Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Just as the Indian troops were retreating to find cover, the soldiers responsible for the outflanking maneuver had already reached the rear of the Indian troops.

Seeing the Indian troops who didn't even turn their heads, the soldiers didn't hold back and immediately began to concentrate their fire.

The sudden and fierce attack took Karam by surprise.

The Indian platoon leader standing nearby immediately shouted, "Sir, we are now facing a pincer attack from both sides. We request a retreat!"

"Everyone, don't panic!" Karam shouted. "There are only a few enemies!"

After calming the soldiers down, Kalam ordered, "Second Platoon Leader, you take two squads to hold off the enemy behind us. I will personally lead the attack on the hilltop."

"As long as we capture the outpost, the enemy will retreat without a fight!"

From the gunfire, Karam could tell that there weren't many Chinese troops left on the hill, and he planned to take the position in one fell swoop.

Subsequently, Kalam led his troops in a three-pronged attack on the outpost high ground.

Faced with the charging Indian troops, the soldiers in the outpost rained down bullets and grenades.

The morale that Karam had just rallied vanished instantly, and all the soldiers began to lie on the ground again, firing their guns indiscriminately.

Seeing the situation making no progress, Kalam was so anxious he was jumping up and down.

He never imagined that he couldn't even take down a checkpoint with only six people.

Just as Kalam was at a loss, the Indian troops responsible for blocking the outflanking soldiers were scattered and fled by several fragmentation rocket grenades.

The Indian troops originally tasked with attacking the hilltop were already intimidated by the soldiers' fighting prowess. Now that some of them were leading the retreat, the rest of the soldiers scattered in all directions.

Their biggest concern right now is to save their lives.

In India, the caste system is an extremely important social institution.

Indians are divided into four categories, from top to bottom: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. In addition, there is a class that is not considered human: Dalits.

The Indian army belongs to the Kshatriya class.

For the Shudras, who are at the bottom of the Indian hierarchy, or even the Dalits, who are not considered human, joining the army is a meteoric rise to power.

Although their caste remained unchanged and they had no chance of becoming officers, it meant they had acquired the power of the Kshatriyas.

But there's one condition: you can't die.

If you die, it's fine if you were a Kshatriya, but if you were a Dalit, it means you were not blessed by the gods and are not worthy of receiving the power of the Kshatriyas.

You were able to join the army because you obtained the power of the Kshatriyas through black magic, and you died because of the backlash from the black magic.

Therefore, if an Indian soldier dies, his mother will be in deep trouble and will definitely be left with nothing.

If she's lucky, she'll be sent to work as a chicken coop, which will allow her to live a few more years.

If you're unlucky, you'll suffer Rama's wrath on the spot, which means you'll be beaten to death, and even after you die, your bones will be taken out and sold.

Conversely, Dalit soldiers could retain their status as long as they did not die, regardless of the outcome of the war or whether they deserted or became prisoners of war.

Although they will always be discriminated against by the Kshatriyas, Dalit, who possesses the power of the Kshatriyas, is considered a prominent figure back in his hometown.

He no longer needs to work as a sanitation worker; instead, he can find other jobs, such as working for a gang.

From then on, the only thing he needed to be careful about was preventing other men from forcibly connecting with him and drawing upon his Kshatriya power.

In order to escape, the Indian soldiers ran like wild donkeys and disappeared into the ravine in the blink of an eye.

However, as a Kshatriya, Karam's somewhat obese body prevented him from running like the other soldiers.

Seeing the border guards catching up and the dark muzzles of their guns, Kalam and the six Shudra soldiers serving him obediently raised their hands.

Upon reviewing the battlefield, the sentry platoon achieved zero casualties, killing nine enemy soldiers, capturing seven, and seizing a batch of weapons and ammunition.

However, the superiors were having a real headache about what to do with these prisoners.

Ultimately, for the sake of the overall situation, after criticizing and educating the prisoners, the border guards drove them back to India.

At the same time, the higher authorities also issued a note to the Indian government, stating that the Sino-Indian border issue is a historical issue and that both sides should sit down and resolve it through negotiations.

Nehru, however, showed no intention of accepting China's goodwill.

"What are you talking about in terms of judgment? What historical issues? This region has never been under the jurisdiction of any power!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nehru realized something was wrong, coughed twice, and added:
"As far as I know, during the British rule, this area was uninhabited and had no outposts. China only entered this area in 1597."

Nehru recalled the patrol that had disappeared in 1958.

Since the Indian army was discovered in 1598, let's assume that China came first. However, they can only come a year earlier, no more.

Nehru chose to ignore the true history and culture.

There is a small river, the Humbhalan River, that runs across the traditional customary line between China and India.

The translation of "活不桑" is "to wash clean".

Traditionally, Indians do not eat cows, while people in Tibet do not eat horses.

However, since ancient times, when Indians went north of the Bhusan River, they could eat beef after drinking three mouthfuls of water from the Bhusan River; when Tibetans went to India, they could eat horse meat after drinking three mouthfuls of water from the Bhusan River.

This is recorded in both Chinese and Indian historical records.

However, the others in the meeting room also ignored the historical facts.

Menon, standing to the side, said confidently, "In this battle at Kongka Pass, it can be said that the two sides fought to a draw, but in fact, we won."

"They don't even dare to imprison our prisoners, which shows that they dare not directly confront our army."

“That’s right,” Nehru nodded. “This is our chance.”

"Next, we must vigorously promote the policy of comprehensive advancement!"

Under Nehru's confident push, by 1962, Indian incursion sites and Chinese border posts had formed a tangled standoff along the border.

The Indian army has actually made preparations for a possible Chinese counterattack, and they have built many bunkers on the front line.

Indian military leaders have conducted in-depth research on China's modern war history.

During the early stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Japanese built a large number of bunkers, which made things very difficult for the Eighth Route Army.

During the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War, the Kuomintang army and the US army did not build bunkers, which led to their defeat. After the US army began to build bunkers, the Korean War became a stalemate.

The bunker is the key to victory!
This deduction by the Indian Ministry of Defense sent the Indian military into a frenzy.

They imagined their own bravery from within their geographically advantageous fortifications.

If China advances from this location, they can use rifles and cannons to pick off each enemy soldier individually.

As for the infiltration and flanking maneuvers mentioned by the United States in various reports on the Korean War, the Indian army said it had never heard of them.

Since he had never heard of it, it certainly didn't exist. Because of his overwhelming advantage, coupled with the strong support of the US and the Soviet Union, Nehru felt that China was now completely at India's mercy.

Therefore, he made numerous demands directly on China.

In addition to the 9 square kilometers of land south of the McMahon Line, India also wants to annex the entire XZ region.

Moreover, the XJ region needs to be renegotiated, and in addition, India will station troops in Sichuan, leaving Shaanxi undefended for China.

Finally, it was requested that Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan and other regions be designated as buffer zones, and that India send observers to these areas.

Nehru stated bluntly that if India's conditions were not agreed to, they would send troops to fight until China agreed.

Everyone in the central government was stunned when they saw the demands submitted by India.

In all these years, they have never seen such a request before. Even if Empress Dowager Cixi came, she wouldn't dare to sign it.

After thinking about it for ten days and ten nights, the leader still couldn't figure out what kind of thought process India had.

How many dishes are there? How did you get so drunk?
Ultimately, the central government concluded that India must have eaten too much curry, which had damaged its brain.

The central government naturally ignored India's unreasonable demands.

Arguing with a complete idiot is just embarrassing.

However, Nehru felt that China's disregard for him was a sign of fear.

Furthermore, India was at a crucial stage of reform at this time, and Nehru needed a major victory to suppress the domestic opposition, so he immediately announced publicly that he would use military force.

Indian Defense Minister Menon went so far as to claim that they would fight to the last man and the last gun.

At that time in India, it was widely believed that one Indian soldier could defeat six Chinese soldiers, and that the Chinese army might even collapse after firing just two shots.

Seeing India acting so aggressively, and with the US and the Soviet Union facing off due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, coupled with India's continued overreaching over the years.

On September 22, 1962, the People's Daily published an editorial.

It’s tolerable, it’s unbearable!

This was the first time the title had appeared, so the Indian army did not know what it meant, nor did they notice anything unusual, and continued their full-scale advance along the border.

To facilitate unified command, India even established a new corps on October 5th, the 4th Corps, which comprises the 2nd and 4th Infantry Divisions.

This 4th Division is India's elite force, and Nehru's personal army.

Seeing that India ignored my country's clear warnings, the central government felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

The reason is simple: India had a good relationship with the Soviet Union and Russia, and also had strong support from the United States.

Moreover, the Indian army's designation is also unsettling.

Since the Republican era, the number 4 has been synonymous with elite troops.

The 4th Army during the Northern Expedition, the 4th Army of the Red Army during the Jinggang Mountains period, and the New 4th Army, a joint force of guerrillas from eight southern provinces, were all formidable fighting forces.

Judging from this designation alone, India's intentions are clearly hostile.

Based on the intelligence already known, the General Staff predicted that the Indian army's combat capability should be roughly the same as that of the Koka party's elite forces.

The KMT's elite troops are by no means weak in combat. The New 1st Army in Burma could easily defeat the Japanese 18th Division.

Therefore, the Central Committee decided to draw on the same spirit it had shown in the War of Liberation against the Kuomintang's 181st Brigade and 11th Division.

We are prepared to fight major, tough, and fierce battles; if all else fails, we will fight a second or third battle.

To this end, the central government even assembled a super-elite staff team to devise strategies for the war against India.

The veteran commanders, having not fought in many years, were itching to get back into action and quickly devised a comprehensive plan for the upcoming battle, offering their respective suggestions.

A complete operational plan was quickly developed.

Forward command posts were also established on the eastern and western fronts, while the military regions in the northwest began to draw their main forces to prepare for a possible decisive battle.

On the western front, the newly formed mountain division entered the Aksai Chin region.

To facilitate combat, in addition to the mountain divisions, the infantry regiments participating in the battle on the western front were urgently equipped with some 100mm mortars.

At first, people were reluctant, thinking that the 100mm mortar was a bit weak and that the 120mm mortar was more powerful.

But once they entered the mountains, the artillerymen immediately gave them a thumbs up.

The artillery units of the mountain division, in particular, were beaming with joy.

"You have to mention the commander; his sensitivity to this equipment far exceeds that of ordinary people."

"Who can argue with that? Back in the ALD region, I thought this cannon was a bit small and lacked power, but once we got to Aksai Chin, I was completely convinced."

"This 100mm mortar is probably the most suitable heavy mortar for mountain warfare."

Previously, the altitude was slightly lower and there were roads, so the transport of 120mm mortars was not affected.

However, once they entered the mountains, all supplies had to be carried by people.

If we continue to equip ourselves with those 120mm mortars, the artillery simply cannot keep up with the marching speed of the troops.

The soldiers' four-piece set of leather boots, leather hats, leather gloves, and leather coats was already very heavy. When you add guns, ammunition, food, and water, it basically reaches the limit of what a single soldier can carry.

If it's a 120mm mortar, infantry simply cannot help transport ammunition.

It can be replaced with 8 kg 100 mm shells, and strong infantrymen can usually carry an extra one.

This is a world of difference for the firepower of artillery units.

"It's a pity that time was too short. We only have one mountain division. If we really fight the Indians, I don't know if we can gain the upper hand."

According to the superiors' prediction, the Indian army's combat capability is probably similar to that of the Kosovo army's elite corps.

Furthermore, with the Indian army occupying advantageous terrain and having a shorter supply line, the soldiers are unsure how the battle will turn out.

"We can't worry about that now, let's fight first."

In addition to the mountain divisions, the infantry regiments on the western front also experienced the benefits of the 100mm mortar.

The 100mm mortar weighs 75 kg. After being disassembled into the barrel, support, and base plate, it can be easily carried by three people to keep up with the main force.

As for 100mm shells, local transport team members on the plateau can carry four shells on their backs, and can also carry four 60mm shells on their backs.

Therefore, each regiment promptly reported to its superiors, and the 120mm mortars were left directly in CN County. The logistics department urgently transferred a batch of 100mm mortars and ammunition to Tibet.

Each infantry regiment is equipped with a directly subordinate 100mm mortar company, which consists of 6 100mm mortars.

(End of this chapter)