-aircraft machine gun, roaring loudly.

The US warplanes skillfully made a turn and continued their dive, dropping their bombs at the lowest point.

However, as he pulled up, the fighter jet suddenly shook. It turned out that the tail fin had been pierced by the last bullet from the anti-aircraft machine gun.

"boom!"

The fighter jet crashed to the ground and exploded near the anti-aircraft gun vehicle.

However, after losing two fighter jets, the US Air Force completely annihilated the command's air defense firepower and indiscriminately bombarded the area.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The continuous explosions tore everything apart like a giant beast baring its fangs and claws, with countless wood chips and rubble flying everywhere, and flames from the explosions burning fiercely in all directions.

The command post, which had just been peaceful, is now a scene of ruins.

Inside the air raid shelter
The billowing black smoke from the explosion drifted inside, causing everyone to cough repeatedly.

Li Yunlong and the others stared at the devastation outside the cave, speechless for a long time.

"Didn't those anti-aircraft soldiers have time to evacuate?"

Li Yunlong sighed and asked.

"They said that the newly formed air defense platoon was about to be blown up before it could even be properly equipped with its anti-aircraft guns, so no one wanted to leave."

"I thought the US military was just sending out two or three fighter jets for a probing bombing raid, and I was hoping we could try to intercept them, but I didn't expect..."

A hint of guilt flashed in Zhang Dabiao's eyes as he spoke.

"Old Li, I told you long ago that the American devils are no match for the Japanese. Their firepower density is completely based on saturation attacks!"

"What probing bombing? They don't care about the success rate at all; if there's any chance, they'll just launch a massive bombing raid..."

Kong Jie said with heartache.

"Old Li, if it weren't for Comrade Wu Wanli's advance intelligence report, we might have perished in this sea of ​​fire before the battle even began."

"This is the first national war for our new China, and it is against the world's leading capitalist power. We cannot underestimate our enemy."

Zhao Gang felt the waves of heat hitting him and said with lingering fear.

"You're right, those damn American devils are rolling in money. This bombing is equivalent to three times the Japanese bombing!"

"If I don't beat them hard enough, I'll be letting down the brothers who died this time!"

"How's the front line? Are the concealed positions and fortifications almost ready?"

Li Yunlong patted Sha Shuo on the shoulder and asked with a resolute expression.

"We have taken Comrade Wu Wanli's advice and are building a large number of concealed fortifications and positions on the north bank of the undulating section of the Imjin River."

"These American devils never expected that we would choose the most difficult section of the river to cross for repairs; the bombers were all busy bombing the straight section of the river."

"Therefore, the construction is progressing very smoothly and will be completed within the expected schedule."

Zhao Gang said.

"It was Wu Wanli again who predicted it right... This Wu Wanli is a damn genius, he has the style of mine back in the day, hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong couldn't help but burst into laughter and praise.

"Old Li, don't think I'm putting you down. Back then, your three tricks were only good enough for leading a team and fighting guerrilla warfare."

"Compared to the combat power of Wanli, who can turn the tide of battle one after another, they are really not qualified!"

Seeing Li Yunlong's smug look, Kong Jie couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

"Hey? Kong Erlengzi, I wouldn't even bother mentioning the Provisional 7th Division, but I, Old Li, have personally taken on Chu Yunfei's elite troops head-on!"

"What guerrilla warfare? The achievements in the Battle of Nianzhuang are no joke!"

"But these American devils are indeed quite troublesome. Now I understand why Wanli has always emphasized blitzkrieg."

"If we engage an enemy with this level of firepower and get stuck in a war of attrition, ten of our soldiers might not be enough to take down one American soldier."

After the bombing, Li Yunlong's mind had cleared considerably, he said.

"Old Li, in my opinion, this bombing was worthwhile. At least it woke up the heads of us airborne commanders, so we can suffer less losses in the next battle."

"But Lao Li, now that the command post has been bombed, it means the American devils are on alert. Should we change our battle plan?"

Zhao Gang said.

"Let me suffer a loss? These American devils aren't even worthy of it!"

"The battle plan remains unchanged; this is the time when we'll be least able to react when we fight the American devils."

"Moreover, the weather is just right now, and the thick ice on the Imjin River has melted, making it perfect for us to force our way across the river!"

"Tell Wanli to speed up the training and coordination. I want to see with my own eyes just how well their Steel Seventh Company can fight!"

Li Yunlong said.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao quickly agreed.

....................................

Steel Seventh Company Headquarters

"Company commander, telegram from the military headquarters."

"Commander Li Yunlong praised your intelligence for being accurate, which saved the comrades in the entire command post."

"And the Battle of Imjin River is about to begin, so let's seize the time to train and coordinate."

"Moreover……"

Instructor Liu handed the telegram to Wu Wanli, and halfway through his sentence, he smiled and hesitated before continuing.

"If there's anything else, just say it."

Wu Wanli looked at Liu Hanqing and said with a hint of doubt.

"Ahem, these are Commander Li Yunlong's exact words, I'll just read them aloud..."

"Wu Wanli, you did a great job, kid! If it weren't for your old man, I would have almost capsized in this ditch!"

"When we get back, Old Li will find you a beautiful wife, as a way of repaying your life-saving grace, hahaha!"

Instructor Liu lowered his voice and imitated with a smile.

"This Commander Li, he even sends out telegrams to record his laughter, really..."

Wu Wanli couldn't help but chuckle as he spoke.

"Wanli, that was me laughing."

"I've heard of the practice of 'selecting sons-in-law from among those who passed the imperial examinations,' but this is the first time I've seen a military leader so concerned about the marriage of a company commander."

"However, I must warn you, daughters of landlords are often spoiled and pampered, so it's best not to marry one."

Instructor Liu smiled and patted Wu Wanli on the shoulder, offering a sincere reminder.

"So what if someone is spoiled? I don't care."

"What's wrong? You're suddenly concerned about me now. You don't mean you want to become relatives with me, do you?"

Wu Wanli joked.

"Hahahaha... We can get to know each other, but I don't guarantee anything later."

"After all, this isn't old China, where feudal arranged marriages are still practiced."

Instructor Liu said with a smile.

"Forget it, you're so cultured, you must come from a scholarly family. I'm just a fisherman's son, I'm not good enough for you."

Wu Wanli shook his head and said.

"Comrade Wu Wanli, you've just joined the Party, and your ideological awareness needs improvement!"

"In the new China, everyone is equal, and every citizen is the master of the country."

"Even if some ordinary people haven't come to terms with it yet, we can't think like that..."

"Well, that's something for after the war. I'll have to take some serious political and ideological lessons then!"

Instructor Liu looked at Wu Wanli with a hint of disappointment and said.

"Hahahaha...Good, good, good!"

"Let's go see how the soldiers' training is going," Wu Wanli said with a smile.

"it is good!"

Instructor Liu responded.

……

Training location
"Squad leader, I really can't go on, I... I'm going to vomit!"

Xu Mumu, supporting the tank, vomited incessantly.

"Prehistoric times, forget about it."

"We are now the First Armored Reconnaissance Company of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. How can anyone in an armored reconnaissance company get sick from tanks!"

"Look how well he performed; he's now a substitute tank crewman."

Wu Siyi said with considerable disdain.

“He wasn’t the only one who fainted, and he trained the hardest, so we can’t give up on him.”

With a serious expression, Shiqian patted Xu Mumu on the back and said.

"Idiot, if you really can't handle it, then don't insist on training with armored vehicles and tanks. You're just making yourself suffer."

"Go to that big truck, it's spacious and well-ventilated there."

"We can follow the rear of the armored vehicles in front, and then come down to act as infantry to cover the tanks and other vehicles during wartime. Wouldn't that be great?"

Seeing Xu Mumu's pained expression, Chenggong said...

"You silly boy, people die in war. If only a few people die, we will be at a disadvantage on the battlefield."

The patrolling Thunder God walked over and said.

"Lei Gong is right!"

"Greetings, Company Commander! Greetings, Political Instructor!"

Success was halfway through his speech when he noticed Wu Wanli and Liu Hanqing behind him and quickly saluted and called out.

"That's right, the comrades of the Seventh Steel Company should try to familiarize themselves with their positions."

"It's not required to be an expert in everything, but at least you should have some basic knowledge, be able to drive tanks and armored vehicles, and be able to fire shells."

Wu Wanli walked over and said.

"Fortunately, we don't have German Tiger and Panther tanks, otherwise we wouldn't even be able to do basic training in a short period of time."

Instructor Liu remarked with emotion.

"Company commander, my old political instructor said that the Soviets have a batch of tanks that are big, clumsy, and easy to operate."

"If they equip us with all the necessary gear by then, wouldn't we be able to sweep across the entire Korean peninsula!"

Yu Congrong jumped off the chariot and said with a smile.

"The North Korean army had a good run, defeating the South Korean army so badly that they couldn't find their way back, but unfortunately they were still driven back by the American devils."

"That's what Instructor Liu said."

"The Soviets have already provided air force support this time, so don't expect too much else for now."

"If we fight this battle well, we'll have everything we need in the future."

"Train hard! I want to see our elite armored 7th Company sweeping all before us in Imjin Gangnam!"

Wu Wanli shouted.

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison.

....................................

Soon, the time for the "river crossing" operation arrived.

Night, north bank of the Imjin River, forward command post
"Old Li, the river is indeed frozen over; it's perfectly safe to cross!"

Kong Jie said.

"Not only that, the US Air Force has just finished bombing the Ilja River section, and the main force of the South Korean army is also concentrated there, leaving our defenses extremely weak."

Zhao Gang said.

"it is good!"

"At this point, there's nothing more to say, let's just fucking kill them!"

"Get the cannon out here, and blast it hard in three minutes!"

"We must tear down their bunkers and barbed wire, and clear away all obstacles!"

"Launch the general offensive the moment the artillery fire stops!"

Li Yunlong roared domineeringly.

"Yes!"

A staff officer quickly agreed and issued the operational orders via telegram.

……

Li Yunlong's order was quickly relayed, and the artillery regiment swiftly adjusted its cannons, all pointing towards the south bank of the Imjin River.

"fire!"

One by one, the gunners roared and waved their flags down, and hundreds of cannons of all kinds roared deafeningly!
"call out--"

"call out--"

Countless shells, like dense black dots, crashed into the South Korean positions on the south bank of the Imjin River with a whooshing sound.

A series of fires leaped like ghosts in the night, accompanied by a deafening roar, plunging the South Korean positions into chaos.

The intense artillery fire seemed to be the wrath of heaven and man, causing the earth to tremble, dust to fly, and barbed wire to become twisted and deformed under this force, like a giant snake dancing wildly.

At this moment, the hiding place of the Seventh Steel Company
"Company commander, when did our artillery become so powerful..."

Yu Congrong stared in shock at the distant sea of ​​fire.

"We have captured almost all of the artillery of the US 1st Marine Division. In addition, we have captured the artillery of the US 8th Army on the western front. Our artillery is no longer what it used to be."

Wu Wanli touched the tank's armor and said.

"Company commander, the comrades are all ready. The tanks and armored vehicles have all been checked and there are no problems."

Pinghe said.

"it is good!"

"Let's eat something last, then get on the tanks and armored vehicles, and we'll break through in one go!"

"Remember, all tanks must maintain radio communication. All tanks must follow the route I command, and are not allowed to linger or deviate from the designated path!"

"Other vehicles, stay close behind the tanks, don't fall behind!"

Wu Wanli said.

"Yes!"

The soldiers of the Seventh Steel Company readily agreed, popping the prepared chocolates and candies into their mouths before boarding the various vehicles.

Sitting in the tank commander's seat, Wu Wanli stared intently at his watch, feeling the slight tremors of the artillery bombardment, waiting with complete concentration.

Soon, the hands of the watch pointed to exactly 7 p.m. – it was time for the all-out offensive!
"Drip drip drip drip drip drip!"

A powerful bugle call from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army resounded, its sound like a dragon's roar shaking the heavens!

"Seventh Steel Company, charge!"

Wu Wanli shouted into the radio inside the tank.

"charge!"

The volunteer army tank commanders inside each tank shouted in unison.

"Rumble--"

Eight tanks lined up in a row and charged at full speed toward the south bank of the Imjin River.

Between the tanks, there were armored anti-aircraft gun vehicles with machine guns set up, ready to mop up infantry units along the way.

The armored convoy of the Seventh Steel Company charged at the forefront of the column, like the spearhead of a long spear, exuding immense power.

Behind them, countless soldiers were running forward desperately.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The soldiers' footsteps pounded on the ice of the Imjin River, like the beating of war drums, rapid and surging.

If you look up from a higher vantage point, you can see countless volunteer soldiers, rifles in hand, charging towards the south bank in waves, forming three-by-three formations along a front stretching for hundreds of miles.

Red flags fluttered in the wind at the front of the ranks, and the young faces showed no fear.

Ahead lay South Korean positions shrouded in billowing black smoke and artillery fire, while behind them were rows of comrades-in-arms.

Forward, forward, forward! Charge on relentlessly, fight on without end!

The first phase of the Third Campaign, the Battle of Imjin River, has officially begun!
(End of this chapter)