Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 378 Wu Wanli led his army into the city!
Inside the headquarters
Zhang Xinghua looked at Wu Wanli and said, "It's alright! It's good that the main force of the Seventh Steel Brigade has arrived!"

With the Seventh Steel Brigade here, we will definitely take Guangzhou today!
Avenge our fallen comrades!

Li Zhenhua echoed excitedly, clenching his fists tightly, "That's right! With the Seventh Steel Brigade here, the sky won't fall!"

In an instant, everyone's eyes in the command post were focused on Wu Wanli.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the occasional soft crackling sound of the oil lamp wick burning.

Wu Wanli remained silent, looking at the enemy situation summary, firepower deployment map, city defense structure sketch, and the latest enemy dynamic map drawn by the scouts spread out in front of him.

His fingers were long and steady as he slowly and steadily turned the pages of paper soaked in gunpowder and blood, his pace even and without the slightest impatience.

Time passes minute by minute.

The command post was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was the rustling of papers turning over, scraping at everyone's hearts like a dull knife.

The excitement on Zhang Xinghua and Li Zhenhua's faces was gradually replaced by anxiety, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on their foreheads.

They knew that Wu Wanli was thinking, calculating, and deducing.

This silence is more unsettling than any thunderous roar.

Finally, after Wu Wanli finished turning the last page and mentally reviewed the Heavenly Eye Map, he closed the folder and looked up: "Lei Gong."

"To!"

Lei Gong suddenly stood up straight, as upright as a javelin.

Wu Wanli's gaze seemed to pierce through the tent's canvas, locking onto the depths of Guangzhou: "All howitzers in your artillery detachment, fire according to the coordinates I give you."

The first objective is the underground reinforced bunker in the northwest corner of the city.

Coordinates: East longitude XXX, North latitude XXX.

Covert fire, three rapid-fire rounds.

Without the slightest hesitation, and without even checking the map, Lei Gong immediately pulled out his notebook and quickly wrote it down, repeating, "Northwest corner, coordinates XXX, three rounds of rapid fire! Understood!"

Wu Wanli spoke steadily and continued to issue instructions: "Second target: all suspected permanent firing positions within a 50-meter radius on both sides of the inner side of the south gate tower."

Coordinates: XXX to XXX. Coverage fire, two rounds.

"Firing position inside the south gate tower, coordinates XXX, two rounds of fire coverage! Understood!"

Lei Gong's pen made a scratching sound on the notebook.

Wu Wanli nodded and added, "The third target is the central square in the city, which is suspected to be the assembly area of ​​the brigade command and reserve forces."

Coordinates: XXX.

"Central Square, coordinates XXX, stand by! Understood!"

Lei Gong wrote this down, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes.

He knew that this third coordinate would be the hammer blow that struck the heart of the Turkish brigade.

Wu Wanli nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the others: "Pinghe."

"To!"

Pinghe, the head of the investigation team, was as wiry and sharp-eyed as a cheetah, and he agreed.

"You will lead two thousand elite reconnaissance troops to launch a major attack on western Guangzhou."

Objective: To create a breach, penetrate deep into the city, and divide the enemy forces defending the western district.

"Yes! I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Pinghe's answer was resolute.

"Gao Daxing".

"Here!" Commander Gao Daxing, the assault team leader, spoke with a booming voice, like an iron tower.

"You will lead a 2,000-strong elite assault detachment to launch a major attack on the east side of Guangzhou. Objective: to break through the enemy lines, draw enemy fire from the east, and support the main attack at the south gate."

"Yes! Leave the eastern front to me!" Gao Daxing slammed his fist into his chest, making a dull thud.

"I joined the army."

"Here!" Firepower detachment leader Yu Congrong said, his face bearing his usual ruthlessness.

"You will lead two thousand elite firepower detachments, closely following my vanguard guard battalion, to launch the main attack on the south of Guangzhou."

Mission: Consolidate the breakthrough point, eliminate the remaining enemy forces, and advance towards the core area of ​​the city.

"Yes! Firepower Brigade, invincible!" Yu Congrong's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

Finally, Wu Wanli's gaze fell on Shi Qian, the commander of the armored guard battalion: "Shi Qian."

"Here!" Prehistoric stood at attention, his posture upright.

"Armored Guard Battalion, all tanks and armored vehicles, follow me."

Objective: South Gate, break through head-on!

You will lead two hundred soldiers from the guard battalion, cooperating with the tanks, to eliminate any close-range threats!

"Yes, sir! The guard battalion swears to protect the commander to the death and eliminate all threats!"

"It answered loudly," Prehistoric replied.

The orders were clear and the division of labor was well-defined.

Wu Wanli instantly mobilized the core strength of the Seventh Steel Brigade, turning it into a precise and efficient war machine.

However, the expressions on the faces of Zhang Xinghua and Li Zhenhua, who were standing to the side, changed from initial excitement and anticipation to astonishment and anxiety.

The order made no mention of them whatsoever!

Zhang Xinghua couldn't help but step forward, his voice trembling with urgency: "Chief Wu, what about us?"
We still have so many men, we can still fight!

You see…

Wu Wanli raised his hand, stopping him from saying anything more.

His gaze calmly swept over the anxious faces of Zhang Xinghua and Li Zhenhua, then landed on the map in the corner of the command post that marked the northern part of Guangzhou.

Wu Wanli's voice remained steady, yet carried a chilling certainty: "You, deploy your forces in the northern part of the city."

You constructed three semi-circular defensive fortifications along the line of Sandaogang, Lijiapo, and Xiaoshiqiao, north of Baishuihe.

The layout is arranged in a tiered, vertical manner, forming a semi-enclosed circle.

The mission was to prevent the remnants of the Turkish brigade from breaking out and escaping to the north.

"what?!"

Zhang Xinghua and Li Zhenhua exclaimed in shock almost simultaneously, their faces filled with disbelief.

The other officers in the command post also immediately became agitated, exchanging bewildered glances.

Li Zhenhua was stunned and said, "Chief Wu! This..."

The Turkish troops are still putting up a stubborn resistance in the city. Are we supposed to just stand by and watch from the north of the city?

We request to join the siege!

Even as a reserve team would be fine!

"More people means more strength!"

Zhang Xinghua's eyes also turned red with anxiety: "Yes, Chief Wu, let us go!"

We know the terrain well, and the guys are itching to charge in and slaughter those bumpkins!

The atmosphere in the command center instantly became somewhat tense.

Several branch commanders of the Seventh Steel Brigade also glanced sideways at their brigade commander.

Liu Hanqing frowned slightly. He understood Wu Wanli's strategic vision, but he also felt that placing so many fresh troops on the periphery for interception seemed a bit too confident.

After all, the Turkish Brigade's tenacity and ferocity have been proven in blood.

Liu Hanqing hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking, "Chief, their concerns are not without merit."

The Turkish brigade is a tough nut to crack, and they are likely to hold out against it.

With so many troops, if they could be deployed to the siege, whether as support for the main attack or as a second echelon to expand the gains, it would greatly reduce the pressure on the main attacking force and accelerate the course of the campaign.

If we leave them completely on the periphery, and the Turkish army chooses to fight to the death, wouldn't that be a waste of this force?
Moreover, there was no guarantee that the Turkish army would choose to break out to the north.

His words reflected the doubts in the hearts of many people present, and all eyes once again focused on Wu Wanli.

Wu Wanli listened quietly, his face expressionless.

Only after Liu Hanqing finished speaking did he slowly raise his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone before finally landing on Liu Hanqing's face.

"They can't beat the Turkish brigade, they can't beat the Seventh Steel Brigade."

Wu Wanli's voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, carrying an unquestionable and absolute confidence.

His tone was as flat as if he were stating a very simple fact.

"The cannons will be knocked out, the firing positions will be removed, and the city walls will be torn apart."

As for street fighting? Their proud bayonet fighting?
The Seventh Steel Brigade will show them what true close combat is.

Wu Wanli continued, his gaze seemingly piercing through the darkness before dawn, seeing the impending victory.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at the captured American military watch on his wrist.

The luminous hands on the dial clearly point to 4:40 AM.

"Zhang Xinghua's troops went to the north of the city to build positions and prepare for an ambush!"

The rest of you, launch a full-scale attack at five o'clock!

Wu Wanli immediately gave the order.

Zhang Xinghua and Li Zhenhua were both shocked.

Looking into Wu Wanli's unwavering eyes and feeling the overwhelming confidence and commanding presence emanating from him, all their resentment miraculously vanished at that moment.

Instead, there is a trust and obedience that comes from the depths of the soul!
That was an unbreakable belief forged through countless desperate situations, led by this captain, who fought his way out and created miracles!

"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished! Secure the bag tight, don't let a single fish escape!"

The two straightened their backs and roared in response with all their might, their eyes burning with renewed fervor.

"Yes!"

Inside the command post, all the officers, regardless of where they came from, straightened their backs and roared loudly.

Wu Wanli's bold statement, "After we take Guangzhou, we'll have breakfast!" was like a shot of adrenaline, injected into everyone's blood.

All fatigue and doubts vanished, leaving only a boiling fighting spirit!
At 4:50 a.m., outside the South Gate of Guangzhou, a chilly atmosphere permeated the damp air.

Eleven tanks and four American-made M3 half-track armored vehicles formed an assault formation in the deepest darkness before dawn.

The tracks rolled over the muddy ground, making a low creaking sound.

The engine roared, and the exhaust pipe spewed out wisps of blue smoke, mixed with the smell of gunpowder and earth.

The armored guard battalion commander, Shi Qian, stood like an iron statue beside the hatch of the command tank.

Behind him stood more than two hundred guards, all armed with submachine guns and PPSh-45s, their waists laden with grenades, their bayonets gleaming coldly in the dim light.

They stood silently against the tank hulls or foxholes, their sharp eyes scanning the desolate outline of the city wall ahead with vigilance.

They were the sharpest blades of the Seventh Steel Brigade, and also Captain Wu's last line of defense.

A little further behind them was Yu Congrong's artillery detachment of two thousand elite soldiers.

Light and heavy machine guns, mortars, and bazookas—the dark muzzles of guns and cannons were pointed at the city wall, awaiting the signal to tear a breach.

Further away, Lei Gong's artillery positions had already completed the final data setting.

The barrels of dozens of howitzers were raised high, like sharp swords pointing to the sky, waiting for the order to fire.

Time was ticking closer to five o'clock.

Inside Tank No. 1
"Attention all!
Check your equipment! Prepare for battle!

Wu Wanli's voice, transmitted clearly through the radio inside the tank, reached every tank, armored vehicle, and Yu Congrong at the rear. "Inspection complete!"

"Ready!"

The radio crackled with concise and powerful responses from each vehicle and team.

4:59:30

Wu Wanli suddenly waved his hand, his voice booming like thunder through the radio: "Thunder God! Fire!"

"fire--!"

Almost at the same instant Wu Wanli gave the order, the red flag in the commander's hand slammed down on the Leigong artillery position!

boom! boom! boom! boom!
Dozens of howitzers roared with earth-shattering fury!

The cannon spewed out blazing flames several meters long, instantly tearing apart the darkness before dawn!

The shell tore through the air, emitting a sharp, piercing whistle that ripped across the sky, and struck the underground bunker in the northwest corner of the city with pinpoint accuracy!
The first salvo of shells landed!
Rumble——! ! !
The earth is shaking!

The entire city of Guangzhou seemed to be trembling violently!
In the northwest corner, huge fireballs, mixed with flames and thick smoke, shot into the sky!

The violent explosion, like a real shockwave, slammed into the chests of every volunteer soldier outside the city's south gate!

Even from several kilometers away, you can feel the earth trembling beneath your feet!

Then came the second round! And the third round!

Three rounds of rapid fire, shells rained down like hail, turning that area into a deathly inferno of raging flames and flying debris!

The core artillery positions meticulously constructed by the Turkish brigade, along with their large-caliber guns and gunners, were instantly reduced to ashes under the precise and ferocious firepower of the 7th Steel Corps Artillery Detachment!

The shelling had barely ceased, its echoes still reverberating across the sky, when Wu Wanli's command rang out again, cold and efficient: "Thunder God! Second target! Covert fire! Two volleys!"

"Understood! Second objective! Two-round coverage! Release!"

The roar of the artillery positions rang out once again!

This time, the shells landed mainly inside the south gate tower and the surrounding area to its left and right!
Boom boom boom!

More frequent explosions resounded on the south gate city wall and behind the city wall!

Bricks, stones, wood, sandbags, and human remains were thrown high into the air!

The city wall groaned in agony from the violent explosion, visibly shaking and cracking!
The light and heavy machine gun positions deployed inside the gate tower and on both sides of the city wall crumbled instantly, like eggs being smashed by a giant hammer!

The screams were completely drowned out by the deafening explosion!
The artillery fire has been extended and the firing coverage is complete!
Inside Tank No. 1
"Charge immediately and take the south gate in one fell swoop!"

Wu Wanli spoke into the radio.

Rumble!
The diesel engines of eleven tanks roared deafeningly, spewing thick black smoke from their exhaust pipes!
The heavy tracks churned wildly through the muddy ground as the tank group charged out of the attack position and surged toward the burning south gate of Guangzhou!

Four armored vehicles followed closely behind, their roof-mounted machine guns spitting fire relentlessly, suppressing any remaining resistance on the city walls.

The two hundred guards led by Shiqian, with skillful tactical maneuvers, either supported by the tank body or in skirmish lines closely followed the sides and rear of the tank, charged forward while fiercely firing at the remaining firing points on the city wall!

"Kill--!"

"Charge in! Annihilate the Turkish brigade!"

The deafening battle cries rose like a tsunami!

Yu Congrong's artillery detachment of two thousand soldiers, like a flood breaking through a dam, followed closely behind the tank and armored group and launched an overwhelming charge!

Bayonets, like a forest, gleaming coldly, converged into an unstoppable torrent of steel, rushing straight towards the crumbling south gate!

At the same time, deafening artillery fire and equally stirring bugle calls rang out from the east and west of the city almost simultaneously!
Pinghe and Gao Daxing's troops also launched a fierce attack!
Three sharp knives were simultaneously thrust towards Guangzhou!
The temporary command post inside the south gate of Guangzhou.

Brigadier General Aziz, the Turkish brigade commander, an officer known for his bravery and temper, was now ashen-faced, his lips trembling slightly with extreme anger and shock.

He had just received the devastating news that the artillery position in the northwest corner had been completely destroyed, and all artillery and personnel had been wiped out!
The deafening shelling and the violent tremors beneath his feet almost made him lose his balance.

"Damn it! Those damned Chinese artillerymen! How did they know so accurately?!"

Brigadier General Aziz slammed his fist into the crumbling sandbags of the bunker, sending sand and dirt tumbling down.

He suddenly looked up and peered out of the city through the observation hole.

When he saw the dozen or so Chinese tanks, gleaming coldly in the morning light, rolling towards him like an iron wall, his pupils suddenly contracted!
A glint of ferocity and madness flashed in Aziz's eyes: "The Chinese armored formation wants to force its way in through the south gate! Dream on!"

Concentrate all available rocket launchers and bring them to the south gate city wall! Quickly!
Target! A group of Chinese tanks, especially the one at the very front!

"Bomb them all to scrap metal! Now!"

The Turkish brigade's staff and officers scrambled out to relay the orders.

Soon, dozens of Turkish soldiers carrying bazookas braved the dense hail of bullets below the city and stumbled up the ruins of the broken city walls and gate towers on both sides of the south gate, searching for firing positions.

Their faces showed fear, but even more so, a fierce determination born of being driven to the brink.

"Quick! Aim! Aim at the first one!"

The Turkish officers roared.

The rocket launcher operators frantically loaded rockets, trying to lock onto their targets amidst the turbulence and chaos.

The tank formation drew ever closer, the heavy tracks crushing the earth like the drumbeats of death, striking at the hearts of everyone present.

Inside Tank No. 1
Wu Wanli sat steadily in the commander's seat, his periscope revealing a scene of violently shaking, smoke-filled battlefield:

Burning ruins of the city walls, streaks of bullets flying through the air, and the shadowy figures of Turkish soldiers hurriedly setting up rocket launchers on the city walls.

His brain was like a high-speed computer at that moment.

The limited field of view provided by the periscope, the radio reports, and the mental map of his vision blended together perfectly.

"Wanli! There's a gap in the city wall directly ahead, and 30 meters to our right, behind the battlements! Two rocket launchers are aiming at us!"

Liu Hanqing, who was also serving as the gunner, spoke urgently through the intercom, his voice tinged with tension.

Wu Wanli spoke calmly into the throat microphone, issuing an order that covered the entire armored group: "Attention all crews!"
Target: All exposed and potential rocket launcher firing positions in the South Gate city wall and gate tower area!
Coordinate range: XXX to XXX!

High-explosive rounds! Covert fire! Execute immediately!

"Car number one received!"

"Car number two received!"

"Car number three received!"

……

The radio crackled with the immediate and unwavering responses from the vehicle commanders.

next second!
boom! boom! boom! boom!
The turrets of the eleven tanks charging at the forefront suddenly shook!
The tank cannon instantly spewed out dazzling flames and thick smoke!
The high-explosive shells seemed to have eyes, accurately striking the area of ​​the city wall designated by Wu Wanli!
Rumble——!
Violent explosions rang out in succession on the city walls and in the ruins of the gate tower!
Bricks, stones, wood, and human fragments, mixed with the aftermath of the rocket explosion that occurred before it could even be launched, shot into the sky!

Dozens of Turkish rocket launchers, which had just been set up and hadn't even had a chance to be aimed, along with their operators, were instantly torn to shreds under the precise and deadly storm of steel!

Limbs, severed arms, and weapon parts rained down from the city walls!

"O God!!"

"Devils! They are devils!"

The Turkish soldiers who were lucky enough to escape direct hits let out desperate howls as they watched the carnage around them instantly turn into a scene of carnage.

Their prized anti-tank weapons proved as vulnerable as toys under the precise artillery fire of the enemy's tank formations!

"No! Impossible!"

Brigadier General Aziz witnessed this hellish scene from behind the bunker, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets!

His chief of staff and several senior officers were equally pale and trembling violently.

"Their commander...how...how could he see the location of our rocket launchers?! And with such precision?!"

The Turkish brigade chief of staff muttered to himself in a daze, his voice filled with incomprehensible fear.

Just then, an even more devastating blow struck!
"Thunderbolt! Third target! Central plaza! Covering fire! Three rounds!"

Wu Wanli's cold voice rang out again through the radio.

The Thunder God artillery positions, which were already prepared, roared once again!

boom! boom! boom!
This time, the cannonballs flew over the city walls and slammed into the central area of ​​Guangzhou!

That place was Aziz's pre-arranged assembly point for reserve forces and a communications hub!

The massive explosion turned the square into a sea of ​​fire and a slaughterhouse, instantly destroying the assembled reserve forces and communication facilities!
The command structure of the Turkish brigade suffered a devastating blow!

Immediately afterward, before the Turkish troops could recover from the shelling of the central square, Lei Gong's artillery fire turned to the south gate again!
"Extended firing! Target: South city wall! High-explosive shells!"

Five rounds of rapid fire! Blow down the city walls!

The thunder god's roar was filled with boundless killing intent.

Boom boom boom boom—!
More concentrated and more violent shells, like thunderbolts falling from the sky, slammed relentlessly into the already battered and crumbling south city wall and gate tower!

Boom! Crack—!
An earth-shattering bang!

Under the concentrated bombardment of the fifth round of shells, a section of the city wall near the south gate of Guangzhou could no longer withstand the devastating blow and collapsed inward like a piece of rotten wood split by a giant axe!

Bricks and stones cascaded down like a waterfall, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sky!

A huge gap, large enough to accommodate several tanks side by side, suddenly appeared in front of the steel torrent!
Smoke and dust filled the air, and flames soared into the sky!
On the ruins of the collapsed city walls, surviving Turkish soldiers scurried about like headless flies, crying out in despair.

Brigadier General Aziz was so shocked that he staggered and almost fell.

Through the billowing smoke and dust, he watched the approaching Chinese tank formation outside the breach in the city wall, and a chill ran down his spine from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!
He suddenly grabbed the chief of staff beside him, whose face was also ashen, and said in a hoarse voice with a sense of desperation: "We can't fight here! We can't hold out!"
Command! All units retreat! Abandon the walls!

Retreat! Retreat into the city!

Use the streets and houses as cover! Engage them in urban warfare!

"Use machetes! Use our machetes! Slaughter them in the alley!"

"Yes...yes, Commander!"

The Turkish brigade chief of staff seemed to wake from a dream and rushed out to deliver this final order.

Woo——woo——!
The mournful sound of retreat bugles echoed over the ruined city of Guangzhou, carrying with it endless panic and fear.

The surviving Turkish soldiers, like the receding tide, abandoned the city wall defenses and jumped off the ruins in a rush, fleeing desperately into the city's intricate streets and alleys.

They gripped the curved swords at their waists tightly, their eyes flashing with the ferocity of cornered beasts.

Street fighting and close combat are their last resort, and the bloody stage where they fight for their last chance at survival.

At the same time, even more intense gunfire and shouts of battle came from the east and west of the city.

Pinghe's reconnaissance detachment and Gao Daxing's assault detachment, taking advantage of the immense pressure and chaos created by the main attack at the south gate, also broke through the defenses on both the east and west lines.

They were like two sharp knives, stabbing fiercely into the heart of Guangzhou!
Soon, the tank formation also entered the city.

In the distance, one can see the panicked figures of retreating Turkish soldiers disappearing into the corners of streets and alleys.

Wu Wanli's voice remained calm: "Maintain formation! Advance at low speed!"
Watch out for the houses and firing positions on both sides!

In prehistoric times, the guard battalion cleared out the remaining enemy forces around the tanks and established a circular perimeter!

"understand!"

Prehistoric sounds came from outside the vehicle, followed by short, forceful shouts from the guard battalion soldiers and the sound of submachine gun fire.

"Yu Congrong! Firepower Brigade! Follow up!"

Consolidate the breakthrough point! Advance in stages to the core areas of the city! Clear the streets!

Wu Wanli said.

"Firepower Brigade, Charge!!!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately led his troops in a charge.

"Tanks, be aware of blind spots! Infantry, prepare to fix bayonets!"

Target the city's core area! Eliminate the remaining enemy! Urban warfare begins!

Wu Wanli looked at the Sky Eye map again and gave the order over the radio.

(End of this chapter)