Over the past three nights and two days, they’d seen a land in chaos. The antiaircraft battery had been an early warning, as had the civilians moving at night.
From their perch overlooking the first regiment’s base, they’d studied the unit and its activities. The 425th, one of the best-armed units in the DPRK army, was at war. Groups of armored vehicles headed in different directions, while trucks carried soldiers to man defensive positions visible in the distance. These were not simple roadblocks, but entrenchments that included machine guns and heavy weapons. The team could see mortar positions supporting the main defensive line. Who were they fighting?
Throughout the day, they’d taken turns, with one pair observing and recording the regiment’s activities, while the other two kept watch and rested. Even in the field, Rhee had taken the opportunity to school the new men on their technique. He reminded Guk, “On the next mission, you’ll be in the lead, with new men to train.”
There was no sign of patrols or aerial surveillance, but the regiment was at full alert. Late in the day, a large column of armored fighting vehicles left in the direction of Chongju, but its purpose was unknown. It had not returned by the time they left.
The commandos hadn’t seen much activity in the farms or businesses during that first day, and only light traffic on the road, except for military vehicles. Rhee knew anyone using them for travel could expect to be stopped and questioned more than a few times, with uncertain results.
During the second night, they’d spotted and avoided more civilians, once the point man confirmed that’s what they were, but it all cost time. The team heard gunfire once, so far away it was hard to hear distinct shots. It had lasted some little while, though. Either a prolonged skirmish or short battle.
During the second day, at their new hide, they’d surveyed the 425th’s headquarters and another of its regiments, located nearby. This regiment was sending out patrols, as well as manning defensive positions. Groups of DPRK soldiers passed as close as five meters to them as the scouts lay camouflaged and completely silent. The patrols never spotted them. Rhee blessed their luck, not only for remaining undetected, but for the confidence it gave his team.
Rhee’s report via SATCOM had included not only the strength and composition of the units, but that his team had witnessed several executions by firing squad inside the headquarters compound. The rifle volleys could be heard at a distance.
The third night, their second move, was a repeat of the first. The team didn’t hear any more fighting that night, and reached their third and last planned hideout in good order. After making sure they were well concealed, Rhee had allowed them a little sleep. He was pleased with the team’s performance. Lieutenant Guk and Corporal Ma had been nervous, almost hyperalert at first, but had quickly settled down. They demonstrated good field skills and followed Rhee’s orders intelligently.
But even success presented challenges. After three nights and two days of creeping and watching, fatigue had begun to creep in. Soldiers were trained to recognize the signs, and also how to cope, but the field was never the same as training.
Even as they dug in and concealed themselves, it was clear that this regiment’s base was different from the other two. Signs of a fight surrounded it, including shell craters and wrecked vehicles. The emplacements surrounding the cantonment, as well as the structures inside, were damaged, and some showed signs of fire. This regiment had been attacked.
There were no bodies visible, and the wrecks were burnt out. Rhee concluded that the fight had happened several days ago, likely before his team had arrived in the North.
The wrecked vehicles all appeared to have North Korean markings. A quick excursion to one of the outlying wrecks in morning twilight had confirmed them as belonging to the 425th. This one regiment was in revolt against the rest of its corps. So far, it appeared to be holding out.
Shortly after noon, Rhee recognized the sound of an artillery shell, but the new men were only half a beat behind the veterans in hugging the ground. The whoosh of the incoming shell was a fraction of a second long, ending in a distant, dull boom from the direction of the regiment’s cantonment.
Other rounds followed, in clusters of four. Raising their heads, the team saw explosions inside the regiment’s base. Rhee asked, “What size do you think, Lieutenant?”
“One two-twos, probably,” Guk answered quickly.
“I agree. Do some map work and see if you can figure out where they’re firing from.” As he spoke, Rhee was watching the base. It was a random barrage, which was good, because it meant no artillery observer, tucked away in the hills with binoculars. There was no telling what else someone like that might see.
For about fifteen minutes, the base was hammered by medium artillery. Most landed inside the base, which occupied several square kilometers. It wasn’t a hard target to hit. To Rhee, it showed incompetence in either not using an observer, or in using more than a few rounds for what was harassing fire. As a rule, after the first few salvos, everyone’s either in a hole or dead.
Ma, the radio operator, reached over and tapped Rhee’s shoulder as he watched the artillery barrage. “It’s headquarters, sir. It’s a recall.” When Rhee didn’t respond immediately, Ma said, “They’re ordering us out.”
Rhee shook his head. That didn’t make sense. “You must have heard them wrong.” He reached for the handset and Ma handed it to him. Automatically, the two switched places, with Ma on lookout while Rhee used the radio.
“We need you to get out now, Colonel.” He recognized General Kwon’s voice.
“Sir, there’s a civil war going on between units of the 425th.”
“That’s not important anymore, Colonel.”
Shocked, Rhee tried to form a question that didn’t sound like insubordination. The general quickly explained what had happened an hour ago, and what was happening now. “The army is moving north. We are already across the border in several places, and you have a brigade to run. The sub will be waiting for you, beginning at sundown.” He broke the connection before Rhee could even confirm.
Rhee meant to put the handset away, but paused, motionless, his mind filled with the general’s news. Kim dead. The armed forces of the Republic of Korea crossing the border. Could it be true… unification?
Everyone in the South had hoped for this day. He’d seen the army’s plans for exactly this scenario — an invasion if the northern regime imploded. It was like D-Day and Christmas at once. He should feel happy, or excited, but decided there was just too much to do.
The artillery barrage had stopped, but while Rhee was telling the others about their new orders, Ma, still on lookout, reported, “Column approaching from the southeast.” He said it softly, but Rhee could still hear the excitement.
Rhee ordered Ma and Oh to start packing while he and Guk studied the approaching troops. It was a classic armored attack, with a wedge of tanks in front, followed by armored troop carriers. All right, Rhee realized. The barrage hadn’t been badly planned harassing fire. It was a badly timed preparatory barrage. It should have lasted longer, until the advancing troops were much closer to their objective. It was supposed to keep the defenders’ heads down.
But the defenders were definitely not suppressed. Antitank emplacements with 130mm guns were firing at the armored spearhead, while antitank missiles leapt out toward the lead vehicles. The tanks started to take hits, while somewhere behind the attackers, artillery — heavy mortars from the sound — began dropping smoke and high-explosive shells onto the defenders.
Although Rhee had been ordered to leave, he found it almost impossible to look away from the fight before him. They had a perfect vantage point from which to watch the attack. Both sides were using outdated equipment, all of Russian design, then either copied by the Chinese and sold to North Korea, or made by North Korea herself. North Korean copies of Sagger antitank missiles were blowing up Chinese copies of T-55 tanks, while Russian M-46 field guns from the Cold War blew up equally old Russian-built BTR-60 armored personnel carriers. He thought about the slaughter that would happen when his army met its antiquated, poorly trained opponent.