Chapter 13

True White Skull (2)

“···Fuck!”

Bong-tae's provocative words didn't actually do much to stir the True White Skull soldiers. Their service lasted eighteen months at most. How much pride could they really build up in that time?

But the actions those men were showing them.

Seeing soldiers from another unit step forward and fight before anyone else made the True White Skull soldiers feel a sharp pang in their chests.

It was shame.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

“Ah, fuck it! Let's shoot!”

The soldiers hiding beneath vehicles and inside trenches shouted as they emerged. Bullets shot upward from all across the encampment.

Bang—! Bang—! Bang—!

“Hey, mister!”

A soldier quickly approached Bong-tae, who was firing toward the sky. He appeared to have been caught slightly in a drone explosion, as his body armor and one side of his cheek were blackened with soot.

“Hey, mister! I'm a K200 driver!”

“About time you showed up! Get in!”

The two men jumped onto the K200. The soldier in the driver's seat hurriedly checked the engine and instruments.

“Hey, mister! But where should I drive?”

Bong-tae looked up at the sky. The drones were still circling above the encampment, making their unpleasant noises.

“I don't know! Just floor it anywhere!”

An incredulous expression briefly crossed the driver's face. But he soon gritted his teeth and pressed the accelerator.

Eeeeeeng— Eeeeeeng—

The drones were still hovering overhead. No matter where he drove within the encampment, there was no way to completely escape them.

Furthermore, the moment the K200 started moving, it would undoubtedly become the most conspicuous target in the entire encampment.

Voluntarily becoming the most dangerous target in the encampment? Making a decision like that? Under normal circumstances, the driver would never have done so.

But he had already made up his mind when he ran toward that madman from the 8th Division.

‘If I don't do it···. Who the fuck will···?’

He prided himself on being second to none when it came to driving a K200 in the True White Skull Unit.

Normally, that would have been nothing more than petty pride or empty boasting, but right now, it could be called courage.

The driver roughly wiped the sweat from his hands onto his combat uniform. Unlike his heart, which was pounding like crazy, the K200 smoothly began accelerating to its maximum speed.

“Here we go!”

VROOOOOOM—!

The K200 shot forward with a thunderous roar. The driver focused all his attention on the road ahead.

The encampment was already a complete mess. Trenches had been dug everywhere, and there were numerous craters left by explosions.

If the armored vehicle made even the slightest wrong move and fell into a trench, it would be a disaster. Crashing into the medical tent would also be a disaster. And if he crashed into the command and control center where the brigade commander was, his war would be over that very day.

But now wasn't the time to worry about such things.

‘Fuck it. Whatever happens, happens.’

The armored vehicle charged across the center of the encampment. It raced at a speed that would never have been permitted under normal circumstances. Dirt flew in every direction as its tracks tore across the ground.

When the armored vehicle turned sideways, its massive body slid across the dirt. It began circling the encampment in a figure-eight pattern.

An enormous cloud of dust rose high behind the armored vehicle.

“Huh?”

Bong-tae's eyes widened for a moment. The dust was spreading much higher and farther than he'd expected. If a single armored vehicle could produce this much dust, what if there were two?

Bong-tae immediately leaned out to the side. Another K200 was driving not far away. Jin-gu, pressed close to the machine-gun turret, was spraying bullets into the sky.

“Hey! Lee Jin-gu!”

“What! I'm busy right now!”

“Dust! Kick up dust!”

“Ah!”

Lee Jin-gu immediately understood what Bong-tae meant.

Those drones were the type whose pilots searched for targets by watching live camera feeds. In that case, all they had to do was prevent the cameras from clearly identifying their targets.

They could obscure the drones' vision with a massive cloud of dust, making it impossible to distinguish people, vehicles, tents, or trenches. Lee Jin-gu was impressed by Bong-tae's plan.

Dust was the finest smoke grenade in the world. It might not block thermal imaging, but it would be more than enough to fool the cheap cameras mounted on those drones.

And Lee Jin-gu had also noticed something strange while watching the drone attacks.

Why weren't those drones attacking all at once?

There were clearly dozens of drones hovering above the encampment. If their objective was to burn the place to the ground, attacking simultaneously would be far more effective than attacking one at a time.

At that moment, a hypothesis flashed through Lee Jin-gu's mind.

“Sergeant Kim!”

“What! You bastard! Didn't you say you were busy?”

“Those drones never attack more than two at a time!”

“So what!”

“The armored vehicles can draw their attacks while the others shoot them down from the sides!”

“That's what we're doing!”

“We don't have enough people shooting!”

“The True White Skull guys will shoot!”

Bong-tae could see the True White Skull soldiers coming to their senses. The officers and NCOs leading them gathered nearby soldiers and organized fields of fire before opening fire.

“One o'clock! Fire at the cluster of drones!”

“Third Company! Everyone, fire!”

The hovering drones visibly slowed down.

When the armored vehicles had first begun moving, drones had been diving toward the trenches one by one. But now they weren't making any attacks at all.

The K30W Cheonho carrying Choi Pil and Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je also unleashed an overwhelming volume of fire at the slowly hovering drone formation.

Dudududududu—!

Dudududu—!

Drone fragments rained down onto the ground. Most of the black dots that had filled the sky were now gone.

Only three or four remained visible. They no longer attacked the encampment, instead turning their bodies and flying north.

Eeeeeng—

The terrifying drone air raid had ended. Bong-tae released his tight grip on the machine gun's handles. His face was already covered in sweat and dirt.

“Fuuuck···.”

Bong-tae massaged his trembling palms. It was the result of firing at least a thousand rounds of 12.7mm ammunition from the K6 machine gun. His ears were already ringing so badly that every sound in the world seemed distant.

“I don't know about anything else, but I'm definitely getting compensation for my hearing.”

The driver opened the hatch and shouted up to Bong-tae.

“Hey, mister! Did we get all the drones?”

“I don't know! I can't hear that fucking noise anymore!”

Bong-tae jumped down from the armored vehicle. The moment both feet touched the ground, his tension eased, and he nearly collapsed. He hadn't said anything, but the driving had been so rough that he'd nearly vomited everything he'd eaten while firing the machine gun.

“Phew···.”

Bong-tae wiped the beads of cold sweat from his forehead.

Once the drone attacks had been dealt with, commanders throughout the encampment began accounting for their soldiers.

Corporals and sergeants who appeared to be squad leaders also raised their voices, searching for personnel who were nowhere to be seen.

“First Squad is all accounted for!”

“W-wait···. Where's Seong-jae? Seong-jae!”

“Medic! We have a casualty here! Hurry!”

Shouts erupted throughout the encampment.

BOOM— BOOM— BOOM—

BOOM— BOOM— BOOM— BOOM—

Then a series of massive explosions echoed from north of Pungam-ri. A chill ran down Bong-tae's spine.

‘This is the front line of the front lines···. If those sounds are coming from farther north···.’

Long-range artillery and short-range missile attacks, simultaneous deployment of special forces into Seoul and its surrounding areas, and drone attacks against frontline military encampments.

And what came next?

“···They're pushing south.”

WEEEEEEEEENG—

WEEEEEEEEENG—

There were dozens of GOPs near Cheorwon. Sirens began sounding simultaneously from those GOPs.

Communications were currently cut off throughout South Korea. There was no way to receive accurate reports about what the GOPs were witnessing.

But there was only one possible 'situation' indicated by those sirens wailing furiously from the north. On top of that, another direct warning reached the 18th Infantry Brigade's encampment.

WHEEEEEET—

WHEEEEEET—

WHEEEEEET—

Whistles echoed from the ridgelines of Pungam-ri.

The 18th Infantry Brigade had eight guard posts established along the mountains of Pungam-ri. With communications unavailable, all sentries went on guard duty carrying whistles around their necks.

Such long whistle blasts meant that enemy troops had been visually identified.

Colonel Kang Tae-seong ran toward Choi Pil, who had just climbed out of Cheonho.

“Choi Pil!”

“Sir! You're not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“I'm fine! Those bastards are already coming down!”

Kang Tae-seong glanced toward the communications officer.

“Are communications still down?”

“···Yes, sir. I'm sorry, Brigade Commander.”

He patted the bowed communications officer on the shoulder.

“What have you got to apologize for? It's our fault as commanders for failing to anticipate this. If we've got no teeth, we'll fight with our gums.”

“Sir. You need to conduct a delaying action. You know that, right? You have to buy as much time as possible. Communications will be restored soon, and the Americans will deploy too.”

“What time? We'll smash every bastard that comes and advance north ourselves.”

“Sir···.”

“I told you to hurry up and leave! Why are you still hanging around!”

“It's already too late, sir. If they're visible from here, they've probably taken control of the roads as well.”

Choi Pil's expression hardened. Even if they made full use of Pungam-ri's terrain for defense, how long could the 18th Infantry Brigade hold out?

Kang Tae-seong stood beside Choi Pil and pointed at Bong-tae.

“Hey, that bastard.”

“Sergeant Kim Bong-tae?”

Colonel Kang Tae-seong called out to Bong-tae, who was still leaning against an armored vehicle and breathing heavily.

“Hey! Come over here!”

“Sergeant Kim Bong-tae, reporting.”

Bong-tae approached hesitantly. He remembered what he'd shouted loudly enough to shake the entire encampment during the drone battle. All that stuff about Fucking Skull and the like.

‘Don't tell me he heard what I said earlier···?’

Kang Tae-seong looked Bong-tae up and down. This time, his gaze was warmer than when they'd first met.

“Fucking Skull?”

“I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to—”

Kang Tae-seong chuckled.

“No. You were right. Watching them tremble like that just because a few tiny drones fell on us was quite a sight.”

Several nearby officers cleared their throats. Bong-tae felt awkward and kept his mouth tightly shut. After meeting Bong-tae's eyes for a moment, Kang Tae-seong turned and shouted toward the unit.

“18th Infantry Brigade! Listen carefully!”

The moment Colonel Kang Tae-seong shouted, every soldier in the unit turned his attention toward him. The communications officer beside him stood holding a megaphone, but Kang Tae-seong didn't even use it. He simply placed both hands on his hips and spoke.

It was astonishing that such a powerful voice could come from a stocky body that wasn't even 170 centimeters tall. The encampment, still noisy in various places, fell silent after his very first shout.

“Those North Korean communist bastards are sticking their heads in here!”

The soldiers listening to Kang Tae-seong's speech were filled with tension.

“Are we just going to sit here and take it? Like we did just now? Are we going to stand around while some runt from the 8th Division comes here and mocks us, calling us Fucking Skull or whatever?”

A small burst of laughter spread among the soldiers. Apparently, Bong-tae's earlier cries of True Fucking Skull had already spread throughout the entire encampment.

But the laughter lasted only a moment. The soldiers immediately raised their voices and shouted.

“No, sir!”

“Then grab your rifles and put on your helmets!”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

“All battalion commanders and company commanders, assemble!”

At Kang Tae-seong's order, the commanders of each unit quickly gathered. He swiftly explained the next stage of the operational plan.

“The North Korean advance is faster than expected. I don't know how long the GOPs can hold out, but eventually they'll come down this way.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Since communications are down, we need to position the artillery in advance at every major route into Cheorwon.”

“Yes, sir. All self-propelled artillery has already been switched to manual mode.”

One of the battalion commanders answered quickly.

“If communications are restored later, don't panic. Follow the operational plan. The operational plan. Understood?”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

“Fight with the conviction that if we get overrun like a bunch of pushovers, the Republic of Korea is finished!”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil approached Bong-tae and trapped him in a headlock with his massive arm.

“Kim Bong-tae!”

“Urrrgh···. Yes, Sergeant Kim Bong-tae.”

“You went and pulled another stunt, huh?”

“···I'm sorry, sir.”

Choi Pil released his arm.

“No. You did well. If you hadn't acted on your own, the drones would've caused considerably more damage. But you ignored what Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je told you again, didn't you?”

“···Yes, sir.”

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je stood quietly beside Choi Pil with his arms crossed. He threw a brief remark at Bong-tae.

“What did I tell you to look after first?”

“···My own safety, sir.”

“If you know that, why the hell were you running around while drones were flying overhead?”

“···Wouldn't staying hidden in one place have eventually become just as dangerous?”

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je let out a deep sigh.

“Well, things worked out in the end this time too.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“That wasn't a compliment. Now the other kids have picked up your habits too.”

Bong-tae glared at the three soldiers who were laughing as they watched him get chewed out.

“They're my juniors, after all. Isn't it natural for juniors to follow their senior's example?”

“I'm worried they'll follow you all the way to the afterlife.”

“That won't happen, sir.”

“We'll defend Pungam-ri alongside the True White Skull Unit. We need to conduct a delaying action for as long as possible. Once the sun goes down, the fighting should reach a stalemate. That's when we'll move to the rear.”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

#

[ April 4, 3:30 PM ]

The North Korean Army crossed the Military Demarcation Line.

While long-range artillery and missile attacks were underway, along with emergency airborne insertions of special operations forces, the North Korean Army completed the removal of obstacles installed throughout the DMZ.

Several breakthrough corridors had already been opened through the fences and obstacle zones that had divided the Korean Peninsula for decades.

The first place North Korean forces appeared was the Cheorwon axis. At the forefront was the Korean People's Army's 5th Corps.

It was an enormous formation composed of four infantry divisions, numerous independent brigades, and directly subordinate units. Its estimated strength was between 60,000 and 65,000 soldiers.

The situation the Republic of Korea Army had prepared for over decades was finally becoming reality. The very situation they had hoped would never happen.

#

Pungam-ri was a mountainous area that jutted out to the east of Cheorwon. National Route 5 lay directly ahead, while gently sloping mountains stretched along the Victory Observatory to the right.

South of Pungam-ri were also National Route 47, which led toward Pocheon, and roads connecting to Hwacheon, Gapyeong, and Chuncheon. If this position was breached quickly, the front line would collapse beyond control.

The 18th Infantry Brigade consisted of four battalions.

The location where Choi Pil's group and Colonel Kang Tae-seong were currently positioned was the brigade's headquarters battalion. The 1st and 2nd Battalions had already taken up positions near Pungam-ri and were preparing to fire.

There was also a 3rd Battalion, but because it was the GOP battalion, contact with it had already been lost long ago. Choi Pil and Bong-tae's group, who had arrived unexpectedly that day, joined the headquarters battalion under Colonel Kang Tae-seong's direct command.

One fortunate thing was that the North Korean Army had launched its offensive late in the day. It was almost 4:00 PM.

The days in South Korea weren't particularly long in April. Darkness would begin settling completely at around 6:50 PM. In roughly three hours, the sun would have fully set.

That didn't mean enemy attacks would stop at night, but their quality and intensity would differ considerably. Especially while advancing after breaking through the Military Demarcation Line, even the light infantry couldn't be considered fully prepared.

No matter how numerous their special forces and light infantry were, launching a nighttime assault was a burdensome plan. Attacking through unfamiliar mountains in the darkness was no easy task, even for North Korea's elite troops.

The 18th Infantry Brigade's operational plan was simple.

A turtle.

They would not move a single step from Pungam-ri. Armored vehicles and mortars would be dispersed as widely as possible along each ridgeline and concealed.

If North Korean soldiers appeared, shoot. If they approached, shoot. If anything looked suspicious, shoot first. If pushed back, retreat to the next ridgeline and shoot again.

Under the original operational plan, they would maintain their defensive line with support from Army Aviation. But with all communications currently severed, relying on such uncertain support would be unwise.

So Colonel Kang Tae-seong exercised a little more flexibility in establishing the defensive line.

He positioned more equipment with the 1st Battalion, which was slightly closer to the north, and deployed the 2nd Battalion farther to the rear.

If the 1st Battalion couldn't hold out and was pushed back, the 2nd Battalion would immediately take over the fire mission and form the next defensive line. Rather than a parallel formation, it was arranged in series.

However, such an extreme battalion deployment had a clear disadvantage. Frontal defensive strength would be doubled, but the flanks would become relatively weaker.

If the North Korean Army bypassed them along the ridgeline on the right flank, or charged across the plains and roads on the left, the 18th Infantry Brigade could collapse more easily than expected.

That was why the headquarters battalion was assigned to defend the flanks.

The headquarters battalion consisted of the brigade headquarters, where the brigade commander was stationed, along with the communications company, transportation company, medical company, combat support company, and other units. It served as the brigade's brain and blood vessels rather than as a frontline combat force.

Under normal wartime conditions, its personnel would almost never stand on the front line carrying rifles themselves. But now they were in no position to be choosy.

What use was a communications company when communications didn't work? And what use was a transportation company when there was nothing to transport or receive?

Leaving only a minimal medical company in the rear, every officer, NCO, and soldier in the headquarters battalion picked up a rifle. Everyone in Pungam-ri who could hold a gun was now an infantryman. Colonel Kang Tae-seong was no exception.

The officers, NCOs, and administrative soldiers of the headquarters battalion lined up inside a long trench. Colonel Kang Tae-seong fiddled with his K2C1 rifle. Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil, lying prone beside him, watched and smiled slightly.

“Sir, have you ever fired a K2C1?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“You've only been shooting pistols for a while, so I thought you might not know how. Want me to show you?”

“You bastard. You're getting awfully talkative. Guess you're nervous too?”

“···I'd be lying if I said I wasn't.”

“That bastard doesn't seem nervous at all, though.”

“···What?”

Colonel Kang Tae-seong pointed at a soldier with his thumb. Among the soldiers who were visibly tense, Bong-tae was quietly loading rounds into his magazines one by one. He was perfectly calm, without so much as a tremor in his fingers.

Two K413 fragmentation grenades were also attached to the chest of Bong-tae's combat vest.

“Well, I don't know what to make of him anymore either.”

Beside Bong-tae, Lee Hwan had quietly closed his eyes and was praying.

“Heavenly Father, or Buddha, or whoever···. Please, just let me live.”

BOOM— BOOM— BOOM—

BOOM— BOOM—

Artillery shells landed not far from the headquarters unit. Each time a massive piece of metal struck the ground, the earth inside the trench trembled slightly.

At least several thousand shells had fallen around Cheorwon over the past ten minutes. Lee Jin-gu muttered to himself.

“Those bastards are supposed to be dirt poor, but they've got a fucking mountain of artillery shells.”

Eventually, the bombardment began to subside. Sharp bursts of gunfire rang out repeatedly along the line connecting Victory Observatory, where the 1st Battalion was positioned, and Pungam-ri.

Rat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat—!

Every soldier there instinctively knew that this was where it truly began.

VROOOOOM—!

Dozens of unfamiliar vehicles appeared on the road in the distance. Following behind them, North Korean light infantrymen wearing North Korean flags on their arms stepped onto the ground of Pungam-ri with tense expressions.

The distance to the trench occupied by the headquarters battalion was approximately 800 meters. Because their position was on slightly elevated ground, the actual distance was just under 900 meters. It was within the effective range of the weapons the headquarters battalion currently possessed.

Colonel Kang Tae-seong raised his hand to signal.

The observers for the 81mm mortars positioned behind the trench quickly adjusted their firing positions. The machine gunners also wiped the sweat from their hands before gripping the heavy handles.

Colonel Kang Tae-seong's raised hand clenched into a fist.

The signal meant.

Fire.

Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!

Three mortars fired simultaneously. At the same moment, machine-gun fire poured toward vehicles and infantry alike.

A soldier concealed in a camouflaged position beside the road fired an AT-1K Hyeongung anti-tank missile from his shoulder. Even with communications networks severed, infrared-guided weapons like this could still be used.

KABOOOOOM—!

The first Hyeongung missile struck the lead vehicle head-on.

With a flash, the entire upper section of the vehicle was torn away. The vehicles following behind hurriedly changed direction.

Moments later, mortar rounds landed in the middle of the road.

BOOM—! BOOM—! BOOM—!

Several North Korean soldiers at the center of the explosions were practically pulverized on the spot. Those within the lethal radius were also caught in the shock waves and thrown to the ground.

“Move toward the foot of the mountain! Spread out!”

“Split up!”

“Find their firing positions first!”

Sharp commands rang out among the North Korean soldiers. They immediately abandoned the road. It was a quick decision.

The North Korean soldiers scattered toward the ridgelines to the left and right of the road, where the defenders had poor firing angles.

But this was still within Colonel Kang Tae-seong's plan. When the North Korean soldiers approached certain points beneath the ridgelines.

Click.

The planted Claymore mines detonated one after another.

KABOOOOOOOM—!

It was Bong-tae's first time actually witnessing a Claymore explode. It looked as though an invisible wave had swept across the ridgeline. He could see the air distorting as it surged forward.

But that wave contained hundreds of steel balls. The steel balls scattered by the explosion traveled at Mach 3. Being struck by even one could tear a person's body apart.

Rat-tat-tat-tat—!

Rat-tat-tat—!

The steel balls scattered in a fan-shaped pattern, striking trees and the ground before ricocheting in every direction. The North Korean soldiers caught among them collapsed without even having time to scream properly.

Even though Bong-tae was inside the trench, his stomach churned. The repeated vibrations and pressure left his chest feeling tight.

“F-fuck.”

The headquarters battalion's preemptive attack had been nearly perfect. The mortars, Hyeongung missiles, and Claymore mines all performed their roles without a single misfire. It was a fitting result for the True White Skull Unit, whose motto had always been 'Train as you fight.'

Colonel Kang Tae-seong stared ahead through his binoculars.

“Looks like all that hard training paid off!”

But Kang Tae-seong's expression remained stern. In fact, the corners of his mouth had dropped even lower than before the initial attack.

There were more North Korean soldiers than expected. They had blunted the spearhead of the leading force, but additional vehicles and infantry were arriving one after another, kicking up clouds of dust.

All the prepared Claymore mines had been used. After the Hyeongung missile they'd just fired, only four rounds remained.

Then an enormous North Korean vehicle emerged through the dust. It was the vehicle Colonel Kang Tae-seong least wanted to see.

“Fuck. Tanks!”

Four M-2024 tanks, North Korea's new third-generation tanks known as the 'Cheonma-2,' were advancing toward Pungam-ri.

© Jungle Pocket #22844