Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 213 The Most Critical Moment of the Battle!

Daejeon, UN Command
"I can understand the slow progress in the Tiandefeng area of ​​the eastern part of the Hanjiang South Front, after all, the US 5th Division is tied down by the Chinese 7th Steel Regiment pinned down in Lizhou."

"But how come the 1st Cavalry Division and the British 27th Brigade in the central region were reportedly attacked several times by the Chinese 38th Army, suffering nearly a thousand casualties?"

"And then there's the 3rd Division of the Western Army, the 24th Division, and the Turkish Brigade. They are clearly the strongest, so why can't they break through the defenses of the Chinese 50th Army?!"

"If I remember correctly, this 50th Army was formerly a Nationalist Army unit. Are they really not even as good as the Nationalist Army in terms of combat effectiveness?!"

Ridgway angrily tore the battle report to shreds and cursed.

"Cough cough cough..."

"General Ridgway, you might as well be more explicit. Is the fighting capacity of our National Revolutionary Army really that bad in your eyes?"

Chu Yunfei coughed a few times, suppressing his dissatisfaction, and smiled.

“Mr. Chu, your Central Army is still quite strong, especially the five main forces equipped with American weapons.”

"But the predecessor of this 50th Army was clearly the Yunnan Army, wasn't it?"

"I never expected them to hold out so tenaciously!"

Ridgway said.

"Back then in Taierzhuang, the Japanese army couldn't break through their defenses, and later in Changchun in Northeast China, the Red Army still faced extremely difficult battles."

"From a defensive perspective, their combat power is also very strong."

Chu Yunfei thought for a moment and then said.

“I don’t care about their previous combat capabilities. All I know is that their defense zone is the closest to Seoul and Incheon, much closer than those positions at Cheondeokbong.”

"At least the 1st Cavalry Division sent out a 1st Cavalry Regiment to provide support. It's one thing that their attack and that of the US 5th Division were thwarted."

"But these two main divisions plus a brigade couldn't even break through the Chinese army's defenses? Are they all a bunch of idiots?!"

Li Qiwei said angrily.

"Sir, the Chinese army has occupied advantageous terrain and is putting up a desperate resistance. Our tanks and armored vehicles simply cannot break through."

"The artillery and warplanes bombarded their positions again and again, but when we attacked, we were still met with a hail of bullets."

"According to reports from the front lines, it seems that the Chinese army has already dug semi-permanent fortifications."

"Chief of Staff Van Fleet said."

"what?!"

"Semi-permanent fortifications?"

"You know, not long after the last battle ended, I immediately launched this major offensive."

"If they have completed the semi-permanent fortifications, doesn't that mean they knew we would be fighting south of the Han River right after the last battle ended?!"

"Such foresight! There are truly exceptional individuals within the Chinese military..."

Li Qiwei sighed, rubbed his temples wearily, and said.

Little did he know that the wise man he spoke of was actually Wu Wanli, who possessed foresight.

Wu Wanli's earlier suggestion to the headquarters, that the 50th Army should dig semi-permanent positions in advance, was immediately adopted by the commander-in-chief.

Upon hearing the news, Commander Zeng of the 50th Army immediately led his troops to the scene and began fighting, without even having a victory celebration banquet.

Because the 50th Army still harbored a deep sense of inferiority, fearing that because they came from the Nationalist Army and had defected, they would be inferior to other volunteer soldiers.

Now this Republic Shield is beginning to show its power, causing the US attacking forces a great deal of trouble.

"What's the situation on the eastern front?"

Li Qi frowned slightly and asked.

"Sir, the situation on the eastern front is not optimistic either."

"Four Chinese corps launched a fierce attack on the Hengcheng defense zone. Those South Korean troops were really unreliable and suffered defeat after defeat."

"It wasn't until we advanced all the way to the last line of defense in Hengcheng that we were able to hold them off thanks to the Second US Division on the eastern front."

Chief of Staff Van Fleet sighed and said.

"Damn it, why are those South Korean troops so weak when they're fighting for us, but become elite troops as soon as they're on the other side?!"

"It couldn't be that the Chinese army used some kind of witchcraft on them!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qiwei frowned and cursed.

"General, our National Army deeply understands this situation."

"Many troops collapsed at the first contact with us, and after being incorporated and reorganized by the other side, they were often completely transformed."

"I suspect that a political commissar from the Red Party infiltrated the South Korean army and reformed them."

"In addition, Chun Doo-kwang of the Capital Division treats his subordinates very well, which is why their combat effectiveness is so different from that of the South Korean army here."

Chu Yunfei said.

"I didn't pay enough attention to improving these South Korean soldiers before, and I didn't expect them to be this bad. But it's no use talking about it now."

"Do we have any reinforcements to support Hengcheng?"

Ridgway asked.

"Have!"

"Currently, only two regiments of the US 2nd Division and the retreating South Korean troops are stationed in Hengcheng."

"There is also the 23rd Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division stationed at Chipyong-ri, plus a French battalion and an additional armored battalion."

"The Chinese army doesn't seem to care much about Chipyong-ri, showing no signs of attack. Perhaps they want to take Hengseong first."

"Chief of Staff Van Fleet said."

"French Battalion?"

Are they reliable?

"Could it be that they surrendered after fighting for only a short time?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qiwei said with a hint of worry in his heart.

It's no wonder that Ridgway criticized France; France's performance in World War II was truly appalling.

Even the formidable German Blitzkrieg forces were unable to capture Paris before France surrendered.

"Sir, they are not French troops. These are French foreign legion soldiers, and they are very brave in battle."

Chief of Staff Van Fleet smiled knowingly upon hearing this and then explained.

"Foreign Legion, that's better."

"Could we transfer the 23rd Regiment and the armored battalion from Chipyong-ri to form a special task force to rescue Hengcheng?"

Li Qiwei thought for a moment and then said.

"Sir, to be honest, although the economy, population, and even area of ​​Chihpyong are worse than Hengcheng, its strategic importance is much greater!"

"Hengcheng has fallen, but Chipyeong-ri still stands. The defenses on both the east and west fronts remain intact, and we can even risk maintaining the offensive."

"After all, exchanging Hengcheng for Hancheng was a very profitable deal."

"But if Chipyong-ni falls, the eastern and western lines will be completely cut off."

"China's main forces can outflank our western rear and trap the main force of the UN forces!"

"It was alright before, we had Lizhou City as a buffer, so their encirclement couldn't be too fast."

"But now Lizhou is gone... Dipingli absolutely cannot be lost!"

Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Van Fleet immediately gave a tense reminder.

“I know the importance of Chipyong-ri, but the battle has gone on for so long that both sides have deployed their main forces.”

"As for the Chinese troops on the western front, it's a miracle they can hold their ground. The Chinese troops on the eastern front are all stuck in Hengcheng."

"It will take them at least two days to get to Chipyong-ni, and their forces can't be too small!"

"By the time they start moving, we will have already spotted them and rushed to their aid; they won't have time to fight back."

Li Qiwei shook his head and said.

“Sir, the Chinese troops in Hengcheng are indeed too late.”

"But have you forgotten that Yeoju is not far from Chipyeong-ri? What if they suddenly break out and then march on Chipyeong-ri..."

Chief of Staff Van Fleet thought for a moment, then pointed to Lizhou and said.

"I don't quite agree with this assessment."

"How could the Chinese 7th Steel Regiment possibly break through the encirclement of the US 5th Division?"

"Even if they manage to break through, they should head towards Tiande Peak, since the main force of the Chinese 27th Army will be there to support them."

"If we try to break through to Dipingli, aren't we just asking to be attacked from both sides?"

Chu Yunfei said.

"Mr. Chu is right, you are still too cautious."

"Fine, then leave the 1st Battalion of the US 23rd Regiment and the French Battalion to garrison the area, and the armored battalion will be incorporated into the US 23rd Regiment to support Hengcheng."

"If the Chinese 7th Steel Regiment really dares to act recklessly, I wouldn't mind having the US 5th Division and the troops stationed at Chipyong-ri attack them from both sides!"

Li Qiwei waved his hand and said.

“Yes, sir!” Van Fleet had a bad feeling when he heard this, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong, so he could only agree.

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

Tiande Peak, 27th Army Headquarters
"What the hell happened to Zhang Dabiao?!"

"I ordered him to lead a feint attack against the US 5th Infantry Division, but he retreated halfway through and told me that the American devils had reinforcements?!"

Li Yunlong slammed his fist on the table in anger and cursed.

"Old Li, I was the one who gave the order to have Zhang Dabiao withdraw. If you're angry, take it out on me."

"The American reinforcements are the elite 1st Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division!"

"Its firepower is even more ferocious than the US 5th Division, and it also has a powerful armored force and air force."

"Outside is a vast, flat plain..."

Zhao Gang sighed and said.

"Yes, Lao Li, our 27th Army went from Xinxingli to Hagaru-ri, Jangmi-ri, Imjin River, Tasan-ri, Seoul, Incheon..."

"Although we have won one battle after another, the casualties are too severe. Even with the addition of reinforcements, the entire army now only has 30,000 soldiers."

"After deducting Wu Wanli's Seventh Steel Regiment, there are only a little over 25,000 left!"

"Zhang Dabiao's 80th Division, as the main force of our army, received priority in the supply of mortars, machine guns, and ammunition, and had a full 10,000 elite troops!"

"If anything happens to the 80th Division, it will be difficult for the remaining two divisions to withstand the American devils' attack."

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie also offered his advice.

"What should I do!?"

"We can't just abandon that kid Wu Wanli, can we?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong felt a surge of worry and gritted his teeth as he looked in the direction of Lizhou.

"According to the headquarters, they had already inquired about the situation with the 7th Steel Regiment. Their original intention was to cover their breakout."

"But Wu Wanli insisted that it was not the right time and that we should buy more time for the victory of the battle."

"This kid, is he really planning to take on an entire army with just one regiment?"

Zhao Gang shook his head and said.

"Damn it, if we didn't have to hold Tiande Peak, I would have led the entire 27th Army to surround and beat their cavalry!"

Li Yunlong cursed.

"Actually, when you think about it, Wanli made the right move."

"The boss told us to hold out for at least ten days, and three days have already passed."

"The 38th Army suffered 3269 casualties, and the 50th Army suffered 3831 casualties. That means they lost a whole regiment in three days."

"Our 80th Division's main force suffered only 1091 casualties, less than one-third of their casualties."

"Ultimately, it's because the 7th Steel Regiment is stuck at Lizhou, drawing in the troops of the US 5th Division."

"Hey, if we had ten Steel Seventh Regiments, we wouldn't need to be afraid of anything. We could just launch a full-scale counterattack."

Kong Jie praised.

"Ten Steel Seventh Regiments? I wouldn't even dare to do that in my wildest dreams!"

"That's equivalent to 40,000 to 50,000 fully equipped American troops, and they're composed of our volunteer army's veterans and elites."

"Not to mention, that kid Wu Wanli always needs a hundred or two MiG fighters to provide cover."

"If that's really the case, our 27th Army can just pack up and go back home!"

Li Yunlong said.

"Old Li, I think we should wait three more days."

"Three days later, the 7th Steel Regiment probably clashed with the US 5th Division, which bought them some time."

"When Wu Wanli sees the casualty rate in the regiment, he probably won't be so stubborn anymore."

Zhao Gang thought for a moment and then said.

"It's hard to say for sure. After all, the combat strength of the Seventh Steel Regiment and Wu Wanli's military tactics cannot be predicted by common sense."

"I think the US Fifth Division will not only not gain any advantage in the early stages, but may even break its teeth."

Kong Jie shook his head.

"Wouldn't that be even better?"

"However, Lao Li, regardless of whether the Seventh Steel Regiment is in a critical situation or has achieved a great victory, we must take care of Tiande Peak before sending troops."

Zhao Gang reminded him.

"Don't worry, Lao Zhao, I won't forget the mission assigned by my superiors, but I also won't abandon any of my brothers."

"The monk is gone, and Wu Wanli must not get into trouble too!"

"It's only three days, let's hold out for another three days. I believe the Seventh Steel Regiment can hold out for these three days!"

"Three days from now, Lao Zhao, you will take over command from me. I will personally lead the troops to the rescue, and no one is allowed to stop me!"

Li Yunlong took a deep breath and made up his mind.

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

ambush position in Hongyun Canyon

"That Park Jung-hee, it seems he's changed allegiances quite a few times, hasn't he?"

"Enough with the nonsense, let Lei Zhen, who is in charge of guarding Lizhou, take him and his troops under control."

Wu Wanli did not hesitate, but decisively waved his hand and said.

"Commander, Park Jung-hee is, after all, a member of the New Eighth Army, and he even helped us capture Yeoju."

"We don't have much evidence, so wouldn't it be bad to take them down directly?"

Liu Hanqing said.

"Yes, Commander, of course we all trust you, but taking it directly is ultimately a bit..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong scratched his head and said.

"Isn't the evidence simple enough?"

"When the American devils are at the city gates, just arrange for people to pretend to be Park Jung-hee's soldiers and open the city gates."

"Remember, lay landmines outside the city gate, set up machine guns and mortars on the city tower, and the air force should be ready to take off at any time."

"As soon as the American devils arrive, give them a good beating!"

"With air superiority and firepower, and having made advance preparations, the US military has no chance of succeeding!"

Wu Wanli snorted coldly and said.

"Alright, I'll have someone send a telegram to Comrade Lei Zhen, who is stationed in Lizhou, so he can make preparations as soon as possible!"

Seeing Wu Wanli's resolute attitude, Liu Hanqing nodded in agreement.

"Report to the leader!"

"Commander Quan Douguang from Baiyuan Canyon is calling!"

"They have already engaged in combat with U.S. armored forces and are now in a superior position."

"But the US military used its firepower to launch a counterattack on the spot, and Quan Douguang's commander couldn't take them down in a short time."

Gao Daxing rushed over and handed a telegram to Wu Wanli.

"It's already quite good that we were able to gain the upper hand. If it weren't for the canyon terrain and the surprise ambush, I estimate that Quan Douguang's troops might not have been able to defeat these few thousand American armored troops."

"He sent a message to tell him not to rush into battle, but to wait out the trapped American troops in the canyon."

"If any American soldiers escape, do not pursue them. Their combat capabilities are not yet sufficient to take the risk, lest we expose our weakness."

Wu Wanli glanced at the map of Hearts of Steel in his mind and immediately gave a reminder.

The map displayed information about both sides in the firefight.

Quan Douguang's troops are equipped with the "Well-trained" (Combat Power +25%).

Meanwhile, the US armored forces carry the "Experienced" rating (combat effectiveness +50%).
Meanwhile, the main force of the US Fifth Division was approaching Red Cloud Canyon and was also detected by Wu Wanli's Sky Eye Map.

The main force of the US 5th Division [Highly Experienced] (Combat Strength +50%)
China Steel 7th Regiment [Veteran Battle-hardened] (Combat Power +75%)...

In addition, there are some other additives that are transformed into...

"Reporting, Commander! According to reconnaissance, the main force of the US 5th Division is almost here!"

At this moment, Pinghe came over and reported.

"Well done!"

"Tell the comrades to let them into the ambush zone first."

"Once I fire the signal flare, fight me hard!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli immediately spoke with boundless pride.

(End of this chapter)