"You mean that the 53rd Division is less than 80 kilometers away from Lashio?"
"Well, this telegram was seized by Zhang Liu at the Japanese headquarters. Fortunately, the Japanese did not have time to destroy it. Even the code book is still there. I have asked someone to translate it. The content is very clear. You can read it yourself."
After saying this, Meng was annoyed and handed over the telegram.
Long Wenzhang took it and looked at it carefully. The content on the paper made him frown involuntarily.
At present, the 53rd Division has crossed Lailong Mountain and is marching towards Lashio at a high speed. Their leading troops have reached Mengya, which is only more than 70 kilometers away from Lashio.
Moreover, the 53rd Division also stated in the telegram that the garrison team must hold on to Lashio. It only takes one day for them to bypass Mengyang and outflank the enemy.
"The names of the places in Myanmar are more convoluted than the others, but these little devils still want to go back and don't ask for the name of our first regiment."
If you raise your chin and show a confident smile, what is there to be afraid of? They sang loudly all the way from Nantianmen, and they really didn't fear anyone when they fought in the jungle.
However, Long Wenwen was a little absent-minded. He originally thought that his side was fast for several days, but he didn't expect that the little Japanese were also rushing to death non-stop, leaving them only one day to garrison.
"Let the troops count their weapons and ammunition. The logistics team may not be able to survive these days. Ayi and the others are still stuck in the middle of the road. We have to live a careful life."
Long Wenzhang blinked and revealed the biggest problem they currently encountered.
In order to penetrate behind enemy lines as quickly as possible, the entire army did not carry too many weapons and equipment. Each person only took a normal amount of ammunition.
Especially for Mi Long, a prodigal son, his battalion consumes the most ammunition every time in the group, which is really worrying.
It was originally thought that the 200 Division and the Engineer Regiment could keep up with the pace, at least keeping the march within one day, so that they could support and supply the sharp knife regiment as soon as possible, making them less passive in the face of Japanese counterattacks.
But the plan could not keep up with the changes. They still underestimated the difficulty of the mechanical troops marching in the jungle, and they also did not expect that the Japanese would be so fast.
In addition, the road from Wanding to Lashio is not peaceful. There are still many Japanese strongholds and defensive lines in the middle. During the process of the large army, they have to beware of sneak attacks by the little Japanese. How can they be broken into pieces and act as unscrupulously as a group? Walking through the forest.
Although the firepower of American equipment is strong, it is too logistically demanding. After two battles, the ammunition is almost exhausted. Each soldier has less than 30 rounds of ammunition on average.
"The consumption is really huge. The third battalion started borrowing bullets from everywhere."
Meng Fanlai shook his head with a hint of helplessness, frowned and sighed: "Oh... our legs are almost broken running, and we didn't expect that the Japanese can't be much slower. What's next? Or retreat to the woods and start a harassing war?" "
"A living person is still suffocating to death? There is a lot of food and Japanese weapons in the train station warehouse. If you can't use it, just make do with it!"
Long Wenwen thought for a while and quickly ordered that he did not intend to withdraw from Lashio after finally defeating it.
In this case, going into the mountains to fight guerrillas with the opponent is also the last resort. You don't have much time and lack of supplies, and you have to live in the jungle to live a hard life, so that the Lashio you just captured became a useless effort. That's not Is this the behavior of a fool?
As long as the Japanese are like a tortoise shell and stick to Lashio, Long Wenwen and the others will definitely not be able to bear it as time goes by. Besides, there is a division behind them, and the longer they delay, the more disadvantageous it will be.
The two hills of Lashio are actually quite suitable for defense, but the Japs didn't take advantage of them. Long Wenwen, who has an extremely keen sense of battlefield, has already discovered the mystery.
"I heard that Zhang Liu captured the commander of the garrison?" Long Wenwen suddenly remembered this incident.
"Well, I was beaten to death by him, and now I'm being locked up in the military camp. What's going on? Do you have any ideas?" Meng Fangliao replied.
"Hehe, this is interesting. I will review him later. It may be helpful for our next defense."
Meng Fan was shocked: "Have you decided to defend Lashio?"
"right!"
"You have to think carefully. If the support from behind cannot arrive in time, we will be alone. It will be no different from the 56th Division in Tengchong. Then the little devils will block back... Then it will be like beating the dog behind closed doors... No, have you caught a turtle in the urn?" Meng Fan was very worried and asked quickly.
The situation was so serious that a few simple words could affect the fate of more than two thousand people. There was no room for him to take any chances at this moment.
"How are you talking? Why are you trying to catch a turtle in an urn by closing the door and beating the dog, and your mouth starts to scoop it up again? Hey... if we say that we beat the dog, when will it be the turn of those Oriental dogs to bark nonsense, eh?"
Long Wenwen glared at Meng Fan angrily, and the tone in his words showed his firm attitude.
"But we do..."
Meng was annoyed and wanted to argue, but before he could finish speaking, Long Wenwen's sinister voice suddenly sounded: "Battle Commander Deng, I want to ask whether the person named Long has the final say in this group...or the person named Meng. ?”
"Ah?" Bu La, who was still watching the excitement with Yao Ma, was stunned, and subconsciously said: "Well, of course you have the final say."
"Did you hear that, Deputy Commander Meng?"
As soon as Meng Fanxiao heard this, he already knew what his grandson would say next. He was so angry that he simply went too far and didn't say much.
Seeing that he didn't sing any more naysayers, Long Wenwen put away his smile and his face gradually became serious: "Listen to me, if you don't mind, take a battalion to the south mountain to set up defenses. Dig the position deeper, especially the anti-artillery pits. The devils The infantry artillery is not easy to fool."
"Meng Laoer, please take people to the mountain col in the north. Try to get as close as possible to Bu La and the others. Leave me a company of troops and I will be of great use. And where is that bastard Mi Long? Let him wait at the station. I!"
After the order was issued, all ministries began to take action. In just one day, it was not easy to build a good position before the Japanese army arrived.
"Your uncle! Who the hell is the second child..."
"Go, go, don't bother me!"
Long Wenwen sent Meng Fanzai away impatiently, but no one noticed that his palms were slightly white from being pinched.
He was not completely sure of fighting this battle. In the final analysis, he was betting that the follow-up troops could reach Lashio before they collapsed, and that the Japanese vanguard did not have heavy artillery accompanying them.
The troops attacked for nearly 200 kilometers and finally defeated Lashio. They were really unwilling to give up like this.
The battlefield is changing rapidly and opportunities are fleeting. If the main force of the 53rd Division waits to rush back to Lashio and other places, all their actions will be in vain.
Long Wenwen was not sure that he could use one regiment to challenge the opponent's division. Even if he added 200 divisions and an engineering regiment whose combat effectiveness could not be guaranteed, there might even be a risk of being cut off by the opponent.
Therefore, Lashio must be defended. As long as the follow-up troops arrive, it can be built into a strong fortress. By then, the Japanese will not be able to surpass it.
Long Wenwen has the courage to swim against the current and the luck of leaking wine. Now, under Liao Mingyu's "pampering" and "indulgence", his confidence has doubled. He is no longer as unlucky as he was in the original time and space, so he must make money this time. So refreshing!
…
At the end of October, northern Myanmar was destined to spend every day under artillery fire. The Myanmar-India border, which had been silent for more than a year, finally became ablaze again.
The counter-offensive of the Army in India kicked off. The New 1st Army of the Chinese Army in India was responsible for the main offensive task. It consisted of the New 38th Division commanded by Sun Liren and the New 22nd Division commanded by Liao Yaoxiang. The total strength reached nearly 35,000 people.
It is also equipped with one unit each of the British 36th Division and the 77th Brigade, as well as one unit of the US 10th Air Force.
In the early morning of the 24th, the 112th Regiment of the New 38th Division, as the vanguard, began to attack and advance. After occupying the Xinpingyang Airport, it immediately entered the Hukang Valley and established positions on the Lajiasu, Yubang, and Lingan lines.
The Japanese Northern Burma Front immediately adjusted its deployment after discovering that the Chinese army had entered Myanmar. Shojiro Iida ordered most of the 33rd Division to defend Myitkyina, and the main force of the 31st Division to reinforce the front line and fight with the Indian troops in the Hukang Valley area.
The Hukham Valley means "the place where the devil lives" in Burmese. It consists of the Daro Basin and the New Pacific Basin. This low-lying area is adjacent to the Savage Mountain and is the only way for India to enter Myanmar.
In this area, there are four large rivers, Dalong, Tanai, Dayuan and Daluo, and countless streams crisscrossing through them, roaring and flowing at very fast speeds.
The area has a tropical rainforest climate. The virgin forest blocks the sky and the sun, the ground is muddy and hot, the air is filled with miasma, poisonous insects breed, and the population is sparse. There are only two seasons of rain and drought in a year.
During the rainy season, flash floods occur, turning the plains and lowlands into lakes. During the dry season, the rivers are shallower, and some sections of the river can even be forded on foot. There are mountains on both sides of the river valley. The mountains are steep and the cliffs are difficult to climb.
Liao Mingyu, who is hundreds of kilometers away, is also always paying attention to the direction of the war situation in this direction. According to history, apart from being a little passive in the Hukang Valley, the Indian Army has basically been advancing all the way. In a few months, it has conquered the small areas in northern Myanmar. The Japanese were beaten to the point of losing their armor, and the 18th Division fighting General Sun was beaten to a pulp and almost completely wiped out.
But this time the 18th Division was transferred to western Yunnan by mistake and fell into the hands of Liao Mingyu. However, the 31st and 33rd Divisions, which were supposed to defend central and northern Myanmar and Siam, took the lead and directly fought with the troops stationed in India. The army pinched each other.
With the two divisions and the troops directly under the 15th Army, the defense strength of the entire northern Myanmar has reached 60,000.
So this is one of the reasons why Stilwell asked Liao Mingyu to send troops through Smith. After all, apart from the Indian Army, the only one entering Myanmar was the Honorable Third Division.
If the Third Division launches an attack on Myitkyina, it will be able to form a north-south pincer offensive with the troops stationed in India, which will be of decisive help to the subsequent battle.
However, Liao Mingyu was not anxious about this. Although the Japanese army had nearly twice the advantage in strength, in terms of combat effectiveness, these two divisions were far from the 18th Division.
Besides, the batch of supplies that Smith promised has not yet arrived, so now is not the time to rush.
History is always surprisingly similar. The troops stationed in India misjudged the true strength of the Japanese army and believed that the Japanese army in the Hukang Valley area was like a small force in the New Pingyang area, causing the 112th Regiment to go too deep into the enemy's depths.
The Japanese army immediately concentrated the two main regiments of the 31st Division on Yubang in the middle, and took advantage of their unpreparedness to surround them, who were alone and deep.
There was no heavy artillery support, and the company's mortar company did not follow suit. The 112th Regiment, which was surrounded by the enemy, was in a very bad situation, and could only keep calling for help from higher-ups in an attempt to get support.
Seeing that his army was surrounded, could Sun Liren still sit still? He immediately mobilized troops to prepare for dispatch, and at the same time made a request to the Allies to ensure the transportation of his military supplies.
But what is disappointing is that Stilwell's chief of staff, Portner, did not agree with the rescue operation. He believed that the supply difficulties were of limited use, and the two sides were at loggerheads over the matter.
During this period, the 138th Regiment under the 31st Division launched five or six attacks, but all of them were repelled without exception. The Japanese, who had the advantage in strength and firepower, were never able to conquer the 112th Regiment's position.
The Japanese had to intensify their attacks. Although the troops stationed in India did not send support troops immediately, American planes will be circling Yubang tomorrow. As soon as the Japs attack, they will immediately dive and attack to cover the defending soldiers.
In this case, the Japanese army could only slow down its offensive during the day and wait until night to carry out night attacks.
But it was obvious that the 112th Regiment had already made sufficient preparations. The regiment leader Xiao Hongguang even set up an ambush at the place where the Japanese army must pass, and vividly gave the enemy a free education lesson.
That night, the 112th Regiment made countless gains, and the Japanese did not get any combat effects except leaving corpses on the ground.
…
"Clear the road and move those boxes away."
"Be careful! The tanks are coming, people in front get out of the way!"
In a mountainous clearing outside Nankan City, several "bulldozers" with buckets were driving on the road. They were all modified from Sherman tanks and were mounding soil on the road in a straight line. bulldoze.
The construction site was very lively. Basically, people from the tank battalion were here to help. Truckloads of soil were dug out and transported away by the soldiers. Tank bulldozers pushed the road straight and compacted it. The open space soon looked like a runway.
"Damn it's so hot..."
The midday sun slowly penetrated the fog and the temperature rose suddenly. Yuan Li, who had been busy all morning, got out of the tank and sat on the turret to take a rest.
Chen Tang also removed the manhole cover from the driver's seat of the car
Cangkou came out and cleverly handed over a kettle: "Batalion Commander, would you like to drink some water?"
Yuan Li took off his leather cap and took a few gulps of the kettle without ceremony. The cold water finally relieved his burning throat.
"Batalion Commander, what are we doing here?" Chen Tang looked at the busy people and asked without knowing why.
"What are you doing? What else can you do to build an airport? Didn't you see this straight runway of several hundred meters? You thought you were building a house." Yuan Li smiled and lazily leaned against the car body to bask in the sun.
At the same time, the headquarters in the city...
"I asked you for support two days ago, Colonel Hertelling. What does this mean? Where is the plane?"
Liao Mingyu took the phone and spoke word by word, trying his best to suppress the anger in his heart.
"Iam sorry, my friend... the P40 fighter plane cannot fly from Baoshan Airport to Lashio, it has been exceeded"
