Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 328 Annihilation of the South Korean Third Division! Supporting Li Yunlong's Eastern Front Assault Group!

Inside and outside Yuantong, on the first line of defense that had just been breached by the Seventh Steel Brigade.
"That felt great, so great!"
Commander, our initial estimate is that we annihilated and captured 4000 South Korean soldiers this time, and wiped out the entire South Korean 23rd Regiment!
It is estimated that 2,000 rifles, 100 light machine guns, 30 heavy machine guns, 200 submachine guns, and more than a dozen mortars can be captured.

However, there aren't many heavy artillery pieces; they're probably all concentrated in Yuantongli by the pseudo-Korean Third Division.

Yu Congrong, carrying a light machine gun, said with a smile.

"We have wiped out the entire 23rd Regiment of the Korean Army. We estimate that they have two other regiments that are hiding in the last line of defense outside Wontong-ri, as well as inside Wontong-ri."

Pinghe thought for a moment and guessed.

Has the Air Force notified them?

"Use incendiary and high-explosive bombs! Give these fake South Korean troops a thorough and complete blast!"

Wu Wanli thought for a moment and then said.

"The air force just finished bombing Yangkou, which is west of Yuantongli, and Huachuan, which is further west."

The next wave of bombers is expected to bomb Yuantongli.

By the way, the friendly forces attacking Yangkou City and Huachuan City are old acquaintances of ours.

These were the 27th Army, commanded by Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Zhao Gang, and the New 8th Army, commanded by Quan Douguang.

In addition to the 12th Army led by Ding Wei and An Changsen, plus the 9th Army led by Lin Zhengshun!

These four armies were temporarily reorganized into the Eastern Route Assault Group, under the unified command of Commander Li Yunlong.

The mission is to defeat the US 2nd Infantry Division currently stationed at Yanggu, west of Wontong-ri, and the New Marine Division at Hwacheon, west of Yanggu, and advance all the way to Chuncheon, the core hub and command post of the UN forces on the eastern front!

Liu Hanqing said.

"From this perspective, it seems that Commander Li Yunlong and his comrades have been close allies with us throughout this journey!"

Their target was Chuncheon, the hub and command center of the US eastern front, to cripple the US eastern defenses.

Our first phase involves a major outflanking maneuver to Jiaping, the junction of the US eastern and western lines, cutting off the US eastern and western lines in half!

In fact, if our infiltration and flanking maneuvers are fast enough, we can block the rear of the US 2nd Division and the 1st New Marine Division on the Eastern Front!

Meanwhile, Commander Li Yunlong and his men were drawing away and containing the main American forces on the eastern front—the 2nd Infantry Division and the 1st New Marine Division!

Gao Daxing thought for a moment and then spoke.

"It's not that simple. Ridgway still has the 1st Cavalry Division and other reserves that he hasn't touched yet."

I heard that the newly formed 1st Army Division is also training North Korean guerrillas in the rear of North Korea. Logically speaking, they shouldn't have finished training by the end of this battle.

But if pushed too far, these new recruits might also be overwhelmed.

Liu Hanqing sighed and said.

"Forget about that. Take Yuantongli first, then we'll move inland to put pressure on the US 2nd Division and the 1st New Marine Division, and help Commander Li Yunlong and his men."

Instruct the air force to accelerate the bombing, using a large number of white phosphorus incendiary bombs to bombard and cover the interior of Yuantongli!

The bombing was slightly reduced by leaving only the south gate as a means of escape, forcing the Third Division of the South Division to flee through the south gate amidst flames and white phosphorus.

I personally led the guard armored battalion to charge straight ahead and crush the Southern Third Division!

Pinghe, you will lead the reconnaissance detachment to outflank them and cut off their retreat.

Yu Congrong, you lead the fire support unit to attack their left flank!

Gao Daxing, you lead the assault detachment to attack their right flank.

This battle must be fought decisively to capture Wontongri and annihilate the entire Puppet Korean Third Division!

After thinking for a moment, Wu Wanli decisively gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone readily agreed and began to act.

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

Shortly after, over Wontong-ri in eastern North Korea.

The clouds were torn apart by a sharp tearing sound, and more than a hundred high-speed moving black dots rapidly magnified.

Chinese Air Force Squadron Leader Wang Wei, alongside Soviet Volunteer Air Force Leader Peter, led a massive air force straight to Wontongri, the last stronghold of the South Korean 3rd Division.

On the public radio channel, Wang Wei's voice was clear, penetrating the roar of the engine:

"Attention all personnel, proceed with the 'burning the city to drive away the wolves' operation at the designated locations."

Target area: Yuantongli core town area and surrounding ring fortifications.

Comrade Peter, you are responsible for using high-explosive shells to precisely eliminate the outer firing points.

My brigade concentrated white phosphorus bombs to cover all buildings and assembly points in the town.

Be careful to avoid the designated location 'South Gate Passage'!
Repeat: The launching of any projectiles is strictly prohibited in the South Gate passage area and its extensions!
The attack waves continue until the target area is saturated with coverage.

Execute immediately!

"Received, Comrade!"

Upon hearing this, Peter immediately agreed.

"Roger that!"

"Roger that!"

"..."

Other air force pilots responded in kind.

Soon, Peter's squadron of planes took the lead in the dive, the roar of the engines turning into a death shriek.

The high-explosive aerial bombs mounted under the wings were precisely released, crashing vertically into the meticulously constructed ring-shaped defense system surrounding Yuantongli with a heavy whooshing sound.

Location of the Northwest Corner Circular Bunker Complex
Two bombs hit the concrete bunker roof almost vertically.

The violent explosion created a massive wave of earth and rocks with a diameter of over thirty meters.

The shockwave instantly destroyed the internal support structure, twisted and snapped the main bunker's steel reinforcements, and threw sandbags, weapon parts, and the remains of soldiers into the air.

The two adjacent auxiliary bunkers could not withstand the impact of the close-range explosion; their roofs cracked and collapsed, and muffled secondary explosions and short screams came from inside.

Southeast-facing snake-belly shaped barbed wire and minefield location

Three high-explosive shells struck the ground one after another at a distance of ten meters.

The explosions created a continuous burst of flames, and the violent shockwaves tore the barbed wire into pieces like paper, sending it flying through the air.

The pre-planted anti-personnel mines were detonated in a chain reaction, and the violent explosions created a murky blast of air mixed with steel fragments and dirt.

A three-meter-deep and five-meter-wide anti-tank trench collapsed completely after being bombarded by three bombs. The wall structure, which was nearly twenty meters long, collapsed entirely.

Earth and rocks poured down, turning what was once an impassable ditch into a gentle slope.

On the heavy machine gun position converted from the Zhenbei brick kiln, a high-explosive shell pierced directly into the firing port of the main bunker.

The explosion instantly crushed and tore the four machine gunners and ammunition handlers inside into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood, twisting the barrel of the Browning M1919 heavy machine gun into a pretzel shape.

The shockwave overturned the outer sandbag walls of the bunker, and the exposed brick and stone structure peeled off and disintegrated piece by piece in the subsequent tremors.

The earth groaned incessantly from the dense explosions, and smoke and dust billowed into the sky, forming a deathly wall of smoke that encircled the town.

After the high-explosive bombs were dropped, Wang Wei's bomber squadron followed in quick succession.

They flew at a lower altitude, and the bomb bay under their fuselage slowly opened.

Nearly a hundred heavy white phosphorus incendiary bombs detached from their racks and fell towards Yuantongli Town below.

The moment the impact made contact, a pale halo suddenly lit up, engulfing the orange-red flames produced by the explosion.

White phosphorus, a chemically highly reactive substance, is partially ignited by friction when falling at high speed through the air.

It violently struck the ground and buildings, exploding and scattering the viscous liquid incendiary agent to every corner within a radius of tens of meters.

In the densely populated area of ​​wooden houses in the east of the town, clusters of Korean-style thatched-roof houses are the most prominent.

The viscous white phosphorus solution splashed onto the dry thatch and instantly ignited a flame exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius.

That wasn't an ordinary orange-red flame, but a blindingly bright, extremely hot white flame.

The roof, like a dried-out paper lantern, suddenly erupted with white flames several meters high.

The wooden beams and pillars quickly charred and turned black in the fire, and the internal structure crackled and popped under the high temperature, breaking and collapsing from the middle.

The heavy roof, along with burning beams, crashed into the house, igniting all flammable materials.

Flames leaped and flowed across the wooden doors and windows, seeping into every inch of space through the cracks.

Large swathes of buildings were set ablaze, forming a white sea of ​​fire, with waves of heat rolling and the scorching air hissing.

The town center features a brick and stone granary and temporary ammunition depot: although the brick walls are relatively fire-resistant.

However, the splashed white phosphorus solution had extremely strong adhesion and burned fiercely on the wall.

The warehouse's massive wooden door was burned through by white flames, and the high-temperature flames rushed into the warehouse.

The mountain of grain sacks was ignited and quickly turned to ashes, releasing charred black smoke.

Even more deadly was that a corner where infantry ammunition was stored was directly ignited by white phosphorus fire, resulting in a massacre!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

In an instant, a series of muffled explosions rang out from the inside out, and several huge holes were blown open in the thick walls of the warehouse, sending fragments flying everywhere.

The flames inside burned even brighter, spewing out human remains and scalding hot shell fragments from the explosion.

White phosphorus incendiary bombs are most terrifying to exposed personnel in streets, bunkers, and foxholes.

A squad of South Korean soldiers had just rushed out of their hiding place to try to put out the fire when a few drops of splashed white phosphorus liquid landed on some of them.

The viscous white flames immediately clung to clothing and skin like maggots, burning fiercely, and the South Korean soldiers let out heart-wrenching, inhuman screams.

They frantically slapped and rolled with their hands, but this only expanded the burning area and burned their palms.

The skin and muscles rapidly carbonized and turned black at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, revealing the stark white bones.

Within seconds, the tumbling and struggling posture turned into a charred human figure curled up on the ground, convulsing, with a strong, pungent smell of burnt flesh and chemicals filling the air.

A makeshift bunker dug on a street corner, white phosphorus incendiary agent flowing in through the grenade throwing port.

The five South Korean soldiers crammed inside were instantly engulfed by the white flames and suffocating gas that erupted in the narrow space, leaving only a few faint groans.

At this moment, the entire town of Yuantongli was engulfed in a fiery inferno.

White flames raged, thick smoke blotted out the sky, and the air was so hot and thin that it was suffocating.

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

In the center of Yuantongli town, the only division command post reinforced with one meter-thick steel and concrete.

Major Kim Myung-cheol, the operations staff officer, practically slammed open the heavy blast-proof iron door and rushed in, his voice hoarse from coughing violently due to inhaling smoke and dust.

"Commander! It's...it's a white phosphorus bomb!"
The Chinese...want to burn all the soldiers in our town alive!

Division Commander Park Sung-hwan lunged toward the only hidden observation hole on the vault wall, which had been modified from a periscope.

With just one glance, his body trembled violently, and his pupils contracted sharply with fear.

There was no longer a clear street view, only a rolling, twisting incandescent flame and thick smoke!
Collapsed and burning houses, and "human torches" writhing and crawling on the street, their bodies ablaze.

Sporadic flashes of light from explosions, and through the smoke, the faint outlines of figures twitching and turning black in the flames...

That hellish scene far surpassed the most terrifying nightmare of his military career.

Chief of Staff Brigadier General Kim Jae-woo's voice was trembling, though he tried his best to suppress it as he spoke:

"Commander! To the south... towards the main road leading out of town! There were no explosions! Only a few strafing shots! Air Force reconnaissance has confirmed this repeatedly!"
They...they deliberately left a way out!
This is...this is a trap!
They want us to rush out and get ourselves into their trap!

Division Commander Park Sung-hwan slammed his fist on the iron war table, causing the water glass on it to jump.
"To stay or die!"
"If we stay here, the entire Third Division will be reduced to charcoal in two hours at most!!"

Just as their eyes met, and despair and choice clashed fiercely in their gazes, the radio suddenly erupted with the near-collapse screams of Kim Tae-hwan, the commander of the 25th Regiment:
"...Commander! Save me...My regiment is finished!"

3rd Battalion...3rd Battalion's last bunker...white phosphorus smoke is seeping in...ah...help..."

In an instant, the signal stopped abruptly, leaving only a deathly hum.

The core command unit of a main South Korean regiment has clearly been annihilated.

The intermittent cries from the last hell on earth completely shattered Park Sung-hwan's last shred of hesitation and rational weighing of the pros and cons.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a guttural roar into the communicator:

"All divisions, listen to my command! Break out to the south! To the south!"
The road outside the target town leads to Fupingli, behind the Second National Military Medical University!
Abandon all heavy equipment!
Supply battalion, medical battalion... everyone!

"Everyone retreat to the south gate! Immediately! Right now!"

"Commander, the guard battalion is ready and can escort the division headquarters out of Yuantongli at any time."

At this moment, the battalion commander of the guard battalion shouted loudly.

"Well done, clever!"

"Move out immediately! We don't have much time left!"

Upon hearing this, Division Commander Park Sung-hwan's eyes flashed with surprise as he spoke, putting on his general's cap and quickly walking outside.

"Yes!"

The battalion commander of the guard battalion immediately agreed.

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

The order to "break out" severed the last line of fighting will of the remaining South Korean troops, instantly igniting an even more chaotic and brutal torrent of survival.

Tens of thousands of South Korean soldiers, stunned and terrified by the bombing, poured out of every burning corner, every collapsed bunker, and every alleyway in the town.

They abandoned their rifles and grenade launchers; some even lost their helmets as they ran away. All that remained in their eyes was extreme fear and a desperate longing for the faint hope of survival at the south gate.

The 2nd Battalion of the 24th Regiment, which was originally guarding the South Gate passage, was completely overwhelmed by the desperate crowd within minutes of the order being given.

South Korean military officers who tried to maintain order were pushed and trampled by the crowd, and their orders were drowned out by the cries and curses of countless people.

At this moment, panic spread like a plague.

The main street, Central Avenue, which is only eight meters wide, instantly transformed into the veins of hell.

The defeated South Korean soldiers huddled together, pushing, squeezing, and trampling.

A combat engineer platoon leader carrying a flamethrower was violently knocked down by the crowd behind him. The heavy fuel tank shattered on the ground, and the leaking napalm was ignited by sparks from the running soldiers!

With a loud "boom," a ten-meter-long fire dragon swept across the ground, instantly engulfing the crowded group of more than twenty soldiers in the center of the flames.

The piercing screams were short and rapid, then swallowed up by the sound of the flames exploding.

The burning shops on both sides of the street collapsed under the pressure, and the burning bricks and wood crashed into the fleeing crowd, causing more chaos and casualties.

The heavily wounded soldier was trampled on by countless feet, and the sound of bones shattering could be clearly heard.

The narrow passageway became even more congested and trampled.

A Browning M1917 water-cooled heavy machine gun, mounted on a sandbag fortification, was knocked to the ground by the surging crowd from the side.

The heavy gun barrel and triangular wheel slammed into the chest of the assistant gunner who was loading the gun, and the crisp sound of ribs collapsing could be clearly heard. Blood spurted from the assistant gunner's mouth and nose, and his eyeballs bulged out.

The crowd ignored the obstacles, mechanically stumbling over the fallen machine guns and corpses.

The heavy wooden south gate had long been destroyed, leaving only the frame, but now this archway has become a bottleneck restricting traffic.

The surging crowds here experienced a terrifying "embolism".

People behind pushed and shoved forward, while those in front were pinned against the door frame or even suspended in mid-air, unable to breathe. Many suffered broken ribs and suffocated on the spot.

Within seconds of the crowd reaching its peak, a nearly impenetrable human wall archway was briefly formed!
Park Sung-hwan's command convoy had only just set off.

The convoy consisted of three convertible Willys Jeeps and two large trucks, with Park Sung-hwan and Kim Jae-woo riding in the lead Jeep.

The convoy didn't even get fifty meters before it was completely blocked by the surging, defeated crowd on the street ahead.

The driver honked the horn frantically, but the piercing sound seemed insignificant amidst the explosions and screams.

"Get out of the way! Let the division commander leave!"

Battalion Commander Park Jae-hoon leaned out of the passenger seat, brandishing his American-made M3 Gade submachine gun and shouting.

But at this moment, the instinct for survival overwhelmed all notions of hierarchy.

The panicked South Korean soldiers recognized the vehicle as their division commander's and, in desperation, rushed forward, pleading, "Take us away!"

"Commander! Take me with you!"

"Please, give me a way to live!"

The shouts were mixed with sobs.

Several, a dozen, even dozens of hands, covered in blood and mud, clung to the hood, doors, and fenders of the jeep.

The car body shook violently.

The driver's view was completely blocked by arms clinging desperately to the windshield and faces contorted in terror. Some even tried to climb directly onto the truck bed.

Park Jae-hoon first fired a burst of M3 submachine gun bullets into the air, but the sound of the gunshot was drowned out by the noise.

The crowd that tried to hitch a ride became even more frantic!
A South Korean soldier had already leaned his upper body into the back seat next to Park Sung-hwan and Kim Jae-woo!

A ruthless glint flashed in Kim Jae-woo's eyes. He abruptly stood up, shoved aside the soldier who had almost grabbed Park Sung-hwan's shoulder, and leaped into the back of an M35 truck behind him.

Inside the carriage, several communications soldiers were crouching down, nervously clutching their radios.

Kim Jae-woo roughly shoved aside the soldier blocking the way at the rear of the carriage, grabbed the gun handle, and pulled back the heavy bolt!
His hands, veins bulging, roared at the crowd crammed below and behind the carriage:
"Get out of the way! Anyone who blocks your path will die!"

The South Korean soldiers did not react; their will to survive outweighed their fear of their commander's gun.

"Tap tap tap tap tap tap...!"

The deep, resonant roar of the M2 heavy machine gun suddenly rang out!

The large 12.7mm bullet easily tore through the human body, leaving behind plumes of blood mist and fragments of flesh and bone.

Kim Jae-woo fired horizontally at a slight angle to the left and right, the deadly line of fire sweeping across the crowd.

The person hit felt as if struck by an invisible hammer, their limbs instantly shattered and separated, their upper body exploded, and their lower torso continued to tilt forward before collapsing.

The dense crowd blocking the back of the truck fell like wheat cut by a sickle, and more than fifteen people were riddled with bullets in an instant!

Blood, flesh, and viscera fragments sprayed onto vehicles, walls, and people nearby.

The brief bursts of machine gun fire, resulting in bloodshed and a hellish scene, had a tremendous deterrent effect. Seeing this, the frantically thronging crowd instinctively pushed back to the sides of the street, forcibly creating a blood-soaked, narrow passage behind the vehicles.

Park Jae-hoon's eyes also turned red. When he saw several arms still clinging tightly to the window of the division commander's jeep, he directly pressed the muzzle of his M3 submachine gun against the other man's face through the glass.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The 9mm bullet pierced the car window and entered the soldier's head and neck, splattering brain matter and blood onto the shattered glass.

Taking advantage of the moment when the crowd was stunned and pushed back by the machine gun fire, Park Sung-hwan's jeep driver slammed on the gas pedal, and the engine roared forward, crushing the bodies of several wounded soldiers who were still convulsing on the ground.

The truck followed closely behind, its heavy wheels relentlessly crushing the corpse with a sickening crunch of bones.

At the same time, Park Jae-hoon's guard battalion soldiers also began firing M1 carbines and Thompson submachine guns at any dangerous individuals on either side of the convoy who attempted to approach again.

The crisp sounds of automatic weapons clashing mingled with the roar of heavy machine guns.

Several more South Korean soldiers who attempted to forcibly climb or block the convoy were shot down by their own troops.

Crushing through a path paved with blood and entrails, the convoy finally struggled to break through the hellish archway at the south gate of Yuantongli!

When the convoy sped onto the dirt road in the relatively open hilly area outside the town, Park Sung-hwan in the jeep almost collapsed in the back seat, his throat filled with the taste of blood.

He looked back and saw that the south gate exit was still bustling with people, and the chaotic swarms of soldiers, like an ant colony, were still rushing out.

But at least, they were temporarily away from the core of that white-flame hell.

"Rumble————"

However, at that moment, the sound of a group of tanks advancing in the distance could be heard.

Wu Wanli's armored guard battalion has appeared in front of these South Korean soldiers!
Jeep
"Holy crap! How can the Chinese have so many tanks?!"
Quick, quickly change direction and retreat...

Upon seeing this, Division Commander Park Sung-hwan's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in shock.

He had a premonition that the Chinese army would ambush them, but he thought it would be nothing more than light infantry, and their convoy would still have a chance to break through.

But then, dozens of tanks arrived!
"Commander, something terrible has happened! According to telegrams sent back from other locations, our retreat has been cut off, and our flanks are also filled with Chinese troops!"

Chief of Staff Kim Jae-woo interrupted in a panic.

"Ah, move to the small hill next door and call for support from the Second Division of the US Army in Yangkou City to the west!"

No, the 1st Marine Division on the west side of Yangkou should also call for backup. Anyone who can come to our aid will be greatly appreciated!

Upon seeing this, Division Commander Park Sung-hwan immediately gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Kim Jae-woo quickly agreed.
After receiving the order, the South Korean military guard convoy immediately turned around and drove towards a small hill in the distance.

In the distance, at the forefront of the tank formation, inside tank number one.
"Wanli, these South Korean troops are trying to hold their ground on the hillside and wait for reinforcements!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Hanqing, who was also serving as a gunner, immediately offered a reminder.

"All tanks, full speed ahead! Rush them!"
In prehistoric times, you would lead your guard battalion in a charge, and you must defeat them as quickly as possible.
Thunder God, the artillery detachment is bombarding the hillside below (XXX, XXX), with artillery fire cut off!
Yu Congrong, Gao Daxing, Pinghe, you should compress the encirclement from the other three sides and launch a general offensive to wipe them out in one fell swoop!
There are too many people this time, don't take prisoners!

Wu Wanli glanced at the Tianyan map and immediately gave the order.

"Yes!"

The radio immediately picked up responses from the crowd.

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

Before long, artillery shells from the artillery detachment, with precise trajectories, slammed into the small hill and its surroundings, the last hope of the remnants of the Third Division of the Han Army.

In an instant, the relatively flat area at the foot of the hill on the east side, suitable for temporary defensive construction, was completely submerged by countless violent explosions.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

The high-explosive grenades exploded almost one after another, creating waves of dust mixed with torn vegetation and hidden rubble.

Several South Korean light trucks, attempting to drive into the area to establish a temporary blocking point, were thrown into the air along with their drivers in a flash of fire.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy, muffled sound came from the western cliff, the result of an implosion caused by a delayed-fuze shell penetrating deep into the rock.

Visible cracks spread across the steep cliff face in an instant, and with a loud "crackling" sound, large chunks of rock were torn apart, tumbled, and fell!
The massive rain of falling rocks completely blocked the key pass on the hillside leading further into the rear, which was also the only possible retreat or direct artillery support from the US 2nd Division.

The narrow passage was completely blocked by rubble several stories high, and smoke and dust billowed into the sky, cutting off the last retreat route for the remaining troops.

At the same time, the driver of Tank Number One roared and slammed his right foot down on the accelerator pedal.

Tank Number One, with an unstoppable and tyrannical momentum, fiercely pierced the wave of people composed of desperate, routed soldiers!
The other tanks behind also followed at full speed, their target the South Korean convoy ahead.

Wu Wanli leaned out of the turret command port, his gaze fixed on the three jeeps surrounding two trucks in front of him through the dual vision of the telescope and the Sky Eye map.

From the top-down view of the Sky Eye Map, the small convoy was frantically squeezed by countless black dots representing the fleeing army in all directions.

"Bearing 30 degrees to the right front! Distance 500! Three jeeps! The middle one, the one with the big antenna! Prepare armor-piercing rounds!"

Prehistoric! A South Korean heavy machine gun emplacement is being built 300 meters to the left flank! Two guns! Threatening the flank of the guard battalion! Send a squad with bazookas to take them out immediately!

After reviewing the map of the Sky Eye, Wu Wanli immediately gave the order over the radio.

Almost simultaneously with the order being given, Liu Hanqing had already violently turned the massive tank turret to the left, the muzzle of the gun steadily pointing at the open-top jeep with a conspicuous long whip-shaped communication antenna on its front.

The coaxial heavy machine gun next to the main gun was also slightly adjusted, its dark muzzle locked onto the crowd guarding the jeep.

The loader forcefully shoved a whistling armor-piercing shell into the breech, accompanied by a metallic clang as the shell was loaded and a heavy clatter as the breechblock closed.

"fire!"

Seeing that everything was ready, Wu Wanli immediately gave the order.

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing instinctively slammed his right foot down on the firing pedal!

"Boom!!!"

The entire Tank No. 1 was violently thrown backward with a deafening roar, as if it had been hit by an invisible, heavy punch!
The massive muzzle exploded into a ball of orange-red flames and thick smoke, several meters in diameter, and the scorching air currents whipped up the mud, ash, and gravel in front of it, violently hurling it at the vehicle.

The high-speed armor-piercing projectile tore through the air and, with extreme speed and precision, pierced the engine compartment of the Willys Jeep less than 400 meters away!
“Bang!!!!”

A loud explosion of metal deforming and shattering!
The front half of the jeep was as if it had been hit hard by an invisible giant hammer, instantly twisting, collapsing and disintegrating!
Hot engine fragments, broken metal components, scalding coolant, and engine oil exploded and splashed like fireworks.

The immense kinetic energy propelled the entire wreckage backward by nearly a meter, forcefully overturning the cab of a truck full of soldiers behind it.

A thick plume of black smoke, accompanied by sparks, rose violently from inside the shattered vehicle.

The flames instantly engulfed the engine area and spread to the cockpit and rear seats.

The figure of the Third Division Commander was violently thrown out of the back seat of the convertible by the shock wave, rolling and crashing next to the wheel of the truck that had been knocked askew behind him.

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Kim Jae-woo was still stuck in the severely deformed passenger seat, his whole body engulfed in flames, emitting a shrill and inhuman scream.

"Hit! Target core eliminated!"

Seeing this, Liu Hanqing smiled and said.

"Keep charging! Keep bombing!"

Wu Wanli nodded and roared.

Upon hearing this, the driver of Tank Number One slammed on the accelerator again, and the heavy steel roared and charged forward once more.

Under Liu Hanqing's control, the tank's turret turned without hesitation toward another jeep that was trying to turn around and avoid it!
At the same time, the coaxial heavy machine gun, controlled by the secondary gunner, began to roar wildly!

"Da da da da da..."

Bullets from the vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun rained down on the guards around the first jeep who had luckily escaped being destroyed by the main gun.

The bullet easily tore through flesh and blood, and a dense cloud of exploding blood mist instantly rose into an eerie red rain in that narrow area.

South Korean guards who tried to protect their commander fell in droves, their fragile bodies easily torn apart by heavy machine gun fire.

Soldiers who tried to approach the inferno to rescue others were mercilessly pinned to the ground by bullets.

"Vehicle number 11! Target: the truck compartment on the left!"

Grenades, suppress the anti-aircraft machine gun on the roof!
......"

Using the global perspective of the Sky Eye Map, Wu Wanli precisely allocated each force and gave orders over the radio.

The cannon of Pershing tank No. 11 suddenly spewed flames, and a high-explosive shell accurately struck the cargo box of the second South Korean truck, which was piled with luggage and South Korean soldiers.

The blast wave and debris completely engulfed the entire carriage, and the American M2 anti-aircraft machine gun that had just been set up, along with the machine gunner next to it, were instantly blown into a cloud of blood mist and twisted scrap metal.

The carriage was filled with screams and howls, and blood and gore everywhere.

Almost simultaneously, near the shallow ditch where the reconnaissance detachment was concealed in the distance, a burst of rifle fire and short bursts of submachine gun fire suddenly rang out, mixed with brief screams and muffled sounds of being hit by bullets from the South Korean soldiers.

Clearly, Pinghe's snipers and reconnaissance specialists instantly suppressed the recoilless rifle team that attempted a sneak attack.

The remaining soldiers of the South Korean guard battalion finally regained some of their senses from the shock of their command center being wiped out in an instant.

Some were completely crushed by the cruel reality, abandoned their weapons, and rushed towards the hillside like headless flies, only to be mercilessly swept to the ground by the guard battalion soldiers who ran into them with bayonets and submachine guns.

Another group was aroused by the bloody scene, which stirred up the ferocity of trapped beasts.

"Damn it! Let's fight them!"

Several South Korean officers let out desperate roars, trying to organize skirmish lines that relied on the wreckage of trucks and a few low boulders for resistance.

At the rear of a truck with minor frontal damage, three South Korean soldiers, under the scolding of their officer, were dragging a heavy Browning M1919 water-cooled machine gun and attempting to mount it behind a wooden crate at the rear of the truck.

"Clang clang clang! Puff puff puff!"

A series of loud crashes and the sound of metal tearing suddenly rang out around the wreckage of the truck!
That was the coaxial machine gun of the No. 1 tank precisely suppressing this newly formed point of resistance with burst fire!
Bullets struck the truck's metal, sending up dazzling sparks. The sound of bullets whistling through wooden crates filled the air as South Korean soldiers hidden behind them were struck by stray bullets that pierced through the crates, causing their bodies to convulse.

The heavy machine gun had just raised its barrel when a burst of accurate machine gun fire snapped the tripod support, causing it to crash heavily to the ground.

"Prehistoric! A pile of rocks to your left! An anti-tank team is loading rocket launchers! Quick!"

Through his binoculars, Wu Wanli clearly captured a South Korean soldier pulling a bazooka rocket launcher from an ammunition box, while the loader next to him hurriedly took a long, thin, cylindrical warhead from his backpack.

The elite guard squad led by Shiqian had already rushed to within about twenty meters to the right of Tank No. 1.

Upon hearing the order, the bombardier beside the prehistoric man did not hesitate at all. He pulled out the fuse, swung his arm, and threw it hard.

A heavy anti-tank grenade, trailing white smoke, traced a high arc and landed precisely behind the makeshift shelter made up of two boulders and scattered truck parts!

"Boom!"

A dull yet extremely destructive explosion rang out!

Instead of towering flames, a powerful shockwave carrying rubble, weapon parts, and human fragments erupted from behind the pile of stones.

The South Korean squad that had just raised their rocket launcher to aim at the tank was wiped out on the spot, along with their weapons.

At that very moment, the assault detachment led by Gao Daxing, like a sharp steel knife, slashed fiercely into the chaotic right flank of the South Korean army from the southeast!
More than two hundred elite soldiers, wearing helmets and carrying Garand rifles and Thompson submachine guns, formed skirmish assault formations in groups of three.

Under Gao Daxing's command, they cooperated extremely well, advancing, covering, suppressing, and leaping forward with swift and effective movements, demonstrating their seasoned marksmanship.

Their charge pierced the already fragile flank defenses of the South Korean army, forcing a large number of South Korean soldiers on the right flank to squeeze inward in panic, further exacerbating the chaos in the center.

“Da da da da—!”

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"boom!"

Gunfire and explosions suddenly intensified on the right flank of the South Korean army.

Gao Daxing's assault detachment continued to break through the defenses and expand their gains.

Wherever they went, the disorganized and demoralized South Korean troops were unable to mount any effective resistance and could only retreat in panic, leaving behind piles of corpses.

This was not just a physical attack, but also a complete destruction of the remaining psychological defenses of the South Korean army.

Almost at the same time that Gao Daxing launched his attack, Yu Congrong's artillery detachment advanced steadily on the west side like a rock.

Instead of charging directly, they took advantage of the terrain to quickly set up light and heavy machine guns, which, together with mortar teams, formed a powerful crossfire network and a mobile wall of fire on the western front.

"All, all, all!"

"Thump thump thump—thump!"

The dense barrage of machine gun bullets was like a real steel rainstorm, pouring down on any South Korean troops attempting to organize resistance or move towards the central core.

The mortars skillfully fired high-explosive shells, accurately striking any discovered South Korean heavy artillery positions and densely populated areas, with each explosion causing small-scale casualties.

Yu Congrong's loud voice was clearly transmitted back to the command channel via walkie-talkie:
"The firepower suppression network is in place! This pig's tail on the west side is completely nailed down! If they dare to raise their heads, they're dead!"

His fire support unit was like a steel noose that was tightening, so that as the remaining South Korean troops in the center struggled westward, they were met only by a storm of bullets.

The mortar explosions kicked up mud mixed with human remains, turning this area into a veritable death zone.

Pinghe's reconnaissance detachment, like a silent ghost, appeared on the northwest side of the battlefield and in the outer perimeter.

Instead of launching a large-scale assault, they operated in small groups, using the complex terrain riddled with artillery fire, craters, and ruins as cover, acting calmly and deadly.

They prioritized eliminating junior South Korean officers who were trying to gather people and reorganize their ranks, thus cutting off any possibility of the remaining troops forming an organization.

Precise rifle shots rang out from unexpected ruins or thickets, accompanied by bursts of blood from South Korean soldiers' heads or gaping holes in their chests.

In addition, their task was to seal any small gaps that could lead to the area blocked by falling rocks, like nails firmly driven into the vicinity of the South Korean army's last escape route.

Any South Korean skirmishers attempting to approach this area would be met with precise close-range fire. Several bodies lying at the entrance to the hillside path silently declared that the road was impassable.

At that moment, the gun barrel of Tank No. 1 had already locked onto another South Korean jeep that was trying to avoid the impact.

The driver of this vehicle was clearly skilled; amidst the chaos caused by the firing of other tanks, he managed to barely evade the threat of the first round of artillery fire, attempting to use several truck wrecks and a raised embankment as cover.

"Three points! Behind the embankment! That jeep! High-explosive bomb! Quick!"

Wu Wanli looked at the Tianyan map and gave a stern order.

The turret spun rapidly, and the muzzle pressed down slightly.

The loader quickly loaded the shell, and the heavy shell was chambered again.

"boom--!"

The blazing flames erupted once more.

The shell flew past the edge of the earthen embankment, with a precisely calculated lead, and exploded violently less than three meters from where the jeep had just sped out of the embankment!

"Clang! Boom!"

The massive blast wave overturned and tore the heavy military jeep apart!
Tires, doors, and debris flew through the air along with human limbs, and the vehicle disintegrated during the continuous rolling, eventually turning into a fiercely burning fireball.

Two figures writhing on fire could be vaguely seen among the wreckage, but they were quickly engulfed by the flames.

The vehicle, which carried the last few core staff officers of the division headquarters and a key regimental-level officer who was trying to meet Park Sung-hwan, was now completely destroyed.

The core command of the South Korean military has now been completely wiped out!

"All guards! Follow the tanks! Crush them!"

Wu Wanli's roar echoed through the radio and penetrated the gaps in the tank hatch, inspiring the soldiers who followed the tank in its charge.

In response, Shiqian roared a deafening "Kill—!" and charged into the core of the collapsing South Korean army like a tiger descending a mountain.

The Thompson submachine gun in his hand, polished to a gleaming shine, spat fire, and his precise three-round bursts continuously felled the South Korean soldiers in front of him.

The guards behind him, like a pack of enraged wolves, roared and charged, carrying Thompson and Sten submachine guns, following closely behind the tanks that had carved out a bloody path, fiercely cutting into the chaotic South Korean troops.

Tank tracks rolled and machine gun fire cleared the way ahead, while the guard battalion soldiers followed with submachine gun fire and bayonet charges.

The brutal slaughter of infantry and tanks combined was vividly displayed at this moment.

A South Korean machine gunner was run over by the tracks of a rampaging No. 1 tank, his lower body turning into a bloody pulp, his screams heart-wrenching.

Another South Korean officer had just raised his pistol to aim at Wu Wanli, who was visible through the tank's command tower, when a burst of fire from Shi Qian's position shattered his wrist.

The moment the pistol flew from his hand, the bayonet of a guard battalion soldier had already pierced his neck from the side.

A South Korean soldier attempting to fire his rifle from the wreckage of a truck was blown into the air by a grenade accurately thrown by a guard battalion soldier.

The entire battlefield turned into a bloody, hellish slaughterhouse.

Terrified screams, desperate pleas for mercy, desperate curses, the muffled thud of bayonets piercing flesh, the explosions of guns, the roar of tank engines... all sorts of sounds mingled together.

The battle lasted another hour, and the entire Third Division of the Korean Army was completely annihilated by the Seventh Steel Brigade!

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

Inside the temporary command post of the Seventh Steel Brigade, outside Yuantongli.
"Wanli, as you requested, the entire Third Southern Division was annihilated, with no prisoners!"

The weapons and ammunition captured in this battle were numerous, enough to arm a brigade!
But we can't take that many with us. What should we do? Should we give them to the Korean People's Army behind us?

Liu Hanqing asked.

"No way! We can't fight and shed blood only to have our spoils given to other countries' armies."

Arrange for some people to guard the area, and notify Commander Li Yunlong and others to send people to receive the personnel.

They'll be fighting for a long time, and they'll definitely wear out a lot of weapons. This will be a good opportunity to replenish their supplies.

Wu Wanli shook his head and immediately gave the order.

"Commander, now that we've taken Yuantongli, should we continue our advance into Xihuli as planned?"
If we advance in that direction, we can get close to Chuncheon, the command center on the eastern front, and use that as a deterrent.

Then we'll launch a blitzkrieg attack on Gapin, the key junction between the UN forces' eastern and western fronts, and achieve our objective!

Yu Congrong thought for a moment, then said with a fighting spirit in his eyes.

"Your approach is much simpler. You've planned for the UN forces to remain completely still and not send any elite troops to encircle us."

Not to mention Ridgway's 1st Mechanized Cavalry Division reserve, the US 7th Division in Chuncheon City might have to fight us in a fierce battle.

Order the entire army to advance towards Hwacheon City and Fupyong-ri behind Yangkou City, cut off the retreat route of the US 2nd Division and the New Marine 1st Division, and make them panic.

At that time, we can also cooperate with Commanders Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei to fight against the US 2nd Division and the New Marine 1st Division.

At least force them to the west or rear, so that Commander Li Yunlong's eastern flank attack group can advance alongside us and provide support.

Otherwise, even if we succeed in our long detour, we will become an isolated force.

This time, it's not the rear of the 100,000 UN troops during the Four Crossings of the Han River; this time, it's the rear of hundreds of thousands of UN troops. The enemy's firepower and manpower have been greatly strengthened.

Wu Wanli frowned and waved his hand, thinking of the fate of the 180th Division in history.

"yes!!!

"Charge towards Fuping Village, behind Huachuan City and Yangkou City, to support Commander Li Yunlong!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately responded.

(End of this chapter)