Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 607 Take the initiative
"Yuan Chuan's situation is a bit complicated, Lao Luo, what do you think?"

According to the previous plan, the defense of Harakawa should have been handled by the L Army.

However, according to Li Chishui's telegram, Yuan Chuan has likely fallen into the hands of the US military, which is a real problem.

Because all the troops were in the process of retreating, Chen Chengxing sometimes couldn't even contact the detachments below, and Li Yunlong and Ding Wei were also out of contact.

At this point, it would be virtually impossible to contact another L army corps.

This led to a situation where Chen Chengxing had no way of knowing the situation of the L Army, nor the overall situation of the battlefield.

Did the headquarters arrange for other units to intercept them? Has the US encirclement already been formed?
He had no way of knowing any of this; all Chen Chengxing could rely on was his own judgment.

"Commander, our orders are to retreat north for rest and reorganization. If the 21st Detachment continues to retreat, they will be able to rejoin us tomorrow."

"Things aren't that simple," Chen Chengxing shook his head.

"The presence of US troops in Harakawa means that the L Army's defenses have been breached, and it is very likely that the entire Harakawa region has already fallen."

"But the main force of the 3rd Army Corps has not yet withdrawn. The slow-moving artillery, wounded, and supplies are all following behind the 21st Detachment and are struggling to move north."

"If the 21st Detachment continues to retreat to Tiehua as planned, our Second Army will be fine, but the 3rd Army Corps behind it is very likely to be completely wiped out."

"Moreover, the C army, which is responsible for covering the rear, has not yet arrived in Tiehua."

"We can't afford to lose the main force of four armies."

Chen Chengxing had a premonition that the 21st Detachment, which happened to be passing through northern Yuanchuan, might be the last force that could stand in front of the American troops.

Just as Chen Chengxing was having a headache, the 21st Detachment's reconnaissance report came in again.

"Reconnaissance units discovered a large number of U.S. tanks and infantry in the Harakawa area, and Harakawa has been confirmed to have fallen."

"In addition, the 21st detachment also spotted US troops behind them."

Upon hearing Xu Wu's report, Chen Chengqi stood up and looked at the map on the wall, while subconsciously lighting a cigarette.

Chen Chengxing now faces two choices: one is to order the 21st Detachment to retreat.

Once the 21st Detachment withdraws from Tiehua, he will have no other responsibilities.

After all, at this time, Shiji had not given any orders regarding Harakawa.

Conversely, if he had ordered the 21st Detachment to remain, there would have been no doubt that they would have engaged in direct combat with the main U.S. forces.

Chen Chengxing didn't know which unit the 21st Detachment would be facing, but the fact that the enemy could break through the L Army's defenses in a short time meant that their combat strength was definitely very strong.

Nobody knows what the outcome will be if 21 teams face them.

To make this choice, Chen Chengxing had to assess the situation of the US military, the headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, the 19th Army Corps, and the L Army Corps.

This choice was incredibly difficult.

After staring at the map for a long time, Chen Chengxing suddenly turned around and pointed at Xu Wu: "Order the 21st Detachment to attack Yuanchuan immediately!"

"The enemy has already come to our doorstep, how can we not fight back?!"

"Those American devils want to take over Harakawa? They'll have to ask me first if I'll allow it!"

Chen Chengxing can be said to have taken a huge gamble.

However, he felt that it was entirely worthwhile to gamble the safety of one detachment on the safety of four armies.

"Old Chen is right." Luo Ping nodded in agreement when he saw that Chen Chengxing had made a decision.

"If the sky falls, we'll hold it up!"

Upon receiving Chen Chengxing's order, Li Chishui immediately led the 21st Detachment to Yuanchuan.

At this moment, the fierce battle in the Harakawa region was at its most critical juncture.

The easternmost unit is the F Army of the 3rd Corps, whose organizational structure has remained largely intact.

However, in order to cover the slow-moving wounded and logistics, they were caught off guard by the US 2nd Division and are now fighting their way back.

Li Yunlong's situation was even more critical at Shaozeng Mountain, which was due south.

Thanks to Van Fleet's encirclement and penetration tactics, Army C can be said to have fought its way out of enemy territory.

After several days of fierce fighting, Army C was basically out of ammunition and food.

Because the original river was occupied by the 17th Regiment of the US 7th Division, the C Army, which was crossing the river, was cut in two.

The artillery fire that Li Chishui had heard earlier was the US 17th Regiment shelling the Chinese army crossing the river.

Inside the C Army headquarters, Li Yunlong was so anxious that he kept cursing.

Originally, Army C had already broken contact with the US 25th Division. Once they crossed the North Han River, they could withdraw along the route previously used by the Second General Staff Headquarters.

As a result, an unexpected force appeared out of nowhere, and Army C was suddenly put on the defensive.

"Military commander, the US military is eyeing the river from the south. Even at night, it is unlikely that we can cross the river smoothly."

Zhang Dabiao analyzed, "The only way to cross the river is to retake Yuanchuan."

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Xing Zhiguo said from the side. “Our army has three divisions. One is currently in Jiangbei, and the other is being used to deal with the main force of the US 7th Division in the southwest and the US 25th Division in the south. We simply can’t spare any manpower.”

"We are at a huge disadvantage if we send a division to fight the heavily armed US military head-on!"

Although Harakawa currently only has one regiment from the US 7th Division, it is a reinforced regiment of over 4,000 men, while a division of the Chinese Army has less than 9,000 men.

As for firepower intensity, the difference is even more stark.

"What can we do if we don't fight?" Li Yunlong's eyes widened: "The main force of the US military can arrive at any time, and we only have 24 hours at most."

"If we don't fight now, once the main American forces arrive, the C Army will all be drowning in the river!"

"Commander, I'm not saying we shouldn't fight. What I mean is, should we contact the surrounding troops to see if we can launch a joint operation?"

“That’s your problem!” Li Yunlong said. “I’m leading the 8th Division to attack Yuanchuan now. If you can contact other units, then do so.”

"Whether anyone comes or not, I'm determined to beat Harakawa!"

"Zhang Dabiao!"

"Have!"

"Order the 8th Division to immediately deploy towards Yuanchuan, and transfer all available personnel from the military headquarters to reinforce the 8th Division."

"Let's see how many heads Harakawa's American troops have!"

"Yes!"

Faced with Li Yunlong's fierce attack, Harakawa's 17th Regiment also put all its energy into responding.

The 8th Division launched several assaults in succession.

Despite occupying advantageous terrain and possessing superior firepower, the US military faced immense pressure in the face of Li Yunlong's fierce offensive.

However, the fierce resistance of the US 17th Regiment made Li Yunlong's progress very difficult.

"Damn it, the progress is too slow!"

Li Yunlong kept his eyes fixed on the front lines.

Although the 8th Division managed to advance a little each time it attacked, it fell far short of Li Yunlong's expectations.

"Sir, the US military has now learned how to fight, and their tortoise shell is very sturdy."

In positional warfare, the U.S. military's firepower advantage can be maximized.

"Damn it! Even if I break my front teeth, I'm going to bite this turtle shell open today!"

With that, Li Yunlong left the underground command post and headed straight for the front line with several guards.

The 8th Division launched another attack.

Just as the 8th Division and the US 17th Regiment were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, Li Chishui arrived.

"The 8th Division has already engaged in combat with the enemy!"

"Order the 211th Regiment to immediately launch a strong attack on Jundu Mountain, and the 212th Regiment to disperse and attack other positions. The artillery regiment shall do its utmost to cover the 211th Regiment's attack!" "Yes, sir!"
Faced with the sudden attack from the 21st Detachment, the US military was thrown into a state of panic.

The US 17th Regiment had not occupied Harakawa for long and had not yet built up complete defensive fortifications.

At this time, the US military's fortifications were mainly for defense to the south, and there was not much defense against the 21st Detachment attacking from the north.

Under the full force of the artillery regiment, the unprepared American forces lost the vast majority of their positions.

"Forget about the remaining insignificant positions; let the US military hold them if they want."

"Repair the fortifications immediately, the US military will launch an attack soon!"

Li Chishui's goal was not to drive away the American troops, but to prevent them from interfering with the retreat of the main force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

For Li Chishui, as long as he could occupy Jundu Mountain, he could defend the river crossing for the C Army and block the American forces from advancing eastward and northward.

In this way, the evacuation of the wounded and logistics of the 3rd Army Corps will not be affected.

Just as Li Chishui was directing his troops to intensify their defenses, Li Yunlong came looking for them.

"Li Junzhang!"

Li Yunlong grasped Li Chishui's hand.

"I owe you a huge favor this time. Thanks to the 21st Detachment's miraculous intervention, otherwise Army C would have been in trouble."

"Commander Li, you're too kind. We're all brothers in the same unit, there's no need to distinguish between us."

"I won't stand on ceremony," Li Yunlong waved his hand. "I'll treat you to drinks when we get to the rear!"

"Li Junzhang is giving me face, so I'll definitely take it in."

"However, please forgive me for not being able to entertain Li Junzhang at the moment."

The capture of Yuanchuan was only the first step for the 21st Detachment. Whether it could hold this lifeline under the American offensive would ultimately determine the fate of the 3rd Army Corps.

"Then I won't bother you any longer." Li Yunlong knew the matter was urgent.

Moreover, he also didn't have much time. After the C army crossed the river, they needed to retreat immediately towards Tiehua.

Inside the headquarters of the Eighth Army Group.

Van Fleet was extremely dissatisfied upon seeing the telegram sent by the US 7th Division.

"A golden opportunity! But the 17th Regiment squandered it!"

Gaining and then losing a crucial point is a dramatic rise and fall that not everyone can accept.

Dane said, "Sir, according to air force intelligence, the main force of the central army on the eastern route has not yet reached the vicinity of Yuanchuan. We have ample time to retake Yuanchuan and wipe out the enemy's main force."

“We cannot let our guard down,” Van Fleet said seriously. “These central forces are tough nuts to crack; we must go all out.”

"Order the 2nd Infantry Division and the 1st Southern Division to launch an attack on Harakawa. The remaining troops shall continue to operate according to plan!"

"Yes, sir!"
By daybreak, Army C had completely crossed the North Han River, and all the firepower of the US 7th Division and the South Korean 1st Division was focused on Wonchon.

In addition to a large number of heavy artillery pieces, a large number of American aircraft were also bombing back and forth continuously.

The positions of the 21st Detachment were completely covered by violent explosions.

Facing the main force of the US military and the most capable Confederate 1st Division, the 21st Detachment was under immense pressure.

In just one day, the two regiments at the forefront of the 21st detachment were decimated.

Li Chishui had no choice but to urgently deploy the 233rd Regiment to the defensive positions.

Despite suffering heavy casualties, the soldiers of the 21st Detachment held their ground.

The US artillery barrels were overheated, yet they still couldn't advance.

On Hill 280, the 1st Platoon of the 6th Company of the 233rd Regiment is holding its ground.

As evening fell, platoon leader Du Guangde began to review the day's battle.

After thinking for a long time, Du Guangde cursed, "Damn it, the US military just bullies people with these lumps of iron!"

After a day of fierce fighting, Du Guangde felt that whether it was the American or the Southern Army, their infantry was only so-so, but the threat of artillery was too great.

Moreover, the US military's artillery is also highly advanced, and its fire support is very timely.

The 1st Platoon had several opportunities to counterattack, but they were all blocked by American artillery fire.

Du Guangde called over a few squad leaders and said, "Our Second Division has never been one to just take a beating without fighting back."

"Moreover, when engaging in a blocking attack, one must hold the position at all times."

The men nearby immediately understood Du Guangde's meaning: "Platoon leader, do you want to launch a counterattack?"

“That’s right.” Du Guangde nodded: “We can’t always be on the defensive; we have to take the initiative.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Du Guangde's suggestion.

After a lively discussion, a battle plan was quickly formulated.

After confirming the plan, Du Guangde led a dozen soldiers in a night raid.

For this assault, Du Guangde concentrated all the submachine guns and semi-automatic rifles of the entire platoon into the assault team.

Du Guangde felt that his firepower was now terrifyingly strong.

The US military never expected that such a small number of people on Hill 280 would dare to launch an attack.

At this point, the US offensive forces had no defensive plans whatsoever; their formations were entirely geared towards offense.

Therefore, when Du Guangde launched a sudden attack, the US military's lines were riddled with holes.

Du Guangde easily stormed into the American positions.

After firing a burst of shots with his submachine gun, Du Guangde shouted.

"Don't linger! Charge backward! Charge backward!"

During the day, Du Guangde had already observed the approximate location of the US artillery positions. He was certain he could find them by heading straight for that location.

At this point, the American troops were in complete chaos. Du Guangde and his men were running around all over the American positions, and the Americans had no idea how many people had entered.

In the chaos, the US military had no choice but to hold their ground to prevent any unforeseen events.

This allowed the commando team to easily reach the rear of the US forces.

Based on the daytime location, Du Guangde easily located the US artillery positions.

At this time, the US military also urgently organized soldiers to defend the US artillery positions.

However, although Du Guangde and his men numbered only a dozen or so, they used their skillful tactics to quickly drive the hundred or so defenders into a panic.

"Platoon leader! The cannon!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Du Guangde declared, "Detonate them all!"

There were only a dozen or so of them; they couldn't even move the cannons, let alone the shells.

"The US military will bring one heavy machine gun, and the rest will only need carbines and ammunition!"

The US military's M1 Garand and M1 carbine are both excellent weapons.

However, unlike the American troops who favored the Garand rifle, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army preferred the lighter carbine.

After all, given the current firepower of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, it would be difficult for them to engage in a firefight with the US military at a distance of only a few hundred meters.

When the distance is only a hundred meters or so, the power of the carbine is sufficient.

With a violent explosion, the US artillery position was completely destroyed.

Seeing the raging fire, Du Guangde waved his hand and said, "Let's retreat!"

(End of this chapter)