Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

When the 6th Company arrived at Lahong Bridge, the scouts had already noticed something unusual.

Lying on the mountaintop, the 6th Company Commander put down his binoculars, a hint of surprise on his face.

There were only a small number of Indian troops on the Lahong Bridge, just a platoon, but they had strapped the bridge with explosives.

"Damn, are the Indian troops going to commit suicide together? I've never heard of such a unit in the Indian army."

Although the 6th Company never actually engaged in combat with the Indian army, that was because the Indian army was moving too fast.

Judging from previous battles, the Indian army does not seem to be the type to fight to the death.

"Company commander, there's no time to think. The gunfire at Dengban has stopped, and the Indian troops may retreat and blow up the site at any moment."

The deputy company commander standing nearby said firmly, "Let me lead the assault squad! We must take this bridge no matter what!"

Only by capturing the Lahong Bridge can the 11th Division cut off the Indian army's retreat as planned.

After a moment's thought, the 6th Company Commander nodded emphatically and instructed, "Be careful!"

To capture Lahong Bridge, the 6th Company has no choice but to take risks.

The deputy company commander waved his hand and led a squad forward quickly, while the 6th company commander led the main force to follow closely behind.

Along the way, the soldiers of the assault squad tried their best to conceal their figures.

The later they are discovered by the Indian army, the less likely the Indian army is to blow up the bridge.

However, the soldiers were clearly overthinking things.

When the Indian soldiers saw more than a dozen men charging toward them while firing their guns, they were immediately paralyzed with fear.

"The central army is here!"

"Denban has been completely wiped out! Retreat! Retreat now!"

The Indian troops responsible for defending the bridgehead offered almost no resistance and all turned and ran.

The Indian soldiers completely disregarded the only order they were given: to decisively blow up the bridge if they encountered Chinese troops.

Or rather, in order to escape quickly, no one dared to bring it up.

If everyone else is running and you don't run, you're asking for death.

The 6th Company crossed the Lahong Bridge with remarkable ease, reached the other side of the Koma River, and immediately took control of the highway.

This highway is the only major road connecting Tezpur, a strategic border town of the Indian Army and the location of the headquarters of the Indian 4th Corps, to the West Pass for reinforcement.

Thus, after a seven-day forced march, the 11th Division crossed five mountains with an altitude of over 5000 meters, successfully penetrating behind enemy lines and establishing a key position for both attacking reinforcements and suppressing enemy forces.

Meanwhile, all troops arrived at their designated positions as planned.

Upon learning that his Assam battalion, which he had placed in Denban, had been completely annihilated and that Lahong Bridge had been captured, the commander of the Indian 48th Brigade, Katoch, immediately called the headquarters of the Indian 4th Division.

"Major General, you need to retreat immediately! Dengban has been captured by the enemy, and Lahong Bridge is gone too!"

"I've said it before: we should hold Bomdila to the death. Only in this way can we possibly fight against the Chinese army!"

Upon hearing Katoch's warning, Prasad, commander of the Indian 4th Division, leaned back in his chair with his feet on the table, looking very relaxed.

"Brigadier General Katoch, don't be nervous."

"Even if Chinese troops appeared at Lahong Bridge, it would only be a small reconnaissance unit that had infiltrated. It's impossible for a full-scale Chinese army to appear behind us."

"What you should do now is to examine your troops and not retreat at the sight of the enemy. Learn from the 5th Brigade. Only in this way can you truly become an elite force."

Prasad believed that Katoch was lying about military intelligence and exaggerating the facts in order to find an excuse for his troops to retreat without authorization.

Hearing Prasad's nonchalant tone, Katoch broke out in a cold sweat.

"Major General! I'm not joking! You must retreat immediately! Otherwise, your entire army will be wiped out!"

Prasad was enraged when he heard Katoch say that his entire army would be wiped out.

Who do you look down on?
"Brigadier General! I urge you to recognize your place!"

"I am the commander of the 4th Division!"

After saying that, Prasad slammed the phone down.

"Somebody come!"

"Issue my order: all troops must hold their current positions and are strictly prohibited from retreating without authorization. Anyone who disobeys will be subject to military law!"

He had just finished berating Katoch; if his troops also withdrew without permission, he would be in a very awkward position.

While Prasad was on the phone with Karachi, the 211th and 212th Regiments had already begun clearing out the outer outposts established by the Indian army outside the West Pass, one on the left and one on the right.

The most important task was to locate an unnamed hill northeast of Xishankou, designated by the central army as Hill 4889.

This is the forward position for defending Xishankou, and the Indian army has deployed a reinforced company of troops on the high ground.

If the high ground is attacked, the Indian army can switch artillery positions on the back side of the mountain and in the direction of West Pass at any time to provide support.

As the most important position before attacking Xishankou, this was the primary target of the 211th Regiment's attack.

While the 211th Regiment was clearing out the outer strongholds and deploying to the high ground, Daravi, the commander of the Indian 5th Brigade defending the West Pass, called Prasad.

"Commander, our flanks are under attack by the enemy, and we cannot hold our positions. We request a retreat!"

This time, Prasad stopped putting his legs on the table and asked with unusual tension, "Both flanks? Which flanks? From which direction did the enemy launch their attack?!"

"Jiashankou! The enemy has broken through Jiashankou and is now advancing at full speed! I can't stop them anymore!"

Prasad breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that it was Jiashankou.

"Why are you in such a hurry that Jiashankou has been breached? The defense of Xishankou is impregnable. The 4th Artillery Brigade is ready to support your unit at any time."

"It's too late! Commander, it's too late!"

"Hello? Hello?! Commander? Hello!"

Dalavi pretended the signal was bad and then ripped the phone line off.

Tossing the microphone aside, Dalavi ordered, "The various units have already assembled and withdrawn; it's time for us to go too."

"Pass on my order: Brigade headquarters, abandon everything unnecessary and retreat at full speed!"

Even before calling the Indian 4th Division headquarters, Dharavi had already issued the order to retreat.

Whether Prasad agrees or not, he doesn't care at all.

Inside the headquarters of the 4th Division of the Indian Army, Prasad's expression was somewhat serious as he listened to the busy tone on the microphone.

The communication disruption was most likely caused by a small infiltrated unit of the Chinese military.

At this point, he realized that the central army was indeed about to launch a full-scale attack.

Prasad stood up and ordered the staff officer beside him, "Send a telegram to the 5th Brigade immediately, approving their request to withdraw."

"Furthermore, pass on my order: all personnel at the division headquarters must immediately arrange for a evacuation, and do so as quickly as possible!"

As he spoke, Prasad picked up the phone again.

He wanted to call Kaul, the commander of the Fourth Army in Tezpur, to request a withdrawal.

Kaul did not refuse Prasad's request.

Despite the incredibly tough stance Kaul took during the meeting in New Delhi, he believed that the Chinese army would not continue its offensive, since crossing the Himalayas was no easy task.

Who knew that the central army would actually arrive?

At this point, preserving the Indian army's manpower as much as possible was the most important thing. Therefore, after hanging up the phone, Kaul called the 48th Brigade.

"Brigadier General Katoch, the central army has launched a full-scale offensive, and the 4th Division is retreating. Send troops to meet them immediately."

"I'm sorry, Commander, I can't go right now."

At this moment, Katoch's eyes were neither eyes nor nose.

A few hours ago, he ordered the 4th Division to retreat, and was scolded for it. Now he's being asked to go and rescue them?
Absolutely impossible!

Kaul was taken aback by the rejection and, after a moment of hesitation, said again, "Don't make excuses! Send troops to reinforce us immediately!"

"Commander, I only have two battalions left, and they are both defending Bondila. I have no troops available."

Hearing Katoch still making excuses, Kaul slammed his fist on the table: "I told you! I want you to go and rescue the 4th Division immediately!"

“Lieutenant General!” Katoch’s voice rose as well: “I said before that we should be setting up defenses in Bomdila, not that damned West Pass!”

"The 48th Brigade can't send out a single soldier right now. If you insist on sending troops, then withdraw me first!"

After saying that, Katoch slammed down the phone.

Still not satisfied with the phone on the table, Katochi picked it up and slammed it to the ground.

The phone instantly shattered into pieces.

"Trash! They're all trash!"

"With guys like you in the Indian army, just wait to be defeated!"

Katoch knew the importance of the Himalayas to India, but he did not think it was the right time.

India could simply stay in Bomdila and wait for winter to arrive, at which point the Chinese army would retreat without a fight.

The extreme cold is India's real weapon.

When spring arrives next year, the southern slopes will thaw several dozen days earlier than the northern slopes, allowing Indian troops to advance into the Kejie Lang area at a leisurely and effortless pace.

Instead of rushing around like this, getting beaten and scrambling for cover.

Inside the Tezpur command center, Kaul stared blankly at the ringing phone in his hand.

"Damn it, you hung up on me?!"

Who is the superior?
The chief of staff standing nearby said, "Sir, now is not the time to think about these things. We must immediately send reinforcements to reopen the Lahong Bridge highway, otherwise the main force of the 4th Division will definitely not be able to get out."

"Damn it, this Katoch has absolutely no regard for the bigger picture!"

Kaul was trembling with anger, but at this point he really couldn't do anything about Karachi.

"Chief of Staff, call the 67th Brigade immediately and have them send two battalions to provide support!"

The 67th Brigade was the general reserve of the Indian 4th Army, located far in the rear. They lacked Katoch's decisiveness and had no choice but to send troops.

However, the soldiers of the two battalions of the 67th Brigade had no desire to go. Although they went out to fight, they were not putting in any real effort and their advance was slower than a tortoise.

While the Indian army was in a state of panic, the encirclement was already complete.

Three Indian brigade headquarters, one division headquarters, and more than 8,000 soldiers were trapped in the narrow valley.

In the direction of Xishankou, just as the 211th Regiment was holding a meeting to discuss how to fight the battle that would take place a few hours later, an operations staff officer suddenly ran over.

"Commander, the enemy on the high ground is showing signs of retreating, and there is also unrest in the direction of Xishankou."

"Huh? Retreat?" Li Ruyi quickly ran to the hilltop outside the command post.

After observing for a moment through binoculars, Li Ruyi immediately judged that the Indian troops were about to flee.

"We can't wait any longer, we need to launch an attack immediately!"

Although there are still several hours before the general offensive after dawn, the enemy has already begun to move, and the 211th Regiment must take action.

"Pass on my order: the 9th Company will be the spearhead, immediately capturing the northeastern highlands to open a breakthrough for the entire regiment's attack on the western pass. The 7th Company will be responsible for blocking the attack on the right flank. The rest of the troops will follow up at any time."

Upon receiving the mission, the 9th Company quickly adapted to its new situation.

The 9th Company Commander led the 1st Platoon, the 2nd Platoon, and the Firepower Platoon as the first echelon assault team, while the Political Instructor led the 3rd Platoon as the second echelon to follow up.

The 9th Company secretly advanced along the foot of the mountain.

Because of the darkness, the Indian troops, who were busy retreating, were completely unaware that the 9th Company was approaching their position.

When they reached 200 meters, the machine gunners began to take up advantageous positions and set up their guns, while the grenade throwing team and the assault team crawled forward, constantly closing in on the enemy's position.

It wasn't until the two sides were less than 80 meters apart that the Indian army realized something was wrong.

"Enemy! The enemy is coming!"

At the sentry's shout, the Indian troops' positions instantly became somewhat chaotic.

The Indian company commander raised his pistol and fired two shots into the air, shouting, "Fire! Fire now!"

Indian soldiers reacted quickly, and bullets rained down like a storm.

At the same time, the 9th Company also opened fire, carrying out targeted suppression.

At this time, the 1st Platoon of the 9th Company was close to the enemy but not close enough, so the 9th Company Commander did not order the bugle to sound the charge.

"Second Platoon Leader, you draw the enemy's attention from the front, I'll lead the First Platoon and the Firepower Platoon to outflank from the west."

"Once the 1st Platoon reaches the enemy position, you immediately lead your team to follow."

After saying that, the 9th Company Commander waved his hand and led the 1st Platoon and the fire support platoon to flank the enemy.

At this time, although the Indian infantry company only had two platoons of a few dozen men on the front, their firepower was no less than that of the Indian army.

The Indian troops, feeling that they were evenly matched, were unaware of the impending danger.

It wasn't until a continuous barrage of mortar shells and dense bullets rained down from the flanks that the Indian troops panicked and began to adjust their lines.

However, it's clearly too late now.

The soldiers of the first platoon rushed forward and unleashed a barrage of grenades, instantly creating a breach in the Indian army's position.

The second platoon also launched an attack from the front at the same time, and the 9th Company stormed the position in the blink of an eye.

The Indian army's fighting spirit is not entirely absent, but it is not much either.

Seeing the Chinese army charging up, the remaining Indian soldiers abandoned their artillery and machine guns and all ran away.

The 4th Platoon of the 2nd Company was the elite squad, and the deputy squad leader, Zheng Xingguo, was the leader of the elite squad. He discovered a group of enemy soldiers fleeing south.

Zheng Xingguo immediately led his team to give chase.

The battlefield was in complete chaos at this point, with gunfire erupting everywhere.

As he chased after them, Zheng Xingguo realized that two of his team members had disappeared, leaving him alone to lead the pack.

However, Zheng Xingguo was not afraid, nor did he give up. He continued to chase after the enemy alone.

The Indian troops, fleeing frantically ahead, showed no intention of turning back. They didn't care if anyone was chasing them; they were only focused on running for their lives.

As he chased after them, Zheng Xingguo suddenly heard a noise coming from the nearby woods.

Zheng Xingguo instantly leaped behind a mound, pointing his gun in the direction from which the sound came.

"who!"

(End of this chapter)