Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 221 The Final Battle Begins! (Seeking 10,000 votes daily)
Provisional Command Post of the 80th Division of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army
"The final assault is being launched three hours earlier?"

"This Wu Wanli, a regimental commander, is giving me orders like that."

"This suddenly reminded me of the time when I was demoted to battalion commander, and Deputy Regiment Commander Xing immediately agreed to my request."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

Upon seeing the telegram, Zhang Dabiao immediately burst into hearty laughter.

“Commander, Comrade Wu Wanli is different.”

"Although in terms of military power, he can only directly control the Seventh Steel Regiment."

Upon hearing Wu Wanli's name, Tan Zi immediately defended him.

During the Battle of Shuimen Bridge, it was Wu Wanli who roared that he would never abandon or give up, and he managed to pull him out of a pile of corpses.

Although he is now a deputy division commander, he has never forgotten this kindness.

"Look, I was just joking."

"I said a few words about that kid Wu Wanli at the military headquarters, and I got scolded by Commander Li Yunlong."

"Now, if I make a joke at the division headquarters, I'll get corrected by Deputy Division Commander Tan."

“I even visited a company commander who had suffered a head injury, and he didn’t remember me as his division commander.”

"However, he remembered when he was a lowly soldier, he had charged into battle alongside Wu Wanli."

"Sometimes I think, Wu Wanli's life as a regimental commander is really more comfortable than mine as a division commander."

Zhang Dabiao sighed with a hint of envy.

"Being a regimental commander isn't easy..."

"According to intelligence, the US 5th Division did not rush into a fight, but instead entrenched itself in the Muyunli area, waiting for us to arrive."

"It is obvious that they want to attack us from both sides with the 1st Cavalry Division, and besiege our stronghold to catch our reinforcements."

"Given this pressure, we also need to hurry up, not to mention Comrade Wu Wanli said we should launch the general offensive ahead of schedule."

Tan Ziwei looked at the battle map and said.

"Eh……"

"To be honest, it's fine to be faster, but the attack on the first regiment is too fast."

"When Wu Qianli learned that the general offensive was to be brought forward, he made a pledge to me, saying that we would take Yang Village, south of Muyunli, in half a day."

"I originally wanted to suggest waiting a bit longer, and that we could fight after the main force of the 80th Division arrived, but Comrade Wu Qianli was very determined, so I had no choice but to agree."

"Isn't that your old comrade-in-arms?"

"When you were the company commander of the 7th Infiltration Company, Wu Qianli was one of your soldiers, right?"

"You can try to persuade them, but you can't rush things."

Zhang Dabiao looked at the battle map and said with a mix of roughness and meticulousness.

When he was a battalion commander, all he had to do was charge forward and obey Li Yunlong's orders.

But now he carries the heavy responsibility of more than 10,000 volunteer soldiers on his shoulders, and his combat style is bold yet cautious.

For example, when it came to encircling and annihilating the US Fifth Division, he was the first to volunteer for the mission.

However, he stayed up late discussing the specific tactics with the staff, resulting in dark circles under his eyes.

"Should I advise against it?"

"Don't even mention me, even Commander Li Yunlong's persuasion was useless."

"In our view, Wu Wanli is a general who can stand alone."

"But to Wu Qianli, he was still his brother, a blood brother by blood!"

"He's already taken Wu Baili's ashes back once, what if he comes back again..."

"How can he face his elderly parents?"

Tan Ziwei sighed and said understandingly.

"That's true."

"In the Battle of Cangyunling, Commander Li Yunlong finally broke through the encirclement of the Sakata Regiment."

"When they found out I hadn't come out yet, they actually rushed back to save me."

“From then on, I will not obstruct orders as long as someone is willing to risk their life to rescue their comrades, but will give them my full support, including Wu Qianli this time.”

"But their regiment only had more than three thousand rifles, a dozen light and heavy machine guns, plus eight mortars."

"But Yang Village, south of Muyunli, has a reinforced infantry company and a reinforced mortar company of the US Army."

"We might be able to take it by fighting desperately, but the casualties will be huge, and we might even be outflanked by the US 5th Division's armored battalion."

Zhang Dabiao thought for a moment and then said.

"Hopefully they can finish this quickly and take Yangcun, the 5th Division's outpost and bridgehead, as dragging it out will definitely cause trouble..."

Tan Ziwei nodded, looked in the direction of Yang Village, and sighed.

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

South of Muyunli, Yangcun
At this moment, it was a scene of continuous artillery fire and a hail of bullets.

Countless volunteers launched fierce attacks from the east, south, and west, with waves of charges advancing in skirmish formations.

However, with the support of dozens of light and heavy machine guns from the US military, any skirmisher formation seemed to become a joke.

One by one, soldiers fell on the way of the charge and never rose again.

At this time, they were young, in the prime of their lives!

At that moment, their lives were frozen in time...

"His grandma's!"

"We need to take out these machine guns first!"

"Zhang Taofang!!"

Wu Qianli lay down on the ground and shouted loudly to his right.

"Yes!"

Zhang Taofang stopped charging, took cover behind a bunker, quickly rubbed his hands to warm them, and once his hands felt better, he peeked out and fired rapidly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang..."

As the sniper rifle fired, he knocked down one American machine gun after another, and the suppressive fire instantly subsided.

At that moment, his index finger was frozen purple in minus twenty degrees Celsius, but the steel bolt of the Mosin-Nagant was so hot that it could melt the frost covering it.

Four hundred meters away in the circular fortifications, the second machine gunner pushed aside the body of the American soldier who had been sniped, and just as he grabbed the handle again, Zhang Taofang's pupils shrank to pinpoints.

He listened to his own heartbeat, gradually overpowering the roar of the gunfire, and calculated the effects of breathing and wind speed between two beats before suddenly pulling the trigger.

"boom!"

The bullet pierced through the gaps in three layers of sandbags, pinning the American machine gunner's jawbone, along with his M1 helmet strap, into the wall.

Before the assistant gunner could even touch the ammunition box, the second bullet had already blown open his skull, his brains instantly freezing into pink ice crystals in the sub-zero temperatures.

At the same time, the sharpshooters under Zhang Taofang's command also joined forces.

They were all handpicked sharpshooters, and in no time they had silenced half of the American machine guns.

"Sound the charge!"

"Machine gun cover, fire until you run out of bullets, don't be afraid!"

"This is it! Follow me and charge!"

After giving the order, Wu Qianli immediately picked up his submachine gun, stood up, and charged to the front with a roar.

"Drip drip drip drip drip drip drip————"

At the same time, the unique bugle call of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army sounded.

In an instant, the soldiers of the assault regiment stood up and charged toward the defensive positions of Yangcun.

…………

After suffering more than two hundred casualties, the vanguard of the assault regiment finally stormed into Yangcun.

However, at this moment, the well-prepared US mortar group, guided by the observation post, turned its guns around, preparing to use shells to push back the assault group.

"Artillery position located, fire!"

Wu Qianli dropped the binoculars and shouted back.

In an instant, a volunteer soldier raised a command flag, waved it a few times, and immediately reported the exact location to the rear.

But the waving command flag also attracted the attention of the American troops. Just as he was about to retreat into his bunker, a mortar shell came flying at him.

"boom!"

The red command flag was swept into the sky by the blast wave. The soldier felt a sharp pain for only a second before collapsing heavily to the ground.

"call out----"

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

The long-hidden mortars of the assault regiment suddenly unleashed their power, raining shells down on the US artillery positions.

These mortars have been kept here all along, just for this moment.

As the battle has progressed, the US military has also deployed its last reserves to try and slow down the Chinese army's advance into the center.

However, without external intervention, it was only a matter of time before it was captured.

……

Yang Village Center, U.S. Army Command
"Sir, the Chinese army has many sharpshooters who managed to overcome the firepower gap and storm into Yangcun."

"Not only that, our mortar positions were attacked by the Chinese army."

"Although we immediately retaliated and destroyed their mortars, we only had seven or eight mortars left to survive, and we were no longer able to suppress the Chinese army."

"If things continue like this, it's only a matter of time before Yangcun falls."

"A U.S. Army captain said."

"Urgent telegram to General Edward: Chinese fighter jets have been delayed, so the original plan to annihilate their air force can be abandoned."

"I need support from armored forces and the air force, otherwise Yangcun will definitely not be able to hold out!"

The U.S. Army major held up his binoculars, observed for a while, and then said.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the U.S. Army captain quickly agreed.

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

In the twilight, the headquarters of the 5th Infantry Division.
"Sir, the fighter jets that Ridgway urgently dispatched for us have just arrived in Lichuan, and now three hundred fighter jets are ready to support us."

"However, the expected Chinese fighter jets did not appear, and the Chinese 7th Steel Regiment remained in Hongyun Canyon to continue their desperate defense."

"They have no intention of launching a fierce attack down the mountain to relieve the pressure on the assault regiment."

"That's what the US Fifth Division Chief of Staff said."

"Strange, I remember the intelligence said that Wu Qianli, the commander of the Chinese First Assault Regiment, is the older brother of Wu Wanli, the commander of the Steel Seventh Regiment."

"He's not in a hurry at all...?"

Major General Edward frowned, clearly somewhat unwilling.

He also planned to wait for the Chinese fighter jets to arrive first, then he would send more air force units to sweep in at the precise time for a decisive air battle.

The first air force fighters to arrive had consumed a large portion of their fuel and ammunition, and half of them would be at a disadvantage.

Moreover, three hundred fighter jets would certainly give the Chinese Air Force a numerical advantage.

If the plan succeeds, it will completely destroy the Chinese Air Force, seize air superiority, and guarantee absolute daytime advantage and the safety of armored forces.

Moreover, he had also arranged a battalion of ambush troops at the foot of Hongyun Gorge, just waiting for Wu Wanli to lead his army headlong into the firepower net.

“Sir, we can’t hesitate any longer.”

"Logically speaking, we should at least station a main force battalion to guard a strategic location like Yangcun."

"That infantry company and that small mortar defense force have held out long enough as bait."

"If we don't provide support soon, our southern defenses will surely fall."

Seeing Edward's hesitation, the chief of staff of the 5th Division quickly reminded him.

"you're right."

"Pass on my order: the Air Force shall immediately launch an attack on the follow-up troops of the Chinese 1st Assault Regiment!"

"Use the village entrance as a line to blast out a no-man's land and cut their troops in two!"

"The armored battalion will outflank the Chinese assault regiment and completely overwhelm them!"

"in addition……"

"I'm closely monitoring the movements of the Seventh Steel Regiment. I always feel it's strange that they're holding back."

Major General Edward frowned as he looked in the direction of Red Cloud Canyon.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the Chief of Staff of the 5th Division of the United States immediately spoke.

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

Red Cloud Canyon, 7th Steel Regiment Command Post

"Wanli, Comrade Wu Qianli led the assault regiment in a fierce attack on Yangcun, and the situation is actually very dangerous."

"It would be risky for us to attack and contain them with our own strength, but it's not a problem to call in air support."

"The bosses gritted their teeth and squeezed in a few more from the back. Lizhou Airport still has about two hundred fighter jets, ready to take off and provide support at any time."

Liu Hanqing said.

"That's right, Commander!"

"We don't need to help for long. Let the Air Force help the First Assault Regiment withstand the first round of counter-offensive by the US military and completely take Yangcun."

"By then, the 80th Division and the New Eighth Army should have arrived, and the southern barrier of the US Fifth Division would have been lost."

Yu Congrong thought for a moment and then said.

"We have an air force, don't those American devils have one too?"

"The Air Force has limited payload and fuel capacity; whoever goes out first will be at a disadvantage."

"Moreover, what posed a fatal threat to the First Assault Regiment was not the American troops in Yangcun, nor the air force, but their armored battalion."

"Considering the tanks and armored vehicles they lost before, this armored battalion is probably their last remaining assault force."

Wu Wanli said.

"Commander, are you going to take out the US 5th Division's armored battalion ahead of schedule?"

Pinghe noticed Wu Wanli's thoughts and asked.

"That's right!"

"The most important thing in an encirclement and annihilation campaign is to first destroy their breakout forces, so that they can be starved to death."

"At the same time, after wiping out the armored forces of the US 5th Division, their ability to attack fortified positions will be greatly reduced, and the 1st Assault Regiment can be considered to have been saved, killing two birds with one stone."

Wu Wanli said.

"But their air force and armored units will definitely be deployed together, and we also need to consider the capacity of the assault regiment to withstand the attack."

"It's too difficult for us to time it perfectly."

Gao Daxing sighed and said.

"Twenty-seven minutes later, all the Air Force fighter jets took off and headed towards Yangcun."

Wu Wanli glanced at the map of the Iron Heart Sky Eye, then at his watch, and gave the order without changing his expression.

According to the SkyNet map, the US Air Force formation from Lichuan is already flying towards Yangcun, with the estimated arrival and departure times marked next to it.

At the Yangcun battlefield, the flanking maneuver of the US armored battalion was clearly visible.

The text also indicates that the First Assault Regiment is at a disadvantage, and the estimated end time of the battle.

With these factors in mind, Wu Wanli was able to calculate the optimal time for the air force to launch its attack.

"Twenty-seven minutes?"

"Isn't this taking too long..."

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong asked with some concern.

"Our air force has not enough fighter jets, so we can't act recklessly. We can only wait for the US military to run out of fuel and ammunition before they are ready to return to base."

"This is already the earliest we could get air support. Any earlier and we would have lost our air force as well."

Wu Wanli sighed and said.

Seeing Wu Wanli's serious expression and considering his keen grasp of the battle situation, no one raised any objections.

"Commander, should we continue our attack to tie down the American forces...?"

Yu Congrong thought for a moment and then asked.

"That would be too risky. If the US military had set up an ambush, we could very well be wiped out."

Upon hearing this, Pinghe immediately offered advice.

"beat!"

"Why can't we fight anymore?"

"There are many places to ambush in Hongyun Canyon, but the best ambush positions are limited."

"Lei Gong, launch a full-scale artillery barrage based on the positions I've marked!"

"Firepower battalion and reconnaissance battalion, get ready! Once the artillery fire stops, immediately split up and head towards these two locations!"

"Anyone who dares to ambush our Seventh Steel Regiment will pay the price."

Wu Wanli compared the Iron Heart Sky Eye map in his mind, drew on it for a while, and then smiled confidently.

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

Behind the rocky slopes on both sides of the mountain pass at the foot of Red Cloud Canyon, soldiers of the US ambush battalion were huddled in makeshift snow trenches.

The frigid temperature of minus twenty degrees Celsius caused the surface of the M1 helmet to be covered with frost, and breath condensed into ice crystals on the wool scarf.

Major General Edward had deployed a battalion of troops in the ambush, consisting of infantry, heavy machine gun crews, and 75mm mountain guns.

They had been lying in wait for seven hours, ready to launch a fatal flanking attack when the 7th Steel Regiment broke out of the canyon.

"Sir, I want to go back to sleep. This place is no human being."

"Bearing 31-17, elevation 42, all battalions, rapid fire—fire!"

The thunderous roar pierced the cold wind as the twelve 82mm mortars and six captured American-made M1 75mm howitzers of the 7th Steel Regiment roared simultaneously.

Before the whistling sound of the first volley of shells tearing through the air had even faded, two concealed US M4 Sherman tanks on the east side of the ambush area had their fuel tanks pierced by armor-piercing shells.

The flames from the fuel-fuel mixture melting snow engulfed more than thirty soldiers in the vicinity.

Just as U.S. Army Major Howard raised his binoculars, a high-explosive shell struck a crevice in the rock not far from him.

The shockwave hurled the three bodies five meters into the air, their frozen limbs crashing into the snowdrift like broken wood.

The machine gun positions on the west side were covered with incendiary bombs, and napalm stuck to sandbags and human bodies and burned fiercely.

The ammunition boxes of more than twenty M1919 heavy machine guns exploded one after another, and fireballs carrying gears and bone fragments swept across the entire defensive line.

"What?!"

"Why were we bombarded, and with such precision!"

Howard shook off the dust and roared, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He accepted it as long as there were scouts calibrating the missiles or fighter jets flying by and seeing him.

But what the hell is this?!

God's cannon fire?!
"Counterattack! Mountain guns, give them a counterattack!"

Howard had no time to think about the reason and, in keeping with his officer's quick thinking, shouted.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

Before he could react, a second round of shelling followed.

Based on the coordinates marked by Wu Wanli, Lei Gong concentrated his firepower on the American mountain artillery positions.

A row of howitzers adjusted their firing angles, and high-explosive shells crashed into the concealed fortifications behind the rock wall like meteors.

The moment the American artillerymen touched the shell, a violent explosion ripped off the entire bunker.

The barrel of a mountain gun was blown into a twisted pretzel, and three American loaders were thrown into the air by the blast wave, their blood instantly freezing into scarlet icicles.

"Third wave of incendiary bombs!"

"It's time to eat!"

Thunder roared and waved his command flag, sending thick smoke billowing from the artillery positions. Countless white phosphorus incendiary bombs traced arcs, precisely covering the snow trenches where the American reserves were hiding.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

A deafening explosion rang out, and fiery clouds instantly bloomed over the densely packed American troops.

Screams suddenly erupted as hundreds of American soldiers rolled in the snow like human torches.

Melted snow mixed with charred flesh and blood, steaming up pungent white smoke.

Major Howard's guard got a spark on his right arm, and he frantically grabbed a snowflake and rubbed it against his arm, only to see the skin peel off layer by layer like wax.

"Drip drip drip drip drip drip—"

Just as the artillery fire ended, the bugle call, a unique feature of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, sounded.

"Comrades, the time has come for the Party and the people to test us. Charge with me!"

Wu Wanli, carrying a submachine gun, roared as he charged downwards.

Behind him, the most elite guard company followed closely, charging straight down from the front.

Yu Congrong and Ping He led an additional battalion, launching a pincer attack to outflank the American forces on both sides.

US troops ambushed and concealed

"Fuck!"

"Shouldn't we be the ones lying in ambush on them?"

"Why do I feel like we've been ambushed!"

"Telegram to General Edward: We have been ambushed by Chinese troops and need air support. Hurry!"

"Otherwise, our entire battalion will be wiped out, completely wiped out!"

Major Howard lay down on the ground and shouted.

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

In the twilight, the headquarters of the 5th Infantry Division.
"Sir, the provisional battalion in Red Cloud Canyon is calling!"

"They were ambushed by the Chinese army and suffered heavy losses under artillery fire. They are now desperately holding off the Chinese army's offensive."

"They are urgently requesting our help!"

"Without air support, the entire force would probably have been wiped out..."

The chief of staff of the 5th Division handed the telegram to Major General Edward and said anxiously.

"What did you say?"

"My ambush force, which I prepared for so long and waited in hiding for hours, was ambushed by the 7th Steel Regiment?!"

Upon hearing this, Major General Edward was slightly taken aback; he never expected this outcome.

"Yes."

"Perhaps the Chinese army was lucky, or perhaps there was a Chinese spy in our army."

"In short, we have already lost enough troops."

"If we add another battalion, I'm afraid we won't even have enough troops to spare for the upcoming battles."

The chief of staff of the 5th Division sighed and said.

"Damn it, what are the odds of being that lucky?"

"If I catch that traitor, I will tear him to pieces!"

"Send the air force to Red Cloud Canyon to cover our troops' retreat!"

Major General Edward cursed a couple of times and then quickly gave the order.

"Sir, but isn't the Air Force still going to bomb the Chinese troops in Yangcun?"

"The Seventh Steel Regiment of China is launching an attack now, probably to relieve the pressure on the First Assault Regiment."

"If we really transfer them directly, wouldn't that be giving them what they want?"

"However, our air force is actually overflowing and can be divided into two forces."

"How about we head to the location of the 7th Steel Regiment on one side, and bombard the 1st Assault Regiment on the other?

The chief of staff of the 5th Division pointed to Yangcun on the battle map and said.

"Divided into two streams?"

"no!"

"Back then, the US 25th Division was given an opportunity by the Chinese Air Force because the Air Force split up its forces."

"I feel uneasy that the Chinese Air Force has not yet appeared."

"The defeat of the infantry on both sides can still be salvaged, but if the air force that General Ridgway managed to squeeze out is also lost, then it's all over!"

Upon hearing this, Major General Edward immediately shook his head and rejected the plan.

"Sir, since splitting up the forces won't work, we can't just abandon one side, can we?"

"Yangcun, the southern barrier, is a strategic location for the upcoming major battle and cannot be abandoned casually."

"Once the 7th Steel Regiment in the north has annihilated that battalion, it is entirely possible that they will press their advantage and continue to threaten one of our ammunition depots not far away."

"We have suffered too many heavy losses in our previous defeats, and we cannot afford to squander our strength like this any longer."

"After all, the morale of the 5th Division soldiers was also an important factor in holding the line."

The chief of staff of the 5th Division of the United States organized his thoughts and sighed.

He subtly touched upon Major General Edward's previous refusal to come to the rescue by emphasizing the importance of morale.

But that was one thing; the armored battalion that was wiped out earlier was far away, and no one knew the specific reason for its annihilation.

But if we leave the newly formed battalion to its doom, the morale of the US Fifth Division will absolutely plummet.

"What if I send a battalion to rescue them?"

"Or, while the Chinese 7th Steel Regiment and the newly formed battalion are locked in fierce fighting, why don't we launch a full-scale attack and take over Red Cloud Canyon right now?"

Major General Edward stroked his chin and said.

“Sir, if you are confident and certain that you can take care of the Seventh Steel Regiment in a short time, then there is no problem.”

"By eliminating them, we can clear a retreat route to Lizhou and reunite with the cavalry."

"But if we cannot win quickly and get bogged down, the Chinese 80th Division and the New Eighth Army will come to our aid again."

"Then we don't need to fight this battle. We can surrender or break out."

The chief of staff of the 5th Division rubbed his temples and said with a headache.

He had worked with Major General Edward for so long that he knew him quite well.

Edward wasn't unaware of these things; he was simply greedy.

Once greed takes hold, it's easy to become indecisive and want everything.

"I've come up with a solution that satisfies both sides."

"Let the air force squadron bomb first, and at the same time keep a close eye on the situation in Red Cloud Canyon."

"After bombing Yangcun several times, the newly formed battalion should be nearing its defensive limit."

"At this time, the air force can rush straight to Red Cloud Canyon to rescue them and also eliminate some of the Steel Seventh Regiment's manpower."

Major General Edward thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Sir, our air force has limited fuel and ammunition. Once the Chinese air force..."

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff of the 5th Division of the United States suddenly thought of this problem and quickly continued to remind him.

"War is never truly perfect, and besides, what are the chances of such a coincidence?"

"Pass on the order, the glory of victory will surely belong to the 5th Division of the United States."

Major General Edward waved his hand impatiently and said firmly.

"Yes, sir!"

The chief of staff of the 5th Division felt a pang of frustration, but could only reluctantly agree.

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

On the other side, Yangcun
"Commander, something's wrong!"

"These American devils were just desperately suppressing us with firepower, how come they've all suddenly retreated!"

As Mei Sheng watched the rapidly retreating American troops in the distance, a sense of foreboding welled up within him.

"Just keep fighting, ignore them..."

Wu Qianli had only spoken halfway when he suddenly heard a sound coming from afar.

"Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz—"

Suddenly, a burst of intense engine roar came, and a large number of P-51 Mustang fighters flew in like a swarm of locusts.

Inside Flying Tiger One
"Execute General Edward's orders!"

"Using the village entrance as a line, blow up the Chinese army's formation in half, over!"

"Using the village entrance as a line, blow up the Chinese army's formation in half, over!"

U.S. Army Captain Wilson gave the order over the radio.

"Roger that!"

"Roger that!"

"..."

Soon, the American pilots responded and pulled on the control stick to begin descending the altitude.

At the same time, they were also using radio to receive coordinate calibrations from ground observation posts.

"Spread out! Get under cover!"

Wu Qianli roared loudly in a hoarse voice.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the First Assault Regiment immediately broke up into smaller groups and scattered in all directions.
Zhang Taofang led the sharpshooter battalion into the half-collapsed houses, setting up machine guns and rifles in the gaps in the broken walls.

"We can't handle that number of fighter jets, get out of the way!"

Upon seeing this, Wu Qianli quickly called out.

"Commander, there's nowhere to hide in this tiny spot!"

"Let's give it our all, maybe we can get a few and buy some time!"

Zhang Taofang personally picked up a machine gun and shouted.

At that moment, four Mustang fighter jets were diving down at an altitude of fifty meters.

"Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump..."

As the dull thud of large-caliber bullets rang out, the muzzle flashes of the six 12.7mm machine guns on both sides of the wing lit up.

Three soldiers from the assault regiment who didn't have time to lie down were instantly torn into a bloody mist and sacrificed on the spot.

"Move the propeller forward to the first three fuselage positions!"

Zhang Taofang roared.

"Yes!"

The machine guns of the sharpshooter battalion simultaneously raised their muzzles and opened fire.

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

Accompanied by a dense barrage of gunfire, bullets spun in the cold wind, forming a thick web.

The windshield of a Mustang suddenly shattered, cracking into a spiderweb pattern.

"Fuck!"

"The Chinese dare to fight back?!"

The American pilot cursed in panic and instinctively pulled back on the stick to try and dodge.

"Da da da da da da..."

At that moment, Zhang Taofang's second burst of bullets precisely penetrated the right engine of his fighter jet.

In an instant, black smoke and flames engulfed the entire wing!
"boom!"

The crashed fighter jet created a fire crater ten meters in diameter at the entrance of the village.

Inside the Flying Tiger No. 1 fighter jet
"Prioritize striking Chinese air defenses, if that counts!"

U.S. Army Captain Wilson looked down at the fiery serpent below and said with a hint of disdain.

“Buzz buzz buzz buzz——”

Upon receiving the order, the US warplanes dove down again, preparing to eliminate Wu Qianli and his men in one fell swoop.

"Retreat immediately! Retreat immediately!"

"Heading to Red Cloud Canyon, rushing to Fire Cloud Canyon, over!"

At that moment, Wilson's orders rang out on radios in various US military aircraft.

Flying Tiger II fighter jet

"Sir, we were about to blow up all these Chinese soldiers, why are we suddenly retreating?"

Upon hearing this, the Air Force lieutenant colonel shouted in frustration.

Inside the Flying Tiger No. 1 fighter jet
"This is an order!"

"Our allies need support; they're about to be wiped out!"

"The lives of these Chinese people are not as precious as those of our American soldiers!"

"Trade with them? Dream on!"

Wilson’s voice carried a hint of helplessness, but he still tried his best to reassure the pilots with this reason.

Flying Tiger II fighter jet

"But……"

"Sir, we're running low on ammunition and fuel."

"And I remember we also have people in Yangcun. Can they wipe out those Chinese troops?"

Upon hearing the reason, the U.S. Army lieutenant colonel managed to calm down and offered a reminder.

Inside the Flying Tiger II fighter jet

"What's this?"

"Look how badly the Chinese people below have been bombed, and their fighter jets still haven't come."

"I guess they went to carry out other missions. After all, you know, they only have so many fighter jets."

"Alright, enough talk. The remaining armored units are enough to take care of those Chinese. Follow me!"

Wilson said with a hint of pride in his heart.

"Yes, sir!"

The radios of the US warplanes relayed responses of obedience.

They all changed direction and charged towards Red Cloud Canyon.

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

Hongyun Canyon
Wu Wanli raised his rifle and pulled the trigger hard against Major Howard, who had run more than two hundred meters away.

"boom!"

With a gunshot, Major Howard fell into a pool of blood.

After a few more sporadic gunshots, everything fell silent.

"Captain!"

"These American devils are trying to ambush us?"

"We've wiped them all out! Hahahaha..."

Yu Congrong carried the two captured light machine guns and laughed loudly.

"Yu Congrong, get your men to come and help transport these mountain guns back!"

Lei Gong kicked Yu Congrong in the thigh and said.

"No need, let's go back up the mountain immediately!"

"The American devils' warplanes are coming..."

Looking at the Sky Eye map of Iron Heart, Wu Wanli made a decisive decision.

"Quickly, retreat!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing immediately shouted.

"Beep——————"

"Forget about the spoils! Retreat!!!"

As the red dot on the Sky Eye map drew closer, Wu Wanli blew the cormorant whistle given to him by Wu Qianli and gave a loud order.

Soon, the soldiers of the 7th Steel Regiment, obeying orders without question, abandoned their spoils and ran up the mountain as fast as they could.

Besides the strict discipline, another reason is that these American weapons are very common to them, and they have no psychological burden in discarding them.

"Run! Run!"

Wu Wanli led the way, bringing the main force of the 7th Steel Regiment back to their position.

"Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz————"

At that moment, a deafening roar indeed came from the sky.

However, to everyone's surprise, the roar of the fighter jets came from both the north and south sides at the same time.

"Commander, our air force and the US air force have arrived at the same time!"

Pinghe put down his binoculars and said with a hint of surprise.

"Commander, the twenty-seven-minute calculation is so precise!!"

Yu Congrong stared wide-eyed at Wu Wanli, his expression now showing a hint of fear.

"What are you babbling about here?!"

"Do I need your praise for my judgment?"

"Open the anti-aircraft guns and bombard them!"

Wu Wanli laughed in anger, pointed at the American warplanes, and cursed loudly.

"Yes!"

"You idiots, turn your anti-aircraft guns around and help our air force shoot down the first wave of American warplanes!"

Lei Gong commanded all the soldiers in the artillery battalion to mount the anti-aircraft guns, pointing the cannons directly at the American warplanes.

“Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump………………”

In an instant, large-caliber bullets formed a massive fire net, enveloping the US fighter jet group.

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

Yu Congrong and others also picked up heavy machine guns and fired them into the sky, which made up for some of the anti-aircraft firepower.

However, after a large volley of bullets was fired, only one US warplane was unlucky enough to be hit and crash; the rest were unharmed.

Inside Flying Tiger No. 129
"Sir, their anti-aircraft firepower is nothing special!"

"We should just focus on dealing with the Chinese Air Force!"

"A young U.S. Army pilot said proudly."

Inside the Flying Tiger No. 1 fighter jet
"damn it!"

"Look how much fuel and bombs you have left!"

"Their anti-aircraft fire got us bogged down, costing us our last chance to escape, you idiots!"

Wilson looked at the MiG fighters that had just joined the battle in the distance, and a sense of despair rose in his heart. He shouted.

the other side

Inside the Wanli-1 MiG fighter jet
"Comrades, in this battle, Commander Wu has practically fed us!"

"Who the hell didn't shoot down a fighter jet? Go back and make him do a week's worth of cleaning!"

"Come at me!"

Captain Wang Wei was thrilled by this perfect moment. He pulled the control stick and swooped down towards the American fighter jet.

The remaining MiG fighter pilots, their blood boiling, pulled on the control sticks, determined to make a name for themselves, and launched a massive attack!

(End of this chapter)