Anti-War Game: Starting from Normandy Campaign-Chapter 494 - 236: The End of the Battle of Jipyeong-ri and the Shifting Frontlines
Yes.
It’s literally a depletion of ammunition and supplies.
The grenades were thrown, the bullets exhausted, and the rations as well.
Now facing the US forces at the center of Chipyong-ni.
There was no way to attack.
A rifle without bullets could only be used as a stick, while most of the US tanks at the center of Chipyong-ni remained intact.
In just two days, even the flares weren’t all used up.
It’s hard to imagine just how much ammunition reserves the US forces at the center of Chipyong-ni had.
And the US reinforcements were about to arrive.
Facing a situation of being attacked from both front and back.
The Volunteer Army besieging Chipyong-ni finally chose to retreat on the evening of the third day.
....
Great Xia Federation, Seventh Special Forces Brigade.
Inside the lounge.
Watching the retreating Volunteer Army troops, the soldiers of the special forces brigade in the lounge all sighed, there truly was no way to fight.
All the bullets were gone, they couldn’t possibly charge with just rifles.
It was better to preserve the remaining forces.
However, after such a retreat, the situation of the ’Fourth Campaign’ became uncertain.
Qu Guang was also in the lounge, frowned and sighed:
"It’s going to be tough to fight from here on out."
The soldiers below were looking expectantly, and Qu Guang, pulling up the ’real-time map,’ began to explain:
"There were no US forces in the Chipyong-ni battle, so the Volunteer Army on the Eastern Front couldn’t go to the Western Front to cut off the rear of the US forces."
"The entire Eastern Front will shift from an offensive to a defensive state."
"Similarly."
"The Volunteer Army on the Western Front held out so long to coordinate with the Eastern Front’s surprise attack."
"But now that the Eastern Front can’t break through, there’s no reason to continue holding out on the Western Front."
"The 50th Army and the 38th Army on the Western Front are almost depleted."
"The Volunteer Army on the Eastern Front will retreat north, and the Volunteer Army on the Western Front will also retreat north, crossing the Han River."
"But these are not the most important things."
"The most important is that the battle at Chipyong-ni exposed the weakness of the Volunteer Army in terms of assault."
"The upcoming actions of the US forces will likely target the Volunteer Army’s assault weaknesses, with focused adjustments and strikes."
Qu Guang, frowning, finished speaking, sighed while looking at the map.
The newly arrived Li Qiwu from the US forces is indeed different from MacArthur.
From the beginning of the campaign, the ’Magnetic Tactics’ tested the night march limits of the Volunteer Army, keeping the US forces 20-30 kilometers away to shadow the Volunteer Army.
Then, with the comprehensive defeat in the Eastern Front by the Volunteer Army’s interspersing tactics, the US forces at Chipyong-ni, from division commander to corps commander, all thought they should retreat.
But the retreat order was firmly rejected by Li Qiwu, the US commander.
Moreover, an order was issued to hold Chipyong-ni at all costs.
Even pulling planes from the Japan garrison base in the Pacific Ocean to support Chipyong-ni.
Such sensitivity on the battlefield is evident.
Especially having held Chipyong-ni, exposing the Volunteer Army’s assault inadequacies that were covered up by victories in the previous campaigns.
It can be imagined.
After successfully holding Chipyong-ni this time.
Subsequent US forces, even if down to the last soldier, would fortify their positions.
Rather than retreating like the previous campaigns once they realized they couldn’t handle the situation.
Because they now have a successful precedent.
Subsequent US forces are bound to believe that they might be able to hold their ground too?
The battle at Chipyong-ni forced the Volunteer Army from both the Eastern Front and Western Front to retreat north.
Perhaps there is a saying about destiny at play here.
At the start of the ’Fourth Campaign,’ on the night before the Volunteer Army crossed the Han River, the Han River was frozen.
While retreating, the day after the 38th Army crossed the Han River, the frozen Han River thawed.
Providing the Volunteer Army a brief respite.
Similarly, due to this retreat, after the Volunteer Army retreated north of the Han River, they began mobile defense and elastic defense.
Meaning at daytime facing the strong attack and bombing by US forces, they would voluntarily retreat.
At night, they counter-attacked to regain positions, tussling with the US forces at one point repeatedly.
The firepower of the US forces was indeed strong.
But faced with the Volunteer Army’s small-scale counter-attacks across the entire front line, they were tortured into a helpless state.
Under Li Qiwu’s orders, the US forces initiated ’Operation Butcher,’ aimed at quickly leveling the uneven battle lines on both the east and west sides.
And continue advancing north.
Experiencing half a month of firepower attack, advancing only a few hundred meters daily.
The US forces finally managed to level the jagged battle lines on the Eastern Front.
And launched ’Operation Ripper’ without stopping.
This operation, designated by Li Qiwu, was a full-line assault with the tank cluster as the core to break through the central line.
A counter-encirclement tactic towards the Western Front Han City.
But faced with the Volunteer Army, which had adjusted for half a month, the effect seemed not as great as envisioned.
Although the tank cluster concentrated on breakthrough, they could only advance 3 kilometers a day.
Because the Volunteer Army, after counter-attacking by day, would retreat before the US forces arrived.
The ground was littered with mines, leaving anti-tank squads to intercept the armored units.
Faced with anti-tank squads, the US armored units needed half a day to stop and restart before advancing, let alone the mines all over the positions.
And after nightfall.
The Volunteer Army, who withdrew during the day, would return to harass the positions occupied by day, contending with the US forces repeatedly.
The Volunteer Army’s "night raid and day ambush" + "segmented interception."
Made this seemingly formidable ’Operation Ripper,’ with its core tank armor cluster, advance an average of no more than 2 kilometers daily.
At this time.
The US forces were already approaching the 38th parallel, and on the sensitive issue of whether to cross it, neither the military nor the US officials dared to lightly make a decision.
Because this was not a simple war.
But a war filled with strong political undertones.
Crossing the 38th parallel required considering the reactions from all parties, given the small advantage gained currently, considering whether crossing would provoke the Volunteer Army to fight desperately.
Moreover, consideration was needed that if they crossed the 38th parallel, with the current slight advantage, would it provoke the Soviet Union behind the scenes to act.
Because the peninsula here was initially delineated by the 38th parallel.
Pushed by both the Soviet Union and the US behind the scenes.
So after advancing past the Han River and occupying Han City.
Debating whether to push past the 38th parallel or stop for adjustment occupied discussions within the US forces continuously.
No one dared to make an easy decision.
However....
There was one person who dared.
That was the United Nations Army’s Supreme Commander, MacArthur.
While the military and officials were in distress.
MacArthur on multiple occasions proposed pushing past the 38th parallel and to set up a nuclear radiation-filled zone between the Yalu River and the peninsula to cut off the ’Republic’s’ supplies.
How to set up a [nuclear radiation-filled zone], is beyond doubt.
However, no one would listen to this insane proposal.
If they truly dared to drop that thing.
It would give the Soviet Union a pretext.
And given the Volunteer Army’s combat will, if they really drop it, they would dare to charge forward to attack the US forces.
Under such circumstances, not only would the Volunteer Army suffer.
They would be implicated as well.
MacArthur’s speech was too extreme, leading to the US forces not even having concluded the discussion on whether to cross the 38th parallel.
First, MacArthur was removed from his position.
Relieved from his position as Supreme Commander, with Li Qiwu, who led the US forces to victory in the ’Fourth Campaign,’ taking over as Supreme Commander.
And the 8th Army Group, previously led by Li Qiwu, also welcomed a new group commander.
Van Fleet.
This name is unfamiliar to many Blue Star players, but some who often experience the [Normandy Landing] battlefield know him.
During World War II, as a regiment commander, Van Fleet led troops in landing at Normandy.
The commanded troops became one of the fastest and least costly among several beach landings.
Later participating in the Rheinland offensive, penetrating deep into Imperial territory, gaining promotion from regiment commander to corps commander in just 100 days through battlefield achievements.
And now, only 6 years after the end of World War II....
