Chapter 111
November 6, 2020, 11:00 (CST 10:00), 61st Armored Brigade Station, 5 km southeast from Pan-Jin Province, China
The VII Corps’s western-front expulsion plan, which began four days ago at 10 a.m., was progressing easily. The Chinese military’s resistance has weakened perhaps because it had completely lost the Shenyang armored war. The Korean military gained momentum from this and accelerated in taking over target capture points in order, spurring on the western-front expulsion.
Pan-Jin Province was the final capture point of the 20th Armored Division (Decisive Battle), the vanguard of the VII Corps. The 26th Mechanized Infantry Brigade’s final target point was Pan-Jin Province, and its emptiness, like a low tide, allowed them to take over without a fight. While the 60th Armored Brigade was assigned to occupy Rao county and Tai’an county, the Division Headquarters, the 61st Armored Brigade, and the 26th Mechanized Infantry Brigade were to construct several stations in Pan-Jin and be on defense duty while waiting for the next order.
Vrooom! Vrooom!
The Company-class tanks left the base and were moving toward Jinzhou. This was according to the Brigade Commander’s order that each Company should send out one tank to search every town within a 10-km radius from the base. As the three Company tanks left the base on their way to their assigned routes, a missile soared into the sky from the Capital Air Force Division, the Air Defense Battalion.
Peew!
The S-LAM 300 Heavenly Palace A1 missile can be seen spouting blue flames, then disappeared from visibility with a speed of Mach 10. A few moments later, there was a small flash 22 km above in the sky.
Crash! Rumble!
A Xianglong unmanned reconnaissance satellite, known as a Global Hawk replica, was sent by the Chinese military to scout the Pan-Jin neighborhood. It was intercepted by the 20th Armored Division’s (Decisive Battle) Capital Air Defense Battalion as soon as it was detected on their radar.
“Brigade Commander, sir! The Capital Air Defense Battalion has just reported that they shot down a Chinese unmanned reconnaissance satellite!”
Correspondent Captain Na Kang-wan reported to Brigadier General Hong Kyung-jun, who was then in a meeting with members of his staff in the command barracks.
“An unmanned satellite? I see. So I thought it was too quiet,” said the Brigade Commander.
After replying to the correspondent, Brigadier General Hong stopped the meeting and began to ponder.
Brigadier General Hong had sensed something foreboding because the Chinese army has been quiet since two days ago when they evacuated Pan-Jin Province and even after they mobilized an unmanned reconnaissance satellite. He lightly hit the table and spoke.
“Let’s continue the strategy meeting next time. Each commander, go back to your army unit and be on full alert. Something doesn’t feel right,” ordered Brigadier General Hong.
When the Brigadier General finished talking, all army unit commanders saluted and exited the command barracks.
“Lieutenant Colonel Lee.”
“Yes, Brigadier General, sir.”
Brigadier General Hong stood up from his seat, picked up the combat helmet from the table, and spoke to Operations staff Lee Yoon-won.
“Contact the Division to request for a detailed inspection of the 50-km area around Pan-Jin Province, and order the Brigade Headquarters to fly all reconnaissance drones,” instructed Brigadier General Hong.
“Yes, sir,” replied Lieutenant Colonel Lee.
* * *
November 6, 2020, 11:30 (CST 10:30) in a small town 40 km northeast from Pan-Jin Province, China
Chinese artillery battalion vehicles and forces were stealthily blocking several parts of a small town 40 km away from Pan-Jin Province. Of these, 18 A100 multiple rocket launchers from 332 Artillery Battalion, by special command of the 2nd Artillery, arrived in this town covertly three days ago in the darkness of the night. They are prepared to ambush factories or large buildings. The A100 multiple rocket launcher is composed of two rocket launchers each with five tubes, similar to that of Western countries’ multiple rocket launchers format of 300-mm launchers. Since the latter half of 2015, the multiple rocket launchers have been released to the 2nd Artillery Headquarters and to each army group’s capital artillery brigade. They were the latest large-caliber main force of the launcher unit.
The 332 Artillery Battalion’s Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lo Hong-hung, kept looking at his wristwatch. Impatience was clearly on his face, and he was restless as if waiting for something. He approached the signaller and spoke.
“Is there any word from the upper unit?”
“Not yet, Lieutenant Colonel, sir.”
“It’s almost time. Report to me immediately when you hear from them,” ordered Lieutenant Colonel Lo Hong-hung.
“Yes, sir.”
Needing to relieve himself from the continued nervousness, Lieutenant Colonel Lo walked toward the restroom. Just then, the signaller shouted.
“Lieutenant Colonel, sir! There is a telegram from the upper unit.”
He heard the signaller just as he was opening the door to the restroom. Lieutenant Colonel Lo ran back to check the telegram. While reading, Lieutenant Colonel Lo’s face turned pale.
“Signaller! Contact each artillery battalion! Tell them to shoot their assigned location exactly at 12 on Friday, and to fully prepare until then.”
“Yes, sir,” replied the signaller.
The telegram just received by Lieutenant Colonel Lo has already been sent to the other artillery battalion commanders hiding in the neighborhood.
* * *
November 6, 2020, 11:50 (CST 10:50), Pingyuan (61st Armored Brigade Station) 5 km west of Pan-Jin Province, China
Each of the battalion commanders, upon returning to their battalions, ordered it to be on full alert. Immediately, the executives and military personnel resting in the barracks began boarding the tanks and armored vehicles, especially the defense-armored vehicle and White Horse armored vehicles. Those in charge of anti-aircraft moved to their defensive position and turned on the anti-air radars.
“It’s lunchtime soon, and we can’t even eat? So sudden.”
The 12th Tank Battalion 1st Company Tank 113 Commander First Class Sergeant Yoon Il-ho expressed his dissatisfaction while rubbing his empty stomach.
“Commander, sir, would you like to eat a pack of army meal?” tank gunner Staff Sergeant Oh Dong-kyung asked laughing.
“Should I? It would be trouble if I get caught eating while on full alert,” said Sergeant Yoon.
“Who would be watching us?” retorted Staff Sergeant Oh Dong-kyung.
“Let’s eat, let’s eat. Are you going to say we should eat it all? Sergeant Kang,” called Sergeant Yoon.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you want to eat an army meal too?” asked Sergeant Yoon.
“No thank you, sir,” Sergeant Kang answered.
“Alright.”
Sergeant Yoon took off his headset and spoke to Staff Sergeant Oh.
“Open two packs.”
“Yes, sir,” Staff Sergeant Oh complied.
* * *
November 6, 2020, 12:00 (CST 11:00), a small town 40km northeast from Pan-Jin Province, China
After hiding for three days as if they were dead, 332 Battalion multiple rocket launchers all exited the building, quickly warmed up the launcher in a vacant lot, and turned the launcher gun toward Pan-Jin. After inputting the target coordinate data received earlier, a report from each Artillery Unit Commander was uploaded.
– 1st Artillery Unit shooting preparations complete!
– 2nd Artillery Unit shooting preparations complete!
– 3rd Artillery Unit shooting preparations complete!
In the command armored vehicle communications network, where Lieutenant Colonel Lo was nervously waiting, the report that each Artillery Unit Commander had completed their shooting preparations was uploaded.
“Good! Each artillery unit, shoot quickly and leave the stronghold. Command the firing order,” said Lieutenant Colonel Lo.
“Yes, sir. Each army unit, fire at once.”
At Lieutenant Colonel Lo’s order, the 18 launcher vehicles from three Army Units, each with 10 300-mm rockets, leave the launching tube with a sound loud enough to rip the eardrums.
Peeeew~ Peeeew~ Peeeew~
The 300-mm rockets that flew in ten-second intervals were all fired under two minutes. The 332 Battalion multiple rocket launchers began preparing to mobilize out of their stronghold. Like the 332 Artillery Battalion, the Chinese artillery battalions, which were hiding in several towns, completed warming up their launchers and all began shooting at the 61st Armored Brigade.
* * *
November 6, 2020, 12:00 (CST 11:00), Pingyuan (61st Armored Brigade Station) 5 km west from Pan-Jin Province, China
“Brigade Commander, sir. There is word from the Division Headquarters.”
“Yes?” asked the Brigade Commander.
“It states that they have sighted a Chinese artillery battalion in the entire area 40 km west from Pan-Jin,” replied the signaller.
“Artillery battalion? How many?”
“The current confirmation is at least five artillery battalions, sir.”
The signaller shouted while looking back and forth at the monitor and then to the Brigade Commander.
“How did they not know that the artillery battalions were hiding 40 km away? Tell each battalion to immediately spread out and launch air raid attack—”
Eeeeeeeee!
Before the Brigade Commander could finish his sentence, the air raid warning siren ran throughout 61st Armored Brigade station. This meant that the enemy shell was detected on the counter-artillery radar; the siren rang automatically.
“We were one step behind. Get the data link from the anti-air unit and check the scale of this,” ordered the Brigade Commander.
Brigadier General Hong Kyung-jun fixed his helmet as he immediately asked the strategy director.
“I am currently checking.”
The strategy director replied as he closely looked at the monitor.
A large amount of information from each subordinate battalion was displayed in real time on the monitor installed on the K-22 command armored vehicle. On the largest monitor, small circle marks were approaching the station at a fast speed. They were the Chinese army’s multiple rocket launchers and various shell tracks.
“What about the counter-artillery attack?”
The Brigade Commander asked again while looking at the monitor.
“They reported that the current firing point is confirmed, and they are beginning the counter-artillery attack.”
“Request target assignment from the Division Artillery.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sh*t, the Chinese really prepared this time,” said Brigadier General Hong Kyung-jun.
Zapzapzapzapzapzap~
Zapzapzapzapzapzap~
The defense-armored vehicles positioned in various parts of the station from the Brigade Commander’s order for full alert from beforehand reacted quickly and moved their Vulcan laser turrets in different directions to spew hundreds of light streams enough to cover the sky toward the flying Chinese rocket missiles and shells. The White Horse armored vehicles too tried their best to shoot down the rocket missiles by firing their Light Dragon missiles.
Peew~ Peew~ Peew~ Peew~
Crash~ Bang! Bang! Crash! Crasshh~
The entire sky between Jinzhou and Pan-Jin was a spectacle greater than a fireworks festival. Every time the Chinese rocket missiles and shells were shot down, a red flash can be seen, and sounds similar to thunder rang incessantly. However, because they couldn’t intercept the rocket missiles and shells coming in at 100 percent, enemy shells eventually fell on the 61st Armored Brigade station, and pillars of dirt and flames surged every time the shell hit.
Thud! Crash! Crash!
“We just need to hold off for a few more minutes! Order each battalion commander to tell the White Tiger tanks to intercept without trying to save ammunition in their anti-air defense,” ordered the Brigade Commander.
“Yes, sir.”
Crash!
A shell landed right next to the Brigade Commander’s command armored vehicle, and a pillar of dirt spurred from the ground. Metal pieces and rock fragments landed everywhere, and a part of the debris landed on top of the command armored vehicle.
Rumble~ Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Brigade Commander now believed that the scale of firing was larger than expected because shells dropped in several areas of the station despite the quick response. He took the microphone himself and gave an order to each battalion commander.
“This is the Brigade Commander! Each unit’s battalion tank, leave the current station. After we escape the flame bombardment, be on full defense and respond fire. Dismissed.”
After giving a short order and putting down the microphone, the Brigade Commander saw, through his commanding monitor, an extremely white flash he has never seen before.
Crasssshhhh!
Simultaneous with the flash, a white mushroom cloud soared up into the sky. Instinctively covering his eyes with his arm from such a bright light, Brigade Commander Hong bit his lower lip and cursed briefly. However, this swearing proved to be the Brigade Commander’s final words.
“Crazy b*stards. A nuclear bomb—”
Crasssshhhh~ Crassh Rumble~
The Brigade Commander’s command armored vehicle, which was close to the blast center, was swept by the bomb storm, rushing out in a circular form and flipped while flying off. The tactical nuclear bomb that just fell was a 10kt nuclear bomb. It had half the force of the atomic bomb dropped in Nagasaki, Japan, during World World II, and though the tanks and armored vehicles were not destroyed from their hydronium alloy armor, it had enough destructive power to kill everyone inside within a 400-m radius from the blast center or ground zero. Furthermore, small buildings, tanks, and armored vehicles 1.1 km within the radius was swept up in the bomb storm and flew off altogether.
“All battalions, escape the blast zone on your own!”
Though it was not known who said this, a voice close to a shriek came from the Brigade’s communication network. Having been alerted, the 61st Armored Brigade tanks and armored vehicles urgently moved away from the blast zone. But unfortunately, the enormous flash radiated again within the station, and the entire area turned to ashes in seconds.
Crasssssshhhh~ Rumbleeee~
Many of the tanks and armored vehicles at the center of the nuclear bomb’s explosion melted instantly and the White Tiger tanks farther away in the 45t zone flipped or was ablaze from the bomb storm’s force. The normal vehicles only left flimsy steel frames or completely disappeared.
On this day, the Chinese artillery’s surprise firing against the 61st Armored Brigade, the VII Maneuver Corps (Vanguard of Northern Advance), and the 3rd Armored Division (Skeleton), all working for the western-front expulsion plan, was mobilized by about 1,500 artillery units. They poured 200 tactical bombs on the Korean army, which was much more than the 50 requested by the Central Military Commission from President Xi Jinping for use as tactical bombs.
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