Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 331: Defeating the British Army, Blitzkrieg at Fuping-ri, Armored Groups Unleash Their Power!
Eagle Valley ambush position

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham pursed his thin lips and raised his binoculars to look into the distance.

Through the lens, on the distant horizon, figures in khaki military uniforms march steadily and resolutely toward the entrance of Eagle Valley.

"God, the Seventh Steel Corps of China has arrived. I hope I can survive..."

A young lieutenant next to him involuntarily gasped, his voice trembling slightly.

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham abruptly lowered his binoculars, waved his hand, and shouted, "All personnel, prepare for battle!"

"Splash! Crack!"

The trigger safety of the Lee-Enfield rifle was disengaged, and the bolt was pulled back to chamber a round.

The heavy stock of the Bren light machine gun was pressed firmly against the shoulder of a British soldier, and a series of tight, suppressed metallic clanging sounds rang out in the narrow ambush area.

Every figure in a khaki combat uniform instinctively lowered their body, pressing themselves against the cold rocks or damp soil.

The British soldiers gripped their cold weapon handles tightly, their palms sticky with sweat.

My heart felt like a war drum being violently struck by drumsticks, pounding against my ribs, almost leaping out of my throat.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the direction of the valley entrance, tense with anxiety.

Beckham's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He turned sharply and growled at the liaison officer beside him, "Princeton, tell me, where exactly is our air power?!"
They should have arrived and been circling ten minutes ago!

"The Chinese forwards are practically walking right into our firing pocket!"

Liaison Officer Princeton looked equally grim. He kept adjusting the frequency of the radio headset under his helmet, puzzled, and said, "Signal reception is normal, Lieutenant Colonel!"

Theoretically...theoretically they should have arrived already!

My God, no matter what, the Chinese are already at the sniping position; there's no way the US fighter jets are still dawdling on their way!

As if to confirm Major Princeton's almost prayerful words, a deep and continuous rumble suddenly came from the southern sky.

“Buzz buzz buzz buzz——”

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham, the Princeton liaison officer, and countless tense British soldiers almost simultaneously looked up at the sky, which was gradually being shrouded in a huge shadow.

Fifty U.S. military aircraft brazenly entered the airspace above Eagle Valley in a fierce formation!
"They're here! They're our support fighter jets!"

"The Chinese are doomed! Just wait to be bombed!"

"Can their boasted steely will really stand up to a real steel machine gun swarm? Hahahahaha..."

In an instant, an uncontrollable cheer erupted from the position.

The tension on the faces of many British soldiers was instantly replaced by the ecstatic joy of surviving a close call. Their backs seemed to straighten a bit, and their fingers subconsciously steadied the muzzles of their guns that had been trembling from waiting.

However, this newly ignited flame of hope burned for less than ten seconds before being extinguished by the roar of an even larger group of fighter jets!

Just before the US aircraft were about to dive, the Chinese aircraft tore through the clouds and entered the battlefield at high speed with overwhelming force!
The lead Wanli-1 fighter jet performed a light roll, its canopy reflecting the cold sunlight as if issuing a silent command.

The entire formation then dispersed, quickly seizing altitude and attack positions, instantly bringing the newly arrived US aircraft into its attack envelope!
"MiG! Chinese MiG fighter jets! Good heavens! Judging by appearances, they have way more than we do!"

The Princeton liaison officer's exclamation rang in Lieutenant Colonel Beckham's ears.

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham's face was ashen, and his hand holding the binoculars was stiff.

The telescope lens clearly reflected the despairing contrast of numbers in the sky:

The larger but less maneuverable P-51 and A-26 were quickly divided, entangled, and pursued by the overwhelmingly numerous MiG fighters.

An A-26 attack aircraft didn't even have time to release its bombs before it exploded into a huge fireball in mid-air, torn apart by cannon fire from several Chinese fighter jets.

On the ground ambush positions, the newly ignited flame of courage among the British soldiers was completely extinguished by the cold hail that fell from the sky.

All the British soldiers who were looking up were stunned, their mouths agape, their eyes filled with unfathomable fear.

The Chinese military deployed a powerful escort force in advance!

They not only knew they would be attacked from the air, but they even set up anti-ambush air combat traps!

At this moment, at the entrance to the valley on the ground.

Ping He, the captain of the reconnaissance detachment of the Seventh Steel Corps, was leading his most elite reconnaissance troops swiftly and cautiously through the valley entrance area.

The arrow is on the string and must be fired!
The sudden reversal of air superiority gave Lieutenant Colonel Beckham no time to breathe or hesitate.

Looking down at the Chinese army's reconnaissance troops penetrating deeper into the ambush zone, even with the unfavorable air situation, ground combat had already been inevitable!
He abruptly averted his gaze from the sky, his teeth almost grinding to powder, and a low growl, filled with resentment and a desperate resolve, escaped his chest:

"Fire! Take them down!"

On both sides of the ridge, British light machine guns, mortars, and snipers, who had been poised to fire, reflexively pulled their triggers.

"Da da da da da..."

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

The steady bursts of Lee-Enfield rifles, the rapid bursts of Bren light machine guns, and the muffled firing of 2-inch and 3-inch mortars rang out simultaneously.

The valley was instantly filled with the whistling of bullets cutting through the air at high speed and the booming of shells hitting the ground.

A dense hail of bullets and flying shrapnel rushed toward the Pinghe Reconnaissance Detachment, which was deploying its battle formation at the entrance of the valley.

"Hidden! Hidden!"

Pinghe roared, then nimbly rolled to the side, hiding himself behind a huge rock, the cold stone rubbing against his back.

The well-trained scouts reacted quickly, immediately seeking the nearest cover amidst a cacophony of warnings and curses.

But this fierce first wave of fire did indeed halt their advance and reveal their position.

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham looked down at the Chinese reconnaissance soldiers, and the fighting fervor that had been almost crushed by fear briefly rekindled in his heart.

Perhaps we can still drive them away?

Perhaps a mid-air dogfight could turn the tide...

The moment this thought arose, a roar, completely different from the machine guns in the air, came from the depths of the earth, growing louder as it approached!

For veterans of the battlefield, this sound was as familiar as the prelude to death—the salvo of heavy artillery!
"God! No—!"

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham felt a chill run from his tailbone straight to the top of his head, and his blood seemed to freeze at that moment.

He frantically lunged back at the binoculars, looking in the direction from which the cannon fire was coming, only to see a cloud of smoke rising from the distant mountain valley.

Almost as soon as he could see the cloud of smoke, the sharp, chilling sound of artillery shells whistling through the air grew louder and louder, enveloping the entire Eagle Valley ambush site!

The British soldiers, who had just been congratulating themselves on their advantageous terrain, were now horrified to discover that the most deadly blow did not come from the enemy right under their noses, but from the back of the mountains beyond their sight!
Their meticulously constructed reverse-slope bunkers and concealed fortifications were like targets drawn on paper in the face of the enemy's precise artillery fire.

"Take cover!!! Artillery fire!!! It's a howitzer!!!"

On the British lines, the hysterical screams of officers at all levels were instantly drowned out by the deafening explosions.

"call out--------"

The first wave of test-fired shells, accompanied by a piercing whistle, landed precisely on a sloping depression less than fifty meters in front of the ambush position.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The violent explosion sent up a wave of earth and rocks more than ten meters high, and the huge shockwave instantly tore a large hole in the nearest makeshift sandbag bunker.

The two British soldiers hiding behind them didn't even have time to scream before they were torn to pieces by the surging blast and shrapnel.

Immediately afterwards, the sky seemed to be completely enveloped by countless chains of fire!
The true main attack has begun!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

The deafening roar of the heavy artillery barrage, so dense that individual sounds were almost indistinguishable, swept across the entire ambush site like a thunderstorm!
The earth trembled and groaned violently under the intense shockwave!
The visible shockwave from the soil and rocks spread rapidly from the explosion point like ripples.

The enormous kinetic energy and explosive charge of a howitzer shell make it the most effective destroyer of fortifications.

The meticulously dug foxholes, the shallow earthen and wooden bunkers, and the light machine gun positions built by relying on the gaps in the rocks were as fragile as paper at this moment!

Every earth-shaking explosion was accompanied by the complete disintegration of the civil engineering structure!
The log support beam was blown in half, and the collapsing mud and rubble instantly buried the British soldiers hiding inside.

The camouflage netting, along with the wooden frames supporting them, was torn into rags and sharp wood chips that flew everywhere.

The sandbags used to hold the mortar in place were blown into the air by the enormous impact, and the soil inside mixed with fragments of soldiers' bodies fell down.

The scorching, sharp shrapnel, accompanied by a piercing "whoosh" sound, sparked against the mountain rock face, mercilessly piercing through the thin wooden planks of the fortifications and even human bodies, drawing out deadly hot winds in the air!

Each explosion sent up a shockwave that filled the sky with debris, mud, severed limbs, and bits of vegetation.

The air was instantly filled with high temperature, dust, strong gunpowder smoke and the smell of blood, vision was completely blocked and breathing became extremely difficult.

"Ah—my leg!"

"Medic! Jack! Jack, are you alright?!"

"Damn it! My eyes! I can't see!"

"God help me! Mom..."

Heart-wrenching screams, agonizing wails, and desperate cries for help rose and fell between explosions, only to be drowned out by the next volley of shells.

The ambush site instantly turned into a living hell.

The British army's will to resist melted away like ice under the scorching sun under the precise, efficient, and devastating barrage.

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham was also violently thrown to the ground by the first wave of shockwave, landing on the cold mud.

Hot chunks of dirt slammed into his helmet and back with a dull thud.

A sharp piece of rock, about the size of a fist, flew past his cheek, leaving a stinging, bloody mark.

Major Princeton, standing next to him, was not so lucky. A rapidly spinning grenade fragment precisely sliced ​​through the telescope tube in his hand and then embedded itself deeply in the chest of Corporal Bennard, the communications officer beside him.

Bennard didn't even utter a sound before collapsing to the ground like a piece of rotten wood, a large amount of thick blood gushing from his chest, soaking the mud beneath him.

"Damn it! The intelligence has been leaked! They all know!"
They know our location! They know our deployment!

Beckham struggled to his feet, his helmet askew, his face covered in blood and dirt, and he began to curse.

After he finished cursing, he grabbed the arm of his adjutant, Major Fletcher, and screamed into his ear:
"Retreat! Immediately! Organize a retreat right now!"

Get out of here! Now!!!

Major Fletcher had just recovered from the shock of the massive explosion and his hearing had not yet fully returned, but he still understood the order from Beckham's lip movements.

His face was also deathly pale, and he shouted in a hoarse voice, "Retreat now?!"
General Kaiser's orders are for us to delay them for at least 24 hours!
Even if we could manage twelve hours as you suggested, we couldn't even last an hour..."

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham practically roared as he pointed to the ravaged, desolate battlefield, to the British troops struggling amidst the explosions and smoke:

"Screw orders!!!"
Look! Open your eyes and look!

If we don't leave now, we'll all die here!

For a damn American order?!
We became that damn bait!
They became meat laid out on the chopping board!
Listen, Fletcher, even if it's to defend London and sacrifice myself for Her Majesty the Queen, I can give the order to hold out until the last man!

My soldiers will die like true British men!

But here?

In this damned, godforsaken backwater of North Korea?
For that damned order from Kaiser to buy time?!
Are we going to use the lives of all the good lads of our 8th Royal Rifle Battalion to fill the hole left by American cannon fodder?
Dream on! Don't even think about it!
Pass down the order!

All mobile units, in platoons, taking turns providing cover, immediately move south! Retreat!

Forget about heavy weapons! Take only light equipment!
Hurry! Hurry!
While the Chinese are still focused on shelling and the damn air battles overhead, we still have a chance!

Once the Chinese air force has shot down all those wild horses overhead and is free to deal with us, we'll truly be turkeys waiting to be slaughtered!

Startled by the resolute glint in Lieutenant Colonel Beckham's eyes and the harsh reality, Major Fletcher shuddered, realizing that the urgency of the situation far exceeded his expectations.

He whirled around and roared at the communications soldiers, who were huddled in the makeshift communications bunker behind him, trembling with fear as well:
"You! And you! Immediately relay the lieutenant colonel's order via all frequencies: The entire battalion! Retreat immediately!"

Abandon all heavy equipment! Proceed in platoon-like shifts, providing cover and shifting cover! Break out to the south!
Top priority! At all costs!

Private First Class Thompson, a communications soldier, was ashen-faced, his fingers trembling so much on the buttons of the radio equipment that he could barely operate them.

In the end, Major Princeton pushed him away, forced himself to remain calm, picked up the microphone, switched channels, and repeated the order to retreat in a slightly tense voice.

Another communications soldier rushed out of his bunker, running erratically along the remaining trenches, gesturing frantically to all the officers and sergeants he could see who were still alive, and shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Retreat! Lieutenant Colonel's order! The entire battalion must immediately retreat south! Abandon everything! Move out!"

The order to retreat was like the last explosive detonation, instantly igniting the remaining chaos and panic in the British positions.

No one harbored any illusions anymore.

British soldiers abandoned their heavy Bren light machine guns, mortars that had not yet run out of ammunition, and even carelessly discarded metal ammunition boxes full of ammunition on the muddy ground.

They scrambled out of relatively safe corners and dilapidated bunkers, some even forgetting to pick up their fallen helmets, and rushed desperately toward the evacuation route Beckham had pointed out.

……

However, not long after Beckham led the British troops out of their positions, the armored guard battalion of the 7th Steel Brigade suddenly appeared and charged towards the British camp!

"My God! It's a Chinese tank!"

A British private who had lost his helmet looked back in despair as he fled, only managing to let out a distorted scream.

Beckham turned abruptly at the edge of the temporary command post, his face instantly turning ashen, even his lips losing all color.

The Union Jack, now only half-finished after the shelling and still covered in mud, lay slumped on the ground.

Only one thought exploded in his mind: It's over, it's too fast, the Chinese speed of maneuver has completely exceeded the intelligence prediction!
"Don't panic! Keep the formation!"
Scatter! Retreat towards Fupingli!

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham shouted, but his voice was completely drowned out by the roar of the massive engine and the terrified cries of his own soldiers.

Inside Tank No. 1
Wu Wanli glanced at the Tianyan map and loudly ordered, "Attention all vehicles, target: enemy rear guard has broken away from the main force!"
Vehicles one through ten, direct fire—covering enemy assembly points and heavy weapon positions!

After the order was given, all the tanks quickly got to work.

The driver of the No. 1 tank steered the steel behemoth forward and pushed the control lever forward. The Pershing tank's tracks reversed, kicking up mud, and it plunged diagonally down the steep slope, heading towards the road less than 800 meters below!
"Hanqing! On the right side of the road, behind that pile of sandbags, there's a long pipe sticking out!"
It's like an anti-tank gun!

Wu Wanli lay on the periscope, his vision shaking violently, but he quickly finished his observation with the help of the Sky Eye Map and then spoke.

"understand!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Hanqing quickly turned the heavy turret crank, and the gun barrel roared as it twisted to the left.

His hands, gripping the turret stabilizer and firing mechanism, were exceptionally steady, barely feeling the violent jolting caused by the tank's dive.

Liu Hanqing pressed his rubber goggles against the telescope, the crosshairs of which were fixed on the makeshift shelter hastily built up with sandbags and ammunition boxes on the right side of the road.

A brand-new British 57mm anti-tank gun, its dark barrel barely a third of a meter protruding from behind the messy bunkers, was being frantically adjusted by a group of British soldiers!
"One high-explosive grenade—load!"

Liu Hanqing growled.

As the loader Niu Dali violently jolted, he took a deep breath, tensing his strong core muscles to maintain balance, and his movements were swift and decisive.

He practically ripped a high-explosive anti-tank shell off the ammunition rack with the force of a slam, and the heavy shell slid roughly into the scorching hot barrel with a clang.

He immediately slammed the breechblock shut with his backhand, locking it with a "click," and shouted, "High-explosive shells—loading complete!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli immediately roared, "Fire!!!"

"boom!"

The immense chamber pressure roared out from the cannon barrel, causing the entire tank to lurch backward violently, and a burst of flames and thick smoke several meters in diameter erupted from the muzzle.

A shell tore through the air and flew out with a whoosh, and the hastily piled sandbag bunker exploded in a deafening blast!

Fragments of sandbags, mixed with wood, metal parts, and human remains, were thrown dozens of meters high by the blast wave.

The small cannon that had just peeked out, trying to buy the convoy a few minutes to catch its breath, along with the makeshift shelter, was completely turned into a shell crater.

Tank No. 1 rolled down the gentle slope with unstoppable momentum, and the huge impact completely flattened a foxhole that had collapsed halfway beside the road.

Almost at the same instant the cannonball left the barrel, a prehistoric, thunderous roar resounded:
"Guards Battalion! Get off the vehicle!"
Stick close to the tanks for cover!

"Clear the obstruction! Sweep away! Assault—!" The rear hatch of the troop carrier opened with a roar, like a floodgate, and one guard battalion soldier after another leaped out nimbly.

They stayed close to the massive steel tanks rumbling forward, using the limited cover provided by the tank hulls and turrets, crouching low and lowering their center of gravity, moving as swiftly and rapidly as cheetahs!
Each person had a battle-hardened expression, their sharp eyes scanning every possible threatening spot on either side of the road.

Bullets whistled through the sparse salvo from the opposite side, striking the tank armor with clanging metallic sounds and bursting into streaks of dazzling sparks.

Some bullets hit the track guide wheels or the muddy road surface, splashing up streams of murky mud.

"Puff puff puff puff..."

In an instant, a muffled gunshot rang out.

A guard battalion soldier who had just jumped out of the troop carrier and had not yet been completely concealed suddenly had a cloud of blood burst from his shoulder and fell heavily forward to the ground.

"Right front! There's still a machine gun in that broken wall! At two o'clock!"

A prehistoric voice roared through the helmet communicator, while his own Thompson submachine gun spat out a string of blazing flames.

"Da da da da da..."

Bullets rained down on the gap in the broken wall half-buried in the rubble, sending brick fragments flying and temporarily suppressing the Bren light machine gun that had suddenly opened fire.

"Grenade!"

Without turning his head, a squad leader from the guard battalion, who was standing close to the side of Tank No. 2, shouted behind him.

A young soldier responded immediately, pulling a smoking grenade from his chest pouch. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the squad leader's rapid bursts of fire slightly suppressed the attack, he swung his arm with all his might!

The grenade, emitting white smoke, traced a brief arc and pierced the gap in the broken wall with unparalleled precision.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, smoke and flames spewed out from the breach, and the machine gun fire behind the broken wall came to an abrupt halt.

"It's cleared! Let's go!"

The squad leader roared and waved his hand, and several guards rushed forward like arrows.

Just as the guard battalion infantry were engaged in a fierce battle with scattered British rearguard and clearing the path for tank assaults, the subsequent torrent of steel arrived.

Starting with Tank No. 1, ten Pershing tanks formed a mobile steel wall in a nearly parallel, roller-like formation.

The massive cannon barrels frequently spewed out deadly fireballs.

Each bombardment struck precisely where the most densely packed people were fleeing in chaos, or exploded violently in areas where people were trying to establish temporary resistance points using abandoned vehicles and roadblocks.

The highway instantly turned into a real slaughterhouse.

A British-made heavy artillery tractor, fully loaded with British troops and attempting to turn around and flee, was hit directly in the rear by a high-explosive shell.

The instantaneous secondary explosion expanded like a blazing fireball from hell on the highway!
The massive shockwave instantly twisted the sturdy steel frame, tore apart the thick rubber tires, and caused the heavy vehicle to buckle upwards and disintegrate.

Dozens of British infantrymen clinging tightly to the edge of the carriage were torn to pieces or thrown into the air by the violent shockwaves and scorching heat waves that could tear apart steel armor.

More burning debris swept across both sides of the road, engulfing several soldiers who were lying on the ground to avoid the shelling into a fiery inferno.

The British infantry following behind were utterly shattered of their last shred of discipline and organization by this hellish scene.

The British soldiers discarded all their heavy equipment and fled in all directions, or scrambled and crawled along the drainage ditches beside the road toward Fupingli in the southwest.

Fear spread through the crowd, completely overwhelming the futile shouts of the British officers.

Forget about formation! Run! Run!
Run towards Fuping! Run as fast as you can!

A British sergeant dropped his prized water bottle and shoved his bewildered fellow Scottish soldier in front of him.

The chaotic retreat was like an anthill doused with boiling water, dragging the wounded, abandoning weapons and dignity, and rushing toward Fupingli.

Lieutenant Colonel Beckham futilely pulled at the soldiers, desperately trying to maintain the last vestiges of order:

"Hold on! Alternate cover! Damn it, don't push..."

However, his voice was drowned out by desperate cries, deafening gunfire, and the screeching sound of tank tracks crushing everything.

At this moment, the other two main attack groups, which had been closely following the tank onslaught and maintaining a tight and efficient marching column, began to show their true fangs.

Yu Congrong's artillery detachment began to deploy from a safe flank high ground about 400 meters away from the tank front.

Based on the position parameters continuously reported by the forward infantry-tank coordination group, the gunners skillfully and quickly made the final pre-fire adjustments.

The heavy mortars began bombarding the escape routes of the fleeing crowds, as well as any places where reinforcements were expected to gather.

"What are you waiting for? Fire!"

Yu Congrong gripped the walkie-talkie tightly and shouted loudly.

The moment the words were spoken, a row of mortars suddenly shook violently!

A sharp, ear-piercing whistle that almost tore apart eardrums instantly ripped through the sky!
"call out--------"

A series of mortar shells roared into the sky, like apocalyptic thunderbolts hurtling straight into the heavens!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...!"

Countless high-explosive warheads rained down like a torrential downpour, and the massive shockwaves from the violent explosions stretched out in a continuous arc.

The scorching heatwave instantly emptied a large area of ​​air, creating a temporary vacuum due to the resulting immense negative pressure.

The chain of fireballs from the explosions rose menacingly on the earth like pillars of hell, and thick black smoke billowed into the sky, completely blocking the end of the entire retreat route.

The high-speed shrapnel and blast shockwave instantly engulfed all signs of life in that area.

The strong smell of blood, gunpowder, and the horrible odor of burning entrails filled the air, only to be dispersed and swept away by the blast wave that followed.

"God...that's hellfire..."

A British corporal, who had managed to lie on the edge of a shell crater, stared blankly at the area of ​​life that had been instantly vaporized.

Following the mortar bombardment, the main force of the assault detachment led by Gao Daxing suddenly accelerated amidst the lingering smoke and dust that blotted out the sky!
"Assault team! Target the enemy's retreating left flank! Cut them off! Push forward! Full firepower!"

Gao Daxing shouted loudly, and at the same time, he was the first to jump out of the wheeled reconnaissance jeep, holding a submachine gun, and fired the first shot of the charge!
The elite soldiers of the assault detachment, like a flood bursting its banks, launched a sudden attack from the right flank of the main tank formation, in countless combat teams, under the fierce cover of light machine guns and automatic weapons.

They formed a huge, deadly hook, viciously cutting into the flanks and rear of the fleeing British army!
The distinctive, tearing sound of the Browning light machine gun echoed across the battlefield, and the dense barrage instantly felled a group of British soldiers who had no time to react.

The submachine gunners were like ruthless lawnmowers, nimble and agile, their short, deadly bursts of fire like hail sweeping across unobstructed roads and fields.

Soldiers with fixed bayonets followed closely behind, their gleaming bayonets and entrenching tools flashing coldly, ready to deliver the final death to the remaining stubborn resistance fighters at any moment.

The British retreat turned into a hopeless massacre and slaughter.

"Commander-in-Chief, Political Commissar, on the left flank, at the edge of the grove, there are anti-tank soldiers attempting to advance!"

"Direction: 9 o'clock! Distance: 300!"

Niu Dali, the loader of Tank No. 1, suddenly shouted a warning through the periscope on the side of the turret.

"I see!"

Wu Wanli turned to the left periscope and saw three or four figures carrying a cylindrical object, using the sparse woodland and ditches as cover, rapidly maneuvering and flanking the No. 1 tank!
"Machine gunner! Enemy infantry anti-tank team at the edge of the grove to the left! Suppress them with burst fire!"

Wu Wanli roared.

The machine gunner on the roof reacted with lightning speed, forcefully pointing the Browning tank machine gun in the direction Wu Wanli had indicated.

"Hiss his ......!"

Short, dense bursts of tracer rounds precisely licked the edges of the ditch and the roots of the trees where the figures were hiding, sending mud flying and wood chips flying everywhere!
The three British anti-tank soldiers who were trying to outflank the enemy were pinned to the ground by the sudden and fierce barrage of fire, unable to lift their heads.

"Ten o'clock! Enemy heavy machine gun position! Exchange fire!"

Liu Hanqing's roar suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Almost at the same moment he shouted, a burst of high-speed and heavy bullets lashed out at the turret armor and forward-leaning ram of the Pershing tank!
It emitted a deafening "clang clang clang clang" sound!
The inside of the vehicle vibrated violently, as if it were being repeatedly struck by a heavy iron hammer!
Tiny, visible dents instantly appeared on the thick, rolled armor surface!

It's a heavy machine gun with a caliber of 12.7 mm or higher!
The source of the shot was very tricky; it must have come from a well-camouflaged underground bunker firing port!

Liu Hanqing gave the turret rotation wheel a sharp push. With a screeching sound of mechanical friction, the heavy turret began to slowly but steadily turn toward the eleven o'clock position.

His eyes were pressed against the scope, the crosshairs rapidly scanning the edge of the ravaged battlefield ahead.

The broken bridge piers, the wreckage of several burning trucks, and a half-collapsed concrete observation post—yet the chilling firing point remained cunningly hidden.

"Bomb crater! Watch out for that big bomb crater on the right front! The crater walls are too steep! Slow down!"

Wu Wanli shouted a reminder.

Upon hearing this, the driver of Tank Number One pulled hard on the control lever, causing the wide double-pin tracks to rub violently against the ground at high speed, emitting a piercing scream!

The massive vehicle, weighing over forty tons, suddenly lurched forward and slid nearly ten meters before finally coming to a stop in front of the huge crater!
If it had been just one step slower, the heavy tank would have plunged headfirst into the hole.

"Commander, the main force of this British army has retreated across the board and is fleeing towards Fuping Village!"

At that moment, a prehistoric report came over the radio.

"Attention all crews, target changed!"
All units give chase!

Deploy your formation using the 'razor razor tactic', focusing on driving the enemy away and suppressing their rear!

Control your advance speed and close the distance to target point number three!

"Don't break the backbone of these routed soldiers; let them drag their 'tails' along and help me break through the outer defenses of Fuping!"

After thinking for a moment, Wu Wanli immediately gave the order over the radio.

"Yes!"

A response came immediately from the other end of the radio.

"Guard Battalion! Maintain battle formation and keep up with the 'Iron Battalion'! Clear out the remaining enemy and drive them away!"

The prehistoric creature not far from Tank No. 1 shouted loudly.

"Mortar units, extend your firing range, target the edge of the enemy's advance forest line, and launch disruptive bombardment! Don't let them slow down!"

Yu Congrong, standing some distance away, gave the order.

"call out------"

Soon, mortar shells began to fall into the edge of the dense forest ahead, leaving a dull thud and stirring up even more chaos and dust.

Beckham was practically carried forward by two bodyguards, his lungs burning with pain, each breath carrying a strong smell of rust and gunpowder.

The despairing sound of tracks crushing behind him, the bursts of machine gun fire, and the shouts of Chinese infantry in the distance were like maggots clinging to his bones, impossible to shake off or get rid of.

Princeton stumbled a step behind him, clutching his precious communication device tightly, and roared:

"Requesting suppressive fire on my rear pursuit route! Fupingli garrison, do you hear me?!"

The radio crackled with intermittent, interfering noise: "...Coordinates confirmed...Fire units are preparing...Reserves have arrived behind the bunker in Sector B and are on standby..."

What followed was a lengthy explanation of weapon identification terminology and location information. Liaison Officer Princeton listened with growing anxiety, repeatedly shouting, "Hurry! They're coming out of the woods soon!"

Amidst the chaos, a group of retreating British soldiers, like cornered beasts, crashed into the edge of a secondary minefield on the outskirts of Fupingli, where the passage was not yet completely sealed off.

Several muffled yet terrifying explosions suddenly rang out, followed by screams that abruptly ceased.

The rising black smoke, mixed with human remains, was thrown high into the air and then fell heavily back down.

The deadly warning brought all the fleeing soldiers to an instant halt, as if they had been electrocuted, as if they were nailed to the line of death.

"Idiot! Marked area! Go around it! Go through the marked path!"

A French captain leaned halfway out from behind the firing emplacements of the circular trench, waving his arms and shouting hoarsely down below.

As the gap in the forest drew closer, Beckham finally passed through the last row of twisted, dead trees, and his view suddenly opened up.

Ahead lay no longer a desolate valley and forest, but an open area.

Scattered bomb craters, frozen solid ground, and that lifeline that evoked both fear and longing!

The outer defense line of Fupingli stands hundreds of meters away, like the only visible refuge wall on the edge of hell.

With his last breath, Beckham roared, his vocal cords almost tearing apart, "Charge in! Only inside will we survive!"

His desperate roar ignited the hope of all the remaining British soldiers.

Hundreds of defeated British soldiers erupted in a ferocious roar, completely abandoning any defensive posture, and surged toward the defensive line that symbolized their way out.

Behind the defensive line, French battalion commander Wilson looked at the out-of-control scene before him, his face ashen.

The fleeing British soldiers had gone completely mad, running frantically toward the pre-designated passage.

He could only grit his teeth and order the reserve troops waiting in the trenches: "Cease fire! Open the passage! Heavy machine guns block the rear of the column! Absolutely no Chinese allowed to infiltrate!"
Mortars! Prepare for barrage! Aim behind the fleeing soldiers, 200 yards away! Open fire!

One minute! Right now!

Forget about Beckham inside! Block those damn tanks!

Several mortar shells from the French positions began to explode along their pursuit route. The explosions were not dense, and the intention was clearly to create a delaying zone.

Wu Wanli's sharp gaze swept through the periscope over the hastily descending barrage of bullets ahead. A slight smirk played on his lips, but his icy fighting spirit remained undiminished as he spoke:

"Lei Gong, coordinates 37, continuously suppress the enemy mortar cluster with firepower."

Main battle vehicles, prepare high-explosive shells!

Target—French heavy machine gun strongpoint! Fire!

The main guns of the 7th Steel Brigade's tank group roared in unison, and high-explosive shells slammed into the fixed heavy machine gun bunkers and exposed cover on the Fupingli position, which had just begun to roar.

The smoke and flames from the explosions burst forth in front of the French circular position, instantly suppressing the firepower output and providing a final burst of chaos to help the fleeing soldiers crowd into the passage.

Beckham sprinted along, his legs feeling like lead.

As he took his last few steps through the narrow passageway entrance of the Fupingli defense line, barely marked by sandbags and barbed wire, a feeling of utter exhaustion, as if he had escaped death, almost knocked him down.

His legs buckled, and he almost fell to the ground if Princeton, who was also in a sorry state, hadn't caught him in time.

Just as he was about to collapse, the steel tracks roared like thunder on the open ground behind him.

Several tanks from the 7th Steel Brigade, along with the accompanying infantry, had clearly penetrated to the edge of the defensive line.

The terrified routed soldiers and the French troops in the trenches, on high alert, clashed brutally and tragically at the narrow passageway.

Several British soldiers running ahead lost their footing and crashed into the makeshift obstacle course set up by the French on the inside of the passage, like human battering rams.

The barricades were knocked over, and several French reserve soldiers who were caught off guard were knocked down by the huge impact. Some were even trampled under the feet of the struggling crowd!
Painful screams, angry curses, and the clanging of weapons instantly replaced the tense and deadly atmosphere that had been building up.

The chaotic wave spread violently inward from the entrance of the passage.

"Don't block the road! Spread out! Spread out! Get into the trenches!"

The French officer's desperate orders were instantly drowned out by the chaotic clamor of the crowd.

"Who the hell is shooting?!"

In the midst of the shoving, a panicked soldier somehow pulled the trigger, and a burst of out-of-control Sten submachine gun bullets tore through the air, further exacerbating the panic.

Like toppling the first domino, the uncontrolled stampede quickly escalated.

Chaos erupted instantly inside the trenches. French soldiers instinctively raised their weapons to try and maintain order, while the fleeing soldiers only sought to squeeze into any corner where they could hide.

Pushing, crying, and cursing filled the air, and the entire frontline command system was instantly swallowed up by the chaotic wave!

Several French artillery pieces positioned on the flanks continued to fire blindly into the open area, but the bullets became increasingly scattered and ineffective, completely failing to stop the enemy from gathering.

Taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime window, the soldiers of the Seventh Steel Brigade were efficiently transitioning from a pursuing column to an offensive front.

Tanks adjusted their positions, lowered their gun barrels, and locked onto key points on the front line of defense—bunker firing ports, bends in trenches, and remaining heavy firepower bunkers.

(End of this chapter)