Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 572 I Was Not Wrong
While the U.S. military was busy deploying troops, the 23rd Detachment was not idle either, with everyone busy rebuilding fortifications.

"Brigade Commander, telegram from Headquarters."

Sun Xun snatched the telegram: "Guangping Lane?"

The staff officer next to him immediately found the location of Guangpingli on the map.

"According to Zhiji's intelligence, there is a small road in Guangping Village that can be used by trucks."

"The commander-in-chief ordered us to immediately send a main force to block this road."

Upon hearing that there was a narrow road in Guangpingli that trucks could travel on, everyone in the brigade headquarters turned serious.

If trucks can indeed pass through Gwangpyeong-ri, then the US military would have to occupy the area to block them.

"Commander, our detachment is already struggling to cope with the main offensive of the US forces. If we split our forces to occupy two locations, we may very well lose both."

Sun Xun nodded: "Difficulties certainly exist, but orders must be carried out."

If the U.S. military chooses to break out from Gwangpyeong-ri, the entire operational plan of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army will be in vain.

Sun Xun knew very well that not only did they need to block Guangpingli immediately, but they also needed to use their main force to do so.

However, the chief of staff was right. If the 23 detachments were to divide their forces equally, it was indeed possible that neither side could be defended.

After a moment of contemplation, Sun Xun said, "Transfer the 232nd Regiment, the 1st Mountain Artillery Battalion, the 3rd Mortar Battalion, and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 233rd Regiment to the Guangpingli direction."

"Huh?!" Everyone was taken aback.

"Commander, this leaves us with only one battalion in reserves. What if the American forces continue their assault on Shaxili tomorrow?"

Sun Xun waved his hand, stopping the chief of staff from speaking.

"In any case, we cannot divide our forces equally, which means we must prioritize them."

"The US military has been attacking Shaxi for a day, but they have achieved nothing."

"Knowing that this route is blocked, the most likely next step for the US military is to switch to another route for attack."

"Moreover, even if the US military stubbornly continues to launch a strong attack on Shaxi, the 23rd Detachment still has a guard company and a direct subordinate unit."

"The US military won't be able to take Shaxi within two or three days!"

Seeing that Sun Xun had made up his mind, no one said anything more and immediately went to make their own preparations.

As everyone knows, Sun Xun's choice is currently the optimal solution.

Early the next morning, the vanguard of the 232nd Regiment seized the road in front of Guangpingli.

In front of the position, Guo Tian, ​​the platoon leader of the 2nd Platoon of the 1st Battalion of the 232nd Regiment, looked at the highest hilltop and fell into deep thought.

"Platoon leader, that's Geba Ridge. If we set up our position there, we can attack the enemy from a high vantage point."

"No, no." Guo Tian shook his head.

“If we were fighting the Japanese or the Kuomintang army, Gebaling would be the best choice, but we are fighting the American army now, so we must change our mindset.”

"The US military's advantage lies in the air, not on the ground. No matter how high we stand, we are not as high as the aircraft."

“I think that little hill might be better,” Guo Tian said, pointing to a hill beside the road.

The highway makes a bend at the hilltop, forcing any vehicle to slow down, which is extremely advantageous for interception.

After making up his mind, Guo Tian led his troops to set up the main position on the small hill.

At the same time, he also arranged for his soldiers to build some fake fortifications on Geba Ridge to confuse American aircraft.

The US military's actions were not unexpected. Around 7:00 AM, the main force of the US military rushed towards Gwangpyeong-ri.

Seeing the dozen or so tanks leading the way for the American troops, Guo Tian stopped the rocket launcher operators who were itching to attack.

"Don't rush!"

"Tanks alone cannot hold the position. Let them pass, and we will attack the infantry behind them."

A dozen minutes later, a long convoy of troop carriers, ammunition vehicles, and artillery appeared in front of the 2nd Platoon.

Guo Tian immediately waved to the two 60mm mortars that had been reinforced by the company headquarters.

The mortars, which had been pre-adjusted to their angles, began firing rapidly, and at the same time, the soldiers also opened fire.

"Boom!" "Boom!"
The tank unit had passed through smoothly, and the American troops in the convoy had no idea that they would be attacked.

The sudden attack threw the American convoy into chaos.

After a chaotic retreat to a safe location, seeing the corpses scattered on the ground and the burning truck, the commander of the 38th Regiment, Strauss, was so angry that his nostrils flared.

Putting down his binoculars used to observe Geba Ridge, Strauss roared, "Call for air support immediately!"

Soon after, more than 30 aircraft arrived and began to drop wheel bombs and napalm bombs on Gebaling in turn.

Strauss looked at Geba Ridge, which was engulfed in explosions and flames, and nodded in satisfaction.

"The enemy must have suffered heavy losses. Commando, advance and launch an attack!"

"Yes, sir!"

A company of American soldiers deployed and charged forward.

"Boom!" "Boom!"
However, they were met with a constant barrage of shells and bullets.

"Fuck!" Strauss's face turned red. "Contact General Walker directly and request air support!"

The air support he requested was not on the same level as the air support Walker requested.

Since dozens of planes can't take Gebaling, then double the number, and even more than double it!
An hour later, more than a hundred planes swarmed toward Gebaling.

The continuous strafing and bombing lasted for more than half an hour.

The soldiers inside the tunnels behind the small hill gasped in astonishment as they looked at Gebaling, where the hilltop had been leveled by two meters.

"Fortunately, we didn't set up our position at Gebaling."

"The American devils are really in a hurry now."

"Isn't this perfect? ​​The more anxious the Americans are, the more likely they are to make mistakes."

"Get the soldiers ready. When the Americans come up again, send out all the fighters you can."

"yes!".
Soon, the US forces launched another attack, and the 2nd Platoon, with its full firepower, unleashed a rapid barrage that drove them back down.

This time, however, Strauss finally found a position for the second row.

Strauss looked at the small hill and laughed dismissively.

"It's utterly foolish! Instead of occupying Gebaling, they're defending a tiny hill. I seriously doubt they even know how to fight."

"Order the troops to halt the offensive and continue to call for air support."

Seeing the American troops retreating quickly, the soldiers of the 2nd Platoon knew that the Americans were about to bomb the area.

Seeing the soldier ducking down to crawl into the tunnel, the 2nd platoon leader quickly shouted, "Don't go in!"

"The American devils have already spotted us. Their planes will definitely bomb us next time. It's too dangerous for us to stay any longer. We need to retreat immediately!"

The second platoon's mission was merely to buy time. They had already made a huge profit by eliminating a hundred or so American soldiers without suffering any casualties.

Now that the main force has arrived, there's no need for the 2nd Platoon to continue risking their lives here.

Upon hearing the second platoon leader's order, the soldiers turned around and silently left their position from the north side of the hill.

However, at this time, the US military knew nothing.

Soon, more than a hundred planes flew over.

The third bombing campaign began.

This time, the US military finally bombed the right spot; the small hill was completely covered by the powerful explosion.

The entire hill was trembling.

Half an hour later, the American troops successfully stormed the position. Strauss was very satisfied: "I told you this hill was not suitable for blocking. Anyone who tried to use this small position to hold off the American troops would be blown to pieces."

Just as Strauss was feeling smug, the walkie-talkie next to him rang.

Strauss answered casually: "I am Strauss."

"Sir, we have reached the enemy's position, but there is no one here."

"They're all dead?" Strauss asked, somewhat surprised. "Those pilots did a good job this time."

"No, sir!"

"There's no one on the position! Neither alive nor dead!"

"We only found some spent shell casings!"

After figuring out what was going on, Strauss's face froze.

"Farke! Farke!"

Strauss realized he had been tricked and, with nowhere to vent his anger, he kicked the jeep's wheels.

After a long period of silence, a helpless Strauss could only lead the team forward.

By the time Strauss and his team arrived at the 23rd Detachment's position, it was already past 2 p.m.

Of the dozen or so tanks that led the way, only five remained by the roadside, billowing thick smoke; the rest had all disappeared.

"Pass on my order: artillery positions open fire immediately! Simultaneously call for air support!"

Strauss intended to vent all his anger on this battlefield.

However, to Strauss's surprise, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army not only did not hide, but also engaged in fierce fighting with the main force of the US military.

The 75mm mountain gun of the Second General Staff was far less powerful than the 105mm and 155mm howitzers of the US Army.

However, the killing effect of a 120mm heavy mortar on personnel is no less than that of a large-caliber howitzer.

From the moment the U.S. troops arrived at Gwangpyeong-ri, the fierce fighting between the two sides continued until sunset.

The U.S. military gained nothing but the lives of hundreds of its soldiers.

After dark, without air cover and fearing a night attack by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, Strauss had no choice but to retreat and regroup.

As the American soldiers felt uneasy in the darkness, MacArthur, far away in Tokyo, was in an equally terrible mood.

The atmosphere at this high-level meeting, urgently convened by MacArthur, was incredibly somber.

At this point, it was clear to everyone that the Eighth Army Group was in a state of complete collapse.

At the start of the meeting, MacArthur had just finished his formal remarks when Walker, who had flown in specifically for the meeting, suddenly stood up.

At this point, Walker showed MacArthur absolutely no mercy.

"Our operational plans and military intelligence were completely wrong!"

"On the western front, the Central Army was everywhere! Moreover, their tactics were skillful and their combat effectiveness was exceptionally strong!"

"The General Headquarters must issue the order to withdraw immediately! If we don't leave now, our troops may be completely annihilated!"

The Eighth Army had by then completely retreated to the south bank of the Chongchon River, but based on the actions of the central army, Walker did not think this would end the same way as the last time.

The central army made such a big move; surely it wasn't just to see them off?
Listening to Walker recount how dire the situation was for the Eighth Army, MacArthur felt even more distressed than when he left the Philippines.

Just three days ago, he was interviewed by a major newspaper in the world.

In the interview, MacArthur was so full of confidence and already anticipated a victory that would go down in history.

To everyone's surprise, this battle would indeed go down in history, but he was not the one who emerged victorious.

This was simply worse than killing him.

At this very moment, in this awkward meeting room, he still needed to discuss how to avoid the complete annihilation of the UN forces.

This left MacArthur with a weary expression, and sometimes he even had to close his eyes to listen to others express their views.

The emergency meeting lasted most of the night, but ultimately failed to reach any effective solutions.

In the end, everyone came to the same conclusion: retreat, and an immediate and complete retreat.

The Eighth Army Group on the western front was to withdraw, and the Tenth Army on the eastern front was to withdraw as well.

Having determined that retreat was now the only option, MacArthur did not hesitate and sent a telegram to Washington.

Truman was woken up from his sleep.

Soon, senior U.S. government officials gathered in the Oval Office of the White House.

"Mr. President, General MacArthur has sent an urgent telegram."

"China has deployed a large military force to North Korea, and the strength of the Chinese army is still increasing."

"The current battlefield situation has developed into a completely new stage."

"We now need to consider the issue from a global perspective, which is beyond the decision-making scope of the Siling Command in this theater."

"Our Siling Department has done everything within its authority, but the current situation has far exceeded our capabilities."

Upon hearing MacArthur's telegram, all the senior officials in the office were speechless.

Three days ago, they clearly said I could go home before Christmas, so how come it's now that they've done everything they could?
When we were victorious before, the situation was completely under our control, but now it has suddenly become beyond our capabilities?

However, everyone understood MacArthur's meaning: he wanted reinforcements again.

Currently, the total number of U.S. troops is 166 million, but the U.S. policy has always been Europe first.

Not long ago, the U.S. military deployed four additional divisions to West Germany to enhance its ability to resist Soviet Russia.

If North Korea wants to strengthen its military, it would have to reduce the US military presence in Western Europe.

But this is almost unacceptable to the United States.

In response to MacArthur's telegram, high-ranking officials in Washington held meetings until dawn, but to no avail.

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus that no positive suggestions should be made in the reply telegram to MacArthur.

In his reply telegram, Truman made only one request.

That is to link the lines of the Eighth Army Group and the 10th Army. If these two forces continue to fight independently, the danger is simply too high.

The huge gap between these two forces was a key reason why the central army was able to break through.

Of course, this telegram from Washington officials also had another layer of meaning.

That's a mess he made himself, so he has to clean it up; Washington won't do it for him.

At this time, high-ranking officials in Washington were still unaware of the impending crisis.

After all, there are nearly 200,000 US troops in North Korea, including those from the army, navy, and air force.

They believe this is just a minor, localized setback.

MacArthur in Tokyo was somewhat frustrated after receiving the telegram from Washington, but he still immediately issued an order for the complete withdrawal of UN forces.

When issuing the orders, MacArthur did not focus on the issue of the retreat itself.

Apart from a few key words like "complete retreat," the rest of the order focused on explaining that the complete rout had nothing to do with him.

The full-scale offensive he ordered earlier was not the main reason why the UN forces were in crisis.

On the contrary, it was his all-out offensive that successfully prevented the central army from launching a larger-scale attack.

Although Walker thought MacArthur was talking nonsense, he clearly didn't have time to care.

Walker devoted all his energy to the withdrawal of the Eighth Army.

(End of this chapter)