Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 599 The war is coming
The commander returned home, but the US military attacks did not stop.

Ridgway then pulled out his long-planned attack, and the US forces continued their relentless assault.

At this time, the Volunteer Army was in a state of transition, lacking both young and old personnel.

No matter how many reinforcements are on their way, the troops at the front are already exhausted.

Even the Second General was finding it difficult to fight anymore.

Faced with the advancing US forces, the problems the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was dealing with were not just the casualties and fatigue from previous battles.

Even more critical is the logistical issue.

Shiji counted all his belongings on his fingers.

But no matter how you count them, there's always more or less than you need.

Due to the US air blockade, the front lines are facing severe shortages of food and ammunition.

In this situation, the only option for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was mobile defense.

However, despite facing an extremely weak Chinese People's Volunteer Army, the US military fought with great difficulty.

From mid-February when the Chinese People's Volunteer Army began its mobile defense operations until mid-March, it took the US military a full month to cross the Han River.

In order to cut off the retreat route of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in Seoul, Ridgway dispatched the 187th Airborne Regiment to carry out an airborne operation in northern Seoul.

However, a week earlier, the leader, who had just returned to North Korea, had already sent a telegram to the central government.

In order to continue to exhaust the enemy and shorten the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's defensive line, the Volunteer Army voluntarily abandoned Seoul.

They continued to employ a mobile defense strategy, drawing the enemy's main force to the 38th parallel while preserving their own manpower.

With the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's voluntary withdrawal, the US military entered Seoul, which had long since become a ghost town.

In the eyes of MacArthur and Ridgeon, this was a remarkable feat.

Within a few dozen days of losing Seoul, the US military recaptured it.

However, compared to MacArthur's excitement, Ridgway's feelings were somewhat complicated at this moment.

The recapture of Seoul was indeed a major victory and deserves to be widely publicized.

However, Ridgway's purpose in launching the offensive was not merely to recapture Seoul; he wanted to eliminate the vital forces of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

Since the Chinese People's Volunteer Army suffered no losses in manpower and weaponry, it possessed the capability to launch a counterattack at any time.

Therefore, after capturing Seoul, the US military continued to advance until it reached the vicinity of the 38th parallel.

The troops were advancing smoothly, but looking at the battle reports from various units, Ridgway felt something was very wrong.

Chief of Staff Dane was somewhat surprised to see Ridgway with his brows furrowed.

"Sir, all units have successfully advanced to the 38th parallel, and the central army has even retreated more than ten kilometers from behind the 38th parallel. Shouldn't we be happy about this?"

"Judging from the battle reports alone, this battle did indeed go very smoothly." Ridgway nodded slightly. "But the problem is that it went too smoothly!"

“Sir, I know what you’re worried about, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable,” Dane explained.

"Since the start of the war, the air force has been continuously bombing the rear supply lines of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army."

"The central army, which had been engaged in continuous combat, could not withstand a prolonged shortage of supplies, and they had no choice but to retreat and defend."

Dane's analysis was very clear, even impeccable, because that's exactly what was happening on the battlefield.

But Ridgway always felt it wasn't that simple.

"You're absolutely right, but there's one question I still haven't figured out."

"What?" Dane was puzzled. What other problem could there be?
"Where are the reinforcements? Where are the central army's reinforcements?"

Ridgway seemed to be asking Dane, but also seemed to be asking himself.

"China has a powerful army. They can't just watch their frontline troops keep retreating, can they?"

"Furthermore, if the Chinese army continues to retreat, will Soviet troops join the war due to unfavorable circumstances?"

This was Ridgway's biggest concern, and the reason he never ordered his troops to move north of the 38th parallel.

After thinking for a moment, Dane shook his head: "Sir, I don't think it's very likely."

"Whether it was the United States or the Soviet Union, their main focus was definitely on Europe."

"Even if the Soviet Union sends troops, it will at most increase the number of aircraft, which will not have a significant impact on the war situation."

"As for the reinforcements from the central army, there is even less need to worry about them."

"As long as the UN forces remain steadfast and do not advance rashly, the Chinese forces, lacking heavy firepower, will be unable to do anything to us."

Ridgway sighed: "I hope so."

Although he felt something was wrong, there was no evidence to suggest otherwise; now, it all seemed to have fallen into place naturally.

However, in the following days, Ridgway kept thinking about the current situation, trying to find any possible weaknesses.

But before he could figure it out, a sudden political storm swept away all his questions.

MacArthur was forcibly dismissed by Truman, and Ridgway succeeded him.

Ridgway became an extremely busy person almost instantly.

MacArthur's position was not simply that of the supreme commander of the UN forces.

In addition to being the Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command, he was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Japan, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army in the Far East, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Army.

All those titles aren't just for show; they're for real work.

After Ridgway succeeded MacArthur, he no longer had the energy to fully attend to the Korean War.

Even during his busiest period after taking office, Ridgway still set aside half a day to meet with Van Fleet, who succeeded him.

James Alward Van Fleet was born in New Jersey in 1892 and graduated from West Point in 1915.

Van Fleet's class was a constellation of stars, with 59 out of 164 students eventually becoming generals.

This includes two five-star generals, Eisenhower and Bradley.

In June 1944, Van Fleet joined World War II as a colonel and regimental commander.

During the Normandy landings, Van Fleet led his troops to be the first to land on Utah Beach.

By the end of World War II, Van Fleet had been promoted from a regimental commander to the commander of the Third Army.

After World War II, Van Fleet was ordered to Greece to help the Greek government forces defeat the Soviet-backed forces at an extremely rapid pace.

It was precisely because of his experience in Greece that Van Fleet was considered an expert in mountain warfare for the U.S. military.

This was also one of the important reasons why he succeeded Siling as commander of the Eighth Army Group.

After all, North Korea has few other things but many mountains.

Inside the Tokyo Siling Club, Ridgway met Van Fleet.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Ridgway reminded him, "The Central Army is not as bad as the newspapers make it out to be. You must not be careless."

"Don't worry, sir." VanVleet nodded. "I know journalism very well; they never tell the truth."

Of course, while Van Fleet spoke of the media, he also secretly considered high-ranking officials in Washington.

These high-ranking officials in Washington also didn't tell the truth.

The troops were routed, but when they checked the casualties, it was only a few hundred. Nobody would believe that.

"As long as you know it, that's fine," Ridgway said.

"You are better than me in terms of tactics; you can decide the specifics yourself."

Compared to the universally acknowledged tactical master Van Fleet, Ridgway was well aware of his own tactical command abilities.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he launched several impressive-sounding operations before, such as Operation Thunderbolt, Operation Butcher, Operation Tear, and Operation Rampage.

However, the actual deployment of these actions were as follows: pulling the line and pushing horizontally, pulling the line and pushing horizontally, pulling the line and pushing horizontally, and pulling the line and pushing horizontally.

During the offensive, Ridgway employed virtually no fancy tactics; he prioritized logistical support and the terrain of the front lines. "I've carefully reviewed the reports from the Korean War," Van Fleet said. "If necessary, I can formulate a plan immediately."

"No, no, no, there's no need to rush," Li Qiwei shook his head repeatedly.

"You can decide on small-scale attacks yourself, but large-scale attacks must be approved by me."

Ridgway greatly admired Van Fleet's military talent, but that was all he knew.

Because Van Fleet was, if not completely ignorant of politics, then certainly completely unsuccessful.

This was the biggest obstacle preventing VanVleet's promotion, and also the reason Ridgway specifically restricted his offensive rights.

“Okay.” Van Fleet shrugged helplessly.

Although he felt somewhat helpless, it wasn't unacceptable, after all, Ridgway was the Chief Commander.

Upon arriving in North Korea, Van Fleet immediately threw himself into the battlefield and adapted to the situation there with remarkable speed.

Although Ridgway could not devote all his energy to North Korea, the situation there remained his top priority.

Ridgway remained as cautious as ever, and the war situation in Korea never slipped out of his control.

Unlike a few months ago, the US forces in North Korea did not blindly advance. Instead, while continuing their offensive, they kept a close eye on the movements of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army reinforcements.

As time went on, Ridgway's Tokyo office was filled with all sorts of intelligence.

"The situation is not optimistic." Ridgway's expression was somewhat grave.

The number of Chinese military units appearing on the battlefield is increasing.

Behind the central army's lines, there were multiple signs of large-scale troop movements.

Moreover, the Chinese army has begun to proactively dismantle the traps they had previously placed on the highway.

All these signs indicate that a large-scale counter-offensive by the central army is imminent.

"What's your opinion?" Ridgway asked Van Fleet.

“It doesn’t matter.” Van Fleet shook his head: “The enemy will only reveal their weaknesses when they attack.”

"I welcome the Chinese army to attack."

Ridgway immediately understood Van Fleet's meaning: "You already have a counter-strategy?"

Van Fleet said, "The enemy's specific situation has not yet been determined, so the counterattack plan has not been finalized either."

"However, I think we should stop the attack now and prepare countermeasures."

Ridgway thought for a moment and said, "The offensive cannot stop."

"In order to ensure that pressure is continuously applied to the central army, it is necessary to maintain an offensive posture."

"However, the pace of the offensive must be significantly slowed down, and all troops must be prepared to respond to a counterattack at any time."

"Yes, sir!"

As April arrived, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army finally saw their hard times come to an end.

The newly added corps has reached the front line, accompanied by newly formed anti-aircraft artillery divisions and a large number of logistics and engineering units.

The frontline troops were able to replenish their urgently needed food and ammunition, and a large number of wounded soldiers with minor injuries were able to return to their units.

The forces of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to counterattack were ready.

The question now facing the Generalissimo is how and where to fight this battle.

Inside the headquarters, looking at the situation map on the wall, the chief of staff said, "Sir, could we move the enemy to the Jinping and Tiehua area before engaging them?"

“If we fight south of Jinyuan, the enemy might retreat as soon as we launch an attack, making it difficult to achieve the Central Committee’s goal of annihilating the enemy in an organized manner.”

"As long as we let the enemy in, and then cut them in half, they will have no chance of escape."

"Moreover, each unit can rest and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, giving them more time to prepare."

As soon as the plan to lure the enemy deep into their territory was explained, the commander immediately shook his head.

“We can’t retreat any further. Jinping is a plain, a large open area. Once the enemy’s tanks get in, it will be very difficult for us to deal with them.”

The main anti-tank weapon of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army is the domestically produced Type 71 rocket launcher, as well as captured American-made rocket launchers.

However, relying on individual anti-tank equipment is unlikely to be effective against organized armored units in plains areas.

"Also, we have stored a large amount of supplies and food in Jinping. What will happen to these supplies if the enemy invades?"

“I don’t think we can let the enemy in; we still have to fight the Americans south of Jinping.”

"Sir, if you are worried about the supplies, I can move them for him in two days. It's not a problem."

“It’s not just a matter of supplies.” The commander shook his head and said, “The Korean battlefield is narrow, and once enemy tanks are let in, it will be difficult to deal with.”

"Most importantly, I'm afraid that once the enemy tanks get in, the US military will replicate the Inchon Landing."

The leader pointed his finger in the direction of Yuanshan.

This concern is not unfounded.

Starting in early April, U.S. aircraft launched unprecedentedly fierce bombing raids on the rear areas of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

The US fleet also significantly intensified its bombardment and blockade of ports such as Wonsan, Sinpo, and Chongjin.

The islands and coastlines along the east and west coasts have been frequently harassed and raided by US warships.

Furthermore, the Central Committee also learned from other sources that the US 40th and 45th Infantry Divisions had been deployed from the US mainland to Japan.

They will form the 16th Army together with the U.S. 34th Infantry Regiment stationed in Japan.

Meanwhile, the three divisions of the Southern Dynasty that were undergoing reorganization in Japan have also accelerated their training.

Air force bases in Busan, Gimpo, and other locations are also undergoing expansion.

All indications suggest that UN forces are preparing for a new offensive.

The newly formed 16th Army in Japan will likely participate in the war in the form of an amphibious landing operation.

To prevent the US military from landing, we must strike first and catch the enemy off guard.

Only by keeping the enemy busy and disorganized can we prevent them from having time to attend to other matters.

After discussing for a long time, the commander-in-chief formulated the overall strategic direction for the fifth campaign.

A counterattack was launched along the southern line of Jinping.

As for when the battle will begin, it has not yet been decided.

However, the leader already has a preliminary plan.

As for offensive tactics, the main approach was still to divide and encircle, which was the only option for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

After confirming the operational plan, the headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army sent a telegram to the Central Committee.

The Central Committee expressed its full agreement with the arrangements made by the General Headquarters.

Upon receiving confirmation, Shiji was filled with great enthusiasm and ambition.

At this time, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had assembled 3 corps, 11 armies, and 34 infantry divisions on the front line.

In addition, there are 3 artillery divisions and 1 anti-aircraft artillery division, with a total strength of 55 men.

In the rear, a professional logistics support force of up to 18 people has entered North Korea.

The biggest weakness of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was somewhat mitigated.

Compared to the Chinese People's Volunteer Army that was urgently deployed to North Korea last year, this configuration can be described as luxurious.

The commander said he had never fought such a rich battle in his eight lifetimes.

Therefore, he was truly confident this time, and even his stated goal was to annihilate several divisions.

(End of this chapter)