[Hermit]

The enemy T-34's came right up to our M103's and attempted to overrun their hilltop position. It was all our crews could do to keep loading those large shells in time to fire the next round. At such point-blank range, there was no missing. And those 105mm AP rounds were not stopped by the lesser armor of WWII era tanks. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. We almost felt sorry for them, until we remembered they were the same people trying to overwhelm our own forces. After six or seven enemy tanks were dispatched at each location, they tried to make a flanking manuever around the hilltops. That was met with similar consequences, although they did have a little better chance of success due to longer ranges. The Pattons in the woods a little past the hills made short work of the ones screened from M103 fire.

Enemy tanks coming up through the woods fared better, getting to within about 500 meters of the objectives before they could be targetted. No enemy vehicle made it past there. It was a slaughter in every sense of the word. In their mad rush without infantry support, about six of their tanks fell to infantry assaults with bazookas or flamethrowers. Our men had initially been very nervous about the enemy attack, but after seeing several enemy tanks destroyed on the hilltops, our morale improved greatly. About 1/2 of the enemy force halted in the middle of the battle, not moving at all. We're not sure if they were contemplating their losses, or waiting for their infantry to finally catch up, or if they had reached their assigned positions and were waiting for more orders. Considering the usual doctrine of the Chinese to strictly follow orders (and nothing more), we're guessing the latter. We took advantage of the stalled advance to pepper the known enemy armor concentrations with artillery fire, and many were immobilized, with a few actually being destroyed. The enemy artillery, which had continued blasting at any position occupied by our troops, had mostly been silence by this time, so our fear of counter-battery fire was greatly diminished. Fortunately, our withdraw from previous firing positions minimized the enemy artillery effectiveness. One M4 flame tank was unlucky enough to be caught in what we believe was a stray barrage, rather than a planned target zone, and was destroyed, although most of the crew was able to bail out before it exploded in a tremendous ball of flame.

Enemy leg infantry did much better, using smoke to advance into one of the objective areas before several minutes of our artillery fire sent them packing. They lagged way behind the enemy armor, not having any transport. There were many of them, escorted by what enemy armor remained mobile. The sight of all those men running at you and shooting is different than facing down their armor. On the one hand, the armor seems almost invincible to our poor men on the ground, but at least one can attempt to hide from them in the woods. When several hundred men are coming at you, their doesn't seem like there will be any place to hide, and only the fear of disappointing your comrades makes you stay in place and fight. Fortunately most of the battle did not turn hand to hand, as our artillery soon caused the enemy infantry to go-to-ground, and our tanks began to drive them back with what seemed one continuous volley of MG fire. Our own crew-served heavy machine gun sections also opened up once it was clear that their positions would not be overrun if detected.

In the meantime, the recon teams coupled with our light attack helos were able to spot the locations of about 12 Chinese AA gun emplacements. Artillery was called, and the ones on the hilltops were silenced by that barrage. Our two transport helos brought in the sniper teams and dropped them in secluded woodland clearings. After sneaking into position, they were able to destroy several more. The last several were swarmed by helos after they had been suppressed by an exchange of fire with the APC's. Then the hunt was on for enemy 60 mm mortars, which had begun extensive harrassing fire on our frontline troops. Many of those were also located by the dust and smoke from their firing positions and dispatched by the helos, now roaming the battlefield with impunity since the enemy armor had no AAMG, and 90% of the enemy AA had been located and destroyed.

It soon became a rout, and in their haste to pursue the enemy, two more Sherman flame tanks were hit by enemy recoilless rifle teams and destroyed, both crews miraculously also able to exit their vehicles with few casualties. A company of T-34's came up from the enemy reserve, trying to salvage the situation, and managed to destroy two of the recon APC's before they could scatter into the woods, but it was a hopeless case, and the enemy abandoned the field. Casualties were minimal and the Colonel considers it a great victory. I have a feeling someone may be promoted!