21st century Goguryeo

Chapter 105

October 31, 2020, 22:50 (China Standard Time, 21:50)

Two-lane road in the suburbs of Jai-Tun County, Sun-Yang province, China.

The crew of the 711 tank lost their balance from the sudden shock wave. They were about to regain their balance to fire their photon cannons, when three Chinese tanks mobilized toward them and fired their shells simultaneously.

Though only 50 m away from the other Korean tanks, the 711 tanks were caught in an unfortunate situation.

Boom! Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The three shells instantly flew out and hit their targets. The 711 tank didn’t sustain any internal explosions since its armor wasn’t punctured, but the shock wave caused the entire tank to shake. The power of the shells suggested they were at least 125mm rounds.

Vrooooo.

The 712 tank moved between the 711 tank and the Chinese tank amidst the smoke and the smell of gunpowder in the air, then fired its photon cannon and Black Dragon missiles simultaneously.

The first photon cannon round pierced the front of the Chinese tank and created a large explosion. The second Chinese tank also had its turret collapse from the Black Dragon missile and burst into flames. Then, as the 712 tank was about to fire its photon cannon at the fourth tank, it deployed its smoke bombs, retreated, and exited the area using the road to its side.

-712 tank, requesting damage report of 711 tank. Over!

-712 tank, requesting damage report of 711 tank. Over!

However, no answer came, and smoke billowed out from the 711 tank.

“Dmn it! Those bstards just ran off and hid.” Sergeant First Class Oh Young-taek swore under his breath, then turned his scope to where the enemy tank had retreated and started checking for magnetic waves. Then, he saw the enemy tank taking cover behind a pile of construction materials in a vacant lot beside a building. He shouted his next order.

“Yeom! Go straight, and then turn right at the corner!”

“Yes, sir.”

The 712 tank rammed into the three Chinese tanks that were on fire and kept moving after making a right turn at the corner. When the tank advanced about 30 m forward, the Chinese tank hiding behind the construction materials turned its turret toward the 712 tank.

“You b*stard! Do you think I’m going down that easily?

Sergeant First Class Oh Young-taek, who ordered the mobilization after setting the target, gave the order to fire.

Boom!

The photon cannon round from the 712 tank hit the Chinese tank’s cockpit. After the Chinese tank shook for a bit from the shock wave, it collapsed in on itself and didn’t move.

“Staff Sergeant Kim! Fire three more rounds!”

Sergeant First Class Oh Young-taek gave the order to fire as if to take out his anger about the 711 tank being shot down. Staff Sergeant Kim Young-joo also stepped on the launch pad multiple times without hesitation. The photon cannon spat out rounds like an automatic rifle.

The Chinese tank that had stopped moving after being hit by the first photon cannon round was unrecognizable after being hit three more times. There was only metal shrapnel, smoke, and flames where the Chinese tank used to be.

“What’s the ID of that tank?”

Since the tank was one that Sergeant First Class had never seen before, he operated the console to identify it. The specifications of the tank came up on the tank commander’s monitor. “Well, would you look at that. It’s the latest Chinese made tank, Type 100 A2 MBT! It’s a fourth-generation tank, weighing 52 tons, equipped with a 1,300 horsepower engine and the latest thermal scanners? It can fire while moving, and it has double-layered armor made of special compound alloys? It even has 130 mm smoothbore guns and APFSDS rounds that can pierce up to 1,100 mm?”

Staff Sergeant Kim Young-joo also checked the specifications showing up on the monitor and couldn’t contain his shock. “130 mm smoothbore guns! That’s not a tank, that’s a self-propelled gun, those b*stards! Is that why the 711 tank was taken down?”

“It doesn’t matter. Corporal Yeom! For now, let’s return to where the 711 tank is.”

“Yes, sir.”

Vroooooo.

The 712 turned back around and stopped in front of the 711 tank.

“It doesn’t seem to be completely shot down,” said Sergeant First Class Oh.

As he was about to take a detailed look of the 711 tank with the scope, the tank commander’s hatch of the 711 opened, and a hand came out.

“Ah, they’re alive. Platoon Commander of the 711, are you okay?” Sergeant First Class Oh Young-taek called out through the platoon communication line, but there was no answer. Lieutenant Kim Myung-joon, the platoon and tank commander of the 711, was concerned about Chinese snipers and heavy weaponry, so he made hand signals.

The hand signals indicated that the radio equipment was broken and had gone silent, the left caterpillar was damaged and they could not mobilize, and that a request should be made for a rescue armored vehicle. Sergeant First Class Oh Young-taek also opened his hatch to signal that he understood. Then, he reported the situation to the company commander and requested for a rescue armored vehicle from the repair battalion.

Meanwhile, the 7th Company, which had lost a platoon, was 1.8 km away from the Chinese government building and was checking the surrounding area for Chinese tanks stationed for an ambush. Just like the intel they received from the intelligence forces said, there were six type-99G tanks and infantry stationed in the area, which they detected through infrared, magnetic waves, and inverter vision modes.

“These b*stards! So they’re hiding like that, I see?” The 7th Company commander, Captain Han Young-gook, muttered to himself and then swiftly gave the order.

-Platoon 3 will bank to the left road and attack from the side when the smoke bombs are deployed. Platoon 2 will go into battle with the enemy while advancing forward, Over!

-Tank 731 confirmed, Over!

-Tank 721 confirmed, Over!

-Each platoon, deploy two smoke bombs!

At the company commander’s order, each tank fired two rounds of its “multi-area impact smoke bombs,” which then blew up in the air, filling the surrounding area with smoke. The four tanks from the 3rd Platoon banked left and then began to move along the road on the left side, using the smoke as cover.

-Platoon 2, headquarters, enemy tanks at 1750, open fire!

At the 7th Company commander’s order to fire, the tanks from the 2nd Platoon and platoon headquarters all fired their photon cannons. The six blue beams of light blew up the vehicles and buildings the Chinese forces were using as cover, blocking their path. The six White Tiger tanks continued firing their cannons at regular intervals.

The walls of buildings collapsed, and fragments flew in all directions. Cars that were parked in the government building parking lot flew into the air. The Chinese tanks all seemed to be taken aback by the situation, and they began to retreat without retaliating.

-Good! Keep up the suppressive fire.

Captain Han Young-gok, who was watching the government building through his scope, continued his orders in a low voice through the company communication line.

The 7th Company commander could have broken through by moving forward, as he had more numbers than the type 99G tanks waiting to ambush. However, he had orders from his superiors to be weary of anti-tank missile armored vehicles, and with two of his fourteen tanks out of the fray and the 711 tank immobile, he wanted to avoid any reckless tactics. Therefore, he ordered for the suppressive fire in order to buy enough time for the 3rd Platoon to bank left and attack from the side.

-Tank 731, we have just reached the side of the government building. Over!

-Tank 751, can you target the enemy tanks? Over!

-Tank 731, able to confirm and set targets in magnetic vision mode. Over!

-Tank 701, confirmed! Company, advance forward after platoon 3 takes down the enemy armored vehicles. Over!

-Tank 721, confirmed, Over!

-Tank 731, confirmed, Over!

The tanks from the 3rd Platoon banked left to the government building and fired their photon cannons.

Pew~pew~pew~pew~

The four photon rounds hit the two armored vehicles hiding at the side of the government building, and one of the armored vehicles blew up due to one of its own missiles exploding. The other armored vehicle had two holes in its side, and collapsed.

-Tank 731, we have taken down two of the enemy armored vehicles, Over!

-Tank 701, platoon 2 and platoon headquarters continue suppressive fire and advance at full speed.

The tanks from the 2nd Platoon and platoon headquarters continued their suppressive firing and moved forward, ramming into the cars parked in the road as they mobilized at high speeds. They continued to fire photon rounds from their cannons while moving.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Bang! Vroooooo~

After two of their armored vehicles were taken down by photon cannon rounds, and they themselves were detected on the Korean radars, the Chinese tanks realized they could no longer take cover. They began to retaliate by firing their own cannons. However, after only ten seconds, they turned into scrap metal. The Chinese infantry firing back from inside the building with their own weapons were also torn to shreds by the laser Vulcan beams.

-Enemy tanks have been eliminated! Cease fire!

Within a few minutes, the 7th Company of the 26th Armored Battalion took over the Jai-Tun County government building and raised the Korean flag up the flag pole. Other companies and battalions also began to take over the public buildings they had targeted. The Capital Armored Division and the 3rd Armored Division, which had come in from the eastern plains, were also deployed to the urban battles. The sound of cannon fire and gunshots filled the air, and when dawn came, the losing forces of the 39th Army Group began to retreat toward Xin-Min.

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November 1, 2020, 08:00

B2 Bunker, Yong san-ku, Seoul (ROK Military Joint Command Center)

The commanders of the Joint Command Headquarters, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kang Ui-sik, were fatigued from watching the battle all night at the command center, but they were also relieved.

A few moments ago, they received the report from the 7th Corps’ commander, Yang Min-choon, that the occupation of Sun-Yang, the crucial fourth phase of operation “Rise of Goguryeo,” was completed successfully. Reports also began to pour in from the divisions under the 2nd and 5th Corps, which stated that they had successfully occupied their assigned cities as well.

“Get Corps Commander Yang Min-choon on the line.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kang Ui-sik ordered to be connected to the commander of the 7th Mobile Corps, Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon, so he could commend him on his successful occupation of Sun-Yang.

“Joint Chief of Staff, sir, we are online on screen number two.”

As the communication operator answered the chairman, the second screen in the command center showed the 7th Mobile Corps’ commander, Yang Min-choon, saluting.

“Sir! This is Lieutenant General Yang Min-choon.”

“Yes! This is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Chairman Kang Ui-sik saluted in response to Lieutenant-General Yang Min-choon, lowered his hands, and then spoke as he picked up the headset.

“We occupied Sun-Yang earlier than expected. Great work, Lieutenant General Yang.”

“No, sir. My men were hard at work, and all I did was sit comfortably in the headquarters in the field.”

“Lieutenant General Yang! Humility is distasteful in excess.”

“Thank you, sir. We are collecting and organizing the detailed reports of the battle, and when we finish organizing the data, we’ll send in the report through a secure line.”

“Understood. Starting today, begin the extensive evacuation of the Sun-Yang citizens and convert the area to our battlefront. As you already know, the Chinese military will increase its ballistic missile attacks. Keep this in mind when you enter into battle. The Joint chief of staff will actively take defensive measures against ballistic missiles.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I will contact you again soon.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you.”

The Chairman’s fatigue from watching the battle all night immediately went away after hearing about the Korean forces’ success. With a lighter heart, the chairman looked around at the other commanders and said, “You all did great as well.”

Chief of Army Staff Shin Sung-yong laughed heartily and answered, “Hahaha, did we even do anything? It’s our men who are fighting on the front line and risking their lives that did all the work, sir. Hahaha.”

“Is that so? Haha, let’s all grab a bite to eat and continue with our day. I can handle being sleep deprived, but I can’t stand being hungry.”

Chairman Kang Ui-sik’s joke made the command center fill with laughter. The fourth phase of operation “Rise of Goguryeo” had ended in great success. After they finished their breakfast, the generals of the Joint chief of staff sat down to discuss revisions that needed to be made to phase five of operation “Rise of Goguryeo.”