Chapter 532: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 542: Neinai Shouichi: Withdraw from Defending Burma

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"Replace three British divisions with the Irrawaddy River? Lv Muzhi really dares to say that." General Mountbatten was very dissatisfied with these remarks.

The adjutant whispered a reminder: "General, if the Mandalay campaign ends without the British present, London will be hard to explain to, and we'll lose face."

Mountbatten naturally knew it would be hard to explain.

If the British were absent throughout this key campaign, what face would they have to return as colonial masters after the war?

"Send a telegram to the War Zone Headquarters."

"The three British divisions are only the last stretch of road from Mandalay, and can arrive at most in five days."

"I request postponing the general offensive by five days, waiting for the British to get into position before closing the net."

"This concerns the international reputation of the Great British Empire; please ask Commander-in-Chief of Burma Lv and Chief of Staff Stilwell to consider carefully."

After a long time, Lv Muzhi's reply call came.

"The military order has been issued, and all departments are advancing according to plan; the Mandalay campaign will not wait for anyone."

Mountbatten was furious; he didn't expect Lv Muzhi to be so unwilling to give face.

He could only pressure his subordinates, urging the engineer troops again and again: "Build the bridge for me right now!"

"The troops advance with light equipment, reach Mandalay at the fastest speed, and must appear on the battlefield before the campaign ends!"

——————

Northern suburbs of Mandalay, just before dawn.

A division of Gan Lichu's Sixth Army had already assembled in the northern suburbs of Mandalay.

Opposite them was a combined regiment dispatched by the 55th Division, occupying three hilltops on both sides of the road, with ring-shaped fortifications dug at the mountain foot and waist.

The Japanese obviously prepared for a death defense; a frontal strong attack would not be easy.

But the order received by Sixth Army Commander Gan Lichu was very clear: launch a strong attack before dawn to pressure the Japanese.

Since dawn, the Sixth Army had committed troops and launched several attacks on the Japanese positions in the northern suburbs of Mandalay.

The Sixth Army lacked tanks and heavy weapons; the results of several attacks were all futile.

Commander Gan Lichu was observing the Japanese positions with binoculars at the forward observation post when a low rumbling sound came from the east.

The sound grew louder, pressing over from the northeast, continuous like thunder.

"Report to the Commander, the air support given by Lu Commander has arrived!"

Gan Lichu looked up; the sky was densely packed with planes.

They were exactly the P-47 Thunderbolts dispatched by Lv Muzhi for support.

The wings of these heavy fighters were loaded with aerial bombs and rocket shells.

When the fighters passed over the heads of the Sixth Army, the engine roar shook the ground.

The first wave of eight P-47s dove toward the hilltops occupied by the Japanese.

Amidst piercing screams, five-hundred-pound aerial bombs fell one after another on the mountain waist, and fireballs and smoke columns shot into the sky.

The fortifications the Japanese had dug all night were like paper in front of heavy aerial bombs; the ring-shaped trenches were blown into segments of scorched earth.

Immediately afterward, another wave of P-47 fighters dove down and began firing rocket shells at the Japanese positions on the ground.

Dense white tail flames sprayed from under the wings; the rocket shells trailed long white smoke into the Japanese firepower points at the mountain foot, and heavy machine gun nests were thrown into the air one after another.

The Japanese defensive troops jumped with rage and called for air support toward Mandalay.

But an air battle was breaking out over Mandalay at this time; Lv Muzhi had dispatched BF109 Fighters and P40 Fighters to engage in combat directly with Japanese aviation over Mandalay City.

Japanese aviation was almost all deployed in Mandalay City; Lv Muzhi's aviation had come to Mandalay to suppress the airfield, so the devils had no time to care about the life or death of the infantry in Mandalay's northern suburbs.

Under the轮番 bombing attacks of fifty P-47 Fighters, the first position set up by the Japanese in Mandalay's northern suburbs was smashed to pieces.

Gan Lichu put down his binoculars and called the frontline telephone: "Right now, press the troops up!"

The charge bugle sounded throughout the entire front.

The frontline infantry of the Sixth Army leaped from their departure positions and charged toward the hilltops by battalion.

The surviving firepower points on the Japanese positions were still sporadically counterattacking, but the stunned defenders could not form an effective curtain of fire.

The assault troops of the Sixth Army took the frontal hilltop in less than an hour, then expanded their gains along the ridge to both sides.

The battle basically ended by noon; a Japanese联队 was routed, and an important defensive line in the northern suburbs was abandoned.

Gan Lichu stood on the hilltop just taken and looked south with binoculars; the outline of Mandalay City was already clearly visible.

"Send a report to the War Zone Headquarters." He put down his binoculars. "The Sixth Army has broken through the Japanese northern suburbs defensive line, routed a Japanese联队, and the vanguard is thirty kilometers from Mandalay City!"

——————

That same afternoon, good news also came from the Nauku Defense Line east of Mandalay.

Du Yuming's Fifth Army's heavy artillery group conducted a two-hour artillery preparation on Nauku, then Dai Anlan's 200 Division launched a full-line strong attack.

The death squad attacked from inside the mountain outward, and the 200 Division's assault echelon charged from outside inward; the Japanese 33rd Division's defensive line completely collapsed under the pincer attack from inside and outside.

33rd Division Commander Araki Shinji had held Nauku for over ten days; finally, he withdrew with four thousand remnants, abandoning Nauku and fleeing in panic westward to Mandalay City.

Du Yuming gave him no chance to catch his breath, immediately ordering the 200 Division to closely pursue.

Araki Shinji had originally planned to deploy on the second defensive line behind Nauku, but the second defensive line was just a small town on a mountain plain.

This small town was soon captured by the 200 Division led by Dai Anlan.

Du Yuming was thus able to lead his troops to continue advancing east, all the way to fifteen kilometers east of Mandalay.

——————

Meanwhile, south of Mandalay.

After receiving the order from the War Zone Headquarters, Xie Jinyuan divided the troops under his command into two routes.

The Youth 15th Division advanced north along the Yimen Railway, targeting the southern suburbs of Mandalay.

The tank column sped along the road at full speed, encountering hardly any significant resistance along the way.

In addition, Lv Muzhi had a secret instruction for Xie Jinyuan.

The Youth 13th Division did not follow toward the southern suburbs of Mandalay.

This order came from Lv Muzhi's cipher telegram, its content very simple: by regiment as a unit, advance into central and southern Burma, coordinating with the Unity Party Guerrillas to take over the major cities.

The Youth 13th Division had three main force regiments and one supplementary regiment, totaling four regiments.

Xie Jinyuan summoned all four regimental commanders to the headquarters and marked several targets on the map.

"Regimental Commander Liu, advance south along the transportation line, take Pham Na, then continue south and recapture Tonggu."

"Regimental Commander Wang, target Pyinmana, take it."

"Regimental Commander Li, target Reniangqiang, capture it."

"The Supplementary Regiment stays by my side awaiting orders."

"The main force of the Japanese Army has already been trapped in Mandalay; the garrisons of the towns along the way won't be too numerous."

"What you need to do is bring Unity Party members into the cities together, coordinate with each other, and first recapture the major cities of southern and western Burma."

The regimental commanders understood perfectly.

That night, the Youth 13th Division set out in various directions.

Mixed into each regiment's ranks were hundreds or thousands of Unity Party guerrillas, wearing captured Japanese steel helmets, carrying various rifles, and marching shoulder to shoulder with the Youth Army soldiers.

They encountered resistance from small Japanese units along the way; most of the enemies were puppet armies colluding with the Japanese from the local Burmese population.

Under the guidance of Unity Party guerrillas familiar with the terrain and situation, the regiments of the Youth 13th Division advanced like broken bamboo, successively entering the major cities of western and southern Burma.

Pham Na, Tonggu, Pyinmana, Reniangqiang—the Youth Army and the Unity Party entered together and took over in the name of the Allied Forces.

The vast majority of the captured Japanese equipment was handed over to the local Unity Party guerrillas for use.

Xie Jinyuan received progress telegrams from the various regiments every day, forwarding these telegrams one by one to Lashio.

——————

At this time, inside Mandalay City, the Fifteenth Army Headquarters.

Iida Shojiro sat at the end of the long table, with a just-received battle report spread before him.

Araki Shinji, regimental commander of the Thirty-third Division, stood before the table, his whole face grimy.

Takeuchi Hiroshi, regimental commander of the Fifty-fifth Division, sat nearby, silent, staring blankly at the Mandalay urban area on the map.

"What is Watanabe Masao doing?"

Iida Shojiro spoke, clearly angry.

"His Fifty-sixth Division was responsible for the flanking attack, but it collapsed first itself."

"Collapsing was bad enough, but he actually ran all the way to Rangoon?!"

"This has put us in such a passive position!"

He slapped the battle report onto the table with a bang, thoroughly disappointed with this campaign.

Araki Shinji kept his head down and said nothing. His defensive line had been breached by Du Yuming at Naukhau; where did he get the right to speak?

Division Commander Takeuchi Hiroshi sighed and said: "Commander, Watanabe's division encountered Xie Jinyuan's troops during the flanking attack; even holding on desperately was useless."

"His troops have already been decimated; being able to run to Rangoon is already luck. Even if he stayed in Tangji, he could only hold out two more days, and in the end would still be totally annihilated."

Takeuchi Hiroshi paused, then said disappointedly:

"Even if we continue to hold Mandalay, there won't be a good outcome."

Iida Shojiro did not refute.

To the north, Gan Lichu's Sixth Army had already reached 30 kilometers outside the city.

To the east, Du Yuming's Fifth Army was fifteen kilometers from Mandalay.

To the south, Xie Jinyuan's troops had cut the railway line and could advance north to attack the city at any time.

To the west was the Irrawaddy River.

Encircled on all four sides.

Iida Shojiro leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"I have already sent a telegram to General Terauchi, and General Terauchi has given the next instructions."

Regimental Commander Araki Shinji raised his head: "What instructions?"

Iida Shojiro did not answer directly, but stood up and walked to the map, pointing his finger at Mandalay's position.

"The Battle of Mandalay, I fear we have already lost. If we continue to hold, all divisions will perish here."

Regimental Commander Takeuchi Hiroshi asked: "Does General Terauchi mean retreat?"

Iida Shojiro nodded: "Retreat. Retreat south, retreat to the southern coastal city of Rangoon, preserve our strength, and plan a counterattack."

Regimental Commander Takeuchi Hiroshi frowned: "But to the south is Xie Jinyuan; his troops have already blocked the southern railway line, and a forced breakout will probably not be easy."

Iida Shojiro's finger moved from Mandalay westward: "Not taking the railway line directly south to Rangoon, we will cross the Irrawaddy River to the west."

Both regimental commanders looked toward the map at the same time.

"First cross the Irrawaddy River, arriving at the west bank of the great river."

"This way, we can avoid the enemies to the east, north, and south."

"Truly, heaven has not abandoned me! Coincidentally, the British Army to the west has not yet arrived on the battlefield."

Iida Shojiro's finger slid south along the Irrawaddy River, drawing a line from Mandalay all the way to Rangoon.

"After arriving at the west bank of the great river, advance south along the west bank of the river all the way."

"Rangoon is downstream on the Irrawaddy River; follow the riverbank and we can withdraw straight to Rangoon on the coast."

Araki Shinji stared at the map for a long time: "Cross the Irrawaddy River? That means abandoning our vehicles, leaving the railway, and walking over seven hundred kilometers on our own two legs?"

Commander Iida Shojiro glanced sideways at Araki: "We have no better option. The southern railway must be under Xie Jinyuan's control; taking the main road will only lead to our total annihilation!"

Takeuchi Hiroshi still kept his brow tightly furrowed.

"Crossing the river is no small matter. Do we have enough ferry boats? If the enemy discovers us halfway across, attacking while we're mid-crossing..."

"So we must move fast." Iida Shojiro interrupted him, turned to the Chief of Staff, and issued orders.

"Immediately requisition all civilian boats within Mandalay City and along the river; engineer troops will set up floating bridges on the river surface. Begin the river crossing tonight, with the entire army crossing in batches, and withdraw before the British encircle us!"

——————

Bangkok, Imperial Japanese Army Southern Army Command.

General Terauchi Hisaichi sat behind his desk, with two telegrams before him.

One was sent by Iida Shojiro from Mandalay, the other delivered by Yamashita Tomoyuki from the Thai frontline.

The war situation looked grim on both fronts.

Yamashita Tomoyuki stood before the desk, holding a command baton, pointing out the current situation on the map one by one.

"On the Thai front, the enemy is likewise advancing in three columns."

The command baton first pointed to Thailand's eastern border.

"Sun Liren personally commands two Youth Divisions and two Central-South National Defense Divisions, invading from the eastern border."

"The Imperial Guard Infantry Second Division cannot withstand Sun Liren's four divisions; it has abandoned the border city of Panghsaung and is withdrawing."

"Sun Liren has already established a foothold at Panghsaung, and his vanguard is advancing westward, straight into the heart of Thailand."

The command baton moved to the north.

"Ruan Wen of Central-South Country leads fifty thousand National Defense Army troops pressing down from the northern front, currently facing off against the Fifth Division."

The command baton finally landed on the mountainous region of Northwestern Thailand.

"Long Wenzhang's Youth Eighteenth Division, Ruan Linqing's Central-South Country First Division, and an unknown number of Unity Party Guerrillas are attacking from the northwestern mountains."

"The Eighteenth Division can barely hold out at Ban Pha Lan; I have already approved their retreat south to Tak Province, where they will continue defending using the favorable terrain."

Terauchi Hisaichi looked at the Thai battlefield surrounded on three sides on the map, then glanced at the urgent telegram from the Mandalay direction, and remained silent for a moment.

"Just like Burma, it's a three-pronged attack."

Yamashita Tomoyuki nodded.

Terauchi Hisaichi pushed the Burma battle report in front of Yamashita Tomoyuki: "Mandalay won't hold out much longer either. Iida Shojiro is asking me what to do next."

After reading the battle report, Yamashita Tomoyuki looked up and said: "General, I have an idea."

"Speak."

"Since the situation in Burma is lost, why not have Iida-kun withdraw as soon as possible?"

"Withdraw the Burma troops to Thailand and concentrate them with our forces."

"If the two divisions of the Fifteenth Army successfully withdraw from Mandalay, they can enter western Thailand and join my troops. By then, our forces in Thailand will be greatly strengthened!"

Terauchi Hisaichi leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and thought for a long time.

The Southeast Asian war situation handed to him by the Imperial General Headquarters had become entirely passive; Burma was about to be lost, and now Thailand was also in grave danger.

Yamashita Tomoyuki was right; if the remnants of the Fifteenth Army were brought over to Thailand, they could at least hold out in central Thailand for a while.

"Approve the full withdrawal of the Imperial Army from Burma; have them all retreat to Thailand!"

——————

Lashio, China-Burma Theater Command.

Lv Muzhi and Stilwell were studying the deployment for the Battle of Mandalay before the sand table when the Communications Staff Officer pushed the door open.

"Report! Aerial reconnaissance has discovered an emergency situation."

The staff officer handed over a reconnaissance report.

"Japanese engineer troops are building bridges overnight and collecting boats on a large scale; over a thousand men have already crossed the Irrawaddy River westward."

"The Japanese are holding part of their forces in Mandalay to cover the river crossing, while another part is crossing the river in succession along the bank."

Stilwell took the report, finished reading it, and immediately furrowed his brow.

"Iida Shojiro wants to run? That's not good."

Lv Muzhi instead laughed: "Surround three sides, leave one; the Japanese remnants cross the river westward to flee. Transportation conditions west of the Irrawaddy are poor, so the Japanese can only flee while we pursue them—this is exactly what I want to see."

"The Japanese are voluntarily abandoning the strong city of Mandalay, so victory in the Battle of Mandalay has come early."

Stilwell was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood.

The Japanese crossing the river to flee means Mandalay will fall without a fight; the Allied Forces can reduce many casualties and take over this city.

From the perspective of the campaign objective, this battle has already been won.

And the Japanese voluntarily fleeing, turning their backs on us, plus the poor natural conditions on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River—the Japanese are simply seeking their own deaths.

Lv Muzhi turned to the Communications Staff Officer and began issuing orders.

"Order the Army Aviation Unit to sortie immediately and continuously bomb the Japanese ferry boats and floating bridges on the Irrawaddy River surface."

"Destroy their river crossing facilities as much as possible and delay their crossing speed."

The Communications Staff Officer finished recording and looked up, awaiting the next order.

Lv Muzhi continued: "Send a telegram to Mountbatten, telling him the Japanese are forcibly crossing the Irrawaddy River to flee to the west bank."

"I hope he leads the British Army to pursue the Japanese fleeing across the river."