Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 589 Execution as Planned

In order to conceal their movements to the greatest extent possible, the 4th Army Corps assembled and crossed the river entirely at night.

The troops marched after 7 p.m. every day and stopped to camp before 5 a.m.

Thanks to the strict adherence to marching discipline, the US military aircraft that conducted reconnaissance missions back and forth in the air failed to detect anything unusual.

That day, following the adjustment line drawn by Ridgway, the 1st American Cavalry Division set off again after daybreak, albeit reluctantly.

However, just two kilometers from their base, the vanguard was ambushed by a regiment of Kong Jie.

Although the fighting was not intense, the 1st American Cavalry Division immediately halted its advance.

In the following day, the main force of the 1st Cavalry Division showed no intention of supporting the front lines or escalating the war.

The US Army's vanguard battalion just kept wasting time there.

Looking at the battle reports from the front lines, Kong Jie couldn't hold back any longer.

"Damn it, what are the US troops doing?"

"It's already noon, and they're neither fighting nor withdrawing. Are they just playing house here?"

Kong Jie was very clear about his mission: he had to force the US 1st Cavalry Division to retreat, otherwise the next step of the plan would not be able to be carried out at all.

"Tell the 6th Division to increase the intensity of their attack!"

"Also, reinforce the 3rd Mountain Artillery Battalion there and see how the Americans react!"

"yes!".
Faced with the sudden increase in the intensity of the attack, Major General Charles, the newly appointed commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, showed no panic.

"Sir, just as you predicted, the enemy has appeared again." Chief of Staff of the 1st Cavalry Division, Bradley, gave a thumbs-up.
"Hmph! This is definitely not their final force."

Charles asserted, "The central army's actions are merely an attempt to lure our troops forward."

Charles had also carefully studied the previous three battles.

He discovered that any unit that stood out was particularly vulnerable to attack.

"Sir, what do you mean?"

"The more the enemy wants something, the more we should do the opposite."

"Send a telegram to General Ridgway explaining the situation and requesting a retreat!"

Looking at the 1st Cavalry Division's telegram, Ridgway nodded in agreement: "Charles' decision was correct."

No matter what the central army wants to do, as long as the troops don't advance, there won't be any problems.

For the UN forces now, not losing is winning.

Ridgway put down the telegram, looked at the sand table and thought for a moment: "I agree to the 1st Cavalry Division's request to withdraw."

"However, we cannot retreat all at once, as that would leave the 7th Infantry Division on the left flank exposed."

"Although there is naval fire support at sea, warships cannot sail onto land after all, so it is still best to provide them with some protection."

"The main force of the 1st Cavalry Division was ordered to retreat 20 kilometers, and the 5th Regiment was ordered to retreat to Nan'an Mountain."

By having the 5th Regiment defend Nan'an Mountain, they could cover the 7th Infantry Division while drawing the central army to attack.

“I’d like to see if the Central Army will follow.” A hint of danger flashed in Ridgway’s eyes.

Ridgway wouldn't dare risk an entire division, but he would be willing to risk an entire regiment.

Even if something happens to this regiment, it is highly unlikely to affect other units.

According to regulations, all troops will withdraw their defenses after nightfall.

This way, it can be basically guaranteed that no major problems will occur.

And as long as the central army dares to come, he can use his overwhelming firepower to inflict heavy casualties on them.

Perhaps this could change the situation in North Korea.

Looking at the movements of the main force of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 5th Regiment that he had detected, Chen Chengxing smiled and said, "As expected, Ridgway chose to retreat. The second step should begin."

"Tell Kong Jie to launch a full-scale assault on Hill 335!"

"The howitzer regiment and rocket artillery regiment will strike the US 5th Regiment after nightfall."

"Tell Wang Chengzhu not to be stingy with shells, fire as many as you can!"

In order to buy as much time as possible, Kong Jie did not wait for Wang Chengzhu to arrive before launching the attack.

At 4 p.m., Kong Jie had already launched a fierce attack on Hill 335.

Kong Jie's two mountain artillery battalions and one heavy mortar battalion were operating at full firepower.

The B Army Chief of Staff, standing to the side, was heartbroken as he watched the continuous artillery bombardment.

"Too many, too many have been hit."

"We've never fought like this in the previous three battles."

"After this battle, we'll probably have very few shells left."

"Look at your petty attitude!" Kong Jie glanced at him sideways: "What's wrong with having good lighting?"

"Artillery and shells from Northeast China are being shipped to North Korea in a steady stream. Are we worried about running out of shells in the future?"

"I've heard that the original plan for this rest period was to replenish the troops with Soviet-made artillery. With Soviet artillery, who would need these small mountain guns?"

Kong Jie has changed. During the Liberation War, he was thrilled to get a few mountain guns from the Kuomintang army, but now he looks down on 75mm artillery.

"But we can't use it now. If we don't get a share of the first batch of supplies, we'll be in trouble."

Kong Jie snorted: "You still don't believe me when I say you're stupid."

"Who gets supplies first? Shouldn't it be given to the troops who need them most first?"

"If we can take Nan'an Mountain today, we will not only be the troops we need most, but we will also have made a great contribution."

"Tell me, who should receive these supplies first?!"

"we?"

"Hehe. You're not stupid after all."

"Give it your all! Take Hill 335 first, and open a passage for the 23rd Detachment!"

"yes!".
On the Nan'an Mountain position, watching Kong Jie launch a fierce attack at 335 meters altitude, the commander of the US 5th Regiment, Connolly, was somewhat bewildered.

"Chief of Staff, what do you mean by 'Central Army'? I don't understand."

"Sir, Hill 335 is not a particularly important position for the entire Nan'an Mountain area."

"Even if we lose this place, it won't have a big impact on the entire front."

Scratching his head, the chief of staff guessed, "Do you think the central army wants to cut off our connection with the 7th Division and then encircle our regiment?"

“That’s possible,” Connery nodded.

"If the Chinese troops chasing the 3rd Regiment turn around and fire at us, and the 7th Division is blocked outside, we really risk being surrounded."

At this point, Connery had some reservations about Ridgway's orders.

Connally knew that Ridgway's order was correct; it was a high-risk, high-reward strategy that would benefit the UN forces no matter how you looked at it.

However, if you were the pawn that was put on the table, you might not understand it so well.

"Sir, since the central army intends to encircle us, should we tighten our defenses?"

What was a risk in Connally's words became an inevitability in the Chief of Staff's words.

"Contract the defense." Connelly nodded.

"At the same time, we must strengthen the defense of Hill 335 and Hill 350, and try our best to maintain contact with the 7th Division and its headquarters."

"We must not allow ourselves to become isolated and helpless."

"Of course, the key point is Hill 350."

"Yes!"

Seeing the defenders of Hill 335 fighting to the death, Kong Jie couldn't help but feel a little impatient.

"We haven't been able to take down a single company's defensive position in a full hour!"

"It's getting dark, and the inter-mission is about to begin. Are we going to mess things up right at the start?!"

Seeing Kong Jie pacing anxiously, the political commissar of Army B advised, "Old Kong, this can't be entirely blamed on the comrades."

"The firepower advantage of the US military is too great. There are planes circling overhead all the time."

"Once it gets dark and the American planes leave, the soldiers will definitely be able to take Hill 335 within an hour."

"That's certainly an objective reason," Kong Jie sighed. "But time won't wait for us!"

"The mission of Team 23 is already difficult enough. We can't afford to delay them by another hour because of us, can we?"

Despite his helplessness, Kong Jie knew that with B Army's current firepower, it would be difficult to withstand an attack from twenty or thirty aircraft. Just as Kong Jie was in a dilemma, the chief of staff rushed over.

"Good news! Our reinforcements have arrived!"

Kong Jie turned his head instantly: "Reinforcements? What reinforcements?"

"Commander Chen has sent a battalion of rocket artillery to support us!" the chief of staff exclaimed excitedly.

Don't underestimate the rocket artillery just because there's only one battalion; its instantaneous burst of firepower far exceeds that of a howitzer division.

Moreover, rocket launchers are very small in size, and can be easily covered with a camouflage net so that they cannot be detected by aircraft circling at high altitudes.

"Great! That's wonderful!" Kong Jie breathed a sigh of relief. "Old Chen is such a good man!"

It's not even dark yet, and providing support at this time would be extremely risky.

"Tell the front-line troops that once the rocket artillery strikes begin, launch the strongest wave of attack."

"We must capture Hill 335 no matter what, to open a passage for the 23rd Detachment!"

"yes!".
Soon, the rocket artillery battalion, having completed its preparations, unleashed its power.

The American attack aircraft pilots circling over Hill 335 were chatting and laughing, preparing to retreat in a few tens of minutes.

Suddenly, he saw a large number of cannonballs shooting fire from behind his buttocks.

"Fuck! It's a rocket launcher!"

"It's over! The people on Hill 335 are finished!"

Just by looking at the numbers, the US pilots knew that the people on Hill 335 couldn't hold out.

The U.S. pilots in the air watched helplessly as Hill 335 was engulfed in an explosion.

Immediately afterwards, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army on the ground launched a fierce attack.

"Spread out and search the rocket artillery positions!"

"Lower altitude!"

The US military already knew that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had a very portable 107mm rocket launcher.

They also knew that these rocket launchers were very small targets and could not be seen from high altitudes.

Although Hill 335 was beyond saving, they still had to destroy the rocket artillery positions as much as possible.

Otherwise, the 5th Regiment would also be in deep trouble.

Moreover, it's getting dark soon, and they don't have much time. Lowering their altitude is the only option.

Just as the American planes were flying around the hilltops, a hidden underground machine gun emplacement quietly peeked out from behind the scenes.

Seeing the American planes still circling and observing, Guan Feng set up his machine gun and prepared to fire.

"Deputy squad leader, don't make a mistake!" A soldier nearby quickly advised.

Chen Chengxing called in rocket artillery reinforcements, naturally not letting them come on their own.

In addition to the necessary defensive forces, a machine gun company with 12 12.7 mm heavy machine guns was also deployed.

The Type 71 heavy machine gun was originally designed as an anti-aircraft machine gun, and it was equipped with an anti-aircraft sight and anti-aircraft machine gun mount when it left the factory.

With just a few modifications, it can be changed from a horizontal shot to an overhead shot.

However, according to Shiji's orders, they should not open fire unless the aircraft has detected the target and launched an attack.

These are all lessons learned through blood and sweat.

As soon as the air defense forces open fire, the first targets of US aircraft are the air defense positions.

"You don't know anything," Guan Feng explained.

"This plane has been circling around here several times; there must be something suspicious about it."

"If U.S. military aircraft have any suspicions, they are very likely to straf or bomb them."

"The four rocket launchers on the mountainside are likely to be exposed soon."

"At this point, the only way is to open fire and lure the American planes over."

Guan Feng was well aware of the consequences of opening fire, but in order to protect the rocket artillery position, he had no other choice.

Upon hearing Guan Feng's explanation, the other soldiers understood. They didn't say anything more and instead prepared themselves.

Air defense cannot be accomplished by one person, even if it is a machine gun.

At this moment, the American plane was unaware that guns were already pointed at it from the ground.

The pilot said over the radio, "I think I've spotted something, but I can't be sure."

"I've decided to conduct a sweeping reconnaissance."

After saying that, the pilot prepared to pull the aircraft up and enter the attack trajectory.

Just then, Guan Feng pulled the trigger.

"Da da da".
Just after two long bursts of fire, black smoke suddenly billowed from the rear of the American plane.

This situation startled not only the US military aircraft, but even Guan Feng himself.

While Guan Feng was still somewhat dazed, the soldiers next to him were already jumping up and down.

"Hit! Hit!"

This was the first time that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had shot down a plane with a machine gun.

The soldiers were incredibly excited, but Guan Feng's mind went blank.

If they had fired without receiving a signal from the company commander, it would have been fine if they hadn't hit the target, but if they had, it would have been reported to the headquarters.

Isn't this just jumping around in front of the leader?

Meanwhile, the American pilots, who had been startled, were trying to salvage the aircraft.

Despite using all her strength, the control stick wouldn't budge.

"Fake!"

"I've been shot! The plane is out of control!"

"Repeat! Plane out of control!"

After shouting, the pilot suddenly pulled the seat handle.

With a loud 'bang', the person and umbrella flew out.

However, he was at such a low altitude that he crashed to the ground before his parachute could even open.

This altitude is a bit low for skydiving, but for a pilot, it's high enough to make him crash and burn.

The plane crashed into the nearby mountain, bursting into flames with an explosion.

At the same time, a telegram was also sent to the Second General Headquarters amidst the explosions.

Looking at the telegram in his hand, Chen Chengxing was somewhat surprised: "They really shot down the plane with a machine gun?"

Xu Wu nodded: "It's confirmed that it was taken down, and it only took two long bursts."

Chen Chengxing was even more astonished: "What kind of incredible luck is this?"

The US military's aircraft are all high-altitude, high-speed aircraft, and it is extremely difficult to shoot them down with a 12.7mm machine gun.

Otherwise, Chen Chengxing wouldn't have laid the Type 85 anti-aircraft machine gun flat and used it as a heavy machine gun.

"Captain, the people below are asking how to handle this."

Chen Chengxing asked in confusion, "Deal with? Deal with what?"

"The headquarters had repeatedly emphasized that no one should open fire without authorization."

"Hey, I thought you were going to say something." Chen Chengxing waved his hand.

"Our air defense capabilities are insufficient. Being able to shoot down planes with heavy machine guns is a good thing for the headquarters, a great thing!"

"Not only should he not be punished, he should be richly rewarded!"

"Attach my opinion to the telegram and send it to the Generalissimo."

"Yes!"

Chen Chengxing was right; the Zhisi Command is indeed having a headache dealing with US military aircraft.

Previously, firing indiscriminately was strictly prohibited to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. Now that there is a precedent, why bother with further discussion?

The headquarters immediately began to promote and learn from the experience of shooting down airplanes throughout the entire army.

As for Guan Feng himself, he certainly received the Special Merit Award and the title of Combat Hero.

(End of this chapter)