"Fire!"
February 19, 1942, dawn.
Following the order from Ding Wenrui, commander of the advance battalion of the 200th Division of the Fifth Army of the National Army, the first shot of the Chinese Expeditionary Force into Myanmar was fired at the Pew River Bridge!
The 82 mortar was the first to roar!
Shells roared into the Japanese troops.
Light and heavy machine guns opened fire simultaneously.
The armored vehicles of the cavalry regiment also entered the battlefield immediately.
Lucky for you!
Meng Shaoyuan was grateful that he witnessed it with his own eyes and participated in this moment.
After the Songhu Anti-Japanese War ended, he finally saw the Chinese army's artillery, armored troops, and infantry fighting together again!
Although it is only an 82 mortar, and although it is only a "Renault" light armored vehicle, the Chinese army has taken the most solid step on the road to full mechanization!
The Japanese army, which was showing off its power and chasing the British army like a duck, never expected to receive such a violent blow!
This Japanese infantry brigade was so arrogant that it desperately pursued the British army, thinking that it would increase its military exploits, and it had long been out of touch with the larger army.
This is a pure infantry brigade with no air cover, no artillery support, and no tank coordination.
The Japanese commander, Lieutenant Colonel Itano, didn't care at all.
In his opinion, a British division could be defeated with just a few machine guns.
He wasn't wrong. Judging from the performance of the British army on the battlefield in Burma, this is indeed the case.
The problem was, at the Pew River Bridge his opponent changed.
You are here, he is facing the elite 200th Division of the National Army!
A team as arrogant as him.
Who is more arrogant than whom?
The various firepower spewed out from the position knocked the Japanese soldiers off their feet.
The roaring artillery shells and the domineering tanks caused the Japanese army's formation to fall into complete chaos at the first moment!
The first battle in the country!
We must show military and national prestige!
The sound of gunfire woke up Tonggu, 12 kilometers away.
They knew that the expeditionary force exchanged fire with the Japanese vanguard.
As the commander of the First Division of the British-Burmese Army protecting Tung Ku, the respected General Scott immediately sent a telegram to his immediate superior, Commander Hutton:
"The Japanese army is aggressively attacking Tonggu. Tonggu cannot hold on and requests to retreat!"
Look, this is the gentleman of the British Empire, this is the commander of the Empire on which the sun never sets!
In Tonggu, he had a division with well-equipped troops, but the sound of gunfire coming from 12 kilometers away had frightened him.
He had already decided to run away before he saw what the Japanese soldiers looked like.
Fortunately, Hutton was not so comatose.
The Japanese army is desperately besieging Yangon. Where is the main force of the Japanese army in Tonggu?
Commander Hutton rejected General Scott's request and asked him not to evacuate Tonggu until he received an order!
While General Scott was cursing his commander for not caring about the lives of noble gentlemen of the British Empire, General Scott had to watch nervously the development of the battle at the Pew River Bridge.
However, the information coming from the front line made him feel a little incredible.
The Chinese army defeated this Japanese army and suffered heavy casualties.
How can it be?
General Scott wondered if the intelligence was wrong?
That's the Chinese army!
How could the Chinese army defeat the Japanese army?
Not even the troops of the holy British Empire can do it!
However, the Japanese army is really in defeat!
However, after many years, Meng Shaoyuan could proudly tell his descendants:
I personally participated in the first battle of the expeditionary force abroad!
He participated in this battle, and like an ordinary soldier, he used a submachine gun to shoot at every enemy he could see!
He saw those arrogant Japanese troops falling to the ground like straw under the firepower of the even more arrogant expedition soldiers.
Like all the soldiers in the advance battalion, he shouted and rushed out of the position, and launched a fearless charge towards the Japanese army under the cover of armored vehicles!
Forward, expedition soldiers!
200th Division advance battalion!
Use me in the first battle, and you will win if you use me!
Itano Infantry Brigade was completely stunned.
Under such a fierce attack, the Japanese infantry brigade began to show signs of collapse.
Lieutenant Colonel Itano wanted to make another effort, but his infantry brigade advanced too fast. Not only was it far out of touch with the main force, but all the materials and equipment also failed to keep up.
Coupled with the continuous pursuit and fighting, the soldiers began to tire and were in urgent need of rest. Therefore, their fighting will was not as tenacious as before.
Lieutenant Colonel Itano has lost the possibility of continuing to fight.
The battle at the Pew River Bridge lasted three hours.
Three hours later, the sun was rising!
Meng Shaoyuan's leather boots had already stepped on the body of a Japanese soldier!
Most of the soldiers on the expedition wore straw sandals, so they were called "straw shoe soldiers" by the British.
However, Master Meng loves to look beautiful, so he asked Li Zhifeng to find a pair of big leather boots for him.
Li Zhifeng muttered reluctantly: "Wearing leather boots, can you run fast?"
Master Meng doesn't care, as long as he is magical and majestic, why should he care about so much?
He took off his military cap and brushed his shiny hair, which was neatly styled with hair wax:
"Send a report to Commander Dai that the advance battalion of our 200th Division of the Expeditionary Force engaged the enemy on February 19th, the 31st year of the Republic of China, at the Pew River Bridge in Tonggu, Myanmar. The entire battalion of officers and men worked together and sacrificed their lives. Forget life and death, repel one Japanese infantry brigade, and annihilate one Japanese infantry squad. Use me in the first battle, and you will win if you use me!
This message comes from the 599th Regiment of the 200th Division of the 5th Army of the National Revolutionary Army, Meng Shaoyuan! "
"Tsk tsk, our Chief Meng, look at that hair. It doesn't look like that of a soldier. It looks like a young man from Shanghai." Ding Wenrui sighed repeatedly, and suddenly, he discovered something was wrong: "It's wrong, this Should I send the telegram to Commander Dai?"
"Brother, you don't understand our commander." Li Zhifeng patted his shoulder sympathetically: "From now on, if you gradually get in contact with him for a long time, you will have a good life."
Li Zhifeng was completely satisfied.
Finally, we played against Little Japan again.
Moreover, this battle was so hearty!
He killed four Japs with his own hands.
Comfortable!
This is just the beginning.
Judging from the current situation, the commander may not be able to leave for a while.
Now that we are in Myanmar, are we still afraid that there will be no war to fight?
However, I have to say that the commander is still educated.
"Use me in the first battle, and you will win if you use me!"
This slogan is loud and clear!
Li Zhifeng didn't know that Master Meng was also a master of plagiarism. How did he invent this loud slogan?
However, the words "Use me in the first battle, and you will win if you use me" were also the first to shout in the advance camp.
When the news of the victory of the Pew River Bridge reached General Scott's ears, the British commander seemed not to believe it completely.
Did this group of straw-shoe soldiers really defeat the arrogant Japanese army?
Are these soldiers who have come from afar really that capable of fighting?
We won the first battle of the expedition!
