Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 623 Infantry and Artillery Coordination
A few days later, the engineering corps, which had made preparations in advance, built a makeshift prisoner-of-war camp overnight.

Looking at the prison before him, Luo Pingbai scratched his head: "Wait a minute? This is a prisoner-of-war camp? Why does it look more like a military camp to me?"

Chen Chengxing laughed and said, "What it is depends on who lives inside."

"This place is now inhabited by UN prisoners of war, so it's a prisoner-of-war camp."

"Fine, whatever you say." Luo Ping's expression was somewhat speechless.

As the two were talking, Xu Wu strode over.

"Commander-in-Chief, Political Commissar, all the prisoners have been taken in, a total of 232 people. Here is the detailed list."

Chen Chengxing took the list, which was very detailed, including names, nationalities, military units, and even soldier ID numbers.

Closing the file, Chen Chengxing asked, "Have all the photos been taken? How are the prisoners behaving?"

“They are very satisfied,” Xu Wu said. “Compared to the previous tunnels, the wooden barracks are both spacious and bright, and the prisoners are all smiles.”

"The camera has already captured the prisoners' satisfied expressions."

"That's good." Chen Chengxing nodded.

"Tell the guards not to enter the camp. Dig deep trenches and be aware of air defenses."

"The soldier in charge of taking photos must shoot from multiple angles."

Luo Ping then realized what was happening: "You mean the US military will bomb this place?"

Chen Chengxing sneered twice: "Don't those American devils like bombing? I'd like to see if they'll fall into this trap!"

The makeshift prison built by the engineering corps, although it looked similar to a barracks, was entirely decorated with white flags and red cross symbols, both on the flags and the roof.

Under the filming of four cameras, whenever the US military dropped bombs, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army didn't need to say anything; the other UN forces would curse the US military to death.

The US military didn't keep everyone waiting long. As soon as Chen Chengxing finished setting the trap, US reconnaissance planes spotted the prisoner-of-war camp that had suddenly appeared.

Van Fleet threw the photos taken by the reconnaissance plane on the table and snorted coldly: "The Chinese are treacherous; they actually want to use a white flag as cover."

“I could tell at a glance that this was their barracks, and most likely a place where the wounded were recuperating.”

While hiding underground can indeed protect against artillery fire, the environment is very unfriendly to the wounded.

A clean and well-ventilated environment is essential for wounded patients to avoid infection.

After thinking for a moment, Van Fleet ordered, "Order the Air Force to send bombers to bomb this place to pieces. I want to see if the Chinese army dares to build barracks again."

Inside the prisoner-of-war camp, soldiers from various UN forces were still complacent, feeling protected by international law, completely unaware that danger was imminent.

In an underground bunker not far away, Luo Ping hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't resist.

"Old Chen, isn't this a bit inappropriate? The higher-ups have ordered that prisoners of war be treated well."

Chen Chengxing looked surprised: "Didn't I get any preferential treatment?"

"Look at where those prisoners are staying. It's much better than the tunnels. The soldiers are sleeping on the ground."

"Don't worry, once we've gathered everyone, we'll send them to Shiji."

"The special operations team reported back that they captured several American prisoners and are now making their way back. I estimate they will arrive in a few days."

“But the US bombing…” Luo Ping felt that these prisoners might not last until Wei Dayong and the others returned.

Chen Chengxing spread his hands: "You can't blame me for this, can you? There's a cause for every grievance, and the person who caused the explosion should be held responsible."

"I raised the white flag as is customary. We can't be blamed for the evil deeds committed by the American military, can we?"

Just as Chen Chengxing finished speaking, he suddenly heard a series of explosions.

The ceiling of the underground command post was shaken so badly that dirt was falling off.

Chen Chengxing and Luo Ping exchanged a glance, then took a few steps to the observation post.

The prisoner-of-war camp, which had just been set up the night before, was now engulfed in flames.

Chen Chengxing's expression suddenly changed drastically: "Oh no! The POW camp has been bombed by the American forces!"

Looking at Chen Chengxing's exaggerated expression, Luo Ping was speechless: "Could you please stop laughing?"

Chen Chengxing touched his face: "Really? It's that obvious?"

The people around them said in unison, "It's very obvious."

"Alright." Chen Chengxing shook his head helplessly: "Go ask if all the photos have been taken."

"yes!".
A few minutes later, a staff officer ran back.

"The commander and political commissar took pictures of everything, from the bombing of the planes to the POW camp being engulfed in flames, everything was captured clearly."

"Good!" Chen Chengxing immediately clapped his hands: "Send someone to deliver the negatives and the list to the headquarters of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, and give the American troops a good commendation in the newspapers!"

"Fuck! What's going on?!" Clark's eyes were practically spitting fire.

Van Fleet explained, "Sir, this must be a trick by the central army. They deliberately built the POW camp to look like a military camp, which led to the accidental bombing."

Clark slammed his fist on the newspaper on the table and roared, "Don't tell me that!"

"The foreign ministers of Britain, France, Türkiye, Canada, and Australia have all approached the White House!"

"How am I supposed to explain this to the president?!"

The newspapers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army published the photos and the list of prisoners killed in the bombings in great detail, so that the US military could find reasons to refute them.

The families of soldiers killed in bombings around the world are now taking to the streets to demand answers.

Van Fleet had no choice but to deflect the blame by saying, "It's just a misunderstanding."

With things having come to this point, Clark had no choice but to emphasize, "Don't cause any more trouble. The Air Force will only bomb important civilian facilities."

"The targets are power plants, factories, dams, water diversion canals, and other such places. What we need is to put pressure on North Korea and force it to agree to our armistice terms, thereby splitting the Sino-North Korean alliance."

"Killing a few soldiers won't change the situation at all!"

"Yes, sir!"
In order to achieve his goals, Clark issued an ultimatum to China and North Korea, demanding that a ceasefire agreement be signed in accordance with the ultimatum.

The most important clause in this ultimatum was that the United States was willing to repatriate 83,000 prisoners of war, including 80,000 from the North Korean army and 3,000 from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

While threatening with bombing and luring prisoners of war, they also conducted large-scale propaganda among the people of the Northern Dynasty.

Clark's intentions were indeed insidious.

In this way, regardless of whether the North Korean commander-in-chief wants a ceasefire or not, the other North Koreans will put enormous pressure on him to agree to a ceasefire.

After all, signing a document would allow the prisoners to be exchanged, which directly affected 80,000 families and many more civilians threatened by bombing.

However, Clark's grasp of the situation was clearly not as clear as Ridgway's; the Korean War was not simply a matter between the South and the North.

With both his eldest and second eldest brothers disagreeing, Bei Chao could only stand by and agree.

Of course, rejecting Clark's ultimatum meant that the negotiations had broken down again, and China and North Korea were under tremendous political pressure.

If the Korean people allow the US military to continue bombing without taking any action, they will inevitably develop resentment towards the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

For China and North Korea, the best way to resolve their current problems is to regain their lost ground on the battlefield.

Because of the need to establish a military engineering academy, the acting commander, although still holding the titles of Fourth Army Corps and Deputy Commander of the Volunteer Army Headquarters, had returned to China, and the head of the Volunteer Army Headquarters had also been replaced once again. After receiving instructions from the Central Committee, the Volunteer Army Headquarters immediately began to search for offensive directions on the sand table.

The Korean War can be mainly divided into three regions: the west, the central region, and the east.

The eastern part was a complex mountainous area, mainly defended by the Union Army, and the enemy on the opposite side was not the US Army, so it was abandoned first.

The western region, where the two sides were negotiating, was flat and conducive to the deployment of US mechanized forces, so it was naturally not considered.

Zhi Si's attention was focused on the American salient in the center of the battlefield.

The three regions of Pyonggang, Kimpyong, and Cheolhwa form a rare triangular plain in central North Korea.

Pingkang was in the hands of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, the Second General Staff was stationed in this area, while Jinping and Tiehua were in the hands of the United Nations forces.

Both sides occupied several hilltops, resulting in a standoff.

Each hill in this region can directly affect the gains and losses of a large area.

If a major conflict is not the preferred option, the high ground in the triangle region is the most suitable location.

Taking any of the high ground would allow control of a large area nearby.

Looking at the map, the commander said, "In this full-scale offensive, each army can choose its own target according to its own situation."

"But tell Chen Chengxing that the Second General must take Xiyue Ridge for me."

Between West Moon Ridge and West Horse Mountain lies a plain, which is very conducive to the deployment of US mechanized forces.

Further north from this place lies the Pingkang Plain, a flat and level stretch of land.

If they could capture Xiyueling, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army would be able to directly influence several key highways and railways at their feet, and could also cooperate with Ximasan to monitor the entire plain area.

At that time, the US military will be unable to use these railways and highways, nor will it be able to operate on the plains.

The US military could no longer pose a threat to Pingkang from here, and they even had to retreat a considerable distance to regain their footing.

This is a very cost-effective strike.

"The General Headquarters has sent a new telegram."

At the start of the operational meeting, Chen Chengxing read out the Central Committee's order.

"The Central Committee has ordered that, in order to gain the initiative, we must strike the enemy forcefully. This battle will be fought by us."

"The superior command required each army to select three to five targets and launch a continuous counterattack tactically, with the aim of inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy in repeated battles."

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army now possesses the full capability for a full-scale counterattack.

In the previous five campaigns, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army did not actually lack artillery; what it really lacked was artillery shells.

Including the Second General Staff, the artillery could only fire sparingly.

When artillery is short of ammunition, it cannot play a decisive role.

However, once the front line stabilized and the tunnels formed a system, the situation changed drastically.

Besides defense, the most important function of tunnels is to store supplies.

Although the improvement of tunnel warfare tactics did not change the front lines of either side, it allowed the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to completely solve the important problems of defense and logistics.

This was of great significance to the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

With enough shells stored, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army is now able to use artillery on a large scale.

Upon hearing Chen Chengxing say that the Central Committee had decided to send them to fight the enemy, Li Yunlong nearly jumped up.

"Great! I've been waiting for this day for ages!"

With ample artillery shells, the Volunteer Army's combat effectiveness had reached its peak, and Li Yunlong had long been thinking about challenging the US forces on the front lines.

Ding Wei said from the side, "Old Li, I have to remind you that you need to be prepared before you fight. Launching an attack hastily will not only fail, but will also lead to excessive casualties."

Li Yunlong retorted defiantly, "Do I need you to tell me that?"

"After firing sniper shots for so long, Army C has a pretty good understanding of the enemy and the terrain. Once we confirm that everything is correct, we can launch an attack."

Seeing the group starting to discuss how to fight, Chen Chengxing reminded them, "We need to strengthen the coordinated operations between infantry and artillery."

"Artillery is the king of land warfare, and the quality of infantry-artillery coordination can play a decisive role in the outcome of battle."

"This is a localized counterattack, so it is not advisable to deploy too many infantry, but it is essential to develop a comprehensive infantry-artillery coordination plan."

"There must be unified command and centralized communication tools to ensure normal communication."

"The walkie-talkies need to be deployed down to the platoon or even squad level, and the speed of artillery response must be fast."

Kong Jie nodded: "What Old Chen said is very important."

"For the past few decades, we have been fighting mobile warfare, and we are not very proficient in the use of artillery."

"I think artillery will be the next focus, and infantry-artillery coordination must be mastered."

“Old Kong, I think you’re wrong,” Li Yunlong retorted. “In war, we must always put people first.”

"When it comes to the number of artillery pieces and the coordination between infantry and artillery, and between infantry and tanks, no one in the world can compare to the United States, but what was the result? They were still beaten to a pulp by us."

"Come on, Lao Li, have you forgotten the time you slapped your thigh until it was swollen over an infantry gun?"

"When we didn't have artillery, mobile warfare and infiltration were the right approach. But now that we have artillery, we have to focus on the artillery itself."

"Although the US military has been repeatedly defeated by us in mobile warfare, we must learn from them in the use of artillery."

“Old Ding is right,” Chen Chengxing affirmed. “We are no longer in the days of the Eighth Route Army with only three guns. Infantry-artillery coordination is crucial for positional warfare.”

"After a successful attack, the enemy will inevitably counterattack. When the enemy leaves their cover, it will be a good opportunity for us to kill a large number of them."

"Using firepower to cover the area will help us fight a decisive battle in front of our positions."

"Alright, I understand," Li Yunlong said. "Old Chen only mentioned three things this time."

"Reconnoiter well, fire well, and kill the enemy well."

Kong Jie laughed and said, "Look, even Old Li can summarize now!"

Chen Chengxing smiled and nodded: "Old Li's summary this time is very good. The requirements of the headquarters are reconnaissance, artillery fire, and killing the enemy."

"The strategy remains to chip away at the enemy's strength bit by bit, with the core objective being to inflict casualties on the enemy's manpower through repeated battles for positions."

"This time, you must not be stingy with the shells. If it can be solved with shells, then don't make the soldiers fight each other."

The group nodded: "Understood!"

"When do we make our move?" Ding Wei asked.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chengxing said, "Let each of us make our own preparations first, and then we will launch a unified operation a week later."

"Of course, if you are prepared in advance, you can launch an artillery attack ahead of time, but the time for the general offensive must be unified."

"can!"

(End of this chapter)