Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 280: Over a hundred tanks and armored vehicles captured! The Volunteer Army's armored regiment is established! Wu Qianli promoted to division commander!

Outside Anyang Canyon, in Yiwang County, the headquarters of the U.S. advance team.

"Sir, General Ridgway has issued thirteen orders in a row."

"He ordered us to accelerate our attack, march through the Anyang Gorge towards Incheon, and not to delay, or we would be court-martialed."

"Sir, I must remind you that Anyang Canyon is a dangerous place with narrow passages, only wide enough for one tank to pass through."

"This terrain is simply a perfect natural ambush site..."

"If the Chinese army had laid an ambush beforehand, our situation would have been very passive."

"Moreover, the closest unit to us in the rear is the 1st Cavalry Division led by the new division commander, Freeman."

"Given the current distance, it's unlikely they can provide immediate support."

"In summary, our situation is actually quite dangerous."

The advance team's chief of staff sighed and said.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

"Damn it, don't you understand?"

"To put it nicely, we were the bait, a key part of Ridgway's plan."

"To put it bluntly, we've become expendable pawns!"

Tangenber tore Ridgway's thirteen telegrams into pieces, his face grim as he spoke.

"Abandoned son?"

The chief of staff of the advance team widened his eyes, and his heart sank.

Thinking back to those thirteen urgent telegrams, they were indeed as urgent as if they were calling for one's life.

"Sir, should we continue into Anyang Canyon?"

"Should we wait for the 1st Cavalry Division to arrive before we go further in?"

"The advance team's chief of staff asked."

"You still have illusions about them."

"Is it possible that after we go in and draw the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to attack, the main forces behind us will finally start moving?"

"Forget it, rather than cowering and being court-martialed by General Ridgway, we might as well stick our necks out and fight the Volunteer Army!"

"Townberg sighed and said."

"Fight the Volunteer Army?"

"Sir, other volunteer soldiers are one thing, but these guys fought their way out of the Pacific War. They're ready to fight!"

"But what will we do if we run into the expanded Seventh Steel Brigade?"

"According to intelligence, after their expansion, they have tens of thousands of elite American-equipped soldiers..."

The advance team's chief of staff sighed and said.

"The real battleground for us is not in Anyang Canyon, but in Yiwang County, which is our retreat route."

“I don’t expect to win against the Chinese in a battlefield where I’m ambushed in the canyon. I’m not stupid.”

"I said with a wry smile," Tornber said.

"Yiwang County, located on the retreat route of Anyang Canyon?"

"Sir, aren't we supposed to storm into An Yang Canyon?"

The advance team's chief of staff said with some doubt.

"We're only going in to complete the decoy mission and satisfy General Ridgway; we can't risk our lives here."

"Pass on my order: the convoy of over a hundred tanks and armored vehicles, along with a battalion of infantry, will lead the way, while I will personally lead a battalion of infantry behind!"

"The two units were spaced apart, with the armored vanguard moving quickly and the infantry rearguard advancing slowly, carefully searching both sides for any ambushes."

After thinking for a moment, Tornber gave the order.

"Sir, the armored vanguard is in grave danger!"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff of the advance team quickly offered a reminder.

"My daughter is only three years old. After the war, I have to go back and watch this lovely blonde-haired, blue-eyed princess grow up."

Instead of answering the chief of staff directly, Tornber slowly pulled a photograph from his inner pocket and said...

The photo shows a little girl with fluffy blonde hair, her hair piled up on her shoulders as if sculpted by sunlight.

Her eyes, like the clearest Caribbean waters, were a stunningly blue, and she smiled unreservedly and angelically at the camera.

With chubby cheeks and deep dimples, she tightly hugged a faded teddy bear and wore a white dress printed with daisies, radiating a pure and innocent glow.

The smile was pure and radiant, creating a stark contrast with the dim and oppressive lights of the command post, the precipitous canyon markers on the sand table, and the lingering gloom on the faces of the two men.

"We need to go back to the time when our adorable blonde, blue-eyed princess grows up..."

The chief of staff repeated in a low voice the words that Tornberg had just used, his gaze fixed on the small photograph.

When Tornbur did not directly answer the question about the perilous fate of the armored vanguard, he was almost ready to argue again with great passion, but the photograph before him was like an invisible hammer blow, instantly silencing all his words.

His eyes, wide with anxiety and shock, first stared intently at the carefree smile in the photograph, his gaze churning with disbelief, pain, and unbearable pain.

For a moment, the heavy air in the command post seemed to freeze.

"If we don't go in, China's main blocking force won't be able to be lured out to fight, so we have to go in, but we can cut off our tails to survive!"

"Someone has to make sacrifices, but why should it be us?"

I really like a saying from an ancient Chinese politician: "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!"

"We are not national heroes, so why should we fight for the greater good of the nation and its people?"

"We Americans are nothing but a bunch of immigrants who are just trying to make a living off America's great interests."

"Remember, once the Chinese army's ambush begins, the rear infantry will rush towards Yiwang County at full speed!"

"The troops in Yiwang County were prepared in advance and came out to meet us as we entered the city."

"As long as we can enter the city and hold it, we still have a chance to survive!"

Thomber put the photos away and said in a low voice.

"Yes, sir!"

The chief of staff's throat bobbed, and he finally gave a reluctant reply.

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

Anyang Canyon, the ambush position of the Seventh Steel Brigade
Liu Hanqing slammed the telegram about the Soviet Union's proposal onto the table made of stacked ammunition boxes. The vibration of the wooden planks startled the group who were studying the map.

The flickering light from the kerosene lamp inside the tent illuminated everyone's suddenly frozen faces.

"Those damn Russians! We call them 'Big Brother,' but they're just trying to rob us outright!"

"Aircraft carriers and battleships were earned with our lives! The red-hot rocks of Songyue Mountain haven't even cooled down yet!"

After reading part of it, Yu Congrong suddenly jumped up, not even noticing that his lower back had knocked over a stool, and roared with his eyes wide open like copper bells.

Liu Hanqing's face was also ashen as he lowered his voice and revealed all the other plans for the Soviet joint fleet and longwave radio station.

The tent was deathly silent, with only heavy breathing as a sound.

"Fuck..."

"We fought the Japanese devils and Chiang Kai-shek, crawling out of a sea of ​​blood, all for China's independence and autonomy, so that the Chinese people wouldn't be oppressed by foreign devils and wouldn't be inferior to others..."

"In the end, someone wants to force us back into the army as their sons?"

"How frustrating! It's so damn frustrating!"

Lei Gong Lei Suisheng leaned against the cold cannon barrel, his rough fingers clenching until they turned white. The sound was like sandpaper grinding against rusty iron. The cannon casing was slammed to the ground with a dull thud.

Pinghe kept his head down, unconsciously drawing lines on the edge of the unfolded map with his pencil, the force almost piercing the paper.

"United Fleet?"

"That's nice to say!"

"Isn't it just that they want to control the lifeline of our navy?"

"Why did the commander-in-chief lead us to fight to the death at Incheon Port before?"

"In the end, will we use the victories we've won to strangle ourselves?"

He finally raised his head, his thin jawline taut like a fully drawn bowstring, and said with a cold gaze.

"You want to shit on our heads?"

"Keep dreaming!"

"These aircraft carriers and battleships were bought with the blood of our comrades!"

"Wasn't Chiang Kai-shek's comprador attitude enough for you? Our new China will not sell itself to him!"

Gao Daxing gritted his teeth, his cheeks bulging out with two hard ridges of flesh, his chest heaving, and he exhaled a breath of foul air as he cursed.

Wu Wanli silently observed everyone's reactions, but he himself remained silent.

He stood in the shadows, half his face in the light and half in the shadow, his fingers twirling the telegram, the soft rustling of the paper particularly clear in the oppressive tent.

Every word of that Soviet "proposal" felt like a cold needle piercing my heart.

The crowd's vehement words were like hot irons branding their ears, a mixture of anger and resentment.

"Hanqing, did the Soviet Union only give us two options: handing over our aircraft carriers and battleships or forming a joint fleet?"

Wu Wanli finally spoke, his voice unusually calm but carrying a hint of hidden anger.

"There is a third option: the Soviets made a deal."

"As long as our blocking forces can capture Suwon within thirty days, and at the same time annihilate more than 10,000 American troops..."

"Then they won't want a single screw from all the warships we seized ourselves, including the Enterprise and the Missouri!"

"Not only do they not want it, they're giving us cruisers and destroyers! That way we can build the framework of a real fleet!"

"After all, right now it's just an aircraft carrier, battleships, and those small gunboats, which doesn't count as a complete fleet."

"The thirty days started yesterday, so there are still twenty-nine days left."

Liu Hanqing took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the faces flushed with humiliation and anger, and said, word by word.

Upon hearing this, the tent fell into an eerie silence.

Several pairs of eyes were fixed on Liu Hanqing's face, their expressions shifting from initial overwhelming anger to the humiliation of hearing about the unequal conditions, and finally to the shock of this seemingly impossible request...

The waves of emotion surged and settled rapidly on everyone's face.

Yu Congrong's furrowed brows slowly drooped, and he stopped breathing heavily.

Lei Gong stopped stroking the cannon casing, and a spark ignited in Ping He's cold eyes.

Gao Daxing took a deep breath and slowly relaxed his clenched fists.

A few seconds felt like centuries.

All the frustration and anger seemed to have finally found a single outlet, a single goal, a tough battle!
"Damn! Isn't this just pointing fingers at us and saying we're no good?"

"Twenty-nine days? Let's do it!"

"I refuse to believe that our Steel Seventh Brigade, which can take down Seoul and Incheon, can't break through the turtle shell of Suwon!"

Yu Congrong clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking as he roared.

"No matter where the fighting takes place, our artillery detachment will surely blast a bloody path for our comrades!"

Lei Suisheng silently bent down, picked up the shell casing he had thrown away, and said while tightly clenching his rough hands.

"With the captain in charge, we're sure to win."

Pinghe's gaze returned to the tattered map, pointing to the two characters "Suwon" that had been pierced through.

"To build a real fleet structure, wouldn't that be equivalent to completely upgrading the Chinese Navy's weaponry?"

"It's worth the gamble!"

Gao Daxing took a big step forward, his burly body almost blocking out the dim light, his shadow looming heavily over the location of Suwon City on the map as he spoke.

All eyes eventually focused on the upright figure in the shadows of the lamplight.

Anger, humiliation, resentment...

They were all ignited by a more primal and powerful determination!
That was the fighting spirit ignited by the unwillingness to accept the loss of victory, and the dignity that was provoked by contempt!

"Independence and self-reliance are not something that can be shouted out; they must be earned through the guns and cannons of our volunteer army."

"He wants Suwon? He wants ten thousand heads?"

"Okay! Let's give it to him!"

"Since we're both angry, let's start by making a big splash to vent our frustration!"

What is the current status of the U.S. advance team?

Wu Wanli took a deep breath, his gaze slowly sweeping over his comrades who had shared life and death with him, and said with a firm look in his eyes.

"Reporting to Commander Wu, Political Commissar Liu, and all leaders!"

"The scouts ahead report that the American devils' movements are very strange!"

"They left one battalion to defend Yiwang County, the exit of the canyon, while the remaining two battalions marched into the canyon."

"But they were a battalion with hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles, approaching rapidly like reckless fools!"

"Then an infantry battalion slowly checked both sides for ambushes before advancing."

"Commanders Li Yunlong and Ding Wei are currently sending telegrams to inquire whether there are any unexpected situations and whether the plan can proceed as scheduled."

Just as Wu Wanli finished speaking, a volunteer army communications officer ran over to report.

"Just in time!"

"Armored vanguard advances rapidly, infantry battalions advance slowly?"

"Commander-in-Chief, Political Commissar, these American devils' generals are just so-so!"

"If he comes slowly all at once, we might have a bit of a problem. It will test our disguise skills."

"But with them closing in like this, it'll be easy for us to take down their vanguard!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately spoke with a surge of fighting spirit.

"Who says American generals are incompetent?"

"Their commanders are incredibly capable!"

“Ridgway used them as bait, so they dropped a battalion below as bait.”

"Believe it or not, once the battle begins, the American battalion behind won't rush to support us, but will quickly retreat?"

Wu Wanli smiled and said.

"This……"

"Did the American devils intend to cut off their own arm to survive from the very beginning?"

"Then why did they come in?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Daxing asked with some confusion.

"So that we can launch an attack..."

"If we really retreat to the north bank of the Han River and hold the Han River, they really won't have much of a chance."

"After such a long war, the weather is gradually warming up, and the Han River is about to thaw."

"It is certainly more advantageous to fight a decisive battle with us on the south bank of the Han River than to launch an attack by crossing the Han River."

"Once we launch an ambush here, the main force of the US military will immediately move out."

"If we suffer a defeat and get bogged down, we may not be able to get back to the north bank of the Han River."

After a moment's thought, Wu Wanli immediately guessed Ridgway's intention.

"It's just the same old Nationalist army tactics!"

"Ridgway wanted to sell the advance detachment as bait to gain merit, so the advance detachment sold the armored units to protect itself."

Lei Gong took a puff of his pipe and said.

"That's right!"

"But since the American devils have willingly cut off their tails, it would be impolite of us not to eat them!"

"Pass on my order: when hundreds of American tanks and armored vehicles and more than a thousand American soldiers advance, roll the prepared boulders down on both sides to cut off their retreat!"

"Then the fire support unit should concentrate its light firepower and give them a good sweeping fire down!"

"The soldiers in the reconnaissance detachment are good marksmen, and they focus on sniping and killing American soldiers."

"As for those tanks and armored vehicles that are running so fast, they will definitely fall into the traps we have disguised."

“In this situation, if the covering infantry is gone and the troops behind them don’t come to the rescue but run away, just shout for them to surrender.”

Wu Wanli said.

"Commander, what if they don't surrender?"

Yu Congrong asked.

"Then use your detachment's mortars to fire incendiary bombs at the nearby mountain walls. The white phosphorus gas will put the American soldiers inside the tanks to sleep."

"To be honest, we got so many white phosphorus incendiary bombs from the American devils; they used them on us quite a bit."

"After we capture these tanks and armored vehicles, we can form an armored regiment."

"We can blow up the roadblocks and quickly rush to Yiwang County to assist Commander Li Yunlong in the battle!"

Wu Wanli smiled and said.

"Wanli, I'll send a telegram to Commander Li Yunlong now, instructing him to approach Yiwang according to plan and prepare to attack the county town."

"Also, send a telegram to Commander Ding Wei, ordering a prepared division to blow up nearby bridges and roads, and to intercept the nearest US 1st Cavalry Division!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing immediately responded.

"and many more!"

"Commander, Political Commissar, it seems our artillery detachment isn't very useful!"

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong immediately spoke.

"Since our main objective this time is to capture these tanks and armored vehicles, the mortars of each infantry detachment will suffice."

"The artillery detachment's howitzers are too powerful; they can destroy tanks and armored vehicles."

Wu Wanli explained.

"Wanli, let Lei Gong lead the artillery detachment to the exit of Anyang Gorge and block the American retreat with artillery fire, so they can't retreat back to Yiwang County, what do you think?"

Liu Hanqing thought for a moment and then offered his suggestion.

"No, some of them have to go back!"

"Lei Gong, your artillery detachment should circle around to the exit of Anyang Canyon and bombard it relentlessly after the American troops have left!"

"Make sure one company of American soldiers leaves, and the rest stay behind."

"There must be a U.S. Army regimental commander in the company that marched the fastest."

"When they're halfway through their retreat into the county town, have Commander Li Yunlong and his men launch a general offensive and take advantage of the chaos to storm the town!"

"Even if we can't break into the county town, we must at least breach all the defensive positions outside the town!"

"When the US military is completely holed up in the county town, without strategic depth to share the artillery fire density, that's when Commander Li Yunlong will shout 'Fire!' and Lei Gong, your artillery detachment will go into a rage!"

"However, I must remind you that our Seventh Steel Brigade did not accumulate these assets with great difficulty. Don't let Commander Li Yunlong use up all the shells just because he said he had enough."

"If we can blow down the city gates and towers of the county town, that will be enough to take it in."

Wu Wanli looked at Lei Gong and gave him instructions.

"Don't worry, Chief, I've been through tough times!"

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong immediately agreed.

"The rest of you are preparing to annihilate the American armored vanguard and capture those tanks and armored vehicles as planned!"

Wu Wanli's gaze swept over the crowd, and he gave a loud order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison.

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

Anyang Canyon is like a deep rift cleaved open on the spine of the earth by a giant axe.

The towering cliffs on both sides, as if carved by a knife and axe, block out most of the sunlight, casting only a few pale lines of light at noon.

The winding road at the bottom of the canyon is so narrow it's suffocating, barely wide enough for a single tank to pass through.

Any convoy entering it is like stepping into a giant, natural death trap.

The ambush position of the Seventh Steel Brigade was hidden in the shadow of this cliff and under the camouflage net.

Wu Wanli squatted at a cliff observation point with a superb view, the cold rocks digging into his knees.

He raised his binoculars, and through the lens, he saw a cloud of dust rising into the sky at the entrance to the canyon.

The roar of the engine rose up the rugged mountain wall, deep and oppressive.

"The American devils' armored forces are here."

His voice was calm, yet it was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, immediately eliciting a reaction from the surrounding commanders and communications soldiers.

The eyes of Liu Hanqing, Yu Congrong, and others lying beside him instantly became incredibly sharp.

The tracks of nearly a hundred US military tanks and armored vehicles crushed the rubble at the bottom of the canyon, making a teeth-grinding crunching sound.

They clumsily squeezed into the dark tunnel one after another, engines roaring as they accelerated, trying to get through this natural ambush zone as quickly as possible.

Following closely behind was about a battalion of U.S. infantry.

These American infantrymen were scattered among the gaps in the steel behemoth, holding their guns, scanning the steep mountain walls on both sides with vigilance but also some indifference.

In their view, the search mission seemed more like a formality; if there were indeed Chinese People's Volunteer Army troops lying in ambush, they should have discovered them long ago.

"Reporting to the headquarters, the US advance armored vehicles have entered the 'closed door' position!"

After successfully completing the investigation, he ran over, barely containing his excitement, and said...

"Detonation points one, three, five, seven, pull!"

Wu Wanli put down his binoculars, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

The order was instantly transmitted to the engineers who had been positioned at key locations via a few thin telephone lines.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

A series of deafening explosions reverberated through the valley, not from the impact of artillery shells, but from the roar of pre-set explosives detonating at carefully calculated points in the mountain's structure!

The massive shockwave made the entire canyon tremble, as if an ancient behemoth had awakened, and smoke and dust instantly filled the air.

With a heart-stopping, thunderous roar, dozens of massive boulders, which had been loosened beforehand and completely blasted away with explosives, crashed into the valley floor with a deafening force that crushed everything in their path!
"Boom!"

In an instant, dust rose up like a mushroom cloud.

Huge rocks landed precisely on the front and middle sections of the US armored column!

The road ahead was completely blocked. Several jeeps that were on the path of the rollover and soldiers who had no time to dodge were instantly turned into dust, without even having time to scream.

Before the American soldiers could even react, they discovered that their retreat route was also almost completely blocked by falling boulders and massive landslides.

The entire US armored forward unit, along with that battalion of infantry, was instantly locked in the narrowest death cage in the canyon!
The sudden disaster completely stunned the US military. Vehicles braked suddenly, collided with each other, and soldiers screamed and cursed in terror amidst the loud noise of dust and falling rocks, creating chaos.

"beat!"

Wu Wanli roared and took the lead in picking up his Thompson submachine gun and firing.

Almost at the same second, a terrifyingly dense barrage of firepower suddenly erupted from the mountainside, cliff platforms, and naturally formed stone niches on both sides of the canyon!
"Da da da da da..."

"Thump thump thump thump thump..."

Light and heavy machine guns spewed out dense tongues of fire, weaving together a fire net that covered the valley floor, and bullets rained down like a sudden downpour.

Their targets were not the tough tank armor, but the exposed U.S. infantry and the vulnerable observation and aiming equipment, antennas, and crew members who opened the hatches to try to observe!
Wherever the bullets passed, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and helmets clanged as they were hit.

American infantrymen fell one after another like harvested wheat. Some frantically tried to find cover, but at the bottom of the barren canyon, the only place to hide was the vehicle itself, which was also a death trap.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Almost simultaneously with the full-scale firepower, the precise and steady sound of sniper rifles joined the symphony of this carnage.

This is the elite marksman of the Seventh Steel Corps Reconnaissance Detachment unleashing his power.

Their targets were far more deadly: any U.S. military officer, machine gunner, or artilleryman who tried to crawl out of the turret or hatch to give orders!
Anyone who peeks out will almost immediately have a blood-soaked hole in their helmet, or slump back into the vehicle.

The radio calls and shouts of the US military vehicle commanders, issuing orders, were quickly cut off by these ruthless targeted snipers, instantly paralyzing command.

"Crack! Pfft—"

The leading tanks and armored vehicles, relying on their enormous inertia, tried to accelerate and smash through the roadblocks ahead, or attempted to turn around, but when they suddenly accelerated or turned, their massive bodies suddenly tilted to one side!

The massive tracks spun wildly, kicking up a lot of gravel, but the vehicle was stuck in the mud and could no longer move, falling precisely into the carefully disguised deep pit trap!

These deep pits were covered with thin planks and loose soil, and even had some naturally rolled pebbles scattered on them, making them indistinguishable from the surrounding environment.

The pit was filled with sharp wooden stakes, which, while not enough to completely destroy the tanks, jammed their mechanisms, rendering them completely immobile.

In an instant, more vehicles crashed into the vehicles in front or overturned into the ditch in the chaos. The entire armored column was in complete disarray, unable to support each other, and was completely separated and pinned down in this hellish scene!

Without infantry cover and effective command, tanks and armored vehicles instantly become steel coffins.

Small arms and sniper bullets cannot penetrate their armor, but they continuously reap the infantry on the perimeter and block any chance for them to open a window to observe or crawl out to escape.

The American soldiers inside the vehicle were driven to the brink of collapse by the deafening gunfire, the screams of their comrades, and the clanging of bullets hitting the vehicle. They could only huddle in the sweltering steel cage, enduring the torment of fear.

"These American devils still won't surrender!" "Smoke!"

Yu Congrong lay prone behind the cover and shouted at the soldier next to him who was carrying a mortar barrel.

Several 82mm and 60mm mortars were quickly set up and their angles were finely adjusted.

"put!"

"Tong! Tong! Tong!"

The shells were launched into the sky, tracing brief arcs before falling with a deathly whistling sound.

"Boom! Sizzle—!"

The mortar shells that hit the hard mountainside near the US armored vehicles did not explode violently, but instead burst open instantly, releasing a large amount of thick, pungent, yellowish-white phosphorus smoke!

The thick smoke spread rapidly, aided by the wind in the canyon.

With a chilling aura and a nauseating smell, they burrowed into the gaps between the trapped tanks and armored vehicles like living creatures.

In some vehicles with their vents open, white smoke immediately rushed in!

Although it is actually just a non-persistent incendiary smoke bomb, in a confined space, the pungent and acrid smoke, the burning sensation on the skin, and the extreme fear of suffocation are enough to quickly shatter any will to resist.

In the area shrouded in white smoke, coughing, vomiting, and terrified struggles filled the air.

Inside the vehicle, the American soldiers desperately put on makeshift gas masks or covered their mouths and noses with wet cloths. In the narrow iron cage, they gasped for breath due to suffocation and panic, and were on the verge of a mental breakdown.

At this moment, from the cliffs on both sides of the canyon, a voice amplified by loudspeakers, speaking in fluent English, pierced through the gaps between gunshots and screams, echoing coldly and clearly in the smoke-filled valley:

"We are the Chinese People's Volunteer Army! The Seventh Steel Brigade! Your retreat has been blocked!"

"Your reinforcements have fled! Surrender immediately!"

"Put down your weapons, raise your hands, and get off the vehicle one by one!"

"You will not be harmed! Resistance means death!"

"Repeat! Drop your weapons! Come out! Now!"

"Surrender is your only way to survive!"

The shouts were like cold iron hammers, striking the hearts of every besieged American soldier.

The phrase "the reinforcements have already fled" was especially like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Desperate American soldiers peered out through narrow observation holes or risked being sniped by prying open hatches, and what they saw chilled them to the bone.

On the way from the canyon behind, apart from the pervasive smoke, the passage blocked by boulders, and a few dead infantrymen, there was no trace of the infantry battalion that was supposed to be there to support them.

Only the ever-thickening white smoke and the constant barrage of bullets reminded them of the fact that they had been completely abandoned!

Humiliation, anger, and the primal urge to survive battled fiercely within him.

After the initial shock and chaos came a deeper despair and collapse.

"Bang!"

The turret hatch of an M4 Sherman tank, blackened by white smoke, was forcefully pushed open.

Immediately afterwards, a hand wearing a white glove reached out with difficulty, waving a piece of white cloth that had been torn off from somewhere.

It was like a pale flower of death, swaying helplessly at the bottom of a canyon filled with steel, smoke, and blood.

With the first, there is the second, the third...

"Stop firing! We surrender! STOP FIRING!"

(Ceasefire! We surrender! Ceasefire!)

From each hatch, the trembling roars of American soldiers could be heard.

Under the command of the shouting team, the dense gunfire quickly subsided as if receiving an order, with only warning shots continuing from a very few corners where resistance was possible.

The hatches of the abandoned steel behemoths opened one after another, and one after another, American soldiers, their hands raised, their faces pale, blackened by gunpowder smoke, and coughing incessantly, staggered off the vehicles.

Some people were so terrified and inhaled the white smoke that they lost their balance and collapsed to the ground.

Their eyes were vacant, filled with the bewilderment of surviving a disaster and the fear of the future.

The American infantrymen, like lambs to the slaughter, dropped their M1 Garand rifles and carbines, put their hands on their heads, and automatically gathered and crouched down in a relatively flat area in the center of the valley.

A small squad of heavily armed and alert-looking soldiers from the Seventh Steel Brigade swiftly leaped down the gentle slopes on either side of the canyon from their hiding place and nimbly entered the valley floor.

They worked in pairs, quickly taking control of the surrendering American soldiers, loudly ordering them to line up and disarm.

Another group of soldiers, who were specifically tasked with monitoring tanks and armored vehicles, rushed towards those behemoths like the most professional technicians, carefully checking whether there were any resistance fighters still lurking inside.

Yu Congrong led the core members of the fire support brigade and personally rushed into the canyon to direct the soldiers to clear roadblocks and check vehicle conditions, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Quickly! Gather the prisoners and keep them under guard!"

"Carefully inspect the vehicle; watch out for booby traps!"

"Sappers, clear the roadblocks behind us immediately! Hurry! This is our Volunteer Army's armored regiment!"

Yu Congrong was beaming with excitement, his loud voice echoing through the valley.

He saw an M26 Pershing heavy tank stuck in a ditch. Although the tracks were stuck, the turret was intact. He immediately patted the cold armor plate with great affection.

"Hey! This is a great find!"

"Back when we were still the Seventh Company, we blew up signal towers, and we suffered a lot because of it."

Yu Congrong said, clearly delighted.

Above the valley, Wu Wanli witnessed the rapid control of the valley floor and the successive surrender of American troops. His tightly clenched lips finally relaxed slightly, revealing a barely perceptible, cold smile.

This is not the end of the war, but at least the initial "good start" has been satisfied.

The severed arm used to save his life, along with the American steel armor it carried, has already fallen into the hands of the Seventh Steel Squadron.

The gunfire in the canyon completely subsided, leaving only the clanging of engineers prying up boulders, the shouts of volunteer soldiers escorting prisoners, and the excited exclamations of surprise at the captured equipment.

The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the pungent smell of white phosphorus mixed with the stench of blood and dust filled the narrow canyon of death.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief and Political Commissar!"

"A total of one hundred tanks and armored personnel carriers were captured intact, except for a few damaged ones!"

"More than 800 enemy soldiers were killed and more than 500 were captured! Our losses were minor!"

Successfully, he ran up excitedly to report, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Great! Our Volunteer Army finally has an armored regiment!"

"Don't stop, head full speed ahead towards Yiwang County!"

Wu Wanli nodded, his gaze sweeping over the smoke and dust of the canyon and landing in the direction of Yiwang County.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately agreed.

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

Meanwhile, on the other side of Anyang Canyon

The jeep that Tornber was in was speeding and jolting wildly, almost throwing him off.

The atmosphere inside the car was deathly silent, with only the roar of the engine and the faint sound of a violent explosion coming from behind tearing at everyone's nerves.

"Quick! Faster!"

Tangenber's voice was hoarse, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his fingers, smeared with cigarette ash, gripped the outline of the photograph in his pocket tightly.

He nervously turned back repeatedly, his gaze piercing through the smoke and dust, only to see flames shooting into the sky and thick smoke obscuring the sun in the direction of the canyon behind him.

The intense roar of artillery fire continued unabated; it was definitely not the sound of small-scale fighting.

"Sir, what's the situation..."

The chief of staff was deathly pale, his voice trembling with extreme fear.

"Shut up!"

"Plan! Proceed according to plan!"

"Yiwang! We'll be safe as long as we retreat back to Yiwang County at the exit of the canyon!"

"Cutting off the tail to survive...it's worth it!"

"Our decision was right!"

"Once we enter the city, with its barracks and fortifications, we can rely on its defenses..."

Tangenber interrupted abruptly, as if trying to convince himself, or as if giving an order to the other person.

He wiped his face and turned his gaze to the outline of Yiwang County not far away, which was the only way out.

"Sir, the main force behind us..."

The chief of staff was heartbroken; he had just witnessed one of his main armored battalions being forced to remain on the brink of death to hold off the pursuit.

"Live!"

"I'd rather betray the world than let them have a grudge! If they want to complain, they should complain about Ridgway, they should complain about the Chinese!"

"Target: West Gate of Yiwang County, proceed at full speed!"

Tangenber's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice suddenly rose.

He slammed his fist on the back of the driver's seat, and the photo of the blonde angel slipped off its edge amidst the chaos and sweat.

……

At the exit of Anyang Canyon, the Leigong artillery position
"Reporting to the commander, the retreating American troops are approaching the 'clearance point'!"

In an instant, the sound of the artillery detachment's observation post came from above.

"coming…"

"Wait until the American forces show their true colors, then bomb them as the commander instructed... Listen to my command!"

Lei Gong spoke in a low, hoarse voice, as if sandpaper were being rubbed.

The small unit at the forefront of the smoke and dust, namely Tangenber's trusted company, finally crossed the pre-set "death exemption line" and rushed madly toward the open city gate of Yiwang County.

Immediately afterwards, more disheveled and crammed American infantry and vehicles poured out of the dust, trying to escape the deadly canyon funnel.

"fire--!!!"

A cold glint flashed in Lei Suisheng's eyes, and he roared loudly.

In an instant, the command exploded through the communicator!
“Rumble——!!!”

In an instant, the pre-marked area was covered by the roar of more than a dozen heavy cannons!

The first salvo accurately struck the rear of the densely packed American ranks that had just emerged from the canyon and had not yet had time to disperse.

The earth groaned as it trembled violently, and bursts of orange-red fireballs shot into the air!

With a deafening explosion, steel fragments, dirt, rocks, and human remains were instantly thrown into the sky.

Screams and desperate cries were drowned out by the storm of artillery fire, as shells, like the Grim Reaper's scythe with eyes, mercilessly swung at the fleeing troops behind them.

The subsequent US troops were completely blocked by this sudden steel wall of fire!

The advance was met with devastating artillery fire.

Retreat is a deadly pursuit in the canyon.

They were horrified to discover that the canyon exit had been transformed into a massive slaughterhouse.

"Free fire!"

"Covering the second and third zones!"

"Block the retreat of subsequent US troops!"

Lei Gong observed for a moment with his binoculars and then spoke.

"call out------"

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

Accompanied by the whistling explosions of shells, the fierce artillery bombardment plowed through the open ground, ruthlessly cutting and ravaging the retreating American troops.

After just a few volleys, the crowded troops behind were already dead and wounded, completely stunned and disorganized. The follow-up troops were pinned down near the canyon entrance and could not advance any further.

outside the west gate of Yiwang County

Surrounded by guards, Tornber practically crawled into the West Gate's defensive line.

He was breathing heavily, his heart was pounding, and he could hear the terrible sounds of artillery fire and screams from not far outside the city.

Still shaken, he lay prone behind the cover and saw the company that had been allowed to pass had just fled into the position in a disheveled state.

"Quickly! Get the entire battalion waiting in the city moving out! Immediately provide support for the troops behind!"

"Hold off the shelling and bring them in!"

Tornbur roared at the city defense phone, as if this could alleviate the immense fear in his heart and the guilt of abandoning his subordinates.

The U.S. military battalion commander in Yiwang County received the order, and although he was surprised and uncertain, he dared not disobey.

Soon, the city gates were opened wide.

Thousands of U.S. troops, consisting of trucks and infantry, rushed out in an attempt to support Tornberg's forces.

Just as this support force rushed out of the city's outer positions and attempted to deploy a rescue formation towards the canyon entrance under artillery fire, an unexpected change occurred!

"Kill them all!!!"

The earth-shaking bugle call rang out simultaneously from the mountains, ravines, and ruins on the flanks!

"Comrades, in a narrow encounter, the brave will prevail!"

"I'll lead you all in a charge!"

"Don't let the Americans get away!"

Li Yunlong charged ahead, his booming roar drowning out the artillery fire.

Just like when he was a division commander in China, he led his troops in fierce battles, even sustaining injuries as a result.

Kong Jie and Zhao Gang followed closely behind, leading the main force of the 27th Army, which surged out like a tide, and pounced on the American support troops who had just left the city and were not yet firmly established!

In an instant, chaos erupted in the outer perimeter of Yiwang County!
The American troops, who had just rushed out of the city, were completely exposed in the open field and unexpectedly ran into the well-rested and powerful 27th Army!
Dense machine gun fire, accompanied by support from small mortars, rained down on the American troops.

Bayonet-to-bayonet battles erupted instantly in multiple locations!
The US military was stunned by this fierce onslaught, and the supporting forces themselves were also caught in a fierce battle and in danger of being surrounded.

"Hold on! Hold on! Anyone who retreats will be shot!"

"Air force support was called in beforehand, and they'll be here soon!"

The U.S. battalion commander inside the city desperately called for air support via radio.

Soon, the distinctive whistling sound of US military engines grew louder as they approached.

Groups of F-86 Sabre fighter jets appeared over the battlefield like vultures!

They swooped down without hesitation and strafed with machine guns!

napalm bombs!
Small aerial bombs!

Countless bombs rained down on the 27th Army soldiers who were fiercely charging and breaking into the American positions outside the city!

"hidden--!!!"

"Protect the commander!"

Seeing this, Zhang Dabiao roared with all his might.

Duan Peng, who was nearby, reacted quickly and tackled Li Yunlong to the ground.

The deafening explosion drowned out the bugle calls and the shouts of men and the neighing of horses!

The earth trembled amidst the flames and shockwaves.

Smoke, fire, gunpowder, blood and flesh... all combine to create a horrific scene of hell.

Countless brave figures fell in the flames of the explosion.

However, the 27th Army's offensive was not crushed!
Why are you poking me?!

"We just annihilated the US 1st Infantry Division not long ago, and we captured a huge amount of anti-aircraft artillery!"

"Anti-aircraft guns, fire!"

Li Yunlong's eyes turned red as he loudly gave the order.

"Thump thump thump thump thump..."

Soon, the anti-aircraft guns behind the 27th Army roared to life, and the offensive of the American fighter jets slowed down slightly.

"That was awesome! So awesome!"

"Forget about what's in the sky! We'd rather die on the charge! Charge—!!"

Kong Jie brandished his pistol and led the charge through a hail of bullets.

"Medic! Quick, save him!"

"Zhang Dabiao, take two regiments and go around to attack the American positions in other directions!"

While calmly directing his troops to rescue the wounded, Zhao Gang also organized forces to launch an attack on the core fortifications of the US military.

Despite the torrential rain of bullets from the air and the heavy casualties, the soldiers of the 27th Army demonstrated astonishing resilience and a spirit of sacrifice.

Braving suffocating bombardment and strafing, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the disruption of the US support forces, and using ground artillery fire and their own flesh and blood, they relentlessly charged, divided, and surrounded the enemy!
With morale shattered, the American support troops were no longer able to mount an effective resistance. The defensive lines outside the city were torn apart and captured piece by piece by wave after wave of fearless charges!
After making enormous sacrifices, all the outer defensive positions of Yiwang County, whether fortifications, trenches, barbed wire or anti-tank obstacles, were finally covered with the battle flag of the 27th Army!

The remaining U.S. troops, along with the hastily withdrawn support forces, were like stray dogs, and amidst the flames and smoke, they were all compressed and driven back into the city walls of Yiwang County.

Amidst immense fear and chaos, the city gates were slammed shut by themselves, leaving behind only devastation on the battlefield outside the city.

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

Outside Yiwang County, the headquarters of the 27th Army
"Old Li, that kid Wu Wanli is quite the schemer!"

"Let the remnants of the American advance team's officers come over, and let us attack while the American troops defending the county town are out!"

"This attack liberated all the positions surrounding the county town in one fell swoop!"

"It's so enjoyable, so enjoyable!"

Kong Jie, holding his pipe, said with a smile.

"Old Li, now that we've captured all the outer positions, the next step is to attack the county seat!"

"The General Staff has put forward many opinions, but no consensus can be reached. You can decide which one is better."

"Or... we could discuss it further."

Zhao Gang placed a pile of staff opinions on the table and looked at Li Yunlong, saying...

"Alright, alright!"

"After reading all these suggestions, the American reinforcements will have arrived!"

"No more discussion, let's fight as I, Li Yunlong, say!"

Li Yunlong looked at the pile of opinions and simply waved his hand.

"Commander, no matter how we fight, we have to choose a main direction of attack, right?"

"Concentrate the main force on the main attack direction, and use the other three points as feints or supporting attacks."

Upon hearing this, the deputy chief of staff immediately spoke up.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

"Can a living person die from holding in their pee?"

"This time our troop strength ratio is twenty to one. I've never fought a battle this easy in my eighteen lifetimes!"

"Let's open up and be landlords for once!"

"No assists, it's all damn offense!"

Li Yunlong slammed his hand on the table and roared domineeringly.

"it is good!"

"Rest assured, Commander, our 81st Division will definitely be the first to capture Yi'an County!"

Upon hearing this, Division Commander Wu Qianli shouted with a hint of excitement.

"You, Wu Qianli, have only just been promoted to division commander, you haven't even warmed your seat yet, but you're already talking big!"

"Commander, the first to break into the county town will definitely be our 80th Division!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao spoke with great confidence.

"A newly appointed division commander does not mean he cannot be spirited!"

"Commander, my 79th Division is not to be trifled with either. We guarantee a full-scale assault on Yiwang County!"

Upon hearing this, the division commander, Tan Ziwei, smiled and said...

"You lot, stop grinning like you're lotus flowers!"

"From assist to main attack, I'm not adding any more players or weapons to your team!"

"But you guys need to show me the killing intent of a main attack, you need to show me your fighting spirit!"

Li Yunlong looked at his three division commanders and said domineeringly.

"Yes!"

"We must pull ourselves together!"

"Let those Soviets see if our Chinese army is strong enough to talk to them about independence and autonomy!"

"Do they even qualify to possess aircraft carriers and battleships?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao thought of what the comrades-in-arms had told them and said with a hint of indignation.

"War is war, and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was to protect our homeland!"

"We fight not for reasons like showing off or getting revenge, don't associate it with anything else."

"We're here to liberate the county town, contain and kill American troops, and complete our blocking mission!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gang immediately corrected him.

"Yes!"

"Liberate the county town, contain and kill American troops, and complete the blocking mission!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao immediately responded.

"What liberation of the county town!?"

"It's all empty talk!"

"I'm speaking frankly!"

"Did the Soviet Union dare to ride roughshod over us and talk about building a joint fleet and a long-wave radio station?"

"Bullshit!"

"I've risked my life for so long, just to be his dog?!"

"dream!"

"And what about the aircraft carrier and warships that Comrade Wu Wanli and his comrades went through so much hardship to recapture? They just want to leave without a word?"

"Don't even think about it!"

"The great battle that Laozi, Ding Wei, Wu Wanli, and I fought together was to show the United States and the Soviet Union what we were capable of!"

"Let's show those damn foreign devils who think they can ride roughshod over China just because they're so powerful!"

"With us Chinese men here, no one can bully China!"

"Tell me, how can we make these damn imperialist powers realize the strength of our new China?"

General Li Yunlong slammed his hat down and roared.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabiao and the others immediately roared in anger.

"now it's right!"

"If you fight tooth and nail to get your prized possessions stolen and then don't dare utter a sound, are you even a man?!"

"Let's consider our class friendship and not hold it against them for now!"

"Aren't they trying to see how strong we are?"

"Then fight!"

"Let's show those Soviets what they can't beat up—the Americans—and how badly we Chinese can beat them!"

"I, Li Yunlong, don't hide anything; I dare to speak my mind wherever I go!"

Li Yunlong slammed his fist on the table and roared.

"Report to the commander!"

"Lei Suisheng, the artillery detachment commander of the Seventh Steel Brigade, has arrived and brought a large number of howitzers!"

At this moment, Duan Peng ran in to report.

"Well done!"

"Tell Lei Gong to set up all those American howitzers, and I'll personally wave the flag and shout for the cannons to fire!"

"All units, immediately take up your attack positions and launch a full-scale attack!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong excitedly shouted the order.

"Yes!!!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli and the others were also moved by the fervor and responded loudly.

(End of this chapter)