Chapter 366 Battlefield Situation

After entering the day of November, the weather turned sharply and became extremely cold. Everyone on the front line wears thick military coats and wrap their faces in scarves to resist the colder and colder air. Lieutenant Colonel Winters has recovered from his last battle injury. The 187th Regiment was disabled in the battle against Busan. More than 300 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured. They completely lost their combat effectiveness and were forced to rest. Moreover, with the successful landing of the U.S. military in Incheon, the war progressed smoothly. The 187th Regiment had no combat mission for the time being, and the soldiers transferred from the Japanese garrison to North Korea were given priority to the 187th Regiment.

The battalion led by Winters had the heaviest casualties, but their success in the defense of Busan was the greatest, resisting more than 60% of the attacks of the North Korean army. Because when Winters was recuperating in the rear field hospital, he was awarded a cross. But Winters didn't look happy at all. Half of his melancholy was because of his dead brothers, even when he was in charge of Company E and Battalion 2, he did not suffer such a great loss, which made him unable to calm down. Another reason is that as his injury gradually improves, the supplementary 187th Regiment is likely to be sent to the battlefield again. Although the war is going well now, he is not optimistic about the war at all. At least his views are consistent with Parks.

Lieutenant Colonel Winters has returned to the battalion headquarters. He will continue to serve as the battalion commander, but Major Cook is dead, and there has been no one to choose. In terms of personnel, Winters does not know who to choose, and the battalions are not very familiar to him. Every day, the soldiers will go out on time and participate in regular training. This habit has not been put down since the defensive battle. Many brothers also understand that more training means that they have a greater chance of survival.

The camp of the 187th Regiment is close to the sea, from which you can overlook the sea from the high mountain. Winters is used to taking a walk from the battalion headquarters and likes to think about problems by the sea. He knew that his days in North Korea would not be better, and what's worse, he had not established a complete relationship of trust with his brothers in the camp.

"I heard from my brothers in the camp that you would often be here, so I'll try my luck!" At this time, a voice came behind Winters, interrupting Winters' thinking on the reef facing the sea. Then he turned his head and looked at the speaker. He was dressed in an orthodox military uniform, and the rank of major of the oak leaf emblem was particularly eye-catching on the collar. He did not have a military coat on the ship, but it looked like I'm energetic and don't know the feeling of cold at all.

"Christine?" Winters looked at the major, couldn't help laughing, and then walked over. The two of them held their hands tightly together. "I came all the way from Tacoya. It's definitely not to see me. Have you been called here?"

"Yes, I heard that there is a lack of a position here, and you need help, so I came over!" Major Rudolph couldn't help nodding, "I heard that you have been hit hard? And there happened to be a lack of a deputy battalion commander, and we had a tacit understanding in Tacoya, so - I came over! Of course, there are many officers who came with me this time. They will be enriched to various companies, in addition to the 187th Regiment, as well as MacArthur's Marine Corps. Of course, I asked for the 187th regiment!"

Winters smiled and said, "I never thought that we would cooperate again in North Korea. Of course, I welcome you very much. It's much better than the random assignment of the regiment. We have a tacit understanding!" Winters said and then motioned Rudolph to walk in the direction of the battalion. Along the way, the two exchanged some views again. Winters wanted Rudolph to introduce some things in the camp, while Rudolph said something about Tacoya's training and Winters, and the 101st Airborne Division could only be trained as a reserve so far.

"Have you heard about Major Parks' bet with the students at West Point? Many people are discussing this issue now!" As Rudolph walked, he talked to Winters first. "Obviously, although I am very optimistic about Major Parks, I still expect him to lose, but now it seems that he has a better chance of winning!"

"I don't like to bet, but this war is likely to develop towards Major Parks' prediction." Winters nodded gently, "This is what I don't expect, but there is nothing we can do. We are still stationed here and ready to go to the battlefield at any time!"

The two returned to the camp as they spoke. Winters asked Rudolph to sit down, then took a coffee pot and put it on the stove and said, "Coffee? Do you want some?"

"Okay, a little bit!" Rudolph nodded, "Yes, Dick, I didn't come here for a vacation. Regardless of success or failure, I will be able to participate in this war for me.

"I hope to have your mentality!" Winters shook his head and smiled, carelessly fiddling with the coffee cup and preparing to make coffee. He didn't let the orderly do it. Now he likes to do it himself on these little things, which can calm him down more.

"Your officer!" At this time, a sergeant saluted them at the door.

"Come in!" Rudolph nodded to the soldier.

"Sistrate, notice from the battalion headquarters!" The sergeant said, put down a note, and then turned to say goodbye. Rudolph picked up the note and looked at it, and then handed it to Winters and said, "It seems that we are going to the front line!"

Winters looked at the note and couldn't help frowning. Obviously, the 187th Regiment had received an order to launch a battle in mid-to-late 11th to drive the Chinese and Korean troops north of the Qingjiang River out of the Korean Peninsula.

"MacArthur is very confident about this. He thinks he wants all American soldiers to go home for Christmas." Colonel Swayney, the commander of the regiment, said with a smile, "The general always believes that the middle [***] team in North Korea is only a small part. At least we have not received any information about the large-scale entry of the [***] team in North Korea, and the air force has not found any signs of large-scale mobilization of the [***] team."

"God, is there anything else he said? He has been talking about what General MacArthur said all day!" A battalion commander suddenly complained to Winters in a low voice. He looked a little dissatisfied, which Winters could understand. After all, the 187th Regiment had experienced two major battles and suffered heavy losses both times. Now it seems that MacArthur wants to send the 187th Regiment to the battlefield again, which obviously makes The officers and soldiers were a little dissatisfied.

This is a very bad phenomenon. Different voices or different ideas appeared before the war began, which is absolutely unfavorable to the battle of the 187th Regiment. But Winters can't help it. It's not something he can control.

"In fact, I don't really believe the so-called promise of the high-level commander to 'go home for Christmas'. I learned it in 1944." Winters could only shrug his shoulders and spread out his hand helplessly, "I hope this is not the second market garden action!" Then he read it silently in his heart. Yes, the argument of "returning home for Christmas" before the market garden action once made many people full of confidence, but the price was very heavy.

But what Winters didn't expect was that his words were fulfilled. On November 24, 1950, MacArthur launched an attack on the Chinese and North Korean army north of the Qingchuan River, and made a promise in front of all the commanders and soldiers to let them go home for Christmas. Of course, at that time, he forgot his vow to end the battle before Thanksgiving.

The beginning of the war progressed very smoothly. In an optimistic mood, the war situation took a sharp turn, and the [***] team was used in the Western Front battlefield to attack the U.S. 8th Army from the left wing. The U.S. and South Korean forces were forced to break through the whole line and retreat to the 38th parallel, and abandoned Pyongyang on December 5. The offensive battle launched by MacArthur basically declared defeat. The U.S. military was hit hard.

"What a bunch of bastards!" MacArthur lost his temper in the headquarters again. The general now seems to be a little tyrannical. Whether he is a general in the headquarters or an orderly, he will be reprimanded by him for no reason.

"Look at those guys in Washington. Do they know anything about war? If we want to control the situation, we must take military victory as the guarantee. War is not controlled by politics. Damn it!" He patted a message on the table angrily again. In the telegram, many of his combat plans were rejected, such as the large-scale bombing of Northeast China, the use of atomic bombs to bomb the southeast coastal cities, and the invitation of Taiwan troops to participate in the war, which were rejected by Truman.

"General, the [***] team still maintains an offensive posture towards us!" A staff general carefully reminded MacArthur, "What should we do now?"

"What else can I do? We must not let the [***] team cross the 38th parallel!" MacArthur's tone was a little heavy, but he did not scold the general, but said depressedly, "Use all your strength to stop the [***] team!" Otherwise, I can't tell the soldiers!"

Then just as MacArthur was ready to defend and counterattack, on December 31, 1950, the Chinese and North Korean army launched a third battle and advanced to 50 miles south of the 38th parallel. Seoul was occupied by the 50th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army and the First Army of the Korean People's Army. The fall of Seoul was a heavy blow to MacArthur. President Truman, who was far away in Washington, immediately sent a telegram asking MacArthur to propose a truce to the Chinese and North Korean army.

However, this proposal was rejected by China's president [***]. The smooth victory made him not help but misjudge the situation, believing that as long as a large-scale offensive campaign was launched again, the U.S. troops could be expelled from North Korea. Therefore, not long after the U.S. military proposed an armistice agreement, the Chinese and North Korean army launched the fourth battle in January 1951.

MacArthur used all his strength this time. At this time, the 187th Regiment also received an official order that they would be sent to the front line to resist the attack of the [***] team. On the night of February 10, they got into a truck and went to the front line of the Korean War. Winters was sitting in the jeep. He curled up and looked at the snowy road in the distance, quietly shaking with the bumps of the car body. He doesn't know what his fate will be.

After a while, he could faintly hear the sound of the cannon, and the fire of the shell was particularly dazzling in the night sky. Even in the woods, he could see the fire flashing, which gave him an illusion of being in Bastogne.

(to be continued)