Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 230



Only Noblemtl

#230. Stang and Austerlitz (7)

“It’s too late for that. Even if the messenger gets there, the enemy will already be engaged in combat. If we withdraw our troops then…”

“You idiot! If our artillery is overpowered, what will the enemy artillery do? They will immediately start firing at our troops in the skirmish line. If you have eyes, look!”

He scolded his staff, who said it was already too late.

He was not unaware of his staff’s concerns.

This was because if we had to suddenly withdraw while our tail was being bitten by the enemy, we had to be prepared for the rearguard to suffer great damage.

Nevertheless, the fact that he came out like this showed how urgent the situation was.

“There are still battalions left in reserve. How about putting them into service and focusing on the offensive?”

“Didn’t you hear the story about the 3rd Regiment yesterday?”

Umezawa said with a look of disbelief. If they were going to launch a large-scale offensive, they would have done so long ago.

“Yesterday, the Roske cavalry and the 3rd Regiment’s rearguard encountered each other. They were able to repel the enemy, but since we don’t know the exact number of Roske cavalry, we can’t deploy reserves recklessly.”

What the hell was so exciting about those Roske bastards, they would harass the rearguard units of our regiments, sometimes even maneuvering to the flanks, and really get on their nerves.

They did not attack head-on, but they moved as if they knew very well that the Japanese army was short of troops.

Moreover, since they were always in a position to attack when the opportunity arose, they could not carelessly waste their precious reserves. If they did, the cavalry would surely rush in and target the command and rear units.

“Tell them to withdraw their troops even if it means suffering some casualties! If we’re not careful, we’ll all die!”

“Oh, I understand!”

The staff began to hastily dispatch messengers to the battalions of mountain battalions.

However, most of the staff knew that they would not be able to arrive in time.

They could only watch as that poor infantry battalion advanced into enemy territory.

It was beginning to dawn on me that perhaps the artillery corps’ current disaster was only the beginning.

***

The company commander looked ahead, where small dots were slowly approaching. At first, the tiny dots seemed motionless, but little by little, they grew larger and formed a line and approached.

“The enemies are approaching in formation.”

The company’s senior instructor, who was also looking ahead while holding a telescope next to him, spoke as if it was something that had to happen.

At first glance, the enemy’s ranks looked disorganized, but to those trained in the Japanese military, it was a completely different story.

This was because I had learned that the enemy’s vaunted mountain barracks, the large-scale firepower projection through them, and the series of offensive actions that followed to break through the enemy lines were much more lethal than those of any other European army.

“Two companies in front of us. Those guys, it looks like they’ve thrown an entire battalion into attacking the forward positions.”

A dense enemy brigade consisting of two companies was slowly approaching. It was more than twice the number of troops deployed at the outpost.

Everyone held their breath and placed the shovels within easy reach, or some placed grenades on the grenades stand, ready to throw them at the last moment.

“It’s getting closer and closer.”

It looked like a dot before, and it was hard to identify it as something that didn’t move, but now it was possible to identify a human figure.

According to the basic tactics learned at the military academy, it was a human figure that could be identified from a distance of about 300m.

“Commander, shouldn’t we start firing at the firing line from now on to block the enemy’s advance?”

“Dismissed. There are no machine guns deployed here. We have to rely solely on the rifles, grenade cans, and grenades we have in our hands. And even if we shoot now, it won’t hit. We will start shooting when we can vaguely identify the enemy’s rifle.”

The company commander calmly dismissed the senior instructor’s suggestion to start firing now.

I vividly remember that Chief Kim Si-hyeok would occasionally come to the tactics lectures and teach various things.

Normally, if we assume that a battle will take place on the Korean Peninsula, the ideal infantry engagement distance would be between 100 and 200 meters, and anything beyond that would have to be resolved with artillery and machine guns.

That is why I warned that if all the references and the part-timers are not properly informed about the identification features of people and rifles according to distance, one small mistake could lead to uncontrollable results.

“It would have been nice if we had brought at least one Maxim gun from the kitchen defense ship···.”

“Come on. Why should we continue to covet what we don’t have? Get the grenade launchers ready soon. If we don’t have it, we’ll have to fight with what we don’t have.”

“What a pity. I could have just replaced them all with Maxim.”

The senior officer licked his lips as if he had missed a delicious meal and looked at the approaching enemy. Then, he gave orders to the grenade launchers.

“Grenade launcher, prepare to deploy.”

The grenadier was the most valuable and only artillery piece assigned to a company.

And for them, who were digging trenches and holding out, it was an irreplaceable firepower system.

“Fire on command. Do not fire without permission.”

He firmly warned the shooters. In this kind of battle, if the main firepower of the company, such as grenadiers, were to be fired at will, especially in the current situation where there were no Maxim guns, there would be a shortage of ammunition and support would not be able to be provided where it was really needed.

Above all, it was very important to control firepower as it would be quite useful in suppressing enemy scouts that were slowly approaching while digging a makeshift trench.

Sometimes, we had to let the enemies advance in dense formation.

Meanwhile, enemy companies continued to advance repeatedly.

“The enemies are advancing!”

The grenade launchers clenched their jaws, holding their trembling hands.

Everyone felt like they wanted to fire at any moment.

But the tiger-like senior pastor was quite calm.

“Stay still. You haven’t come close enough.”

He thought it wasn’t enough yet.

While two enemy platoons advanced and dug out shelters, one platoon was providing cover for them.

Immediately after that, another platoon advanced again, relying on the makeshift trenches built by the units ahead, and such a rapid advance continued, so there was little point in firing grenade launchers at this point.

“If the enemy encounters the barbed wire area, fire. Everyone, stay calm and wait.”

Eventually, they came across a barbed wire fence 200 meters away.

And that was the optimal firing line that he had set, and that had been explained in the tactical school textbook and the Peninsula War theory before that.

“Now! All grenade launchers, open fire!”

“Commence firing!”

The most vulnerable time was when the enemy encountered the initial firing line and began to swarm to breach the barbed wire.

At the command of each platoon leader, the grenade launchers aimed their launchers at the enemy, and soon, with a cheerful sound, grenades equipped with shock detonators fell among them.

The enemy had been suspicious because there had been no enemy fire for a while, but they were shocked to see them fire grenades as soon as they reached the barbed wire.

Some soldiers, trying to cut the barbed wire with cutters, either had their insides ripped out by the force of the grenades that exploded in the air, or were left lying on the ground screaming as shrapnel flew.

“Shoot rifle fire too! Shatter the dense enemy brigade with rifle firepower!”

The rifles that had been silent until then also aimed at the chests and heads of the enemies who had entered their sights.

Compared to the targets they usually saw in the training grounds, they were much more mobile, and their hands and hearts seemed to be trembling as they faced the enemy, but everyone pulled the triggers at the commander’s command.

Bang! Tadadadang!!

The battlefield, which had become relatively quiet except for the noise of the artillery, was instantly filled with the sounds of various battles made by the infantry.

The cacophony of the dull, muffled noise of our own rifles and the sharp noise of the enemy’s rifles was quite annoying to listen to for a long time.

Of course, there should have been a machine gun. That would have made this absurd orchestra even more perfect.

However, the enemies did not give in easily. When the company deployed on the forward line poured out a large amount of rifle fire at a pre-designated location, the enemies also lost their initial confusion and immediately began to return fire.

If this happened, they might have been in danger of being overwhelmed by the firepower of the densely packed mountain barracks.

“The enemy brigade has begun to move rapidly!”

“shit.”

When some of the troops rushed to clear the barbed wire and suffered significant casualties from grenade launchers, the clever enemy began to improvise their methods.

Instead of having most of the troops break through the barbed wire all at once, they were ordered to rely on pre-constructed trenches and return fire.

Bang! Tata tang!

When the friendly fire temporarily collapsed due to continuous rifle fire, the enemy commander, not missing the opportunity, dispatched a small force and began cutting the barbed wire here and there.

We tried to subdue them with grenade launchers and rifle fire, but it was difficult to subdue them one by one because they were breaking through in small groups of 3 to 5 people wherever they could advance simultaneously.

Besides, the problem existed elsewhere too.

“Commander! The unit leading the advance on the enemy’s far right has disappeared!”

“What? Does that make sense?!”

“It’s true! See for yourself!”

At the words of the company’s senior instructor, he quickly took out the binoculars hanging on his chest and looked at where they had been.

And just as he said, the enemy’s vanguard troops, who had been on the far right of the mountain brigade until just a moment ago, were no longer visible.

It seemed as though they had hidden themselves in the tall reeds, but it was not certain.

The company commander, whose spine felt chills for a moment, thought about asking the company on the right side of the border to strengthen security in that area, but it seemed that they too were fighting fiercely against the enemies coming from the front and would not be able to help them.

Eventually, he ran towards the 3rd Platoon on the right wing of the front line that he had set, passing by the acrid smell of gunpowder and the screaming wounded soldiers hit by enemy bullets.

Between the occasional bullets flying in, we could finally see the enemies breaking through the barbed wire and entering.

“It’s too dangerous here! Go back to company headquarters and take command!”

He looked at the platoon commander, Jeong-Hana Jeong, who was leading the platoon in place of the mortally wounded 3rd Platoon Leader who was dragging him away and shouted.

“Some of the enemy’s mountaineers on the enemy’s far right have disappeared! They may come in from the flank of your 3rd platoon, so be prepared!”

“Fuck, I understand!”

The refined man who answered looked to the side and thought.

Just in case, I drank all the cider that came out yesterday, then broke a few bottles and sprayed them all over the areas where the sickness seemed to be most likely to invade, and I hope that does the trick.

“The enemy has completely broken through the barbed wire!”

“Everyone, prepare your grenades!”

Enemies continued to surge forward from the front.

Enemies more than twice their size began to shout and stride towards the firing point.

Now, even with the naked eye, the faces, torsos, and rifles of the enemies could be clearly identified.

In just a little while, the enemy will reach the final defensive firing point in one fell swoop.

He felt the sword at his waist.

Perhaps it was time to bring out this thing that was thought to have no use on the modern battlefield.