Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 152: Let the British 29th Brigade join the fight too!

27th Army Headquarters
"Old Li, the main force of the British 29th Brigade has indeed gone to support the Royal Rifle Regiment!"

Zhao Gang glanced at the telegram and said.

"Old Zhao, thank goodness you were prepared. I almost overlooked this."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong nodded.

"Old Li, it's not important to talk about these things now."

"The British 29th Brigade is being held back by the 1st Assault Regiment, so there's no need to worry for now."

“According to the telegrams we intercepted, they sent the Royal Heavy Tank Battalion to bypass Ziniu Valley and go to reinforce them.”

"Should we send additional troops to intercept this British Royal Heavy Tank Battalion?"

Zhao Gang thought for a moment and then asked.

"Ziniu Valley?"

"Old Li, according to Wanli's plan, that place is the Achilles' heel that the Seventh Steel Company is preparing to attack."

"If the British heavy tank battalion is blocked there, the 7th Steel Company will probably not be able to launch a quick assault there after finishing the battle at Hill 371."

"Also, now that the enemy knows about this passage, will they be on guard? Should we change our subsequent attack plan?"

Kong Jie thought for a moment and then asked.

"I don't think the offensive plan needs to be changed."

"Although Ridgway and his men know about this route, they probably won't care too much about it."

"Do you think it was because the British 29th Brigade split a battalion and went around Niugu Valley instead of leaving troops to engage and letting the main force go around?"

"Isn't it because Ziniu Valley is not conducive to the passage of large forces?"

"The US military might actually be hoping we have a lone force going there, since it's impossible to take Seoul without supplies; it's practically a dead end."

Zhao Gang shook his head and said.

"Old Zhao is right. The key to the raid on Hanyang was not the Ziniu Valley Pass, but the support from the Capital Division inside Hanyang."

"By the way, besides the Capital Division, how many US troops are there in Seoul?"

Li Yunlong looked at the battle map and asked.

"According to intelligence provided by higher authorities, there was originally a US 2nd Division stationed in Seoul."

"However, due to the British 29th Brigade's forced rescue attempt, they were bogged down by our assault regiment, resulting in a troop shortage in the Uijeongbu Castle defense line."

"So Ridgway sent the 2nd Infantry Division to reinforce the defenses, leaving only one U.S. Army garrison regiment in the city."

Zhao Gang said.

"God help me!"

"Old Li, this battle was incredibly profitable!"

“An American division was pulled out of Seoul, and the remaining garrison regiment will be scattered across various positions in Seoul.”

"When Wu Wanli leads the Steel Seventh Company to storm in at midnight, the American troops will surely be thrown into chaos!"

"With the defection of the South Korean Capital Division, Seoul can be taken!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie immediately became excited.

"However, the commander is still a little worried. Is this South Korean Capital Division any good? Could it be that an entire division could be easily defeated by a US military garrison regiment?"

"After all, you saw the Battle of Imjin River. No more than 30% of the South Korean soldiers were truly willing to fight; the rest were just cowardly bastards."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong said with a hint of worry.

"Old Li, I can't say exactly how formidable this South Korean Capital Division is in actual combat, but they are definitely capable of fighting."

"During the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, almost all South Korean troops were defeated. It was only when Chun Doo-kwang and his men fought desperately that they were able to save Kim Baek-il, the commander of the South Korean army group."

Zhao Gang said.

“Why…why is this?”

"Could this person really have some special ability in leading troops?"

Kong Jie was slightly taken aback, and then said.

“Other South Korean military officers exploit their soldiers, embezzle rations and pay, and some even abandon their troops and run away during battles.”

"But this Quan Douguang, it is said, not only did he not embezzle, but he also often swallowed supplies and did not hand them over, distributing them all to the soldiers."

"If it were only facing a single American regiment, the Capital Division would probably still be able to put up a fight."

Zhao Gang glanced at the intelligence data and said.

"In that case, we must ensure that only this US military garrison regiment remains in Seoul, and prevent the US 2nd Division from returning."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong nodded slightly and said.

“Old Li, but… the US 2nd Division is currently stationed on the Uijeongbu Castle defense line. It’s unlikely that we can cripple them so quickly.”

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie offered a reminder.

"We don't need to severely damage the US 2nd Division, just make sure they don't return to Seoul."

"However... there are some risks involved in fighting like this."

Zhao Gang looked at the battle map and frowned as he spoke.

"Old Zhao, do you have any good ideas?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong immediately became interested and said...

"Old Li, why was the US 2nd Division transferred out of Seoul?"

"Isn't it because the British 29th Brigade went to support the British Rifle Regiment that the defenses of Uijeongbu Castle were too weak?"

"As long as we can hold off the British 29th Brigade, we don't need to worry about the US 2nd Division returning to Seoul."

Zhao Gang said.

"To tie down the British 29th Brigade?"

"They were rushing in desperately to rescue the British Rifle Regiment. If the British Rifle Regiment were wiped out, they wouldn't continue..."

"and many more!"

"Old Zhao, you mean... let the British 29th Brigade in, and then have a chaotic battle?"

As Kong Jie spoke, he immediately understood.

"well said!"

“Times have changed. We were able to stop them before because our 27th Army was acting alone, and the other friendly units had not yet coordinated their actions.”

"Now that the boss has approved my attack and all the friendly forces are moving to support me, what the hell am I afraid of?"

"Bring them in and fight them!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong's mind instantly cleared, and he slammed his hand on the table, saying...

"Old Li, why don't we hold off a bit longer and let them in when we're almost finished annihilating the British Rifle Regiment?"

"After all, it's hard to say how the battle is going right now. I'm afraid that if the two British forces desperately converge, we won't be able to take them all."

Zhao Gang thought for a moment and said cautiously.

"Old Zhao, I understand your concerns, but the British devils aren't stupid either."

"The British 29th Brigade came to the rescue against orders. If the British rifle regiments were almost wiped out, they probably wouldn't have been so foolish as to rush in."

Li Yunlong shook his head and said.

"Old Li, didn't we already plan to let in a British Royal Heavy Tank Battalion?"

"I think it would be better to order the First Assault Regiment to carry out layer-by-layer blocking and harassment along the way, so that although the British 29th Brigade is slowly approaching the British Rifle Regiment, it will lose some men with every step it takes."

"This will not only ensure they take the bait, but also weaken the British forces, making the subsequent battles easier to fight."

Kong Jie thought for a moment and then said.

"Hey! Even you, you blockhead, have your moments of brilliance!"

"Okay, let's do it this way!"

"Also, tell Zhang Dabiao that once he reaches Hill 371, he should immediately send someone to replace the Steel Seventh Company, so that they don't all be wiped out."

A hint of concern flashed in Li Yunlong's eyes as he gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie quickly agreed.

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

Dead Eagle Lane, 371 Heights
"Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz————"

A deafening roar of airplane engines echoed across the battlefield.

American warplanes flew over every position on Hill 371, dropping bombs one after another.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions rang out, and fiery clouds bloomed on the position of the Seventh Steel Company.

Several soldiers of the Steel Seventh Company, who were hiding in the trenches, were hit by the bombs and were blown away, dying instantly.

"Damn it, those American devils are really cunning!"

"First, send out fighter jets to fight our air force. Once our air force goes back to refuel, the bombers will come and bomb us!"

Yu Congrong looked at the American warplanes in the sky and cursed loudly.

"Cough cough..."

"Company commander, how long until reinforcements arrive?"

Liu Hanqing coughed repeatedly, choked by the smoke from the explosion, and asked.

"Tell the comrades, if we can hold out through this last wave of British attacks, reinforcements will arrive soon!"

Wu Wanli estimated the time and said confidently, "Company Commander, the British have sent men to attack again!"

"The previous attacks were all attrition warfare, with each company taking turns attacking. Now, I estimate that the main force of the entire battalion is divided into several echelons and launching a general offensive against us!"

Pinghe rushed back to report.

"Don't worry, Company Commander, we have a strong foundation. We still have seven or eight light and heavy machine guns, and five or six bazookas. That's enough to hold the line!"

Prehistoric estimates suggest otherwise.

"Company commander, we can fire one last volley of shells!"

Lei Gong said.

"Comrades, the British are launching a general offensive now, which means they're desperate!"

"Why the rush? Because our reinforcements are about to arrive!"

"If we can weather this storm, victory is just around the corner!"

Looking at the somewhat exhausted soldiers of the Steel Seventh Company, Liu Hanqing loudly encouraged them.

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the Seventh Steel Company shouted in unison.

"Something's wrong..."

"Our reinforcements are almost here to encircle them. Why aren't the British retreating and holed up? Why are they launching a final, desperate offensive?"

"If they were the elite of the US military, I might accept it. After all, the Pacific War did forge a group of fearless American soldiers."

"But those pampered British soldiers don't have the spirit to sacrifice themselves for the main force and capture key strongholds."

"Unless they have a very high chance of winning quickly, which would allow them to hold their ground..."

Thinking of this, Wu Wanli's battlefield threat perception suddenly kicked in, and his heart pounded wildly.

The threat from the battlefield comes from the rear!
"Sky Eye Map, switch to Company of Heroes version micro mode!"

Wu Wanli's eyes widened, and he immediately recited it silently in his mind.

Soon, the Sky Eye Map, like a god's-eye view, exposed a British army company behind Hill 371.

The British company was slowly making its way up the path that Steel Seven had previously used to launch a surprise attack.

Furthermore, a small number of British troops have successfully reached the high ground and are waiting for the rest of the British forces to join them.

"Lei Gong, turn the cannons around and aim them at the path where we launched our sneak attack, then bombard it fiercely!"

Wu Wanli broke out in a cold sweat and quickly shouted.

"Company commander, shouldn't we fire the last round of shells at the front?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong thought he had misheard and quickly asked.

"The reason the British troops dared to fight to the death wasn't because they suddenly had a spirit of sacrifice; it must be because they thought a pincer attack would allow them to quickly take the high ground!"

"Trust me, bomb it now!"

Wu Wanli quickly replied.

"If that's the case, then those British devils have miscalculated!"

"Turn the cannons around and bombard both ends of the mountain pass behind!"

Lei Gong immediately gave the order.

"Hanqing, command of the front line is now in your hands. Hold the line!"

"Guards, follow me!"

Wu Wanli had no time to investigate and gave a loud order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qian and the others quickly followed Wu Wanli's steps.

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

At the intersection of the small road behind Hill 371
"Hurry! Get up there!"

"Damn it, didn't you hear the gunfire up ahead?!"

"The guys on the front lines need us, quick!"

British Captain Allen, puffing on a cigar, shouted.

He wasn't worried about being heard, because the dense roar of artillery fire was his best cover.

"call out----"

At that moment, the whistling sound of shells tearing through the air came, and they were getting closer and closer to Allen.

"Shit! They're coming for us!"

"Lie down!"

The British captain was stunned for a moment, then reacted instantly, lay down on the ground and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, several British soldiers nearby also lay down on the ground.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

A violent explosion rang out, and waves of heat rushed toward the British captain and his men.

However, the fire clouds from the explosion bloomed on the slopes on both sides of the intersection, and the few trees that remained were engulfed by the flames, leaving only charred craters.

Countless boulders were blasted into pieces and rolled downwards.

The explosion's power triggered a chain reaction that caused an avalanche, with snow accumulating on the mountainside and rolling down the slope.

"Fuck!"

"Run!"

Upon seeing this, a British sergeant at the intersection immediately shouted.

The other British soldiers quickly realized what was happening and fled in panic.

However, it was too late; the snow and stones quickly buried them and blocked the road.

"What?!"

The British captain was dumbfounded when he saw the road blocked off and then looked at the only thirty-odd British soldiers who had come up.

"beat!"

In the distance, Wu Wanli raised his Thompson submachine gun and opened fire on the British troops.

Shi Qian and Wu Siyi, along with others, also picked up their submachine guns and opened fire on the British soldiers who had not yet come to their senses.

"Da da da da da da da da..."

The dense bullets flew merrily, striking the bodies of British soldiers and splattering blood everywhere.

Before long, only a British captain and seven or eight soldiers remained alive.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

Upon seeing this, the British captain hurriedly shouted in broken Chinese.

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

In Dead Eagle, at the main battlefield of Hill 371

Wave after wave of British troops launched attacks on the Steel Seven Company's position, but they were all repelled by the powerful firepower, leaving behind only a large number of corpses.

"Damn it, why haven't the raiding troops moved yet!?"

The British major lowered his binoculars and asked with a pained expression.

"Sir, something terrible has happened!"

"The Chinese army was prepared! They used artillery fire to block the road, making it impossible for the raiding force to get up there in a short time!"

At that moment, a British lieutenant rushed over, holding a telegram.

"What?! How is this possible! It just blocked the intersection!?"

Upon hearing this, the British major's eyes widened instantly, and he roared loudly.

"Sir, the Chinese army is coming soon, we must retreat!"

"The British lieutenant said anxiously."

"Quickly, retreat immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the British major immediately gave the order.

……

"Drip drip drip drip drip drip!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the unique bugle call of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army came from behind the British lines.

"Charge! Follow me and charge forward to save the company commander and the others!"

With red eyes, Gao Daxing led the assault platoon to the forefront.