Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 561 Foreword & Extra Chapter: Turbulent Times (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
In the early morning of June 25, 1950, near the 6th parallel in North Korea, a torrential downpour was falling.

In the dark night, huge raindrops almost formed a continuous stream, and the ground had long since become muddy.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky, and countless neatly arranged figures appeared abruptly in the darkness.

In front of the 38th parallel, soldiers were already standing in full gear, ready to go, with dozens of tanks rumbling in front of them.

The soldiers gripped their rifles tightly, awaiting the order to attack.

At four o'clock in the morning, the once quiet 38th parallel was suddenly filled with the roar of artillery.

A large number of shells flew toward the South Korean military outposts that had been scouted beforehand.

The attack by seven divisions of the Northern Dynasty, totaling 110,000 men, easily crushed the Southern Dynasty's guard forces along the 38th parallel.

Subsequently, the main force of the Union Army launched a fierce attack on the predetermined targets south of the 38th parallel.

The Korean War officially began.

Upon learning of the North Korean attack, senior officers of the various divisions in the South Korea frantically called Chief of the General Staff Cai Bingde for instructions.

"Hello! Chief of Staff Cai? Chief of Staff Cai?!"

"Chief of Staff Cai just went to sleep less than two hours ago." The person who answered the phone was Cai Bingde's adjutant.

"North Korea has launched an attack! It's extremely urgent! I need to speak with the Chief of Staff immediately!"

"I'm sorry, the Chief of Staff worked very late and specifically instructed me before resting that I should not be disturbed in any way."

Cai Bingde had just returned from a party, where he had fought several people and was extremely exhausted.

He was sleeping soundly at that moment; anyone who disturbed him would be in trouble.

"I"

Before the frontline officer could finish speaking, the call was disconnected.

"Damn it!"
The officers at the front were so angry that they smashed their telephones.

However, the extremely unlucky Southern Dynasty troops can only fight against the Northern Army in a completely blind manner.

Inside the headquarters of the 6th Division of the Northern Army, Li Tianfu, the division commander and political commissar, was deep in thought while looking at a map.

The 6th Division of the Northern Army was one of the troops that returned from China. Having experienced the War of Resistance against Japan and the War of Liberation, its combat effectiveness was not comparable to that of the main field troops of the Fourth Field Army, but it could still be described as a capable and battle-hardened force.

However, the Northern Army's offensive plan did not assign the 6th Division of the Northern Army to the main offensive mission.

In addition to one regiment responsible for attacking the Ongjin Peninsula, the other two regiments of the 6th Northern Division were assigned as supporting units to attack Kaesong.

The Northern Army's Siling Command did not believe that the Sixth Northern Division could capture Kaesong, so the orders issued were merely to maintain the integrity of the battle line.

However, Li Tianfu had experienced this level of combat countless times in China.

The chief of staff standing nearby said, "Commander, the South Korean army in Kaesong only has one regiment. With our combat strength, taking Kaesong should not be a problem."

Currently, there are only two regiments of the 6th Northern Division outside Kaesong. Based on common military knowledge alone, the 6th Northern Division is not capable of capturing Kaesong in a short period of time.

Therefore, there was no problem with the combat orders issued by the Northern Army's Siling Command.

However, Li Tianfu and the commanders of the Sixth Division of the Northern Army clearly did not think that way.

"Yes, two regiments are enough." Li Tianfu asked, "Is the railway finished?"

Whether or not Kaesong can be successfully captured depends on the railway.

As early as when the 6th Northern Division arrived near the 38th parallel and formulated its battle plan, Li Tianfu had already decided to bypass the main South Army positions outside Kaesong.

Li Tianfu knew very well that even if all three regiments of the Sixth Division of the Northern Army were here, it would be difficult to break through the key defenses carefully set up by the Southern Army in a short period of time.

When you can't penetrate from the front, you naturally have to attack from the side.

This was a tactic that Li Tianfu had known by heart since his time at the Northeast Field Army.

Therefore, while Li Tianfu was surveying the terrain, he had already arranged for people to secretly repair the railway line that had been previously dismantled.

"It's all fixed, and the train is ready."

“Very good.” Li Tianfu nodded and pointed to the map, saying, “It’s time to give them a taste of their own medicine.”

"Order the 13th Regiment to launch a frontal attack on Kaesong. The 15th Regiment, board the vehicles immediately and await orders!"

"yes!".
In the early hours of the morning, Dalig, the U.S. military advisor stationed in Kaesong, was suddenly awakened by the sound of artillery fire and was terrified.

Only a full-scale offensive by the Union Army could have resulted in such a fierce artillery barrage.

Without thinking twice, Dalig rushed out of the house, got into the jeep, and stepped on the gas, ready to head to the front lines.

Along the way, Dalig was so eager to floor the gas pedal.

At the same time, Dalig went over the defensive plan he had prepared long ago in his mind one last time.

The positions outside the city first held off the Northern army's attack, and then the troops inside the city immediately organized a counterattack.

While the plan wasn't perfect, Dalig was confident he could hold out until the Confederate army launched a renewed counterattack.

"Good, no need to panic, the Northern army can't take Kaesong." Dalig breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the next moment, he suddenly inhaled the breath he had just released.

Immediately following this was a full slam on the brakes.

"Squeak~~"

The jeep's wheels locked instantly, leaving several black skid marks on the road.

Looking at the situation at the train station not far away, Dalig sat there motionless, sweat dripping down his face.

A train with thirty carriages was stopped at the city's central train station, and soldiers were disembarking one after another.

After getting off the vehicle, the soldiers immediately took their weapons and scattered in all directions to charge.

"Damn it! How did the Union troops get here?! How did the train get in? Wasn't the railway supposed to be cut off?"

These soldiers were not wearing helmets, so Dalig immediately recognized them as Union soldiers.

Dalig had no idea that the 15th Regiment of the 6th Division of the Northern Army had simply taken a train and swaggered through the outer defenses of Kaesong, then traveled unimpeded all the way to the city center.

This was something that neither Dalig nor Li Tianfu had anticipated.

Although he did not expect the Union army to appear so brazenly in Kaesong, Dalig did foresee the outcome of Kaesong.

"It's over, the city is finished."

Without wasting any words, Dalig immediately floored the accelerator and drifted.

Before the Union soldiers fired, the jeep had already drifted out of range, emitting smoke.

Without hesitation, Dalig left Kaesong, crossed the Imjin River, and ran all the way back to Seoul.

However, Dalig could escape, but the Northern army that opened the city could not.

The defending troops, caught in a pincer attack, immediately collapsed. Of the three thousand men in the regiment, fewer than two hundred managed to escape.

At seven o'clock in the morning, Cai Bingde finally woke up, still half asleep.

After listening to the report and glancing at the telegram, Cai Bingde instantly snapped out of his daze and realized that something terrible was about to happen.

The entire front of the Southern Dynasty was in dire straits, and the Ongjin Peninsula and Kaesong on the west side had also fallen.

The Ongjin Peninsula had few defenders to begin with, so its fall was expected. However, the fact that the important town of Kaesong was captured in just a few hours was a huge surprise to Chae Byung-deok.

However, before Cai Bingde could figure out the situation, Jiangling on the eastern front was also captured by the Fifth Division of the Northern Army, which had also returned from China.

The Fifth Division of the North also launched an attack on the front line of defense, while sending small detachments to outflank the Southern Army from behind.

The 8th Division of the Southern Army was divided into several parts, and the commander of the 8th Division had no choice but to lead his troops to retreat.

As for the Uijeongbu area directly north of Seoul, the main direction of attack, the Northern Army, with its superior firepower and tanks, has been advancing steadily, and the Southern Army is unable to resist and is now in retreat.

The only good news was that the South 6th Division in the Chuncheon area held its position thanks to its formidable defenses, making it the only unit to hold its ground since the start of the war.

Having grasped the overall situation, Cai Bingde dared not delay and quickly took a car to meet Li Chenglong.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the Southern Dynasty finally convened a top-level meeting to discuss how to respond to the Northern Dynasty's attack.

However, inside the meeting room, everyone, including President Lee Seung-ryong and Commander-in-Chief Tsai Ping-te, stared at each other blankly.

The meeting lasted all afternoon, but no one came up with a single reliable solution.

On the 25th, the only action taken by the Southern Dynasty was to assemble the three divisions stationed in Seoul and send the 2nd Southern Division to the front line of Uijeongbu.

As for how to deal with the full-scale attack from the Northern Dynasty, the high-ranking officials of the Southern Dynasty were at a loss.

However, Lee Seung-ryong had been fighting in the political arena for many years. When Seoul was in chaos, Lee Seung-ryong found the US ambassador to South Korea and put forward an important decision.

"Ambassador Mucho, the situation is extremely critical now. Should I leave first?"

Upon hearing Li Chenglong's words, Mu Qiao's eyes widened instantly, and he didn't even realize that the cigar in his hand had fallen to the ground.

A few seconds later, Mu Qiao, finally realizing what was happening, immediately said:
"It's only the first day of the war, reinforcements are still on their way to the front lines, and we don't even know what the situation is like there. Are you going to withdraw from Seoul at this point?"

"Aren't you afraid that the morale of the Southern Army will collapse after you leave?!"

“Ambassador Mu Qiao has misunderstood,” Li Chenglong immediately explained. “I am not leaving for my personal safety.”

"I must survive, only in this way can I better serve the people."

"No, absolutely not." Mu Qiao shook his head like a rattle-drum.

He wasn't stupid, and neither were the Southern soldiers.

Mu Qiao firmly 'suggested' that Li Chenglong stay.

If Li Chenglong escapes, the situation will absolutely collapse instantly.

At that time, his political life will also come to an end.

Faced with Mu Qiao's 'suggestion', Li Chenglong had no choice but to agree, though he felt helpless.

After dragging it out until the next day, Cai Bingde seemed to finally realize what was happening.

Cai Bingde issued an order through the General Staff: "Order the front line of Uijeongbu to immediately launch a counterattack against the Northern Army and reclaim the occupied positions!"

The division commanders at the front could hardly believe their ears.

"Damn it! Are they sending us to our deaths?"

"The General Staff's orders are utterly foolish! We are being forced into retreat; it would be a miracle if we could even hold on!"

"Leaving aside the disparity in combat capabilities between the two sides, how can North Korea's T-34 tanks cope? If they launch an attack now, wouldn't they be courting death?"

Cai Bingde dismissed the telegrams sent by the division commanders with disdain.

"They can only see a part of the situation; how can they understand the whole picture?"

"The Northern Army is advancing rapidly, and we absolutely cannot passively defend ourselves, otherwise we will be breached sooner or later."

The staff officer standing nearby said with some difficulty, "Chief, all the frontline commanders are against it now, so it's probably not easy to force them to comply."

“Yes, what you said makes sense.” Cai Bingde nodded.

After pondering for a few minutes, Cai Bingde suddenly came up with an idea.

"So, you tell them that the U.S. military will send a hundred bombers to help us with a full-scale counter-offensive."

"The US military is here?" the staff officer asked excitedly.

Cai Bingde did not explain the staff officer's question: "Go send the telegram first. We will launch the counterattack tonight."

"yes!".
Like the excited staff officers, the Confederate soldiers at the front were almost in tears.

Many people shouted excitedly, "Great! We're saved! The American troops have finally arrived!"

To everyone in the Confederate army, the U.S. military would be invincible once it entered the war.

As night fell, despite the hasty preparations, the high-spirited Southern army split into two groups and charged towards the Northern army.

The Southern army's sudden counterattack did indeed catch the Northern army off guard.

The 4th Division in particular was caught off guard and asleep, resulting in the Southern Army launching a counterattack that broke through multiple lines of defense.

However, the Northern Army reacted quickly, and once they came to their senses, they began to retaliate angrily, causing the Southern Army to flee in disarray.

"Damn it! Where are the American troops? Where are the bombers? Where is victory?"

No one could answer the wailing and howling of the Southern army.

"Commander-in-Chief, something terrible has happened! The two divisions that participated in the counterattack have been almost completely wiped out, with less than two thousand men escaping back."

Upon hearing the operations staff officer's report, Cai Bingde was shocked: "How could this be?!"

Just moments ago, I was strategizing and commanding my troops in Seoul, aiming for victory from afar. How did my entire army end up wiped out in the next second?
"Commander, what do we do now?!"

"Don't panic!" Although Cai Bingde was already trembling, he remained defiant: "Have the remaining troops hold their ground; reinforcements will be here soon!"

After saying that, Cai Bingde hurriedly went to report the situation to Li Chenglong.

"President, the Uijeongbu government is about to fall."

Li Chenglong's expression also changed drastically: "How could it be so fast? Didn't they say during the day that the front line was stable?"

"The front line launched a counterattack under cover of night, attempting to retake the position, but they did not expect the Northern Army to be so fierce, and the troops suffered heavy losses."

"The Chinese army is indeed not to be underestimated." Li Chenglong said with a grave expression.

According to intelligence, there are Chinese troops returning to Korea in Gaeseong, Uijeongbu, and Gangneung.

However, Li Chenglong was fortunate that he only had these three divisions.

He couldn't imagine what would happen if all 100,000 of them were troops returning to the capital.

"Mr. President, what's our next step? Are the U.S. military willing to send troops to support us?"

Li Chenglong shook his head with a grim expression: "I have already written to General MacArthur, but it shouldn't be that soon."

There are no other options now.

"For the sake of the people, I have no choice but to leave Seoul immediately and head south to meet the American reinforcements."

Li Chenglong looked heartbroken, as if he was extremely reluctant to leave.

Lee Seung-ryong made his decision without any delay.

In the early hours of the morning, without notifying almost anyone, Lee Seung-ryong quietly boarded a dilapidated special train and fled Seoul to the south.

When Mu Qiao went to Li Chenglong to discuss countermeasures after daybreak, he learned that Li Chenglong had run away.

However, by then it was all too late, and it was impossible to get it back.

Just as Lee Seung-ryong hurriedly boarded the 'Presidential Express,' US President Truman was also nervously studying the emergency situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The sudden outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula at this time was completely unexpected by the United States.

According to the United States' war plan, a major war between the United States and the Soviet Union might occur in Europe or even the world, and the United States has been preparing for this.

However, localized wars, especially those occurring on the Korean Peninsula, have never been considered by the U.S. military.

After a full day of emergency consultations, the United States, though still not understanding the true purpose of Soviet Russia, came to a conclusion.

That is, North Korea's offensive must have been authorized by Soviet Russia, and this was likely only the first step in Stalin's war plan.

The moment this conclusion was reached, the entire office fell silent almost instantly.

They all thought of the same person: Adolf Hitler.

First came small-scale military probing, then a gradual encroachment on territory to expand their sphere of influence.

Isn't this the situation before the full-scale outbreak of World War II?

The proposal to send troops to reinforce the area was swiftly approved.

On the morning of the 27th, news reached Seoul that the U.S. Navy and Air Force were about to send reinforcements.

This greatly boosted the morale of the Southern Army.

However, this was too late to solve the immediate problem. At this time, the Southern army under the Uijeongbu government had already retreated across the board, while the Northern army was advancing towards Seoul.

Therefore, after his initial excitement, Cai Bingde fell into fear.

After thinking for a long time, he decided to follow Li Chenglong's example.

During the operational meeting, after expressing his thoughts, Cai Bingde immediately added, "You know me. I am not afraid of death, nor do I want to run away."

"But only by continuing to live can I better serve the army and the country."

The attendees looked at each other in bewilderment, but remained silent.

Seeing that everyone was not cooperating, Cai Bingde said helplessly, "Of course, it's not just me who has to retreat; the entire headquarters must also retreat, otherwise the army will not be able to be commanded properly in the future."

The previously quiet conference room instantly became noisy.

"The Chief of Staff is right. The retreat of the General Headquarters is for better command!"

"Yes, yes, yes, they'll all be counting on us for the counterattack later."

"Only we can coordinate with the US military to launch a counter-offensive."
Seeing that everyone agreed to the retreat plan, Cai Bingde breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Cai Bingde was helpless against the attack, he was incredibly professional when it came to running away.

Cai Bingde not only arranged the evacuation plan for the entire army command in a short period of time, but also arranged for engineers to plant explosives on the Hanjiang Bridge, ready to blow it up at any time.

The Han River Bridge is the only large bridge across the Han River south of Seoul, and also the only passage south of Seoul.

If the bridge is blown up, the main force of the Northern Army will be blocked on the north bank and will not be able to catch up in a short time.

At dawn on the 28th, I heard that the commanders of several South Korean divisions who were planning to blow up the bridge, as well as the American advisors in the troops, were going crazy.

All of the main forces of the South Army are still fighting desperately around Seoul. If the bridge is blown up, the North Army will indeed not be able to catch up, but won't the South Army's troops also be wiped out?
All the mentors and American advisors were frantically trying to find Cai Bingde's phone number.

It's not that this bridge can't be blown up, but at the very least, we should wait until the five main divisions have withdrawn to the south bank before blowing it up.

They were all on the front lines, so they naturally knew the situation there.

The South Korean army's blocking effect was far better than expected. So far, the North Korean army has not completed the encirclement of Seoul, with only the North Korean 3rd and 4th Divisions approaching the outskirts of Seoul.

Moreover, perhaps out of concern that its main force might be too prominent and lead to encirclement, the Northern Army has not yet shown any intention of launching a full-scale attack, nor has it made any move to capture the Han River Bridge.

In other words, at least until the 28th, the Hanjiang Bridge is not in any danger of being breached.

If the bridge can be preserved temporarily and a small force can be stationed in Seoul to block the enemy, the main force of the South Korean army can safely retreat to the south bank of the Han River.

Cai Bingde readily agreed with the requests from several instructors and American advisors.

"You're right, I've already given the orders. Just proceed according to plan."

After calming the officers down, Cai Bingde sped off in a jeep to the south bank of the Han River.

After crossing the river, Cai Bingde breathed a sigh of relief, and he did not immediately come down to blow up the bridge.

Several tons of gold and silver are still stored in banks in Seoul, and these things must be moved no matter what.

The night passed peacefully, and as the sun gradually rose above the horizon, the Hanjiang Bridge remained packed with people.

Almost all civilians in Seoul could only escape by relying on these bridges.

As the sun rises and visibility improves, the speed of traffic on the Hanjiang Bridge also increases.

Just when everything was going well, a burst of orange light erupted.

"boom!!!"

As the explosion rang out, dozens of cars were launched into the air, accompanied by countless severed limbs.

A real rain of blood fell near the Hanjiang Bridge.

After the explosives detonated, the dead were gone, while the living wailed in agony.

No one knows how many people were killed in the bombing, but the destruction of the Han River Bridge was a death sentence for the South Korean army, as their retreat route had been completely cut off.

Upon learning this devastating news, the Southern soldiers who had been fighting desperately just a moment ago instantly collapsed.

Everyone gave up resisting and began to scatter and flee for their lives.

Of the nearly 100,000 South Korean troops who started the war, fewer than 20,000 were able to return to the south bank of the Han River after the Han River Bridge was destroyed.

At the end of World War II, U.S. Army Far East Commander MacArthur accepted Japan's surrender on behalf of the U.S. military.

For the next five years, he remained in Japan to oversee the reform efforts.

Just when MacArthur thought he would die of illness in his bed, the Korean War broke out.

This made the seventy-year-old MacArthur's eyes light up instantly, and he was no longer tired, but full of energy.

"Send over all intelligence on North Korea immediately; I want to review it myself!"

"Yes!"

After his secretary placed a thick stack of documents on the table, MacArthur, with his pipe in his mouth, read them one by one, making marks on the map beside him.

As more and more markers appeared, MacArthur's expression grew increasingly serious.

After reading the latest battle report, MacArthur picked up the phone: "Prepare the planes immediately. I'm going to the front lines tomorrow."

MacArthur's pilot thought he was joking: "General, it doesn't seem to be April Fool's Day today."

"What April Fool's Day?! This is an order! Take off precisely at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning!"

Hearing that MacArthur wasn't joking, the pilot immediately replied seriously, "Yes, sir! We'll take off promptly at eight o'clock tomorrow!"

On June 29, the day after the Han River Bridge was bombed, MacArthur, accompanied by several staff officers and reporters, flew to the peninsula on a private plane.

Upon landing at Suwon Airport, MacArthur immediately saw Lee Seung-ryong and Chae Byung-deok.

The moment Li Chenglong saw MacArthur, he almost burst into tears.

Li Chenglong quickly stepped forward and grabbed MacArthur's hand, refusing to let go.

"The South is at its most dangerous juncture, and we urge the United States to extend a helping hand immediately."

MacArthur patted Li Chenglong on the shoulder: "President Li, rest assured, the United States will never stand idly by in the face of North Korea's aggression!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Li Chenglong cried tears of joy.

After calming the distraught Li Chenglong, MacArthur turned to Cai Bingde beside him: "Chief of Staff Cai, what is the current situation of the battle?"

When asked about MacArthur, Cai Bingde hesitated and repeatedly missed the point.

"The situation on the front lines could be very difficult."

"The troops may have withstood the Union offensive."

"Our army suffered extremely heavy casualties."

"The Union army may have suspended its attack."

South Korea could still mobilize a million troops.

Seeing that Cai Bingde was consistently missing the point and was becoming increasingly nonsensical, MacArthur waved his hand to stop him.

With just a few words, he judged Cai Bingde to be a good-for-nothing.

"Let's go to the front lines and take a look."

The people around McAsad were taken aback by his words.

"General! Absolutely not!"

"Twenty kilometers further north is the Han River, which is the front line of the battle between the two armies. The North Army has already infiltrated many guerrillas to the south bank of the Han River."

"If we leave Suwon now, we are likely to run into Northern Army soldiers."

"Stop talking!" MacArthur shouted.

"The only way to assess the situation is to see the combat troops on the front lines!"

"How can you command a battle if you don't even go to the front lines?!"

Faced with the stubborn MacArthur, everyone had no choice but to obey orders.

MacArthur, accompanied by a small number of military police, staff officers, and, most importantly, journalists, faced the fleeing refugees and made his way to the hills on the south bank of the Han River.

Standing atop a small hill less than 400 meters from the Han River, MacArthur could clearly see the thick smoke billowing from Seoul.

At the foot of this mountain, large numbers of fleeing Confederate soldiers and civilians were escaping south.

Standing atop the hill, MacArthur remained silent.

After spending just one hour on the hilltop, MacArthur reached a definitive conclusion: if the United States didn't intervene immediately, the South would collapse.

After all, this wasn't the first time he had witnessed the collapse of a country.

For MacArthur, who had once lost the entire Philippines, this was quite an experience.

An hour later, MacArthur handed the high-powered binoculars in his hand to the guard next to him.

Pointing to the half-collapsed Han River Bridge, MacArthur said, "You'd better blow it up completely."

"Although this can only buy us a few more days or days, something is better than nothing."

After returning to Suwon, MacArthur found Lee Seung-ryong before boarding his plane back to Tokyo.

"President Lee, I must say, you have suffered a crushing defeat."

Li Chenglong's lips moved slightly, but he ultimately said nothing.

Seeing that Li Chenglong remained silent, MacArthur shook his head.

"You'd better get yourself a new Chief of the General Staff, even a dog would be better than the current one."

After saying that, MacArthur turned and boarded the plane.

Watching the plane begin to taxi and gradually take off, Li Chenglong turned around, got into his car, and returned to his temporary office. He immediately replaced the Chief of the General Staff.

Ding Yiquan, who was still in the United States as the Deputy Chief of Staff, was promoted to Chief of the General Staff.

As for Cai Bingde, he was demoted to a temporary military officer.

Upon returning to Tokyo, MacArthur immediately sent a telegram to the White House.

Since the North launched its sudden attack, Truman has been extremely busy.

After hastily dispatching his navy and air force, Truman's first task was to convene a meeting at the United Nations.

Unauthorized deployment of troops to attack a sovereign state is a serious violation of international law.

Without a reasonable excuse, all countries will follow suit, and the United Nations established by the United States will become a mere formality.

Therefore, before sending its navy and air force and launching a large-scale attack, the United States submitted a proposal to the United Nations.

[It is recommended that UN member states provide the Republic of Korea with the necessary assistance to stop the armed attack and restore international peace and security in the region.]

Translated, this is a proposal for 'the United Nations to send troops to help the South Koreans'.

For some reason, the Soviet Union 'happened not to attend' this important meeting, so the bill was passed quickly.

This means that the United States' armed intervention has become legally justified.

After successfully paying the fare, Truman began to study what to do about the mess in South Korea.

The telegrams sent back by the advisors at the front were increasingly dire; the Confederate army, which the US military had spent years building, was practically made of paper and could be easily torn apart.

Based on these telegrams, Truman could easily conclude that relying solely on the navy and air force was no longer sufficient to salvage the situation in the South.

However, there was one piece of good news amidst the pile of bad news.

Chang Ruiyuan, who was far away on Frog Island, sent an urgent telegram, saying that Frog Island now has a large number of battle-hardened veterans who can be deployed to Korea at any time.

He has already prepared the first batch of 30,000 people, who can board the ship and depart within five days.

Truman was quite pleased with Chang Ruiyuan's goodwill.

He would, of course, greatly welcome someone willing to die for the United States.

We've invested so much in Chang Ruiyuan, and now we're finally seeing the results.

However, when Truman brought up the matter at the meeting, Secretary of State Acheson's words were like a bucket of cold water being poured on him.

"Mr. President, if the troops from Frog Island join the war, will they take the opportunity to attack the mainland? Will the mainland's G army send large numbers of troops into the peninsula?"

Truman was taken aback when he heard Acheson's words.

Truman immediately recalled the glorious achievements of the Nationalist Army in fighting against the Communist Army.

"We absolutely cannot allow any soldiers from Frog Island to set foot on the peninsula!" Truman declared firmly. "Not even one!"

At this time, Truman had no intention of engaging in a major conflict with China on the Korean Peninsula.

If a major war were to break out on the Korean Peninsula, it would only benefit the Soviet Union from behind the scenes.

Just as Truman was hesitating, MacArthur's telegram arrived on his desk.

The telegram was incredibly long, in which MacArthur provided a detailed account of the situation on the peninsula.

It directly concluded that if the United States did not deploy ground troops, South Korea would be overthrown in a short period of time.

However, while MacArthur was very pessimistic about the situation in South Korea, he was very optimistic about the combat capabilities of the US military.

He believed that deploying just two divisions would be enough to hold the position.

On the 30th, Truman convened a formal meeting at the White House to discuss and clarify the next steps for the U.S. military.

First, Chang Ruiyuan's request to participate in the war was rejected.

Then he agreed with MacArthur's suggestion to send two divisions into the war.

On the evening of June 30, the U.S. Army General Staff issued a reinforcement order, and the 24th Division of the Eighth Army of the U.S. Army in Japan became the first reinforcement force.

However, the war broke out too suddenly, and the orders were extremely urgent.

As the occupying force that had been stationed in Japan for a long time, the 24th Division was basically left to its own devices.

Due to post-World War II troop reductions, the 24th Division, which had a full strength of 18,000 men, was now short 5,000 men, mainly front-line soldiers.

Even if we want to deploy an entire division, it will take some time, even if we replenish the troops by air.

The U.S. military command was naturally aware of this problem.

Lieutenant General Walker, the sergeant of the Eighth Army, put down his report: "It seems that the 24th Division will be unable to launch an operation for at least a week."

The chief of staff standing nearby said, "General, the matter of the 24th Division is easy to handle. We can adjust and replenish our forces while we are in Busan."

"However, we probably need to send reinforcements to the front immediately."

Walker leaned back in his chair and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

"I suggest that an advance battalion be formed before the 24th Division assembles and departs."

"Then airlift them to the front lines to delay the advance of the North Korean army and buy time for the main force to assemble."

Walker thought for a moment and nodded in agreement with the chief of staff's opinion.

"Send an order to the 24th Division to select two companies that can be immediately deployed to combat, form an advance battalion, and transport them to the front line as quickly as possible."

"Yes!"

No one objected to Walker's task.

In their view, as long as the invincible US military appeared on the battlefield, the enemy would inevitably flee in terror.

At daybreak, Charles, the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion of the 21st Regiment of the 24th Division, received orders.

"Go to the front lines? What's the situation there right now?"

When asked about Charles's question, the commander of the 21st Regiment shrugged and said, "I know nothing about the situation on the battlefield."

"All I know is that there's a fierce battle going on there."

"All I can say is, go for it, buddy, show the invincible spirit of the U.S. military!"

“Alright.” Charles nodded helplessly.

After arriving at the airport in a state of confusion, Charles met the troops that had been transferred there and Major General Dean, the commander of the 24th Division.

"Sir!"

Dean returned the greeting casually and then instructed, "Once we arrive in Busan, you will immediately lead your troops toward Daejeon, and try to keep the Northern Army as far away from Busan as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

"But what's the situation on the front lines now? Where is the Northern Army?"

Dean shook his head: "I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Charles, I can't provide you with any more information."

"May God bless you."

A helpless Charles could only board the plane with another 406 even more confused American soldiers.

On the plane, the soldiers were in high spirits, chatting and laughing the whole way.

They didn't know what they were going to do, so everyone was carrying big bags and small bags, some even containing souvenirs they had bought in Japan.

That evening, the advance battalion arrived in Busan, and Charles soon met Brigadier General George, the chief of staff of the 24th Division, who had arrived earlier.

"Lieutenant Colonel Charles, besides holding off the Union Army, your most important task is to provide moral support to the Confederate Army."

Charles was completely bewildered by George's words: "Sir, what is emotional support?"

"It's simple, don't run when you see a tank."

Charles was even more confused now.

However, George quickly offered an explanation: "I don't know the specific reason, but the Confederate Army is now like they've seen a ghost when facing the Union Army's T-34 tanks."

"As soon as tanks appear, the position will inevitably collapse."

“Okay.” Charles shrugged, somewhat exasperated. “Looks like someone slacked off during training.”

After communication, Charles finally understood his task.

Before the main U.S. forces arrived, they delayed the North Korean army south of Suwon, buying time for the main force to arrive.

By the way, tell the Confederate army that tanks are not so scary.

After confirming the mission, Charles led the advance battalion and an artillery battalion assigned to him to the front line at top speed.

While the advance team was traveling by vehicle, the Northern Army finally repaired the north side of the Han River Bridge.

Although it is not fully repaired, it is now passable, and even tanks can pass through.

Therefore, when the defenders on the south bank saw T-34 tanks attempting to cross the dilapidated bridge, their previously barely maintained defensive line collapsed instantly.

"It's a T-34 tank!"

"Run!"
Among tanks from various countries, the T-34 tank is not particularly outstanding.

However, when facing the South Korean army, which lacked anti-tank capabilities, the T-34 demonstrated an unexpected and absolute advantage.

The Confederate army had neither anti-tank guns nor tank mines, nor any aircraft capable of ground attack.

The only 60mm rocket launcher was simply not enough to penetrate the armor of the T-34.

When the Union Army's T-34s charged towards them, they could basically only watch helplessly.

Of course, they could also carry explosives to detonate, but the Confederate army said that the American instructors never taught them to.

Therefore, although only a week has passed since the start of the war, all the Confederate troops have been terrified by the Union's T-34s.

This fear has even become a terminal illness; the moment a T-34 tank is seen, the previously evenly matched lines collapse immediately.

As the Southern army retreated frantically, the Northern army broke through the Han River Bridge almost without any hindrance.

On the same day that the Han River Bridge was breached on the north side, Dean also arrived at the Korean Peninsula.

After discussing with Ding Yiquan, Dean decided to set up the next line of defense at Pingze to Ancheng.

This is the narrowest section of the entire Korean Peninsula. If they can't stop the North Korean army here, there's even less hope of advancing further south.

At the same time, Dean and Ding Yiquan also divided up their respective defensive areas.

The U.S. military was responsible for defending the main offensive direction of the Union Army, namely the section of the highway between Suwon and Daejeon, while the South Korean Army was responsible for the vast mountainous area east of the highway.

The day after the bridge was breached, Charles led an advance team to the front line at Osan, not far south of Suwon.

As soon as he got out of the car, Charles knew why his primary task was to tell the Confederates that tanks were not a threat.

When Kim Jun-ho, the commander of the 17th Regiment of the South Korean Army stationed in Wushan, saw him, he was like a bullied child seeing his own father.

"Great! Great!" Kim Junho's voice was almost choked with tears. "You're finally here! Please help us hold off those damn tanks!"

"Don't worry, Commander Jin," Charles said, patting his chest. "Let those Soviet ironclad machines come! This time, we'll definitely let them taste the might of the Americans!"

"Okay, okay." Seeing Charles's confident expression, Kim Jun-ho breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Mr. Charles, how do you think this position should be set up? All three thousand men of my 17th Regiment are at your command."

Charles glanced at the map spread out on the table.

"Three lines of defense have been set up in the Wushan area. I will lead the advance battalion to deploy on the front line, and you can lead the 17th Regiment to defend the rear."

Although he only had four hundred men, Charles still did not intend to ask the South 17th Regiment, which claimed to have three thousand men, for help.

He had already glanced around when he got out of the car.

A large number of these people in the 17th Regiment were temporary recruits, and their faces showed visible fear.

If these people desert when they encounter tanks, it will actually affect the morale and combat effectiveness of the advance battalion.

Therefore, Charles simply left them all behind.

Kim Junho's eyes lit up, and he almost blurted out "It's a deal."

However, Kim Jun-ho still pretended to be nonchalant: "The Suwon region in the north has already been occupied by the Northern Army. They should be able to reach here soon, right?"

Charles waved his hand: "You only need to assist and protect the artillery battalion, you don't need to worry about the rest."

“No problem!” Kim Junho nodded emphatically.

Charles had no idea what kind of enemy he was going to face.

At this time, neither the US nor the Confederate army had any intelligence whatsoever, and they basically had to guess about the situation of the Union army.

However, Charles was confident of defeating the enemy.

Despite having only two companies and four hundred men, his advance battalion was equipped with eight 81mm mortars, six 75mm recoilless rifles, and a large number of anti-tank rocket launchers.

In addition, although the artillery battalion reinforced by the 24th Division consisted of only one company, its six 105mm howitzers were sufficient to cover the front-line positions.

The advance team's firepower was almost at its maximum.

The only thing the advance battalion lacks is that it is not equipped with tanks, and the weather is bad now, so it is unlikely to receive air support.

However, Charles was not particularly concerned about the tanks and planes; he had ample information about the advance team.

The mere mention of 'US military' is enough to intimidate the North Korean army.

After reaching an agreement with Kim Jun-ho, the advance battalion took over the frontline defense.

By this time, there were no Confederate troops left on the front lines. Charles complained, "The Confederates clearly have anti-tank rocket launchers, so why are they so afraid of tanks?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, not everyone understands what a tank is," a captain nearby chuckled.

"A group of farmers who have never fought in a war or gone to school would probably be terrified at the sight of a tank."

"I estimate that when the North Korean troops see that it is the US military, they will probably turn around and run away."

Charles burst into laughter: "Hahaha, you're absolutely right!"

"If they don't run, we'll show them what fear is!"

Charles, a graduate of West Point, set up a defensive position that could be described as textbook-perfect.

The entire American advance team was arranged in an inverted triangle formation, with two companies of the advance battalion deployed on the high ground on both sides of the road, while the artillery battalion was placed behind the main position.

This layout allows them to unleash their full firepower.

Just as Charles was chatting idly, he suddenly heard someone shout, "The enemy is here!"

Charles immediately picked up the binoculars next to him.

Eight T-34 tanks appeared on the highway to the north, and it looked like there were more behind them.

Charles grabbed the starter microphone and shouted, "Everyone to your designated positions immediately! Artillery battalion, open fire!"

Lieutenant Colonel Bass, who was in charge of the artillery battalion, stood up and glanced at his watch with great ceremony.

"Record: It is now 9:23. This is the first time the United States has entered the war since World War II. We must make history remember this moment."

After lowering his arm, Bass gave the order: "Fire!"

"Boom!" "Boom!"
The artillery battalion's six howitzers were firing at full power.

The US artillery was highly skilled, and with the guidance of the frontline observation team, several shells landed precisely on the tanks.

However, the tanks that were hit only paused in place for a moment before continuing to disperse and advance.

Seeing that the shelling had no effect, Charles was not overly worried.

"Just as I expected, the 105mm high-explosive shells could not destroy the T34 tank."

"Get the recoilless rifles and anti-tank rocket launchers ready!"

As the first few tanks approached, the 75mm recoilless rifles and anti-tank rocket launchers on the position opened fire one after another.

The Union tanks showed no intention of avoiding them and continued to advance.

After the war began, in addition to the Confederate army being driven to madness by the T-34, the Northern army also became increasingly reckless.

The recoilless rifle and rocket launcher quickly hit the tank, which showed no sign of dodging.

"Yay! Come on, baby! Feel Daddy's super cannon!"

"yeah!".
Rocket launcher gunners on the American positions cheered.

However, the cheers stopped a few seconds later.

When the smoke cleared, the tanks were still unharmed and continued to move forward.

Although the Union tanks began to fire back, they showed no sign of stopping.

Instead, they continued advancing along the road while firing their cannons.

As the tanks passed the advance battalion's position, a U.S. lieutenant couldn't resist picking up a bazooka rocket launcher.

At close range, he fired 22 rockets in quick succession at the back of a tank.

However, the tank, despite being hit multiple times, was still not destroyed.

Charles rubbed his eyes, looking incredulously at the tank that seemed to have no intention of acknowledging them.

There were a total of thirty-three tanks, and not a single one stopped.

They all casually crossed the battle line and headed straight for Wushan.

Charles was more humiliated and indignant than the failure of their anti-tank weapons. The fact that the Union tanks didn't take them seriously was even more infuriating.

"Fuck! These bastards think we're Confederates!"

Charles's deduction was entirely correct; the Union tanks indeed failed to distinguish whether the enemy before them was Confederate or American.

To them, the combat capabilities displayed by both sides were the same.

However, the Union tank units encountered some trouble after passing through the advance battalion's positions.

The US artillery battalion replaced the 105mm howitzers with special armor-piercing shells.

Under the bombardment of large-caliber armor-piercing rounds, the two foremost tanks were immediately destroyed.

However, the tanks behind did not retreat, but pushed aside the two wrecks and then deployed in battle formation.

But the American artillery battalion only put up this one resistance.

The 105mm howitzer was equipped with very few armor-piercing rounds; they only carried six, and once those were used up, they were out of ammunition.

The remaining high-explosive shells had no effect whatsoever when they hit the tank.

The Union tanks quickly discovered this as well.

So the tanks once again ignored the artillery battalion, which was no longer a threat, and continued their attack on Wushan.

When the 17th Regiment, which was responsible for guarding Wushan, saw that the US military had no effect, they almost immediately began to flee in droves.

"Fuck! The Confederate army has fled!" The soldiers of the artillery battalion stared wide-eyed at the Confederate army that had collapsed in an instant.

Immediately afterwards, they discovered a major problem: if the 17th Regiment ran away, the advance team's retreat would be cut off by the Northern Army!
Without the slightest hesitation, the American soldiers joined the fleeing ranks, while only Battalion Commander Bass was shouting and trying to control the situation.

However, it was clear that this was a waste of time, as no one was listening to him anymore.

"Farke! Farke!"

If the 17th Regiment escapes, their advance team will be surrounded.

Bass rushed to the walkie-talkie: "Frontline! Frontline! Please respond!"

"Cutting-edge! Cutting-edge!"
After calling out a few times and receiving no response, Bass looked around and discovered that something had punched a hole in the walkie-talkie.

"Fake!"

Bass threw the damaged walkie-talkie to the ground, realizing that something was seriously wrong.

But he was at a loss.

The artillery position is five or six kilometers away from the front line. Even if we send someone there now, it will be too late, and it is still unknown whether the communications soldier can get there.

The passable roads have now been occupied by the Union Army.

Because of the communication disruption, Charles, who is ahead, is unaware that his escape route has been cut off.

He was currently leading the advance team, ready for battle.

Union infantry have appeared.

With three tanks leading the way, several thousand infantrymen appeared on the road, seemingly an infantry division.

After discovering the position of the American advance battalion, the Union Army quickly deployed its attack formation.

"Fuck! They actually look down on us!"

Through his binoculars, Charles could clearly see that the Union army had not committed its entire force, but only about two battalions had been deployed.

However, Charles had no time to think. Under the cover of three tanks, a thousand Union soldiers rushed toward the advance battalion's position.

Using tanks as cover, the Union army advanced gradually from the front while flanking maneuvers were employed. The American forces fired wildly, which had some effect, but not much overall.

Two hours later, the advance battalion ran out of ammunition, and the Union flanking force successfully circled around to the rear of the advance battalion.

"Fuck! Retreat immediately!" Charles commanded decisively.

The Union army's encirclement is about to be completed; if we don't retreat now, we'll all die here.

However, by this time, the Union army's flanking forces had occupied the high ground on both sides of the road without any hindrance.

The machine guns began firing incessantly at the retreating American troops.

For a time, the battlefield was filled with American soldiers frantically fleeing for their lives.

In order to move faster, the U.S. military abandoned all the equipment that could be discarded, and even seriously wounded soldiers who could not escape on their own were abandoned.

"Lieutenant Colonel! What should we do?" a seriously wounded soldier asked anxiously.

Charles hesitated for a moment after being called back, but ultimately decided to run first.

However, Charles was, after all, a battalion commander, so before he left, he left a grenade for the wounded soldier who called him back.

"This is all I can do for you. Good luck!"

Seeing Charles running further and further away, the wounded player roared in anger: "Charles! I'll f*** you!"

He called out to Charles not because he wanted to self-destruct.

After throwing the grenades far away, the wounded soldiers lay on the ground waiting to be captured.

The Union Army did not take the American forces seriously at this time, and therefore, just as they had done with the Confederate Army, they did not send out pursuing troops, but instead gleefully accepted the equipment left behind by the American forces.

Even so, of the more than 400 men in the advance battalion, fewer than 80 were able to escape back to the rear lines alive.

That's all for today.

The remaining side stories are not yet finished; I will post them together with the main text tomorrow.

I'd also like to ask for your votes next month.

(End of this chapter)