On the side of the wide road, in the dense grass, lay several dark figures, covered with weeds, and blended in with their surroundings.

The commander of the first battalion and the first company of Lei led Xia Yuan, Ma Da Dan, and Chen Lie to observe the high ground on the opposite side of the highway, he held a telescope, kept debugging, and kept observing, observed for a long time, and said: "It's strange, two days ago, I could see the US troops living on the high ground opposite, but today I can't see it." ”

Instructor Shao said, "Could it be that the enemy has retreated?" ”

Ma Da interjected: "Company commander, if the enemy retreats, can we take this opportunity to occupy the high ground opposite?" ”

Seeing that Company Commander Lei was still thinking, Instructor Shao said: "No, if we go to occupy the high ground on the opposite side now, it will be a mistake to act without authorization." ”

Xia Yuan observed the opposite high ground with the help of night vision devices, and the American troops on the mountain were indeed gone, so he said: "The instructor is right, we have not received the order to attack yet, and if we act rashly, we may be startled, and we need to be cautious." ”

"But, company commander, I suggest we report the situation here."

In the second stage of the Fifth Campaign, the 60th Army and the 15th Army of the 3rd Corps of the Volunteer Army were holding the middle line, and the enemy facing was the Pseudo 6th Division and the US 7th Division.

The retreat of the enemy in the mountains was not an unforeseen thing, probably in the hope of temporarily remaining on the same front as the main forces of the Western Front.

Sure enough, the observation at night and Xia Yuan's inner guess were confirmed, the American troops in front of them retreated a few kilometers back, consistent with the American troops on the Western Front, and the 180th Division's response was very simple, only two words.

Advance!

The order from the higher authorities was given, and the departments continued to set off.

Company Commander Lei led a company to take the opportunity to occupy the high ground where the American troops left one step earlier, and there were still fortifications left on the high ground, but most of the fortifications had been demolished by the American army.

Company Commander Lei said: "We will be able to use this position sooner or later. ”

One row.

The soldiers dug the fortifications for a while, and they were so tired that they couldn't do it, Wang Xiaoliang held the sapper shovel, and he was a little tired and couldn't straighten his waist, "Oh, no, no, no, I'm too tired." ”

Xia Yuan on the side followed the voice and said: "This war has not started yet, it is called tired, the fortifications are dug well, and it can save lives in the future, even if it is hard and tired, you have to endure it." ”

Liu Tiezhu said: "Platoon commander, Comrade Wang Xiaoliang is homesick. ”

Wang Xiaoliang's face was ashamed: "You are homesick, I still have strength." ”

He held the sapper shovel, bent down and shoveled a few times, the gun behind him slid to the front, he shook the gun again, back to the back, the comrades around smiled, the second squad leader Niu Fengyang said: "Digging fortifications is also part of being a soldier, soldiers can't do without three things, the same is food, the same is the gun, this is the other is the position, the fortifications are destroyed, the position is gone, the position is gone, the group is gone, and everyone is dead." ”

The third squad leader nodded: "Who said no, digging fortifications well, that is, treating your life well." ”

The volunteer soldiers in the first row still have a very high tolerance for the comrades who have newly joined the company.

Wang Xiaoliang doesn't seem to think so, in his opinion, the comrades in the team just think that he is young, small, and has no combat effectiveness, he waved the sapper shovel in his hand sullenly, and said in his heart, when he arrives on the battlefield, he must show some of his own skills, show them, and let them recognize themselves!

Time passed bit by bit, and during the period when the superiors had not yet issued combat orders, Company Commander Lei often took the three platoon commanders in the company to the enemy's front line to conduct enemy reconnaissance and prepare for the follow-up major counteroffensive.

After a few days of exploration, they had figured out the deployment of the US troops on the frontal positions of the company, and Xia Yuan showed his painting ability and simply drew the enemy's deployment on the high ground.

On the last day before the war, after the battalion headquarters meeting between Company Commander Lei and Instructor Shao, a pre-war meeting of the first company was held, and Company Commander Lei looked at the soldiers of the first company and said: "The higher authorities have already assigned the combat mission, and our combat mission is the strength of about one battalion of US troops on the three high ground on the frontal battlefield of our first company. ”

Company Commander Lei's eyes were a little solemn, and his voice was heavy: "This is the first battle in the real sense of the word when we enter the Korean battlefield, and our first battle is the enemy that is far higher than our own strength several times, this enemy is the most powerful enemy we have ever faced, logistics, firepower, and troops, we are far from being able to keep up with the enemy!" ”

"But!"

Company Commander Lei's voice changed suddenly: "Can we be afraid?" No, the fathers and the villagers are all watching, retreating, it is equivalent to putting them under the guns of the enemy, think about how many hardships our motherland has gone through along the way, and finally live a good life, but there are people who do not let us live a good life, then we will never agree! ”

The soldiers shouted in unison: "Never agree!" Never say yes! Never say yes! ”

Company Commander Lei shouted: "This war is destined to be unavoidable, we can't escape, today we go to escape, tomorrow our children will carry guns, to fight the enemy, this is not allowed, it is even more impossible, I would rather suffer more than my own children!" ”

"A good day is made by yourself! Today, we are going to use this gun in our hands to fight for a good day! ”

Ma Da shouted: "What's the American devil who cares about the special mother, Lao Tzu is not afraid, if you have anything, just come, shout a pain, Lao Tzu is not Ma Shunyao!" ”

Chen Lie was very calm: "No matter how strong the American devil is, it is also a person, and he will be sent away with one shot, it's not a big deal, it's just that the equipment is good, if there is not such good equipment, it is a group of pigs and sheep to be slaughtered, just do it with them, and we are also a hero when we die." ”

Xia Yuan didn't have so many bold words, his eyes were calm, and he said simply and rudely: "It's over!" ”

Instructor Shao said: "Yes, it's over, if the American devils dare to invade our motherland, then we must give them some color to see." ”

He glanced at his watch and said, "There are still two hours left before the battle begins, so get ready!" ”

"Yes!"

Since the 180th Division entered North Korea, it has been conducting training in the defense area, and I have only heard some veterans tell me that the US army has strong firepower and weak infantry, but it has not really fought with the US army, and there has only been one battle, and it is also Li Qiwei who misjudged that the center of gravity of the Volunteer Army may be on the central front, and sent reconnaissance troops to the garrison of the Third Corps displayed in the central part of the country to conduct reconnaissance, hoping to find out the deployment of the Volunteer Army on the central front.

Only one reconnaissance platoon entered the garrison of the 1st Battalion and 1st Company of the 538th Regiment of the 180th Division, and the 1st Company engaged it.

In addition, the 180th Division basically had no experience in fighting the US army, and this was such a difficult battle.

The first company has three high ground in front of it, and I am afraid that there is not a single battalion of troops stationed, so we should be cautious and set the number of US troops on the three high ground as one battalion, and the battle plan of the first company is very simple, treat the three high ground as nails, and pull them out one by one.

The platoon led by Xia Yuan quickly entered the battle site, their first platoon was a company of sharp knife platoons, which would attack from the frontal with the most powerful enemy firepower, the third platoon was their reserve, and the second platoon was interspersed, going around to the enemy's flank and launching an attack from the enemy's flank, according to the time agreement, the battle should not exceed two hours, once the American troops on the other two heights came to reinforce, then the situation would be unfavorable to the company.

The 1st Battalion, 2nd and 3rd Companies were to attack other heights.

On 16 May, the cold winter had passed, and the weather was gradually warming.

On the land of Korea, the troops of the Volunteer Army were making a rapid detour, and on the same day, the Third Corps and the Ninth Corps arrived on the Eastern Front to attack the starting area.

Everything is ready to go.

Eighteen o'clock.

The sun set in the western mountains, and the earth fell into darkness.

When everything is silent.

Suddenly, there was a sharp whistling sound from up and down the heavens and the earth, and it was the artillery fire of the volunteer army that began a large-scale catharsis on the enemy's defense line, and the piercing screams continued in the sky. The 3rd Corps and the 9th Corps quickly attacked, interspersed with detours, divided and surrounded, and in front of them were the five divisions of the ROK Army under Syngman Rhee, and in the face of the unprecedented artillery fire of the Volunteers, they were directly blinded, and after a full hour of artillery fire, the enemy's position had already been bombed.

The communication command of the Han 7th Division in front of the 9th Corps was completely destroyed, the road was blown up, the fortifications were swept across, and the position was in a mess, and the artillery of the 7th Han Division retreated 13 kilometers in a row before the infantry of the Volunteers could attack, but because the retreat was too far, the shells could not reach the front line of the Volunteers at all, and they withdrew from the battle prematurely. The anxious commander of the Han 7th Division wanted to organize the troops to hold on to the spot, but in despair they found that the Korean army was completely chaotic under the catharsis of the fierce artillery fire of the volunteers, and the commanders at all levels could not even contact their own troops.

With the rout of the Han 7th Division, the Han 3rd Division and the Han 9th Division on the side also quickly collapsed, and less than three hours after the battle began, the three Korean divisions on the front of the United Nations Army on the Eastern Front began to retreat desperately, but a more desperate news was still waiting for them.

In order to break through the encirclement network of the Volunteers, the commander of the Third Army Corps personally supervised the battle and ordered the three battalions to desperately capture the blocking position of the Volunteers.

The volunteers of the Ninth Corps became more and more courageous, and even staged a big pursuit, which was unprecedented.

And this gradual was only three hours before the start of the second phase of the Fifth Campaign, and the rout of the South Korean army was something that even the commander-in-chief of the Volunteer Army could not have predicted.

Just when the volunteers of the Ninth Corps were chasing the ass of the Han Third Division and the Han Ninth Division, the Third Corps in the middle also launched an attack on the US troops in the front, annihilating the four battalions of the US Army and the French Army and the South Korean Army, but due to the ferocious firepower of the US Army, the will to fight was also incomparable to the South Korean Army, and the battle line was not able to advance too far.

Even so, with the rout of the South Korean army, the Volunteer Army completely opened up a new situation from the Eastern Front battlefield.

Ten minutes after the start of the second phase of the Fifth Campaign, the command post of the 180th Division, under the dim oil lamp, the huge map was already covered with dense dots, and the positions of the enemy and us were clearly marked, and the small flags were constantly changing positions according to the changes in the situation.

Master Zheng turned his back to everyone and kept looking at the map. Just yesterday, he and other people at the division headquarters made arrangements that the 538th and 539th regiments were the first echelon, and the 540th regiment was the second echelon.

The 180th Division finally had a battle to fight, but the atmosphere in the command post was more tense than a little excited. It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I don't dare to slack off, everyone's nerves are tense with the situation on the front line.

Chief of Staff Wang said: "The 1st battalion and 1st company of the 538th Regiment have launched an attack on the 311 heights, 372 heights, and 343 heights, and a battalion of US troops is stationed on them.

Deputy Division Commander Duan also said: "All the commanders and fighters of the 540th Regiment are asking for battle, they want to carry out their tasks, and now is the time when the will to fight is high. ”

Division Commander Zheng condensed: "The 540 Regiment can't move, the combat tasks of all units are very heavy, if the 540 Regiment is dispatched, then the 60th Army will not have any reserve troops in its hands, and then the guard platoon of the division headquarters and the guard company of the military headquarters will go up again!" ”

Just before the war, the situation suddenly changed, and the other two divisions of the 60th Army, the 179th Division and the 181st Division, were temporarily assigned to the 12th and 15th Armies, and only the 180th Division was left in the frontal battlefield.

In the past combat history of our army, it was too normal for the troop structure to change with the changes in the battlefield, but the problem at present is that there is only one infantry division of the 180th Division of the 60th Army on the central front, and it will have to fight the US 10th Army, which is five or six times higher than the enemy.

The US Tenth Army is a group army with more than 50,000 men and complete equipment with mechanized troops, a large number of tanks, armored vehicles, and hundreds of artillery pieces.

The 180th Division was only an infantry division, numbering about 14,000 people, and the 180th Division only had only one mountain artillery battalion, equipped with 24 mountain guns, which was the American-made M1 75-mm mountain artillery captured by the troops at Yanxi Mountain when they were fighting Taiyuan.

This was the only heavy firepower in the division.

(End of chapter)