Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 280
Only Noblemtl
#280. Matryoshka (6)
“Commander, now send the remaining reserves to the 6th Brigade to expand the battle-”
“Stay in reserve for now.”
It was not time to send the remaining precious battalions to the battlefield.
The most crucial moment has not yet arrived.
The 3rd and 4th Battalions of the 6th Brigade will not move until the enemy decides to retreat.
The attack on the enemy on the front line was to be continued solely by the 1st and 2nd Battalions, and they were to be deployed only when the enemy had overcome the shock, cleared the smoke screen, and launched a counterattack.
“···I never thought I would see a cavalry charge like this again. It’s truly moving.”
“They say that a cavalry charge always touches the hearts of men. Now, let’s watch a little longer.”
Foch and Pershing looked at the front line with the aforementioned expressions, their hearts pounding at the thought of the cavalry’s charge.
Among the flying objects reflecting the sunlight, the enemies were only attempting fierce resistance individually, their ranks broken up.
Since I don’t have a big hammer that I can use, I brought a small hammer to use, but it showed a greater impact force than I expected.
“Our cavalry continues to penetrate deep into the enemy’s ranks.”
“I told you to keep charging until the enemy regiment is destroyed, so leave them alone. What we need to focus on now is how to support the charge of the provisional cavalry regiment.”
I called over to one of the messengers who had stayed next to me, gave him a reference point and a few coordinates, and said:
“Tell them to fire again at the enemy’s depths.”
“Huh? Commander, if you do that, our cavalry will get hurt!”
One of the staff members who was listening from the side looked startled.
If we consider the current artillery error, it is closer to pouring artillery fire over a wide area rather than a precision strike.
If our cavalry were to get caught up in the artillery fire, it would be a very painful blow, but it was something we had to take for now.
“If we leave it like this, the cavalry’s breakthrough power will be greatly weakened. The enemy will reinforce and try to destroy the temporary cavalry regiment in return, so we must block that in advance.”
The cavalry branch inevitably lost its ability to break through in direct proportion to the time immediately after it made a charge.
After the charge, you have to regroup and then charge again, but if you don’t have enough space to do so, the damage will only increase.
Their elevated position compared to infantry gave them a great advantage in close combat, but it also made them prime targets for the enemy.
If the enemy regiment that was in contact was pushed back like this, there would not be a major problem of increased damage, but if the enemy reinforcements rushed in and fired a barrage of fire, it would be a fatal blow to the reserve cavalry regiment, so preventing that was the top priority.
“Could this be connected to the concept of surrounding the enemy with firepower that we talked about yesterday?”
“What… should I say so?”
I shrugged at Posh’s words and raised my telescope again.
Once again the silent batteries began to fire, pouring shells deep into the depths of Sachang-ri.
The clubs were being swung down mercilessly at the enemies covered in mats.
***
The combination of pouring artillery fire, madly advancing infantry, and cavalry surprise attacks from the flanks sent shivers down the spine of the Japanese 2nd Division commander.
With a diverse mix of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, the enemy displayed a fearsome fighting force not only in defensive battles but also in offensive battles.
The root of my trouble was that I thought the only things I had to watch out for on the front lines were the cavalry regiments and the so-called assault infantry regiments.
Now I realize that I should have been wary of the entire Joseon army, but it was too late.
The enemies were neither a rabble nor a flock of sheep led by a lion.
They were persistent and experienced players.
“Your Excellency, Division Commander! They are continuing to surge forward while receiving artillery support! We can’t stop them!”
“The 15th Brigade is completely out of control! If we continue like this, our supply line at the intersection will be exposed to the enemy!”
Lieutenant General Nishijima Sukeyoshi was finally able to realize this.
The Korean garrison and the Satsuma bastards of the 12th Division, who had been crushed at Jinnampo and had suffered considerable damage at Juansan before that, were not stupid. They simply could not help but admit that the level of the enemy they were facing on the front lines was significantly higher than that of their own forces.
“···Did they set a trap here because they knew we were coming from the beginning···?”
“······.”
The division commander spoke in a trembling voice, but his staff remained silent.
The enemies were looking at themselves as if they were looking at the palm of Buddha’s hand.
Even if the famous military gods of the Warring States period came back to life and led the current army, I had a feeling that they would not be able to guarantee victory.
The division commander looked at the pouring artillery fire with a shocked expression on his face.
The 29th Regiment’s access route, which could have been used to rescue the 4th Regiment of the 3rd Brigade, was blocked by artillery fire with great precision.
And between the artillery fire, the enemy cavalry was slaughtering the soldiers of the 4th Regiment who had lost their will to fight.
A few soldiers resisted by firing their rifles between the broken buildings and walls, but there were also several instances where mounted enemies would throw small iron balls, which would soon shatter into pieces with a flash of light and fall silent.
“If we continue like this, our forces will be defeated! We must block the rearguard with the remaining 29th Regiment and withdraw for now···.”
“If we turn our backs like that, it won’t be a tactical withdrawal, but a one-sided massacre! Divide the 29th Regiment in half, have one side establish a temporary defensive line on the 15th Brigade side, and tell the remaining troops to come to the aid of the 4th Regiment once the artillery fire stops! We have to stabilize at least one side before we can retreat or advance, right?!”
“But if even the 29th Regiment is destroyed, there will be no combat troops left to fight… The operation of the 29th Regiment must be decided carefully, Chief of Staff.”
Listening to the conversation among his staff, the division commander clearly felt that they were facing a huge crisis.
Even his staff, who had always given him good advice or interpreted it in a way that was favorable to him, were reluctant to admit that he was at a loss.
Lieutenant General Nishijima, barely able to calm his trembling hands without realizing it, decided to reduce the front line for now.
In fact, other than that, there was no solution that could be used right away.
He rationally deduced the reason why they were completely caught up in the North Korean army.
“The enemy must have observed us splitting our forces to the south and east from somewhere on that high ground. You wretched men. Retreat to a point where observation is difficult, and establish a defensive line using the narrow access road as a shield.”
Since the troops were largely scattered, the length of the front had to be drastically shortened in order to collect and reorganize them while simultaneously holding back the enemy.
Although it was not desirable, the intersection point where the main supply line was located was an area suitable for defense.
There was a high peak on the right wing of the front line that could block enemy observation, and the only thing that had to be done was to properly defend a horizontal line that was less than 400 meters long.
It was clear that this would somehow buy time until the artillery arrived.
And if only the artillery could arrive… I could show those cheeky bastards a taste of hot water.
Lieutenant General Nishijima gritted his teeth and growled that he would definitely avenge this humiliation.
Of course, if that’s possible.
***
“Sergeant Major, the enemy is pulling back their defensive line. Should we organize the remaining units of the 6th Brigade to pursue them?”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
As the Japanese 2nd Division’s defeat in the south and east of the village became increasingly apparent, they chose one of the two potential locations.
One was to withdraw without looking back, and the other was to collect their retreating units, significantly reduce the front of their defensive line, and prepare to counter the friendly forces’ offensive.
At first glance, it might seem like a smart move to shorten the length of the front line so they could concentrate their firepower on it, but in reality, it was closer to a foolish move.
This is only possible when both sides have enough forces to keep each other in check.
“The enemy’s bitten defense line is difficult for us to attack with infantry and cavalry because the passages are narrow and limited.”
“then···.”
“We intend to continuously pound those cowering men with artillery and grenade launchers. Of course, we have limitations on how much ammunition we can use like water, so let’s use it only to the point of annoyance.”
With a wicked smile, I ordered the two battalions and the provisional cavalry regiment that had gone on the offensive to halt their advance and withdraw, while I instructed them to place artillery observation posts and batteries in places where they could visually observe the enemy’s defenses across the Taedong River tributaries.
Let’s see if they can withstand the attacks that continue day and night.
This is revenge for those who died while faithfully creating the second front in Yeongnam, and I will take revenge for those who were made to work overtime, one by one.
***
“I can’t stand it! The enemy doesn’t even give us a chance to regroup, they just bombard us with artillery fire and then disappear. It’s driving me crazy!”
“The 15th Brigade has lost its function. If the enemy finds out about this….”
As the night falls quickly in winter, and the sun sets particularly quickly in the mountainous region, the command of the Japanese 2nd Division is gripped by a sense of fear as it brings darkness.
Enemy artillery took advantage of the darkness to begin firing their batteries on the mountain in front, where they could clearly see the enemy.
Their movements were covered by Maxim and the grenadiers.
We barely managed to narrow down the entire defensive line, but that didn’t mean there was any way to break through.
All I had to do was hit back when the enemy shot.
The infantrymen were lying face down on the ground, digging individual trenches with shovels as if scraping the frozen ground, and they were not even able to properly eat their meals before they reached the front lines.
The artillery, which was supposed to take half a day, had not yet arrived, so there was no way to respond to this surprise bombardment.
The enemy used their artillery viciously, and the soldiers’ anger began to turn to despair and pessimism as cold and hunger set in.
The 3rd Brigade Commander spoke with his teeth clenched.
“I can’t even light a fire in this damn cold. The moment I light a fire, they’ll shoot at me. How can I handle it?”
On the other side, the enemies were lighting fires and warming themselves up, but the Japanese 2nd Division could not do so.
This crazy weather, with temperatures reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius and the wind chill reaching minus 40 degrees Celsius, was enough to remind me of the tragedy at Mt. Hakkoda.
“You should retreat instead.”
“That won’t do! If we retreat here, how can we face the commander?!”