ebookland Chapter 682: Apple in the Hole
Chapter 682: Apple in the Hole
Wen Hengshan,
A new round of full-coverage bombardment has begun.
Several hilltops were completely covered in flames and smoke. Violent explosions continued one after another, and the earth seemed to be violently shaken by an invisible giant hand, and every inch of the land was trembling and spasming.
In the pit of the main peak, gravel and dust kept falling from the top of the cave.
Kang Huaifu sat on the ground, wolfing down canned fruit with Peng Yuan.
In order to ensure the counterattack against the British and Australian troops on the eastern front, the 38th Division of the 112th Army, the 1st Independent Brigade, and the 50th Army have been holding the south bank of the Han River for half a month!
After finishing the canned fruit, Kang Huaifu shook his head and said with some emotion,
"The Americans are so rich. They fire at least four hours a day. Tens of thousands of shells are fired on one hilltop, plus bombs. They have been firing for a week, and the intensity of the firepower has not decreased at all!"
Peng Yuan was a little disapproving.
"So what? All three positions are firmly under our control!"
Kang Huaifu recalled the past and said,
"Back when we were at the Jingbo Lake base, our supplies were much more abundant than those of the Japanese, but compared to the Americans, they were still small fry!"
When Peng Yuan heard about the Jingbo Lake Base, he was also fascinated.
"Lao Kang, it's a good thing that Lao Yin built an industrial base in Mulan. When the war breaks out, we have food, drink and clothes. Otherwise, we can't fight this war. It's a pity that our air force is completely silent now! We have to rely on the ground forces!"
"Old Peng, speaking of airplanes, I remember Old Yin said that the monthly production is 300, so it's not like there's nothing going on. Don't worry, I guess they're definitely planning something!"
The correspondent who was receiving the telegram suddenly turned around and said,
"The Chief of Staff called and said that without artillery support, the surface position of Hill 511 was lost. Two American battalions came up to attack, and now they plan to retake the position at night!"
Peng Yuan was startled, his eyebrows raised.
"The 511 position was lost?"
Hills 511 and 563, together with the main peak of Wenheng Mountain, are the three defensive positions of the 1st Independent Brigade.
511 and 563 are located on the southeast and southwest sides of the main peak position of Wenheng Mountain respectively. The three positions are in the shape of a triangle and can support each other!
This was the first time that a surface position was lost, mainly because the artillery unit suffered heavy losses due to multiple air raids. On the north bank of the Han River, all 1 18mm self-propelled artillery pieces of the artillery battalion of the 150st Independent Brigade were destroyed by enemy aircraft and are now unable to provide effective fire support!
Kang Huaifu also stood up.
"Call the Chief of Staff back and tell them to stay hidden in the tunnel. I'll send someone to help them retake the surface position tonight!"
"Yes!"
A trace of worry appeared on Kang Huaifu's face. The firepower of the US military was too fierce. The soldiers were holding their positions and there were casualties every day. Now the entire brigade has lost more than 700 people!
If the U.S. military had not launched this offensive, most of the officers and soldiers of this unit would have followed Kang Huaifu to Southeast Asia.
When Kang Huaifu thought of this, he felt a little distressed! He couldn't help but complain.
"Without air superiority, we have to fight a positional war to attrition. Let the 38th Army and our ace troops fight with the enemy here. Fortunately, we dug the tunnel early. I heard that more than half of the 50th Army was killed!"
"That's right, Lao Kang. I don't know what the higher-ups are thinking. Look at our 1st Assault Group. After Commander Yin left, the personnel were transferred away in batches, and even all the tanks were taken away. Now the remaining troops are simply used as infantry!"
Of course, the two of them did not know that the troops on the eastern front were encircling the British and Australian troops in the Hengcheng County area!
"Apples are being distributed! Apples are being distributed!"
Two soldiers carried a box of apples.
Shouting along the way,
I saw that every soldier was stuffed with a big apple!
Peng Yuan also picked up a bright red apple, took a big bite, and said,
"Lao Kang, try it, it's crispy and sweet!"
"Do you still remember the apple tree planted next to Old Yin's yard when we were at Jingpo Lake?" Kang Huaifu remembered something!
"Remember! What's wrong?"
"At that time, Lao Yin said that in the future, we should vigorously promote the planting of apple trees in Northeast China so that the soldiers can eat apples every day!"
"Haha, the conditions now are much better than they were back then, and apples are not rare anymore!"
United Nations Ground Forces Joint Command, Busan,
The atmosphere was tense and solemn.
Ever since the United Nations forces launched Operation Thunderbolt!
Westward direction,
The UN forces had been blocked by the Chinese People's Volunteer Army on the south bank of the Han River for 17 days and nights! Although the casualties had reached more than 3, they still failed to break through the Han River and achieve the goal of retaking Seoul!
Ridgway stared at the map on the wall in silence for a long time.
Behind him, Chief of Staff Howard said,
"General, it may seem safe to advance in unison, but the Chinese army has deployed troops to defend almost every hill on the south bank. If we attack them one by one, it will become a war of attrition. The price is really too high!"
Ridgway obviously saw this problem, looked at Howard, and said,
"Howard, do you have any good ideas?"
"General, since our goal is to recapture Seoul, we can concentrate our forces from one direction, break through the Han River, and head straight for Seoul. This will cause the enemy to shrink across the board! This is also a tactic we learned from the Volunteer Army!"
Li Qiwei curled his lips and expressed a different opinion.
"But there is another outcome, because if we advance alone, we will be eaten by the Chinese army!"
Howard nodded.
"General, you are right, but this requires a prerequisite, that is, the main force of the enemy is on the north bank of the Han River. However, I highly suspect that their main force may have gone to the eastern front to deal with the United Nations forces there!"
Ridgway was a cautious and stable person, and he rejected Howard's suggestion immediately.
"That's just a suspicion! If we do this, the risk is too great. If we have too few troops, the assault will be ineffective. If we have too many troops, we will not only have to withstand the fire blockade of the Volunteer Army, but also have to prevent ourselves from being surrounded by the enemy after crossing the river!"
As Ridgway spoke, he stared at the area of Hoengseong County on the eastern front. There were two brigades of the British Royal Army, a brigade of the Marine Corps, a division of the Australian Army, and a division of the US Army. If the Volunteer Army could mobilize its main force to the eastern front, he would be more than happy, because his goal was to recapture Seoul on the western front. This was not only the president's order, but also a must to restore the morale and confidence of the troops! This is called you fight yours, I fight mine! I just need to achieve my goal!
"General, we have a chance only if we use unexpected tactics. If we keep fighting a war of attrition, I'm worried that the funding from Congress won't be enough to support a few battles!" Howard still insisted on his opinion!
"Maybe you are right. We should withdraw a reinforced regiment from the 9th Infantry Division, pass through Xiuxiu Mountain, and make a flanking move!" Ridgway said, pointing to the location on the map!
An officer walked into the room with a telegram and handed it to Howard.
"General, this is Admiral Russell, the commander of the British Far East, requesting that the Marines be transferred!"
"Transfer, where to?" Li Qiwei thought it was ridiculous!
"He said that there were many riots in Kalimantan and that troops needed to be dispatched to suppress them!"
Ridgway decisively refused. What a joke! The main force of the South Korean army had been completely wiped out. Now the only ones who could help the US military share some of the pressure were the British and Australian troops.
"Impossible! Operation Thunderbolt is still going on vigorously. These British guys always have a colonial mentality. Tell him to discuss this matter with the President of the United States!"