Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 575 A great victory
After capturing Gusongling, Li Chishui immediately ordered his troops to strengthen fortifications and dig deeper tunnels on the reverse slope.

It's obvious that the US military, having been stepped on, will launch a strong attack on Gusongling.

Around 8:00 AM, the main force of the US 25th Division retreated to the main road in front of Gusongling.

Major General William, commander of the 25th Infantry Division, frowned as he looked at the ancient pine ridge before him.

The 2nd Infantry Division has already crossed this point, meaning the 25th Division will have to face this obstacle on its own.

After observing for a moment, William turned and asked, "What did Major General Kaiser say? Can he provide any support?"

"Sir, that's probably very difficult."

"The 2nd Division replied that there was a main force regiment of the Central Army on their flank."

"They had no way to support the Gusongling battlefield before they wiped out this regiment."

The reply from the US 2nd Division was actually being kept under wraps.

After passing Gusongling, there was a detachment of the Second Division on each of the east, west, and south sides.

While the U.S. 2nd Division concentrated its main force to attack Shaxi-ri and Guangping-ri, it also had to spare troops to guard against the Chinese People's Volunteer Army on the east and west sides.

The Second Army Corps is currently in a defensive posture, simply because it is not convenient to take action during the day, and the three armies of the Third Army Corps have not yet arrived.

Even so, the 2nd Infantry Division was already stretched thin at this point.

Last night, in order to rescue the 24th Regiment, Kaiser had already mobilized all of his reserves.

Even so, he risked withdrawing the 155mm artillery battalion from the front lines.

The US 2nd Division simply cannot spare any troops to deal with the 213th Regiment.

Upon hearing that the US 2nd Division could not provide support, William frowned.

"It seems we have no choice but to rely on ourselves now."

"Order the 27th Regiment to launch an attack, with three artillery battalions providing full support. Request air support; I need as many bombers as possible!"

Walker was well aware of the importance of Gusongling. If the Chinese People's Volunteer Army were allowed to get stuck there, the 25th Division and the 2nd Division would be unable to coordinate their operations.

Walker couldn't control the Marine Corps and Navy aircraft, but he managed to take all the Air Force bombers and fighters.

Even many of the bombers and fighters responsible for cutting off the supply lines of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army were transferred out.

Under the cover of aircraft, tanks, and artillery, the US 25th Division launched a fierce attack.

In order to open up an escape route, the US 25th Division spared almost every means.

Whenever an attack fails, planes and artillery will immediately resume their relentless bombardment.

After the ancient pine ridge position has been repeatedly plundered, the next wave of infantry will rush up again.

The thirty-odd carrier-based attack aircraft that MacArthur had urgently transferred to the fleet proved their worth this time.

The planes were providing support almost touching the scalps of the American troops.

When the napalm bomb exploded, the US troops were less than fifty meters away from the front-line positions.

As the American devils charged forward, the soldiers did not flinch in the face of the exploding incendiary bombs.

Even though they were engulfed in flames, the flames burning through their flesh and reaching deep into their bones, the warriors still showed no sign of retreating.

"You American devils! I'll fuck your grandma!"
The soldiers threw down their guns, their bodies ablaze, and charged at the American troops.

Once they grab an enemy, they will hold on tightly until both of them are burned to ashes.

Napalm is extremely viscous and burns very slowly. The flames cannot be extinguished by simply rolling or patting it. Once it gets on you, it won't stop until it's completely burned off.

However, the burning oil slicks don't recognize who are Chinese People's Volunteers and who are American soldiers. If the American soldiers want air-ground coordination, they have to get closer, and they have to endure the fire.

Despite the heavy casualties, the US 25th Division showed no intention of retreating.

On the contrary, as time went on, the US military became increasingly anxious, and the fighting between the two sides became increasingly fierce.

By noon, on one of the positions at Gusongling, the 2nd Company of the 1st Battalion of the 211th Regiment had less than half of its soldiers left.

Watching the American soldiers being driven away in hand-to-hand combat, Company Commander Ma Ruyi, panting heavily, sat down heavily on the ground.

"Old Dai, the Americans are really desperate this time."

The position where the 2nd Company was located was not even the most important main position; it was just a small hill on the edge of Gusong Ridge.

However, for the entire three hours since the start of the battle, the US offensive has been almost uninterrupted.

The 2nd Company's political instructor, Dai Shaocheng, also leaned against the half-collapsed trench next to him, panting heavily.

"The more anxious the Americans are, the more meaningful our counterattack is."

The relentless attack over three hours had left the entire 2nd Company exhausted.

"Hmm." Ma Ruyi nodded.

"Old Dai, get the comrades on their feet. The US military is definitely not giving up yet."

"No matter what, we must live up to the titles that our soldiers earned with their lives."

Since its establishment, the 2nd Company has received numerous accolades, including Model Combat Company, No. 3 Company, and Heroic Company for Crossing the Yangtze River.

They absolutely cannot allow the 2nd Company to be tarnished here.

"Even if we're out of ammunition, we'll hold on!"

In the afternoon, the US military launched an even more frenzied offensive.

Incendiary bombs practically flattened the entire hilltop position, while tank cannons, heavy artillery, and aerial bombs repeatedly plowed the position multiple times.

Even though the 21st Detachment used a defensive position with reverse slopes and tunnels, it still suffered a lot of casualties on the front line in the face of such fierce attacks.

After all, the 21st detachment had very little time for emergency repairs, and their positions were not yet fully developed.

After repeated bombings, hundreds of American soldiers charged forward again in a dense swarm.

The U.S. military knew very well that the few hours before nightfall were their last chance.

Once night falls, they're all finished.

"Comrades! The enemy is coming!"

"Kill me!"

Ma Ruyi, seeing the enemy so close at hand, kept pulling the trigger.

In just a few seconds, all ten bullets in the gun were fired.

Without further ado, Ma Ruyi picked up his gun and charged out.

"kill!".
The soldiers followed closely behind.

After a fierce battle, the US military reluctantly retreated once again.

However, when the soldiers of the 2nd Company retreated to their positions, they discovered that their company commander had not returned.

When the soldiers found Ma Ruyi, they discovered that his body was badly mangled, and several enemy soldiers who had been killed in the explosion lay beside him.

It's obvious that he detonated the grenades on his body after being surrounded by the enemy.

"I saw the company commander was injured during the bombing raid. Why?"

"Alright!" Dai Shaocheng interrupted everyone's grief.

"Comrades! Now is not the time to be sad!"

"The enemy will be coming up soon, we must be prepared!"

"Everyone, get to your positions immediately! The company commander is gone, so we'll hold this position for him!"

"Yes!"

Seeing the instructor's resolute face, the unit price boosted morale again.

Everyone gritted their teeth, ready to kill a few more American devils to avenge their company commander.

However, after the soldiers went to prepare, Dai Shaocheng glanced at Ma Ruyi's corpse again.

"Old Ma, oh Old Ma," Dai Shaocheng's eyes were a little blurry.

"You close your eyes and stop thinking about anything, but what am I supposed to do?"

The US military did not give Dai Shaocheng time to grieve, as the overwhelming bombing soon returned.

"kill!".
The soldiers rushed out of the black smoke and flames from the napalm bombs and fought the American troops again.

The bodies of both sides covered the entire hillside, and the blood soaked the ground red.

This time, the US military abandoned its usual cowardice and fought desperately for every hilltop in Gusongling in order to prevent the annihilation of its main force.

The fierce battle lasted for a full eight hours.

In the end, all the guns on the 2nd Company's position were smashed, and machine gun parts were scattered all over the mountain.

The bodies of the fallen soldiers were in various poses, some embracing the enemy, others biting the enemy's neck.
When the bodies were buried after the war, some soldiers' bodies were so tightly wrapped together that they could not be separated.

After nightfall, the US 25th Division had no choice but to halt its offensive and switch to defense, hoping to hold out until the night was over.

At this point, only seventeen men from the 2nd Company were still able to stand, the highest-ranking among them being a squad leader. Dai Shaocheng was also shot and killed in the final charge.

Looking at the ancient pine ridge that hadn't been taken down even after a whole day, William felt somewhat desperate.

The sharp blade of Gusongling was planted here, directly disrupting the formations of the US 25th and 2nd Infantry Divisions.

Even at the very end, the US 25th Division chose to brave the artillery fire of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and force its way across the road in front of Gusongling, but was blocked by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in Shaxi.

For an entire day, tens of thousands of troops from the US 25th Division and the US 2nd Division were stuck on the highway, unable to advance or retreat.

In the evening, the US 2nd Division fired more than 3,000 shells in just 20 minutes in an attempt to break through Shaxili.

MacArthur also launched all his warplanes to bombard the Shaxi battlefield in succession.

Even so, the US military still failed to make any progress.

As darkness fell, Chen Chengxing, who had endured the day's darkness, stood up.

"The Americans are done fighting, now it's our turn!"

"Order all units to launch a full-scale counterattack!"

When the entire 2nd Army was dividing and encircling the US 2nd Division, the 3rd Army Corps also sounded the charge.

A total of over 100,000 troops launched a general offensive against the American forces within the encirclement from all sides.

The American pilots providing nighttime support could only shake their heads helplessly as they looked at the chaotic battlefield below.

"The Chinese forces are already engaged in fierce fighting with them, and we can't distinguish their specific formations, so we can't bomb them anymore."

"They're finished."

For bombers to drop bombs accurately, they already rely on ground guidance. Now that everyone is in a chaotic mess, it's impossible to know whose head the bombs will land on.

Even though the navy's carrier-based attack aircraft risked being hit by heavy machine gun fire by deliberately lowering their altitude, they were still powerless.

They could drop bombs, but they couldn't drop them on the front lines; they could only drop them behind the lines of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

However, this did not stop the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army from attacking.

Standing atop a hill, Chen Chengxing looked out and saw a continuous barrage of tracer rounds, flares, and signal flares stretching for dozens of kilometers around him.

"Old Chen, I've been fighting for over a decade, and I've never seen anything like this before."

Even when Luo Ping puts down his binoculars, he can still see all sorts of bright lights in the darkness.

"Even in previous decisive battles involving hundreds of thousands of people in the Central Plains, the density of firepower didn't seem to be this high."

"Old Luo, we're different now than before, and our enemies are different too."

During the War of Resistance against Japan, although the Japanese army claimed to be an imperialist power, it was ultimately a poor and weak country.

They were willing to risk their lives even if it meant firing a torrent of ammunition.

As for the Kuomintang during the Liberation War, it goes without saying that they didn't even have the capacity to produce anything, let alone consume large quantities of it.

The Korean War was their first encounter with a true industrial power.

“It’s different.” Luo Ping nodded.

"What I'm thinking is, when can we achieve this kind of firepower coverage? I think it would be really cool."

"It will happen," Chen Chengxing said with a smile. "Fire coverage won't be far off."

"And who knows, maybe in the future, a platoon will only have one rifle."

"One? Wouldn't that mean we're going backwards as we get older?" Luo Ping scratched his head.

"Back in the most difficult times, I think we only had one gun per squad, right?"

Luo Ping didn't understand what Chen Chengxing meant.

"So what do you think will happen in the future?" Chen Chengxing asked in return.

"I don't dare to hope that it will be promoted to the whole army like the guard battalion. I think that would be great."

"It would be even better if each detachment could be equipped with rocket launchers and howitzers."

As a benchmark experimental unit of the Second General Hospital, Luo Ping now looks at the individual equipment of the guard battalion with envy.

"Too small, too small." Chen Chengxing chuckled. "It's definitely achievable, but you have to think big."

"It's big enough, it's big enough."

"Even Americans aren't this rich."

"To be honest, I still don't understand how the higher-ups approved this equipment for you."

"This is very different from the way we compile data in the world."

Chen Chengxing shook his head: "The staffing system is always changing. There's no right or wrong. We need to look forward."

"Given the opportunity, the guard battalion will certainly be able to demonstrate their combat effectiveness."

"I hope so," Luo Ping said. "I've heard that some commanders are very unhappy that the guard battalion has given up its bayonet fighting spirit."

As a pilot unit, the guard battalion's organizational structure has not changed much, but its daily training has undergone significant changes due to the change in weaponry.

After hearing Luo Ping's words, Chen Chengxing didn't say much, but just gestured with his eyes: "Look forward."

“Okay.” Luo Ping shrugged. He didn’t think he was very good at it and might not be able to see that far ahead.

A night of fierce fighting.

As the sky brightened again, the decisive battle between the two sides gradually came to an end.

Inside the headquarters, the chief of staff exclaimed excitedly, "Sir! It's over! A resounding victory!"

The commander jumped up from his stool: "annihilate them all?!"

"Total annihilation!"

"According to the combined battle reports from various units, apart from about two thousand men from the US 25th Division north of Gusongling who escaped, most of the enemy within the encirclement has been annihilated!"

"More than 500 artillery pieces of various types, more than 100 tanks, and more than 2,000 vehicles were captured or destroyed!"

"Chen Chengxing wiped out more than 10,000 men from just the 2nd US Division!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Okay! Okay!"

The battle had been won decisively, so the commander was no longer in a hurry.

"I heard that the motto of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division is 'Never be second'?"

"I think he'd have a hard time even finishing second to last, huh?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

In stark contrast to the laughter and merriment within Shiji, MacArthur in Tokyo was deeply distressed.

In this decisive battle, apart from the 25th Division, where most of the regiment abandoned their heavy weapons and fled over the mountains to Anzhou, only a few hundred of the remaining nearly 30,000 men managed to escape in the chaos.

The 2nd Infantry Division suffered a devastating blow.

The Turkish brigade, which originally had more than 5,000 men, was reduced to only 3 companies, and even those were not enough to reach full strength.

The only thing MacArthur could accept was that the First Army in Ann Arbor had successfully withdrawn.

Otherwise, he would jump into Tokyo Bay right now.

While MacArthur was figuring out how to clean up the mess, the General Staff of the Chinese Revolutionary Army had already begun the next phase of the plan under the instructions of the Central Committee.

"Although the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was exhausted, I estimate that the American troops were completely terrified."

"If we just adopt a pursuit posture, we may not even need to fight to scare the US military away."

"Yes, I think so too." The chief of staff nodded.

"The enemy suffered severe blows on both the eastern and western fronts."

"Although the enemy is currently building defensive lines in Pyongyang and Wonsan, there is also the possibility of retreating to the old 38th parallel defense line."

"I think it would be better to send three divisions south to probe the enemy's intentions."

"Alright, let's give it a try." The commander nodded.

"Order Army A, Army C, and the Second General Corps to each send a unit to advance towards Sukchon, Sunchon, and Seongchon respectively."

"yes!".
The commander-in-chief's judgment was absolutely correct. Almost the instant the US military saw the Chinese People's Volunteer Army move out, they immediately abandoned their positions and retreated south as fast as they could.

Nearly 100,000 well-equipped UN troops fled south of the 38th parallel without firing a single shot.

None of the UN troops had any objections to the escape; their only complaint was why their superiors hadn't given the order to escape sooner.

Without firing a single shot, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army advanced 300 kilometers.

They stopped temporarily when they reached the vicinity of the 38th parallel.

(End of this chapter)