Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 346 The wire-filling battalion is fully equipped with defenses, and elite Gundam troops provide support! The self-taught wire-wielding master succeeds!

Inside the temporary command post of the Seventh Steel Brigade, outside Fuping Village
"Wanli, the main force of the US Second Division was forced to retreat across the board by our counterattack."

However, they were not completely defeated, because the regiment and artillery unit that had been sent to Fupingli had been driven out early on and had not yet fully rejoined them.

In this situation, the US Second Infantry Division was given a natural reserve force.

The main force of the US 2nd Division is rapidly retreating under the cover of a flank, seemingly showing signs of stabilizing its position.

However, after this battle, the total strength of the US 2nd Division was only about 10,000.

Moreover, their armored forces were almost completely wiped out, losing their formidable offensive capability.

Liu Hanqing reported to Wu Wanli.

"Beautiful!"

Our elite force wiped out an entire American main division!

This is even more impressive than when Commander Ding Wei swept away Liao Yaoxiang's army in Northeast China back in the day, isn't it?

After all, the combat effectiveness and firepower of those Nationalist troops were not even worthy of carrying the shoes of an elite US division!
Hahahahahahahahahaha…………

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately burst into laughter.

“That’s right!

In my opinion, we shouldn't wait for Commander Li Yunlong's troops. Let's just press our advantage and wipe out the entire US 2nd Division in one fell swoop!

Upon hearing this, Gao Daxing also spoke with a fighting spirit.

How many troops do we have left?

Wu Wanli asked calmly.

"The count isn't complete, but a rough estimate is that there are about 7,000 soldiers left, and 7 T-34 tanks and 18 Pershing tanks left."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing immediately spoke up.

"Nearly half of the casualties have been suffered..."

These comrades are all good kids.

Lei Gong took a puff of his pipe and said with a touch of emotion.

"Not only did we suffer heavy casualties, but we also used up more than half of our ammunition."

Furthermore, the US 1st Cavalry Division is on its way. If we can't quickly break through and retreat, we might get stuck.

At that time, our Seventh Steel Brigade will be surrounded in the field, and we will probably be annihilated before we can get reinforcements.

After all, the 1st Cavalry Division has a much higher armor ratio than the US 2nd Division. If they launch a full-scale attack, our 7th Steel Brigade will definitely be no match for them in open field combat.

In a head-on confrontation, even the strongest will cannot withstand the power of true steel.

Pinghe sighed and said.

These words immediately made the atmosphere a little more serious.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, an urgent telegram from the 5th Logistics Regiment!"

At that moment, a communications officer rushed over to report.

"The Fifth Logistics Regiment? Hanqing, after you've read this, get to the point!"

Wu Wanli turned his head and said with some surprise.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hanqing quickly took the battle report and began to read it.

Everyone in the temporary command post stared intently at the telegram in Liu Hanqing's hand, their faces full of curiosity.

"Wanli, Comrade Chenggong led almost the entire Fifth Logistics Regiment out to set up an ambush along the retreat route of the US Second Division!"

After reading it, Liu Hanqing said with a hint of surprise.

"What? The Fifth Logistics Regiment?"

They did have 5,000 troops, but 3,000 of them were Korean soldiers, and only 2,000 were our volunteer army soldiers.

Moreover, most of these two thousand soldiers were previously logistics personnel!
This kid dares to ambush the US 2nd Division with this ragtag army?

Even though the US 2nd Division has suffered several defeats, it still has tens of thousands of elite US troops. If it were the regular North Korean army fighting, even thirty or forty thousand wouldn't be enough to defeat them!

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong's eyes widened, and he said with a hint of surprise.

"Moreover, the US Second Division now has two possible routes for retreat."

One canyon runs to the southeast, and the other runs to the northeast.

"Let alone them, we currently have no way of knowing where their main force is retreating to or where they've chosen to ambush them."

Pinghe spread out the battle map and frowned as he spoke.

"Comrade Chenggong did consider this point. Based on what the previous commander-in-chief had said, he organized the troops into three battalions."

The Second and Third Battalions were mainly composed of North Korean troops, but the officers and supervising military police were all from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. Each battalion had about 1,500 soldiers and was organized into a "line-filling battalion" according to the commander-in-chief's name.

The first battalion consisted entirely of volunteer soldiers, numbering around two thousand, and was organized as the elite Gao Da battalion, as previously referred to by the commander-in-chief.

Comrade Chenggong deployed two line-filling battalions in two canyons that the US Second Division might pass through, setting up ambush zones to delay the arrival of the main force of the US Second Division.

Comrade Chenggong personally led a large elite battalion to hold the rear, ready to provide immediate support once the location of the main force of the US 2nd Division was confirmed!

Liu Hanqing looked at the battle report and said.

"The troops filling in the gaps are fully engaged in the defense line, and elite troops are ready to provide micro-management support at any time."

This kid, if he were alive today, would be a master of wire manipulation, a seasoned war criminal...

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Commander, although we were a bit of a jerk before, this ambush was actually quite well planned."

In this situation, should we pursue them or not?

Yu Congrong looked at Wu Wanli and asked.

"Pursue them! And pursue them with all your might!"
Our concern was that if we chased them and they got too far ahead, we wouldn't have enough time and would be stuck. If the 1st Cavalry Division arrived, things would be bad.

Now that Chenggong has given me a big surprise, we have a chance to withstand the two-pronged attack from the US Second Division.

If I don't take this opportunity to tear off a big chunk of flesh from the US 2nd Infantry Division, it will be much harder to fight when the US 2nd Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division join forces.

I hereby order that the elite infantry of the armored forces' forward guard battalion follow in coordination, while the main force of the Seventh Steel Brigade pursues from behind with all their might!
"Hanqing, you continue as my gunner. I'm going to get on tank number one and charge at him again!"

Wu Wanli immediately gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly agreed.

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

The order to pursue was like a blazing electric current, instantly energizing the somewhat fatigued Seventh Steel Brigade.

Inside Tank No. 1
"Armored Guard Battalion! Clear the way!"

"Gao Daxing Detachment, clear the obstacles on both flanks!"

"Yu Congrong Detachment, fire support team, follow up and suppress the US temporary firing positions!"

"Thunder God! Set your artillery fire on a position 200 meters in front of the main force's retreat line of the US 2nd Division, and smash it!"

Don't let them gather together!

Wu Wanli glanced at the Sky Eye map and loudly gave the order over the radio.

The dull thud of the tracks and the roar of the engine suddenly intensified.

The remaining 7 T-34s and 18 Pershing heavy tanks, like steel behemoths awakened anew, formed a sharp assault wedge and accelerated their charge.

Large numbers of elite soldiers clung tightly to the tanks or rode on accompanying transport trucks, their submachine guns and rifles already loaded, their bayonets gleaming coldly in the dim, smoke-filled air.

Wu Wanli's eyes were pressed against the array of six periscopes in the control tower, his field of vision immediately split into several fragments of the scene outside the vehicle:

Burning wreckage of American trucks, scattered weapon fragments and corpses, and in the distance, American rearguard troops retreating hastily and in disarray amidst the smoke and dust.

"Attention all personnel! A considerable number of US rear guard lines have been spotted ahead!"

Liu Hanqing's voice came through the headset.

He had quickly taken his gunner's seat, his forehead resting on the rubber visor of the telescope, his right hand firmly gripping the elevation handle, his left hand on the traverse handle, and the muzzle slowly rotating with the target searched by the periscope.

"Two Chaffee vehicles, at the eleven o'clock position, 650 meters away, using the wreckage to build a simple defensive line."

Three half-tracks followed behind, their roof-mounted machine guns attempting to provide fire. The infantry relied on the roadbed and shell craters!

"Thunder God!"
Coordinates XXX-XXX! Five rapid-fire high-explosive rounds! Give those two Chaffee tanks a good whack!

After Wu Wanli located the position of the American tanks, he shouted the order into the radio.

"Roger! Coordinates XXX-XXX, comrades, smash it!"

The radio crackled with Lei Gong's voice, mixed with the frantic commands from the gun emplacements and the dull thud of loading.

Seconds later, a familiar shriek echoed from the sky.

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

In an instant, a fireball mixed with dirt and gravel exploded violently and precisely around the two Chaffee tanks!

The massive shockwave sent the temporary sandbags flying like paper, and pebbles rained down on the Xiafei's flimsy roof with a clanging sound. A thick plume of smoke enveloped the target area.

One of the Chaffee cars clearly panicked and started reversing in an attempt to escape the deadly zone.

"Hanqing! Armor-piercing rounds! Target is that Chaffee reversing! 600 meters away!"

Wu Wanli immediately noticed this change and shouted loudly.

At that moment, the Sky Eye map unfolded simultaneously in his mind, and the red spot representing the blocking point of the US rear guard unit flashed intensely.

"Loader! Armor-piercing rounds!"

Liu Hanqing repeated the order without hesitation, while his right hand made slight adjustments to the elevation knob and his left hand kept the turret in place.

"Armor-piercing rounds! Ready!"

Old Zhang, the loader at the rear of the vehicle, shouted in response. A heavy metallic clang came clearly from the direction of the breech, followed by the clanging of the bolt being closed.

"Armor-piercing shells loaded!"

Liu Hanqing reported that the gun barrels were firmly locked onto the Chaffee that was performing an "S"-shaped reverse maneuver.

"Fire!"

Wu Wanli's orders were swift and decisive.

"boom!!"

The turret of the Pershing tank No. 1 suddenly shook!
The main gun spewed out dazzling flashes of fire and thick plumes of smoke, while the muzzle brakes directed the violent recoil to both sides.

"Clang—crack—!!"

A metallic tearing sound that pierced eardrums exploded 600 meters away!
Suddenly, a huge fireball mixed with sparks and fuel erupted from the side and rear of the Chaffee light tank, and thick smoke instantly engulfed its small body.

The armor-piercing round precisely penetrated its relatively weak tail-end power compartment, triggering an internal ammunition detonation that sent a plume of foul-smelling black smoke soaring into the sky.

"Hit! Target destroyed!"

Liu Hanqing's voice was calm and even, as if he had just completed a routine training session.

"Well done!"

"Gao Daxing! Clear out the infantry near the half-track on the right side of the Chaffee! The machine gun on that half-track is still firing!"

Looking at the Tianyan map, Wu Wanli continued to micro-manage and issue commands.

"Yes!

"Second Company, Group One, Group Three! Follow me!"

Gao Daxing's response remained clear over the radio despite the mixed noise of infantry-tank coordination.

A large number of elite soldiers leaped out from the sides and rear of the tanks, charging in groups of three, using shell craters and wreckage as cover.

Grenades were hurled at the American soldiers' makeshift bunkers like hail, while a barrage of short bursts from submachine guns suppressed the American soldiers who tried to raise their heads to fire.

"Da da da da da!"

Yu Congrong's heavy machine guns, positioned on high ground, extended their firepower in a timely manner, lashing out like scorching steel whips near the American half-track vehicles.

A barrage of bullets sent sparks flying from the armor, forcing the infantry to bury their heads deep in the dust.

Just as the assault infantry were about to approach the first half-track vehicle, another Chaffee, which had not been directly hit by the Thunder God's artillery fire, suddenly emerged from the thick smoke.

It abandoned its long-range dogfight with the tank, and the turret suddenly turned to the side, with the main gun pointing at Gao Daxing's charging group!

"Watch out! Chaffee! 10 o'clock! Infantry!"

Upon seeing this through the Sky Eye Map, Wu Wanli quickly offered a reminder.

"What a bastard!"

Upon seeing the cannon pointing, Gao Daxing instinctively roared and fell to the ground.

"boom--!"

The cannons of Xiafei spewed flames, and the shells, with a sharp whistle, struck a pile of discarded tires a few meters in front of Gao Daxing, exploding with a bang and sending fragments flying.

Several charging soldiers were knocked down by the blast wave. Fortunately, they were not directly hit by shrapnel, but the blast wave and dirt made them dizzy.

"Han Qing!"

Wu Wanli practically roared, his gaze fixed on the firing Chaffee like that of a hawk.

Liu Hanqing reacted even faster!

His body had already moved the moment the flash of the Chaffee cannon went off.

"Armor-piercing rounds! Quickly!"

"wear--"

Before loader Lao Zhang could even utter the second "A" sound, the shell had already been loaded into the breech.

Loader Lao Zhang was drenched in sweat, and he completed the loading almost entirely by muscle memory:
"Loading complete! ...Loading complete!"

In an instant, the bolt was closed with a rapid and heavy sound.

"Fire!"

"boom!!"

The main gun of the Pershing tank No. 1 roared once again!

The moment the shell left the barrel, thick propellant smoke quickly enveloped the front of the vehicle, obscuring the periscope's field of vision.

Clang! Boom!!

At a distance of less than 800 meters, the armor-piercing shell, like the scythe of death, slammed into the junction of the Chaffee turret and the vehicle body!
The deadly jet of metal tore through the armor without any doubt, instantly detonating the ammunition rack!
The Chaffee's turret was thrown nearly two meters backward in the massive explosion, then rolled and crashed to the ground, the burning hull becoming a new steel tomb.

The occupants inside had no time to react, and the crisis was temporarily averted.

"Gao Daxing! Are you alright?"

Wu Wanli asked into the radio from inside the smoke-filled cabin.

"Cough... It's nothing! Thanks, Captain!"
The comrades were taken aback, but they could still fight!
"Damn it! Charge at that half-track with me!"

Gao Daxing was clearly shaken by the explosion. He struggled to his feet and shouted into the walkie-talkie.

Without tank support, the machine gunner on the roof of the half-track was mowed down by a burst of submachine gun fire from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers who rushed up from the side.

Gao Daxing personally climbed onto the swaying vehicle and stuffed two grenades into the open top hatch.

"Boom! Boom!"

Two muffled thuds followed, and thick smoke and flames billowed from inside the half-track vehicle before it went out completely.

The remaining scattered American infantry and the last remaining half-track vehicle completely collapsed.

Abandoning their hastily constructed, rudimentary defensive line, and abandoning the wounded and supplies, they ran back without looking back, merging into the scattered army ahead.

"Chase them! Keep them on your heels!"

Wu Wanli decisively gave the order.

On the Sky Eye map, the red dot representing the rear guard's blocking point quickly dimmed and was replaced by a huge, disintegrating red tide, which was surging in a sorry state toward the northeast.

The armored spearhead of the entire 7th Steel Brigade started up again, its tracks relentlessly crushing the smoking wreckage, the wrecked equipment, and the wounded bodies that couldn't be taken away in time. The engines roared even louder as they chased after the main force of the US 2nd Division!

Under the pressure of death, the officers' reprimands, and the looming gun barrels of the supervising troops, the soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division made a final, frantic struggle and fled towards the entrance of the canyon to the northeast.

The road became more rugged, and an open area lay ahead of the narrow canyon entrance.

The U.S. rearguard units became "death nodes" in the rearguard action.

They used the wreckage of every disabled truck as a shield and constructed makeshift machine gun nests from every slightly larger crater and embankment.

The surviving U.S. engineers hastily laid the last few landmines.

Some desperate men grabbed bazookas and lay in ambush in the burning wreckage, attempting to ambush the oncoming Chinese People's Volunteer Army tanks at close range.

The atmosphere inside Tank Number One was extremely tense.

The roar of the engine, the crunching of the tracks crushing rocks, and the constant gunfire and explosions outside the vehicle formed a noisy background.

Inside the control tower, Wu Wanli's eyes scanned rapidly through the periscope, his throat dry and hoarse from constant shouting, yet he continued to yell:

"Eleven o'clock! Infantry anti-tank team! 300 meters away, behind the wreckage!"

"Three o'clock! Gaokan! Machine gun! Pinghe, suppressive machine gun fire from the front!"

"Hanqing, the location of the crater ahead is suspicious! It may be a landmine or booby trap! Have the vehicles behind slow down and go around it!"

Gunner Liu Hanqing was highly focused, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His eyes were pressed against the sight, and his hands were making steady, fine-tuning adjustments to the azimuth and elevation mechanisms, much like the most precise machine tools.

He didn't dare wipe the sweat from his eyes.

With each command issued, he strives to lock on and fire in the shortest possible time.

Each roar of the main gun of the Panzer I brought tremendous recoil and acrid smoke.

"Boom!"

"Target: Infantry team, high-explosive shells, loader!"

Liu Hanqing quickly estimated the distance and location.

"High-explosive shell, loading complete!"

"The loader, Old Zhang, responded, panting heavily."

"boom!"

In an instant, the shell shattered the suspicious pile of wreckage, and several American soldiers who had just peeked out with bazookas were blown to pieces.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

A burst of heavy machine gun bullets suddenly struck the rear side armor of the No. 1 tank turret from the side, leaving several shallow craters and sparks. The ricochets cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

"One o'clock! Behind the mound! An M2 heavy machine gun! We've been exposed!"

The prehistoric one was the first to discover the situation and immediately reported it over the walkie-talkie.

"Hanqing! Take care of it!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli immediately gave the order.

"Yes!"

Liu Hanqing immediately turned the turret.

In the field of vision, in the makeshift fortification built with sandbags, a Browning M2 heavy machine gun was spitting out a tongue of fire half a foot long, and bullets were spraying water on the infantry following behind.

"Armor-piercing rounds won't work...the loader! High-explosive shells!"

Liu Hanqing said.

"The high-explosive bomb is here!" Old Zhang gritted his teeth and shoved the bomb in.

"Fire!"

Wu Wanli roared.

As soon as the turret was rotated into position and the sight was locked, Liu Hanqing stepped on the firing pedal without hesitation!
"boom!"

The shell landed precisely behind the earthen mound next to the fortifications and exploded. The huge shockwave instantly overturned the sandbags and blew the machine gun crew and the assistant gunner away.

On the other hand, the T-34, operating in coordination with infantry, also proved to be equally ferocious.

A T-34 spotted a recoilless gun crew hidden behind a crevice in the rocks. Without calling in fire, the driver floored the accelerator.

The tank charged wildly up the slope, its sides shrouded in rubble, and its main gun blasted fiercely against the rocky base! The blasted debris rained down, instantly burying the gunner.

The guard infantry led by Shiqian followed closely behind, firing submachine guns at American skirmishers who emerged from the blind spots of the tanks' firepower, and smashing lone soldiers who tried to climb up from behind the tanks with entrenching tools.

Rockets would occasionally whistle out from their hiding places, sometimes hitting the side armor of a tank and blowing a hole in it, from which the crew inside would crawl out in agony.

More often than not, however, the American troops that launched surprise attacks were preemptively killed at their firing positions by combined arms fire.

Less than two kilometers from the entrance to the canyon to the northeast, the resistance of the US rearguard reached its peak.

The terrain here is relatively open. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, the U.S. military, under the command of Division Commander Kaiser, amassed about two battalions and established a temporary defensive line centered on the road and taking advantage of the terrain.

The US artillery also began to unleash a barrage of fire on the pursuing Steel 7th Brigade armored group, with extremely poor accuracy but a sudden increase in density.

Smoke grenades were fired in large numbers, and the thick smoke obstructed the tanks' visibility.

Several Sherman tanks also appeared behind the defensive line, using smoke as cover to blindly fire their 76mm main guns at the indistinct outlines of the tanks!

The two tanks engaged in a thrilling exchange of fire amidst the smoke.

"Clang!" "Bang!"

Shells frequently grazed past the tanks or turrets of the Seventh Steel Brigade, sometimes even hitting the armor directly, producing deafening roars and violent vibrations, leaving behind shockingly large craters or penetrating the armor.

Of course, there were also American Shermans who were blown to bits by a single Pershing heavy artillery shot.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, the stench of burning rubber, and the stench of blood.

Shrapnel flew everywhere, its sharp whistling sound a symphony of death.

The radio was filled with shouts, reports, and casualty announcements:

"Tank No. 3's track has been hit! It's disabled!"

"Tank No. 7 turret frontal hit! Ricochet! Commander wounded, gunner continue!"

"The Third Guard Company requests cover! Enemy fire ahead is too intense!"

Inside Tank No. 1
"Suppress! There's a mortar position at the one o'clock position of Tank 11! High-explosive shells are in effect!"

"Hanqing! A Sherman tank, its outline faintly visible directly ahead! Armor-piercing rounds!"

Wu Wanli squinted as he searched through the periscope, the outline of the cannon muzzle flashing by in the smoke, and immediately gave the order.

"Distance... 800 meters! The smoke is too thick..."

Liu Hanqing reported urgently, sweat dripping into the scope cover.

"Old Zhang! Hurry!"

Wu Wanli ignored him and urged the loader to hurry up.

"Armor-piercing rounds! Loading complete!"

The loader, Lao Zhang, immediately responded.

"Han Qing, no need to turn anymore, this angle is perfect, fire!"

Wu Wanli decisively gave the order.

In this situation, one can only rely on experience and the aid of a telescope map to make rough shots.

"boom!"

Liu Hanqing instinctively obeyed the order and fired the shell; the shell from Tank No. 1 immediately left the barrel.

The flames illuminated the car body for a moment amidst the smoke.

"clang!!!"

A deeper, more muffled thud came from afar, followed by the sound of intense burning!
"Good luck! We must have hit the side of that damn Sherman!"

Liu Hanqing observed the situation and said with a smile.

"Don't let your guard down! There are bazookas on the left flank! Infantry!"

Wu Wanli glanced at the Tianyan map and immediately offered a reminder.

Two American soldiers carrying rocket launchers emerged from the edge of the smoke, attempting to aim at the vulnerable side of Tank Number One.

Several volunteer soldiers clinging to the No. 1 vehicle reacted swiftly, and several Thompson submachine guns simultaneously spat fire, raining down a dense barrage of bullets.

"Da da da da da da da da da da!"

"Puff puff puff puff puff puff..."

The two bazooka shooters didn't even have time to fire before they were riddled with bullets and fell to the ground, their rocket launchers rolling to the side.

Like a steel wedge, the Seventh Steel Brigade pressed forward inch by inch, bracing against the fire net built by the American rearguard at the cost of their lives.

The roar of tank cannons, the hiss of machine guns, the sweeping fire of submachine guns, the explosions of grenades, the shouts of soldiers and the screams of the dying intertwine to create a bloody inferno.

The U.S. military's rear guard was forcibly torn apart with countless gaps, and the remaining soldiers surged toward what they considered the safe northeast canyon entrance like ants bursting their banks.

at last!

Less than 500 meters from the canyon entrance!
Thick smoke still lingered, but the deep, gaping entrance of the canyon, resembling a gaping maw, was now clearly visible.

The defeated American soldiers rushed into the valley entrance in a chaotic frenzy.

The pursuing troops from the 7th Steel Brigade behind them, especially the Wu Wanli No. 1 Pershing and several other heavy tanks that were charging at the forefront, were almost right on the back of the American troops, firing, crushing, and tearing them apart!
Just as the pursuing vanguard approached the valley entrance, machine gun bullets and tank shells began pouring down on the American troops crammed into the narrow valley entrance—

suddenly!

A sudden, intense barrage of bullets, accompanied by the distinct sounds of rifles and the heavy roar of a few heavy machine guns, rained down from the depths of the canyon, directly in front of us at a slightly higher elevation!
"Da da da da da da da da..."

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

The bullets, like the wildest hailstones, mixed with the unique "whoosh" sound of mortar shells falling, slammed into the US 2nd Division troops who were crowding at the valley entrance and fleeing in panic with their backs to these sources of fire!

"Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!"

A muffled groan! A tearing sound! A scream! Mixed with the sounds of bullets piercing flesh.

Large plumes of blood mist exploded among the unsuspecting American soldiers! Limbs and severed bodies flew everywhere!
The American troops crowded at the mouth of the valley fell like wheat cut down by a giant, invisible scythe, in swathes, onto the dusty, rocky ground!
This intense and extremely precise flanking fire was both fierce and deadly.

So much so that the leading tanks of the pursuing Steel Seventh Brigade, including Wu Wanli's No. 1 tank, instinctively slammed on the brakes, their tracks leaving deep ruts in the muddy ground!
At this moment, on the US Second Division command vehicle
"It's bad, Commander! We've been ambushed! The Chinese army even anticipated this! They've ambushed us three times in a row!"

At this moment, the chief of staff of the US 2nd Division reported in a panic.

"Don't panic!
The ambushers on both sides had questionable firepower and marksmanship; they were definitely not elite Chinese troops.

Furthermore, their numbers appear to be only a little over a thousand, suggesting an ambush by a portion of the main force of the North Korean army!

We may not be able to defeat China's elite troops, but we are not afraid of the North Korean army!
Concentrate artillery fire and bombard the ambush areas on both flanks to crush them!

We must send an additional elite battalion to take on the rearguard role and hold them off.

The main force continued its assault, rapidly traversing the canyon!

Division Commander Kaiser raised his binoculars, observed for a moment, and then gave the order.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff of the U.S. Second Division quickly agreed.

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

Soon after, deafening gunfire erupted at the entrance to the northeast canyon, creating a symphony of destruction.

The armored spearhead of the 7th Steel Brigade was firmly held back by the elite rearguard battalion temporarily dispatched by the US 2nd Division. Every inch of the land they advanced was stained with scalding blood and twisted steel debris.

This battalion-centered blocking force was the last line of defense that Division Commander Kaiser had hastily cobbled together from his relatively complete central security force.

Battalion Commander Major Connor was a ruthless character who had experienced the bloody battles on the Pacific islands and knew all too well the consequences of being stuck in the armored vehicles of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in open terrain.

He roared and scattered the few remaining operational tanks and half-tracks, along with hundreds of engineer assault teams carrying bazookas and recoilless rifles, into countless small groups of "death nodes."

Using every burning truck wreck, every crater of any size, and every jagged rock, they constructed a honeycomb-like, interlocking defensive position.

They lacked a coherent battle line, yet their precise and deadly sniping forced the tanks of the 7th Steel Brigade to frequently stop, search, and fire, dragging their offensive momentum into a bloody, slow-paced meat grinder.

"Captain! The pressure from the front is too great!"

These Americans are nailed to the wreckage like nails!

The T-34 charged twice; one had its tracks broken, and the other's frontal armor was penetrated by a bazooka!

Yu Congrong's roar exploded over the radio of Tank No. 1, accompanied by the dense, almost intermittent bursts of heavy machine gun fire and the muffled thuds of exploding rockets.

Wu Wanli, sitting inside Tank No. 1, frowned deeply, and veins throbbed on his forehead.

On the Sky Eye map, red spots representing enemy blocking points stubbornly flicker near the valley entrance, like an insurmountable thicket of thorns.

The intense gunfire coming from deep within the canyon told him that the main force of the US 2nd Division was being intercepted by one of the two North Korean battalions successfully deployed in the northeast canyon.

This was an excellent opportunity to launch a pincer attack, but the resistance from this group of desperate criminals was stronger than expected.

"Thunder God! Coordinates XXX-XXX! Covert fire! Clear a path for me!"

Wu Wanli glanced at the situation on the Sky Eye map and immediately gave the order over the radio.

"Yes, sir! Three-round burst! Fire!"

Upon hearing this, Lei Gong immediately responded and ordered the cannons to fire.

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

Artillery shells roared past, striking the area around a makeshift bunker made of car wreckage that the American troops were using, sending plumes of dust billowing into the sky.

Seconds later, behind and to the sides of the wreckage, the U.S. military's concealed M2 heavy machine guns and mortars resumed firing before the smoke had even cleared, suppressing the Chinese People's Volunteer Army infantry who were trying to charge alongside the tanks.

The soldiers of Connor's rearguard battalion clung to every corner that offered cover, like geckos climbing a cliff, taking advantage of brief gaps in the Seventh Steel Brigade's artillery fire to resurface and fire again.

"Damn it! These bastards have gone mad!"

Gao Daxing spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. His left arm had been grazed by a bullet and was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. He was huddled behind a T-34 vehicle whose tracks had been blown off.

Several of his soldiers were also wounded, and their momentum was completely suppressed in the low-lying area, unable to lift their heads.

While the vanguard of the 7th Steel Brigade was engaged in a war of attrition with the US rearguard, fighting for every inch of ground, the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Logistics Regiment of the North Korean troops, responsible for the ambush, was experiencing an unprecedented ordeal on the high ground on both sides of the canyon.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Under the desperate order of Division Commander Kaiser, the last of the division's artillery's howitzers and all the mortars and infantry guns that could be concentrated were unleashed in a storm of steel towards the high ground on both sides that they believed to be ambushing North Korean troops.

The earth trembled violently amidst the continuous explosions, smoke billowed into the sky, and the acrid smell of gunpowder mixed with the strong stench of blood filled the air.

The eastern high ground defended by the Second Battalion was the first to bear the brunt of the attack.

The hastily constructed bunkers were like paper toys in the face of heavy artillery.

Each massive explosion was accompanied by the sounds of rocks shattering, earth churning, and screams instantly drowned out by the deafening roar.

Orange-red fireballs exploded one after another on the ground, and the shockwaves sent people flying like grass, tearing them to pieces.

Shrapnel flew erratically with a deathly shriek, embedding itself in rocks and burrowing into flesh. The entire cliff groaned and crumbled under the bombardment.

Battalion Commander Zhao Dongzhe hid in the half-collapsed artillery shelter of the regimental command post, his ears ringing from the deafening roar of the explosions.

Soil was falling from the cave ceiling, and as he looked out through the smoke-filled observation port, his heart almost froze.

The firing positions, which had been arranged fairly securely using the natural steep slopes and rock crevices, were now in complete disarray.

Several heavy machine gun positions were blown away, with twisted barrels and mangled limbs scattered around the charred shell craters.

Several well-camouflaged bazooka firing points, along with the soldiers inside, were blown into the air. As far as the eye could see, the churned-up earth had an eerie dark red hue.

"Reporting, Battalion Commander! The comrades on the second platoon of the first company... are all gone..."

The American artillery shells...plowed the field like plows..."

A communications soldier, covered in dirt and with bloodstains on his face, practically crawled into the bunker, his voice filled with desperate sobs.

"Where are the three platoons of heavy machine guns?"

Zhao Dongzhe forced himself to calm down, his voice dry and hoarse.

"Gone! Assistant gunner Park was hit squarely by a shell while carrying ammunition... Company Commander Park Sung-ok... also sacrificed! The enemy is setting up machine guns to mow down our scattered men!"

The communications soldier's voice trembled violently in response.

Zhao Dongzhe's heart sank to the bottom, and then something even worse happened.

Under heavy artillery cover, the US military had identified the weakest areas of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's firepower.

A crossfire chain consisting of more than a dozen M2 heavy machine guns was re-established in a relatively safe position several hundred meters away. The dark muzzles spewed out tongues of fire that were a foot long, sweeping repeatedly and ruthlessly across the front line of the Second Battalion's bombed-out position and between the shell craters like sickles.

Every streak of fire was accompanied by a mass of people falling to the ground.

The surviving North Korean soldiers were pinned down in shallow shell craters, unable to move. Any slight movement or raising of their heads would immediately draw a hail of bullets.

"Hold on! Hold on for me! Anyone who dares to retreat a single step will be court-martial!"

The thunderous roars sounded incredibly clear and cruel amidst the billowing smoke and deafening gunfire.

It was issued by Li Tiezhu, a volunteer army cadre who was sent by the 5th Logistics Regiment to the 2nd Battalion as deputy battalion commander and commander of the "Supervisory Military Police Team".

This veteran of the Eighth Route Army, a man from Northeast China, has a face etched with the harshness of war.

At this moment, his eyes were wide open and bloodshot, like a mad tiger. He suddenly leaped out from behind the half-collapsed bunker, braving the flying shrapnel and machine gun bullets sweeping from below the high ground, and stood upright on the ruins of the destroyed machine gun bunker at the forefront.

"Supervisory team! Load your guns! Anyone who deserts will be executed without exception!"

Li Tiezhu's roar, like the scraping of cold steel, instantly drowned out the clamor of artillery fire.

He held the pistol high, its dark muzzle pointed at the chaos behind him.

The dozen or so volunteer soldiers around him, each with a cold and stern expression, pushed the safety off their PPSh-41 or Thompson submachine guns with a clatter, pointing their dark muzzles at all the possible retreat paths and crevices behind the position.

They were covered in dust and blood, but their eyes were as sharp as eagles, and they would nip any wavering in the bud.

A North Korean recruit, whose arm had just been blown off at the front line and whose mental state was on the verge of collapse, crawled backwards with a wail, bumping into the leg of a supervising officer.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Let me down! I...I want my mom..."

A North Korean recruit was crying, his face filled with fear and a desperate desire to survive.

A hint of reluctance seemed to flash in the eyes of the young volunteer soldier supervising the battle, but his hand holding the submachine gun remained motionless.

Li Tiezhu, standing beside him, remained expressionless, his face cold.

"Get back! Pick up a grenade and throw it forward! Take one more step back and I'll send you to meet your mother!"

Li Tiezhu's gun was almost pressed against the North Korean recruit's forehead, which was covered in a mixture of sweat and dirt. The cold metallic touch made the recruit shudder and instantly stop crying.

A desperate madness replaced fear.

The North Korean recruit's eyes became empty and ferocious. He howled, picked up an American MK2 grenade that had rolled to his side with his right hand, bit off the pin with his teeth, staggered into a nearby bunker, and threw it with all his might towards the American troops on the high ground.

"Fire! Use up all your bullets! Smash those American devils with stones!"

Li Tiezhu continued to roar, shouting in a mix of Korean and Chinese.

After he finished speaking, he suddenly crouched down, dodging a burst of machine gun bullets swept down from the mountain. The bullets hit the ruins of the bunker, scattering debris everywhere.

He immediately stood up and fired several precise bursts of fire, silencing the two American machine gun mates below who were moving around.

The power of role models, or rather the threat of death, came into play at that moment.

The stunned North Korean soldiers, seeing even the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's supervising commanders daring to fight on the front lines under machine gun fire, and the supervising team's guns pointed mercilessly at the rear, began to have their despair replaced by a twisted ruthlessness of mutual destruction.

"Damn it! Let's fight those Americans!"

"Avenge Company Commander Park!"

"Die, die!"

Curses and roars echoed across the ravaged battlefield.

Some soldiers who had lost their machine guns grabbed bundles of grenades and Molotov cocktails, crouched low, and scrambled to the front line, throwing them desperately at the blurry American figures in their sight.

The few light machine guns that had managed to survive roared wildly again, spitting out tongues of fire for revenge.

More submachine guns and rifles fired stubbornly from the edge of the crater and behind the rocks.

Although their marksmanship was greatly diminished by the shock, the barrage of bullets still created a brief but chaotic barrage, pushing back the American infantry who were trying to advance under the cover of artillery fire.

In the midst of the utter chaos on the front lines, the Second Battalion's resistance somehow managed to hold on and not collapse.

The two sides engaged in a brutal exchange of bullets, shrapnel, and lives amidst smoke and fire.

However, this temporary stalemate, achieved through steely resolve and threats of death, came at a staggeringly high price.

The eastern high ground was almost half-shaved off by artillery fire, exposing the charred surface of the rocks.

The ground was covered with charred craters, deep enough to bury a jeep, and wisps of smoke were still rising from the crater walls.

Scattered among the craters were gun parts twisted into mangled shapes, bloodstained backpack straps, fragments of military uniforms torn apart by the blast wave, and large amounts of shocking dark red limb remains and nauseating charred chunks of flesh.

The bodies of the fallen soldiers were in various positions, some curled up in their bunkers, still holding their last firing positions.

Some were lying on their backs with their mouths wide open, seemingly still shouting.

Some were scattered haphazardly on the scorched earth, their original shapes completely unrecognizable.

The entire highlands were filled with a pungent stench, a mixture of gunpowder smoke, charred flesh, and the stench of burning human bodies—the very smell of death itself.

Zhao Dongzhe, who was in charge of observation and command, suppressed his urge to vomit and severe tinnitus. His hand holding the walkie-talkie trembled violently with fear and anger.

He struggled to climb to a relatively intact observation point and raised a surviving artillery telescope.

What came into view was a scene of hell on earth.

The US military has moved its machine gun positions forward!

After the heavy artillery bombardment precisely suppressed and covered all the high-value targets of the Second Battalion, their infantry, under the cover of dense mortar shells, began to advance in whole companies like a swarm of sharks smelling blood!

The mortar shells seemed to have eyes, specifically targeting the North Korean soldiers' hastily organized counter-attack squads, sending up a mixture of earth, rocks, and human figures.

More than a dozen M2 heavy machine guns were moved to more advantageous firing positions, forming a dense, intersecting net that suppressed any attempt by the Second Battalion to organize an effective counterattack.

Countless American soldiers spread out in formation and used precise fire support to eliminate and surround the scattered North Korean strongpoints layer by layer.

Bullets thudded into the soil and rocks, and screams of agony echoed throughout the area.

"The western ravine! The Americans have come around from the western ravine!"

A hoarse, distorted shout in Korean came from the chaotic battlefield.

Zhao Dongzhe felt a chill and quickly shifted his gaze.

Sure enough, a small group of American soldiers, taking advantage of the complex terrain and thick smoke, were climbing up the edge of a cliff that had been blasted down by artillery fire, and were about to circle around to the rear of the core area of ​​the position!

Once they succeed, the entire high ground will be attacked from both sides and will collapse in an instant!
Zhao Dongzhe's heart sank into an ice cave, and his whole body felt cold.

He knew that no matter how merciless the guns of the supervising team were, and no matter how brave and leading Li Tiezhu was, the Second Battalion's fate of collapse was already sealed.

The soldiers' morale was extremely low, their physical strength was nearing its limit, and they had used up most of their ammunition.

They are like a rubber band stretched to its limit; if any more force is applied, it will snap completely.

"Requesting backup again! Requesting backup again!"

The high ground on the east flank is in grave danger! The US military has broken through our western flank!
The position is about to fall! Requesting immediate reinforcements! Requesting immediate reinforcements from the elite Gundam battalion!

Zhao Dongzhe practically roared into the walkie-talkie, which felt like a piece of iron about to explode in his hands.

He had actually called once when the US military first appeared, but now that the situation was so critical, he could only urge them again.

"Hold on for another ten minutes, and I'll lead my troops there immediately!"
Remember! Anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy!

The next second, a panting but determined voice came from the handset of the walkie-talkie.

(End of this chapter)