Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 569 Touring Performance
MacArthur was overjoyed to learn that the Eighth Army had achieved a series of great victories and was advancing according to plan.

Major General Willoughby, MacArthur's chief intelligence officer, immediately began to flatter him.

"Sir, ever since the Air Force launched the 'strangulation operation' on the Sino-North Korean border, the Chinese troops entering North Korea have become increasingly vulnerable."

"According to General Walker's battle report, the Central Army can now only launch local counterattacks, and can no longer have much impact on the advance of the 8th Army."

As the chief intelligence officer, his intelligence indicated that the large Chinese army amassed in Shenyang had not moved an inch.

"Walker was too cautious," MacArthur said, looking at the map with a regretful expression.

MacArthur believed that if Walker were to take even the slightest risk, he could completely encircle the central army.

Such a meticulously planned operation will yield even more satisfactory results than it has now.

The air force blocked the Chinese army's route into North Korea. The Chinese army that had entered North Korea was already exhausted and a complete retreat was their only option.

According to MacArthur's plan, the Eighth Army should have launched a full-scale pincer attack on North Korea on the 15th.

However, Walker strongly opposed this order.

Walker has been insisting on more supplies, more preparation, and a more secure approach.

It's already the 23rd, and the main force of the 8th Group Army has only just pushed back to the position it was when it retreated.

"Sir, the 8th Army is ready, and General Walker has decided to launch a full-scale offensive."

"I expect the good news to reach Tokyo soon." Willoughby's face was full of smiles.

If MacArthur could advance further through the Korean War, he would also be promoted and given important responsibilities.

“You’re right, I think so too!” MacArthur nodded. “Prepare for a press conference; I’m going to announce this major victory!”

Faced with a victory that seemed within his grasp, MacArthur could no longer contain himself.

The next day, the Eighth Army launched its offensive as planned, while MacArthur held a press conference in Tokyo.

In his view, this would be a smooth advance, with nothing able to stop the US military's advance.

Standing on the platform, MacArthur wore an invincible expression: "Ladies and gentlemen, the UN forces' operation against North Korea has reached a decisive moment!"

"The 8th Army Group and the 10th Army Group, like two iron pincers, will encircle and compress the enemy on a large scale."

"As an independent component of the iron pincer movement, the air forces of each unit have, over the past three weeks, carried out exemplary and sustained attacks, completely severing the enemy's supply lines from the north!"

"Due to the continuous attacks from the air force, the enemy's reinforcements have been drastically reduced, and necessary supplies have been severely restricted!"

"Just today, the 8th Army Group launched a general offensive, and the eastern and western fronts will soon coordinate to complete the encirclement."

"If the operation plan succeeds, the UN forces will be able to effectively end the war, and North Korea will be restored to peace and reunification."

"Before Christmas, UN forces will completely withdraw from the peninsula, and the people and country of North Korea will enjoy full sovereignty and equal international status."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will fight for freedom forever!"

MacArthur's passionate speech lasted for more than an hour, and the reporters below were practically cramping up from typing.

Soon, all the major newspapers around the world published the content of MacArthur's speech.

The Times of London even included the UN forces' designations and operational plans in its report.

Compared to a detailed operational plan, this report only lacks specific times and the exact locations of each division.

However, one explosive piece of news was no longer enough for MacArthur.

While the world was discussing the actions of the UN forces, MacArthur boarded his private plane.

He decided to go to the front lines again.

After the plane took off, MacArthur ordered, "First fly west, then fly north along the Yalu River."

"Sir, this is too dangerous," Willoughby quickly advised.

At that time, a Soviet air division was training Chinese pilots in Northeast China, and the Chinese army was also equipped with anti-aircraft guns.

If something unexpected happens and the plane gets shot down, that would be truly hilarious.

"Sir, we can certainly conduct inspections on the front lines."

Anyway, the point of this trip is to take photos, so it doesn't matter where we take them.

"Alright, that's enough." MacArthur waved to stop Willoughby and the others who wanted to speak.

"My mind is made up, let's do it!"

The people on the plane could only keep their mouths shut.

But they were all used to it; MacArthur was never one to listen to advice.

Soon, the plane flew to the Yalu River.

This was the first time MacArthur had seen the Yalu River with his own eyes.

"That's it?" MacArthur said, somewhat disappointed.

At first glance, all he could see were endless, impoverished rural areas, with nothing but towering mountains and deep valleys.

Amidst a sea of ​​white, the almost black Yalu River appeared completely still.

"Fly lower, fly lower still," MacArthur kept demanding that the plane descend, while staring wide-eyed out the window.

However, even when the plane descended to 1,500 meters, MacArthur's presbyopia prevented him from seeing anything.

As for MacArthur's order to continue descending, the pilots decisively chose to refuse.

Flying any further down, a single heavy machine gun could pose a threat to them.

The pilot did not continue to descend, and although MacArthur was somewhat unhappy, he did not say anything more.

Once he completes this flight, his goal will be achieved.

Tomorrow's newspapers will report in detail on his efforts to achieve victory.

The next day, looking at the clearly marked flight route in the newspaper and the photo of MacArthur in the plane.

Walker couldn't think of any other adjective besides 'shit'.

However, unlike Walker, Shiji was extremely satisfied with the recent series of actions taken by the U.S. military.

After the entire U.S. military reached its starting position for the first battle, the entire front line was 200 kilometers wide.

Along such a long front, the UN forces' defenses were riddled with holes.

In order to fill the gaps on the front lines as much as possible, the Allied forces left only the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division and one Turkish brigade as reserves.

In other words, once the US defenses are breached, the US forces available to fill the gaps will be very weak.

Inside the Second General Temporary Command Post, Chen Chengxing looked at the newspapers he had obtained from the Southern Army and couldn't help but chuckle.

"If he hadn't been a soldier, MacArthur would have been a great actor."

Luo Ping also laughed and said, "Old Chen, we should thank him. With these reports and the intelligence we've gathered, we won't have to worry about not knowing the US military's plans."

Chen Chengxing nodded: "Judging from MacArthur's tour and the latest reconnaissance of US military actions, the US military operation should have already begun."

"The fish has taken the bait, and I reckon Shiji will be pulling in the net soon."

Chen Chengxing's judgment was correct. Within two days, based on the battlefield situation, the headquarters determined the main direction of the breakthrough.

"Ningchuan, Deyuan?"

Everyone turned to look at the map.

This area belonged to the right flank of the Allied forces and was defended by the 7th and 8th Divisions of the South, making it the weakest point on the entire defensive line.

If we can break through the South Korean army's current defenses, we can achieve a complete encirclement of the entire Eighth Army Group.

"Commander-in-Chief, according to the orders of the headquarters, we and the C Army are to eliminate the 7th and 8th Southern Divisions as quickly as possible, and then penetrate behind the enemy lines to cut off their retreat."

"As for the other troops, they will launch a general offensive once we have in place."

After Xu Wu finished his report, his mouth moved again, unsure of what to say next.

"What? Does the Commander-in-Chief have any further orders?"

"Commander-in-Chief, the headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army has requested that the Second Division take Ningchuan as quickly as possible. If necessary, the headquarters can transfer a division from the C Army to reinforce Ningchuan."

The Second Division has been fighting in Tuancheng and Bagongshan for more than ten days, and Zhisi is somewhat worried about the casualties of the Second Division.

However, Xu Wu's words infuriated Chen Chengxing. When did the Second Boss need support from others? What would people think if this got out?

"Send a telegram to the headquarters! Tell Li Yunlong to go about his business!"

"The Second Boss will take care of the attack on Ningchuan and the subsequent infiltration missions!"

"yes!".
Upon receiving the telegram, the commander smiled and said, "See? I told you Chen Chengxing still had some energy left."

When they were luring the enemy in Tuancheng and Bagongshan, Chen Chengxing complained to the Zhisi a lot.

The list of supplies—shells, bullets, grenades—is getting longer and longer.

Many leaders within the General Staff were worried about the situation at the Second General Staff Headquarters, but only the Chief was certain that Chen Chengxing was simply feigning poverty.

"Commander, it would have to be you."

"With a little trickery, Chen Chengxing was transferred."

"Hehe. I'm killing two birds with one stone." The commander laughed, "Li Yunlong is probably cursing right now."

"In that case, send another telegram to Chen Chengxing." The commander decided to add fuel to the fire.

"Tell him, I don't want to herd sheep, I want to annihilate them all! Ask him how long it will take to take Ningchuan!"

"One day!" Chen Chengxing said decisively, "Report back to the headquarters immediately. I only need one day!"

"One day? That's quite a boast. I'd like to see how Chen Chengxing manages to take over Ningchuan in a single day."

The commander handed the telegram back to the chief of staff: "Forward Chen Chengxing's telegram to Li Yunlong."

This time, Li Yunlong cursed even louder.

Inside the headquarters, Chen Chengxing convened an operations meeting.

"I have already made a pledge at the headquarters to take Ningchuan and annihilate the 7th Southern Division within a day!"

Upon hearing Chen Chengxing's words, the expressions of the several detachment leaders did not change.

They all knew about the situation in Ningchuan; there was only one 7th Division in the south.

They knew perfectly well what the Southern Army's fighting capabilities were like; they were even weaker than the Kuomintang army.

For the Second General Staff, taking Ningchuan was a piece of cake; the real challenge was annihilating the entire 7th Division of the South. While the South Army's combat strength was negligible, their speed of retreat was a serious concern.

"According to Shiji's plan, the general offensive will officially begin tonight."

Chen Chengxing pointed to the map and said, "After the battle started, the 21st Detachment was responsible for the frontal attack, while the 22nd and 24th Detachments quickly infiltrated behind enemy lines to encircle and intercept reinforcements."

Chen Chengxing wasn't worried about not being able to eat Ningchuan properly; his only concern was not being able to eat it cleanly.

Therefore, he directly deployed two detachments to carry out an infiltration, which had never happened before in the history of warfare.

Apart from Sun Xun, the others all nodded in agreement with Chen Chengxing's plan.

"Commander-in-Chief, what about us? What about the 23rd Detachment?" Sun Xun was extremely anxious.

We can't just sit on the sidelines and watch the other three detachments get all the missions, can we?
"The 23rd Detachment suffered heavy casualties in previous blocking operations. If it doesn't work this time, let it serve as the general reserve force."

Hearing Chen Chengxing's words, Sun Xun became even more anxious: "Commander-in-Chief, is there any need for reserves when we're just fighting the 7th Southern Division?"

With three detachments attacking the 7th Division of the South together, the 3th Division had no choice but to be completely annihilated. The 23rd Detachment was truly left to watch the show.

"Furthermore, although the 23rd Detachment suffered some casualties, a company from the armored battalion has been assigned to its posts, and many soldiers from the detachment's logistics units have also been transferred to combat units."

"The combat effectiveness of the 23rd detachment has long been restored!"

"Is he really recovered?"

"It's really recovered! Now give the order!"

"I do have a task here, but it's rather difficult. I don't know..."

Before Chen Chengxing could finish speaking, Sun Xun impatiently said, "My 23rd Detachment will take on this mission! We guarantee it will be completed!"

"Alright then." Chen Chengxing nodded.

Then, Chen Chengxing pointed to a point on the map.

"This is Shaxi Village."

"If the US military wants to withdraw, it can either go through Sukchon back to Pyongyang or go through Sunchon back to Pyongyang."

"However, once the Chinese People's Volunteer Army completes its encirclement, the likelihood of the US military passing through Sukchon will be very low."

"If they want to travel through Shunchuan, Shaxi is the only place they can pass through."

"I need the 23rd Detachment to disperse into battalion and company-level units and secretly infiltrate and hide near Shaxi."

"Then, at the critical moment, block the US military's retreat route."

If the US military had known in advance that Shaxili was cut off, the likelihood of them choosing to go through Sukchon would have been much higher.

This could potentially affect the outcome of this battle.

Therefore, in addition to concealment, timing is also crucial for the mission of the 23rd team.

The 23rd Detachment first had to disperse its troops into small groups, and all of them had to march covertly to their designated positions on time.

Moreover, they could not be detected by the US reconnaissance planes flying around before the enemy retreated to the Sunchon Highway.

Sun Xun patted his chest and assured, "Commander, don't worry. Covert infiltration is the strength of the 23rd Detachment. We guarantee we can complete the mission!"

For Sun Xun, the difficulty of the task is not the problem, but the simplicity of the task.

The more difficult the task, the better it demonstrates the strength of the 23 teams.

Chen Chengxing looked around: "Do you all understand your tasks?"

"clear!"

"Very good." Chen Chengxing nodded: "Go and prepare yourselves. We'll move out after dark!"

"Yes!"

Watching the departing group, Chen Chengxing and Luo Ping exchanged a glance and both smiled.

After nightfall, the various units of the Second General Headquarters began to carry out their operations as planned.

Chen Chengxing led the headquarters, artillery detachment, and 21st detachment straight towards Ningchuan.

The other three detachments also launched their own infiltration operations.

Leading all the troops was the special operations brigade led by Wei Dayong.

Their objective was to infiltrate and launch a surprise attack on Sanwu Bridge.

If the 7th Division of the South wants to escape, it must cross the Sanwu Bridge. As long as the bridge is blown up, the enemy will not be able to escape.

The two battalions of the 211th Regiment responsible for clearing the way displayed an indomitable spirit.

On the road, as soon as they encountered the enemy, the bugle would sound and the troops would immediately charge into the enemy's position.

After the shooting was over, the gun bolts were removed, the prisoners were simply tossed aside, and the troops continued on their way.

The main force following behind didn't even glance at the row of prisoners squatting by the roadside; they simply lowered their heads and rushed past.

The prisoners, crouching there with their hands covering their heads, looked at the troops rushing past in disbelief, exchanging bewildered glances.

They had never encountered this situation before.

Judging from the current situation, the central army was heading towards Ningchuan, and they should have run away when no one was paying attention to them.

But once Ningchuan is occupied, they will be behind enemy lines. Even if they run, it will be difficult to escape alive, and they may even encounter danger.

This left the Southern army at a loss as to what to do.

Just as the captured South Korean soldiers were struggling with their own internal conflicts, the 21st Detachment had already arrived at the Daedong River.

Once you cross the river, you'll be on the outer perimeter of Ningchuan.

At this time, the 7th Division on the opposite bank of the Taedong River had already noticed the situation.

After all, Team 21 had come with lightning speed and sparks, so their whereabouts were impossible to hide.

But at this time, Park Tae-joon, the commander of the 7th Division of the South, was not worried.

"It's freezing cold, and large and small ice blocks have already floated on the Taedong River. How will the central army cross the river?" Park Tae-joon's tone was full of sarcasm.

If the Chinese army erects a pontoon bridge, it can be destroyed by howitzers at any time.

Even if the central army has a large number of troops, it cannot have any impact on Ningchuan if it lacks the ability to cross the river.

"Sir, although the central army may find it difficult to cross the natural barrier of the Taedong River, we still need to guard against enemy artillery fire."

"I think it would be better to have the front-line troops withdraw to the second-line positions, leaving only a portion of the guard troops on the front line."

"In this way, even if the enemy launches a large-scale artillery bombardment, it will not have a significant impact on our army."

After hearing the chief of staff's words, Park Tae-joon nodded.

"According to the intelligence we received earlier, the Chinese army has received support from Soviet Russia, so we really need to take precautions."

If the central army were to use artillery fire to bombard the front-line positions on a large scale, he would be in a real predicament.

At that time, the Chinese army may take advantage of the heavy casualties suffered by the 7th Division in the front line and choose to launch a surprise attack to cross the river.

"Call the front lines and order the main force to withdraw to the second line," Park Tae-joon commanded.

"At the same time, all units were ordered to be prepared to bombard the Chinese army with artillery fire should the Chinese attempt to cross the river by wooden boats."

"Yes!"

When they received Park Tae-joon's order, the 7th Division of the South showed no signs of tension and made preparations at a leisurely pace.

At this time, Li Chishui had also arrived at the riverbank.

Ren Wuliu leaned over and said, "Captain, according to the local people, the Datong River is 25 meters wide. It is currently the dry season, and the deepest part of the river is less than one meter deep."

"How many ships have been found?" Li Chishui asked while observing through his binoculars.

"There are basically no fishermen around here. We've found two or three boats, which is far from enough. However, I've already ordered the troops to search upstream and downstream."

Li Chishui glanced at Ren Wuliu and said, "By the time you find the boat, it will be too late."

Looking at the pieces of ice floating on the river, Li Chishui didn't hesitate at all and immediately took off his pants.

"We're all grown men, there's nothing to be ashamed of!"

"Keep up with me!"

After saying that, Li Chishui was the first to jump into the icy river.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers immediately began to take off their shoes and trousers.

The first thousand people rushed into the river all at once.

At this moment, every Southern soldier who saw it stared wide-eyed.

"What the hell is going on?"

Seeing the dumbfounded soldiers, the Southern Army officer shouted urgently, "Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"

While shouting, he also picked up the phone next to him.

"The central army has crossed the river! Requesting reinforcements! Requesting reinforcements!"

The Southern troops, realizing what was happening, also began firing.

However, by this time, the infantry guns and mortars of the 211th Regiment had already been set up, and dense shells were flying toward the South Army positions not far away.

Faced with the rapid-fire coverage of mortars and the pinpoint strikes of infantry guns, the soldiers on the Confederate positions, caught in the crossfire, didn't even dare to raise their heads.

Before the second-line reinforcements could arrive, the vanguard battalion of the 21st detachment had already rushed out of the Daedong River like a whirlwind.

The Southern soldiers could hardly believe their eyes as they watched the Central Army soldiers charging towards them, their bare bottoms covered in ice crystals and guns in hand.

The South Korean army was already weak in combat, and faced with this unprecedented situation, the morale of the 7th Division plummeted like a rollercoaster.

Without any hesitation, the Southern soldiers abandoned their equipment and ran towards Ningchuan City without looking back.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers who were providing reinforcements on the second line did not hesitate at all and quickly followed the retreat.

In just one night, the 21st Detachment had swept through all the outer positions in northern Ningchuan.

The remaining troops of the 7th Division of the Southern Army were compressed into the small urban area of ​​Ningchuan.

By daybreak, the 21st Detachment, along with the troops led by Chen Chengxing, had completed the encirclement of the 7th Division in the south.

(End of this chapter)