Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 580 This is called professionalism
Inside the headquarters of the 1st Division of the South, Bai Shangye jumped up after hearing the chief of staff's report.

"This is impossible!"

According to reports from the front lines, the central army's artillery bombardment continued until sunset, and only intensified at 5:03 PM onwards at the Imjin River.

But it's only 5:03 now, and you're telling me the Imjin River has fallen?
The chief of staff reported, "Sir, enemy troops have indeed landed."

"It should be the advance mine-clearing unit, but the main force of the central army has also begun to cross the Imjin River."

The 21st Detachment unexpectedly crossed the river from the flank of the 1st Division in the south, rendering Bai Shangye's meticulously arranged defense system completely ineffective.

Although there was a reinforced company of Confederate troops on this side of the cliff, they were no match for the concentrated fire of the 21st Detachment.

"The enemy is crossing the river from the cliff, and the main force cannot deploy. Tell the 11th Regiment to send reinforcements immediately. We must hold them off no matter what!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Also, immediately send a telegram to General Ridgway requesting air support!"

Although there aren't many planes that can come at night, having even one bomber is good.

"Yes, sir!"

Just as Bai Shangye was urgently requesting support, a squad of soldiers from the mine-clearing team of the 21st Detachment's engineering company had already landed on the south bank and begun their operation.

As soon as squad leader Zhang Shoucai got ashore, he immediately shouted, "Minesweeper! Connect the minesweeper immediately!"

For this mine-clearing mission, the 21st Detachment's engineering company specially modified many explosive charges.

Given the urgency, they cannot afford to conduct a slow and precise investigation.

At this point, using explosives to clear the mines is the only option.

Although the Confederate's fixed heavy firepower points were mostly destroyed, their light machine guns and semi-automatic rifles still provided formidable firepower.

The defenders focused most of their firepower on blocking the three spearhead companies, but the barrage of fire from a dozen guns still put the mine-clearing squad under tremendous pressure.

The mine-clearing squad needed to clear obstacles for the troops landing later, and they were destined to be able to advance at the fastest speed under the hail of bullets.

"Boom!" "Boom!"
Following the explosion of a long mine-clearing pole, several more landmines were successfully detonated.

Seeing that only a few meters of the minefield remained, Zhang Shoucai breathed a sigh of relief.

After connecting the last few mine-clearing rods, he began to push them forward.

However, this time when he pulled the string, the mine-clearing rod did not explode.

Zhang Shoucai quickly looked up and discovered that the mine-clearing rod had been broken at some point.

"Horse riding!"

After cursing, Zhang Shoucai immediately shouted, "I'm out of mine-clearing rods, fill in! Fill in right now!"

According to the plan, only other soldiers can go forward to clear the mines now.

However, after Zhang Shoucai shouted, there was no response from behind.

"Are you deaf! I said I'd make up for it."

Just as he turned around to start cursing, Zhang Shoucai suddenly realized that all the other soldiers had fallen on the battlefield.

He's the only one left in the mine-clearing squad.

Seeing his comrades, who had been joking with each other just minutes before, lying in a pool of blood, Zhang Shoucai felt like grinding his teeth to powder.

He could already hear the bugle call to charge, and the battle cries of the elite platoon soldiers were right behind him.

"Fuck you!"

After glancing back, Zhang Shoucai didn't hesitate for a moment. He leaped up and rolled across the minefield.

"boom!"

With the sound of a landmine exploding, Zhang Shoucai disappeared from sight.

However, the path to attack has already been opened.

The soldiers of the elite detachment followed the passage and charged straight to the edge of the cliff.

At 5:14, the soldiers of the Sharp Knife Company had climbed the cliff and occupied the forward position of the South 1st Division.

Listening to the constant urgent reports from various departments, Bai Shangye was almost completely dumbfounded.

"How could it be so fast?!"

"How could they be so fast?!"

They reached the shore in five minutes and broke through the treacherous terrain in eleven minutes.

Bai Shangye racked his brains but still couldn't figure out why the South 1st Division was defeated so quickly.

"Sir, the central army has definitely done thorough reconnaissance. Every time they fire, the target is very clear: our defensive fortifications."

Bai Shangye retorted angrily, "Does the Chinese army have artillery, but we don't? Don't the Americans have artillery?!"

The chief of staff shook his head helplessly: "The US military has already tried it."

"However, at night, the coordinates of the main force of the central army cannot be confirmed, so there is no way to carry out fire strikes."

"On the contrary, the Chinese army demonstrated very professional infantry-artillery coordination tactics this time."

"Although the central army's attacking force consisted of only about 500 men, it had more than 300 artillery pieces providing cover."

"The enemy's artillery would extend 100 meters forward each time, making it impossible for the 11th Regiment to organize a counterattack."

The artillery played a crucial role in the 21st Detachment's spearhead company's ability to capture the South 1st Division's forward positions in such a short time.

Back in Tuancheng, the 1st Division of the South had the opportunity to test the firepower of the 2nd General Staff, but after they realized something was wrong, they immediately ran away.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army that the 1st Division of the South encountered later, although its combat strength was not weak, its firepower was no match for that of the 2nd Division.

Therefore, the South 1st Division had a stereotype of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army as having strong individual combat skills but weak artillery firepower.

Now, facing the Second General Staff, which is capable of firing, has a large number of artillery pieces, and is also covered by rocket artillery, the 1st Division of the South has no power to fight back at all.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Bai Shangye was furious; the 1st Division of the South had never suffered such humiliation.

"It will soon be completely dark, and the long-range artillery fire of the central army will soon lose its effectiveness,"

"Organize all engineers, signalmen, and logistics personnel from the division headquarters and deploy them to the front lines."

"We must take back the position no matter what!"

Bai Shangye's plan was sound: as long as they could recapture the position, the 1st Division of the South would still have a chance to hold out until tonight.

However, it turns out that Bai Shangye was overthinking things.

The more than 1,000 soldiers organized by the headquarters of the 1st Division of the South were wiped out in less than ten minutes after being sent to the front line.

Moreover, as more and more troops from the 21st Detachment crossed the river, the positions of the 1st Division in the South were breached one after another.

"Sir, the left flank has been completely breached."

"The 11th and 12th Regiments reported that their internal communications were completely in chaos and there was no hope of recapturing the position."

Upon hearing the chief of staff's report, Bai Shangye swayed, feeling as if everything went black before his eyes.

Bai Shangye steadied himself against the table beside him, saying weakly, "Our elite Southern 1st Division has been defeated just like that? It's over so quickly?"

At this moment, Bai Shangye's belief in being the ace was shattered.

He felt completely weak, as if he were in a state of extreme exhaustion.

Since the start of the war, the 1st Division of the South had never been so badly beaten.

Keep in mind that only about half an hour has passed since the central army opened fire.

Seeing Bai Shangye's somewhat distraught state, the chief of staff quickly asked, "Sir, what should we do now?"

The situation on the battlefield can change every second, leaving them no time to worry.

Bai Shangye was well aware that the situation was extremely critical and that adjustments had to be made immediately.

But at this moment, he felt worse than if an entire family had died. He opened his mouth several times, but couldn't utter a single word.

Finally, Bai Shangye gritted his teeth and said, "We're doomed to lose this battle. You should leave now."

The chief of staff asked urgently, "Sir, what about you?"

"Leave me a few communications soldiers; I will continue to command the battle from here."

Bai Shangye had always looked down on the other divisions of the South Korean Army, but the South Korean 1st Division was always compared to the US Army.

As a result, the 1st Division of the South has been utterly defeated by the 21st Detachment.

The louder they boasted before, the harder they'll slap themselves now.

Bai Shangye dared not imagine what would happen if he met other masters.

Seeing that Bai Shangye seemed about to 'die for his country,' the US military advisor standing nearby became anxious.

The US military advisors were well aware that the reason why the 1st Division of the South was able to fight was not because its soldiers were better than those of other units; it was entirely due to Bai Shangye's efforts.

If Bai Shangye dies, the Southern Army will truly become a pile of mud.

"Master Bai, the most urgent task now is to withdraw from the battle and preserve our strength."

"Although the central army occupied the front-line positions in a short period of time, the casualties of the South 1st Division could not have been much in such a short time."

"As long as we can withdraw our main force, we will still have a chance to counterattack!" Since the Chinese People's Volunteer Army entered Korea, the US military has never won a battle, and they have long been accustomed to retreating.

As long as the casualties are not too great, they can deploy a second, or even third, fourth, or fifth line of defense.

If all else fails, there's still the final Busan defense line.

If all else fails, Japan can still defend itself; the US military advisors did not believe that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army could reach the Japanese mainland.

However, Bai Shangye was sitting there motionless, looking completely lost.

I don't know if it's because I can't get over my inner hurdle, or because I'm unwilling to face the possible ridicule and sarcasm in the future.

Left with no other option, the US military advisors had to forcibly drag the distraught Bai Shangye into the jeep.

"Send orders to all units, instructing them to retreat immediately towards Seoul!"

After saying that, the US military advisor immediately signaled the driver to start the car.

With Bai Shangye leaving command, the entire 1st Division of the South collapsed instantly.

By 5:40, the 21st Detachment's elite company had already captured Hill 132 and Hill 185 respectively.

All threats on the south bank of the Imjin River have been completely eliminated.

"Commander, the engineering regiment has already erected the pontoon bridge, and the 21st Detachment has crossed the river."

"Great! Very good!" Chen Chengxing was overjoyed.

His original plan was to fight until dawn, but the battle ended in just one hour.

"Pass on my orders: after crossing the river, the 212th Regiment will attack Zhimaling to the west, the 213th Regiment will attack Yuzhongshan to the east, and the 211th Regiment will be responsible for covering the defense."

"After the 22nd Detachment crossed the river, its main force pursued the 1st Division of the South to the south, and sent a regiment to outflank the boats crossing the mountain to help the C Army in Gaolangli cross the river and annihilate the 6th Division of the South in this area."

"The entire army must immediately sever all communication links between the enemy's various units!"

"yes!".
By 1 a.m., the 22nd Detachment had captured several hills near Xiangshuili, cutting off the defense line of the 6th Southern Division.

Communication between the 6th and 1st Southern Divisions was completely severed.

Even the most formidable Southern Army unit, the 1st Division, was routed, not to mention the other units.

Meanwhile, on the left flank of the 1st Division of the South, the 6th Division of the South, responsible for defending Gaolangli, had been on high alert ever since Ridgway adjusted the defensive line.

Of course, the 6th Division of the South was not wary of the two regiments of the C Army in Gaolangli, nor of the rest of the Volunteer Army, but rather of the movements of the "friendly" troops on its flank.

The vigilance of the 6th Division of the South did indeed play a significant role.

"Sir, the US 25th Division has moved!" the chief of staff rushed over to report.

The US 25th Division was located on the flank of the South 6th Division, facing Ding Wei's A Army and Kong Jie's B Army.

Ding Wei and Kong Jie knew they were the only two units facing off against the US military, and everyone instantly perked up.

The US 25th Division could not withstand the fierce attack from these two armies, so it quickly issued an order to retreat.

However, the 25th Division was a vital support for the 6th Division in the south. If they fled, the 6th Division would be facing three armies, which would be like a dish that wouldn't even be enough to be picked up with a few chopsticks.

"Xiba!"

Kim Jun-ho, commander of the 6th Division of the South, stood up abruptly.

Did the US 25th Division send us a withdrawal telegram?

"No." The chief of staff shook his head, his face grim.

"They're trying to use us as bait!" Kim Jun-ho gritted his teeth.

Once the US 25th Division fled, and the Chinese army cut off its retreat, the Southern 6th Division would have no chance of survival.

"Sir, what should we do?"

"How to do?"

"Hmph!" Kim Jun-ho sneered, "When it comes to fighting, we are indeed inferior to the US military, but when it comes to fleeing, they are no match for us!"

"Pass on my order! The entire army retreats!"

It must be said that the 6th Division of the South was indeed highly skilled at escaping. After receiving the order, the vanguard troops withdrew from the defensive positions almost instantly.

But that wasn't the end of it. The 6th Division of the South withdrew from its positions with lightning speed, achieving a remarkable comeback after being caught off guard.

Along the way, the 6th Division of the South did not stop at all and ran straight to the Changdong area south of Uijeongbu.

At this time, the US 25th Division, which had fled before the South 6th Division, had just reached Pocheon.

In just one night, the US 25th Division was left more than 20 kilometers behind by the South 6th Division.

Because the 6th Division of the South fled decisively and directly split into multiple routes, even though Chen Chengxing had anticipated this and had the 22nd Detachment send troops to outflank them.

However, they failed to stop the 6th Division of the South, which was skilled in retreat.

The plan for the 22nd Detachment to encircle and annihilate the 6th Division of the South with the C Army failed before it even began.

Detachment 22 and Army C had no choice but to disperse and ambush in Xiangshui and Dongchuan, hoping to capture as many as they could.

Compared to the 6th Division of the South, the fate of the 2nd, 5th, and 8th Divisions of the South Army on the eastern front was rather tragic.

By the time they sensed something was wrong and began to retreat from their defensive line, the 24th Detachment had already moved diagonally into the Qingpingchuan area.

This was the only route the Southern Army on the eastern front had to take when retreating back to Seoul.

As soon as the vanguard of the Southern Army appeared in Qingpingchuan, they were met with a strong attack from the 24th Detachment.

Li Zaiyuan, commander of the 8th Division of the South, looked at his troops who were being beaten and running away in panic, and his face was somewhat grim.

He knew that the 8th Division of the South probably wouldn't be able to cross Qingpingchuan today.

"Xiba!"

"Why would the Central Army be here?"

"What is Bai Shangye doing?!"

The 8th Division of the South was the fastest retreating unit on the eastern front, but now the enemy has suddenly appeared here.

There is only one possibility: the 1st Division of the South was not under any obstruction.

Thinking of this, Lee Jae-won became even angrier.

The First Division of the South boasted so loudly, and this is the result? Their ace unit? They fled at the first sign of trouble?
"Damn it! We can't waste any more time here." Li Zaiyuan gritted his teeth and ordered, "Pass on my order: the troops are to withdraw from the battle immediately!"

Upon hearing the word "retreat," the chief of staff immediately asked, "Sir, which way should we retreat?"

Lee Jae-won took out a map, thought for a long time, and then pointed to the road they came from: "Let's retreat first, and then find another way."

Although the Confederate army has far fewer heavy weapons than the American army, it still possesses heavy weaponry, and it is not yet time for them to simply abandon their weapons and flee.

Upon receiving Li Zaiyuan's order, the rest of the 8th Division did not hesitate and immediately began a rapid retreat.

However, to Li Zaiyuan's surprise, they had only retreated less than 20 kilometers when they suddenly discovered the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's Eastern Route Z Army and Y Army at Xiude Mountain.

Meanwhile, the Z Army and the Y Army had already blocked two regiments of the Southern 2nd Division.

Seeing this, Li Zaiyuan immediately understood what was going on.

"Damn it! The 2nd and 5th Southern Divisions have also fled!"

"We can't go any further north. We need to head east immediately, to Chuncheon, and then detour through Hongcheon back to our rear!"

There's no way to go west, south, or north now; the only option is to go east and then take a long detour back to Seoul.

However, if Lee Jae-won could think of it, so could Shiji.

When the South 8th Division arrived in Chuncheon, the vanguard of the North 2nd and 5th Divisions had already arrived there.

Upon learning that enemies had appeared in Chuncheon, Lee Jae-won's expression changed drastically.

"Damn it! We're surrounded!"

"Sir, according to reconnaissance, the enemy in Chuncheon should be the Northern Army, not the Central Army, and their numbers are not large. Now is our only chance!"

Upon hearing the chief of staff's words, Lee Jae-won immediately realized that the 8th Division of the South had no other choice.

"No matter who's in front of us, only by breaking through their defenses can we safely retreat back to Seoul!"

"Give me the order to attack!"

Even if the soldiers of the 8th Division in the South were unwilling to fight, they knew that they had no choice but to fight now.

Moreover, if they didn't fight the North Korean army, they would have to fight the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

As for which one to choose, the 8th Division of the South said they didn't even need to think about it.

The fierce battle between the northern and southern armies continued until dawn.

During this period, the remnants of the South 5th Division and the South 2nd Division, as well as the main forces of the North 2nd Division and the 5th Division, arrived in Chuncheon one after another.

The conflict between the two sides escalated.

Seeing that they were no match for the enemy, the Southern Army divisions did not waste any words. At dawn, they abandoned their heavy weapons and scattered.

The routed troops were everywhere, making it impossible for the Northern army to contain them.

After a final count, the Northern army had only managed to kill four Southern infantry battalions after fighting all night; the rest of the soldiers had vanished without a trace.

The only good news for the Union Army was the capture of two artillery battalions and hundreds of truckloads of supplies.

(End of this chapter)