Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 276
Only Noblemtl
#276. Matryoshka (2)
The Japanese military will probably know this as well.
As the name Sachang-ri suggests, it was a small but important logistics hub through which major supplies transported between Pyeongan and Hamgyeong provinces passed.
If we capture this place, we will be able to choose the military supplies in Sachang-ri as well as the routes to the north and east.
Of course, the problem is that the mobility path is extremely narrow and limited.
“Between the mountains and the hills, we will wait for the enemy’s most vulnerable moment. When the enemy encounters the strongest defense line of our front, he will lose his strength like an apple whose skin is peeled off.”
“···I understand what you mean. Are you planning to completely surround the enemy and destroy them?”
“Of course.”
“I wonder where you learned that strategy from.”
Well, there is one case that happened in a similar neighborhood.
There was a precedent where the US 2nd Division, defeated at Kunwoo-ri, suffered Indian whipping and 80% of the division’s troops were incapacitated, and they too had to suffer the same humiliation when they were caught up in the Chinese army’s bold infantry maneuvers in terrain with limited routes of advance and retreat.
Coincidentally, the Japanese 2nd Division was coming in at a similar time, so I decided that there was plenty of room for application.
Even the Chinese army was able to render paralyzed over 20,000 US soldiers, including the ROK and allied forces, who were assigned to a division of only 10,000 soldiers.
Moreover, the Japanese military did not have the massive aircraft or vast supply capabilities that the Americans had.
If you seize the opportunity properly, you can completely wipe out your enemies with little damage.
This also meant that it was a battlefield where infantry could run wild as long as their mobility was utilized properly.
“Anyway, I’m planning to meet the enemies at Sachang-ri. I’ll see you again soon.”
“I see. By the way, is it okay if I don’t go see His Majesty?”
“There is no time. If we delay, the enemy may surround Hamheung after a while. We will have to destroy one axis to stop the enemy.”
“···I understand. Until you arrive, I will lead the 8th Brigade and go out to the Hamheung Plain.”
It also seemed that he intended to go down to the Hamheung Plain and directly or indirectly pressure Wonsan with the aim of blocking the Japanese army’s advance northward.
In fact, the Hamheung Plain had plenty of space to buy enough time to stop the enemy if you just took the right position.
“Then I wish you good luck.”
“Your Majesty, thank you for kindly giving me the Guards Division.”
I spoke honestly.
Then, he, who had never let go even once, smiled faintly, waved his hand, and slowly turned back in the direction he had come from.
***
“Commander, aren’t we chasing them too deeply?”
“It doesn’t matter. How far would those bastards have gone to run away with over 100,000 people in fear? We should slaughter them all.”
Lieutenant General Nishijima Sukeyoshi said as he watched the soldiers of the 2nd Division marching in four columns along a road between mountain paths, singing the “Snow March.”
As Brigade Commander Umezawa of the Imperial Guards Division said, the 1st Army in the Samnam area has sufficiently recovered from its previous defeats and has also vented its anger as much as necessary.
And this time, he was heading to the front with two missions.
One was to imprison the Joseon bastards in the northeast, and the other was to strike at those imprisoned bastards if possible.
It was the 1st Army’s directive to carry out at least one of the two if possible, but Division Commander Nishijima Sukeyoshi had no intention of doing so.
“It was obvious why the enemy abandoned Pyongyang in the first place. The wounds they suffered while fighting us were greater than we thought.”
“In fact, the headquarters also reported that the North Korean soldiers in Pyongyang had suffered heavy losses. They said that they had to withdraw after suffering losses of at least 30% of their total force.”
“Then that’s right. It’s unfair that only we die, and we can’t get hurt. That’s not war. It’s a cowardly fight.”
If it was true that the Joseon people had suffered great losses and retreated, Lieutenant General Nishijima intended to carry out both of the orders given by the First Army Commander.
“Well, Chief of Staff. What was the reason that the number of North Korean soldiers we encountered in Pyeongan Province remained the same?”
“It appears that the main force of Hamgyeong Province was being deployed in succession to make up for the losses of the Pyeongan Province defense force.”
“Hahaha! These idiots fought while cutting off their own flesh. There’s no way that turnip guy would just run away. He’s such a coward. Let’s chase after him quickly and kick his asses, and beat him up as much as we can before the follow-up troops arrive.”
The division commander responded to the chief of staff’s words with a cold breath.
Those dirty Joseon bastards, they cowardly kicked us out of Pyongyang without even putting up a fight like men.
After the bloodless capture of Pyongyang, an optimistic, if not overly positive, atmosphere spread throughout the 1st Army and its divisions. The 2nd Division was no exception.
“Besides, thanks to the fact that we’ve wiped out all the rioters in Daegu and Sangju, everyone is in a good mood. All that remains is victory.”
“Huh, how dare you block the path of the Imperial Japanese Army, that’s what’s going to happen to you.”
Lieutenant General Nishijima snorted in response. As far as he knew, soldiers, especially warriors, had to fight even when they knew they would lose, and even if they lost with all their might, they had to fight and die.
But the Joseon people were far from that.
At first, he too was inwardly amazed at the great victory they had won at Jinnampo and Hwangju, but his mind began to change as he went south of Gyeongseong.
It was impossible to expect the honor of warriors from those who fought as if they were rioters.
Not only that, but so did countless officers and soldiers, and they were made to pay a just price.
They burned down villages to the ground and beheaded, one by one, the would-be rebels who had been waiting for the right moment to deceive them and attack them.
And when I thought about the massacre of people and even livestock in the suspected areas, my stomach, which had been bloated from the previous defeat, seemed to sink again.
“By the way, Chief of Staff, what did you say the 2nd and 3rd Armies were doing?”
“The 2nd Army was sweeping away the Russians on the outskirts of Lushun when we entered Hamheung from Anju. The 3rd Army is said to be directly attacking Lushun in earnest.”
It seemed that the battle on the Liaodong Peninsula was also continuing with great intensity.
In the first battle, the 2nd Army succeeded in capturing Jinzhou Castle, but in the Battle of Nanshan that followed immediately afterwards, they suffered 6,200 casualties, 16% of the total force, and consumed 30,000 shells of various types and 2.9 million rounds of personal firearms ammunition, barely opening the way to Lushun.
“Tch, I’m a little worried that the 2nd Army’s damage will be severe.”
“But if you keep pushing forward with a fighting spirit, it will work out somehow.”
Although no one showed it, the eldest son of the 3rd Army Commander, Nogi, was killed by machine gun fire or artillery fire from Roske’s soldiers during the first battle.
It seems that he was exposed to Roske’s fire while leading the way to break through the defense line blocked by barbed wire and mines.
The tragedy was not limited to that. As the rear units were delayed in their deployment, essential field hospitals were not properly set up, causing many wounded soldiers to suffer.
A field hospital was hastily set up, but its capacity was limited to 800 people, and the number of Japanese soldiers wounded in Namsan was more than four times that number.
However, the exchange rate was not satisfactory.
The Russian casualties were over 1,000, and the number of prisoners taken was less than 2,000. The exchange rate was roughly 4:1, so the 2nd Army was seriously at a disadvantage.
“Well, that’s true. Anyway, we’re beating up those cowardly Joseon guys. If we were to be seen from the side, the enemy would be surprised and fall over, right?”
“Of course. If that happens, the Guards Division, which will occupy Wonsan and advance to Hamheung, will be able to break through the enemy’s last line of defense.”
The division commander, who was listening to the chief of staff’s words, suddenly opened his mouth as if an idea had occurred to him.
“Will we arrive at a place called Sachang-ri tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Give the soldiers a hearty dinner and prepare to attack tomorrow morning.”
“Yes? But everyone is exhausted and the artillery hasn’t arrived yet. They were sent back because they were hindering our movement, so they’re half a day’s journey away from here. After joining up with them, you can attack…”
The division commander ignored the dumbfounded words of the chief of staff and gave the order in a strong tone.
“It’s an order. We can’t give them any more time.”
They would attack at lightning speed, not even allowing the enemy time to respond.
Of course, they were worried that the artillery regiment would be a nuisance and hinder the infantry’s movements, so they had to keep it behind, but they thought that even that would be excessive, considering the enemies that would be in front of them, who were at best a militia.
Besides, if we gave them time to wait for the artillery, who knows what tricks that cunning Joseon military officer might come up with next.
The 2nd Division commander, after assessing that the benefits of rapid infantry movement outweighed the anxiety of not having artillery, continued to urge the march.
The soldiers were marching forward once again, singing the “March of the Snow.”
***
It was a terrible nightmare.
As I was falling asleep on the horse for a moment, I shuddered for a moment at a nightmare I often had.
Either something fucking is chasing you, or you’re falling into an endless hole, or you’re just wandering around in some alien space.
Usually these nightmares would end when something unspeakable and terrifying would come over me, and this was no different.
However, this time, I woke up struggling in a pool of blood and was swallowed.
When I opened my eyes wide, sweat pouring down my face, I saw the soldiers still marching, along with the commanders and staff officers, talking to each other about how close they were to Sachang-ri.
“Sergeant Sunmusa, this is Sachang-ri.”
“······.”
That damn Sachang-ri, it was a neighborhood that made me angry every time I heard about it.
There are several places called Sachang-ri all over the country, but the place where I served in the military is a place that makes my teeth chatter just thinking about it.
Of course, there was no benefit in showing it, so I gestured and called my staff over.
Although my body felt a bit chilly as the cold sweat dried in the cold weather, I was able to cool down thanks to the warm water that the adjutant brought me.
I took a sip of it, then looked up and asked.
“What about the scouts?”
“We’re still figuring out the exact location. We’ll be back shortly.”
The scouts hadn’t returned yet, but I was already pretty much set on what the battle would be like.
The scouts that were continuously being sent out were a means to check and control any variables that might arise, so they were being scattered in as many places as possible.
And this time, we decided to manage it a little more thoroughly. It was also necessary to create a thorough battlefield environment so that the enemy could not even secretly utilize the variable itself.
A commander who fights really well only looks for battles he can win.
“Okay, everyone, listen carefully.”
After gathering all my thoughts, I opened my mouth with my hands behind my back.
“The village of Sachang-ri that we have before us may seem small at first glance, but everyone knows that it is a very important point in this battle. If we capture it, the enemy will gain a midway point to Hamheung and two routes of advance.”
At that time, Lieutenant General Lee Ki-pyo, who was commanding the 2nd Brigade, said to me.
“What are you waiting for, Commander? We must quickly send troops to fortify the village and establish a defensive line. Since the enemy’s location is obvious, if we establish a fortified base, we can inflict great damage.”
“Why? Do we really need to go through all that trouble to fortify it?”
I shrugged. Rather, since we had the upper hand in artillery power, there was no reason to disperse our troops to defend Sachang-ri.
This is because, contrary to popular belief, instead of giving up an area, we wanted to focus firepower there and design a system to ‘trap the enemy with firepower.’