Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 582 Stress Response
"Commander, the 22nd Detachment has arrived in the Qifeng Mountain area."

Upon hearing that the 22nd detachment had arrived, Chen Chengxing immediately asked, "What's the situation with Yizhengfu?"

"The main enemy force has withdrawn, and the 22nd Detachment has only found a small group of enemy troops covering the rear."

Hearing that the enemy's main force had fled, Chen Chengxing felt somewhat helpless.

"The UN forces really ran fast."

The Second General Staff was mainly aiming for the Uijeongbu meeting, but the enemy simply took a car and ran away.

"Now we can only focus on the US 25th Division on the western front."

After glancing at the map, Chen Chengxing decided to attack westward.

"The 22nd Detachment abandoned Qifeng Mountain and advanced towards Gaoyang area, while the 23rd Detachment filled the gap and established a defensive position."

"The 21st and 24th detachments, together with Li Yunlong, Ding Wei, and Kong Jie, launched a pincer attack on the enemy forces in the Gaoyang area."

"I estimate this is the last haul. Whether we catch any fish or not depends on the speed of Team 22."

Upon receiving Chen Chengxing's order, Zheng Hua did not delay, and the 221st Regiment immediately set off first.

After regrouping, the main force followed as quickly as possible.

In the middle of the night, just as the vanguard battalion of the 221st Regiment was about to reach Gaoyang, the reconnaissance troops suddenly discovered the enemy.

"Battalion Commander, enemy troops have been spotted on Hill 355.8 ahead."

"How could there be enemies here?" Battalion Commander Dong Shaohua asked, puzzled. "How many are there?"

"Less than two hundred, probably a company."

"A company?"

Dong Shaohua fell into deep thought.

A typical U.S. Army company consists of about 180 men.

However, as the war has progressed, neither the Chinese People's Volunteer Army nor the US or South Korean armies have complete organizational structures.

Dong Shaohua estimated that there were at most 150 enemies on Hill 355.8.

Although the 1st Battalion's mission was reconnaissance and not attack, it would be a disservice not to attack a single company of American soldiers.

After making the decision to attack, Dong Shaohua immediately ordered: "First Company, Second Company, form a pincer attack on the left and right flanks."

"The artillery company immediately set up positions and prepared to provide fire support."

"Yes!"

After confirming the operational plan, each unit immediately began its own operations.

The American troops stationed on the high ground had no idea that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army would suddenly appear.

In their view, there are still a large number of troops to the north, and their current position is safe.

"Why haven't the 27th Regiment and those British guys arrived yet? They're taking way too long."

"I just received word that they are resting in Fugu and should arrive tomorrow."

"Once they arrive, we can retreat immediately."

"I hope it will happen soon."

Just as the American soldiers were discussing things by the fire, someone suddenly looked up.

He heard unusual sounds.

After raising my head and concentrating, the sound became clearer.

The American soldiers, recognizing the sound, widened their eyes in an instant: "A mortar!!"

Upon hearing the shouts, the remaining American soldiers instinctively rushed to the nearby cover.

"Boom!" "Boom!"
The rapid firing of six mortars was enough to inflict a devastating blow on US positions in a short period of time.

The sound of artillery fire was an order. Upon hearing the cannon fire, the two companies, which had been marching in concealment, immediately sounded the charge.

Under the cover of mortars and heavy machine guns, two companies of infantrymen pierced the American positions like daggers.

The American troops, caught off guard, were immediately thrown into disarray.

"Fuck!" The US company commander's face changed drastically upon hearing the gunfire.

"How could there be a central army here?!"

They were just a company, but judging from the sound of gunfire, the other side was at least a main force battalion.

Moreover, it is a main force battalion equipped with mortars, recoilless rifles, and 12.7mm heavy machine guns.

Without air cover, they had no chance of winning this battle.

"Sir! The enemy is advancing! We must respond immediately!"

The 1st Battalion's attack was extremely sharp; as soon as the bugle sounded, the outermost American positions were breached.

"Fake!"

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!"

Without any hesitation, the U.S. company commander decisively issued the order to retreat.

If he doesn't retreat now, his troops will be wiped out once the central army completes its encirclement.

Upon receiving the order to retreat, the American soldiers got into their vehicles and drove off.

Heavy weapons that could be carried were simply tossed onto the vehicle; those that were difficult to carry were ignored.

After easily capturing the position, Dong Shaohua looked at the car taillights receding into the distance with some disappointment.

"Damn it, at least have a fight! What's with turning around and running away?"

Although the First Battalion successfully captured the position, there were fewer than twenty American corpses on the ground.

In other words, the enemy did not suffer heavy losses.

"Battalion Commander, forget about the fleeing enemy troops. The American forces must have a reason for choosing to station themselves here."

Dong Shaohua nodded: "Yes, that makes sense."

"Have the North Korean guide ask the local people about the situation in this area and find out why the US military is stationed here."

"The rest of the troops shall rest on the spot."

"Yes!"

An hour later, the guide and several soldiers rushed back.

"Battalion Commander, we've figured it out!"

"What's going on?" Dong Shaohua knew something was wrong at a glance.

“Retreating UN forces are passing through the Gaoyang area!”

"The US military is stationed here to cover the enemy's retreat route."

"Gao Yang?" Dong Shaohua immediately realized.

"We came here specifically for Gaoyang. Now that we know, we can't let them get away!"

Dong Shaohua looked at the map: "The enemy will inevitably take this road when they retreat from Gaoyang, and Xinpuli is their only way through."

The several highways that were withdrawing from the north converged in the vicinity of Sinpo-ri, and the US military would definitely take this route.

"Pass on my order! All troops, assemble immediately!"

"We will accelerate our advance towards Sinpo-ri, block the enemy, and wait for the main force to arrive!"

"Yes!"

Dong Shaohua led a battalion, penetrating deep into the UN forces' defensive lines.

The British 29th Brigade, which was retreating at the time, was unaware that the American troops responsible for covering them had withdrawn and that their entire retreat route had been completely exposed.

Behind the British 29th Brigade was the US 27th Combat Regiment of the 25th Division, which was still rushing to its destination.

In the early hours of the morning, when the First Battalion reached the vicinity of Xiangyouli, they discovered the enemy again.

Dong Shaohua unfolded the map: "Here, at Hill 195.3."

After just one glance at the location, Dong Shaohua exclaimed excitedly, "The enemy hasn't escaped!"

There is a main road at the foot of Hill 195.3. Since the enemy has deployed defenses here, it means that someone must want to pass through this road.

"Launch a full-scale assault immediately, capture the high ground, and block the highway!"

At this time, the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifle Regiment, under the British 29th Brigade, was stationed on Hill 195.3.

The British troops, caught off guard by the sudden and fierce attack, were momentarily thrown into disarray.

They never imagined that someone would break through the US military's defenses and launch a surprise attack on them.

"Don't panic!" the British company commander shouted. "Organize a counterattack immediately! Counterattack!"

The British forces performed better than the American forces; at least they dared to organize a defense.

However, the firepower of the British army was not on the same level as that of the US army, and was even weaker than that of the Second General Staff or even the Volunteer Army.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army is now equipped with submachine guns on a large scale, but the British Army is still not much different from that during World War II.

With weaker firepower, fewer troops, and inferior combat capabilities, the British forces naturally could not hold the high ground.

One battalion launched a single charge, and the British troops, to the sound of the bugle call, scrambled and stumbled down the hill.

Albert, commander of the British 29th Brigade, soon learned that Hill 195.3 had been captured by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

Albert couldn't sit still any longer.

"Damn it! How did the enemy suddenly appear in Xiangyouli? This is clearly our territory!"

The British 29th Brigade is currently resting in Fugu, more than ten kilometers northeast of the 195.3 Heights.

Hill 195.3 was located on the main retreat route of the British 29th Brigade.

The surprise attack by the 1st Battalion of the 221st Regiment directly disrupted the entire retreat plan of the British 29th Brigade.

If they don't retake the high ground, the British 29th Brigade might be wiped out here. "Immediately contact the US 27th Regiment and ask them where they are."

"Have them get to Fuguli as quickly as possible."

"The 29th Brigade must immediately prepare for an attack and retake the position at all costs!"

Unlike the American army, the British infantry relied entirely on their own two legs to travel.

In order to launch an attack after dawn, they had to set off immediately.

Otherwise, these ten-odd kilometers would take them half a morning to travel.

After rushing all the way, the British 29th Brigade arrived at Hill 195.3 at eight o'clock in the morning.

"Order the Belgian battalion to launch a feint attack, with the artillery and cavalry companies providing cover!"

The Belgian battalion had a total strength of 900 men, including a Luxembourg platoon of 50 men in addition to the Belgians.

The artillery company was equipped with 16 25-pounder cannons, while the cavalry company had 14 Centurion main battle tanks.

The Centurion main battle tank is one of the few weapons in the British Army that is superior to those in the US Army.

In one morning, the Belgian battalion launched more than ten attacks.

Despite the American air strikes and the continuous bombardment by British tanks and artillery, the soldiers held their ground and the British made no progress.

"Company Commander, how many men are left on the position?" Dong Shaohua called the front lines.
"Don't worry, Battalion Commander, the First Company can hold on!" the First Company Commander shouted into the phone.

"I'm asking you how many people you have left?"

"Fifty-three people!"

Hearing that only fifty-three people remained, Dong Shaohua trembled with heartache.

In just one morning, the number of casualties in the company exceeded two-thirds.

However, he has no reinforcements now, and the other companies have also suffered heavy casualties.

"You must hold them off!" Dong Shaohua said. "The regimental commander and his men are marching this way at breakneck speed and will arrive soon!"

"Don't worry, Battalion Commander! We'll hold the position as long as we're here!"

At this moment, Albert, the commander of the British 29th Brigade on the opposite side, was also extremely anxious.

"The attack speed is too slow!"

"We haven't captured a single position yet!"

The various units of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army are rapidly advancing southward, and it is unknown when they will be outmaneuvered and in position.

The British 29th Brigade wasted too much time here.

Seeing the Belgian battalion fall again, Albert gritted his teeth and ordered:
"Withdraw the Belgian battalion and replace it with the Royal Ulster Rifle Regiment!"

"We must find a way out as quickly as possible!"

"The tanks will move to the front line and provide direct fire support."

That morning, Dong Shaohua's battalion suffered heavy casualties, and the British army also suffered considerable losses.

Centurion tanks were indeed very advanced; the rocket launchers used by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army were simply unable to penetrate their armor from the front.

Even from the side, you have to find the right angle.

The rockets could easily penetrate only the Centurion's rear and top, but the British tanks had concealed their rear very well.

However, due to the threat of rocket launchers, the British army did not dare to easily drive tanks up the mountain.

These 14 Centurion tanks were their most important source of fire support.

Watching the British tanks continue to advance, Dong Shaohua gritted his teeth in anger: "Damn it, this is too much!"

The British tanks' positions made things very difficult for the battalion, making it hard for the soldiers to even use explosive charges to breach them.

"Tell the artillery company that whether we can hold out depends entirely on them!"

Mortars can bypass cover and strike enemies directly behind enemy lines, which is currently the only means by which the battalion can directly threaten British infantry.

However, the First Battalion was infiltrating behind enemy lines, so they didn't carry many shells and had no supplies.

After a morning of fighting, the artillery battery had almost run out of shells.

Even if they wanted to provide full support, they couldn't deliver a comprehensive artillery barrage.

However, with Chen Chengxing's accuracy boost, even the mortars of the Second Division still have a very high accuracy rate.

The British light machine guns were frequently destroyed, and their offensive was greatly affected.

While the British 29th Brigade was changing personnel to continue the offensive, the 22nd Detachment was making a full-speed march towards Fugu.

Chen Chengxing has given a death order: the British 29th Brigade must be intercepted.

On the front lines of Hill 195.3, the soldiers of the 1st Company were once again locked in combat with the British forces.

At this point, there were fewer than twenty soldiers still able to fight on the company's position, and their ammunition was almost exhausted.

As the British troops drew closer, the company commander threw his pistol to the ground and picked up a rifle with its bayonet already fixed beside him.

"Damn it! Let's fight them!"

"Bugler! Blow the charge!"

"Raise the flag!"

"kill!"

"Kill!"
As the bugle sounded, the soldiers leaped from the trenches and charged toward the enemy dozens of meters away with the determination to die.

To everyone's astonishment, the British troops turned tail and ran after hearing the bugle call.

He didn't even glance back.

This left the soldiers of the company completely bewildered, holding their bayonets and unsure whether to give chase.

The British troops weren't like this when they were exchanging fire before, so why can't they fight in close combat?

The company commander didn't understand it either, but he quickly realized what was going on.

"Stop standing there, get back to your positions!"

Regardless of what the enemy is thinking, running back to the position is definitely the right thing to do.

Inside the headquarters of the British 29th Brigade, Albert watched the rifling regiment flee in disarray and nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Useless! Good-for-nothing! The enemy is only a dozen or so! You think you can scare them back by blowing a horn?!"

"Call the rifle regiment and tell them to immediately reorganize their offensive! Anyone who dares to retreat without orders will be court-martialed!"

At this moment, the soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifle Regiment also noticed something was wrong, and their reaction seemed somewhat overreacted.

They are not facing a large army of volunteers now, so there won't be a situation where tens of thousands of people appear on the other side of the mountain as soon as the bugle sounds.

"Damn it! These monkeys are lying to us!"

The British soldiers shifted the blame directly onto the soldiers of the 1st Company.

"Reorganize the offensive immediately!"

"This time I'm going to twist their heads off!"

After realizing that there were fewer than twenty men left on the position, the British soldiers perked up and displayed their bravery.

Knowing they had an overwhelming advantage, the British soldiers charged toward the company's position with howling cries.

Soon, the bugle call to charge sounded again from the position.

"Damn yellow-skinned monkey, trying to fool us again?!"

"Brothers! Let's see how we manage to get the enemy's kill!"

"Hurry up!"

This time, the British soldiers were not fooled. Upon hearing the bugle call, they actually accelerated their charge.

However, as they charged, the British soldiers suddenly slowed down.

The British troops stared in disbelief at the First Battalion's position, their panic, which had been suppressed, resurfacing.

As the bugle sounded, it wasn't just a dozen or so volunteer soldiers who charged out this time, but hundreds!

"Damn it! We've been tricked!"

"Retreat! Retreat!"

"Help!".
The British soldiers turned and fled again, howling in terror.

However, this time the soldiers did not give up the pursuit.

After breaking out of their positions, the soldiers chased the British troops directly into their attacking positions.

Coupled with the sudden appearance of artillery support, the British 29th Brigade was caught off guard.

Albert had no choice but to retreat several kilometers in a sorry state.

On the high ground, He Qifeng, the commander of the 221st Regiment, put down his binoculars.

Behind him, troops from the 221st Regiment were arriving one after another.

"Send a message to the detachment commander: Our unit has reached Hill 195.3, and the enemy is being blocked!"

"yes!".
In order to support the 1st Battalion, the 221st Regiment charged forward under the full force of US Air Force bombing and strafing.

Even if the entire regiment dispersed and marched separately in platoons and companies, the casualties were still considerable.

The first attack by the 1st Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles was their last chance to break through the lines and seize advantageous terrain.

Upon hearing the bugle call, the 221st Regiment was already sprinting towards them at top speed.

By the time the British reorganized their offensive, the vanguard of the 221st Regiment had already entered the 1st Battalion's position.

However, He Qifeng also knew that although the British army had been easily repelled this time, they would not give up easily.

(End of this chapter)