Chapter 1442: Setting Out Again

Reorganization could never be so easy or fast; Wang Yan was simply cutting through the tangle, suppressing the unstable unity of thoughts among Luo Youlun and the others.

The reorganization process must fully consider the unit's combat power, which depends on those veteran soldiers remaining together.

At the same time, because the unit has expanded and officer positions have increased, one must also comprehensively consider the merits of those old brothers from before, assigning them to suitable positions.

Currently, the arrangements are very general, promoting people first and allowing them to gel during a period of training afterward, with targeted adjustments made later.

As for those newly arrived officers, Wang Yan also gave assurances: they would start one rank lower and rise through the ranks based on merit in future battles, since they currently lacked combat records, whereas Wang Yan's old brothers were each and every one of them formidable.

However, Wang Yan did not delay matters much; because marching was required to transport weapons, equipment, and other supplies, he directly ordered a march mimicking wartime conditions, conducting high-intensity forced marches.

Some individuals' capabilities revealed themselves during the march.

Apart from a small fraction of officers, those added were all new recruits, and the officers themselves were newcomers graduated from various training classes, lacking sufficient experience.

Even those experienced old brothers under Wang Yan's command were managing so many people for the first time, and with subordinates who were all green recruits, they simply could not handle it.

Some fell behind while walking, some got lost in the woods after relieving themselves and could not find the unit, new recruits fought each other over mutual dislike, new and old soldiers clashed with new recruits getting beaten one-sidedly by veterans, guns were lost, shoes were missing...

All sorts of such chaotic matters piled up, causing chaos below and giving the middle layer a splitting headache.

"The old brothers under Commander Wang still need much more tempering," Luo Youlun said boldly while walking beside Wang Yan.

Wang Yan glanced at him: "Few of my brothers can even read, yet these very people followed me to sweep across Burma undefeated; you are the Chief of Staff of the Fifth Army, so tell me about your combat record? You graduated from Whampoa and are an educated man, so analyze for me why the National Army wants to reorganize us again?"

Thus the smile vanished from Luo Youlun's face; indeed, he had nothing to say...

"Old Luo, don't act like a woman; if you are unwilling to leave, then just do your work with heart; your sarcastic tone here is utterly useless."

Wang Yan paid him no further heed, moving back and forth through the ranks, chatting and laughing with the soldiers; he was in no hurry to make various transfers, always needing to give his brothers time to adapt and room to improve.

He wanted all the newcomers to know him, using his personal charm to leave a good impression on the new recruits in a very short time.

In fact, not much personal charm was needed; after all, he had now reached this status, commanding so many men and already being a high official; whenever an official was willing to show a smiling face to the lowest ranks, those people would think the official was decent, and even if others said otherwise, they would still harbor doubts.

If he could blend in with everyone, chatting and laughing, he would already have gained a certain degree of loyalty.

If they then fought a few brilliant battles together, sharing life and death, and handled post-battle affairs well, then whoever dared say this official was bad or this person incompetent would find a gun barrel pressed against them.

Thus they marched all the way to near the airfield to collect weapons, equipment, and supplies.

These had been transported to India through various channels, then from India sent over here, taking many detours.

Part of this supply batch was meant to aid the homeland, part to support the fighting here in India and Burma, and within that, one portion supplied British and American forces while another supplied the Expeditionary Force.

Now, because Wang Yan's army had risen powerfully, supplies had been drawn from every quarter.

Other sectors were naturally dissatisfied, but this discontent had not yet manifested because Wang Yan was too capable in battle; specific manifestation would only occur when Wang Yan truly led his brothers in corps-level confrontations.

If they achieved equally brilliant results, there would naturally be no discontent; otherwise, of course, there would be.

However, for Wang Yan, whether or not they could fight brilliant battles, he cared not whether others were satisfied; as always, the troops were in his hands, he was a rebel, and if pushed too far he would simply drop the burden and let things be as they may.

This round trip to collect supplies served as a period for new and old soldiers to become familiar with each other, and Wang Yan also preliminarily established his authority, at least ensuring all soldiers knew who he was.

Fortunately, despite the chaos and endless troubles during the round trip, when they finally returned to the garrison to count heads, not a single person was missing.

This alone made Wang Yan very gratified; that not a single person was lost on the return indicated that the unit's discipline had been preliminarily established, with collective actions obeying rules, and officers at all levels fulfilling their most basic duties, which was a good thing.

Wang Yan struck while the iron was hot, continuing to lead them on constant marches, crossing mountains, fording rivers, and plunging into forests to train their leg strength, while also continuously issuing orders during movement to hone coordination between units at all levels and the rapid transmission of information.

At the same time, he began screening within the ranks, selecting outstanding new recruits to form a reconnaissance battalion led by former veteran scouts, thereby expanding and extending the unit's reach.

Every few days, he also organized officers of all levels to come to him for training, from deputy company commanders up to regimental level, with Wang Yan himself teaching the classes.

Luo Youlun and the assigned staff officers proved useful, responsible for recording Wang Yan's lecture content, later organizing it into teaching materials.

Unfortunately, with battles raging intensely, there was insufficient time to promote literacy education within the unit, but they could organize materials now to form their own officer training system, since future battles would certainly not be few, and there would be plenty of real fighting ahead.

As for new recruit training, apart from marching, there were no other subjects; live-fire shooting merely consisted of allocating fifteen rounds per person to shoot at fixed targets, just to get the feel of firing.

There simply was not enough ammunition to supply the consumption of such training; the method to guarantee combat power still lay in actual combat, where progress came only through the close guidance and personal example of veterans, coupled with the death of comrades.

Through battle after battle, transforming from new recruits into qualified veterans...

In the blink of an eye, a month passed; after much marching training and the ensuing integration, the new recruits understood discipline and rules, while officers had adapted to their identities and could ensure basic functional operation, which was sufficient.

Thus Wang Yan led the unit to depart, evading Japanese reconnaissance aircraft, marching from the rear toward the front lines.

Telegrams urging Wang Yan to rush to the front arrived one after another.

During the elapsed time, the Expeditionary Force and the Allied forces together launched fierce counterattacks against the Japanese army, yet after two months, the front line had not only failed to advance but had been pushed back by the Japanese; in another two months, the Allies would likely be driven back to western Burma and India again.

People naturally recalled what had given them the opportunity to counterattack and push outward, and quite naturally, Wang Yan and his brothers, once looked down upon, became the focus of many people's thoughts.

Even Chiang Kai-shek sent telegrams to Wang Yan's unit to encourage him, wishing him victory at the first battle and so forth; though he did not explicitly mention deploying troops early, the implication of urgency permeated every line.

"How is it, can you guarantee combat power?" Luo Zhuoying asked uneasily.

"No," Wang Yan shook his head; "you have fought many battles yourself, so why even ask such a thing? Combat power is not spoken into existence but forged in actual fighting; Commander Luo, state the operational intent."

Luo Zhuoying exhaled deeply: "Our current situation is very bad; the Japanese army is further suppressing us, shrinking our living space, and intends to drive us out of Burma and press into Yunnan Province; regarding Yu Xiaoqing, your old acquaintance, after you left, Yu Xiaoqing fought a battle and suffered a crushing defeat, with the Japanese already making probing river crossings at that time."

"Old Luo, don't give me that routine; I know my wife is there, and the women of my brothers are there too, so you need not tell me these things; just say directly where you want to strike."

Luo Zhuoying exhaled deeply again, this sigh naturally forced out by Wang Yan's blunt rebuff.

Pointing at the map of Burma on the table, he said: "Currently we mainly hold three positions: one in the northwest corner, which is where we are now; one in central western Burma that you previously captured; and one near the coast.

At this moment there is no grand strategy; we can only fight to create a new situation; the long-term goal is certainly to fight all the way to Rangoon, while the medium-term goal is for us to capture Mandalay, and to capture Mandalay, we must naturally take the surrounding areas."

Luo Zhuoying tapped a spot on the map: "Capture Mong Mit, proceed through Taikkyi, take Shwebo, and press toward Mandalay; I believe this is a relatively ideal route; as long as your side moves and exerts your former capabilities to contain the Japanese and draw their reinforcements, pressure elsewhere will naturally decrease sharply.

If you successfully capture Mong Mit and the Japanese know it was you who took it, then at least the situation over by Yu Xiaoqing will improve greatly, since they know your knack for appearing and disappearing like a spirit."

Wang Yan sneered: "Talk about the Japanese situation you have grasped."

"Forty thousand in the north, with thirty thousand watching this side; twenty thousand in western Burma; ten thousand near the coast; currently, what we have reconnoitered is..." The Chief of Staff at headquarters began explaining the current battlefield situation to Wang Yan, detailing enemy and friendly deployments, recently contested areas, battles erupted everywhere, and all such matters, very thoroughly.

This being headquarters, it naturally possessed the most detailed intelligence on the Burma battlefield.

Wang Yan listened very attentively, and even after the staff officer finished speaking, he continued staring at the map without saying much.

Luo Zhuoying could not hold back and asked: "Wang Yan, how do you intend to fight?"

"Fight on the move."

"On the move?"

Wang Yan glanced at him: "Since you can barely hold the line, what use is there for me to go up there? Positional warfare is about filling gaps with human lives. I cannot withstand the Japanese aircraft, tanks, and artillery, so naturally, I must leverage my own strengths to make them unable to cope."

"Then where do you intend to strike?"

"I will first cut off the rear supply lines of Superintendent Nantian Gate, severing their provisions, executing a strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.' Once fighting erupts there, they will inevitably divert troops from here to provide support, easing the pressure on your position.

Once your position is relieved and the Japanese cannot withstand the pressure, they will have to dispatch more forces from West Burma. If they still cannot hold, they will continue to transfer troops from Thailand. In this way, the entire situation in Burma will be set in motion, creating more opportunities."

"I heard the Japanese have a regiment at Superintendent Nantian Gate digging caves in the mountains, establishing tunnel warfare with interconnected pits to launch surprise attacks. Relying on this terrain advantage, they can hold out for at least two months. What if the Japanese refuse to send reinforcements?"

"They must send reinforcements." Wang Yan shook his head. "Because I will be there! If they ignore me, knowing my usual style, I might appear directly in Mandalay. Their rear defenses are currently empty, relying entirely on local puppet troops; what combat capability do those puppet forces have?

I do not even need to capture Mandalay; as long as I destroy the roads there and cut off Japanese transport and supplies, their forces in North Burma will be largely neutralized, and the entire front line will collapse.

When I commanded only four thousand men, I fought them so fiercely they dared not split their forces, often deploying entire corps to encircle and suppress me. Now I have eight thousand brothers under my command; do you think they are afraid?

Enough, Old Luo, stop asking. Just watch whether I can fight or not. Once I create a significant impact at Superintendent Nantian Gate, remember to file a report to Generalissimo Chiang; I will need more troops.

Tomorrow at 05:00, launch an offensive on the western front to cover our breakout. That is all; I am leaving."

Wang Yan said no more, decisively walked out the door, caught up with the column continuing its march, and vanished into the jungle like the wind.

Luo Zhuoying watched Wang Yan's hurried departing figure, speechless and choking with emotion.

The staff officer leaned in: "Commander, do you think he can pull it off?"

"I do not know if he can; I only know that we cannot right now; our offensive power is exhausted..." Luo Zhuoying sighed. "He spoke with such solemn vows; let us see what kind of situation he can create."

Wang Yan summoned his three regimental commanders—Fan La, Si La, and A Yi—assigning two thousand troops to each, and explained the breakout plan to them.

With the expansion of our forces, our tactics must change. Previously, four thousand men moved along a single route; now, eight thousand men will advance along four separate routes. We must act separately and rendezvous externally.

The requirements for our officers are now higher.

Wang Yan encouraged them: "Do not fear failure; maintain our advantages. I will say it again: do not engage in hard confrontations; retreat if there is no opportunity. Everyone has a radio and is equipped with a telegraph operator; transmit messages to contact each other at the agreed time, and I will tell you what to do then.

Warfare is not static; this is precisely the principle we have always upheld. Tens of thousands of Japanese devils have proven with their lives that our approach is correct. Have some confidence in yourselves; do not place such immense pressure on your shoulders. As long as we keep more of our brothers alive, that is success. That is all I will say; go."

The three saluted, accepted their orders, and departed.

"Are you confident?" Luo Youlun asked uncertainly.

"Why don't you go with them?"

"Forget it; I would rather stay with you."

Luo Youlun feared Wang Yan might issue a secret order to have him executed by his subordinates; during wartime, such a thing is not difficult to arrange.

Even if that did not happen, he feared Wang Yan would catch him making a mistake, which would eventually lead to his execution anyway.

With the troop reorganization now complete and the overall situation irreversible, he felt more secure staying by Wang Yan's side.

He had never imagined that one day he would be suppressed so simply and brutally, feeling much like a scholar encountering soldiers—having reason but unable to make it understood.

In reality, he possessed no reason; the reason lay in Wang Yan's hands...

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? (End of Chapter)