Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

After retreating to Basa County, the 316th Division of Vietnam dared not make any further moves.

Under Li Yunlong's orders, the 149th Division was reinforced again and then headed straight for Basa overnight.

In order to capture Basa, the 149th Division planned to have the 117th Regiment penetrate from the west, cut off the Huanglianshan Pass, and cut off the enemy's retreat.

The 115th Regiment, the Tank Regiment, and the Artillery Reinforcement Regiment launched a frontal attack on Basa along the highway.

The 95th Regiment of the 32nd Division was tasked with clearing the mountainous area along the left flank while ensuring the safety of the left flank of the 115th Regiment.

Soon, the Vietnamese 312th Division, which was holed up in Basa, learned that the 327th Division had run away.

Hu Zhongcheng was restless inside the temporary command post.

"What did the higher-ups say? When can we withdraw?"

This was the eighth time Hu Zhongcheng had proactively inquired about it.

"Report: The Ministry of National Defense still insists on the original plan, with the 312th Division positioned to contain the central army on the flank."

Upon hearing the communications officer's report, Hu Zhongcheng could no longer contain himself.

"Bullshit! Restraint, restraint? Does Wen Jinyong even know anything about warfare?!"

"The 327th Division has already fled, and we could be wiped out at any moment in Basa!"

"Commander, is it possible that this was Minister Wen's doing on purpose?" The chief of staff next to him pushed up his glasses, his eyes full of wisdom.

"What do you mean?" Hu Zhongcheng suddenly turned his head.

"You know, I have a fellow villager who works in the Operations Department of the Ministry of National Defense."

The chief of staff explained, "During my contact with him, I learned of a situation."

"The Soviet Union has amassed 25 troops, thousands of tanks, and thousands of aircraft. They are likely to launch a major operation in the north, at which point the Chinese army will definitely be caught off guard."

"At this moment, time is the most precious thing."

The staff officer didn't continue, but Hu Zhongcheng already understood.

How can I stall for time?

Time isn't something you can just talk about and expect to gain; you have to trade your life for it.

Whose fate? Lang Son? Or the 312th Division?
If he were the Minister of Defense, he would also choose the 312th Division.

If we can stall until things change, it would be worth it to include not only the 312th Division, but even the 327th Division.

However, despite understanding the situation, Hu Zhongcheng could not accept this outcome.

After all, it was him who was brought out.

Hu Zhongcheng's expression was uncertain. After thinking for a long time, he finally slammed his fist on the table, making up his mind.

"Order all units to withdraw to Beishan after dawn, strengthen the defenses of the forward positions, and prevent a sudden attack by the central army."

"Yes!"

Everyone in the 312th Division of Vietnam breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, the 115th Regiment crossed the 117th Regiment's position and continued to advance.

As the spearhead battalion of the 115th Regiment, the Second Battalion advanced southward.

However, when they reached Xiaofeng Bridge, the 5th Company reconnaissance team suddenly saw three people emerge from a dilapidated hut by the roadside.

The two were stunned when they met face to face.

The scouts of the 5th Company reacted quickly, immediately raising their rifles and shouting, "Don't move! Hands up!"

The Vietnamese soldier shouted and turned to run.

"Da da da"

Gunfire erupted immediately, and three Vietnamese soldiers were killed on the spot.

This burst of gunfire seemed to stir up a hornet's nest, as flares were launched from several nearby hilltops.

The 5th Company then realized that they had actually penetrated deep into the enemy's position.

The Vietnamese troops also used the light to spot the main force of the 5th Company.

Gunfire erupted instantly, and the fighting was intense from the start, with both sides desperately unleashing a barrage of ammunition at each other.

Lying behind a rock, the 5th Company Commander looked at the Vietnamese army's position in the darkness, trying hard to recall the map he had seen.

"Damn it, we can't fight the Vietnamese here!"

This location is very tricky, with several sharp bends in the road, and the surrounding hills offer a good view of these bends.

Especially Hill 899, which is currently under heavy fire, has three ridges, all of which face the highway. The Vietnamese army has set up four positions based on the terrain, posing a great threat.

"Pass on my order: one platoon will flank and attack position number 1 from the left flank, the rest of you follow me and attack the main peak number 4!"

According to the 5th Company Commander's assessment, the troops behind should launch a frontal attack on Hill 899. As long as someone attacks the Vietnamese Army's No. 1 position, the 5th Company's 1st Platoon can launch a perfect coordinated attack from the left flank.

Meanwhile, the 4th Company, which was following the 5th Company, had already taken action.

The main force of the 4th Company launched a frontal attack, while also sending a platoon to flank them from the side.

The 6th Company, which was following at the rear, immediately dispatched a platoon to attack position 2, while the rest of the main force flanked position 3 from the flank of position 2 through the mountain gully.

The three companies, without any communication, relied on experience and trust to execute a perfect teamwork.

While the two armies were engaged in fierce fighting on Hill 899, the battalion command also rushed to the battlefield upon hearing the news.

Accompanying Battalion Commander Ma Zhiwen were a communications platoon and a guard platoon.

Seeing the fierce fighting on the high ground, Ma Zhiwen ordered, "Set up a line immediately and contact the rear regimental headquarters to request urgent reinforcements."

The communications squad carried a two-watt radio, which had a communication range sufficient to contact the rear.

Upon learning that the 2nd Battalion had been ambushed, the regimental command did not hesitate and the 2nd and 8th Companies rushed to provide support.

After the two companies arrived at the front line, they immediately launched a fierce attack on position number 3.

The entire Xiaofengqiao area was in complete chaos, with gunfire and artillery sounds everywhere, and tracer bullets weaving a dense net of fire in the air.

The battle between the two sides remained deadlocked until dawn.

Inside the headquarters of the 312th Division of Vietnam, Hu Zhongcheng was caught in a dilemma upon learning that Xiaofeng Bridge had been attacked.

It's obvious without even thinking that the central army is targeting the 312th Division.

If the 312th Division engages in battle, it will fall into the trap set by the central army; but if it does not engage, the two battalions around Xiaofengqiao will likely be unable to withdraw.

After much deliberation, Hu Zhongcheng decided to sacrifice the pawn to save the king.

"Order the 1st Battalion and mortar company of the 174th Regiment to support Xiaofengqiao. Their mission is to hold out until nightfall."

"The rest of the troops, retreat immediately!"

In 1950, during the war against the French and the aid to Vietnam, a heavy rain fell. Even though General Chen urged them to hurry, the Vietnamese army was still delayed by an hour due to the rain.

Just when everyone in the advisory group thought the ambush was going to fail, they suddenly discovered that the French army had set off even later.

This 174th Regiment of Vietnam was the same unit that, along with the French army, was known as the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix.

The 174th Regiment set off, grumbling and cursing.

As for the 312th Division, they had already packed everything up, and with Hu Zhongcheng's order, the entire division immediately set off.

At this time, the 117th Regiment had arrived at the Huanglianshan Pass after a night of traversing mountains and valleys.

Upon seeing numerous Vietnamese outposts in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains, the elite detachment immediately launched a fire attack without hesitation.

However, the situation surprised everyone: the Vietnamese army had placed straw men at the outposts.

Seeing the straw men swept away, the company commander of the Sharp Knife Company realized that something was seriously wrong.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Before the words were even finished, the elite detachment was already under crossfire from the Vietnamese army.

It was very late and the Vietnamese army's visibility was poor; otherwise, the spearhead would not have been able to withdraw.

After withdrawing from the Vietnamese army's fire network under cover of darkness, the spearhead company attempted to outflank the Vietnamese army from the mountains.

However, due to the high mountains and dense forests, the troops were unable to move easily and were driven back by the Vietnamese army with heavy mortars.

After a series of defeats, everyone in the regimental headquarters looked somewhat tense.

According to estimates, the main force of the Vietnamese 312th Division will arrive at Hoang Lien Son by evening at the latest.

If the pass cannot be captured before then, the Vietnamese army will withdraw from this mountainous area.

Even if the 149th Division catches up, they will only be able to wage guerrilla warfare against the Vietnamese army in the mountains.

This is seriously inconsistent with the strategy formulated by higher authorities.

The Chinese army had no time to play hide-and-seek with the Vietnamese army.

"Commander, I'll lead the troops in one more charge!" the Second Battalion Commander declared. "Even if there's only one man left in the Second Battalion, we'll stand alive on the pass!"

“No.” Zhao Kang, commander of the 117th Regiment, shook his head. “We are infiltrating behind enemy lines. We don’t have heavy artillery, and a frontal assault would be disadvantageous.”

The area around the Hoang Lien Son Pass was too narrow, preventing the 117th Regiment from deploying its forces and thus from gaining a numerical advantage over the Vietnamese army.

Although air support can be called in, the aircraft's ammunition capacity is limited, making it impossible to provide sustained fire suppression.

When firepower and manpower are inferior, a direct assault would result in too many casualties. Looking at the map, Zhao Kang pondered for a moment, "There are three peaks at the Huanglian Mountain Pass. Any movement at the pass can be clearly seen from these three peaks."

“Especially this Daheishi Mountain, where the Vietnamese army has deployed a large number of troops, as well as 120mm heavy mortar positions.”

"If we take Daheishi Mountain, we can control these three high points, and Huanglian Mountain Pass will be as easy as taking candy from a baby."

The political commissar standing nearby said, "The plan is good, but this Black Stone Mountain may not be so easy to take."

The Vietnamese army wasn't stupid; they naturally knew the importance of Daheishi Mountain, otherwise they wouldn't have deployed so many troops there.

Moreover, the terrain of Daheishi Mountain is steep, making it difficult to attack from below.

"If we use conventional methods, this Black Rock Mountain is not much easier to fight than the pass, and the casualties will definitely be high, so we have to find another way."

Zhao Kang pointed to the north side of Daheishi Mountain, "This side is extremely steep, almost a cliff. We will take advantage of the darkness to sneak up to the top of the mountain from here, and then attack from the top down after dawn."

The area around Daheishi Mountain and Huanglian Mountain is a karst landform, and many of the firing points built by the Vietnamese army are not visible from below, so they usually suffer blows when they attack.

However, once the central army gains a high degree of advantage, the situation becomes very different.

After a brief discussion, everyone agreed that Zhao Kang's plan was very feasible.

In the darkness, the five soldiers of the third squad of the fourth company took the lead in climbing the cliff.

Five people gripped the cracks in the rocks and stepped on the stone edges, trying to minimize the range of their movements.

This operation was a surprise attack, and the most important thing was to prevent the Vietnamese army from focusing their attention on it, otherwise the attack would not have been successful at all.

Halfway up the mountain, a stone suddenly fell under someone's foot. The soldier, who had lost his footing, managed to pull himself up with his hands to avoid falling.

Suddenly, the Vietnamese troops fired a burst of bullets.

"Everyone stay still!" the squad leader immediately whispered.

"This is just the Vietnamese army sweeping randomly. Don't panic, keep your body low to the ground!"

Their position was on the flank of the Vietnamese army's position, and unless there was a targeted attack, it would be difficult for the Vietnamese army to hit them.

After firing for a while and seeing no further movement, the Vietnamese machine gunner stopped feeding ammunition.

"Looks like it's just falling rocks." The machine gunner also released the trigger.

The assistant gunner handed a new ammunition belt to the machine gunner, saying with a relaxed expression, "I told you it would be falling rocks. These rocks could fall with a gust of wind."

"The tension you created by firing this time is much greater than that of this rock."

"I'm just trying to be on the safe side."
While the Vietnamese soldiers were having a relaxed conversation, the five men had already made their move again, this time with even greater caution.

After more than an hour, the five students from Class 5 finally reached the top of the mountain.

"Immediately establish a defensive position to cover the actions of the others."

Those five were just the first wave. If there are no problems, the entire row will climb up based on the marks they left behind.

The risk of exposure during a large-scale operation is far greater than that of a five-person team. If there is a risk of exposure, the five of them would have to actively attract the attention of the Vietnamese army.

Perhaps because the previous strafing had led the Vietnamese army to believe it was a miscalculation, the platoon's actions this time did not arouse any suspicion from the Vietnamese army.

As dawn broke, dozens of men suddenly emerged from the mountaintop, startling the Vietnamese army.

Due to the terrain, the Vietnamese army built 88 small positions on Daheishi Mountain, but only two or three people could stay in each position.

Moreover, the Vietnamese army built all their positions forward, so when the central army charged out from the mountaintop, the Vietnamese army had no cover to use.

Along the way, no matter what pits or holes they saw, the soldiers would immediately fire a round of grenades without hesitation.

In just half a day, all 88 firing points on Daheishi Mountain were destroyed, and the two 120mm mortars left by the Vietnamese army on the position also fell into the hands of the Chinese army.

A platoon leader waved his hand and said, "We will build a blocking position with the artillery position as the core."

"Report to the regimental commander by radio and ask them to send two artillerymen over so we can make use of the enemy's artillery."

Cannons are not guns. Even if the artillery positions are fully equipped, they cannot fire them indiscriminately, otherwise they might accidentally fire them into the wrong place.

Upon learning that the 4th Company had completely captured Daheishi Mountain, Zhao Kang, who was directing his troops to hold off the enemy at Huanglian Mountain Pass, was overjoyed.

"Immediately intensify the attack on the pass, transfer two artillerymen from the artillery company to the 4th company, and bring in elite troops!"

By this time, the 117th Regiment had gained a high-altitude advantage and had also formed a pincer movement against the Vietnamese troops on the other two hills. Although the Vietnamese troops fought desperately, they continued to lose positions.

By 11 a.m., the 117th Regiment had completely captured the pass, and hundreds of Vietnamese soldiers had been killed.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese 174th Regiment in the Xiaofengqiao area was also defeated by the heavy artillery bombardment of the 149th Division, and the 115th Regiment continued to advance towards Basa.

The 312th Division of Vietnam, trapped in the Basa area, was thrown into chaos.
Inside the retreating headquarters of the 174th Regiment, Ruan Zhongliang was pacing anxiously.

"Haven't you contacted the division headquarters yet?"

The last order from the headquarters of the 312th Division of Vietnam was to fight to the death, and after that, they could no longer be contacted.

"No." The chief of staff shook his head. "The division headquarters is being relocated and may not have set up a radio station."

"That's too long." Ruan Zhongliang felt something was wrong.

Normally, even if the division headquarters were to relocate, their phones should be switched on regularly; it's unlikely that they would simply disappear without a trace.

"What about the communications soldier? Has he been dispatched?"

"Dispatched," the chief of staff reported. "I dispatched three groups in total: one group by car, one group by motorcycle, and one group by bicycle."

"But no one has returned yet."

As they were talking, a bicycle sped towards them from outside the command post.

The Vietnamese soldiers on the bicycles were practically kicking sparks out of their pedals.

Shouting all the way to the gate, the soldier jumped off the vehicle, tossed the bicycle aside, and rushed into the command post.

"Commander, something terrible has happened! The division headquarters is gone!"

"What did you say?"

Ruan Zhongliang's hand suddenly trembled, and the water glass he had just picked up fell onto the table with a clatter, soaking a large area of ​​the map.

"What do you mean the division headquarters is missing?!" the chief of staff exclaimed urgently. "Did you just not find the division headquarters?"

"Found it? No, didn't find it." The communications soldier looked panicked and spoke haltingly.

Ruan Zhongliang grabbed the communications soldier by the shoulder, "Explain yourself clearly, what happened!"

The communications soldier organized his thoughts, "When I arrived at the division headquarters, I found it was a complete mess, and there was no one there at all."

Is it possible that the division headquarters has moved forward again?

"Impossible." The communications soldier shook his head vigorously.

"There are still a lot of documents and even a radio station inside the division headquarters, but no one is there."

"However, just to be on the safe side, the car group and the motorcycle group continued to chase after them."

The regimental headquarters was completely silent.

No one knows what they're thinking.

"Commander, the division headquarters has likely advanced further, but their movement was rushed."

As he spoke, the chief of staff's voice trailed off.

This doesn't seem normal at all.

Ruan Zhongliang sneered twice, "Our master has probably already gone into the mountains."

"Commander, what should we do?" The chief of staff was clearly panicked.

The central army has already attacked, and the division headquarters has even fled. By any measure, they're being abandoned.

Ruan Zhongliang was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "We'll go into the mountains too!"

"This is my order: the entire army must retreat."

"No!" Ruan Zhongliang stopped the chief of staff.

“The terrain in the Basa area is steep and there are only a few narrow paths that are passable, which are not suitable for the retreat of a large army.”

"Moreover, once the 174th Regiment retreats, the rest of the 312th Division will definitely collapse instantly. At that time, the mountain will be full of people, and we won't be able to leave even if we want to."

"Order a hold-to-the-ground order, we're proceeding in secret!"

The chief of staff felt a pang of pity.

But then he thought about it again and decided to follow his heart. No matter what, the most important thing was to stay alive.

"I'll arrange it right away!"
With a large force drawing attention, Ruan Zhongliang's evacuation went smoothly.

What Nguyen Trung Luong didn't expect was that three days later, when he returned to Hanoi, he actually ran into Ho Chung Trong at the Ministry of National Defense.

The moment their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts.

The matter of deserting in the face of battle must never be mentioned.

They all managed to break through after a desperate battle.

Without command, the 312th Division was no match for the pincer attack from the central army and was quickly defeated.

Just as the 312th Division was being annihilated, the Chinese army had completed the final encirclement of Lang Son.

A great battle is about to break out. (End of Chapter)