Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

On January 21, 1953, Eisenhower officially took office.

Unlike Truman, five-star general Eisenhower was a true-blue military man.

He had long recognized that American voters were tired of war, so "ending the Korean War" became his most powerful campaign slogan.

Now that he has taken office, he naturally begins to fulfill his promises and end this battle in a dignified manner.

Then he discovered that the matter was far more complicated than he had imagined.

The newly appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Robert Redford, presented him with a detailed report on the current situation of the U.S. military, complete with documents.

"The total number of people mobilized domestically for the Korean War was 572 million, and the total number of U.S. troops has now reached 363 million, of which 179 million have been deployed to East Asia."

"That means one in every two U.S. soldiers has been to or is currently in North Korea."

"Our army's total casualties, including those killed in action, wounded, missing, and captured, have reached 20."

"In addition, the total number of casualties of the South Korean army has reached 150 million, and the casualties of the remaining UN forces are also as high as 10."

Eisenhower's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened.

However, that wasn't all that was giving him a headache.

Redford had just finished his report when Defense Secretary Wilson spoke up.

"According to calculations, this year's military budget will be at least $500 billion, of which more than $300 billion will be specifically allocated to the Korean War."

The figure of $500 billion made Eisenhower gasp in shock.

"Why so many?"

Even with the United States' vast wealth, $500 billion is still an astonishing figure, representing 13% of the US GDP and 70% of the total federal budget.

Wilson said with some helplessness, "Mr. President, whether you like it or not, the American economy has shown signs of wartime economic activity in many dimensions."

"Moreover, it wasn't just the army that was mobilized; to ensure North Korea's control of the sea and air, the navy deployed more than half of its main combat ships."

"Five carrier strike groups have been deployed around North Korea for a long time to carry out blockade, bombing and fire support missions."

"The Air Force also deployed nearly half of its combat wings to the Korean War. In the MiG Alley, the Chinese and American air forces engaged in several fierce jet fighter air battles."

"The total number of bombs dropped by the Air Force during the entire battle reached 65 tons, which is a precipitous drop compared to the total consumption in the Pacific theater of World War II."

Eisenhower could hardly believe his ears.

"How could such a small battlefield like Korea have incurred such heavy losses? Do we still have any hope of victory?"

Redford shrugged. "I've been to North Korea. I hate to admit it, but if we want to win, we'll probably have to mobilize the whole country."

“Absolutely not.” Eisenhower rejected the idea without hesitation, after all, his campaign slogan was to end the war.

And as I said before, the Soviet Union was the real adversary of the United States.

If America's allies knew that it would take all its strength to fight a newly established China, would they still unite around the United States to confront the Soviet Union and Russia?

Eisenhower asked, "Do you have any other ideas?"

Secretary of State Dulles, who was standing nearby, said, "Withdraw the troops."

"Withdraw the troops?" Eisenhower shook his head again.

Withdrawing troops is indeed the simplest way to end the war, but he has no reason to withdraw now.

The Korean War dragged on for so many years for no apparent reason, and not only did we gain nothing, but a huge number of Americans also died.

If this is withdrawn without any reason, protests will probably start immediately.

Let alone re-election in four years, he might not even be able to get past the midterm elections in two years.

Seeing that Eisenhower disagreed with everything, the group was at a loss for what to do.

The US is caught in a dilemma: it can neither fight nor withdraw.

After much discussion without reaching a conclusion, Eisenhower decided to go to North Korea himself to see for himself.

A few days later, Eisenhower secretly visited the Korean front.

Inside the command center, Eisenhower didn't waste time with Karak and Van Fleet, asking directly, "What do you two plan to do? How can you achieve victory?"

Van Fleet immediately perked up: "Mr. President, if you give me another 10 divisions and 32 artillery battalions, I can still fight!"

Upon hearing Van Fleet's request, Eisenhower recalled the dense network of tunnels he had seen along the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's defensive line and immediately shook his head in refusal. He was no man who knew nothing about military matters.

Eisenhower stated directly, "They can't be broken."

"First of all, even if I transfer troops here, it will be almost impossible to break through the current defensive line."

"Secondly, even if we break through, the further north we go, the shorter the supply lines for the central army will become. They will only get stronger as we fight, and we will never be able to push to the Yalu River."

Eisenhower clearly saw the core of the problem: the Korean War had reached a point where neither side could win.

Even if the United States were to go to war with China, it would be impossible to completely defeat China.

If this continues, both sides will only be able to continue this cycle of attrition, but this attrition will only lead to unacceptable costs for the United States.

Upon hearing Eisenhower's words, Clark and Van Fleet fell silent.

We're all sensible people; no one can fool anyone else.

However, VanVleet still refused to believe he had lost so easily, and he wanted to give it another shot.

"Mr. President, I believe we can continue fighting."

"The previous attack was thwarted entirely because of the terrain. As long as the terrain is not restrictive, with the strong cooperation of various military units, it is not difficult to break through the enemy's tunnel defense system."

"If you wish, I can organize a joint air, tank, artillery, and infantry combat exercise."

"Whether the next step is fighting or negotiating, I think it will have a positive effect!"

Eisenhower and Clark looked at Van Fleet differently.

Van Fleet looked somewhat nervous; he wouldn't have wanted to directly challenge Clark's authority unless absolutely necessary.

However, he was helpless because some in Congress questioned his use of too much ammunition, feeling that he was wasting taxpayers' money, and proposed to investigate him.

If he fails to secure a victory, he will face questioning in Congress.

This interrogation was bound to end badly, and Van Fleet knew all too well the humiliation MacArthur had suffered.

To VanVleet's relief, Eisenhower, after much consideration, decided to give him a try.

"We can organize a small-scale war to conduct the experiment, but we must be absolutely certain that it will not go wrong."

"We need to show the world our toughness."

The overall situation may be unwinnable, but that does not mean that local battles are unwinnable.

As Van Fleet said, even if peace talks are to be held, a victory is necessary.

"Yes! Please rest assured, Mr. President!" Van Fleet was overjoyed.

In order to change his fate, Van Fleet threw himself into the battle.

According to Van Fleet's plan, this battle included air-ground coordinated operations, air-ground joint strikes, and infantry-tank coordinated operations.

The aim is to demonstrate the U.S. military's joint operational capabilities to the Chinese military and the world.

The entire battle was divided into two actions: raid and capture. As long as a few prisoners were captured, the US military would win big in the media.

To achieve his goal, Van Fleet gathered all his fighting forces and chose the Jinping North Dingzishan position as his target.

Dingzishan is said to be a mountain, but its terrain is relatively flat, located in the middle area between Xiyueling and Ximashan.

Most importantly, this was not an important place. The 21st Detachment only stationed a platoon of soldiers here, and there was only one main tunnel and two artillery shelters.

Therefore, VanVleet has full confidence in this match.

With tanks leading the way and planes charging in, he couldn't imagine how he could lose. Convinced of victory, Van Fleet summoned reporters again, this time a whopping 12, and even started a live broadcast, hoping to overshadow the previous coverage of Wufangling.

With VanVleet's comeback battle underway and so many reporters present, a big event is definitely in order.

On January 25, standing in the command post, Van Fleet confidently issued the attack order.

"Operation Whiplash, begin!"

Hundreds of aircraft were deployed to carry out a three-hour bombing campaign against the Dingzishan position, dropping more than 90 tons of bombs, causing the ground to shake violently.

Subsequently, a support artillery group consisting of 126 large-caliber howitzers from 8 artillery battalions immediately followed up, unleashing another barrage of fire.

After a barrage of artillery fire, planes flew over to the battlefield once more, dropping large amounts of smoke grenades on the positions.

Taking advantage of the smoke obscuring their vision, the 1st Battalion of the US 31st Regiment launched an attack in three columns.

In an effort to capture the position in one fell swoop, Van Fleet deployed 50 Pershing tanks.

There were 10 heavy tanks on each of the left and right flanks, while the main attacking force in the middle was composed of 30 heavy tanks.

The tanks provided cover for the infantry as they charged toward the position.

Seeing such a fierce attack, the reporters present couldn't help but sigh, and they all pointed their cameras at the mountaintop and adjusted their shooting angles.

Then they filmed the entire process of the American troops' chaotic retreat.

Everyone on the battlefield, including Eisenhower and Clark in their covert command post, was stunned.

Van Fleet nearly crushed the telescope in his hand.

Three times, the US military launched three consecutive attacks, only to be routed each time.

At that moment, Van Fleet understood that the American soldiers no longer had the confidence to win against the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

Once the tanks stop fighting due to the anti-tank trenches, the infantry will immediately cease to fight.

Even the powerful firepower provided by tanks hundreds of meters away was of no use.

The opposing side had only one platoon, while the American side, not counting planes, artillery, and tanks, had an entire battalion of infantry alone.

But if you can't take it down, you just can't take it down.

At this moment, the American battalion commander at the front line had bloodshot eyes.

One battalion fought one platoon; the Chinese People's Volunteer Army lost fewer than 10 men, while the American army lost 150.

What future do I have? Is there any way to improve? Is there any room for improvement?
Just as the U.S. battalion commander, his eyes red with rage, was about to order the entire battalion to launch an attack, Van Fleet chose to abandon the plan.

This battle almost completely shattered Van Fleet's spirit, and he left the command post looking dejected.

Next, he will leave North Korea.

Having witnessed the combat capabilities of the U.S. military firsthand, Eisenhower returned to the White House looking dejected.

Just when he was at his wit's end, a veteran who had been out of the public eye for a long time stepped forward.

Five-star general MacArthur requested an audience with fellow five-star general Eisenhower.

Upon learning that MacArthur had a clear and definite solution, Eisenhower was very pleased to meet with him.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Eisenhower eagerly asked, "What good ideas do you have?"

"It's very simple," MacArthur said confidently. "Just issue an ultimatum, demanding that the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea surrender, or we'll drop atomic bombs!"

"Huh? It's gone?" Eisenhower looked completely bewildered.

MacArthur nodded: "That's it, it's that simple!"

“Mr. President, I know the outcome of the Battle of Wufangling, but we absolutely cannot take the initiative to negotiate now. Even if we can’t fight anymore, we must persevere.”

"Although this is a very irrational decision from a military standpoint, it is a necessary diplomatic move."

"Once the US initiates negotiations, the problem of its inability to fight will truly be exposed."

"Therefore, at this time, we not only cannot negotiate, but we must also show our toughness."

Although MacArthur did not know the specific details of the battle at Wufangling, he did know about the American forces.

A battle that can silence the US military will inevitably result in significant casualties, and at this crucial moment, it is absolutely essential not to expose the weakness of the US military.

Eisenhower understood MacArthur's meaning.

Bringing up the atomic bomb at this time can effectively divert attention, making the world focus on the more dangerous issue of the atomic bomb, and also show a strong attitude, making everyone believe that the United States intends to continue the war.

These two points can effectively make people forget the recently concluded Battle of Wufangling and that damned live broadcast from Dingzishan.

However, Eisenhower still hesitated: "If it's just bluffing, it can only last for six months or a year at most. If it keeps going on and on, it will only make us a laughing stock."

MacArthur shrugged: "Then let's drop tactical atomic bombs. If you need me, I can come out of retirement again."

Eisenhower fell silent; he was genuinely considering the issue.

But no matter how he thought about it, Eisenhower didn't think it was a good solution.

It's not that he's particularly morally upright, but rather that he doesn't see the point in it.

Eisenhower had personally witnessed the tunnels used by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, and based on his assessment, the atomic bomb would not cause much damage.

In this situation, using an atomic bomb would be somewhat counterproductive.

After all, the Soviet Union might retaliate with atomic bombs, and the United States couldn't afford to die alongside China.

After politely seeing MacArthur off, Eisenhower discussed the matter with his think tank for a long time and ultimately decided to restart negotiations.

Unable to fight and unable to retreat, negotiation is the only option.

Upon receiving the order, Clark immediately restarted the negotiation process.

However, there are techniques to negotiation. Previously, the United States said they would not negotiate, but now, although they want to negotiate, they must show that they are unwilling to negotiate.

Therefore, Clark racked his brains to come up with an excuse: to negotiate the exchange of wounded and sick prisoners out of humanitarian considerations, so as to re-establish contact between the two sides.

However, although the US military was very eager to talk, its attitude was extremely arrogant.

This attitude also changed the perception of the end of the Korean War among other UN member states.

In their view, the fact that the US military maintained its previous stance meant that the battlefield had also maintained its previous stance, leading them to conclude that the battlefield situation had not changed and that a ceasefire was still a long way off.

This has made these countries somewhat uneasy. Just because the United States is wealthy and powerful enough to continue fighting doesn't mean they want to.

Driven by countries around the world, the U.S. military reluctantly accelerated the peace talks process.

However, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army did not pay much attention to the performance by the US military.

After all, the United States has always been prone to making trouble and has never been sincere in negotiations, so the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was not in the mood to have a real talk with the United States.

The resumption of negotiations between the two sides has been very slow.

However, at that moment, an accident occurred.

On March 5, Stalin suddenly passed away, which directly affected the situation in the entire world.

The new Soviet government sent messages to China and North Korea almost immediately, demanding that negotiations begin.

At this point, everyone actually wanted a ceasefire, so they all sat back down at the negotiating table in Panmunjom.

Everyone's demands are already very clear at this point, but the United States is getting really into it.

Stalin's sudden death made the United States feel that it was somewhat unwilling to just stop there.

Therefore, the United States disagreed with every word of China's conditions, and instead demanded that China comply with all of its terms, or else it would use atomic bombs.

This infuriated the negotiation team.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army's response to the US military's unreasonable and overbearing behavior was clear: if they didn't want to negotiate, they would fight until they did. (End of Chapter)