Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 101 The US Atomic Bomb Threat! Seeking Peace with China!
Washington, The White House
"Mr. President, our repeated defeats in the Korean War have already sparked public discontent."

"A large number of American troops were annihilated and captured by the Chinese army. Even one of our three aces, the 1st Marine Division, was surrounded in Chosin Reservoir."

"The families of these soldiers took to the streets in droves, and a large number of American citizens joined in in support, causing our party's approval rating to plummet..."

"In addition, a British army unit was also completely wiped out, which led to the British putting diplomatic pressure on us."

U.S. Secretary of State Acheson handed a report to Truman and said.

"Damn it, didn't MacArthur say the war in the Far East would be over before Christmas?"

"Why has things come to this?!"

Truman slammed the report on the table and said, his face ashen.

"Mr. President, I think the reason is that we have made a huge misjudgment of China, especially the Chinese military."

"Red China is vastly different from the Nationalist government we supported. They have an extremely clean and efficient government, and their leaders possess extraordinary determination and courage."

"Their soldiers were all fearless and their command was no less than that of Rommel and Guderian in Germany."

Secretary of State Acheson explained calmly.

Is the fighting capability of the Chinese army really that exaggerated?

"Back then, we provided China with so many weapons and US dollars, and even when they fought the Japanese army in the later stages, they still suffered a disastrous defeat known as the 'Great Debacle of Henan, Hunan and Guangxi'."

Truman frowned and asked incredulously.

“Mr. President, as I just said, stop looking at this newly born red China through the eyes of the Nationalist government. They are now a powerful force.”

"We are already mired in a quagmire in Europe, and the pressure and threats from the Soviet Union have put too much pressure on the United States. Now we are facing such a predicament in the Far East..."

"Mr. President, we need to take some action."

Secretary of State Acheson said.

"You mean...we want to make peace with China?"

Truman frowned, clearly reluctant, and asked.

"What we need right now is not a ceasefire, but a ceasefire."

Acheson thought for a moment and then said.

"No war, only a ceasefire?"

Truman's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt as he asked.

"Yes!"

"Mr. President, we need to rescue the 1st Marine Division and other troops in order to temporarily appease the people below."

"But we cannot retreat like this. After all, as the leader of the free world, if we are defeated by Red China in this way, it will cause our national dignity to be disgraced and our appeal and deterrence to be greatly weakened."

"Therefore, we can only fake a ceasefire to trick China into showing sincerity and releasing our troops."

Acheson smiled slyly and said.

"But you also said that China is no longer the China it used to be. How could it still be like the Qing Dynasty, winning military victories but betraying the country diplomatically?"

Truman shook his head, looking worried.

"Mr. President, have you forgotten that we have another powerful weapon in the military?"

Acheson said.

You mean the atomic bomb?

"Do you want to use atomic bombs to threaten China into a ceasefire and releasing the US 1st Marine Division and other troops?"

President Truman thought for a moment and then said.

"Yes."

"When we dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world was shocked."

"Is China not afraid of the threat posed by a weapon that can destroy a city with a single strike?"

"Given their population density, how many casualties would that be?"

Acheson smiled smugly and said.

"Indeed, China has no corresponding countermeasures. I guess they can only tremble under the threat of atomic bombs?"

"Okay, then let's do it your way!"

Truman smiled and agreed.

"Mr. President, in addition to this ceasefire, we also need to consider replacing the Allied Commander-in-Chief."

"After all, someone has to be held accountable for this crushing defeat, otherwise we won't be able to explain it to the American people."

Acheson reminded him.

"I heard that MacArthur wanted to run for the next US president, but now he has no chance."

"Acheson, do you have anyone in mind who would be a good candidate?"

Truman smiled and asked.

"Mr. President, I recommend General Ridgway."

"He led his troops in the Normandy landings, and also fought in the Market Garden, the Ardennes, and the Ruhr campaign. He has extensive combat experience."

"Most importantly, he served in the 15th Infantry Regiment stationed in China and has a certain understanding of China, so he will likely be more adept at dealing with the Chinese army."

After thinking for a moment, Acheson made his final recommendation.

"Alright, then let's hope that General Ridgway can save the Allies and bring us a new turning point."

"However, General MacArthur made great contributions in World War II and had a high reputation, so he could not be dismissed immediately."

"At that time, Ridgway can take over as the commander of the Eighth Army and the Allied ground forces. After achieving results, he can completely replace MacArthur."

After thinking it over, Truman said...

"Yes, sir!"

After saying this, Acheson went down to prepare.

Soon after, the United States began nuclear blackmail against China.

Emerson, director of the Far Eastern Division of the U.S. State Department, threatened that if conventional weapons could not win or if the U.S. military would suffer heavy casualties, "we could consider using atomic bombs against China" to destroy industrial cities in Northeast China such as Shenyang, Anshan, Harbin, Fushun, and Dalian.

At a press conference, US President Truman publicly stated that "the United States is actively considering the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield" and that battlefield commanders would be "responsible for the use of nuclear weapons."

Truman's statement was interpreted as "General MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Korean War, has been authorized to use the atomic bomb at will," which immediately caused a huge uproar around the world.

However, the US threat did not receive a response from its allies; instead, it was met with a great deal of resistance.

Newspapers in London, Paris, Rome, and Vienna condemned the United States for attempting to escalate the war and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the decision to make such a significant move without prior consultation with its allies.

These countries believed that if the United States used nuclear weapons against China, the Soviet Union would inevitably retaliate with nuclear weapons, and Europe, which was closer to the Soviet Union, would obviously not escape the fate.

European media criticized the United States, saying it was "dragging us into the abyss of war in Asia at an incredible time and under perhaps the most difficult strategic conditions."

The most vehement reaction came from British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, who first joined the French in stating that "the United States should be prevented from expanding the war to China," and then planned to personally travel to Washington to meet with Truman.

Britain's concerns were not surprising. Ever since the Soviet Union acquired the atomic bomb, Britain had been very worried that the British mainland, where American B-29 bombers were stationed, would become a target of a Soviet nuclear attack.

What surprised the United States the most was China's strong response.

Faced with the United States' attempt to rescue the 1st Marine Division through diplomatic means, the Party Central Committee saw through the scheme directly and issued a reply: "All imperialism is a paper tiger!"

Having witnessed China's tough stance, the United States had no choice but to abandon the possibility of rescuing American troops from Chosin Reservoir through diplomatic means and nuclear blackmail.

The steel bridge components were completed ahead of schedule due to the expedited work and were ready to be transported from Tokyo to the Korean battlefield by large transport planes, and then evacuated via the Sumun Bridge.

....................................

"Sir, we received a call from Tokyo saying that diplomatic efforts have failed, and the steel bridge components will likely be delivered to us the day after tomorrow."

"The higher-ups said that we must bring the 1st Marine Division back to the United States as a whole, no matter what."

The U.S. Chief of Staff handed a telegram to Smith and said.

"Fuck! The day after tomorrow?"

"The Chinese army could launch an attack at any time. Their previous harassment campaigns have already broken through our positions. Who knows if we will have a chance to hold out until the day after tomorrow!"

Smith tore the telegram to shreds and roared.

"Sir, you have to hold on even if you can't."

"Our current decision to hold our ground or withdraw is no longer a choice based on military interests, but rather a political requirement."

The U.S. Chief of Staff sighed and said.

"How's the morale of the guys now? Have you calmed them down?"

Smith took a deep breath, remained silent for a few seconds, and then asked.

"I had the latest airlifted supplies distributed to the soldiers and also sent people to visit them, but it doesn't seem to be working well."

"The soldiers said they didn't need these, they wanted to go home..." the U.S. Chief of Staff said.

"go home……"

"How I long to go home!"

"Alright, come with me. I'll go and personally comfort these guys; they've really worked hard..."

Major General Smith sighed and said.

"Yes, sir!"

The U.S. Chief of Staff nodded in agreement.

....................................

Chinese People's Volunteer Army, Army-level Command

"Commander, Wu Wanli from the Seventh Steel Company is here to report!"

Wu Wanli walked in and called out.

"Hey, our great hero is back!"

"Wasn't it exhilarating to take on an entire American platoon all by yourself?"

Kong Jie put down the documents in his hand and looked at Wu Wanli.

"That was so satisfying, so satisfying..."

Wu Wanli looked at Kong Guoyin in front of him, hesitated for two seconds, but still couldn't help but open the door to him.

"Hahahahahaha..."

"Commander, that sounds like your catchphrase!"

Upon hearing this, the chief of staff couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hey!"

"You little brat! You're getting cocky, aren't you?"

Kong Jie was slightly taken aback, then picked up the green iron water cup on the table and pretended to smash it.

"Don't, don't, don't..."

"Commander, I was just joking with you."

Wu Wanli immediately smiled and admitted defeat.

"Why do you always seem to be so eager to risk your life?"

"This is just to have you harass the enemy's position. You're making it look like a life-or-death battle. There's no need for that."

Kong Jie put down the green kettle with the words "Serve the People" printed in red and said slowly.

"Wanli, the commander is just concerned about you. Don't let him down."

The chief of staff glanced at Wu Wanli and said meaningfully.

"Commander, didn't you say back then that you wouldn't add any more men or guns, so that we could fight with ten times the strength?"

"If I don't fight desperately, the Seventh Steel Company will have to sacrifice a third of its members before we can take over that artillery position and then we can start bombarding it!"

"If it were just a regular harassment, it wouldn't have had this kind of effect."

Wu Wanli sighed and said.

“I’d rather have no results than have you take this risk.”

"It's fine now, but after the war, when you become the military commander of the troops, you must do your best to protect yourself, understand?"

Kong Jie looked at Wu Wanli and reprimanded him.

"Yes!"

"Commander, do you mean I'll be promoted to a commanding military officer after the war?"

"That's great! I love killing enemies on the battlefield!"

Wu Wanli's heart stirred, and he began to inquire.

"Comrade Wu Wanli, with your tactical insight and so many brilliant ideas for fighting, isn't the staff system good enough?"

"When tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of soldiers are under your brilliant command, that will be truly exhilarating!"

The chief of staff said with a smile.

"They each have their own irreplaceable role, and none of them is more important."

"But since the Chief of Staff has mentioned a brilliant plan, tell me your next steps."

"The Han army has expanded by so many people, they should be prepared enough, right?"

Kong Jie said.

"Commander, what day is it today?"

Wu Wanli smiled slightly.

"What day?"

"What does this have to do with fighting a war?"

Kong Jie was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion.

"Have."

"General MacArthur of the United States once said that he would reach the Yalu River before Christmas and bring the American troops back to celebrate Christmas."

"Christmas is just around the corner, and the US 1st Marine Division is still surrounded by us in this freezing cold of Chosin Reservoir!"

"And I had that 'Captain Lü' gather the American prisoners together so that we could go to the vicinity of the American positions at night and sing American Christmas songs, or let the prisoners sing some tunes from their hometowns."

"Commander, do you think that the morale of the American troops, which has already been severely damaged, might lead to a complete collapse of morale among some of them?"

Wu Wanli smiled and said.

"Surrounded at Gaixia, surrounded by enemies on all sides?"

"Wanli, are you trying to persuade the American troops to surrender?"

The chief of staff was the first to react and asked.

"To be precise, it was about recruiting some American soldiers to surrender."

"It may be unlikely that the entire 1st Marine Division will surrender, but even if it can shake 10 or 20% of the US military, that's still several hundred people."

"If we fight freely in Zangmili, a few hundred heavily armed American soldiers could hold off one or two thousand of our volunteer soldiers, right?"

Wu Wanli sighed and said.

"Commander, I think this plan is fine."

"The main force behind the 'besieged on all sides' situation was American prisoners of war. At most, we sent out some small units to supervise and receive prisoners."

"Therefore, we don't need to take too much risk."

The chief of staff thought for a moment and then said.

"What if the American devils opened fire on these American prisoners of war, or on those American soldiers who defected?"

Kong Jie thought for a moment and then asked.

"Then let them drive."

"Commander, if the US military fires on their own people, even if they can temporarily suppress the defection, their morale will completely plummet."

"Those war-weary soldiers are only temporarily suppressed. Once the fighting really starts, they will surrender and retreat on the battlefield, and their role will be even greater!"

Wu Wanli said with a smile.

"Commander, the other two armies won't arrive until tomorrow. Tonight is the perfect time to launch the final psychological warfare!"

"In other words, Wanli's plan not only carries little risk of injury, but also has zero time cost."

The Chief of Staff reminded.

"Okay!"

"Since the decisive battle won't begin until tomorrow, there's no need for us to just wait here. Let's fight this psychological warfare strategy that will last for thousands of miles!"

"Wanli, your Seventh Steel Company and some small units, along with the Han auxiliary troops, go and do it!"

"I'd like to see if the morale of these elite American troops can be even stronger than that of Xiang Yu's army!"

Kong Jie glanced in the direction of Zang Meili and said.

"Yes!"

Wu Wanli immediately saluted and responded.

(End of this chapter)