Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 349 The Plan of a Dual-Carrier Fleet! A High-Stakes Gamble to Annihilate the US Fleet!

"—Fix bayonets!!!"

"kill--!!!"

"Drip drip drip drip drip——————"

The resounding yet mournful bugle call was like an invisible hammer, slamming into the already crumbling hearts of all the soldiers!
That bugle call was more powerful than the gun barrels of any supervising squad!

"Comrades, let's fight the regimental commander to the death!"

A soldier roared, raised his bayonet, and charged out.

"Avenge our fallen comrades!"

"Even if it kills us, we'll take a piece of that American flesh!"

Desperate curses and screams merged into a twisted and violent wave.

In an instant, the entire scorched hillside and sparse woodland...

Hundreds of figures, like tigers released from their cages, brandishing gleaming bayonets, charged headlong into the well-equipped American forces that outnumbered them by dozens of times!

The snow was kicked up by countless feet, like a cloud of pale dust rising up.

The frontal defenses have been completely breached into hand-to-hand combat!
Successfully charging ahead, adrenaline squeezed out the last bit of strength from his body.

He ducked to avoid a hail of machine gun fire, and the butt of his rifle slammed into the nose of an American machine gunner who had just peeked out from behind an armored vehicle.

With a sharp crack, the soldier didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed, clutching his face.

A burly American soldier, wielding an M1 Garand rifle, roared and lunged at him.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, his body sliding sideways like an eel. The submachine gun fired a short burst but missed, while the bayonet thrust upwards in the same direction.

"Pfft!"

The knife tip plunged deep into the flesh through the gap under the other man's armpit!
The next second, a jet of scalding blood sprayed onto half of Chenggong's face.

With a sharp twist of his wrist, he pulled out abruptly, not even glancing at the American soldier who was clutching his wound and gasping for breath as he collapsed, before lunging at his next target.

He saw an officer waving a pistol next to the swaggering armored vehicle!
"Protect the commander!"

Upon seeing this, two American soldiers stepped forward, bayonets at the ready.

He successfully emptied the magazine and swung the scorching hot submachine gun like an iron bar to sweep away the bayonet on his left side, but then felt a sharp pain in his right rib!
The cold tip of the knife tore through his cotton-padded coat, leaving a bloody gash in his ribs.

He grunted, and instead of retreating, he advanced, using the gun to block the bayonet thrusting from his right. He then rammed himself into the soldier's arms, and the bayonet, held in his right hand, plunged deep into the soldier's chin!
The gushing blood blurred his vision. He wiped his face and saw the American officer retreating in terror, his pistol pointed at him.

Having successfully shaken off the stunned American soldier, he roared and pounced like a cheetah, his bayonet pointed straight at the officer's chest.

The American officer was so terrified that he emptied his magazine in his haste.

"die!"

The bayonet of success was delivered with a whoosh!

Just then, "Rat-a-tat-tat!" The machine gun on the side armored vehicle opened fire!

Cheng Gong felt as if an invisible giant hammer had struck his right chest. The immense impact caused him to stagger backward and fall, his bayonet flying out of his hand.

He looked down, and a large patch of dark red quickly seeped into his right breast of his uniform. Blood and foam uncontrollably gushed from his mouth and nose, and his vision blurred.

"Protect the leader!"

Wang Yousheng charged forward like a madman, and with a thrust, forced back the American soldier who wanted to take advantage of the situation.

He tossed Cheng Gong a blood-stained entrenching tool, "Cheng! Hang in there!"

Successfully, he grabbed the entrenching tool with his left hand, tried to stand up by supporting himself on the handle, and felt as if a knife was churning in his lungs with every breath.

He saw Wang Yousheng with his back to him, locked in combat with a large American soldier who was half a head taller than him.

The American soldiers were strong, and Wang Yousheng, with his injured leg, couldn't use his strength. His bayonet was parried tightly by the enemy, and he was about to suffer a loss.

"Fuck your ancestors!"

Success was choking on his lungs, his voice hoarse and indistinct, but he used his last bit of strength to lunge forward, his blood-stained entrenching tool slashing furiously at the American soldier's nape!
A dull thud!
The American soldier's body suddenly stiffened, and he fell down like a broken log, his neck a bloody mess, revealing the white bone fragments.

Wang Yousheng seized the opportunity and killed him with a single blow.

"Cough cough... Old Ma... take some men... and dismantle that iron turtle!"

Chenggong, panting heavily, his mouth full of the metallic taste of rust, pointed at the armored vehicle spitting flames.

"clear!
"Hey, you guys with grenades! Follow me! Detonate the tracks!"

Company Commander Ma, covered in blood, called out to the last few soldiers who still had the strength.

Taking advantage of the chaos, four or five veterans crouched down and rushed toward the side and rear of the armored vehicle.

Just as a soldier pulled a cluster grenade from his pocket, he was shot in the neck by the US assistant gunner on the vehicle and fell to the ground without uttering a sound.

Another soldier, his eyes red, rushed forward and used his Type 24 rifle as a crowbar to desperately stuff grenades into the gaps in the tracks!
"boom!"

A section of the track broke off, but the soldier was also exposed to machine gun fire and was swept down by a burst of bullets.

"I'll fuck your ancestors!"

Old Ma roared, pulled out the last two wooden-handled grenades, and slammed the pins against his helmet.

Then, like throwing a javelin, he stretched his body almost horizontally and forcefully shoved the smoking grenade into the open firing port at the rear of the armored vehicle!

"Boom!"

A loud, muffled thud came from inside the vehicle!

The armored vehicle suddenly jumped, and thick smoke and flames spewed out from every gap, and the machine gun that was roaring just now fell silent!

"Old horse!"

Successfully watched as Old Ma was thrown by the blast wave and crashed into a rock, where he never moved again.

The body that had once chased after him across the Shandong plains for cigarettes now lay limp like a rag.

On the low slopes on the left flank, the fighting was even more intense.

Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers fought fiercely against American infantrymen equipped with M1 carbines and M1A1 submachine guns with folding stocks, using bayonets, rifle butts, entrenching tools, and even stones.

Soldiers from both sides rolled, fought, and cursed each other in the narrow space.

A soldier with a broken right arm gripped the broken barrel of a gun with his left hand and stabbed it into the stomach of an American soldier, only to have his head smashed by the soldier's pistol before he died.

Two soldiers tackled a large American soldier to the ground, one biting down on the man's ear while the other stabbed him wildly with his bayonet...

The snow had long since lost its original color; a thick, dark red covered every inch of the land. The steaming stench of blood, mixed with gunpowder smoke and the stench of entrails, was nauseating.

The corpses were piled up in layers, some lying face up, some stacked together, some still choking each other until their deaths.

The screams, curses, the clanging of metal, the cracking of bones... all blended into a desperate and violent symphony.

Successfully leaning against a charred tree trunk, each inhale was accompanied by a splitting pain in his right chest, and each exhale was accompanied by a gush of blood.

The scene before his eyes began to blur and sway. The last thing he saw in his vision was the battered body of the new recruit "Pillar" and the figure of Old Ma collapsing against the rocks.

A surge of overwhelming hatred and an equally immense grief overwhelmed his dwindling consciousness.

"Captain Wu... brothers... I did my best..."

His lips moved, and only he could hear the hissing.

He gripped the entrenching tool Wang Yousheng had given him tightly in his left hand; the blade was chipped in several places, and the wooden handle was covered in blood and mud.

He tried to stand up, but his body felt like it was filled with lead, and he uncontrollably slid down the tree trunk.

"Ugh—!"

Just then, an American soldier with a bayonet spotted Chenggong, who was alone, and charged at him with a howl!

His eyes were fierce, with the madness unique to close combat.

Successfully, his pupils contracted, and the instinct for survival suppressed the excruciating pain.

His body suddenly sank downwards, while at the same time the entrenching tool swept upwards at an angle, skimming the ground!

Pfft! *Sizzle!*
Two teeth-grinding sounds of flesh being pierced rang out almost simultaneously!

The American soldier's bayonet pierced Chenggong's left scapula!
The entrenching tool successfully cleaved into the back of the opponent's right knee, which was not protected by a steel knee pad!

The immense pain caused both of them to scream in agony!

Success suddenly went black, and he felt as if his shoulder blades had been smashed by a hammer.

The American soldier let out a horrific scream as his knee tendons were severed, causing him to fall forward and bring down the enemy.

The two rolled around in a ball, wrestling and twisting in the bloody mud.

The other person gripped Chenggong's neck tightly with both hands!

Success felt his throat being gripped like a vise, his eyes bulging, the last bit of air being squeezed out of his lungs, and the excruciating pain in his left shoulder and the tightness in his right chest almost made him faint.

His will to survive made him reach under him with his still-intact left hand, and his fingertips touched something cold and hard—a piece of fallen rock!
With all his remaining strength, he grabbed a rock and smashed it down into the American soldier's bloodshot eyes!
One! Two! Three! The muffled sound of skulls shattering was clearly audible.

The American soldier's screams stopped abruptly, and the hand gripping his neck loosened.

He successfully pushed aside the heavy corpse, panting heavily like a fish thrown ashore, each cough accompanied by blood clots spurting from his mouth and nose.

My vision was completely swallowed by blood and darkness, and every part of my body screamed that I had reached my limit.

With his still-functioning left hand, he trembled as he reached for the M24 wooden-handled grenade at his waist, which he considered a last resort, and gripped it tightly in his palm.

The cold touch of metal is my only comfort at this moment.

"Medic, quickly take the commander to a safe and secluded location for treatment!"

"The rest of you, follow me and hold them off! Even if we all die, we can't let these American devils escape!"

Upon seeing this, Wang Yousheng immediately shouted his orders and charged forward again with his bayonet.

Seeing the fierce battle fought so successfully, the remaining soldiers of the Fifth Logistics Regiment were greatly encouraged and charged forward with roars.

The two volunteer medics hurriedly moved the person to a safe hiding place and began providing first aid.

Under the fearless hand-to-hand combat of the 5th Logistics Regiment, the remaining 8,000 elite troops of the 2nd US Division were pinned down in the canyon and unable to break out.

On the other side, Wu Wanli, who was in charge of the No. 1 tank, led the remaining twenty-odd tanks and thousands of elite main force troops of the Steel Seventh Brigade to launch a final general attack on the rearguard battalion of the US Second Division on the new top.

A vanguard of 25 Chinese tanks charged straight at the rearguard battalion of the US 2nd Division, which had built its defenses against the complex terrain at the canyon entrance and the wreckage of countless vehicles.

Tank No. 1, acting as the spearhead of the entire formation, steadily advanced at the very front.

Wu Wanli quickly scanned the narrow observation gap of the vehicle commander. As far as he could see, the cobbled-together defensive line of the US rear guard battalion resembled a fiery dragon riddled with wounds and death.

Those were about 1,500 elite U.S. infantrymen who, having lost their armored vehicles, unleashed their formidable firepower to the fullest extent.

Looking around the battlefield, they cleverly utilized the destroyed American half-tracks, jeeps, Dodge trucks, and even the wreckage of their own tanks that had been destroyed earlier, piling them up to form a series of chain firing points.

The rapid bursts of fire from Browning M1919 machine guns erupted from the gaps in those steel tombs, weaving a network of crossfire.

The bazooka gunner's figure appeared and disappeared in the shadows of shell craters and wreckage, each flash accompanied by a scorching tail flame and a sharp whooshing sound.

Several M2A1 105 howitzers with their wheels removed were pushed into a large crater and fired covertly. Each shell that landed shook the ground and stirred up muddy waves that blotted out the sky.

Their firepower density and accuracy far exceeded those of ordinary retreating troops, demonstrating Commander Kaiser's determination to leave them behind to cover the rear.

This defensive line, constructed of steel, flesh and blood, and willpower, stretches over 300 meters along the only route that the Seventh Steel Brigade must take to support the Fifth Logistics Regiment at the canyon exit.

"Han Qing! High-explosive shell!"

Wu Wanli's voice was exceptionally clear through the internal communication system in the narrow, noisy tank compartment.

He didn't need to turn around to imagine Liu Hanqing's focused expression in the gunner's position.

"Roger! High-explosive bomb!"

As Liu Hanqing responded, the cabin echoed with the clanging sound of a metal bullet sliding into the breech and the heavy thud of the cannon locking.

The turret then rotated slightly, and the 85mm gun barrel began to fine-tune its angle.

The real-time battlefield situation map of the Sky Eye Map in Wu Wanli's mind opened, clearly marking the positions of the enemy and ourselves.

The green dots representing the tanks and infantry of the Seventh Steel Brigade resemble a surging river.

The red dots representing the US military were densely distributed on the position.

The red light was particularly dazzling in the area of ​​the gun emplacements formed by a gentle slope on the west side of the position and several large shell craters on the east side of the position.

Clearly, that was a key long-range anti-tank weapon and stronghold for the US military.

Wu Wanli's fingers pressed the radio transmit button steadily, and the short, powerful command was transmitted through the radio channel throughout the entire attacking formation:
"Lei Gong! Coordinates Z-7, Z-8! Rapid fire! Ten rounds in quick succession! Fire!"

Almost the instant the order was given, a muffled roar swept in from behind the Seventh Steel Brigade's lines.

That was the artillery detachment commanded by Lei Gong, and the cannons that had survived the previous pursuit battle began to roar.

A barrage of grenades tore through the air, whistling as they hurtled toward the location designated by Wu Wanli.

Those were key support points near the western rocket launcher assembly point and the eastern artillery position area, as marked on the Sky Eye map.

“Boom boom boom boom—!”

A series of explosions erupted on the American positions, sending towering fireballs into the air mixed with thick smoke, dirt, and torn metal fragments.

The fortifications directly hit collapsed instantly, while the massive shockwaves that missed the direct hits tore at the nerves and bunkers of the American soldiers.

The sudden and intense artillery fire briefly suppressed the anti-tank firepower in that area.

"Now! Vanguard tank group, commence the general offensive!"
The squads alternated cover and followed up!

"Target: the central breakthrough point! Charge!"

Wu Wanli roared into the radio, his voice filled with resolute determination.

Upon hearing this, the driver of Tank Number One pushed the control lever hard with his left hand. The tank under his feet let out a low roar, the diesel engine burst out with powerful force, and the heavy vehicle suddenly lurched forward.

On either side of Tank No. 1, the engines of the remaining twenty-four tanks roared to their maximum, crushing through the rubble and scorched earth, braving the smoke and fire of the barrage ahead, and charging toward the American positions!

Liu Hanqing pursed his lips, his left eye was pressed tightly against the gun scope, and his right thumb hovered above the firing button.

Almost at the same time the general offensive began, he made a fine-tuning of his gun barrel and locked onto a large firing point built on the chassis of a scrapped M4 Sherman tank at the forefront of the central defense line.

There were at least two M1919s inside, spitting fire wildly and suppressing the advance of the 7th Steel Brigade infantry.

"fire!"

Liu Hanqing gave a low shout and pressed down sharply with his right hand.

"boom--!"

The high-explosive shell precisely penetrated the gaps in the wreckage of the Sherman chassis, and the powerful impact blew the makeshift fortification apart.

A flash of fire erupted as sandbags, machine gun parts, steel blocks, and several humanoid objects were thrown high into the air, instantly silencing a deadly firing point.

However, before the joy of victory could be shared, Wu Wanli's keen hearing picked up on the unique, faint sound of air tearing from the right front of the tank.

"Right ahead! Bazooka! Turn left 15 degrees!"

Wu Wanli roared.

The driver of Tank No. 1 reacted extremely quickly, and the heavy tracks suddenly veered to the left, causing the entire tank to make a sharp turn.

At that very instant, a rocket trailing a long plume of flame and whistling sharply flew past the right upper glacis armor of the Panzer I tank.

The scorching airflow even caused the track plates on the outside of the vehicle to hiss.

The rocket struck several large rocks not far behind it, exploding into a cloud of flames and debris.

"Right wing ramp, those bastards aren't all dead yet!"

The radio crackled with the roar of a Pershing tank commander on the right, accompanied by the echo of his main gun's boom.

Through the observation slit, Wu Wanli indeed saw several American rocket launcher operators who had not been killed by the bombardment attempting to fire rockets on the gentle slope to the west that had just been covered by artillery fire.

They were very cunning, using the terrain's undulations and smoke screens for cover while moving and firing.

All Pershing!
Extend your firepower! Cover the western slope!
Suppress them! Don't let the flanks get hit!

Wu Wanli's order was transmitted instantly through clear radio waves.

The main guns of the Chinese Pershing tank group immediately unleashed a barrage of fire on the gentle slope.

The continuous explosions of high-explosive shells once again turned that area into a living hell. Rocks on the slope crumbled, soil churned, and sporadic rocket counterattacks quickly dwindled.

Just then, a series of static and urgent shouts came through the radio:
"Car number three...Car number three has been hit!"

Repeat! The left track of vehicle number three has been broken! We can't move!

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli's heart sank.

Car number three is a T34, positioned at the left front of the formation.

He immediately adjusted his view and saw that the left track of the T-34 had broken off and become an easy target for the surrounding US machine gun fire. The armor was being hit and sparks were flying everywhere.

Even more critically, the disabled tank blocked the path for the advancing infantry, causing a stagnation in the entire assault team's front line.

"Vehicles number four and five, move to vehicle number three immediately and provide fire support for vehicle number three!"
Infantry squads 1 and 2, immediately move up and clear the obstacles around vehicle number 3!

Protect the tanks! Eliminate the threat!

Wu Wanli's voice was calm and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Under his precise command, the two nearest T-34s quickly adjusted their positions, using their sides and gunfire to build a temporary steel barrier for their teammates who were in trouble.

Dozens of Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers crawled forward through a hail of bullets, rushed to the side of vehicle number three, and engaged in close combat with American soldiers in nearby bunkers using submachine guns and grenades, resulting in fierce firefights and close-quarters fighting.

However, the U.S. commanders were clearly not going to let this fleeting opportunity for a counterattack slip by.

Taking advantage of the chaos and slowed speed of the central tank formation due to the sudden obstruction, the howitzer and mortar positions formed by the large shell craters on the east side of the position became active again.

Their target was no longer the assault tanks, but the advancing infantry group of the 7th Steel Brigade!

Meanwhile, several machine gun bunkers that had not been previously targeted also reinforced the firepower from the side.

"Thump thump thump thump thump thump... Whoosh—Boom!"

Shells rained down on the charging infantry, accompanied by machine gun bullets sweeping fiercely across the ground, sending up plumes of smoke and dust.

Screams and roars could be faintly heard through the steel panels.

Several mortar shells exploded near a squad of infantrymen who were advancing forward.

At least seven or eight soldiers vanished instantly in the flames and smoke of the explosion.

The subsequent infantrymen had to lie down again, and the wave of attack was severely suppressed.

Time! Time is passing!
The image of the Fifth Logistics Regiment fighting a bloody battle at the canyon exit, suffering huge casualties every minute, kept replaying in Wu Wanli's mind.

Wu Wanli knew he couldn't be held up here any longer; he had to find a way to break the deadlock!

He stared intently at the SkyNet map, where he saw the artillery positions on the east side of the US defense line and the firing points on the west side once again highlighted as a threat.

Wu Wanli shouted into the radio:
"Thunder God! Change the artillery coordinates! New coordinates: E-9! F-10!"

Cover and bombard the area where US artillery positions are located on the east side! Maximum firepower!
"Smash it to me within one minute!"

This time, he ordered Lei Gong to concentrate all remaining firepower, focusing on taking down the US military's long-range support forces.

Rumble——!
The artillery behind reacted swiftly, shifting their firepower.

A barrage of shells rained down from the sky with tremendous force, slamming into the area where the US forces had deployed howitzers and mortar positions in the craters.

This time, the attack was exceptionally fierce, with the entire eastern region almost completely engulfed by continuous fire and massive amounts of smoke.

The shockwave from the exploding shells traveled visibly through the air, and the firepower of the US artillery positions weakened at a visible rate.

Before the smoke of battle had cleared, the shelling from the east decreased sharply.

"All tanks! Forget about vehicle three! Push forward! Infantry, follow closely! Charge! Speed! Break them apart!"

Seeing that the opportunity had come, Wu Wanli quickly gave the order.

A stopped tank formation is a target!

The only way is to charge forward and crush everything with the force of a tank!
All the tanks that could still move, including the No. 1 tank, pushed their horsepower to the limit again, their engines roaring laboriously, and began to crush forward again!
The tracks kicked up mud and gravel, smashing through charred planks, broken guns, and even corpses that couldn't be dragged away, as it charged towards the center of the defensive line at full speed!

The main gun of the tank operated by Liu Hanqing continuously spewed out tongues of fire.

Instead of precisely aiming at a single point, they fire at the fastest speed, slamming high-explosive shells into all firing positions in line of sight!

A machine gun emplacement built on the wreckage of an armored vehicle was torn to pieces by one of his shells.

A mortar team hidden behind a pile of rocks was thrown into the air by the blast wave.

Several infantrymen who tried to aim with their recoilless rifles were torn apart by the dense shrapnel.

The cannon barrel began to heat up under high-speed firing, and the temperature inside the chamber rose rapidly, creating a suffocating smell mixed with the pungent odor of gunpowder and evaporating engine oil.

Just then, Liu Hanqing shouted through the intercom from the cockpit: "Commander! Directly ahead! Anti-tank mines! The Americans are laying them!"

Wu Wanli immediately scanned ahead and saw that about twenty meters in front of the tank group, American soldiers were urgently laying anti-tank mines on the road!

Clearly, they also realized that the existing fortifications could not stop the tanks' advance, and prepared to set up a final death trap.

"Infantry! Directly ahead! US mine-laying team!"
Charge! Take them down! Quickly!

Wu Wanli gave the order without the slightest hesitation.

At this distance, tanks cannot fire effectively, and charging in to crush them would cause terrible losses!

This time, even more infantrymen leaped from behind the tanks and from the still-lingering smoke, shouting as they charged toward the death zone.

The bursts of M1 Garand rifles and the sweeping fire of Browning machine guns rained down on these brave infantrymen like a deluge.

Soldiers kept falling from the bullets, but no one retreated.

They returned fire fiercely with their PPSh submachine guns and threw grenades at the mine site!

A fierce battle for control of the front lines erupted instantly.

Explosions, gunshots, shouts of killing, and screams filled the air.

Ultimately, after losing almost the entire infantry squad, the U.S. mine-laying team was forcibly eliminated, and a passable section of the road was barely cleared.

The damage was severe, and the passage was barely opened.

At this moment, the tank group of the 7th Steel Brigade finally forced its way to the front of the core area of ​​the US defense line!
The terrain here is relatively open, but the US military built its last stronghold of resistance using the last large wreckage.

The intense firepower here was terrifying. Machine gun bullets rained down on the tank armor like a storm, creating a dense, pounding sound like raindrops hitting a tin roof, with sparks flying everywhere.

Rockets and rifle grenades were also mixed in, searching for weak points outside the main armor.

"Clang! Bang!—" A bazooka rocket hit the idler wheel on the upper edge of the front armor of vehicle number one. The violent explosion did not penetrate the main armor.

But the enormous impact caused the entire vehicle to shake violently, and a piercing noise of metal deformation and compression could be heard from inside.

Everyone inside the cabin was thrown about by the shock, and some of the instrument panel glass shattered instantly.

Hot metal fragments splashed into the turret. Liu Hanqing groaned as a gash appeared on the outside of his left arm, and blood gushed out immediately.

"Hanqing, are you alright?!"

Upon seeing this, Wu Wanli immediately asked.

"It's nothing! Just a minor injury!"

Liu Hanqing gritted his teeth and roared back, wiping away the blood with his right hand without even frowning, and pressed his eyes back against the scorching hot cannon scope.

"Oh shit!"

Liu Hanqing cursed under his breath, and the turret spun rapidly, locking onto the approximate direction of the incoming rocket attack almost instantly.

When Liu Hanqing saw the figure moving behind an M4 Sherman that was only a chassis and turret mount left, he pressed the fire button hard!

"boom!"

A burst of fire erupted behind the Sherman wreckage, tearing the rocket launcher operator and his possible ammunition to shreds.

But Liu Hanqing's anger had not subsided. His fingers barely left the button as he continued to operate the cannon—aiming—firing, his movements were astonishingly fast.

"That machine gun emplacement! Take it out! ...And that mortar! Smash it!"

Under his almost frenzied targeted firing, several firing positions around the core fortifications were blown up one after another.

Under the combined fire of all the tanks and the desperate attack of the elite 7th Steel Brigade, the rearguard battalion of the US 2nd Division finally could not hold on.

A dilapidated bunker command post

"Damn it, we can't hold them off. Send a telegram to General Kaiser immediately: we will retreat within three minutes, or we will be wiped out."

This is beyond our ability to hold; ordering a desperate defense will only lead to the surrender of all our men.

The U.S. battalion commander sighed and gave the order to the communications officer.

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

On the command vehicle of the US Second Division

"General, the rear guard battalion will retreat within three minutes, and the Seventh Steel Brigade will be attacking us."

But the Chinese in front fought very tenaciously, continuing to hold us back with hand-to-hand combat.

If this continues, the entire Second American Division will be doomed.

"The chief of staff of the U.S. Second Division said anxiously."

"Aren't there only a few hundred Chinese soldiers in front of us?!"

Why were you able to hold us off in close combat for so long, you bunch of useless trash!

Division Commander Kaiser angrily cursed.

"General, the canyon terrain restricts the deployment of our troops."

Even if we have 100,000 men, only a few hundred can actually get into direct combat!

Under such circumstances, it's understandable that they were bogged down in hand-to-hand combat; these Chinese soldiers were fearless, and even when they were nearly wiped out, they didn't retreat.

The chief of staff of the U.S. Second Division explained.

"Fuck!"

Pass on my order: have the artillery open fire at full speed and blow up those hundreds of Chinese troops blocking our way!

"Such a small number of people, and so densely packed together engaged in hand-to-hand combat without taking cover, they were taken care of in just two rounds of artillery fire!"

After struggling for a few seconds, Division Commander Kaiser gave the order.

"General, but this will also affect our soldiers..."

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff of the U.S. Second Division immediately offered advice.

"If we don't do this, the entire Second Division of the US Army will be finished!"
Let the soldiers suffer a bit first; when it comes time to reward them, they'll be much sweeter.

Division Commander Kaiser frowned and interrupted him directly.

"Yes, sir..."

The chief of staff of the U.S. Second Division sighed and agreed.

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

Soon, Commander Kaiser's order spread throughout the artillery positions of the entire 2nd Infantry Division.

Commands, the clanging of breechblocks, and the snapping sound of ammunition boxes being roughly pried open suddenly rang out.

The first calibration round, trailing a sharp whistle, tore through the smoke-filled air and slammed heavily onto the edge of the chaotic battlefield in front of the canyon exit.

--boom!

Soil and gravel mixed with shredded military uniforms that had been blown off flew several meters high.

"Damn! That's American heavy artillery! Are they crazy?!"

Wang Yousheng, covered in blood, had just stabbed an American soldier with his bayonet when the explosion nearby startled him, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

His right leg had already been pierced by a bullet, and he was supporting his body entirely with the butt of his gun, his bandages soaked in blood and mud, turning dark brown.

He suddenly looked up in the direction from which the shells had come, his heart skipped a beat, and his face turned deathly pale.

That wasn't artillery fire aimed at the enemy deep in the canyon; the shells landed right next to the US military's own front lines!
"Retreat...retreat? No, no..."

He murmured to himself, and a terrible thought seized him like lightning.

Immediately afterwards, the real artillery barrage began.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The dense, suffocating explosions came one after another, like countless invisible hammers, continuously and indiscriminately pounding on everyone's heads!

105mm, 155mm, and even larger caliber shells, like a torrential downpour of steel, slammed into the narrow battleground at the entrance of the canyon!
The flames from the explosion stretched out in a continuous arc, engulfing everything in sight.

A massive shockwave swept across the ground, hurling snow and mud mixed with human fragments high into the air, creating a foul-smelling cloud of blood.

The already scorched low slopes and sparse woodland were instantly plowed over.

Burning trees, charred limbs, and twisted metal fragments were clearly visible in the firelight.

The US advance troops, which were launching a fierce offensive, were the first to bear the brunt.

A large-caliber grenade landed squarely on the heads of a U.S. heavy machine gun team that was firing from the wreckage of an armored vehicle.

With a flash of fire, the wreckage of the vehicle was overturned, and the machine gunner and assistant gunner were instantly torn apart, their bodies and guns turning into a rain of blood and scorching metal parts flying everywhere.

Several American soldiers with bayonets pointed at them, who were about to charge forward, were blown away by the huge blast wave and crashed into the rocks behind them, turning into a pool of blood and flesh.

"My God! They're firing on their own people!"

"Kaiser! You damned devil!"

"Help! No!—"

The desperate cries, curses, and screams of the American soldiers were instantly drowned out by an even more violent explosion.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and severed limbs and fragments mercilessly reaped lives amidst the heat and debris, regardless of whether the uniforms were khaki green or dark olive green.

puff!

A piece of shrapnel pierced the temple of a Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldier who was wrestling with an American lieutenant. Warm blood and brain matter sprayed all over the lieutenant's head and face.

The lieutenant froze, not because of the tragic death of the soldier before him, but because he saw another, larger shell whistling as it fell straight into the crater where his three remaining soldiers were hiding.

"Do not--"

Before his hoarse roar had even faded, the flames of the explosion completely engulfed his last moments of terror and the figures of the soldiers.

Faced with this sudden and devastating attack from the rear, even the battle-hardened volunteer soldiers were stunned for a moment.

That small area of ​​battlefield was completely engulfed by the explosion. Charge? Hold the line? Dodge the bullets?

Under such dense, comprehensive heavy artillery bombardment, any tactical maneuver would appear pale and powerless.

Wang Yousheng leaned on his broken gun, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the hellish explosion epicenter.

That was where his last hundred or so brothers who could still stand were fighting against thousands of American soldiers.

The artillery fire was like a plow, repeatedly crushing that land and all the people on it.

He saw soldiers, whose bodies were intact, being torn apart by a second shell just before they were knocked down, and he saw enemy and friendly soldiers locked in hand-to-hand combat disappear simultaneously into the rising flames and mud.

Each flash of the explosion revealed the horrific scene of the last remaining figures in that small area being swallowed up, thrown into the air, and dismembered.

There were no orders, no hesitation, only pure, cold, indiscriminate destruction.

Overwhelming grief and rage nearly tore Wang Yousheng's chest apart; he knew it was all over.

Kaiser will pave the way with the blood of his own people and smash this nail blocking the canyon entrance to the end!

With his last ounce of strength, Wang Yousheng slammed his battered rifle, its bayonet broken off, into the ground, and abruptly straightened his swaying body, letting out his final roar:

"Long live the new China! See you at the Martyrs' Cemetery!!!"

In the intervals between the explosions, amidst the mountains of enemy and friendly corpses, one by one, swaying, blood-soaked figures suddenly stood up!
See you at the Martyrs' Cemetery!

"Long live the new China!"

One after another, hoarse and desperate cries, filled with final resolve and boundless longing for new life, resounded amidst the booming cannon fire.

A dozen or so voices merged into a faint yet earth-shaking lament.

Someone picked up a rifle that had lost its bayonet and was now just a barrel.

Someone picked up a stone from the ground.

Someone picked up a half-burnt entrenching tool.

Someone was dragging a half-crippled leg, crawling forward by gripping the ground with their hands.

Then, with the last of their strength, they rushed toward the nearest American soldiers who were also stunned by the bombing!

If you have no weapons, bite with your teeth, ram with your head, and use your last bit of strength to hold onto the opponent's legs.

—Boom! Boom!

The artillery fire fell mercilessly and efficiently.

The final shouts, cries of battle, and curses were completely silenced amidst the continuous, increasingly fierce flashes of fire and the earth-shaking tremors.

"Old Commander Li Yunlong, I, Wang Yousheng, have not disgraced our old Independent Regiment..."

"Monk, I've come to keep you company!!!"

Wang Yousheng shouted with tears in his eyes, and the next second he was swallowed by a bomb.

When this intense, suffocating barrage finally began to extend to both sides of the canyon, only craters and debris remained at the canyon entrance.

The earth was deathly silent, as if even the air had been shattered.

Only a few scattered flames crackled and scorched the tattered uniforms and the unrecognizable bodies.

Just a few meters below this scorched earth, which had just been thoroughly ravaged by the steel storm, in a natural cave, he was successfully awakened by the excruciating pain.

His consciousness seemed to sink into a thick, cold quagmire, each breath accompanied by the tearing friction of his lungs and the heavy smell of blood.

"Cough...cough cough cough..."

The violent coughing tore at the penetrating wound in his right chest, and he saw stars before his eyes, feeling like he was about to suffocate at any moment.

"Commander! Don't move! Please don't move!"

A young voice, trembling with sobs, rang anxiously in my ear, and at the same time I felt a pair of trembling hands pressing hard on my shoulders.

The flames and thick smoke were almost completely blocked out, with only the muffled, thunderous explosions rolling continuously overhead.

With each explosion, the narrow cave shook violently, and sand and gravel fell down, hitting Chenggong and the people next to him.

Successfully and with difficulty, he turned his head to the side and vaguely saw two figures kneeling beside him.

It was those two volunteer army medics who dragged him away from the battlefield at the last moment.

One of them was very young, his face covered in grime and tear stains.

The other one, slightly older, also had bloodshot eyes and extreme fear, but was still trembling as he tore open the last piece of gauze from the first aid kit.

The firelight shone through the narrow gap in the hole, instantly illuminating their pale faces and their blood-stained cotton-padded coats, whose original color was no longer recognizable.

“Wang…Wang Yousheng…Old Ma…Zhuzi…”

Success's throat was blocked by a large piece of blood crust, his voice was hoarse and weak to the point of being almost inaudible, and every name he gave was accompanied by bloody foam coming from the corner of his mouth.

The older medic bit his lip so hard he didn't even notice it was bleeding. Overwhelmed with grief, his shoulders heaved uncontrollably: "It's...it's all...it's all..."

He couldn't utter the rest of his words, only shaking his head violently, tears and sweat streaming down his face.

The young medic seemed terrified, tears streaming down his face as he said:
"Commander...it's the Americans...their own artillery...they're blowing up our own people...we..."

He was incoherent, overwhelmed by immense fear and disbelief at the enemy's madness, which completely broke him down.

"what--!!!"

He successfully let out a suppressed and painful roar like a wild beast on its deathbed, not because of the excruciating physical pain, but because of the heart-wrenching despair.

With his still-functioning left hand, he dug his fingers into the cold, damp soil, oblivious to the fact that his fingernails were breaking.

He wanted to rush out!
Even if I die immediately, I want to die alongside my comrades!
He is no longer the person who was solely focused on achieving fame and success; he has come to understand the meaning of the six words: "Never give up, never abandon!"
But every time he tried to straighten up, his right chest felt like it was being violently churning by a giant steel rod. The suffocating pain made his vision go black, and his body went limp.

The terrifying explosions overhead gradually thinned out and extended, turning into muffled booms in the distance—the sound of the Seventh Steel Brigade's pursuit being blocked by artillery fire.

Instead, there was the deafening roar of car engines, the crushing sound of tracks, the scraping of metal, and the heart-wrenching cries and urging of countless American soldiers who had survived the ordeal.

"Move! Move! Move!!!"

"Damn it, drive over there! Don't block the way!"

"God... God..."

Countless figures in dark olive-green military uniforms, like a collapsing swarm of ants, tumbled and crawled out of that hellish canyon!

They abandoned all their heavy equipment, even stepping over the still-convulsing corpses of their own men, and desperately surged towards the southeast.

Jeeps, trucks, and all other vehicles that could still move had their accelerators floored, and their engines roaring under the strain.

These vehicles, carrying terrified soldiers, rolled over craters and mounds of corpses, escaping the canyon that had swallowed so many lives.

This once-ambitious elite force has now completely lost its organization and all its spirit, leaving only deep-seated fear and an instinctive desire to escape.

Inside the command vehicle, Division Commander Kaiser's face was terribly gloomy, as if covered with a layer of ashes.

The vehicle-mounted radio was filled with the panicked and frantic shouts of the hastily assembled commanding officers, reporting the locations of the various regiments' chaotic breakouts.

Outside the windshield, there was a scene of chaos and devastation.

The scorched area at the mouth of the canyon, completely flattened by our own artillery fire, was filled with severed limbs and broken pieces mixed among the burning wreckage of vehicles and equipment.

In particular, the hundreds of dark olive-green corpses lay in extremely contorted positions near the mangled remains of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, silently accusing him of his orders.

That scene was so jarring that even Kaiser felt his stomach churn.

"Reporting, General! All artillery has been ordered to conduct intercepting fire on the canyon entrance and the road to its east!"

The enemy tank formation's advance has slowed significantly; they are trapped by the barrage of fire!
Some infantrymen attempted a foot assault on the artillery barrage line!

The adjutant's voice trembled slightly, tinged with suppressed relief; finally, there was some good news he could share.

The chief of staff of the US 2nd Division, his face ashen, his lips trembling, turned his gaze from the hellish scene outside the window and spoke with difficulty:

"General...the rear guard battalion...is finished."

According to the last signal from the front lines, their organization had already collapsed before the enemy tank formation broke through.

Our breakout troops reported that at the entrance to the canyon... they found many... the remains of our soldiers... mixed together with the blown-to-toe Chinese soldiers..."

"Understood. Immediately notify the advance troops to accelerate at full speed!"
Destination: Gangneung! In the direction of Gangneung!

All vehicles, discard all unnecessary baggage!

Tanks clearing a path ahead! Advance at top speed, regardless of the cost!

Kaiser sighed and said heavily.

"General, are we not going to join forces with the 1st Cavalry Division and continue the encirclement and suppression of the 7th Steel Brigade of China?"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff of the U.S. Second Division immediately spoke.

"Damn it, look at our division's casualty rate. Who are we continuing to fight and getting surrounded and annihilated?"
Moreover, once that indiscriminate bombing order was given, we lost our morale for a final stand.

When General Ridgway questioned him afterward, he said, "You're just putting all the blame on me."

I told you that you tried to persuade me to no avail, so I gave the order by force.

I did it so that the US Second Division wouldn't be completely wiped out. Anyone with eyes can see that; they won't execute me.

"At worst, I'll just take off this uniform and go back to America to retire..."

Division Commander Kaiser said with a wry smile.

"General, you..."

Upon hearing this, the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Division looked at Kaiser with emotion.

"General, why don't we go to Chuncheon City instead of Gangneung City on the coast?"
"We will hold Chuncheon together with the 1st Cavalry Division, awaiting the arrival of the new 1st Marine Division to construct our defensive line, then we will be as solid as a rock!"

A U.S. military staff officer asked.

"We have fought several bloody battles with the Chinese army, and we understand their fighting spirit and combat effectiveness all too well."

Even their ragtag troops were determined to fight to the death.

If they send out small groups to intercept and block us, and then Li Yunlong's Eastern Front Assault Group surrounds us, we're finished.

However, Gangneung City is relatively close to us, and according to intelligence, the Seventh Fleet has arrived there.

Furthermore, Gangneung Castle also constructed a large number of coastal defense artillery works.

This means that even if they send additional naval volunteers to help, they still can't defeat us.

On land, needless to say, there's no problem with the firepower suppression from naval guns.

If the Chinese army dares to come, we will rely on naval gunfire to give them a good beating and atone for our mistakes.

If the Chinese army does not come, we will wait for the order to retreat and withdraw safely.

Go and relay the order; tell the men they need to hurry.

Division Commander Kaiser looked at the battle map and said thoughtfully.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Division of the United States immediately agreed.

The radio crackled, and orders were being frantically relayed.

The command vehicle accelerated sharply and joined the rolling flow of retreating vehicles ahead.

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

At this time, at the canyon exit
"Stop chasing for now. The 1st Cavalry Division is about to arrive. We have suffered heavy casualties, and our soldiers are exhausted. We cannot take any risks."

"Once Commander Li Yunlong and his men arrive, we'll regroup and pursue them."

Wu Wanli stepped out of Tank Number One and said.

"Damn it, these American devils got off easy!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong looked into the distance and cursed resentfully.

"It's no pity. The US 2nd Division, which was overstretched with more than 20,000 elite US troops, has been reduced to only 7,000 remnants by us and Commander Li Yunlong. It has been severely weakened."

Once the 27th Army, 12th Army, New 8th Army, and North Korean 9th Army of the Eastern Front Assault Group arrive, we can continue our pursuit.

However, it's strange that they didn't withdraw from Chuncheon, the current core of the US military's eastern front, but instead went towards Gangneung.

Are they trying to use the coastal location to get help from the US Navy?

Liu Hanqing thought for a moment and speculated.

"No need to ask, it's definitely true."

Gangneung is closer to them than Chuncheon, making it faster and more convenient to get there.

Moreover, it is a natural deep-water harbor, with a large number of coastal defense guns and city defense fortifications.

It can be said to be equivalent to Incheon on the eastern front.

Now that they've gone there, we're really facing a problem.

"Should we continue our large-scale infiltration and attack from the front, or withstand the pressure, wipe out the US Second Division, and occupy Jiangling..."

Wu Wanli opened the Tianyan Map and looked at it, then immediately said.

"This... the guns of the US fleet have a caliber of several hundred millimeters. One shell can wipe out an entire company."

Can we win?

Lei Gong took a puff of his pipe and asked.

"Yes, but we need to mobilize our main naval and air force forces, and quickly..."

If they fight well, they might even be able to seize a few US Navy warships.

If only we had a navy with two aircraft carriers...

But it's too difficult. If only we could get more help to increase our chances of success..."

Wu Wanli frowned, caught in a struggle of hesitation.

【Ding------】

[The system has detected that the host is facing a crucial decision on the battlefield. The system has been activated!]

Just as Wu Wanli was feeling troubled, the long-awaited system notification sound suddenly rang out!

(End of this chapter)