Chapter 119 Eastern Front

On April 29, the Volunteers ended their offensive. On the 30th, Li Qiwei ordered the United Nations Army to launch a counterattack against the Volunteers. In other words, this time Li Qiwei did not give Peng Dehuai a day. The attack arranged by Li Qiwei was not large or small, and it was mainly tentative in nature.The purpose is to find out the movements of the Volunteers, destroy the new offensive preparations of the Volunteers, and cover the adjustment and deployment of the main force. At the same time, Li Qiwei stepped up adjustment efforts.The 1st U.S. Cavalry Division switched defenses with the U.S. 3rd Division, the Korean 2nd Division participated in front-line defense operations, and the Korean 8th Division was transferred to the U.S. Eighth Army's reserve team.

By May 8, the United Nations Army occupied the front lines of Gaoyang, Shuluoshan, Heyeshan, Yulunli and Longpuli. It can be said that when the enemy advances, we advance. The tactics used by Mao Zedong and Peng Dehuai in the first and second battles were also used by the American general Li Qiwei. At this time, the situation of the United Nations army south of the Zhaoyang River became prominent, and the garrison troops were all Korean troops.The Volunteer Army Command decided to concentrate the 9th Corps (without the 26th Corps, attached to the 12th Corps) and the Korean People's Army Group (2nd, 3rd, and 5th Corps) on the eastern front, and first annihilate the Korean Army in the county area The 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th Divisions, and then annihilated the Han Capital Division and the 11th Division of the Korean Army depending on the situation.

The 3rd Corps (owed to the 12th Army and attached to two divisions of the 39th Army) clamped down on the US 10th Army, cutting off the connection between the US Army and the Korean Army, so that it could not assist the East. The 19th Corps (commanding the 1st Corps of the Korean People's Army) restrained the main force of the US military on the western front and cooperated with the eastern front. After the end of the first phase, the Volunteer Army's 26th Army and 40th Army moved north to the south of Wonsan and north of Pyongyang to rest and reorganize respectively, and guarded towards the east and west coasts.

On the evening of May 16, the Volunteer Army launched an attack on the United Nations Army. On the 17th, the 20th Corps of the Volunteer Army and the 5th Corps of the Korean People's Army arrived in the Meishanli and Fangtaishan areas successively, cutting off the retreat of the 9th and 3rd Divisions of the Korean Army.After two days of fierce fighting, most of the two divisions were wiped out and all their heavy equipment was seized. Many South Korean soldiers fled and scattered into the dense forests.The Chinese and North Korean troops had no choice but to capture prisoners all over the mountains and plains.

After fierce fighting, the Volunteer Army's food and ammunition were almost exhausted, so they had no choice but to wait for replenishment. One wait is three days. In these three days, the precious fighter opportunity to develop in depth to the enemy was lost. The 27th Army annihilated five battalions of the 5th, 7th, and 9th Divisions of the Korean Army in the Sangnam-ri area on the 17th, defeated the 5th and 7th Divisions of the Korean Army, and seized a large amount of equipment. The 2nd Army Corps was blocked in the Ziyinli and Seoraksan areas respectively, and failed to complete the strategic detour mission in time, causing the enemy to flee south.

After several days of fierce fighting, the 3rd Corps wiped out part of the 2nd Division of the U.S. Army. However, due to the enemy's stubborn resistance, the advance was blocked and the task of splitting was not completed. In order to cope with its operations on the eastern front, the enemy on the western front launched a focused attack on the Volunteers on the 20th, forcing the 19th Corps to switch to defense. After the four divisions of the Korean Army were defeated, they withdrew to the Jiuchengpuli, Fengyanli, and Xiazhenfuli areas. The main force of the US 10th Army moved eastward rapidly. The 3rd Division of the US Army and the 8th Division of the Korean Army marched on motorized vehicles. They traveled more than 100 kilometers in just a dozen hours, quickly blocked the gap, and established a defense in depth.

So far, the United Nations Army has formed a complete line of defense connecting east and west. This is the effect of mechanized equipment. At this time, the Chinese and Korean people's armies were exhausted after continuous battles, and more than half of the troops on the front line had run out of food, making it very difficult to continue the offensive.In addition, the battle did not wipe out the US divisions and regiments. In order to maintain the initiative and rest the main force, the attack was stopped on the 21st, and the second phase ended. In the second phase of the battle, more than 23,000 enemies were wiped out.

The Volunteers stopped their offensive. It was the turn of the UN Army.Li Qiwei, Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Army, based on the calculation of the "back-up logistics" capabilities of the Chinese army, believed that the Chinese army had basically run out of food and ammunition, and had not received new supplements. The first division, starting on the 22nd, counterattacked across the board. It's a tiger that always eats people! This time, it's the tiger's turn to eat people!