NABC Page 12
Page 12
"Be careful, and don't forget, Feifei is still waiting for you!"
Comrade Xiao Fang grinned but didn't say anything.
At 6:30 a.m. on May 7, the attack officially began, and our artillery bombarded the main peak position of Kouling Mountain.
Taking advantage of the artillery barrage, Fang Zhenhua gave orders to the entire company.
Chapter 16 Attacking the High Ground
Fang Zhenhua, carrying a light machine gun, took the lead and fired the machine gun incessantly.
The spearhead platoon soldiers following behind, each wielding a Type 56 assault rifle, unleashed a barrage of fire at the enemy troops on the high ground.
The purpose of this aggressive tactic is to suppress fire and ensure that the main force can follow.
Lei Kaihua led the 82nd Recoilless Rifle Squadron, carrying recoilless rifles on their shoulders, and began clearing enemy fortifications on Hill 14.
The enemies in the trenches were picked off one by one by the 60mm mortars, and the 40mm mortars also began to play a role at this time.
Under this series of blows, Fang Zhenhua led the elite platoon to storm Hill 14.
Although the enemy built many fortifications in Kouling Mountain, they also left behind a major hidden danger.
The troops were too scattered.
Deploying troops to garrison one high ground after another is a major taboo in military strategy, leaving you waiting for others to take them down one by one.
There is no absolutely solid defense, not to mention that our army's strength far surpasses that of the enemy.
After Fang Zhenhua charged up Hill 14, he opened fire on the enemy in the trench, and the spearhead platoon behind him opened fire as well.
The remaining enemy forces were riddled with bullets, and Hill 14 was completely captured by the first company.
Right there in the enemy's trench, Fang Zhenhua called over the company's political instructor and said...
"Instructor, you lead the third platoon to capture Hill 16 and cut off the enemy's retreat on Hills 13 and 15. I will continue to lead the soldiers to attack Hill 13."
In our army, it is a tradition for political officers to take the lead in the charge. On the battlefield, the political instructor is also a commander, and it is his duty to lead his officers and soldiers to capture the target.
"Third row, follow me."
After the instructor left, Fang Zhenhua called Lei Kaihua over.
"Kaihua, you did a great job just now. I've decided to hand over the company's rocket launchers and three heavy machine guns to you. I believe you can definitely organize heavy firepower suppression."
"Yes, Captain."
After a brief rest, they launched an attack on Hill 13.
The terrain of Hill 13 is more complex than that of Hill 14. The mountain roads on the hill are extremely narrow. Fortunately, Fang Zhenhua did not choose to launch a fierce attack, otherwise it would have been difficult for his troops to deploy in such terrain.
Fang Zhenhua led the elite platoon to suppress Hill 13 with firepower, creating favorable space for the heavy firepower units behind them.
At this moment, Lei Kaihua did not disappoint Fang Zhenhua's trust in him. While directing the heavy firepower unit to unleash firepower on the enemy on the high ground, he personally carried the recoilless rifle to attack the enemy's fortifications.
The force was as fierce as a tiger, like a steel blade, piercing straight into the enemy on the high ground.
The company commander took the lead, inspiring all the soldiers. Some flamethrower soldiers even carried flamethrowers and went up to spray fire directly.
The enemy had laid minefields on the high ground, so some soldiers took out demolition charges and blasted a hole in the minefield.
The soldiers of the elite platoon provided continuous firepower for Fang Zhenhua, who then threw the grenades he had gathered one by one.
At a distance of 50 meters, more than 80 grenades blasted the enemy on Hill 13 into a rout.
"Comrades, follow me!"
After unleashing a barrage of grenades, Fang Zhenhua picked up a light machine gun and fired another burst of fire at the high ground.
The soldiers of the spearhead platoon, along with the second platoon responsible for the main attack, followed Fang Zhenhua and charged up Hill 13, annihilating all the enemies.
Hill 13 was captured, and Hill 16 on the other side was also recaptured under the attack of the company's political instructor.
The enemy on Hill 15 is in for a rough time now.
They were attacked from both sides and their retreat was cut off. They had no choice but to put up a last-ditch resistance and were eventually annihilated.
As Fang Zhenhua had predicted, the remaining enemies on Hill 15 were annihilated by the combined attack from both sides.
At this point, the remaining combat missions were focused on Hills 17 and 18.
After capturing four high grounds in succession, the morale of the entire company reached its peak. As the saying goes, "One effort is enough, but the second will be weaker and the third will be exhausted."
Fang Zhenhua knew that he absolutely could not relax at this time, so he immediately spoke after seeing the instructor.
"Instructor, let's take advantage of the situation and capture Hills 17 and 18. Then we can report the good news to the battalion headquarters."
"I agree with your view. Our army should press on and completely annihilate the enemy."
After capturing three hills in succession, the vanguard platoon suffered heavy casualties. Therefore, the first and second platoons were assigned to lead the attack on Hills 17 and 18, respectively.
Fang Zhenhua and the instructor split up into two groups to take two hills, while Lei Kaihua also split up the heavy firepower unit.
Under a series of fierce and tenacious attacks, the enemies on the two hills suffered a devastating blow.
After the attack lasted for an hour, Fang Zhenhua notified the battalion headquarters via portable radio.
"Battalion Commander, Political Instructor, thanks to the valiant attack of all officers and soldiers in our company, our unit has successfully completed its mission and captured all six hills."
When Liang Sanxi learned of this news through the radio, he was extremely shocked. He and Zhao Mengsheng exchanged a glance, both seeing a deep sense of surprise in each other's eyes.
This was not only because Fang Zhenhua's troops perfectly completed their combat mission, but also because they completed the mission the fastest.
While the other troops were still fighting the enemy, they had already finished their work.
Zhao Mengsheng quickly took the microphone from Liang Sanxi and spoke.
"Zhenhua, well done! You've done a great job this time. Teacher Fang has been waiting at the division headquarters for a long time. I'll report the good news to them right away."
Fang Yingda was keeping a close eye on the battle at the front. When he received Zhao Mengsheng's report, he breathed a long sigh of relief.
Zhenhua did not disappoint him! Good! That was a well-fought battle!
"Mengsheng, tell Zhenhua to immediately organize a defense on the spot. The enemy will definitely not be willing to retreat, and they will definitely organize troops to counterattack."
"Please pass on a message to him: after this battle is over, I want to personally recommend him to the Party Committee of the Army and the Party Committee of the Military Region for commendation, not just for him personally, but for the entire company."
For a commander, individual combat achievements are certainly important, but it is even more important if the entire group can achieve combat achievements, or even win an honorary title.
This shows that your superiors recognize your leadership abilities, which will greatly help your career advancement.
The battalion's second military order has been issued: the entire company must complete the second phase of the defense mission.
Only by being able to both attack and defend can a battle be fought successfully.
After Fang Zhenhua passed on the mission, the morale of all the officers and soldiers in the company was very high.
After the soldiers entered their respective positions...
The enemy's fierce counterattack has arrived.
Chapter 17 Kouling Mountain Steel Knife Company
After Kouling Mountain was recaptured, the Vietnamese army's deputy chief of staff, Phung The Cai, personally came to the front line to supervise the battle, shouting that whoever lost the position should personally take it back.
The 313th Division mobilized its soldiers, clamoring to "wash away the shame and restore its reputation."
The monkey army amassed a large force and artillery and began a counterattack against the Kouling Mountain area.
Fang Zhenhua's company was responsible for defending three hills: 13, 14, and 15. The other hills were to be defended with the assistance of the rest of the battalion.
A death order came from above: no one could lose an inch of the land that the martyrs had won with their blood and lives.
Fang Zhenhua assigned tasks to all the commanders of the company. He personally took charge of defending Hill 13, the political instructor took charge of Hill 14, and Lei Kaihua and another deputy political instructor took charge of Hill 15.
A platoon was assigned to each of the three hills to dig "cat ear holes" on the positions to defend against enemy artillery attacks.
The three high grounds appeared to be scattered, but in fact they were connected. Fang Zhenhua was in the middle, and he was responsible for supporting whichever position was under the most pressure.
Because no matter how the enemy attacks, if they want to attack him, they have to attack the other two high grounds first.
The battle first broke out on Hill 14. The enemy committed a battalion of troops, first launching a saturation attack with artillery, and then that battalion began to attack the hill.
The instructor and the third platoon, responsible for defending Hill 14, launched a tenacious attack and repelled eight enemy counterattacks. However, the enemy seemed determined to take the hill at all costs.
With one battalion's strength not enough, the addition of a company instantly increased the pressure on the third platoon.
Fang Zhenhua led a platoon to rush to the aid, while on the other side, the enemy sent another company to begin attacking Hill 15.
It seems that there are capable people among the enemy. They are trying to take advantage of the company's insufficient strength to keep our soldiers busy.
In this critical moment, Fang Zhenhua decisively ordered the remaining artillery platoon to support Hill 15.
The heavy firepower of the artillery platoon was even more intense, and this support decision had an immediate effect. The enemy forces attacking Hill 15 were dealt a heavy blow and were left completely disoriented.
The battle lasted a full day, and the company was running out of ammunition, while the enemy's counterattacks had been repelled 22 times.
Fang Zhenhua immediately reported to the battalion headquarters and requested that ammunition be transported to the front line from the rear.
Without any delay, Liang Sanxi and Zhao Mengsheng transferred ammunition from the battalion headquarters to the high ground.
Later on, our people did everything they could to help the troops transport supplies.
How could the enemy compare to such a close bond between the military and the people?
That old bastard Li Xun wants to purge everyone connected to our country; such a pseudo-regime is destined to be unpopular.
With ammunition, we have the confidence to resist the enemy's counterattack.
But on this Kouling Mountain, the most terrifying thing is not the enemy, but the natural environment.
This place has a typical tropical mountain jungle climate. On the high ground, the only shelter for the soldiers is the dug-out cat-ear-shaped caves.
During the day, the scorching sun beat down, and the soldiers suffered as if they were living in a steamer.
As night fell, the temperature on the mountain plummeted, and the biting wind chilled us to the bone, making our soldiers' teeth chatter.
Even the meals had to be prepared at the foot of the mountain and then carried up.
Fang Zhenhua saw this and felt heartbroken. He slept less than three or four hours a day. The regiment and the battalion kept calling him, urging him to come down the mountain, but Fang Zhenhua refused every time.
In his words, our soldiers are suffering, so what can I, a company commander, do if I don't sleep?
By the end of May, as June approached, the rainy season had arrived.
The torrential rain fell on the high ground, and the floodwaters poured into the foxholes, forcing the soldiers to spend the night in the rain.
The harsh natural environment caused many soldiers to suffer from acute arthritis and back and leg pain. Some of them could not stand up after sitting down, and some even had to stand guard with crutches.
After discussing with the instructor, Fang Zhenhua decided to send the soldiers in serious condition to the rear for treatment.
But not a single person left the front line, even when their wounds became infected and suppurated, and even when leaders repeatedly urged them to go down, they still refused.
In the words of these soldiers, the position needs people; if one person leaves, there is one less force. As long as there is still a breath left, they must persevere.
For the peace of the motherland's borders and for the happiness of the people, even if we suffer all kinds of hardships and difficulties, we must defend this position that was won with blood and lives.
As the company commander, the only thing Fang Zhenhua could do at this time was to stay with his soldiers.
Their unit was like a nail, firmly rooted in Kouling Mountain, never wavering.
During this period, all the officers and soldiers of the company repelled 89 enemy counterattacks. Hills 13, 14 and 15 remained as immovable as Mount Tai, and the enemy did not occupy an inch of land.
As July approached, the enemy finally became too weak to fight back.
By July 10, the situation in Koulingshan had basically stabilized, and the 126th Regiment and the Border Defense Regiment handed over their defense duties.
The soldiers of the first company were finally able to descend the hill, where they had held out for sixty-six days and nights.
They defeated the enemy, they defeated fate, and most importantly, they defeated themselves.
Half of the soldiers in the entire company were carried off on stretchers; they were suffering from severe joint diseases.
Two-thirds of the soldiers suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, unable to eat or sleep.
Fang Zhenhua would shake hands with every soldier who was carried down the mountain.
After everyone else had evacuated, only two people remained on Hill 14: Fang Zhenhua and Lei Kaihua.
The deputy instructor was killed in action, and the instructor, who suffered from severe arthritis, was carried on a stretcher.
Looking at the soldiers lying on stretchers, Lei Kaihua couldn't help but shed tears.
"Company commander, the battle is over."