Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

After gaining control of the highway, the various heavy firepower units that had been prepared beforehand marched directly along the highway from Zhennanguan to the outskirts of Tongdeng.

With the arrival of various heavy equipment reinforcements, the advance of the 495th Regiment became even more unstoppable.

The Vietnamese army knew they couldn't hold the outer positions, so they laid numerous landmines along all the routes to Dong Dang in an attempt to buy time.

The commander of the 489th Regiment looked at the large minefield that appeared before him and snorted disdainfully twice.

"Trying to restrict us with traps and landmines is wishful thinking."

With such a large minefield, if only engineers were to clear the mines, they wouldn't be able to clear more than a few roads in a day.

However, the 489th Regiment's mine-clearing methods were not limited to engineers.

"The tanks retreated to make way, and the combat support company moved forward to clear two paths as quickly as possible."

"In addition, the Vietnamese army likes to lay mines, so we used rocket-propelled mine-laying vehicles to lay mines again in the Vietnamese minefields."

"I want to see how the Vietnamese army will clear their own minefields in the future."

As the heavy tanks reversed and retreated, the combat support company, which had been at the back, moved to the front.

Soon, several rocket-propelled mine-clearing vehicles and mine-clearing tanks were deployed.

With a command given, the mine-clearing vehicle guided the rocket into flight, carrying a 70-meter-long flexible explosive detonation cable deep into the minefield.

With a loud bang, the explosive cord detonated, and all the landmines along the way were detonated simultaneously.

Immediately afterwards, the mine-clearing tank drove in along the path of the explosion.

The mine-clearing tank swept the area clean, confirmed that there were no more mines along the way, and then retreated.

The mine-clearing vehicle was reloaded with explosive cords and continued along the cleared safe path, repeating the previous actions.

While the support team was busy clearing mines, the engineer regiment's rocket mine-laying vehicles were also continuously laying mines in other minefields belonging to the Vietnamese army.

The Vietnamese soldiers on the distant hilltop watched this scene with gritted teeth.

This is just bullying!
Although the landmines were simply thrown on the ground, they completely restricted the Vietnamese army's ability to conduct guerrilla warfare on these hilltops.

According to the Vietnamese army's original estimate, under their harassment, it would take the Chinese army one or two days just to clear the mines, which would buy them valuable time to break the deadlock.

As a result, without even seeing anyone, the central army directly cleared a safe path in the minefield, and a large number of armored units continued to advance rapidly along the path.

Of course, some Vietnamese soldiers tried desperately to resist, but faced with the overwhelming force of the enemy, they could only be crushed into dust.

In just 40 minutes, the 495th Regiment successfully advanced to the outskirts of Dong Dang.

At the same time, the 495th and 487th Regiments were also launching a fierce attack on the high ground on the east and west sides of Tongdeng.

The forces of five infantry regiments of the central army will form an impenetrable encirclement.

At this time, the only thing the Vietnamese army could rely on was the Dong Dang fortress left to them by the French colonialists.

Upon arriving at the front-line command post, Wang Yousheng, the deputy commander of the X Army, strode in.

The five regiments surrounding Dong Dang belonged to different divisions, so someone had to coordinate and command them.

Upon entering the command center, Wang Yousheng didn't waste any words and went straight to the point asking, "What's the current situation in each department?"

"Reporting to the commander, our five regiments have locked down Dong Dang," a staff officer reported, pointing to the map.

"The 487th Regiment occupied Hill 438 on the east side of Dong Dang, and the 489th Regiment occupied Hill 395 on the west side of Dong Dang."

"The Vietnamese army is now probably planning to hold out by relying on the Dong Dang fortress and the surrounding high ground."

"Tongdeng Fortress"

China has supported Vietnam for so many years, so it naturally has a very clear understanding of the situation in northern Vietnam.

Dong Dang Fortress is a giant fort built during the French colonial period.

It is 300 meters long, 100 meters wide, and has an outer wall thickness of 3 meters. It is constructed entirely of cobblestones and reinforced concrete and is a semi-buried flat-topped bunker.

Its interior also contains a network of tunnels that connect to the outside world.

The staff officer next to him added, "According to previous intelligence archives, the Vietnamese army should have stored a large amount of supplies in the Dong Dang fortress."

"Moreover, the front-line troops also conducted probing, and several 57mm anti-aircraft guns inside the fortress launched a counterattack. Judging from the firing effect, they should be Soviet S60 anti-aircraft guns."

Upon hearing that it was an S60 anti-aircraft gun, Wang Yousheng felt even more troubled.

The S60 is a classic Soviet anti-aircraft gun, equipped with its own radar and highly automated.

If we only consider direct fire capability, its firepower projection capability is top-notch among all anti-aircraft guns.

"Report to superiors and request artillery divisions to provide fire support, conduct a round of fire first, and assess the situation."

The Dong Dang Fortress was exceptionally sturdy, and Wang Yousheng was unsure whether 152mm shells could be effective against it.

Even if they couldn't directly destroy Dong Dang Fortress, the artillery fire could still clear out the Vietnamese army's firing positions around the fortress, preparing for the next step of the operation.

At the front, soldiers lay prone by the trenches, their faces filled with excitement as they watched the town of Dong Dang completely engulfed by artillery fire.

In an effort to destroy Dong Dang Fortress, artillery units bombarded Dong Dang for half an hour.

The military region, along with its subordinate units and divisions, possessed over three hundred heavy artillery pieces. Their fierce firepower seemed poised to wipe Dong Dang off the face of the earth.

However, as the artillery fire ceased and the smoke dissipated, the soldiers were suddenly surprised to find that Dong Dang Fortress still stood amidst the ruins.

Although there are many shell craters on the surface of the fortress, compared with the 3-meter-thick wall, they can only be described as minor scratches.

The Vietnamese troops, who had retreated back into the Dong Dang fortress, were completely relieved to see that the fortress was undamaged.

An Zhiqiang, commander of the 12th Regiment of Vietnam, put down his binoculars and smiled. "It seems the French were right. This fortress is indeed impregnable."

"I must say, despite their tendency to surrender in battle, the French are quite adept at building fortresses."

The chief of staff standing nearby said, "Regimental commander, as long as Dong Dang Fortress stands here, the central army will never be able to take Dong Dang."

"We can take advantage of their strong attack on Dong Dang to inflict heavy casualties on them."

An Zhiqiang waved his hand and said, "Tell all the units not to reveal all their cards right away."

"We try to give the central army the wrong impression, making them believe that they can take the fortress with just a little more effort, so that they will keep adding fuel to the fire."

“If we hurt them too much or frighten them too quickly, they might stop their offensive, which would be worse.”

As the western gateway to Lang Trang, Dong Dang's role was not only to block the central army but also to contain its forces.

If the central army abandons the offensive and instead engages in encirclement, it may be able to redeploy heavy firepower to other directions, which would be disadvantageous for Lang Son.

After all, not every place has a fortress.

The chief of staff nodded. "I'll immediately inform everyone to keep their supplies to themselves."

"By the way, regarding the southern highlands, inform the deputy regimental commander to be on guard against a surprise attack from the central army," An Zhiqiang reminded him.

No matter how strong Dong Dang Fortress is, it cannot withstand a 360-degree attack, so the defense of the rear is extremely important.

"Commander, you're overthinking it," the chief of staff said dismissively.

"The strength that the Chinese military has shown at present is indeed not to be underestimated, but they rely more on the air force and armored groups to fight."

"With the Dong Dang Fortress blocking the way, the Chinese army's tanks and armored vehicles cannot get through. And the terrain of the southern highlands makes it impossible for even infantry to deploy large forces, let alone tanks."

"Moreover, the firepower of the three positions—the southern highlands, the 339th Regiment's position, and the Dong Dang Fortress—can support each other. The anti-aircraft guns can be laid flat and can even be used to directly strike the flanks of the attacking enemy."

"Even if it were a surprise attack by the central army, I can't imagine how they could take over this large area of ​​positions." A surprise attack can only target one position at a time, but on the southern highlands, the 12th Regiment of the Vietnamese army had built a series of positions, with every hilltop and every cave turned into a strong firing point.

Even if we don't say there's a firing point every five steps, there's still a position every few dozen meters.

Moreover, with the mountains as cover, even if the Chinese military deployed its air force for a carpet-like coverage, it would not be very effective.

An Zhiqiang nodded, actually agreeing with him, but still added, "It's always better to be careful."

"As long as we don't give the central army a chance, we've already won more than half the battle."

"Yes!"

The Vietnamese army has a triangular layout in the Dong Dang area, but as long as the Dong Dang fortress and the southern highlands are not lost, the 339th Regiment is not important.

While the Vietnamese army was gloating, Wang Yousheng had already reported the situation of the fortress to the general command and proposed a battle plan of frontal attack and pincer attack from both flanks.

However, Li Yunlong directly stopped Wang Yousheng's plan to launch a strong attack.

Although it had only been a few days, Li Yunlong had completely changed his mindset. He was determined not to sacrifice human lives for things that could be solved by working overtime and tightening screws.

Looking at Li Yunlong's confident expression, Ding Wei was somewhat puzzled, "You have a way to take Dong Dang Fortress?"

"I've visited this Dong Dang Fortress; even heavy aerial bombs are just a tickle to it."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that the Vietnamese army only used 37mm and 57mm anti-aircraft guns from beginning to end, but I'm sure that there were definitely Soviet 85mm anti-aircraft guns in Dong Dang Fortress."

With anti-aircraft guns present, even high-altitude bombing by bombers would be extremely dangerous, and area bombing would have little effect on Dong Dang Fortress.

"I can't help it." Li Yunlong shook his head.

"No way?" Ding Wei was a little confused.

Why are you still so confident?
"I have no choice, but I'm sure our Chief of Staff Chen was prepared long ago!"

The Tongdeng Fortress had been a thorn in the side of Zhennanguan for decades, and Li Yunlong didn't believe that Chen Chengxing hadn't made any preparations.

"Chief of Staff, report the situation at Dong Dang Fortress to Command."

"If you're always saying there's no other way, it's not too late to find a way to attack."

In any case, Li Yunlong's attack on Dong Dang Fortress was not a direct confrontation, which would have meant heavy casualties.

The command quickly returned with orders that the air force would coordinate with frontline troops to conduct a pinpoint strike on Dong Dang Fortress.

This order left Li Yunlong and Ding Wei somewhat bewildered.

"What kind of strike method requires air force and infantry coordination?"

"missile?"

"Not too possible."

The two immediately ruled out the possibility of a missile, as once a missile is launched, it can only rely on itself.

"If it's the Air Force, it's either missiles or bombs. Does that mean we need the front lines to report the exact coordinates for these bombs?"

"Forget it." Li Yunlong waved his hand. "If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it."

"As long as it can draw out the pus, I don't care what kind of ointment it is."

"Chief of staff, tell Wang Yousheng that after the Dong Dang fortress is destroyed, immediately launch an armored assault to mop up the remaining troops and cut off the connection between the Vietnamese 339th Regiment and the high ground group."

"We must end the battle as soon as possible, and not let it hold us back. We must continue to advance toward Lang Son, which is our target."

While Li Yunlong and Ding Wei were discussing, two fighter-bombers had already taken off.

At this moment, the Dong Dang frontline special operations team also received orders and took out their laser pointers.

On the hilltop, an invisible laser beam pointed towards the top of Dong Dang Fortress, while the Vietnamese army was still eager to unleash a massacre.

Little did they know, the fighter-bombers didn't even fly over; they dropped their bombs 5 kilometers away and turned back.

Two heavy bunker buster bombs, each weighing two and a half tons, flew silently toward Dong Dang Fortress.

The soldiers of the 489th Regiment were ready and waiting for the Tongdeng Fortress to be captured before launching a fierce attack.

Just as everyone was expecting, two dark figures flashed by and disappeared over Dong Dang Fortress.

"What the hell?"

"It didn't explode? It's a stinky thing?"

"No way? It looks like two shots to me. They can't both be duds, can they?"

Some people clearly saw that at the moment of impact, two small plumes of smoke rose from above Dong Dang Fortress.

However, the effect of this smoke is weaker than that of a 60mm mortar.

This left the soldiers somewhat uncertain.

We've already given the orders from above, we can't afford to mess things up now, can we?
Just as everyone was discussing it, the delayed fuse of the bunker buster was finally triggered.

With a loud bang, the soldiers felt as if Dong Dang Fortress had jumped up, and then they felt the ground shake.

Even the underground command post of the 489th Regiment, located a few kilometers away from the Dong Dang Fortress, had soil shaken off.

After the explosion, Dong Dang Fortress collapsed inwards instantly, sending plumes of smoke and dust dozens of meters high into the sky.

"Fuck!"

"what's the situation?"

The soldiers were dumbfounded.

They couldn't understand what this thing was.

Dong Dang Fortress wasn't a Japanese pillbox; it was a fortress several hundred meters high. How could it have been destroyed in an instant?

This was completely different from what they had imagined: planes maneuvering nimbly through a hail of anti-aircraft bullets, diving to drop bombs.

They didn't even see the plane.

"Don't just stand there! Forward! Forward!" a commander shouted.

Once the soldiers realized what was happening, they put aside their confusion and began to advance under the cover of the tanks.

At this moment, the Vietnamese army was even more bewildered than the central army, or rather, they were practically going crazy.

On the southern highlands, Vu Vinh Trinh, deputy commander of the 12th Regiment of Vietnam, kept dialing the regimental headquarters.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

When there was still no response from the receiver, Wu Yongzhen slammed the receiver onto the table, then swept his arm across the floor, smashing the entire phone into pieces.

Everyone knows the horrific state of Tong Dang Fortress; probably not many of the one or two thousand people inside survived.

With the loss of Tongdeng Fortress, the Highlands were essentially left isolated and helpless.

As for the 339th Regiment of Vietnam, Vu Vinh Trinh didn't even glance at it. Without a fortress in front of them, it would be considered brave of the 339th Regiment, an independent regiment of less than a thousand men, to be able to hold off the Chinese armored attack for half an hour.

Wu Yongzhen's judgment was absolutely correct. He picked on the weakest link and, before encircling the fortress highlands, the 493rd and 495th Regiments surrounded the 339th Regiment of Vietnam.

The same three-pronged approach was used, and the defensive positions of the 339th Regiment were destroyed almost instantly.

(End of this chapter)