Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Large armies gathered in the Dong Dang and Lang Son areas.

The central command received the report as soon as the Vietnamese 312th and 327th Divisions set out from their garrisons.

Li Yunlong and Ding Wei could see through the Vietnamese army's intentions at a glance.

"Old Ding, which one do you think we should attack first?"

Ding Wei chuckled twice, "Old Li, didn't you already have an idea?"

"If you don't fight the 312th Division, do you want to waste your time on the 327th Division?"

The heavy firepower of the central army on the eastern front is now concentrating in the Lang Son area, and the 327th Division has no chance of breaking through the southern defense line of Lang Son.

The logistics of the army, particularly in Dong Dang, cannot be compromised in any way.

Before encircling and annihilating Lang Son, the safety of Dong Dang must be ensured first.

Li Yunlong laughed and said, "If this were before the war, I would definitely be attacking the 312th Division in the Dong Dang direction, but now, the 327th Division won't have an easy time either."

"The biggest threat from the 327th Division is their tanks and heavy artillery. They can't compete with us in artillery, and as for tanks, we can leave them to the air force."

“That works.” Ding Wei nodded. “If we destroy their tanks, the Vietnamese army should be unable to launch an attack.”

Even if this plan fails, it will not have any impact on the siege of Lang Son; at most, it will just consume some ammunition.

In terms of results, it's definitely worth a try.

Looking at the map, Li Yunlong ordered, "Chief of staff, send a message to the 149th Division, instructing them to send a reinforced battalion to advance rapidly to Tongdeng, seize the high ground between 351 and 463, and block the enemy."

"The rest of the 149th Division followed suit, preparing to outflank and encircle the 312th Division in one fell swoop."

“The troops on the southern side of Lang Son resisted step by step, gradually opening up the passage and letting them in, and then blocking them at Ta Tou Mountain.”

"Air Force, prepare for bombing."

"yes!".
Upon receiving the order, the 4th Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 116th Regiment, as the spearhead company, took the lead and was responsible for seizing Hill 351. The 6th Company followed closely behind and seized Hill 463. The 5th Company served as the reserve force and advanced with the command post.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion advanced rapidly, and when the Fourth Company reached Hill 351, they were surprised to find that there were no Vietnamese troops there.

"Old Fang, something's not right. Why aren't the Vietnamese troops seizing advantageous terrain?" Company Commander Li Tank raised his binoculars.

Looking at the 4th Company unfolding its formation, Instructor Fang Bo said, "Something is definitely amiss."

"The Vietnamese 312th Division had to take this road down the mountain to attack Dong Dang, and their elite troops couldn't possibly be unaware of this."

"If the Vietnamese elite troops aren't here, then they must be somewhere else."

Li Tank's gaze fell upon a small hill to the south.

Although that hill was small, it was still several tens of meters higher than Hill 351, and it was also closer to the road than Hill 351.

"A long line!"

"To!"

Pointing to the high ground to the south, Li Tank ordered, "Take a platoon and a heavy machine gun squad and move forward to clear the high ground over there."

"Yes!"

The platoon leader knew that there was a high probability that Vietnamese troops were lying in ambush there, so he divided the platoon into three.

The second squad was on the left, the third squad on the right, and he himself led a frontal advance with a regular and a heavy machine gun.

However, to the platoon leader's surprise, they suddenly heard the sound of machine gun fire while they were still moving.

The soldiers stopped advancing instantly and lay prone on the ground, searching for the enemy.

A few minutes later, seeing that the Vietnamese troops had not continued firing, the platoon leader sensed something was wrong.

"Damn it, we've run into a seasoned pro."

Without getting up, the platoon leader gestured for each squad to disperse and crawl forward.

Despite everyone's caution, it's impossible to remain completely hidden when moving around in the tropical rainforest; the grass moves with every movement.

The Vietnamese army would fire a barrage of bullets and grenades at the slightest movement of the grass, whether it was wind or people.

The enemy was in the dark while we were in the light; a row of soldiers were suppressed and unable to move.

Hearing the gunfire coming from the direction of the high ground, even though Li Tank couldn't see the battlefield, he immediately realized that the first platoon was in trouble.

He only heard the sound of Vietnamese gunfire, but not a volley of gunfire, especially not the sound of heavy machine guns, which was very strange.

"Fire smoke grenades with 60mm mortars, and then the first platoon will retreat."

"Communicator, contact the artillery company immediately, ask for their location, report their coordinates, and request artillery company support."

Based on the gunshots, Li Tank judged that it must be a spearhead platoon of the Vietnamese army.

If the main force were there, they could have easily leveled this small hill. However, the Second Battalion was the vanguard and was lightly armed; their 82mm mortars were already their heaviest weapon.

After Li Tank gave the order, the two 60mm mortars immediately fired several smoke grenades, and a row of guns in front was shrouded in white smoke.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the first row was successfully withdrawn.

However, immediately afterward, a mortar shell was fired from the Vietnamese position.

The Vietnamese army relied on sound to locate enemy positions, and blind firing a single shot to counter the four-mortar battery was only possible from a considerable distance.

"Damn it, those bastards even brought mortars, they're no pushovers."

"Tell the fire support platoon to bombard it twice first, and the artillery company's support will arrive soon."

Neither side could see the other, and they relied entirely on experience to fire the artillery.

At first, the two sides fought fiercely and evenly, but when the artillery company arrived, the four 82mm mortars completely suppressed the Vietnamese army.

After several rounds of intense bombardment, the Vietnamese mortars fell silent, and the 4th Company charged forward.

Despite the fact that the Vietnamese positions had been bombed beyond recognition, they continued to put up a stubborn resistance.

However, the coverage area of ​​the six mortars was extremely large, and as soon as the Vietnamese army fired a shot, they were immediately met with artillery fire.

As the flanking forces on both sides broke through the Vietnamese army's defenses, the Vietnamese army retreated in panic.

This is one of the things that frustrates the soldiers in the tropical jungle: if the disguised Vietnamese soldiers try to run away, the soldiers can only fire randomly at the branches that are moving.

As for whether it will hit the mark, that's up to fate.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the 4th Company found only 12 bodies; the wounded had already been taken away by the Vietnamese army.

After securing the strategic location, it was already getting late.

Looking at the darkening sky, Li Tank said, "The enemy has suffered losses and will definitely come back. We need to set up blocking positions tonight."

"The first platoon will set up firing positions on this high ground, the second and third platoons will deploy on Hill 351, and the engineering teams will lay mines around the perimeter of the position, using all the mines they brought."

"yes!".
The three engineers had just buried a few trees when they suddenly heard a loud 'boom,' followed by the wailing and howling of Vietnamese soldiers.

The three looked closely and saw that a Vietnamese night raid squad had crept up, and four or five men were lying on the ground groaning in pain.

"Holy crap! They actually came!"

"Quickly, set mines! Set mines!"

They were carrying directional mines, which could also be used for attacks if the direction was adjusted correctly.

The three men fired as they quickly planted the landmines.

When the Vietnamese squad rushed up and captured the three of them alive, they were immediately in deep trouble.

A single one-way landmine contains 800 steel balls.

Amid a series of explosions, thousands of steel balls riddled the leading Vietnamese soldiers with holes.

At this moment, the soldiers of the 4th Company had arrived as reinforcements. Seeing that the situation was not good, the Vietnamese army immediately withdrew with the wounded.

"Commander, according to reconnaissance, the Central Army has occupied Hill 351, Hill 463, and Hill 402."

"For our army, Hill 402 is the most suitable target for attack."

Hill 402 is the position where the two sides just clashed. The terrain here is narrow, making it difficult to deploy many troops and build complete fortifications.

If the Vietnamese army can break through here, the other two positions will be easier to capture.
After listening to the chief of staff's report, Hu Zhongcheng, commander of the 312th Division of Vietnam, ordered without hesitation: "Let the 122mm howitzer battalion and the 85mm cannon battalion open fire, and the 148th Regiment launch an attack."

Two artillery battalions of the Vietnamese army and the 120mm mortar company of the 148th Regiment bombarded Hill 402 fiercely.

Smoke billowed across the high ground, and tree branches and debris flew everywhere. The artillery fire continued for half an hour before the Vietnamese army launched their attack.

At this time, on Hill 402, due to the terrain, the platoon that remained behind had retreated behind the ridgeline, and the Vietnamese artillery fire had little effect.

Seeing the Vietnamese troops approaching, the platoon leader casually spat a blade of grass onto the ground and shouted, "Communicator, report the location immediately and order the artillery to open fire!"

此时的149师已经将炮兵团展开，师属122毫米榴弹炮、85毫米加农炮、107毫米火箭炮，以及加强152毫米加榴炮齐齐开火。

With just one volley of fire, the area 200 meters in front of the 402 position was completely covered by explosions.

The Vietnamese troops withdrew without firing a single shot.

Looking at the Vietnamese soldiers who were dead and wounded, the platoon leader laughed and said, "Let's fight like this."

"Let's take a break today and just be the eyes of the artillery."

"Slaughter these bastards with artillery shells."

Faced with China's use of artillery to bully them, the Vietnamese army had no way to do anything.

In just one night, the central army artillery positions fired more than 20,000 shells.

The Vietnamese troops dared not even turn on the lights when they were assembling, let alone attacking.

The main force of the 312th Division was all stranded along the highway, and the vanguard only dared to launch attacks in the form of companies and platoons.

At 5:30 a.m., as dawn broke, the Vietnamese artillery concentrated its fire again, attempting a final stand.

In order to maximize the chances of success, the 3rd Battalion of the 148th Regiment launched another group charge.

However, faced with overwhelming firepower, the more Vietnamese soldiers there were, the greater their casualties became, making it impossible for them to advance.

During this period, the Vietnamese army also tried various methods, but tactics such as small groups of soldiers and flanking maneuvers failed one after another.

The battle continued until noon. The Vietnamese army's attacks became increasingly weak, and they no longer had the courage to launch large-scale charges. Instead, they mainly harassed the enemy with only two or three soldiers at a time.

Faced with this rapid in-and-out harassment, the heavy artillery couldn't react in time, but the battalion's 82mm mortars reacted very quickly.

The Vietnamese troops were almost always bombarded by artillery or strafed by heavy machine guns.

Before nightfall, when the Vietnamese army took stock of their casualties, Hu Zhongcheng became restless.

"More than 1000 casualties in less than 24 hours, how was this battle fought?!"

Hu Zhongcheng felt like his head was about to explode.

"Commander, the enemy's firepower is too strong, and they also have air superiority. Our firepower is at a disadvantage."

Although the Chinese army did not deploy a large air force to deal with the Vietnamese 312th Division, even if only a few planes were circling in the air, the Vietnamese army would not dare to assemble a large-scale artillery force.

The only option for the Vietnamese army was to spread out in small groups and wait for an opportunity to open fire.

Compared to a salvo from a central artillery regiment, the firepower intensity of this method is significantly weaker.

After thinking for a long time, Hu Zhongcheng, who couldn't come up with a good idea, chickened out.

"Order the rear guard to become the front guard, and the main force to withdraw to Basa County. We will wait for an opportunity to act."

The fighting hasn't even started in Lang Son yet. If the 312th Division is wiped out first, then that's just nonsense.

While the 312th Division of Vietnam was blocked on the road and being shelled, the 327th Division of Vietnam also attempted to launch an attack.

The situation in Lang Son is getting worse, and they must open up the passage as soon as possible.

Because of their armored advantage, the Vietnamese army made good progress at the beginning and broke through two blocking positions in succession.

This also relieved Ruan Binh Hai.

"Great! With Liangshan Mountain up there, the Chinese tanks and artillery can't get over there. We now have a firepower advantage."

If the central army only uses infantry to infiltrate, Nguyen Binh Hai is not worried.

Infantry can carry mortars at most, but mortars are not very effective against tanks.

Feeling more at ease, Ruan Pinghai became even bolder in his actions.

However, he failed to notice that although the Vietnamese army was deploying more and more heavy equipment at once, their breakthrough speed was getting slower and slower.

When they were still 15 kilometers away from Lang Son, the 327th Division of Vietnam was completely unable to advance.

Despite the continuous artillery bombardment by the Vietnamese army, and despite the fact that the Chinese positions appeared to be on the verge of collapse, the Vietnamese army's repeated assaults failed to achieve a breakthrough.

"Give it your all, give it your all!" Ruan Pinghai's eyes were bloodshot.

"Pass on my order: concentrate the full strength of the 327th Division for the next attack, and break through the central army's defenses!"

At the same time, Li Yunlong also issued orders at the Eastern Front forward command post.

"The Vietnamese army has taken the bait. Their entire division is trapped on the highway like a dead snake. Now it's our turn to join them!"

The Vietnamese army made a rapid breakthrough on the front, but its progress on the left and right flanks was very slow. This allowed the Vietnamese army to advance straight towards Lang Son like an arrow.

It is both long and narrow.

If Ruan Pinghai were given some time, he would definitely be able to come to his senses, but Li Yunlong couldn't afford to give him that time.

"Order the air force to immediately launch a bombing raid on the Vietnamese 327th Division!"

Following Li Yunlong's order, hundreds of planes that were already prepared at the airport began to take off one by one in sequence.

Leading the charge were still fighter-bombers carrying large electronic warfare pods.

The Vietnamese army once again experienced the terror of being outmatched by a generational gap.

Even though the lead fighter jets had already swooped down from the clouds, the Vietnamese air defense radar still showed nothing.

Since the radar could not detect the target, the missiles could not be launched, and the Vietnamese army could only rely on visual operation of the anti-aircraft guns to fire.

The fighter jets came specifically for them.

Shooting down a high-speed fighter jet by visual means alone is extremely difficult.

Fixed, immovable anti-aircraft gun positions, however, became easy targets for fighter jets.

Whether it's machine guns or missiles, once they hit, the Vietnamese army's air defense points are basically rendered useless.

As he watched the fighter jets circling overhead, locked in combat with anti-aircraft guns, Nguyen Binh Hai's eyes grew increasingly desperate.

He doesn't believe that the Chinese Air Force only sent these dozen or so fighter jets; the bigger ones are probably still to come.

It was only then that he realized he had been tricked.

The highway from Lang Son to Chi Linh is perfectly straight, making it incredibly convenient for bombing.

When the Vietnamese anti-aircraft guns were almost destroyed, Nguyen Binh Hai, who had been looking up, saw a large group of bombers appearing in the clouds in the distance.

Ruan Pinghai closed his eyes in despair.

The carpet bombing began.

The entire 327th Division of the Vietnamese army was almost completely covered by the explosion.

After dropping all its bombs, the bomber turned and left, and the attack aircraft following closely behind swooped down.

Whether it's a tank or an armored vehicle, from the moment they were invented, they have had little protection against attacks from above.

More than a dozen attack aircraft swooped back and forth across this stretch of more than ten kilometers where Vietnamese troops were concentrated, and the Vietnamese troops had no way to deal with them.

Within just a few tens of minutes, the 327th Division of Vietnam suffered a devastating blow.

The tank regiment and artillery regiment were almost completely wiped out, and even though the two infantry regiments each had their own positions, they suffered over a thousand casualties in one go.

Seeing the smoke and fire all over the ground, Ruan Pinghai could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Pass on my order: all troops must retreat immediately, and retreat at the fastest speed possible."

"Order the 98th Regiment to advance lightly and quickly, establish a position in Youlongbei, and support the retreating troops."

After saying that, Ruan Pinghai closed his eyes, tilted his head, and fainted.

The 327th Division of Vietnam was in complete chaos.

However, at this point, the central army's attention was no longer focused on the Vietnamese 327th Division.

On the other side, although the 312th Division withdrew to Basa, the 149th Division had no intention of letting them go. (End of Chapter)