Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 235 The Battle of Chipyong-ni Begins!
志司
"Boss, why do we always end up having Comrade Wu Wanli take the lead in battles?"

"He's so young, he shouldn't always be on the verge of dying..."

Commander Chen looked at the battle report sent from the front lines and sighed.

"why?"

"Look at what the telegram says, the enemy's rear is right next to the front line of the 7th Steel Regiment!"

"The 7th Steel Regiment is willing to sacrifice its own heavy casualties to achieve minimal casualties for the entire army..."

"If they want to be safe, they can go back to the rear to rest after rescuing the garrison in Lizhou!"

"Chipyeong-ni was originally intended to be captured by the 40th Army, but Wan-ri put himself on the front line again for the sake of the entire army!"

"Take a look at the casualty figures for the 38th and 50th Armies."

The CEO looked at the strategic map and sighed.

"This……"

"In terms of numbers, the two armies emptied out three divisions in total!"

"The situation is so dire that we simply cannot hold out for much longer."

Looking at the shocking casualty figures in the battle report, Commander Chen felt a pang of heartache and said with a hint of heartache.

As a general who had fought his way through the flames of the War of Resistance against Japan and then into the Korean War, he understood all too well what this meant.

The personification is equivalent to him leading Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei to defend the position.

The fighting raged until Li Yunlong was shot and killed, Kong Jie was blown to pieces by a shell, and Ding Wei was seriously injured and broke his leg.

Every soldier has his comrades-in-arms with whom he spends every day, and this is how tragic it is in their eyes.

"It would be easy for the 7th Steel Regiment to withdraw, or they could wait for the 40th Army to encircle them if they wanted to fight normally."

“But if we want to take Chipyong-ni as soon as possible and save the comrades of the 38th and 50th Armies, then this is the only way.”

"It could even lure away the last UN reserve force on the western front."

The boss looked at the strategic map and said.

"The last reserve force...you mean the British 27th Brigade?"

Chief Chen looked at the map and finally realized what was going on.

"Yes."

"The Turkish brigade could actually be mobilized, but its combat effectiveness was low, and it was too far away, so only the British 27th Brigade was left."

"If it weren't for Wanli's risky move, the British 27th Brigade would likely have joined the attack on the 27th Army."

"The combat strength of the enemy and our forces near Eagle's Nest was basically balanced, resulting in a stalemate."

"Once the British 27th Brigade joins, the UN forces will have the upper hand."

The boss pointed to the map and said.

“If I were Ridgway, I would have gone to fight the 80th Division and the New Eighth Army next door in this situation.”

"If Li Yunlong's main force of the 27th Army goes down the mountain to provide relief, it will lose its advantageous terrain and fall into the ambush that was set up in advance."

“If they don’t come to the rescue, then I will launch a fierce attack on the 80th Division and the New Eighth Army.”

"We don't even need to annihilate them; we just need to repel or cripple them."

"Once we've dealt with our rear concerns, we can launch a fierce attack on Li Yunlong's remaining troops at Wangying Ridge."

Chief Chen adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and said.

"You're right."

"The heavy burden is on the shoulders of the Seventh Steel Regiment, and I feel sorry for them too."

"But they are the only ones who can do it."

"The merits of the 7th Steel Regiment should be publicized to the entire army for commendation, so that they can see how a real heroic unit fights."

"In addition, a telegram was sent urging the 40th Army to break through the blocking force of the US 2nd Division as soon as possible and accelerate the support to Chipyong-ni."

"In large-scale operations, military discipline must be strict!"

“Since he has given the order, he must arrive on time.”

"If we arrive late and the 7th Steel Regiment is wiped out, I will hold those responsible accountable to the end. First and foremost, their commander will not escape responsibility!"

The boss slammed his hand on the table and said...

"I believe that the 40th Army's combat effectiveness and speed should be able to arrive on time!"

"But I also hope they can be faster, so that more of the good seeds from the Seventh Steel Regiment can be saved."

"Especially Wanli and Hanqing, they can't be sacrificed..."

Chief Chen's heart skipped a beat as he looked in the direction of Chipyong-ri and spoke.

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

French Command Post in Chipyong-ni

"General, we have launched several attacks on the Chinese troops on the periphery, but we have been driven back every time and have not gained any advantage."

"Moreover, our forces are limited, totaling only a little over a thousand people. Each time we can only send out a commando team of up to three hundred people, which is hardly enough to achieve anything."

Major Theo said.

"You bastards, you're all cowards!"

"Look at this battle report! The Chinese army commander, deputy army commander, and political commissar all charged into battle together and captured the 1st Cavalry Division's command post in one fell swoop!"

"Although this general named Li Yunlong is Chinese, I greatly admire his fighting style."

"To fight a war, one must have the courage to advance without hesitation!"

"We are all proud French soldiers. Have we forgotten the glory of the Napoleonic era?"

"The French army repeatedly defeated the anti-French coalition forces and achieved victories!"

"Back then, we could fight against all of Europe and be invincible."

"Now, is it really possible that we can't defeat a weak and impoverished China?"

Lieutenant General Ralph adjusted his sunglasses and said with a hint of excitement.

He was one of the few hawkish generals in the French military.

He longed for the glory days of France and was even willing to give his life for them.

"General, including the US 5th Division, the Chinese army has annihilated three US divisions!"

"Their fighting power should not be underestimated, especially the Chinese 7th Steel Regiment that we are facing now."

Major Theo reminded him.

"I know."

"But if we want to hold Chipyong-ni, we must get Freeman's 1st Brigade in before the Chinese 40th Army arrives."

“I have drawn up a battle plan. Send it to Freeman now.”

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war, and I hope it can be carried out in a few hours."

Ralph handed over a document and said.

"A few hours later?"

“General Ralph, we can actually slow down the pace of the attack and wait for the British 27th Brigade to arrive.”

"General Ridgway has already sent a telegram and is probably on his way at top speed."

Major Theo said.

"Quickly?"

"Theo, how long will it take you to remember that you have to take control of your own destiny?"

"Didn't we French really win World War I? We won against the Germans. How much did the British contribute?"

"Moreover, some people always say that our position in the United Nations is undeserved, and that we are a great power that has surrendered!"

There's even a claim that the French flag is a white flag!!!

"This is really unreasonable!"

"Let me use the Battle of Chipyong-ni to wash away France's shame!"

"This 7th Steel Regiment once blitzed Seoul and annihilated a large number of American troops. It is enough to serve as a stepping stone to restore the honor of the French army!"

A flash of resentment crossed Ralph's eyes as he spoke.

He didn't understand why so many people disgraced their own country.

But he knew that dignity and honor were earned through blood and gunfire!
"General, I think we should discuss this with Freeman first, rather than reporting it so urgently..."

Major Theo said.

“I am a lieutenant general and he is a colonel. I have already given him enough face.”

"Just send it like this."

"Tell the men that we will restore the glory of Europe's premier army!"

"In this battle, I will lead the charge!"

"I want to show them that it's not just China that has fearless generals; France has them too!"

Ralph tied the red ribbon around his head and said resolutely.

"Yes!"

Major Theo, seeing that Ralph was prepared to risk his life, had no choice but to agree.

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

US 1st Brigade Command
“Sir, isn’t this French battalion commander a bit too arrogant?” “The telegram he sent us doesn’t sound like military advice anymore; it sounds more like a polite order.”

The chief of staff of the US 1st Brigade handed the French telegram to Freeman and said with slight dissatisfaction.

"No!"

"In my opinion, this Lieutenant General Ralph is much more useful than Edward and the others before him."

"The US Fifth Division was defeated, and Edward chose to surrender."

"But if they break into Chipyong-ri, I'm sure this French general will choose to bleed to the last drop."

"Moreover, we really should speed up our offensive."

"Leaving aside the previous raid on the Third Institute, the speed at which the Seventh Steel Regiment raided Lizhou was something we could never have predicted."

"The small blocking force detached from the US 2nd Division cannot hold out for long."

"By the time the British 27th Brigade arrives, the Chinese 40th Army should be arriving soon as well."

Freeman looked at the battle plan and said with a smile.

"So you're planning to go ahead with this plan?"

"Suppress and bombard from the north, east, and west, and launch a feint attack with a small number of troops, and finally launch a general offensive from the south."

"The chief of staff of the US First Brigade asked."

"This is an imitation of the Chinese game of 'Three Kingdoms with One Missing,' but with some improvements."

"Originally, the attack was planned from three sides, but one side was used to allow the defenders to escape."

"But now we are attacking the area that is lacking, and we might just catch the Chinese off guard."

Freeman looked at the battle map and said.

"The south side is indeed the most open battlefield, and the terrain is relatively flat, but it is a bit far from Chipyong-ri."

After thinking for a moment, Mei Yili said.

"It's good that it's far away; if it's too far, the Chinese army will be on guard."

"With this distance, they will subconsciously sense the situation and have time to react."

"Tell Ralph to launch the attack as planned in three hours!"

"I will send out my most elite battalion as the vanguard!"

Freeman thought for a moment and then spoke.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff of the U.S. First Brigade immediately agreed.

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

Inside the headquarters of the 7th Steel Regiment

"Commander, this is the battle report for the defense of Lizhou."

"In this battle, the line-filling troops lost 7,000 men, and the more than 1,000 soldiers of the 7th Steel Regiment were reduced to only 200."

"Killing two thousand American soldiers is equivalent to wiping out almost half of their regiment."

"In other words, our 1st Brigade on the periphery now has about 8,000 men, or about five battalions of infantry."

"In addition, they also have an artillery battalion and an armored force."

"The French battalion in Chipyong-ri had about a thousand infantrymen, plus an artillery battalion for fire support."

"Our 7th Steel Regiment has more than 4,000 elite troops, including three infantry battalions, one artillery battalion, and a newly added reinforced air defense company."

"The ratio of troop strength between the two sides is roughly one to two."

"According to the latest intelligence, the British 27th Brigade is also moving toward us."

“That brigade also has more than 10,000 people. If they arrive ahead of schedule, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Liu Hanqing said.

"The British 27th Brigade shouldn't be able to arrive as quickly as the 40th Army, right?"

"Although they were in a closer position and were mechanized, unlike the 40th Army which was blocked, they were a bit later..."

Yu Congrong scratched his head and said.

"It's possible that the British 27th Brigade will be faster, or it could be the 40th Army."

"But Wu Wanli never entrusted the fate of the army to others."

Wu Wanli looked at the battle map and said.

"Commander, do you mean you want to start a battle ahead of schedule?"

Pinghe asked.

"They definitely deserve to be hit, but it needs the right timing."

"Lei Gong, you have the most experience on the battlefield."

"In your opinion, what are our chances of winning?"

Wu Wanli looked at the battle map and asked.

"Considering all aspects, it's about 30% and 70%."

Lei Gong took a puff of his pipe and made his prediction.

"Lei Gong, isn't this wrong?"

"How come our Seventh Steel Regiment only has a 70% chance of winning?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong expressed some dissatisfaction.

"You silly brat!"

"Seventy percent belongs to others, and we still have to rely on the regimental commander for our remaining thirty percent!"

"Now we're sandwiched between two dumplings, the dumpling wrappers are completely sealed."

"Looking across the entire Korean battlefield, which other army dares to fight like us?"

Lei Gong tapped Yu Congrong with his pipe and said.

"Indeed."

"Xiang Yu's burning of the cauldrons and sinking of the boats, and Han Xin's battle with his back to the river, are both examples of winning with fewer troops in desperate situations."

"But if you look through all the war history, you'll find that their tactics are hard to replicate."

"However, our Seventh Steel Regiment has succeeded time and time again, so even though the soldiers were surrounded this time, their morale remained high."

"Everyone's used to it..."

Liu Hanqing said with a smile.

The entire regiment was filled with confidence: the Seventh Steel Regiment is invincible!
Wu Wanli, in particular, is invincible!

This is not because they have been brainwashed into superstition, but because it has been so ever since Wu Wanli joined the army.

From the 7th Infiltration Company where I was a lowly soldier, to the troops I commanded later, I never lost a battle.

What kind of invincible general?
This is the true value of an undefeated general!

"Thirty percent!"

"No matter the probability, as long as we win, it's 100%!"

"Pass on my order: deploy elite troops to ambush on the south side, and calibrate all artillery on the south side of Dipingli."

"This time, I'm going to wage a brilliant ambush!"

Wu Wanli stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the battle map, and gave a powerful and resounding order.

According to the Sky Eye map in Hearts of Steel, half of the French forces in Chipyong-ri have been mobilized to gather at the South Gate.

Freeman deployed his strongest reinforced battalion on the south side, along with eight tanks to support it.

It's not that we don't want to send more tanks, but that the battlefield width won't be enough.

"Commander, do you mean the American and French forces will attack from the south in a pincer movement?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately realized what was happening and replied.

“That’s right. I suspect they will send their most elite troops to attack and clear the way to join forces at Chipyong-ni.”

"Yu Congrong's artillery battalion and Pinghe's reconnaissance battalion are both positioned here in an ambush. Take advantage of their courage to come out and strike them hard!"

"Gao Daxing, I'm leaving the other few sides to you. Can you handle it?"

"Don't blame me for not warning you, what might have been a feint at first could have been a main attack once the enemy realized something was wrong."

Wu Wanli said.

"Don't worry, Commander. Even if all the more than a thousand comrades in the assault battalion are wiped out, we will definitely not lose the position!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Daxing immediately spoke up.

"Okay, have some backbone!"

"The main objective of this battle was to block and resist the American forces while focusing all efforts on inflicting casualties on the French forces."

"Kill one more now, and there will be one less defender when we attack them!"

"I will personally go to the front lines in this battle. Victory is the only option; defeat is not an option!"

Wu Wanli gave the order loudly.

"Yes!"

The core members of the Seventh Steel Regiment quickly agreed.

(End of this chapter)