Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 592 The Tighter the Tighter
At dawn, as the sun rose, all U.S. military aircraft began to take off.

The 23rd detachment was forced to switch to a defensive posture.

The key defensive position was the Dongshan position.

Sun Xun knew very well that as long as this position remained in the hands of the 23rd Detachment, they would have the initiative.

At this time, Albert also turned his attention back to the East Hill position.

Night combat is disadvantageous to the 1st Marine Regiment, so he dared not easily move troops, but now he has no such concern.

Inside the 1st Marine Regiment headquarters, Albert looked at the map and stroked his chin, saying, "The East Hill position is crucial for the Central Army to defend to the death. I think they must have made preparations as well."

The chief of staff immediately spoke up, "Sir, I have already contacted the Army Air Force and the aircraft carrier fleet."

"Once the battle begins, we will guarantee sufficient air support."

Unlike ordinary infantry divisions, the 1st Marine Division has its own aviation unit, and with just a word, aircraft will arrive immediately.

When necessary, carrier-based aircraft can also provide support at any time.

"Hmm." Albert nodded. "With ample air support, taking the Dongshan position shouldn't be a problem."

"However, we not only need to take Dongshan, but also reduce our own casualties."

Albert knew without a doubt that the central army would launch a strong attack on Dongshan that night.

Without orders to retreat, the 1st Marine Regiment remained stuck in the water, waiting for the 7th Infantry Division to withdraw.

If we suffer too many casualties in trying to capture the Dongshan position, it is very likely that it will fall tonight.

"What do you mean?"

“Here.” Albert pointed to the flank of East Mountain: “Hill 1071.1.”

"This place is on the flank of the East Mountain position. Once we take this place, it will be much easier to take the East Mountain position."

"However, this high ground is relatively small, and the central army cannot deploy too many troops. Taking it should not be difficult."

The others nodded in agreement with Albert's decision; this place was indeed easier to capture than the Dongshan position.

Dividing the capture of the Dongshan position into two steps would help reduce casualties.

At this time, the Xiaogaoling position was defended by the 3rd Platoon of the 3rd Company of the 232nd Regiment, led by Wang Cheng, the company commander of the 3rd Company.

Hearing the American planes circling overhead for longer and longer periods, Wang Cheng realized what was happening.

"It seems the Americans have set their sights on us."

The 3rd Platoon Leader Xie Zhijie, who was standing to the side, was not afraid. Instead, he laughed and said, "Company Commander, it seems that the 1st Marine Division is not that brave after all."

"They dared not provoke the Dongshan position, but instead attacked Xiaogaoling."

Wang Cheng analyzed, "The US military is probably playing it safe, wanting to take Xiaogaoling to cover their flanks."

If the US forces capture Xiaogaoling, even if they don't capture Dongshan, the 23rd Detachment won't be able to recklessly rush down to attack Shangshuili at night.

Just then, the phone rang.

Wang Cheng reached out and took it: "I am Wang Cheng."

"Company Commander, the US military's target is Xiaogaoling. Can we hold out?"

"Don't worry, Battalion Commander, as long as I, Wang Cheng, am here, Xiaogaoling will definitely be in our hands!"

"Very good! As long as we can hold out through this daytime, the 243rd Regiment will arrive tonight!"

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Cheng looked at Xie Zhijie: "3rd Platoon Leader, go and get ready, this is going to be a tough battle!"

"yes!".
To take down Little High Ridge in one fell swoop, Albert used all his firepower.

Hundreds of planes bombed and strafed the small hill continuously, followed by intense artillery fire that turned the position upside down.

Because the time spent occupying the high ground was short, the 3rd Platoon had not yet dug tunnels, and everyone could only huddle in the foxholes and endure the American bombing.

Only after every inch of land had been bombed two or three times did the infantry of the 1st Marine Regiment begin their assault.

"Whoosh~~ Whoosh~~"

The soldiers in the guard team immediately blew their whistles.

Upon hearing the whistle's warning, the soldiers hiding in the foxholes quickly returned to their positions with their guns.

However, by this time, the fortifications that had been dug were no longer in good condition.

"The American devils are coming! Heavy machine guns! Fire!"

Knowing that Xiaogaoling would be the enemy's main target, the 3rd Battalion naturally made preparations.

Two 12.7mm heavy machine guns were directly added to the fleet.

Faced with the crossfire from two heavy machine guns, the advancing American troops were completely suppressed and unable to raise their heads.

However, the heavy machine gunner dared not fire for too long. After firing a belt of 50 rounds, the gunner quickly unlocked the gun mount, picked up the gun, and ran.

The assistant gunner shouldered the bipod, and the ammunition handler picked up the ammunition and quickly followed.

Soon, mortar shells from the US military began to fall.

At the same time, the US infantry began to retreat rapidly, and aircraft also took off.

Airplanes and artillery resumed their relentless bombardment.

This was followed by the second, third, and fourth infantry assaults by the US forces.
The two sides fought until dusk, and the eighth American charge was once again repelled.

Throughout the entire day, Wang Cheng used almost all of his combat skills.

In addition to directing the soldiers of the 3rd Platoon to evade bombing and strafing by the American forces, he also used the limited troops to ambush and flank the American forces.

This is why Xiaogaodi has always been in the hands of the 3rd row.

However, after a day of fierce fighting, the 3rd Platoon had run out of ammunition and food, and almost all of its soldiers had been killed. Only 5 people remained around Wang Cheng.

Wang Cheng tore a rag from his clothes, wiped the blood from his face, and then turned to ask, "Have you finished counting? How much ammunition do we have left?"

The deputy squad leader of the second squad reported, "There are only a dozen or so pistol bullets left, and that's all."

On the Xiaogaoling position, besides Wang Cheng, this deputy squad leader was the highest-ranking officer.

"Hand grenades? Explosives? How many are left?"

"There's only one explosive charge left," the deputy squad leader said bitterly.

The US military's main attack direction was the small hill, but it also launched attacks in other areas.

In addition, the blockade by planes and artillery meant that supplies simply couldn't be delivered.

Wang Chengzhang let out a breath, glanced at the explosive pack beside him, then scanned the surviving soldiers, and finally gritted his teeth and pointed out two people.

These two people clearly have very youthful faces.

"Xiao Wu, Xiao Ma, you two take this heavy machine gun back to the battalion headquarters."

Of the two heavy machine guns that were previously reinforced, one was hit by a 107mm mortar shell and is no longer usable, and the remaining one has long since run out of ammunition.

As for the machine gun crew, they all sacrificed their lives on the front lines.

Upon hearing that they were to retreat, the two young soldiers immediately panicked: "Company Commander! We..."

"Alright!" Wang Cheng interrupted them.

"The domestic production of large-caliber heavy machine guns is slow, and the supply is uncertain. It is very important to our battalion. You two must send it back no matter what!"

"This is an order!"

"Yes! Promise to complete the mission!"

Seeing the two men with bloodshot eyes, Wang Cheng waved his hand and said, "Go!"

After the two men carried the machine guns away, Wang Cheng looked at the remaining men and suddenly smiled.

"Comrades, it seems we'll have to set off together today."

"That's good, having you all with me on the road will keep me company."

"I feel extremely honored to have comrades like you!"

"I believe our motherland will not forget us."

The men nearby didn't speak, but exchanged smiles and gripped their rifles tightly.

Soon, the US troops charged forward for the ninth time.

Seeing the American troops rushing towards them, Wang Cheng and his men did not open fire indiscriminately.

They only had a dozen or so pistol bullets left. From a distance, they could only hear the sound of the bullets going off; it would be more effective to use them up close for bayonet fighting.

Seeing the enemy getting closer and closer, Wang Cheng grabbed a nearby explosive charge and shouted as he charged out, "The enemy is coming! Follow me and kill them!"

The others followed closely behind, bayonets in hand, leaping out of the collapsed trench.

"kill!".
"boom!!"

Albert nearly crushed his binoculars as he watched the troops retreat once again.

The central army on the small hill was clearly out of the power to fight back, but the attacking troops were actually scared back by a self-destruction.

"Sir, this should be the central army's last stand. Should we immediately reorganize the attack?" Albert hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook his head. "It's no use."

"It's already dusk, and the planes need to withdraw from the battlefield."

"Even if we take Xiaogaoling, we won't have time to establish a position, let alone attack Dongshan."

"Order all units to consolidate their defenses and prepare to hold their ground."

"Yes, sir!"

Far behind, Ridgway watched the sun slowly set, and that unease welled up in his heart again.

The 1st Cavalry Division did not advance an inch throughout the entire day.

Even when the main force of the 1st Marine Division came to support them later, they only managed to capture a few unimportant positions on Nan'an Mountain by relying on their firepower advantage.

Looking back at the small flag on the sand table, Ridgway sensed danger.

"Something's not right. It seems the central army anticipated our actions."

"The enemy forces are pinned down at Nan'an Mountain to keep the 1st Cavalry Division and the 1st Marine Division pinned down."

"We can't go on like this," Ridgway made up his mind.

"Chief of staff, send an order to the 7th Infantry Division in Pingshali to retreat immediately towards Shangshuili!"

Ridgway decided to first ensure his undefeated record before considering the encirclement and annihilation of the central army.

If the main force of the central army continues to encircle the area towards Shangshuili, then we will fight a decisive battle with them then.

If the central army abandons the encirclement, then wait for the situation to stabilize before continuing the advance.

Upon receiving Ridgway's telegram announcing the retreat, General Márquez, commander of the U.S. 7th Division, breathed a sigh of relief.

When he first took office, Márquez thought the Central Army was nothing special, and that the UN forces' previous defeats were due to command issues.

In retrospect, it was indeed related to command, but the fighting strength of the central army should not be underestimated.

Although Ding Wei did not launch a full-scale attack during these two nights, Army A continued to gradually erode the positions of the US 7th Division.

The US 7th Division has lost most of its outer positions.

This gave Márquez the feeling that a rope was being tightened more and more.

However, the order came at night, and Márquez dared not retreat overnight.

He planned to wait until dawn and then retreat under the cover of aircraft.

That night, the battle between Pingshali and Shangshuili continued all night, but the overall intensity of the fighting decreased.

Both sides are waiting for the final opportunity to arrive.

After holding out until dawn, Márquez did not hesitate and immediately ordered a retreat.

The US 7th Division couldn't wait to get out.

Using aircraft, artillery, and tanks as cover, the US 7th Division launched continuous assaults on Army A's blocking positions, preparing to open up a retreat route.

Looking at the enemy's attack arrows on the map, Ding Wei said decisively, "Tell the 3rd Division that no position should be given up easily!"

"1st Division, 2nd Division, give chase! We can't let the enemy escape!"

Under the tenacious resistance of the 3rd Division of Army A, the US 7th Division paid a heavy price for every step it took to advance.

Even a small position can cost the US 7th Division half an hour or even an hour of its time.

However, positional warfare also meant that the 3rd Division of Army A would be subjected to indiscriminate bombing by American aircraft.

What was originally a relatively easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack position became, under the attack of American aircraft, like a dead end with no natural defenses.

Meanwhile, the 1st and 2nd Divisions, which were chasing behind, were also held back by the rearguard of the US 7th Division.

However, facing the fierce resistance of the 3rd Division of Army A, the US 7th Division also found it difficult to make any progress.

The most crucial Hill 1419, despite several fierce battles, remained firmly in the hands of the 3rd Division.

Meanwhile, Li Yunlong had already received Chen Chengxing's telegram.

"The enemy has moved! We must speed up!"

Looking at the planes flying overhead, Zhang Dabiao said with a headache, "It's daytime now."

"We can't worry about that now." Li Yunlong decisively ordered, "Have Army C, the 21st Detachment, and the 22nd Detachment advance at full speed."

"During their advance, the US military will inevitably bomb them. Tell them to disperse and avoid excessive losses!"

Although Li Yunlong constantly belittled the US military, he actually understood its combat capabilities.

In previous battles, the US military had been fleeing in disarray, but when the fighting actually started, although their morale was low, their combat effectiveness was not weak.

Therefore, Li Yunlong was well aware that if the US 7th Division was determined to flee, it was uncertain whether Ding Wei could hold out.

Even if they manage to hold out, the casualties will be considerable.

He must arrive with the main force in time.

Inside the Eighth Army Headquarters, Ridgway looked at the Air Force report in his hand with some disbelief.

"Has the central army gone mad?"

"How could anyone possibly march while being bombed and strafed by airplanes?!"

The choice made by the Chinese People's Volunteers made Ridgway realize for the first time that things were getting out of control.

In his plan, it was impossible for the main force of the Tongyuanli army to arrive at the battlefield in Pingshali during the day.

The US 7th Division only needs one day to successfully withdraw to Shangshui, at which point it can guarantee its survival.

However, if the central army really disregards casualties and charges into Pingshali, the chances of the 7th Infantry Division escaping the encirclement will be extremely slim.

Chief of Staff Dane, who was standing nearby, reminded him, "Sir, if this is true, in addition to the 7th Infantry Division, the 1st Marine Regiment may also be in danger."

Judging from the current situation, the 1st Marine Regiment is not in danger in the short term.

However, if the 7th Infantry Division is surrounded by the central army, then the nearby 1st Marine Regiment will certainly not be able to escape either.

Realizing what was happening, Ridgway immediately ordered, "Have Turkuri's troops rush north to reinforce Sangsuli!"

The troops in Pyeongsa-ri, Sangsui-ri, and Togo-ri have been separated by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

To rescue the 7th Division at Pyongsari, Ridgway first had to resolve the battle at Shangshui, so that the 1st Marine Division could concentrate its forces to rescue the 7th Division.

However, the lieutenant colonel in charge of the Tukuri command looked somewhat helpless after receiving Ridgway's orders.

"Tukoli only has a dozen or so M26 tanks and a small number of garrison infantry. How could he possibly defeat the central army in the Shangshui area?"

The Tugori area was mainly a transit point for the 1st Marine Division, and the presence of tanks was only because it was a maintenance center.

If it's just for defense, these dozen or so M26 tanks would be quite useful.

However, it would be a bit difficult for them to cooperate with the Marine Corps 1st Regiment to take out the enemy troops in the water.

“Lieutenant Colonel, this order was forwarded from the division headquarters, so we probably have no room for negotiation.”

“I know.” The lieutenant colonel said with a headache, “Here’s what we’ll do: transfer half of the tanks and a company of infantry, and have them try to cooperate with the 1st Marine Regiment to open up the passage.”

This is the maximum number of troops he can mobilize without compromising the security of Tukuri.

However, it was obvious that such a small force was of no use at all, and they were easily defeated before they even alerted Sun Xun.

When Oliver learned about Tuguli's situation, he was furious.

"Fuck! This is a complete waste of time!"

The chief of staff, who was standing to the side, did say something fair.

"Sir, Tuguli's forces are insufficient. If we want them to support Shangshuili, we will probably have to increase our forces."

"Fuck!" Oliver cursed again.

I don't know if I'm blaming myself for being negligent, or blaming the people in Tukuri for not giving me a heads-up.

"Send a telegram to headquarters, requesting General Ridgway to send British troops to provide support."

The British 27th Brigade currently has nearly two thousand men in Turkey, and Ridgway's name clearly includes them in the count.

However, although the British 27th Brigade was nominally under Oliver's command, the British army completely ignored his orders.

To mobilize British troops, Ridgway would have to give the order.

Upon receiving Oliver's telegram, Ridgway immediately sent a telegram to the British 27th Brigade.

By 3 p.m., a reinforcement force jointly formed by the British and American armies had finally been assembled.

The support force was spearheaded by 14 Centurion tanks and 14 M26 tanks.

Following behind were 800 men from the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion of the British 27th Brigade.

The Canadian 2nd Infantry Battalion, including its personnel and equipment, traveled in a total of 140 vehicles.

Upon seeing that preparations were complete, the commander of the support force, British Lieutenant Colonel Drais, immediately issued the order to advance.

"Everyone! Move out!"

(End of this chapter)