Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Following Chen Chengxing's orders, except for the artillery, communications, observation, and logistics units which remained in place, the rest of the Second General Corps gradually withdrew from the Wufangling area and handed over the positions to the C Army.

After arranging the handover, Li Yunlong went straight to the artillery command post.

"Zhu Zi! Zhu Zi!" Li Yunlong's words reached Wang Chengzhu's ears even before he entered the room.

Wang Chengzhu hurriedly stepped forward to greet him: "General Li!"

"Hey! I'm out of practice! I'm out of practice!" Li Yunlong waved his hands repeatedly.

"Zhu Zi, C Army is your family, you can't hide it from us!"

"Old leader, what are you saying!" Wang Chengzhu looked aggrieved. "I guarantee I'll cooperate fully as long as you give the order!"

Li Yunlong chuckled: "I was just saying it casually, don't take it to heart."

"I'll treat you to drinks after this battle is over!"

"But you have to tell me first how much ammunition we have left, so I can formulate a battle plan based on that."

Wang Chengzhu picked up the documents next to him: "In total, there are still 20,000 rounds left, but there are not many 152mm shells among them. They are mainly 122mm howitzer shells and 120mm mortar shells."

"What?! Twenty thousand?!"

Upon hearing Wang Chengzhu's words, Li Yunlong's eyes immediately widened.

"You fired 13 shells in the past few days?! Why didn't you keep more?!"

Twenty thousand shells, in the context of the entire artillery force, is just a little over one base number.

With such a quantity of shells, he not only couldn't create a scene of ten thousand cannons firing simultaneously, but he also had to be very careful with his resources.

Wang Chengzhu scratched his head and explained, "It wasn't 13, it was 15. The remaining 2 was brought in gradually later."

"But I don't have the final say on that. The artillery salvo is ordered by the commander-in-chief."

"What?!" Li Yunlong was even more anxious.

"Chen Chengxing, Chen Chengxing, why are you so quick to agree? So you only remembered me after you ran out of ammunition?"

Li Yunlong wanted to go to Shengwu Mountain to confront Chen Chengxing, but in the end he didn't dare, since he had taken the initiative to ask for this mission.

However, without going to Shengwu Mountain, Li Yunlong was no longer in the mood for idle chatter with Wang Chengzhu.

"Zhu Zi, you keep a close eye on these shells. No one is allowed to move them without my orders. I'm leaving now."

After saying that, Li Yunlong left in a hurry without waiting for Wang Chengzhu to say anything.

Upon returning to the command post, Li Yunlong's first priority was to coordinate the supply and ammunition transportation from the rear.

In order to obtain more artillery shells, Li Yunlong even directly dispatched the 81st and 82nd Regiments of the second echelon to participate in the ammunition transportation work.

In the five days that followed, Li Yunlong was extremely busy, using every possible method to speed up the preparations, and Chen Chengxing naturally cooperated fully.

On November 11, the temperature in the Wufangling area plummeted, with icy rain mixed with light snow falling from the sky, and fog shrouding the mountains.

Looking at the fog-shrouded mountains, Chen Chengxing called Li Yunlong.

"Old Li, the US military can't deploy its planes right now, which is a great opportunity for us. I suggest you don't wait any longer and launch an attack immediately!"

Although the final assault was originally scheduled for tomorrow night, now was indeed the most opportune time, so Li Yunlong decisively said, "No problem, I'll give the order right away!"

The long-silent Wufangling was once again filled with the deafening sound of cannons.

Li Yunlong's first battle was the final battle, with 17 howitzer battalions and 3 rocket artillery battalions firing simultaneously.

No major battles had taken place on Hill 537 for a long time, and the 22nd Regiment of the 2nd Division of the South had made the position impregnable.

They laid barbed wire, minefields, and bunkers all over the hilltop.

However, the fortifications and bunkers built by the South Korean army were of little resistance against the heavy artillery fire of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

Apart from the bunkers in some blind spots, the surface defenses of Hill 537 were destroyed by artillery fire.

"Spectacular! Truly spectacular!" Li Yunlong's view through his binoculars was almost entirely filled with the explosion.

This was only the effect of 10,000 shells; Li Yunlong couldn't imagine what it would be like with 150,000 shells.

It's even more unimaginable how the Second Strike Force withstood 200 million shells from the US military.

Li Yunlong glanced at his watch, then turned and ordered, "It'll be 4 o'clock in 5 minutes. Tell the 92nd Regiment to proceed as planned."

"Let them make the most of their mortars; there's plenty of ammunition!"

Although the heavy artillery didn't have many shells, Chen Chengxing left Li Yunlong with plenty of 60mm and 82mm shells.

At 4 o'clock, as the artillery fire began to spread, the 1st Company of the 92nd Regiment launched the first attack on position 6.

The remaining Confederate bunkers still formed a very tight crossfire.

However, the C Army was full of fearless soldiers from top to bottom. As soon as the mortars fired and the bugle sounded, the soldiers charged forward with increasing ferocity.

Of course, they didn't just charge blindly. The attacking force used two squads to hold the bunkers in the front and one squad to flank from the rear, and quickly destroyed the bunkers one by one with rocket launchers.

After capturing position 6, the soldiers charged along the mountain ridge toward positions 5 and 4.

Position No. 4 is the main peak of Hill 537. Taking it would mean that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had gained the initiative.

At the same time, the 7th Company also launched an attack on positions 1, 2, and 3.

Inside the headquarters of the 2nd Division of the South, the newly appointed division commander, Ma Zhengdong, was distraught upon hearing the successive reports of losses.

"Damn, how come it's so fast?"

The chief of staff explained, "Sir, according to reports from the front, the equipment of the central army this time is completely different from that of the previous troops."

Ma Zhengdong's expression turned serious: "Hmm? You mean the enemy has deployed their elite fully automatic firearms unit?"

“Uh, no,” the chief of staff said. “However, if the enemy is equipped with guns, they are indeed all automatic weapons.”

"Explain yourself more clearly." Ma Zhengdong looked displeased; this wasn't it, he didn't understand.

The chief of staff quickly explained, "Many of the enemy troops attacking this time were not equipped with rifles, but instead carried dozens of hand grenades and a large number of demolition charges and explosive packs."

"However, all the soldiers responsible for providing cover were equipped with automatic firearms such as machine guns and submachine guns."

"Despite having limited equipment, the enemy's firepower was no weaker than ours, and the large amount of explosives they carried caught us completely off guard."

The 22nd Regiment in the South had already been reviewed by the Second Division several times. Although the unit number had not changed, most of the recruits were new recruits.

Many people were killed in their air-raid shelters by the advancing Volunteer Army while they were still taking shelter from artillery fire.

Moreover, faced with the fierce Chinese People's Volunteer Army, the South Korean army once again revealed its true colors, with a large number of soldiers abandoning their posts and fleeing.

However, the chief of staff did not mention this; he only emphasized the bravery of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

"Damn it." Ma Zhengdong felt a headache coming on. This kind of fighting style must have come from a commander who didn't play by the rules.

He couldn't even defeat the Volunteer Army soldiers who played by the rules, let alone those who didn't.

After thinking for a long time, Ma Zhengdong ordered: "Abandon the western foothills of Hill 537 and defend the eastern foothills with all our might."

在537高地东北方向不远处是柱洞山，南军从这个阵地可以直接用重机枪打击到537高地东侧的6号、7号、8号阵地。

Ma Zhengdong wasn't confident he could hold the western position of Hill 537, but he was confident he could hold the three positions on the eastern side. However, Ma Zhengdong's confidence came a little too soon; before he could even catch his breath, his chief of staff rushed over.

"Sir, Hill 537 has been completely lost."

"All of them?" Ma Zhengdong looked incredulous. "Including numbers 6, 7, and 8."

"Yes." The chief of staff nodded.

"Damn it! All trash is trash!"

"Pass on my order to urgently dispatch the 21st Regiment to reinforce Hill 537. Also, request from headquarters to send over several artillery battalions!"

Ma Zhengdong had three 105mm howitzer battalions under his command, but judging from the day's battle, he felt that his firepower was still too weak.

Without the support of the US military, he would probably have been no match for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

"Yes, sir!"
While the Southern Army was making every effort to prepare for a counterattack, the 92nd Regiment's counter-offensive troops were also rushing to repair fortifications in preparation for the counterattack.

The soldiers knew very well that with both the east and west peaks of Hill 537 recaptured, the enemy would certainly not give up, and fierce battles were yet to come.

The following day, the Confederate army launched a counterattack on the western hill of Hill 537.

It must be admitted that the South Korean army, which had fought against the Chinese People's Volunteer Army for two years, had improved its tactics considerably, and its resilience and endurance were also outstanding.

In just one morning, the South Korean army launched more than a dozen attacks, but all of them were repelled by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

During this period, heavy machine guns and recoilless rifles on the Zhudongshan position kept firing at positions 6, 7, and 8, and the 92nd Regiment suffered considerable casualties.

At noon, the Southern army, having failed to achieve any results, withdrew to rest and reorganize.

Inside the forward command post, Li Yunlong looked at the positions he had been fighting on all morning and decided to change his tactics.

"The Nanjun Zhudongshan position poses too great a threat to the western hill of Hill 537. We are completely on the defensive and can't keep fighting like this."

"Since we can't directly attack Zhudong Mountain now, we can only try to minimize its impact."

"Shen Quan, relay the order to the 92nd Regiment."

"Let them leave only a small contingent of troops on the position, and move the main force to the reverse slope."

"When the enemy charges up, based on the observer's report, send out a few people or groups to move around on both sides of the mountain ridge, turning positional warfare into mobile warfare, so that the impact of the enemy's direct fire will be much smaller."

If they stayed on the position, they would be sitting ducks, and the Southern army could calmly launch pinpoint attacks. However, once they entered mobile warfare, it became much more difficult for them to hit their targets.

Moreover, mobile warfare was one of the Volunteer Army's specialties, so they were sure they wouldn't suffer any losses.

In the afternoon, the well-fed and watered Confederate army replaced two infantry battalions and launched another attack on Hill 537.

This time, the casualties of the 92nd Regiment dropped sharply.

However, this also raises another problem: the position is difficult to hold.

Positions 7 and 8 were lost in succession.

However, Li Yunlong didn't pay too much attention to it.

These two positions had no military value to him, nor were they conditions for holding them. No matter how many troops he sent, they could not withstand the continuous attacks of the Southern Army.

Conversely, if these two positions were given to the Southern army, they could be turned into a bloodbath.

"Shen Quan, after nightfall, have the 91st Regiment take over from the 92nd Regiment and launch a counterattack on positions 7 and 8. After taking the positions, do not send troops to defend them to the death."

"In addition, gather all the 82mm mortars in your division and use them to harvest the heads of the Southern Army."

Li Yunlong's move hit the Southern Army right where it hurts.

During the day, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army used artillery to control the speed of the South Korean army's attacks and support. At night, they launched counterattacks using small-group tactics.

Positions 7 and 8 appeared to be under the control of the Confederate army, but their casualties began to increase dramatically.

The C army, on the other hand, suffered a sharp drop in casualties and a significant reduction in the number of troops needed on the front lines.

After fighting on Hill 537 for half a month, the Southern army finally gave out.

They captured the position but couldn't hold it. Their own casualties increased every day, and they couldn't find a single corpse of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. Who could withstand that?
The 2nd Division of the South withdrew from its position in disarray, and the 9th Division of the South took over the offensive mission.

However, the 9th Division of the South was clearly a bit cunning; although they had taken over the positions, they showed no intention of launching any offensive.

At most, only three to five people from the 9th Division of the South would come out to fire their guns each day.

Even Van Fleet was helpless now, since he couldn't send American troops into battle anymore.

Inside the UN headquarters, Clark looked at Van Fleet and said, "It's time to end the showdown. Have the results been tallied yet?"

The chief of staff opened the document, which had been compiled long ago, but he had never dared to report it.

"The battle lasted for 43 days, with the UN forces totaling more than 60,000 troops and the Chinese forces estimated to have a total of 40,000 troops."

"Among them, our army suffered 5300 casualties, the South army suffered 25000 casualties, and the Central Army is expected to suffer 10,000 casualties."

Clark's expression changed.

The original plan for the showdown was a battalion-level battle, but the battle spiraled out of control, with the combined forces of both sides reaching 100,000.

The U.S. military deployed 15 times the original number of troops, used 25 times the original number of bombers, and the operation lasted 10 times longer than originally planned.

The resulting casualties were 200 times greater than originally planned!
This doesn't even include the two million artillery shells used and the 25,000 South Korean soldiers who died.

At this point, even the most stubborn Van Fleet had to say, "Sir, the showdown operation resulted in heavy casualties and did not achieve our intended objectives."

Clark almost swore on the spot; was it simply a matter of not achieving his goal?
After a couple of cold laughs, Clark said with a grim expression, "The showdown operation has had a ridiculous ending. For a full 43 days, neither side has made a single move."

"Now they're really laying their cards on the table, openly telling the world that the UN forces can't take any position that the Chinese army wants to defend!"

"It also tells the world that the backbone of the Chinese army is harder than the steel of the United States!"

Unusually, VanVleet remained silent in the face of Clark's sarcastic remarks.

Even if he's stubborn, he has no excuse this time.

After all, the battlefront doesn't lie.

Seeing the silent Van Fleet, Clark had no intention of communicating with him anymore.

"After completing the follow-up work, all the front-line positions in Cheolhwa were handed over to the South Army, and the 7th Division withdrew to Busan for rest and reorganization."

"From now on, any troop movement of battalion size or above must be approved by me."

"This includes the Southern Army!"

After saying that, Clark walked away without looking back.

With the Battle of Wufangling completely over, the battlefield fell silent once again.

Although the reconnaissance teams from both sides frequently clashed, no major battles occurred again.

At this point, both China and the United States felt that the war was not far from ending, but neither side knew how it would end.

However, at this time, China undoubtedly held the advantage, and the country was even streamlining and reorganizing its military.

(End of this chapter)