At the expeditionary force headquarters, Du Guangting, Shi Diwei and others are studying the battle situation.
"General Stevie, the Battle of Tonggu has been going on for 12 days. The 200 Division fought bloody battles with several times the enemy. While annihilating a large number of Japanese, it also suffered heavy casualties;
For example, the 112th Regiment, 143rd Regiment, 144th Regiment of the 55th Division and the first section of the 56th Division were ordered to besiege Tonggu City on three sides.
Our 200 Division fought hard for 12 days against an enemy three times our own, suffering heavy casualties and making it difficult to hold on;
The 6th Army on the East Road and the British Army on the West Road were engaged in a fierce battle with the Japs. The newly formed 22nd Division of the 5th Army was blocked by the Japs to the north of Tonggu City;
It will take more than a week for the 96th Division and the New 7th Division to reach the front line, while the main forces of the Japanese reinforcements, the 18th Division and the 56th Division, have arrived one after another.
This battle can no longer be fought. In order to avoid the annihilation of the entire army, I suggest that the 200th Division be ordered to break out of the encirclement, withdraw from Tonggu and move to the northeast;
At the same time, Liao Jianchu's 22nd Division was ordered to attack the enemy in front of them and cover the retreat of the 200th Division! "
Stevie immediately became furious and said:
"NO, NO!
Retreat again!
Do you Chinese people only retreat when fighting?
The expeditionary force has 100,000 troops on the Tonggu front line, and Tonggu City is still holding on. Why can't General Dai hold on for another week - no, three days is enough!
Three days later, the 6th Army on the East Road and John Bull's hundreds of thousands of troops will be able to break through the Japanese defense line and appear behind the Japanese. The siege of Tonggu will be lifted, and we will win the Battle of Tonggu. "
Du Guangting didn't want to continue fighting. Let's not talk about whether the left army could break through the Japanese defense line within three days. Even if the 200th Division was besieged by three Japanese divisions, it would be difficult for him to survive for three days. He couldn't risk this. risk.
"General Steve, after the Japanese reinforcements arrive, thousands of soldiers of the 200 Division will face the siege of tens of thousands of Japanese. Who can guarantee that they can hold out for three days?"
"Du, the expeditionary force has the best soldiers in the world. They can block ten with one, and there is absolutely no problem in holding on for three days!
I am the Chief of Staff of the Chinese Theater Command, and I now order you to continue to hold on for three days! "
Du Guangting said coldly:
"Sorry, General Stevie, I am following the orders of the commander of the Chinese Theater Command!"
After Du Guangting finished speaking, he directly ordered:
"Why are you still standing there? Execute the order. This is Zhongcai's order. Immediately send a report to Commander Dai, ordering them to alternate cover, withdraw from Tonggu City and move to the northeast;
Liao Jianchu's new 22nd Division was ordered to launch a feint attack at the station north of Tonggu City to cover the 200th Division's breakout.
After the 200th Division successfully broke through, the main force of the new 22nd Division built echelon defensive positions on the north and south banks of the Sva River..."
"Shit!"
Steve was so angry that he cursed, but he had no good way to stop Du Guangting's order, because the previous agreement did not clarify that Du Guangting wanted to obey his command.
After this incident, Stevie was completely disappointed with Du Guangting and Zhongcai. Fortunately, this time and space had one more Chu Xiong than the other time and space. Otherwise, he would have gone directly to Brother Asan after John Bull, indirectly giving up the expeditionary force. Tricked.
Now that Chu Xiong is here, he has renewed hope. Chu Xiong has nearly 60,000 troops in his hands. It is not without achievements.
Thinking of this, this wayward old man moved closer to Mandalay with thousands of eagle sauces. He had given up on Du Guangting.
A command where he didn't keep his word, and he felt that staying here was a complete waste of his precious time.
Du Guangting wished that Old Man Shi would leave so as not to get in the way.
After receiving the order to break out, the 200th Division set the breakout time for that night and quietly evacuated Tonggu City under the cover of darkness;
All the sacrificed officers and soldiers were buried secretly, and the wounded soldiers and weapons and equipment were all taken away without any panic at all.
After dawn, the Japanese discovered that the Chinese Expeditionary Force had abandoned Tonggu and moved north, so they ordered the two regiments of the 18th Division and the 55th Division to pounce north;
The three regiments of the New 22nd Division fought tenaciously and dealt powerful blows to the Japanese in Shagaya, Siwa and other places, making the Japanese dare not act rashly in the following days.
At this point, the defense battle of Tonggu came to a successful end. The 200 Division held on to Tonggu City for 12 days. Facing a battle that was several times stronger, at the cost of more than 2,500 casualties, more than 5,000 Japanese were killed and injured. It achieved its first victory since entering Myanmar!
John Bull's "The Times" commented in its post-war report:
“Whatever the fate of Tonggu, we don’t care for the moment;
But the heroic battle of the besieged army against an outnumbered enemy really added a new page to the glory book of the Chinese army..."
Of course, the Tonggu Defense War was a tactical victory, but it was a strategic defeat. The most important Tonggu City was lost, allowing the Japanese to gain the strategic initiative on the Jade Kingdom battlefield.
At the headquarters of the Japanese 15th Army, the commander, Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida, and several division commanders were convening a summary of the Tonggu Campaign, which is the new campaign deployment.
The first person to speak was Chief of Staff Major General Haruki Isayama. He briefly introduced the situation of the Battle of Tonggu, and then said:
“Gentlemen, the Chinese Fifth Army is definitely a powerful force that must attract the Imperial Army’s great attention;
Their degree of mechanization is very high. All officers at all levels come from the Whampoa Military Academy. Their soldiers are well-trained, well-equipped, and have a strong will to fight. They cannot be equated with the tofu-like John Bull Army. "
Lieutenant General Mutaguchi Renya, commander of the 18th Division, snorted coldly and said disdainfully:
"Isayama-kun, you are trying to boost other people's ambitions and destroy your own prestige. Didn't they also run away in fear as soon as they heard that my 18th Division was coming!"
Although Major General Isayama is the military chief of staff, he is not respected enough by Lieutenant General Muta and other main division commanders;
Although Benta spoke in front of other people, Major General Isayama was a little embarrassed, but he could only pretend that he didn't hear it, but his face was slightly embarrassed.
Old Japanese Iida could only come out to rescue his chief of staff and said:
"The bravery of Benta-kun and the 18th Division is naturally obvious to all, but the combat effectiveness of the Chinese Fifth Army has also been tested by the 55th Division and the 56th Division, and it can be regarded as a strong backbone.
The art of war is to avoid the real and attack the fictitious. Since the Fifth Army in the middle has strong combat effectiveness, the imperial army will detour from both sides, and the 33rd Division will attack the John Bull Army on the right, with the front pointed directly at the Anqiang Oilfield;
There is a brigade of John Bull's troops in Ren'anqiang Oil Field. Taking the oil field can not only meet the fuel needs of the Imperial Army's tank troops, but also threaten the Fifth Army's retreat from the flanks.
The 18th Division detoured from the left wing and attacked Mandalay, which was defended by the Chinese. With Mutian Jun's bravery, it was easy to annihilate Mandalay's defenders;
After capturing Mandalay, outflank the rear of the Fifth Army from the left wing, and form a pincer attack with the 33rd Division;
The 55th Division continues to put pressure on the Fifth Army from the front, launching a three-pronged attack with the goal of annihilating China's main Fifth Army. The 56th Division serves as a reserve..."
