Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 58: Steel Seventh Company's artillery fire crushes the US military! US armored forces are completely destroyed!
Command of the 27th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army
"Where are the most urgent areas on the front lines? Prioritize their support!"

Kong Jie said.

"Reporting to the Commander, according to the latest information, the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Assault Regiment is facing the toughest battle!"

"The Seventh Steel Company broke through and rushed in."

"The Third Battalion originally intended to advance through the breach, but before they could break through, they were blocked by the subsequent armored forces of the US Army, suffering heavy losses!"

The chief of staff sighed and said.

"The Third Battalion, isn't that the home base of the Seventh Steel Company?"

"Just report the coordinates of the Third Battalion's position to the Seventh Steel Company, and let them bomb it hard, wipe out all the American tanks and reinforcements there!"

Kong Jie was quite excited and said.

"Commander, Chief of Staff, since Wan Li has controlled a large amount of artillery fire, why doesn't he just bombard the American forces across the entire front, instead of playing these tricks first?"

"The guard company commander, Huang Yu, asked."

"no!"

"The reason given by the US military for shelling the original defensive line was simply that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had stormed the position and the position had been lost."

"The US Army's Polar Bear Regiment has overwhelming firepower and is supported by armored forces. How could their defenses suddenly collapse?"

The chief of staff smiled slightly and said.

"The Chief of Staff is right!"

"But if a few positions are in danger first and need to be recaptured by artillery fire, and then the whole line is in danger, then it will be much safer."

"Execute the order!"

Kong Jie nodded slightly and added.

"Yes!"

The chief of staff immediately agreed.

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

front
The American positions attacked by the 3rd Battalion were supported by seven or eight light and heavy machine guns, plus three tanks!
Under heavy firepower, the Third Battalion had already lost more than twenty soldiers and was fighting extremely hard.

"Covering fire!"

"Zhang Taofang, take out the American devils' firing positions!"

Tan Ziwei pointed at the machine gun in the distance and roared.

"Yes!"

Zhang Taofang raised the captured Garand rifle, aimed it at the distant position, and fired three shots.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After three gunshots, the three machine guns of the US military fell silent instantly.

Zhang Taofang showed no joy; instead, she quickly ran to another cover.

Sure enough, the American tank guns slowly turned and immediately aimed at the bunker where Zhang Taofang had just been.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the rock shattered instantly, and the intense flames illuminated the crystal-clear white snow.

"hiss--"

Zhang Taofang was knocked to the ground by the huge impact, but fortunately, she was far enough away that she was not injured by the bomb.

At the same time, the other two tanks also opened fire.

The artillery roared and exploded everywhere in the Third Battalion, and five or six more volunteer soldiers were swallowed by the flames and died there.

"Battalion Commander, this isn't working!"

"I can only fire three shots at most. After hitting three firing positions, I have to take cover."

"But that's only half, not nearly enough for the Third Battalion to charge forward!"

"If Comrade Wu Wanli were here, we could work together and take out all these firing positions in one go!"

Zhang Taofang clutched her slightly aching chest and cried out.

"No, even with Wu Wanli here, these three tanks won't be able to do anything after you take out all the firing points!"

Tan Ziwei shook his head slightly and said
"Wu Wanli... Hey!"

"Logically speaking, the Seventh Steel Company should have been blocked by American tanks too!"

"Why were they able to shoot down the American tanks and break in so quickly?"

"If only Comrade Wu Wanli and the Seventh Steel Company were here!"

The Ninth Company Commander, filled with doubt, said.

"Let alone Wanli and the others!"

"Now that the Seventh Steel Company has already stormed in, do you think divine soldiers will descend from the sky to help us?"

"Zhang Taofang, find an opportunity to take down a few more machine gunners and American officers!"

"Everyone else, provide cover fire!"

"I'm going to blow that iron turtle up!"

Tan Ziwei felt a pang of heartache as he looked at the fallen comrades of the Third Battalion. He gritted his teeth, picked up the explosive pack, and shouted.

"Reporting to the battalion commander, there's a telegram from higher command!"

"The Seventh Steel Company has controlled the artillery fire of the US Polar Bear Regiment and can provide us with support at any time. They want us to report the specific coordinates so they can pinpoint the strike range."

"A messenger shouted."

"what?"

"The Seventh Steel Company has taken control of the American artillery fire and wants us to report our coordinates to attack the Americans?"

Tan Ziwei's eyes widened, and the explosive pack in his hand fell to the ground.

"Comrade Wu Wanli and the Seventh Steel Company did such a big thing?"

Zhang Taofang was also slightly taken aback, and her mind instantly recalled the time when she and Wu Wanli had competed in target practice.

"My goodness!"

"We just talked about divine soldiers descending from the sky, and now the Seventh Steel Company is about to unleash divine artillery?"

The company commander of the Ninth Company was shocked and murmured.

"Battalion Commander, the higher-ups specifically instructed us not to waste time, and we will know the details later."

Upon seeing this, the correspondent quickly offered a reminder.

"Coordinates 423, 456!"

"Elevation is negligible!"

After making a rough estimate, Tan Ziwei said.

"Yes!"

The communications officer responded loudly and quickly sent the coordinates.

"Third Battalion, retreat to avoid friendly fire!"

Tan Ziwei gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the Third Battalion slowly retreated to the rear.

Command of the 27th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army
"Reporting to the commander, besides the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Assault Regiment, several other positions in dire need of assistance have been reported to the 7th Steel Company!"

"And a time has already been agreed upon: after this round of shelling ends, a full-scale artillery barrage will be launched against the US positions!"

"However, could we report the situation to our superiors to ease the pressure on our allies in Yudam-ri and Hagaru-ri?"

"The original intelligence was wrong, which led us to misjudge the strength of the US forces, so we were under great pressure on all fronts."

"Originally, the commander and Chief Song were planning to wipe out the incoming American troops in one go, but due to this situation, they can only deal with the Polar Bear Regiment first!"

"But since we're fighting so smoothly here, we can definitely influence the entire battle situation on the eastern front of Chosin Reservoir!"

The chief of staff looked at Kong Jie and asked.

"Of course you should!"

"Telegram to superiors: say that the 27th Army has a chance to end the Xinxingli battle ahead of schedule and can be used as a reserve force!"

"That was exhilarating! That was a really exciting battle!"

"Wu Wanli and the Steel Seventh Company, this amazing force, have really brought honor to our army!"

Commander Kong Jie laughed heartily and said.

"Yes!"

"I'll report the coordinates to the Seventh Steel Company right away and send a battle report to my superiors!"

The chief of staff was also filled with excitement and said.

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

U.S. Army Polar Bear Regiment, Artillery Position Command
"Reporting to the company commander, the US military codebreaker at headquarters has finished interrogating us. They've extracted all the telegrams, codebooks, passwords, and everything else and handed them over to the political instructor!"

Yu Congrong loudly reported this.

"Company Commander, Wanli, the coordinates are here!"

"After these positions are shelled, the timing for all the shelling has been agreed upon, so there's no need to worry about friendly fire!"

"Moreover, there's a coordinate that's exactly in the direction the Third Battalion is attacking. We can help the old unit in one fell swoop!"

Upon receiving the telegram, Mei Sheng exclaimed excitedly.

"Third Battalion, wouldn't that be able to help Comrade Zhang Taofang? Great!"

"Brother, immediately order the artillery to bombard these coordinates!"

"At this point, the US defenses have been breached, and it's perfectly reasonable to use artillery to retake them!"

Wu Wanli glanced at the time on the watch that Secretary Liu had given him and said...

"Okay!" "Power outage, US artillery, bombard the US positions at these coordinates!"

"bring"

"In addition, the main force of the Seventh Steel Company is lying in ambush near the artillery, ready for battle!"

"If the US military becomes suspicious, wipe them all out!"

Wu Qianli gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed and went to make preparations.

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

US artillery positions

"Sir!"

"According to the information relayed from above, several positions on the front line have been captured by the Chinese army."

"The command has ordered us to immediately bombard the captured positions on the front lines to help the frontline troops launch a counter-offensive and retake the positions!"

"Coordinates have been obtained!"

A U.S. soldier reported.

"I knew these infantrymen wouldn't last long!"

"Bombard immediately!"

The U.S. Army artillery lieutenant had no doubts and immediately gave the order.

It would be strange if the U.S. military, which is used to being rich and powerful, had stopped needing to shell.

Soon, artillery fire erupted from the American artillery positions, and countless shells rained down on the American front-line positions.

When the US troops in those positions saw the Chinese People's Volunteer Army retreating, they launched a coordinated tank assault in an attempt to divide and annihilate the Volunteer Army.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they emerged from their bunker, they were met with fierce artillery fire, and were instantly engulfed in flames along with their tanks!
....................................

At this moment, not far from the front line
The Third Battalion had already withdrawn to a safe position, watching as the American troops were fiercely bombarded by their own artillery fire.

"A divine cannon has descended from the sky! The Steel Seventh Company has truly accomplished its mission..."

Tan Ziwei looked at the position that the artillery fire had plowed through, and sighed with tears in his eyes.

"The enormous role played by Comrade Wu Wanli and the Seventh Steel Company was truly a miracle in the war!"

Zhang Taofang looked at the machine gun that was firing endlessly, its parts smashed to pieces, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Battalion Commander, this is a great opportunity!"

"Let's launch an attack! We can't let the Steel Seventh Company finish off the entire battle, can we?"

The company commander of the Ninth Company looked at the wreckage of the destroyed tanks in the distance and spoke without any fear.

"We can't charge in; there's another round of artillery bombardment coming up!"

"As for the crucial battles, well, they were really fought and finished by the Steel Seventh Company!"

Tan Ziwei glanced at his watch and smiled smugly.

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

U.S. Army Artillery Position Command

"Company commander, the first round of shelling is complete!"

"Those American devils are really obedient! They hit wherever we point!"

"I estimate that by now, our Steel Seventh Company has taken out over a hundred American soldiers and several American tanks without losing a single soldier!"

A hint of excitement flashed in Mei Sheng's eyes as he spoke.

"That was a beautiful boom!"

"I've been playing with cannons for most of my life, but I still can't match the skill of that kid Wanli!"

"Using US artillery fire to wipe out US armored forces and defenses is brilliant!"

"If it weren't for Wanli, it would probably take the entire division's artillery equipment to achieve that, with hundreds of cannons firing simultaneously!"

Lei Gong looked at Wu Wanli with admiration and praised him.

"Lei Gong, after we finish the next round, we'll go take down the American devils' artillery battalion."

"Later, you take a look at which cannons are good, and collect the ones you can take into the artillery platoon first..."

Wu Wanli leaned close to Lei Gong's ear and whispered something.

"Wanli, what are you saying?"

Mei Sheng frowned slightly, sensing that Wu Wanli hadn't said anything good.

"it's okay no problem."

"Instructor, it'll be almost done in a little while."

"Brother, one or two squads and the instructor are fine here. The rest can go prepare to load the cannons!"

Wu Wanli coughed twice and quickly said.

"it is good!"

"Old Yu and the others are almost ready. Let's take the artillery platoon over!"

"Instructor, I'll leave you with a squad. Keep an eye on the American prisoners, and when the time comes, send a signal to order the Americans to bombard the entire front!"

"After the full-scale bombardment, this artillery battalion will be in our Seventh Steel Company's pocket!"

Wu Qianli nodded secretly and smiled.

"Yes!"

Mei Sheng quickly agreed and replied.

Wu Wanli followed Wu Qianli and the artillery platoon, sneaking towards the American artillery positions.

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

US artillery positions

"Sir!"

"According to the information conveyed, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army has launched an offensive regardless of casualties. The first line of defense is already on the verge of collapse and could be breached at any moment!"

"The command has already sent a telegram instructing the main force to withdraw and deploy to the second line of defense."

"They also ordered us to bombard the first line of defense along the entire front, to eliminate the Chinese army's manpower, and to stop them from pursuing us!"

The American soldier handed over the telegram and said.

"Bombard the first line of defense with artillery?"

"This was lost a little too quickly..."

The U.S. Army lieutenant frowned slightly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Sir.”

"Compared to our allies in the previous Battle of Unsan, we have performed relatively well."

The American soldier scratched the back of his head and said.

"Okay, maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Execute the order: bombard the first line of defense!"

The U.S. Army lieutenant took a deep breath and gave the order.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, the American soldiers immediately went down to relay the order.

At this moment, rows of various types of artillery of the US military stood silently in formation like giant, silent beasts.

At a command, a hundred cannons roared in unison, and sparks flew!
The shockwave from the bombardment propelled the shells straight into the sky, tracing arcs as they flew towards the horizon.

The shells, carrying the curse of death, landed precisely on the American positions at the front.

The explosions were deafening.

Each explosion felt like the earth trembling, as if the very core of the earth itself was shuddering at the destructive force.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and smoke. The soil on the battlefield was riddled with craters, and dust filled the air, obscuring the sun.

Each grenade explosion was an interplay of light and shadow, the flames dancing in the smoke, illuminating the desperate faces of the American soldiers.

US military positions

"Why?"

"Someone tell me why the artillery fire is hitting us!"

"Has that damn artilleryman gone mad or betrayed us?!"

A U.S. Army lieutenant roared as he looked at the tank with its cannon barrel broken by the explosion.

"Sir!"

"It seems that not only us, but other positions are experiencing the same situation!"

"Our most prized armored forces were utterly destroyed by our own artillery fire!"

A U.S. Army lieutenant said with tears in his eyes.

Since many of the American infantrymen on the first line of defense were inside fortifications, artillery fire could not completely annihilate them.

But the US military's tanks, half-track armored vehicles...

Even some of the troop transport vehicles prepared for retreat to the second line of defense were destroyed by the artillery fire controlled by the Steel Seventh Company!
It can be said that the US military has lost the possibility of a leisurely withdrawal!

"Drip drip drip drip drip drip!"

Suddenly, the standard bugle call of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army pierced the sky, sounding like the horn of death, chilling countless American soldiers to the bone.

In the darkness, countless Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers, guns at the ready, launched a final offensive against the American defenses!
At the same time, the Seventh Steel Company also launched an attack on the American artillery battalion that had been used up.

The battle in Xinxingli has reached its final, decisive moment!

(End of this chapter)