Zhu Tian: Beginning to Cross the Changjin Lake

"Dong dong dong~!"

A dull sound of artillery fire rang out, and mortar shells flew over from the reverse slope position and landed accurately on the road.

"Boom~! Boom~!"

Violent explosions continued to sound, and the enemies on the road were immediately blown to the ground, with many killed and wounded.

Li Guotao lay on the top of the mountain, raised his rifle, aimed at the enemy in the distance, and pulled the trigger decisively.

As the crisp sound of gunfire rang out, the anti-aircraft machine gunners on the armored vehicles and tanks were killed one after another by Li Guotao.

At this time, the soldiers also rushed to the top of the mountain, set up heavy machine guns, and fired fiercely at the enemies below the mountain.

The dense rain of bullets swept through, killing and wounding many enemy soldiers. The enemies who were not killed were all suppressed by the firepower, and they hid in concealed places, trembling in fear.

"Chirp!"

With a sharp whistling sound, two rockets hit the two last tanks that were spinning in place one after another. Violent explosions were heard, and the last two tanks were all destroyed.

“Go ahead~!”

The brave soldiers rushed down the road one after another, and the enemies who tried to resist were quickly wiped out.

The battle was declared over, and more than one hundred enemies were all wiped out without a single one escaping.

The task force then fought several more battles, using sneak attacks and ambushes to annihilate several enemy hound squads.

The 38th Army also mobilized elite troops to take decisive action against the enemy's hound squads and eliminated several groups of enemies.

Through reconnaissance during this period, Lieutenant General Ridgway was convinced that the Volunteer Army no longer had the strength to launch a large-scale counterattack.

After the enemy received reinforcements, their strength gradually recovered. Lieutenant General Ridgway felt that he was back in shape and believed that the previous defeat was just an accident. Now that they were familiar with the Volunteer Army's tactics, they could completely turn the tide of the battle.

Lieutenant General Ridgway vowed to his generals: "During this period, we have dispatched thousands of aircraft every day to carry out large-scale bombing on the enemy's logistics supply lines, and have completely destroyed their supply lines."

"The enemy has hundreds of thousands of troops on the front lines, and the amount of supplies they consume every day is extremely huge. Under the premise that logistics cannot be guaranteed, they may not even have enough food to eat. This is the main reason why they did not continue to take the risk of attacking southwards."

"Our logistical support is very sufficient. We have received a large amount of military support during this period. We have gathered more than 200,000 elite troops on the Western Front."

"We are fully capable of launching a large-scale counterattack, breaking through their defenses and completely defeating them."

"The specific battle plan has been sent to you. I require all coalition forces to launch a full-scale offensive on January 1th!"

"Defeat the enemy, win the war, and defend our honor."

"Yes sir!"

……

At the same time, the top leaders of Zhisi were also planning the next battle plan.

Just as Ridgway guessed, the enemy increased its bombing intensity in the rear, resulting in insufficient logistical support for the front-line troops, which greatly affected the combat of the Volunteer Army.

The enemy's strength is constantly increasing, and their absolute advantage in sea and air makes the war situation increasingly severe.

"Because the battle line is getting longer and longer, in addition to the logistical pressure, our manpower is also becoming increasingly insufficient."

"The country has already begun recruiting support troops and preparing to go to the front line, but this will take time."

"But the battle on the front line is imminent, and we can't wait any longer. If we allow the enemy to launch a counterattack, we may be in a more passive position."

"What we need to consider now is how to use limited military forces to maximize combat effectiveness and achieve greater results."

"We have discussed this issue before. The initial plan is to use a small number of troops on the western front to pin down the enemy's main force, and concentrate superior forces to launch a counterattack on the eastern front."

"Avoid the strong and attack the weak, because the enemy on the Eastern Front is relatively weak. As long as we make a breakthrough on the Eastern Front and annihilate a large number of enemies, we can also support the operations on the Western Front."

"But this will put a lot of pressure on the remaining troops on the Western Front. Old man Ridgway is not easy to deal with. They may take the opportunity to launch a large-scale counterattack. In recent times, they have also been increasing their troops on the front line."

"Given the current situation, this is also a helpless move. We will leave two armies on the western front to hold back the enemy's main force, and move our main force to the eastern front to strive for a quick victory and eliminate the enemy's main force on the eastern front."

"Boss, which army should be left behind?"

"The 38th Army must stay."

"Since we are going to launch a counterattack on the Eastern Front, we must also strengthen the Eastern Front's strength."

"Then transfer the 39th Army to the Eastern Front."

"As a result, only the 38th and 50th Armies are left on the western front south of the Han River."

"The 38th Army is a trump card, so we don't have to worry about it. But the 50th Army is a little weaker. Can it withstand the enemy's fierce attack? If we can't hold the Han River defense line, our army may face the danger of collapse across the board."

"I believe that the soldiers of the 50th Army will definitely be able to complete this glorious mission. Let's implement it according to this plan!"

"Yes!"

"Immediately notify the commanders of the 38th and 50th Armies to come to the Zhisi for a meeting."

"Yes!"

At that time, only the 38th, 39th and 50th Armies were deployed in the area south of Seoul.

Now we need to transfer an army to the Eastern Front to strengthen its strength so that we can launch a counterattack on the Eastern Front.

Therefore, the 39th Army was withdrawn, leaving only the 38th Army and the 50th Army to hold the area south of the Han River, delaying the main enemy forces and buying time for the main counterattack on the eastern front.

At this moment, according to Ridgway's combat plan, they will also launch a counterattack, and the main attack direction will be the western front.

About 38 enemy troops on the western front will advance northward with all their might. According to the plan, the 50th and 50th Armies need to hold the south bank of the Han River to block the enemy's attack. This is the famous Han River Blocking Battle, and the th Army became famous because of this battle.

……

Li Guotao returned to the task force's temporary base with several scouts.

As soon as Li Guotao entered the cave, Li Moyin came up and asked, "What's the situation?"

Li Guotao replied: "We have already conducted reconnaissance. The enemies in the south are gathering on a large scale and are definitely about to launch an attack."

"It will probably only take two days."

Li Moyin sighed slightly and said, "Now our forces on the western front have weakened. If the enemy launches an attack at this time, the situation may be very bad."

"Correspondent!"

"To!"

"Send a telegram to the Zhisi immediately, saying that the enemy troops are gathering everywhere and may launch a large-scale counterattack soon. Comprehensive intelligence from all aspects shows that the enemy has gathered troops led by the US military and vassal troops of many countries on the western front, with a total strength of more than 200,000." "Yes!"

Li Guotao drank a glass of water and then asked, "What is the situation here now?"

Li Moyin replied: "The 39th Army has been secretly transferred eastward. Now only the 50th Army and part of the 38th Army are left in the area south of the Han River."

"According to the commander's arrangement, use these two armies to pin down the enemy's main force, while our main force strives to annihilate the enemy's main force on the eastern front."

Li Guotao pondered for a moment and said, "Avoiding the strong and attacking the weak is not bad, but in this way, the two armies on the western front will have to withstand the fierce attack of 200,000 enemy troops. This battle will definitely be very tragic."

Li Moyin was also a little worried and asked, "Do you think we can hold on?"

Li Guotao said confidently: "Of course we can hold on. We have the determination and strength to win."

"I believe that our Volunteer Army will be able to defeat the U.S. imperialists. I also believe that the 38th and 50th Armies will be able to hold the Han River defense line, delay the enemy, and buy enough time for the main force to defeat the enemy on the eastern front."

Li Moyin nodded, then picked up a map beside him and said, "From the map, the enemy is advancing from the south to the north. Xiushi Mountain is their only way to go. This place is very important."

"According to what I understand, a division of the 50th Army is now responsible for guarding the Xiushi Mountain area. We will rush over there."

"Yes!"

"Notify everyone immediately and set off immediately to repair the mountain."

"Yes!"

On the way to Xiushishan, Li Moyin said to Li Guotao: "Do you know about the 50th Army?"

Li Guotao said casually: "I know a little bit. It seems that they were reorganized from the uprising troops. They seemed to be the Yunnan Army before."

"Correct!"

Li Moyin nodded and said, "This time, the 50th Army was asked to defend the Han River. Even some leaders of the Zhisi had some concerns, worried that this unit would not be able to defend the Han River line."

"What do you think?"

Li Guotao smiled and said, "I have heard some things about the 50th Army recently."

"This unit was originally known for its defensive skills. During the Battle of Taierzhuang, they held the Yuwangshan position for a long time and made great contributions. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, they also caused our army to suffer a lot, and then they revolted."

"I believe that the current 50th Army has been reborn and will be even stronger. If they can't defend the Han River defense line, the other armies will definitely not be able to defend it either."

Li Moyin agreed with this and said, "It is foreseeable that this battle will be very tragic and the casualties will be huge."

"The commander of the 50th Army has promised the general that even if the 50th Army is wiped out, they will hold the Han River defense line."

"As long as our troops have this kind of determination and perseverance, we will definitely win this war."

Li Guotao nodded firmly.

Afterwards, the task force came to the area of ​​Xiuzhi Mountain. Li Guotao, Li Moyin and others first took a look at the position.

Li Moyin asked, "What do you think?"

Li Guotao said: "I have to say that the defensive positions built by the 50th Army are still very professional."

"The location of Xiushi Mountain is also very good. It controls the road and is the only way for the enemy to go north. If they can't take Xiushi Mountain, they won't be able to go north."

“But I still found some problems.”

Li Moyin smiled and said, "There are no outsiders here, just tell me directly."

Li Guotao said: "The enemy's greatest advantage is their strong firepower. They have airplanes and artillery, which can carry out blanket bombing of our positions."

"We are no match for the enemy in this regard."

"Even though our heavy firepower has been strengthened, the gap between us and the enemy is still quite large."

"So once the battle breaks out, the enemy will inevitably launch a fierce bombing first, and at this time, the fortifications deployed on the front position will be destroyed by the enemy's artillery fire."

"In order to minimize casualties, more troops should be deployed on the reverse slope, which can avoid enemy artillery bombardment to the greatest extent possible."

"We can dig more tunnels. The deeper the better. They should be spread all over the position and connected to each other. Our defense troops can hide in the tunnels to ensure safety to a greater extent."

"Only by withstanding the enemy's artillery fire can we stop their attack."

Li Moyin nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Li Guotao went on to say: "Secondly, the troops should be deployed in echelons as much as possible."

"There is no need to deploy too many troops at the frontline. Use the main force as a reserve to support the frontline little by little."

"Although this tactic of adding fuel to the fire is a taboo in military strategy, what we want now is to delay time. This will delay the enemy to the maximum extent and buy us more time."

"The deployment of troops should be light in the front and heavy in the back, while the deployment of firepower should be heavy in the front and light in the back. Weapons and equipment should be supplied to the frontline positions first to ensure that the least number of troops can exert the strongest firepower."

"In short, we must do everything we can to delay time and reduce casualties."

In fact, these are the experiences summed up by countless martyrs with their lives and blood.

Now that Li Guotao has spoken out in advance, it can reduce some casualties and allow the troops to avoid some detours.

Facing an enemy with powerful artillery firepower, this passive defensive battle is difficult to fight.

It is impossible to avoid casualties. We can only reduce them as much as possible and delay time as much as possible.

The Volunteer Army was still weaker than the enemy in overall strength and was at an absolute disadvantage in all aspects.

Therefore, they could only rely on the brave soldiers to use their flesh and blood and lives to build an indestructible line of defense to block the enemy's attack and buy enough time for the main force on the Eastern Front to counterattack.

Li Moyin and Li Guotao continued to discuss, and Li Guotao told them everything he knew. He was absolutely willing to tell them everything he knew, just to help the troops reduce casualties as much as possible, fight well, and win this battle.

Li Moyin said: "Okay! I will go to the 50th Army Headquarters and tell them about this situation."

"We will stay here for this battle. We will fight side by side with the soldiers of the 38th and th Armies."

Li Guotao said: "According to the current situation, it is no longer realistic for us to defeat the enemy quickly and end this war in a short period of time."

"So in future battles, there will be more and more positional offensive and defensive battles like this."

"It would also be good for us to accumulate more experience in advance."

Li Moyin nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I thought too. That's settled then."

"When we get to the military headquarters, our task force can also apply for combat missions." (End of this chapter)