Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 262
Only Noblemtl
#262. Hidden Victory (3)
Was the official casualty figure for the 55-day Battle of Nakdong River during the Korean War approximately 55,000, and was the combined combat/non-combat loss of the 20th Army of the 9th Corps of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir from November 26 to December 13, 1950 80,000?
The Japanese suffered heavy casualties similar to those they would suffer in future battles.
They may still have the strength to fight, but suffering these losses without even meeting the Russians in earnest must be a nightmare for them.
The headquarters must have been furious at this news. As a result, the enemy had no choice but to retreat, giving up on fighting any longer.
“The bad news is that five enemy divisions are scheduled to land early next year, around January. The landing site is not yet known, but it seems that there is a growing opinion that they could land directly at Jinnampo and clear out Pyongyang.”
“Is this information from the records research office?”
“Yes.”
As the winning streak continued, I had a dilemma.
We had to realize that the better we fought, the more the Japanese army’s goals were gradually reversing.
They knew that if Russia were to fall, our resistance would be futile, but they had defeated the enemy so decisively that the pride of the Japanese military and government was crushed to the ground.
Foreign media outlets were already mocking the Japanese military, which was struggling here.
With a sarcastic article saying that, looking at the course of the war, it would take exactly 10 years and 2 months of fighting to advance before they could barely reach Bongcheon.
A comical cartoon of a ridiculous-looking Japanese soldier lying on the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Tsar looking down on him and striking him with a hammer in one hand—and with the word “Korea” written boldly on the hammer—was so popular that it was even featured in the English-speaking press, including the Daily Mail.
It seems that the calculation was made because the Japanese army’s daily advance speed was approximately 100 to 150 meters, and the distance to Bongcheon was 375 kilometers.
In any case, not only were we being laughed at externally in this way, but Russia was confidently packaging our victory right after declaring war on Japan and publicizing it here and there.
“A storm of a different dimension is coming.”
“It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I think so too. We are being completely exhausted, while the enemy continues to push their troops forward. This is the true power of the empire.”
As Shin Pal-gyun said, it was obvious what the empire with its hurt pride could choose.
Even if the roles are reversed, we will move on to the next step only after we have suppressed our persistent resistance.
If we look at it in a positive light, it may have ruined the enemy’s grand strategy, but for us who had to face them right away, it was like opening the road to hell.
Moreover, it was also embarrassing. As they withdrew, they sent a letter in the name of the commander of the 1st Army Kuroki, saying this.
“’We’ll be back’… you damn bastards.”
“This is more of a threat than a farewell.”
It was most ironic, yet full of definite intention.
Indeed, if they were to give up here, it would be the most trivial of jokes, and at the same time, something terribly fatal to us.
“···The rarest turning point is approaching, where history repeats itself and legends begin once again.”
“Yes, we will make our mark on history. But I don’t know how many troops we will have left to mobilize before then…”
“We may be able to gather 70,000, or maybe even 80,000 soldiers in the entire Pyeongan Province. However, there are many places to defend, and our troops are still insufficient. If the enemy attempts to make a breakthrough with a large force, what can we do now?”
The 1st Army will also be reinforced as much as possible, and if five divisions land there simultaneously and advance toward Pyongyang…
It would now be difficult to even guarantee survival against enemies who were pushing forward across the entire front in overwhelming numbers, let alone defeating them individually.
“First, let’s clear the Hwangju defense line. I have to go to Pyongyang immediately.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to look for every way I can find in Sunmuyeong.”
After ordering the commanders on the scene to take control of the battlefield, I rode straight to Pyongyang without even stopping by the front line command post.
I couldn’t just sit here and face my predetermined fate.
It was a moment when the ancient Greek philosophy that humans are strong because they can choose the means to fight against fate had to shine.
Above all, we still had much to protect, so it was too late to lose hope.
There was too much to lose to give up.
We had to show everyone a glimmer of hope that we would continue to rise and fight.
***
As soon as I arrived in Pyongyang, I held an emergency meeting at Sunmuyeong.
The important thing was not an immediate victory, but to find a way to stop the enemy’s massive force.
“Including the three divisions of the 1st Army and the five divisions that will follow, a total of eight divisions will be coming here. This is truly a huge scale.”
“This is a battle that cannot be won if fought head-on. No matter how well prepared Pyongyang is, how can it stop an enemy of nearly 200,000 people?”
Those who heard the information I gave generally reacted with a mixture of surprise and sighs.
An army of 200,000 men, something I had only heard of in dreams, was attempting to set foot on this land again since the previous Imjin Year.
Although, unlike that time, they were able to crush the 1st Army and drive it south of Pyeongan Province, it was obvious what would happen if the main force had arrived with determination.
The elite units, with limited ammunition, insufficient manpower, and endless wear and tear, were absolutely not digging themselves out of the ground.
“The enemy is in dire straits now. The militia is waging guerrilla warfare in the rear, and Hamgyeong Province is still holding firm. Where will the enemy aim in such a situation?”
“It must be Pyongyang. If we strike this place and destroy it, one of the main pillars of this country’s resistance will collapse.”
Min Yeong-hwan was right. The true pillars of the Korean Empire that could suppress the traitors in Hansung were in Pyongyang and Hamheung.
And since the Japanese army had not yet dared to advance toward the East Sea and its axis after the surrender of the Japanese garrison in Wonsan, it was obvious where they would aim their guns.
“If Pyongyang is destroyed, then Dalian and Lushun… and then they will probably engage in a roundabout battle with the main Russian-Western forces in Fengtian.”
Min Yeong-chan said as he rearranged the long-term pieces.
“So I guess I’ll be even more obsessed with this place.”
It was already an established fact that the Hwangju defense line was impossible to maintain.
The defense of Heukgyo and Junghwa was also difficult. The 1st Siberian Corps, which had advanced to counterattack the friendly forces in Songnim, also sent a notice that it would withdraw to Pyongyang after suffering over 3,000 casualties due to the tenacious defense of the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division.
“If you think about it the other way around… if all defense forces are concentrated in Pyongyang and you are prepared to fight the enemy, wouldn’t it be worth a try?”
“In the year of Gap-o, the Qing army of 20,000 men was completely destroyed. Why would the military commander have focused on the forward defense lines and fought against the Japanese?”
“But we are qualitatively and quantitatively different from the Qing army! If we gather all our troops, we can gather 80,000 men. Even if we save some troops to block the landing at Jinnampo, with 50,000 men, we can quickly repel the short-term decisive battle of the Japanese army! If the military commander commands the field battle once again….”
Now, having only defeated the enemy twice, there were people appearing all over the staff who thought that if they stepped in, they could turn even the worst battlefield around.
They seemed to think they could win by insisting on a showdown in Pyongyang, but I was happy to pour cold water on that.
“Even if Sun Tzu and Wu Zi were alive, it would be difficult to stop them. If the Russian army from Lushun and Fengtian came down, it would be difficult for us alone.”
“Your Majesty, don’t you have the Maxim cannon and French-made rapid-fire cannons that your grandson and Oja didn’t have? If you destroy the enemy again with firepower-”
I said, annoyed at the continued talking.
“Just like that, another enemy will rush into our defense line, exhausted from battle and out of ammunition. Why should we confront the enemy head-on, who is trying to advance and expend our troops gradually when our men and ammunition are limited?”
Now was the time to assess reality coolly rather than being excited and happy about the successive victories.
Only then will we be able to most wisely overcome the coming wrath of the Japanese military.
I sat down in my seat, barely calming my heart, which was about to burst from frustration.
The future that was just around the corner was starting to become so scary.
***
“Wow, His Majesty the Emperor is very generous. He has given special orders to our navy.”
“That order is nothing special. It’s just a urging to do something again that can give the enemy a big shock, like what happened in the waters off Busan last time.”
“Fuck.”
The two naval commanders, who were openly dissatisfied, were smoking cigarettes.
“Well, whatever the Emperor says, we had work to do right away.”
They said, unfolding a map with the sea route.
“According to information from the Records Research Office, a large-scale Japanese force will land across the Korean Peninsula at the beginning of December or at the latest in mid-January.”
“You’re not suggesting we intercept them, are you, Commander?”
The spirit of the moving fleet frowned. Recently, the Japanese navy and transport fleets had become less and less effective in dealing with trade sabotage.
“Because they split the fleet into small groups, neither Russia nor we can properly fight. Damn it, we can’t even afford the coal.”
“Hmm, have you ever thought about why this is happening? The enemy transport fleet can be split into small units. However, the Japanese Third Fleet, which is called the Waste Fleet, is starting to respond much faster than before.”
Even though the 2nd Fleet hasn’t joined yet.
It was to that extent even though it dealt a considerable blow to the 3rd Fleet.
The counterattack led by the 3rd Fleet began when the combined Korean and Russian fleets split into small groups to deal with the transport convoys that had been split into small groups.
No matter how old-fashioned they were, they were helpless against numbers.
In the end, there were many failures during the normal destruction operation, and the disappointed Russian Navy even withdrew from Hamheung, saying they would return to Vladivostok to reorganize their ranks.
“Hmm, surely there’s no such thing as a secret inside?”
“Surely not, I know all the officers in the Navy inside out. Maybe that’s why.”
Jang Gi-ryeom, who was soon to be promoted to deputy chief, spoke as he took out a document.
“According to the records investigation office, the Japanese navy installed telegraph facilities and a watchtower on Ulleungdo Island without permission.”
“Surely not, that···.”
“That’s right. It seems that Ulleungdo detected our fleet leaving Hamheung and operating in the East Sea and contacted the 3rd Fleet. They may be damned, but they’re smart.”
The Japanese Navy installed radio and telegraph equipment on all of its ships immediately after the sinking or severe damage of 18 transport ships at the beginning of the war, and began to install radio and telegraph facilities and coastal watchtowers and moats along the Gyeongsang-do coast and Ulleungdo Island to monitor the activities of the Korean and Russian navies along the east coast.
Two watchtowers have already been installed on Ulleungdo Island in just one month, and the remaining two watchtowers are expected to be completed early next year.
“This is our next goal.”
“···I thought His Majesty the Emperor was the only one with a big heart, but the commander is also quite the man.”
“If a man has ambition, he should do this much. Even Admiral Yi Sun-sin went down to land and fought when necessary.”
Jang Gi-ryeom smiled as he took out the operational orders he had drafted.
And that order was full of absolutely ridiculous content, such as the destruction of the Japanese naval telegraph facilities on Ulleungdo.