Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 371 Eastern Front Army Group General Offensive! Large-Scale Operations!

Outside Gaping City, at the Eastern Front Assault Group Command Post, the final meeting before the general offensive.
The damp, earthy smell mixed with the pungent odor of cheap tobacco weighed heavily on the hearts of every commander.

Kong Jie exhaled a puff of smoke, his thick fingers tapping on the city defense markers on the map indicating the heavy deployment of the New Marine Division: "Old Li, you're too tough!"
We've tried gnawing on things before, and our teeth almost broke.

Commander Iverson of the 1st Marine Division led more than 10,000 elite American troops, with planes in the sky, iron turtles on the ground, and city fortifications built as solid as a tortoise shell!
Our four armies took turns attacking, and casualties piled up like mountains, but his core position remained completely unmoved.

This final offensive absolutely cannot be another piecemeal effort; otherwise, if we can't win, we'll lose everything we have left!

Ding Wei picked up the conversation, his eyes sharp, and traced a line with his finger along a shallow ditch outside the west gate of Jiaping City:
"Old Kong is right!"

Furthermore, the main force of the enemy on the western front could press in from the flank at any time and encircle us like dumplings.

Now we have the newly acquired Soviet weaponry in our hands, including light and heavy machine guns, mortars, and large-caliber artillery. Our firepower is far greater than when we first entered Korea.

I suggest concentrating all Soviet artillery and coordinating infantry and artillery fire!

My 12th Army can organize assault divisions, choosing to launch a close-range attack before dawn, using the ruins east of the city as cover.

"Artillery, plow through the American forward positions and pre-positioned firing points, tear a hole in the assault division!"

Commander Qin of the 15th Army shook his head, his voice deep and powerful: "Old Ding, tearing a hole head-on would come at too high a price."

The crossfire network of the New Marine Division is no joke.

Our 15th Army's main attack direction these past few days has been met with extremely cunning deployments of mortars and heavy machine guns, arranged in layers and echelons. Every step our soldiers take forward is a life-or-death struggle.

I think we still need to find a way to drill in!

The low-lying area near the South Gate in Jiaping has relatively weak observation reports and a lower groundwater level.

Concentrate all the army's engineers and secretly dig a main tunnel from here, plant enough explosives, and directly blow up a section of the city wall!
At the same time, dig several more branch tunnels so that the mortar teams can move right up to his nose and target his deep firing points and command posts inside the city!

This is called "blossoming from the center, attacking from both inside and outside."

Commander Wei of the 60th Army added, "Commander Qin's method makes sense."

Working in close proximity within tunnels is an old tradition of ours. But time is of the essence!
We can't work during the day, so we have to rely on the night.

The engineering forces were concentrated and deployed, with all engineering companies from the four armies being mobilized and operating simultaneously in multiple sections.

In addition, the firepower preparation must be fierce and continuous!
All artillery that can fire, fire two basic loads before the final assault!
We need to confuse the Americans and leave them clueless about our main attack direction.

Zhao Gang listened in silence, a half-burnt cigarette dangling from his hand.

As the political commissar, he was well aware that Li Yunlong's plan contained enormous risks and the consequences of disobeying orders.

But given the current crisis, there seems to be no other way.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Li Yunlong's face: "What the comrades say makes sense."

Old Li's tunnel blasting raid was a risky move, but also a brilliant strategy; the key lay in its concealment and speed.

If discovered by US military aerial reconnaissance or ground-based surveillance, all our previous efforts will be in vain, and our intentions will be exposed.

In addition, the amount of explosives must be calculated precisely, so as to create an opening without harming our approaching assault team.

Furthermore, once the general offensive is launched, the coordination among the four armies must be seamless and without the slightest error.

I agree with this plan in principle, but the details must be carefully considered, and contingency plans must be fully prepared.

Li Yunlong slammed his hand on the table, making the enamel mug clink, and shouted, "Good!"

That hit the nail on the head!

Ding Wei's infantry-artillery coordination must be implemented, and Chief Qin's tunnel blasting must be implemented even more!
I'll use my old experience from playing against the Yamazaki team to give him an upgraded version of "heart-wrenching" against Iverson!
Concentrate all engineering forces—engineering companies from four armies, plus engineer platoons from each division and regiment—bring them all up!
Let's start simultaneously from the low-lying area outside the South Gate and from the base of the old locust tree near the moat at the West Gate!

The tunnel must be dug all the way to the base of the city wall!
Bury as much explosive as you can!
Blow up Jiaping City!
Wu Qianli's 81st Division served as the spearhead of the entire army!

Once the city wall collapses, I'll be the first to charge in through the gap in the south gate and beat them to a pulp!
Ding Wei's 12th Army is launching a major attack on the East Gate!
Commander Qin's 15th Army launched a fierce attack on the North Gate!

Commander Wei's 60th Army, hold the west gate and support the south gate!
Once the signal for a general offensive is given, all Soviet-made artillery and other weapons will bombard us with all their might!
Forget about the front lines and depths, let's clean up Jiaping City from head to toe!
The mortar crew went up with the engineers, dug branches through the tunnels, and got close enough to keep an eye on the bunkers and firing positions!
We must fire accurately and fiercely! Provide cover for the assault troops' charge!
Tell all officers and soldiers that this is a battle that will determine the life and death of 100,000 of us!
If we fight well and wipe out the New Marine Division 1, we can break through the encirclement and point our swords at Seoul!

If we don't win... then we'll all have to prepare for the revolution to the very end!

"Yes!!!"

Upon hearing this, all the commanders and soldiers solemnly responded.

Orders are like a mountain, unstoppable.

That night, in the desolate wilderness outside Jiaping City, countless figures moved silently in the darkness.

They carefully dug through the frozen topsoil with shovels and picks, removing the rubble.

The soil was quickly filled into sacks and carried away by the people behind.

The digging sounds were deliberately suppressed as Chinese Volunteer Army officers, speaking in hushed tones, directed operations from the front lines, sweat and mud rolling down their foreheads.

The air raid spies' ears were perked up more sharply than a rabbit's, alert to any suspicious motor sounds in the night sky.

Before dawn, all traces of digging were carefully covered up.

The exhausted Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers dragged their bodies back to their hiding places, leaving behind only a few well-camouflaged ventilation holes and observation points.

Wang Shuanzi, the company commander of the engineering corps, is a veteran who followed Li Yunlong through the mountains in northwestern Shanxi. He led his company to be responsible for the main tunnel, which led straight to the section of the city wall at Zhimen that looked the most solid.

He personally wielded the pickaxe at the forefront, and when his thumb and forefinger cracked from the impact, he simply wrapped it with a rag.

The tunnels were dug deeper and deeper, and the air became so polluted that it was suffocating.

The hard rock layer beneath the soil made progress extremely slow. Wang Shuanzi was so anxious that his eyes turned red, and he cursed under his breath, but he dared not stop for a moment.

He knew that the success or failure of the entire battle largely depended on their hands.

Another tunnel leading to the vicinity of the West Gate encountered problems, with severe underground water seepage and mud reaching above ankle level.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army engineers were practically crawling in the mud and water, digging away. The icy mud and water soaked through their cotton-padded clothes, and the biting cold was piercing to the bone, but not one of them backed down.

Finally, just before the general offensive was launched, the two main tunnels, like lurking venomous snakes, meandered and silently approached the thick, battle-worn foundation of Jiaping City.

Boxes of high explosives, tightly wrapped in tarpaulin, were silently passed from one tunnel to the end, where they were placed at the seam between the ancient city wall bricks and the frozen soil.

Wang Shuanzi checked the detonating fuse and detonator one last time, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the foundation of the city wall that was about to be torn apart.

It was the dead of night, and the city of Jiaping was deathly silent, with only the occasional cawing of crows from the fields outside the city adding to the somber atmosphere.

A sentry from the 1st Marine Division, wrapped in a coat, yawned behind the battlements, completely unaware of the death lurking beneath his feet.

suddenly!

“BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!”

At the foot of the city wall near the old locust tree on the flanks of the South and West Gates, the earth seemed to be violently lifted up by an ancient behemoth!
First came a dull, heart-stopping roar from the depths of the earth, followed by a violent eruption like a volcanic eruption!
From the south gate, a terrifying cloud of smoke, carrying rubble, bricks, frozen soil and twisted steel bars, rose into the sky, instantly breaking through the darkness before dawn and turning half the sky a bright red!

The thick city wall, constructed of bluestone and rammed earth, was torn open with a huge gap amidst deafening roars and towering flames!
Smoke, dust, and gravel cascaded down like a waterfall.

Near the West Gate, another explosion was equally deafening.

Although slightly less powerful, it successfully blasted a menacing breach at the junction of the sturdy outer fortifications and a section of auxiliary city wall.

The brick and stone structure was blasted to pieces, exposing the relatively weak earthen and wooden firing points behind it.

"Beep be ...

Before the two earth-shattering roars had completely dissipated, the unique bugle call of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, like a raging fire, suddenly shattered the deathly silence of the entire battlefield!

The horn didn't come from a single point, but rather from four directions—east, south, west, and north—of Jiaping City, ringing out simultaneously and explosively!
Like an invisible giant hammer, it slammed into the hearts of every soldier on both sides!

"Comrades! Charge!"
Capture Gapin! Annihilate the Americans—!

Wu Qianli's thunderous roar was the first to erupt from the south gate, instantly igniting the volcano that had been accumulating power for a long time!
"kill--!!!"

A deafening roar of battle cries erupted from all directions from the trenches and assault positions!

"Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump thump!"

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!

Almost at the same instant the bugle sounded, all the Soviet-made artillery pieces on the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's positions roared with pent-up fury!

The dull, powerful shells from the Soviet-made howitzers tore through the air with a chilling whistle, slamming into the American troops inside Gapin!

The explosions continued unabated, engulfing the entire city of Jiaping in flames, thick smoke, and deafening roars of destruction!

The earth is shaking!

At the same time, the mortar teams that followed the engineers to the branch tunnel entrances near the breach began precise and deadly close-range firing the instant before the thick smoke had dissipated!

"Target! Left flank of the breach, heavy machine gun nest at the circular barricade! Fire!"

A Chinese Volunteer Army artillery commander roared, his eyes pressed against the artillery scope.

"Boom! Boom!"

Several 82mm mortar shells, with a short whistle, accurately flew over the mountain of rubble at the breach and landed almost vertically on the makeshift firing point on the South Gate Inner Street, hastily set up by the US military.

The explosion and flying debris instantly engulfed the machine gun emplacement that was spitting fire, and sandbags and human remains were thrown high into the air.

"Well done! Next one!"
Anti-tank rocket launcher at the window of the three-story building to the right! Quick!

The voices of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army observers were almost broken amidst the deafening explosions.

At the breach in the south gate, thick smoke had not yet dissipated, and choking gunpowder smoke and dust filled the air, making visibility extremely low.

Wu Qianli personally carried a rotary machine gun, his entire body lying on the cold pile of rubble like a cheetah.

His volunteer army uniform was soaked with sweat, mud, and someone's blood, clinging tightly to his body.

His face was covered in black ash and bloodstains, but his eyes were fixed on the shadowy figures of American soldiers organizing a counterattack inside the breach.

"Eighty-first Division! Follow me—!"

He stood up abruptly, letting out a near-beastly roar that instantly drowned out the surrounding explosions and gunfire.

Without the slightest hesitation, he was the first to leap into the still scorching hot breach in the city wall, which was filled with rubble and twisted steel bars!
Bullets whizzed past his body, striking the rocks behind him and scattering sparks.

The machine gun in his hand suddenly spat out a long tongue of fire, "rat-a-tat-tat-tat—", and the scorching shell casings jumped wildly at his feet, making a crisp impact sound, and rolled into the gaps in the rubble.

The division commander took the lead, like the most powerful stimulant!

Political Commissar Mei Sheng followed closely behind, holding a Mauser pistol in one hand and waving it wildly with the other, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Party members! Youth League members! Charge with me! Take Jiaping! Avenge our fallen comrades—!"

His glasses were knocked askew during the intense running, but his gaze remained incredibly determined.

"Come on—!"

"Kill the American devils—!"

A roar like a tsunami followed immediately!

The elite assault battalion soldiers of the 81st Division, like a flood bursting its banks, followed closely behind their division commander and political commissar, surging into that huge gaping hole of death!

Armed with fixed bayonets, Soviet-made PPSh submachine guns, Mosin-Nagant rifles, and even entrenching tools, they charged headlong into the dense barrage of American fire!
Volunteer soldiers kept falling, their bodies jolted to the side by the impact of the bullets as they ran at high speed, crashing heavily onto the scorching gravel, their blood quickly staining the ground red.

But the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers behind them didn't even blink, and without hesitation, they stepped over the bodies or bloodstains of their comrades and continued to charge forward!

Using the piles of rubble, the remains of destroyed fortifications, and the burning wreckage of vehicles within the breach as cover, they advanced in alternating leaps, their weapons firing wildly at any American soldiers who dared to show their faces!

The narrow streets inside the breach in the city wall instantly turned into a bloody churn!
A large number of bullets flew wildly through the narrow space, colliding and making sharp, piercing whistling sounds and "thud" sounds as they entered flesh.

Grenades exploded one after another, flashes of light and billowing smoke, as severed limbs and broken weapon parts were constantly thrown high into the air.

Not long after, Chinese and American soldiers collided at extremely close range.

The sounds of clashing bayonets, the muffled thud of rifle butts smashing bones, the desperate howls and angry curses of the dying, mixed with the continuous firing of automatic weapons, created a symphony of extreme cruelty!
The barrel of the machine gun in Wu Qianli's hand was red-hot from firing, and the flames spewing from the muzzle were particularly dazzling in the smoke and dust.

He roared incessantly, commanding his troops: "Second Battalion! To the left! Seize that high ground! Suppress the right-hand street with fire!"
"First Battalion! Follow me, take down that circular fortification ahead!"

Meanwhile, Mayson led another group of troops, making a difficult advance through the ruins on the right side of the street, using submachine guns and grenades to clear out the American stragglers hiding behind the broken walls.

The U.S. military, relying on sturdy buildings and pre-prepared fortifications, put up an exceptionally tenacious resistance.

A heavy machine gun, concealed in a second-floor window on a street corner, suddenly opened fire, the blazing flames instantly felling several Chinese volunteer soldiers charging ahead.

"Hold!"

Wu Qianli cursed angrily, rolled on the spot, and hid behind the wreckage of a bombed jeep. Bullets clattered against the vehicle, sparks flying everywhere.

"Rocket launcher! Bomb that damn firing point!"

He roared at the top of his lungs.

A Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldier carrying a Soviet-made rocket launcher braved the hail of bullets and quickly advanced, kneeling behind a pile of rubble, aiming and pulling the trigger!
"Swoosh—Boom!"

The rocket, trailing a long plume of flame, accurately penetrated the window, and the violent explosion blew the entire window frame, along with the machine gun inside, out of the window!
……

On the east side, Ding Wei's 12th Army was also under tremendous pressure.

The US military clearly considered this place as another possible point of attack, and its defensive firepower was exceptionally strong.

The 12th Army's several assaults were suppressed in front of the open ground by dense machine gun fire and mortar barrage.

The U.S. military relied on the sturdy city walls and surrounding bunkers to construct a tight network of crossfire.

Ding Wei was so angry in the command post that he kept cursing, but his eyes remained unusually calm.

He decisively ordered: "Order the artillery regiment! Adjust the coordinates!"
Concentrate your firepower and knock down their largest bunker complex on the left flank!
Tell the assault team that the moment the artillery fire extends is the time to charge!
"Even if it costs you your life, you have to tear a hole in it!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, a Chinese People's Volunteer Army messenger immediately ran to relay the message.

Before long, the artillery roared again.

Taking advantage of the artillery fire, the soldiers of the 12th Army, who were in charge of the assault, shouted as they leaped out of the trenches and charged across the death zone.

People keep falling, but new generations keep coming.

Finally, after making huge sacrifices, a commando team rushed to the city wall, used explosives to blow up a section of the damaged outer wall, broke into the city, and engaged in a brutal house-to-house battle with the American troops in the narrow streets.

At the North Gate, Commander Qin's 15th Army encountered fierce resistance from US armored forces.

Several Pershing heavy tanks and Sherman medium tanks, taking advantage of the barricades and houses, unleashed a barrage of fire with their main guns and coaxial machine guns, combined with infantry fire, firmly blocking the 15th Army's charge at the street entrance.

Qin Jiwei calmly commanded: "Anti-tank crew! Charge! Rocket launchers, focus fire on the lead 'Pershing'!"
Infantry, focus on suppressing enemy accompanying infantry!

Rockets whistled towards the tanks, some hitting the thick armor and bouncing off, leaving only white marks, while others struck the tracks or the rear engine compartment. One Sherman's tracks were broken, and it spun wildly in place.

Using roadblocks, shell craters, and even the remains of their comrades as cover, the soldiers of the 15th Army advanced one after another to approach the tanks and stuff cluster grenades under the tank chassis.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the turret of the Sherman was tilted and burst into flames.

Chinese volunteer soldiers seized the opportunity to surge forward and engage in hand-to-hand combat with American armored soldiers who crawled out of tanks.

On the main attack route to the west, the 60th Army under Commander Wei fought the hardest.

This is the main direction of attack identified by the US military, with the strongest defenses and the most abundant troops.

The 60th Army's several offensives were crushed by the powerful artillery and air support of the US military, resulting in heavy casualties.

Wei Guoqing's face was ashen, but he did not waver in the slightest: "Continue the attack! Bring up the 3rd Reserve Regiment!"
Tell the artillerymen not to be stingy with their shells! Bombard the west gate of the city wall again!
Even if we can't blow them up, we should at least stun them! This will relieve the pressure on our allies at the South and East gates!
Even if we can't break through, we must pin the main force of the 1st Marine Division down here!

The soldiers of the 60th Army fought a bloody battle, sacrificing themselves to hold back the defenders at the west gate, preventing them from effectively supporting other directions.

The battle raged for a long time, with thick smoke obscuring the sun and flames shooting into the sky throughout the city of Jiaping, and the sounds of gunfire and cannons barely ceasing for a moment.

Every street, every house, and even every pile of rubble became a battlefield that the two sides fought over repeatedly.

With high morale and unwavering will, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army used the openings created by explosives and artillery fire, along with precise support from close-range mortars, to slowly and painstakingly push into the city.

Wu Qianli, leading the 81st Division to the south, finally cleared several blocks near the South Gate after suffering heavy casualties, occupied key intersections, and established a solid bridgehead.

Ding Wei's 12th Army also made a breakthrough in the direction of the East Gate, with several units breaking into the city and engaging in street fighting with the American troops.

Commander Qin's 15th Army successfully destroyed several tanks in the direction of the North Gate, and troops began to pour in.

However, the U.S. Army's new 1st Marine Division lives up to its reputation as an elite force.

After the initial chaos, Division Commander Iverson quickly adjusted his deployment, relying on the city's complex and sturdy buildings and pre-prepared fortifications to organize layers of tenacious resistance.

The automatic weapons were exceptionally powerful, and the snipers appeared like ghosts, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

The US artillery observers were like leeches, constantly calling for artillery support.

The shells landed with incredible precision, as if they had eyes, on the attacking formations of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the positions they had just captured. Each explosion was accompanied by flying blood and flesh.

Even more deadly is the sky.

US fighter jets circled over Gapin almost continuously.

F-86 Sabre fighter jets swooped down and strafed, slaughtering the Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers exposed on the streets with machine guns and rockets.

B-26 bombers dropped strings of napalm bombs, the flames of which, like hellfire, turned the entire neighborhood to ashes.

Many soldiers who couldn't escape were instantly burned to a crisp, their shrill screams sending chills down one's spine.

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

At this time, every step forward for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was extremely difficult, and every step was paved with lives and blood.

The casualty figures rose sharply, like a snowball rolling downhill. Reserve regiments were poured in one after another.

Li Yunlong stood in the forward command post, listening to the constant reports of casualties and the stalemate in the battle from various armies. His eyes were bloodshot, and his teeth were grinding together.

He slammed his hat onto the dusty map: "Damn it! There's no turning back now!"

Tell all the troops! Put all your last reserves on the line!
General reserve! All in!
Smash it! Even if you have to bite it with your teeth, you have to break it down!
Today, either his 1st New Marine Division will be wiped out, or our Eastern Front Assault Group will be annihilated!

Li Yunlong's ruthless and fearless nature erupted completely, like a lone wolf driven to the brink of despair.

The last reserve force was deployed to the battle, striving to clear the road to the city center as quickly as possible.

Fierce street fighting raged across every inch of Jiaping City.

In the underground bunker of the 1st Marine Division headquarters in the city center, the air was thick with smoke, the smell of sweat, and an atmosphere of despair.

The sounds of radio calls, telephone rings, and urgent reports from U.S. military staff mingled together.

"General! Two blocks have been lost in the south gate direction. The Chinese are advancing towards the city hall!"

"The east gate is under attack! At least one regiment of Chinese soldiers has broken in and is attacking the train station!"

"Two tanks lost at the north gate, and infantry casualties are heavy! Requesting reinforcements!"

"The pressure on Ximen is immense! The 60th Army is attacking like madmen! We're doomed!"

Major General Iverson stood in front of the sand table, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

This U.S. military general, known for his resilience, was also feeling immense pressure at this moment.

The commander of the new 1st Marine Division handed over the latest summary report, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Sir, preliminary statistics... combat casualties have exceeded forty percent..."

The Chinese are still continuously deploying new troops, like a tidal wave, without any regard for casualties..."

Iverson remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the markers on the sand table representing the location of the US 7th Division, which was intended to be a reinforcement.

In the repeated march progress telegrams, the small flag was being manipulated by the staff officer as it slowly approached Gapin.

But clearly, it's too slow!
Division Commander Iverson slammed his fist on the edge of the sand table, causing the small flags on it to shake violently.
It's too late!
Once the 7th Division gets here, the 1st New Marine Division can be removed from the order of battle!

Relay my order! The entire division must immediately retreat!
Abandon all outer positions!
All mobile tanks and armored vehicles, gather at the west gate!

Notify the Air Force that I require maximum air cover!

Objective—Break through the west gate!

Head west! Through Qingping Gorge!

Join forces with the 7th Division of the United States!

The engineers laid a large number of anti-tank mines and booby traps along the retreat route to delay the pursuit!

Destroy all non-essential supplies!

The wounded... leave behind the necessary medics and covering forces; the rest... take those who can walk!

Take action immediately!

This brutal order was like ice water poured over the heads of every American officer in command, but it also brought a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present immediately agreed.

……

Outside the West Gate, the remnants of the 1st Marine Division, already exhausted but still possessing formidable armored strength, began to relentlessly shrink and assemble towards the West Gate.

Discarded equipment and documents were scattered all over the ground.

Wounded and unable to move, the American soldier lay on the cold street, staring blankly at the smoke-filled sky.

The roar of the US warplanes' engines suddenly intensified, and tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled over rubble and obstacles, clearing a breakout route amidst the desperate resistance of the West Gate defenders.

The US artillery fire shifted its focus, bombarding the open area outside the west gate and the possible pursuit routes of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

In the sky, US warplanes went berserk, strafing and bombing the area near Westgate in an attempt to create an air corridor for ground troops.

……

Meanwhile, inside the Eastern Front Assault Group Command Post

Li Yunlong roared into the phone, "Wu Qianli! Nail the South Gate shut!"
Ding Wei! Dongmen, give it your all! Push forward! Take down Iverson…”

"report!"

A volunteer army communications soldier, covered in blood and wearing a tattered uniform, staggered in, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible: "Urgent military situation! West Gate... West Gate!"
The US military... the main force of the US 1st Marine Division, with all its tanks and armored vehicles concentrated, is breaking out from the west gate! The firepower is too intense!
"Commander Wei of the 60th Army reports...they...are about to collapse!"

"what?!"

Li Yunlong's eyes widened instantly, blood vessels seemingly about to burst out.

He rushed to the sand table, his eyes fixed on the direction of the West Gate, then quickly scanned the direction representing Qingping Canyon.

"That son of a bitch, Iverson! Trying to run away?!"
No way! Block him! You absolutely have to block him!
"Concentrate all reserves! Block the west gate!"

Li Yunlong clenched his fists and roared.

"Old Li, there are no reserves!"
The general reserve force was deployed into battle ten minutes ago!
All armies are engaged in a full-scale offensive; no one can spare any mobile forces!

Zhao Gang took a deep breath and reminded him.

"Damn it! There are no soldiers left?"

I am the soldier! Everyone in command, listen to my orders!
Grab your guns! Come with me to the West Gate!
Stop Iverson!
Even if I die today, I'll break one of those Americans' legs!

Before he finished speaking, Li Yunlong, like an enraged lion, suddenly turned around and rushed to the corner.

He grabbed the PPSh submachine gun hanging on the wall and slammed the drum magazine into the chamber with a loud thud.

Then, with his other hand, he skillfully drew the bayonet from his waist, and with a "click," it was firmly wedged below the muzzle of the gun, the triangular bayonet gleaming with a cold, quenched light.

"Old Li! I support you!"
"It's been a long time since I've been on the battlefield killing enemies. This time, I'll really have some fun!"

As Kong Jie spoke, he suddenly pulled off the Thompson submachine gun slung over his shoulder, and with a "whoosh," the bolt was pulled back, and a bullet was instantly chambered.

"Old Li, I know I can't stop you, so I'll go with you!"

Zhao Gang's voice was unusually calm as he drew his pistol.

"Damn it, let the Americans taste my bullet!"

Ding Wei grabbed the Mosin-Nagant rifle leaning against the table, cocked it with a click, and moved cleanly and efficiently.

"Guard Battalion! All assemble! Protect the commander! Charge with us!"

Duan Peng let out a thunderous roar and picked up his gun.

The entire command post instantly became like a powder keg that had been ignited!

The staff officers dropped their maps and pencils and grabbed whatever weapons they could find on the table or against the wall—pistols, carbines, even entrenching tools.

The radio operator threw down his headset and grabbed a signal gun and a grenade.

The young guards, like tigers unleashed from their cages, brandished their bayonets and instantly formed a charge formation around Duan Peng.

Every single person, regardless of their rank, had a face etched with a desperate, madness!
"Walk--!"

Li Yunlong took the lead, carrying the huge PPSh-450 with its drum magazine, and charged out of the dimly lit command post tunnel like a tiger descending a mountain.

The blinding sunlight mixed with the strong smell of gunpowder hit us, and the deafening gunfire instantly engulfed everyone!

Without pausing for a moment, he sprinted towards the West Gate, where the gunfire was most intense and the smoke was thickest!
Behind him, Kong Jie, Zhao Gang, Ding Wei... all the people in the command post who could pick up a gun, and the soldiers of the guard battalion, followed closely behind like a flood breaking through a dam!

This suicide squad, composed of generals, staff officers, and guards, roared and charged headlong into the hellish battlefield of Ximen, braving the hail of bullets and deadly shockwaves!

Outside the West Gate, it was a living hell!

The remnants of the 60th Army had already suffered heavy casualties under the repeated onslaught of the American armored onslaught and air firepower, and were struggling to hold on.

In front of the position, dozens of Pershing and Sherman tanks assembled by the 1st Marine Division formed a wedge-shaped assault formation, like a mobile steel fortress.

Heavy artillery roared, and each roar of the tank's main gun spat out deadly fireballs, tearing apart the Volunteer Army's rudimentary fortifications and the soldiers inside.

The tracks rolled over the land repeatedly ravaged by artillery fire, leaving deep ruts.

The machine guns and automatic weapons mounted on the armored vehicles spewed dense tongues of fire, weaving a web of death.

In the sky, several Corsair fighter jets roared as they swooped down and strafed, their machine guns' tracer rounds lashing the earth like the Grim Reaper's whip, while rockets trailed white smoke as they fell, exploding into towering clouds of dirt and mangled limbs.

US infantry followed behind armored vehicles, using fire support to launch a frenzied assault, attempting to completely break through the encirclement.

At this moment, Zheng Qigui, commander of the 180th Division, had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his left arm and was wielding a large blade in his right hand, running back and forth on the smoke-filled front lines, shouting commands:

"Hold on! Hold on for me!"

Anti-tank team, move out! Rocket launchers! Focus fire on the tracks!

Hand grenades! Tie them up and blow them up! We'll hold them off even if it costs us our lives!

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers below, carrying explosive packs and cluster grenades, fearlessly charged towards the American tanks and armored vehicles amidst a hail of bullets.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Explosions continued to rang out, and tanks were constantly being knocked down and rendered immobile by broken tracks or by explosives inserted under their tracks.

But more tanks and armored vehicles continued their roaring advance, crushing the wreckage of their comrades and the remains of their fallen comrades.

Chinese volunteer soldiers on the position fell like wheat being harvested, their bodies piled up in layers, their blood staining every inch of scorched earth.

At this critical moment, a peculiar team appeared like divine soldiers descending from the sky in the ruins on the flank of the West Gate battlefield!

"Comrades! Commander-in-Chief Li is here!"
The command leaders have all arrived! Their guns are pointed at the enemy! "Fire! Fire!"

Duan Peng's thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield!

Li Yunlong's figure appeared first behind a broken wall, and the huge PPSh rifle in his hand instantly roared deafeningly!

"Da da da da da da-!"

The PPSh-45's large drum magazine provided terrifying sustained firepower, with dense bullets sweeping across the charging American infantry, instantly taking down several of them!
The firelight illuminated his ashen face, stained with gunpowder and blood, which was filled with a chilling murderous aura!
"The commander is here!"

"Commander Li! Deputy Commander Kong! Political Commissar Zhao!"

"The command leaders are leading the charge!"

"Let's fight those American devils!"

This shocking scene, like the most powerful stimulant, instantly injected into the hearts of the Ximen garrison, who were on the verge of collapse!
The officers and soldiers, who were already exhausted and on the verge of despair, saw even Li Yunlong carrying a gun and charging to the front line. The blood and anger that had been suppressed to the limit by fatigue and casualties in their chests suddenly erupted!

"Comrades! Commanders, follow us! Kill them all!!!"

"Avenge our fallen comrades! Fight to the death to stop the Americans—!"

"Fight! Fight them hard! Let's give those bastards a taste of their own medicine!"

The deafening battle cries rose once again on the battlefield of Ximen, more intense and ferocious than ever before!

Large numbers of Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, as if injected with chicken blood, leaped up from their dilapidated fortifications or shell craters and launched a counter-offensive!
(End of this chapter)