Chapter 20

The Battle of Mount Cheonju (1)

“Run! Run!”

“Run without even stopping to breathe!”

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's 1st Platoon was also desperately running down the mountainside. Although this mountain was lower than Mount Geumju, where Bong-tae was, it would still take more than fifteen minutes of running to reach the road.

The reason he had gone to a different mountain from Bong-tae was to observe the left side of Pocheon. Roads from Dongducheon and Yeoncheon also led into Pocheon.

Yeoncheon, in particular, was a frontline area directly bordering the Military Demarcation Line.

Until now, the sounds of artillery fire from Yeoncheon hadn't been as intense as those from Cheorwon, but Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je had chosen to reconnoiter this mountain because he considered the possibility that North Korean forces had already broken through Yeoncheon.

And Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's instincts proved exactly right. At the end of National Route 37, connecting Yeoncheon to Pocheon, he spotted the vanguard of North Korean armored forces and infantry units.

Even at a glance, there were dozens of vehicles. The trucks were also packed with infantrymen. They were advancing rapidly toward downtown Pocheon.

That alone was more than enough reason to fire a red signal flare into the sky, even though it hadn't been part of the original plan. Even if he couldn't report exactly where the enemy was coming from or in what numbers, he could at least convey that they were fucked.

Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil frowned as he watched the red signal flare launched by Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je. He had gone to the mountain ridge west of Pocheon. And from there came a signal indicating the highest level of danger.

Choi Pil quickly ran into the command post and reported to the corps commander.

“Corps Commander! The tanks on the left need to turn their guns toward Yeoncheon!”

“Yeoncheon···? I haven't heard anything about the defensive line there being breached.”

“Is there anything we can actually hear about right now?”

“···All right. As Lieutenant Colonel Choi says, have the tanks on the left watch Yeoncheon.”

“Yes, sir!”

The battalion operations officers heard the command post's orders and immediately ran outside.

“Enemy tanks spotted ahead again! More than thirty of them!”

Almost simultaneously with the flare rising from Yeoncheon, North Korean forces appeared again in northern Pocheon, at the same location where the Cheonma-2 tanks had been thoroughly battered by the Black Panthers and disappeared.

It was a diversionary attack, pushing in simultaneously from Yeoncheon to the west and northern Pocheon.

“Enemy armored forces spotted from the direction of Yeoncheon! At least fifty vehicles! Infantry is advancing too!”

“Is it a diversion?”

“Stop reporting and open fire immediately!”

The 7th Corps was currently bringing its rear units forward on the corps commander's orders. Under Choi Pil's original plan, they should have maintained a linear defensive formation until reaching Cheorwon, but now they were clustered together in one enormous mass.

It was exactly the kind of deployment that self-propelled artillery and drones loved most.

The corps commander had decided to advance only ten minutes earlier. And in modern warfare, ten minutes could change a great deal.

Whoooosh— Whoooosh—

KABOOOM—! KABOOOM—!

A shell fired from northern Pocheon penetrated the Black Panther's frontal armor. Flames surged from a hole punched precisely through the lower section of its hull.

“They··· fired first?”

“That's impossible!”

“The smoke screen hasn't even cleared yet!”

The intelligence officer watching the tank engagement through his observation device stood with his mouth hanging open.

The Cheonma-2's performance was so poor that calling it a third-generation tank like the Black Panther was almost laughable. That had been demonstrated in the first engagement, yet this latest shot had accurately targeted and struck a Black Panther concealed within the smoke.

Was it a coincidence? Had they simply gotten lucky and hit a silhouette briefly visible through the smoke?

The intelligence officer's doubts didn't last long. Another flash erupted from an enemy tank's gun barrel.

KABOOOOOM—!

Another Black Panther was engulfed in flames and stopped moving. An infantry fighting vehicle maneuvering behind the tank also suffered an explosion along its side. Black smoke rose from inside the vehicle.

“That's impossible···.”

It was nothing like the firing capability of the Cheonma-2s they'd seen moments earlier. It was as though an entirely different tank had entered the battle. The intelligence officer hurriedly increased the magnification on his observation device.

An enemy tank briefly emerged through the smoke. And at that instant, the intelligence officer's expression hardened.

“Th-that's not a Cheonma!”

“What did you say?”

“It's not a Cheonma! Look at that!”

The operations officer beside him also raised an observation device to his eyes.

“Fuck···. Aren't those Chinese and Russian third-generation tanks? How the hell does North Korea have those?”

The tanks appearing from northern Pocheon weren't third-generation tanks in name only, like the Cheonma-2. They were genuine third-generation tanks.

Russia's T-90M and China's Type 99 tank. Both were modern tanks deployed by Russia and China from the 2010s onward.

They were covered in the drab green paint used by North Korean forces, and tacky North Korean flags were attached beside their turrets. But judging by the shapes of their hulls, gun barrels, and tracks, there was no doubt these machines hadn't been built using North Korean technology.

“Quickly! Report this to the corps commander!”

“Yes, sir!”

The T-90M and Type 99 were both capable of fighting the Black Panther head-on. Both were among the world's leading main battle tanks. Comparing their specifications alone, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say they were almost on the same level as the K2 Black Panther.

But right now, North Korea had a far greater advantage. The North Korean forces still had their eyes and ears, and they also controlled the skies.

“C-Corps Commander! North Korea's tanks are the latest Chinese and Russian models!”

“···What? Are you certain?”

“Absolutely certain, sir! T-90Ms and Type 99s!”

A commotion spread throughout the command post. Everyone present was thoroughly knowledgeable about armored warfare. They understood the performance gap between the Cheonma-2 and T-90M better than anyone.

They quickly recommended retreat.

“Corps Commander! We need to withdraw immediately!”

“Abandon Cheorwon and fall back to the Uijeongbu line···.”

“It would be better to retreat all the way to Icheon and wait for communications to be restored!”

“It's not too late. Preserving the corps and withdrawing is our best option.”

Even the officers who had been arguing for an advance moments earlier now raised their voices in favor of retreat.

But at that moment, another voice disrupted the command post. It belonged to Lieutenant Colonel Choi Pil, the man who had opposed the advance toward Cheorwon just moments earlier.

“I'm opposed.”

Several officers openly scowled.

“Opposed again?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you here just to oppose everything?”

“Even turning the vehicles around here and pulling them beyond the enemy's firing range would take at least thirty minutes.”

“Some sacrifices are necessary.”

“That would be more than enough time for them to destroy every tank here ten times over.”

“Then what do you propose?”

Choi Pil quickly pointed at the map and explained.

“We rapidly divide the force into two groups. Deploy the tanks that are still mobile toward Yeoncheon and northern Pocheon.”

“You're proposing that we fight fire with fire.”

“Yes. We're going to take hits no matter what. In that case, it's better to confront them head-on and at least force an exchange of losses. We're more familiar with Pocheon's terrain, and our tank crews are more skilled.”

The corps commander groaned.

“Not exactly a smart plan.”

“A blind retreat would be even more foolish.”

He nodded. This time, he accepted Choi Pil's proposal without reservation. The corps commander's will was the will of the corps. The officers in the command post raised no further objections to the operation.

They quickly checked what each of them needed to do. Then they immediately moved. Whether first lieutenant, captain, major, or lieutenant colonel, everyone knew that personally running to their units to deliver the orders was the best course of action right now.

#

North Korean tank shells began landing among the smoke grenades released by the friendly tanks. Soldiers rapidly assembled near the 33rd Battalion's vehicles, which had been parked on rough ground well away from the road.

Enemy fire hadn't reached this far yet, but if the North Koreans spotted the vehicles, they were positioned where they could easily be destroyed.

“Kim Bong-tae! Second Platoon Leader! Hey! Over here!”

Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je ran toward Bong-tae, who had hurried down the mountain. The thirty soldiers under Kim Hong-je's command were also breathing heavily. It seemed they'd run all the way from the mountain without stopping.

“Staff Sergeant Kim!”

“Hey! Hurry! Move!”

“Yes, sir! Where to?”

“The command post! We need to receive our orders first!”

Bong-tae and Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je gathered their respective platoons. The soldiers climbed onto the two-and-a-half-ton trucks with trembling hands.

“Gi-baek! Head toward the command post!”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

Tanks and armored vehicles were rapidly moving north against the flow of the road.

“Why are they going the other way? That's where the enemy is!”

“I don't know! Just step on it!”

Nam Gi-baek drove while avoiding the road as much as possible. Every time the vehicle rocked violently from side to side, the soldiers inside let out screams of varying intensity.

“Nam Gi-baek! Fuck! Don't you have a driver's license?”

“I do!”

“Fuck! At this rate, you'll kill us before the North Koreans do! Drive properly!”

“You try driving! I'm doing a fucking great job just avoiding the tanks right now!”

The 33rd Battalion personnel led by Bong-tae and Kim Hong-je arrived at the temporary command post established on the mountainside below the entrance to Pocheon. Soldiers and officers alike were running around like madmen, shouting at the tops of their lungs.

As soon as Bong-tae got out of the vehicle, he looked for Choi Pil. Choi Pil happened to be waiting outside the command post for the 33rd Battalion personnel to return.

“Battalion Commander!”

“Sergeant Kim! Staff Sergeant Kim! Quickly!”

“Yes, sir!”

“No matter what happens, absolutely do not move toward downtown Pocheon or the roads! Absolutely not!”

From this moment onward, downtown Pocheon and the roads were the battlefield of tanks and armored vehicles. Infantrymen who happened to be nearby could be killed instantly if they were so much as grazed by an artillery shell.

“North Korean infantry will come over the mountains toward us. There are going to be a lot of them. All the 7th Corps infantry will spread out and establish defenses!”

“Yes, sir! Where should we go?”

“Mount Cheonju, the one you can see up ahead! It's strategically very important!”

“Understood!”

“Staff Sergeant Kim! I'm counting on you!”

“Understood, Battalion Commander.”

Kim Hong-je quickly saluted the battalion commander. This was no time for a heartfelt farewell. He quickly gathered the platoon members.

“33rd Battalion, assemble!”

“Assemble!”

Kim Hong-je roughly threw open the tailgate of a two-and-a-half-ton truck parked beside the command post. Various weapons were piled haphazardly inside drab green crates.

“We don't have time! If you think you can use something, grab it! This isn't a reconnaissance mission anymore, so take plenty of magazines!”

The soldiers all looked into the truck bed at once.

“Wh-what?”

“Wh-which ones should we take···?”

“Anyone here a machine gunner? I think we definitely need to take those!”

Suddenly presented with too many choices, some of the soldiers couldn't immediately decide what to take. Bong-tae shouted at the soldiers staring blankly into the truck bed.

“Hey! You think you're at a convenience store? Picking out triangle rice balls? Hurry up and grab something, you idiots!”

“I-I've never fired a machine gun!”

“It's just like a rifle! You pull the trigger and it fires! I've done it myself! Hurry up and grab one!”

“Th-that's your explanation?”

“These weapons are designed to be easy to use, you bastard! Stop arguing!”

The 33rd Battalion was a hastily assembled unit.

Naturally, its members had different military specialties and had received different training. Nevertheless, they began selecting the weapons they thought they would need, one by one.

Meanwhile, Bong-tae scanned the truck bed once, then dragged over an empty field pack that had been lying in a corner of the command-post tent. He dropped it in front of the two-and-a-half-ton truck.

“Sergeant Kim?”

“What?”

“What are you planning to take?”

Instead of answering, Bong-tae picked up a green box.

A KM-18A1 directional fragmentation mine. A Claymore.

Bong-tae stuffed the Claymore into his field pack. Not just one, but two, three, four. He intended to take every Claymore inside the two-and-a-half-ton truck. Before long, his field pack was bulging with Claymores and extra 5.56mm ammunition.

“S-Sergeant Kim? Why are you only taking those?”

“You saw it when we fought alongside the 3rd Division. One of these going off properly is enough to finish off infantry.”

“Do you know how to set them up?”

“It tells you right on the top.”

Bong-tae tapped the front of the Claymore.

“Front Toward Enemy.”

“···.”

“That's all you need to know.”

“···You're seriously ignorant. Unbelievably ignorant.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

When he lifted the field pack, the plastic casings rattled against one another inside. Hearing that sound, Bong-tae nodded slightly in satisfaction.

© Jungle Pocket #22844