Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 581: Still Too Optimistic
May 12th, evening.

Inside the Seoul Command Center.

Ridgway had received reports of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army launching an attack, but he had not received news of the South Korean army's instantaneous collapse.

Looking at the sand table, Ridgway wasn't too worried at the moment.

"Chief of staff, send a telegram to several Confederate divisions."

Ridgway decided to launch a counterattack.

This time, he was going to test just how good the Chinese People's Volunteer Army really was.

"Tell them that as long as they can hold out for half a day, our reinforcements will arrive."

"The tide of battle will turn then!"

Dane had a lot of dealings with the Confederate army, which Ridgway was unaware of, but he was well aware of.

"Sir, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's offensive is very strong. I'm afraid the South Korean army won't be able to hold them off."

"Can't stop it?" Li Qiwei shook his head: "Impossible."

"Although they don't have tanks or large-caliber artillery, 105mm howitzers are enough to last until daytime."

"After daybreak, a large amount of air support will arrive, and the Volunteer Army will be forced to stop its large-scale offensive. At that time, we will regain the advantage on the battlefield."

Ridgway did not believe that the Southern army would be defeated, that they could not even hold out for one night.

Dane had no reply to this and could only silently send out the telegram.

However, the reality was exactly as Dane had predicted.

They had no way of contacting the various divisions of the Confederate Army.

"Sir, communications have been cut off. We can no longer contact the Southern Army."

"Fuck!" Ridgway finally sensed something was wrong: "How could they have suddenly lost contact?"

No one can answer this question.

After pacing back and forth in the command post a few times, Ridgway couldn't hold back any longer: "Prepare the vehicle, let's go to the front lines!"

Dane was not surprised by Ridgway's request.

After all, since Ridgway took office, he has spent far more time on the front lines than in command post.

However, Dane still wanted to offer some advice, since things were different now than usual.

"Sir."

"Stop talking," Ridgway interrupted Dane. "Prepare the car immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

Ridgway got into the car and sped off towards the front lines.

But by the time he arrived at Uijeongbu, he was too exhausted to walk any further.

The place was packed with fleeing soldiers, and cars couldn't possibly move forward against the flow of traffic.

Ridgway was stunned when he got up from the jeep and saw the insignia of the routed soldiers.

"The 6th Southern Division? What are they doing here?"

According to his plan, the Southern army was always at the forefront.

Even in a retreat, the American troops retreated first, followed by the Confederate army.

Why is the government in question only composed of Confederate troops and not American troops?

Ridgway racked his brains but couldn't figure out what was going on, but he quickly put the question out of his mind.

"You! Halt the retreat! Organize a counterattack immediately!"

Unable to find any Confederate officers, Ridgway could only stand on the vehicle and shout.

The soldiers of the 6th Division of the South, who were retreating, were puzzled by Ridgway's loud shouting.

Most of the high-ranking officers in the Confederate army knew some English, but the ordinary soldiers couldn't understand a word of it.

"What the hell are you shouting about here?"

"Who cares? It has nothing to do with us."

The soldiers of the 6th Division of the South were single-mindedly focused on retreating to Seoul, and no one paid any attention to Ridgway.

Seeing the Confederate soldiers looking at him like he was a monkey, Ridgway couldn't help himself and pulled out his pistol, firing several shots into the air.

To Ridgway's dismay, he emptied the magazine but it was all for naught.

The Southern army continued to do as it pleased, without even causing a commotion.

"Fake!"

Ridgway sighed and plopped back into his seat.

"Turn around and head back to Seoul."

"Back to Seoul? Not going to the front lines?" the operations staff officer next to him asked.

“It’s pointless. Even if we force them to regroup, they’ll just keep running.” Ridgway shook his head.

The Southern Army has lost its spirit; they are now no different from walking corpses.

"We have no choice but to abandon them."

Meanwhile, news of the rapid breakthroughs made by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army across the entire front also reached the headquarters of the Volunteer Army.

Everyone in the team was very excited.

"Great!"

"Unstoppable momentum, unstoppable momentum indeed!"

Unlike the cheerful crowd, the leader on the side frowned as he looked at the map.

"Chief, what's wrong?"

"The troops are advancing too fast," the commander shook his head.

"Apart from Chen Chengxing's report of annihilating several thousand enemy soldiers, the rest of the troops have not encountered any decent resistance."

"What does this mean? Huh?"

"Politically, crossing the 38th parallel means victory."

"But militarily, only annihilating the enemy is a great victory!"

"The fact that the troops are not encountering any significant resistance indicates that the enemy is retreating frantically."

"Next, Seoul is the only option."

"But will Ridgway be able to defend Seoul?"

The commander had doubts about Ridgway's choice.

This was the first time the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had fought against Ridgway. They were unfamiliar with his fighting style and had no idea what he would do.

If military might is subordinate to political considerations, then he will defend Seoul to the death; but if he is only considering military matters, then he will abandon Seoul.

For Shiji, these two options were essentially a huge gamble.

If we continue to pursue them relentlessly, and the enemy holds Seoul, the more than 200,000 Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers will be subjected to firepower attacks by the enemy using their air superiority.

But if they don't pursue, and the enemy abandons Seoul, the American troops will escape unscathed.

At this moment, the people in the Shiji also realized that although they had crossed the 38th parallel without any hindrance, the situation was not so optimistic.

"Sir, last time the North Koreans abandoned Seoul outright. We can't expect the US military to do the same this time, can we?"

"That's impossible to say."

Seoul was indeed politically very important to the UN forces.

But as far as he knew, MacArthur had already handed over full authority over the Korean War to Ridgway.

Therefore, he really wasn't sure whether the US military would defend Seoul.

After much deliberation, and considering the current uncertainties, the commander proposed the best operational plan.

Pointing to the map hanging on the wall, the leader said:

"Whether the enemy retreats or defends, Goyang and Uijeongbu are the only places the retreating US troops must pass through. As long as we block these places, we can definitely eliminate some of the US troops."

The commander decided to first eliminate some American soldiers, and then decide what to do next depending on the situation.

"Send orders to Chen Chengxing and Li Yunlong, instructing the 22nd Detachment to immediately infiltrate from Dongchuanli to Qifeng Mountain, while the 2nd Division of the C Army follows in parallel southwards. The two units will converge on the east and west sides of Yizhengbu."

"The main forces of Army A and Army B are advancing from the northern front."

"The main force of Army C should not get entangled with the enemy in Jiangnan, but should make every effort to penetrate into the Gaoyang area."

"The main force of the Second Generals rushed from Pocheon to Surokusan, cutting off the small road for Uijeongbu to escape back to Seoul."

“As long as the Goyang and Uijeongbu lines are cut off, the US 25th Division and the British 29th Brigade will be unable to retreat to Seoul.”

"I want to see whether Ridgway will save her or not!"

"Furthermore, have the Z Army and Y Army make another flanking maneuver to the south, passing through Hongcheon, Yangdeok, and Wonri, to encircle Seoul!"

If the enemy doesn't run away, they'll be like a giant dumpling.

If you run away, you should at least leave something behind.

"Yes!" At dawn, at the headquarters of the Eighth Army Group in Seoul.

That night, the entire command post was brightly lit.

"Sir, the reconnaissance plane has reached the front line."

Ridgway immediately asked, "How is the situation?"

Most of the Southern Army's troops had lost contact, so he had no way to assess the situation at the front.

The specific situation at the front directly influenced his next decision.

"The central army has made a complete breakthrough of the Imjin River."

"The Southern army suffered a complete defeat, with fleeing soldiers everywhere, and not a single organized unit remained."

Upon hearing the report, Ridgway's expression grew increasingly grim.

Although he was not optimistic about the situation to begin with, it now seems that he was too optimistic.

He never imagined that the carefully constructed first line of defense wouldn't even last one night.

Somewhat defensively broken, Ridgway took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his raging anger.

Now is not the time to lose his temper; he must make adjustments immediately.

"The first line of defense has collapsed, and there is no point in continuing to hold Seoul."

"I have decided to retreat to the 37th parallel and regroup in the rear."

Although this was Ridgway's first battle against the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, he was still very familiar with their tactics of flanking and encircling.

According to aerial reconnaissance, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army is now advancing on Seoul from all directions, so if you want to retreat, you must do so as soon as possible.

The Eighth Army had no objection to the order to retreat, but it aroused strong opposition from an important figure in the Southern Dynasty.

Lee Seung-ryong hurriedly found Ridgway: "General Ridgway, we've only been back in Seoul for a few days, why are we leaving again?"

"Since the central army lacks firepower, we can completely focus our battle on Seoul and fight them to the death."

"General, you said you planned to stay in Korea for a long time."

"But now, after only a week in office in North Korea, they're already withdrawing from Seoul?"

"The UN forces can't just retreat all they do, can they?!"

Li Chenglong became increasingly anxious as he spoke.

He simply couldn't accept the fact that Seoul had been gained and then lost again.

He fled Seoul before the US military arrived, and he tried to escape Seoul again after the US military arrived.

Wouldn't the US military's trip have been in vain?

Ridgway, who was already angry, was about to explode with rage after hearing what Ri Seung-ryong said.

Ridgway disregarded diplomatic etiquette and launched into a tirade against Lee Seung-ryong.

"Fuck! Is this what I'm supposed to do?!"

"Don't you even see how fast your army can run in front of the central army!"

"If the Southern army hadn't scattered like ducks, I would have turned the tide by now!"

"Without the Imjin River defense line, tell me, how can Seoul be defended?!"

In terms of the overall terrain of Seoul, the Han River would be an important line of defense if the attack were to proceed from south to north.

But if the attack is from north to south, then the situation is completely different.

Looking from the north, Seoul's terrain resembles a giant pit.

Surrounded by the Han River on three sides to the south, the defending troops of Seoul could easily be encircled by this terrain if they did not retreat in time.

Faced with Ridgway's angry question, Li Chenglong didn't know what to say.

He was also aware of Seoul's terrain problems; otherwise, he wouldn't have fled at the very beginning of the Korean War.

"But... but you are the UN forces, you have an absolute firepower advantage, so what effect does the terrain have on you?"

Ridgway roared, "Fuck! I'm not gambling with the lives of 100,000 people here!"

"The decision to retreat has been made and cannot be changed. If there is nothing else, please proceed with the preparations, President Li."

Although Ridgway made the decision to retreat, not all UN forces have yet withdrawn.

A full retreat will have to wait; what he needs now is a rapid transfer of supplies.

Seeing that Ridgway had already made his decision, Li Chenglong had no choice but to mutter a few more unintelligible words before turning and walking out.

If retreat is unavoidable, then he should be the first to leave.

Watching Ridgeon's retreating figure, Ridgeway suddenly called out again, "President Ridgeon!"

"General Ridgway, have you changed your mind?" Li Chenglong turned around, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.

“Retreat is a must!” Ridgway affirmed.

"I am informing you that from this moment forward, command of the Southern Army will be transferred to the Eighth Army Group's Siling Command."

"All troop movements and commands are under the unified command of the U.S. military!"

Ridgway was truly terrified of being tricked by the Confederate army.

If the Southern Army were to pull a similar stunt along the 37th parallel, the war would be over, and the UN forces would have no choice but to pack up and return to Japan.

"Alright," Li Chenglong said somewhat helplessly.

"I will tell Chief of Staff Ding to transfer command to your unit, and he will assist in command from the Eighth Army Headquarters."

“Very good.” Ridgway nodded. “President Ridgway can now prepare for the retreat.”

Ridgway ignored Li Chenglong and instead focused his attention back on the sand table, resuming his discussion with the others.

"The speed of the central army's infiltration and encirclement is a bit too fast. There are already many places where the central army's blocking positions have appeared."

"If we allow them to infiltrate at will, it will have a significant impact on our retreat."

The retreat from Seoul was not something that could be done on a whim; only by taking as many troops as possible could a counterattack be organized later.

Looking at the sand table, Ridgway considered the troops currently stationed in the north.

"Order the 25th Division and the British 29th Brigade to retreat to the area of ​​Goyang and Uijeongbu, and establish defensive positions on the spot to block the continued infiltration of the central army from the north."

As long as the area from Goyang to Uijeongbu can be held, the retreat of troops from the Seoul area can be covered and concealed.

"Sir, we have just received news that the 35th Combat Regiment of the 25th Division has withdrawn to the south of Gaoyang."

The 24th Regiment of the 25th Division had already suffered heavy losses and was transferred to the rear for rest and reorganization, but so far no new troops have arrived.

Therefore, the 25th Division currently only has two combat regiments at the front line.

The 35th Regiment was already positioned further back, so it naturally had an advantage when running.

"Then let them send a few companies to occupy key transportation routes and support the retreating British 29th Brigade and the 27th Combat Regiment of the 25th Division."

"Once the British 29th Brigade and the 27th Combat Regiment have withdrawn to their positions, they will take over the defense."

According to the report, the British 29th Brigade and the US 25th Division 27th Combat Regiment were not in front of the main force of the Chinese army.

Therefore, as long as small Chinese units are prevented from seizing advantageous terrain in advance, the British 29th Brigade and the US 27th Combat Regiment can easily complete their covering mission.

The 27th Regiment of the 25th Division, which was rapidly retreating, received orders from Ridgway and also received the latest intelligence gathered by reconnaissance aircraft.

Seeing a large number of Chinese troops rapidly advancing south, Robert, the commander of the US 27th Regiment, sensed that something was seriously wrong.

"Fuck! At this rate, we could be isolated on the West Coast!"

If the 27th Regiment were to be separated, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Looking at the map, the chief of staff immediately reminded him, "Sir, we are in the 29th Brigade's defense zone ahead."

"As long as they can provide some cover, we can safely retreat to Uijeongbu."

“Hmm.” Robert nodded. “That’s easy for them.”

"Bring me the walkie-talkie and contact the 29th Brigade immediately."

The call was quickly connected, but things didn't go as Robert had expected.

In response to Robert's request, the 29th Brigade stated that the plan was good, but they could not carry it out.

The reason is simple: they had already retreated.

The main force of the British 29th Brigade is now fighting in Fugu, more than 30 kilometers away, so there is no way they can provide cover.

After hanging up the phone, Robert, whose face was flushed red, could no longer hold back.

"Farke! Farke!"

"Those damned British!"

The unauthorized desertion of the British 29th Brigade was tantamount to selling out the 27th Regiment.

Robert ranted for over ten minutes, his insults encompassing individuals, the British army, and the entire nation.

But despite the criticism, Robert had no other options at the moment.

The 27th Regiment could only advance at full speed, trying to seize advantageous terrain in Uijeongbu before the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

(End of this chapter)