Chapter 106: Commander, the Rain Has Stopped!

April 25, 6 a. m., heavy rain.

Jiang Anguo shook the rain from his clothes, jumped into the Jeep, and his first words were a complaint.

"The weather in Myanmar is damned, this downpour makes it impossible to keep my eyes open," Jiang Anguo said.

He had no idea how many times his clothes had been soaked through.

After passing the position of the Fourth Regiment under Song Mengqin, Jiang Anguo's Guard Company followed the Myanmar road northward; after a stretch it turned south. In fact there was no main road here, only a small path.

Regiment Commander Meng Shan of the Fifth Regiment set up three defensive lines, one along a mountain trail, establishing a camp to block the Japanese Army's northward route.

Another line was in the northwestern plain, to prevent the Japanese from panicking and making a desperate jump, and to stop any sneak attacks from that side, effectively blocking the Japanese here.

The final defensive line was where Meng Shan's command post was located.

As a regiment‑level commander, Meng Shan's operational position should not be on the front line but in the rear command.

Jiang Anguo also understood this; now he had to command a force of ten thousand troops, plus Hu Xianqun's tank unit and the Lashu Defense Force, a total of thirteen to fourteen thousand soldiers.

Meng Shan's troop deployment also had an advantage: if the Fourth Regiment faced the An direction and the Japanese forces were overwhelming, the Fifth Regiment's reserve could be dispatched directly for rescue.

The straight‑line distance between the two locations exceeds thirty kilometers on the map; that's only the map distance, with high mountains and jungle in between.

If on foot, it would take an indeterminate amount of time, but fortunately the three regiments Jiang Anguo had sent forward were fully mechanized, albeit only using transport vehicles to move the troops.

In An, Nammbang is even farther from the Lava position, over forty kilometers.

However, if the road in this stretch were layered with troops, it would definitely be enough for Little Japan to have a drink. But because Lin Wei was still in Lashu, serving as the Expeditionary Army Staff Corps Chief with the rank of Lieutenant General, Jiang Anguo really couldn't take overly extreme actions.

At this point Lin Wei had disappeared, so Jiang Anguo could act as he pleased around Lashu.

"Regiment Commander Meng, the security of Lashu's southern side is yours," Jiang Anguo said.

"Commander, rest assured, we are on the position," Meng Shan said.

Jiang Anguo sent raincoats and a large amount of food to Meng Shan; this heavy rain, no one knew when it would stop. He supplied the Fifth Regiment with ten days' worth of provisions, mainly canned food.

In this weather fresh food could no longer be stored.

There were also large quantities of ammunition and shells.

Moreover, Jiang Anguo delivered six Type 92 Infantry Cannons and their shells to the Fifth Regiment.

The terrain of Myanmar is especially suited to this kind of infantry cannon.

Jiang Anguo was impartial; Meng Shan's regiment originally had two German‑made 75 mm infantry cannons, a regiment‑level support gun, and now added six more.

Similarly, Jiang Anguo gave the Fourth Regiment under Song Mengqin in An an additional six Type 92 infantry cannons.

th Division, Jiang Anguo had previously sent four of them; even now Dai Anlan orders his troops to take those four infantry cannons—there's no way around it, they're effective and lightweight, that's the special about this infantry cannon.

Mountain terrain also truly suits the use of this infantry cannon.

Of course, if necessary, Jiang Anguo would also bring forward 105 mm howitzers for support; the Sixth Regiment's rear defensive line is sufficient for 105 mm howitzer support to the Fourth Regiment.

"Commander, the rain has stopped," Meng Shan said, standing beside Jiang Anguo.

It had just been a torrential downpour, now it's a light drizzle; it looks like the rain is about to cease.

The weather in Myanmar was hard for Jiang Anguo to endure; this place truly has only two seasons, a rainy season and a dry season.

The rainy season runs from May to October, and now it's late April, so the rainy season seems about to arrive.

The rest of the year is Myanmar's dry season.

"Yeah, the rain stopped," Jiang Anguo muttered, feeling he had forgotten something.

"Bad, Meng Shan, notify Song Mengqin and the Lashu units immediately, have all units stay on anti‑air watch; I'm worried Little Devil's aircraft will take off," Jiang Anguo hurriedly said.

He had to act quickly; it's raining at Lashu, but Tonggu may not be, and Tonggu Airport has already been seized by the Japanese Army.

Japanese aircraft have one trait: they are lightweight, so even if the airfield is damaged, a simple leveling allows the fighters to take off.

If at this moment the Japanese fighters have already taken off, they could attack the defensive works at An and Lashu the instant the rain stops.

"Yes, Commander," Meng Shan immediately ordered the messenger to issue the command.

Jiang Anguo didn't linger long at Nammbang; regarding how to defend Nammbang, Meng Shan was more professional, and he also came to transport supplies.

As a commander, his front should be in the rear, but Jiang Anguo was uneasy, so he appeared at Nammbang to inspect its defensive works.

At Nammbang, two regiments of the Lashu Defense Force were building fortifications; even if the Japanese are attacking now, the manpower is sufficient.

Jiang Anguo considered this line safe; the terrain is more rugged, making defense easier. As long as the pass is held, the Japanese can't get through, and Jiang Anguo didn't believe the Japanese could fly over from the sky.

If they dare to come around, they'll have nowhere to be buried.

"Meng Shan, Nammbang is yours; if you need anything, contact me directly," Jiang Anguo said.

Meng Shan nodded, "Yes, Commander."

9:23 a. m.

Jiang Anguo had just left the Nammbang position when the An defensive line was attacked by Japanese fighters.

The Japanese deployed four Nakajima Type 1 "Hayabusa" fighters and six Ki‑30 light bombers, preparing to bomb the retreating Expeditionary Army along the route.

The forward reconnaissance company, upon spotting the enemy bombers, immediately sent a telegram to the rear An position.

Regiment Commander Song Mengqin of the Fourth Regiment immediately informed Lashu Defense Force's Lu Ning and Sun Fu, ordering their two regiments to take cover in the surrounding woods.

All officers must keep their units in order; a collapse is not permitted.

He also issued combat orders to all units: tank units moved into the woods for concealment, the tanks' targets were too large, and the machine‑gun positions handled anti‑air defense.

The MG42 anti‑aircraft fire was still lacking; if Little Devil's aircraft dared to lower altitude, they'd have to be given a good drink, now it remains to see if Little Devil dares to take the risk.

"Notify the anti‑aircraft company; have Zhao Da give them a proper beating, we must shoot those Little Devil aircraft down," Song Mengqin ordered.

"Yes, Regiment Commander," the messenger relayed command after command from Song Mengqin's headquarters down to every company.