Chapter 188: Focusing on Tonggu

Jiang Anguo really didn't expect that the first unit to reach the attack point was actually Hu Xianqun's tank regiment.

"Little brother, I guess I didn't arrive too late," Hu Xianqun brushed the rainwater mixed with sweat from his face.

"Hu big brother, how does your tank regiment move so fast?" Jiang Anguo asked, puzzled.

"Haha, my tank regiment has no tanks, yet we charge at the front; we can't let others get ahead," Hu Xianqun said very confidently.

In any case, Jiang Anguo was also very happy.

"Hu big brother, your support is welcomed warmly," Jiang Anguo said loudly.

A rain had just fallen, and the air was very humid.

Jiang Anguo took Hu Xianqun's hand, bypassed several alert sentries, and arrived before a massive object covered with canvas.

"How can a tank regiment have no tanks? This is a gift I prepared for you, Hu big brother," Jiang Anguo said, pointing at the giant machines hidden by canvas.

Hu Xianqun had been worried all the way that his unit would arrive at Tonggu without tanks, forcing them to charge with only the Mauser rifles in hand.

Hu Xianqun could not believe his eyes, pointed ahead and said, "Little brother, don't tell me these are all tanks."

Jiang Anguo nodded.

"That's right, these are tanks prepared for you, brother; I don't fight unprepared battles."

"This Tonggu counter‑offensive, though driven by some sentiment, I want revenge, but killing the devils is the hard truth; Hu big brother, now that your tank regiment has arrived, I will definitely make you the vanguard," Jiang Anguo said firmly.

Before them lay thirty T-34 tanks, equipped with 76 mm tank shells, each tank fitted with a radio for command.

Hu Xianqun stepped forward, his hand touching the damp canvas; the outline… was wrong! It was broader than any tank he had ever seen.

He ripped open a corner, a dark‑green glint flashing, revealing the distinctive slanted armor and wide tracks.

"T‑34…" Hu Xianqun's voice trembled; he stood frozen as if struck by lightning.

He hurried around the giant, then peeled back another canvas—one, two… a full thirty steel beasts, crouching in the night like prehistoric predators.

He spun around, grabbed Jiang Anguo's arm, eyes filled with shock, ecstatic joy and disbelief: "Little brother! Where did you get this divine treasure!"

It should be noted that after Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Soviet aid ceased, and many Soviet tanks had already broken down for lack of parts.

Tanks themselves are crucial weapons in breakthrough battles, especially in street fighting; though not agile, as infantry cover they cause massive damage when positioned ahead of foot soldiers.

The Japanese Army's deployment at Tonggu largely followed the th Division's defenses there, and Dai Anlan knows Tonggu's fortifications best.

Before launching the general assault.

Under the dim oil lamp, the map was covered with red marks—Japanese fire points that Dai Anlan had deduced over a night. His voice was hoarse and steady; each word hammered into everyone's hearts like a nail.

"Here is the command post of the Nan-sai Detachment, the area of densest fire; the Crossfire network can cover the entire open ground. Here is their artillery position; according to prisoners, it's a Type 41 mountain gun…" Dai Anlan's pointer moved across the map, pencil scratching a rustling sound on the rough paper.

Inside the Tent, aside from his voice, there was no other sound.

While Jiang Anguo waited, he had already sent scouts to capture a few prisoners and bring them back.

After finishing the briefing, he did not sit; instead, he fixed his gaze on Jiang Anguo, his eyes showing a complex emotion.

Dai Anlan said slowly, "Anguo, from now on you are the overall commander of this operation; now, tell everyone how this battle will be fought!"

That phrase "you tell everyone" silently acknowledges Jiang Anguo's command status.

All present were Dai Anlan's veteran subordinates, and none raised objections.

They all knew that this young man before them possessed a "treasure" they lacked, and a "madness" they dared not have.

No one expected that the already shattered Expeditionary Force would launch a major counter‑offensive at this moment.

Commander Du could not have imagined, and neither could the Japanese.

Jiang Anguo stood up; his upright silhouette was stretched huge by the dim oil lamp, almost covering the entire map.

His voice was firm.

"Attack time: 5 a. m.," he surveyed the group, "Now, use the time to rest. Check weapons, remember tactics—simple. After my Independent Regiment's howitzer coverage, the war starts from this moment; ten minutes after the artillery barrage, Hu Xianqun, your tank regiment will spearhead and tear through the Defensive Line!"

"The 599th Division follows closely, infantry fighting alongside tanks to expand the gains! Capture Tonggu in one stroke!"

He paused, his gaze returning to Dai Anlan, carrying a hint of respect.

In the face of absolute strength, there is no need for roundabout tactics.

What artillery can decide should not be contested with lives.

The 599th Division, commanded by Colonel Liu Shuren, serves as the main force for this Tonggu offensive.

The 600th Division, commanded by Colonel Liu Shaofeng, leads the vanguard.

As for the other cooking company, She Pigu, they will stay at the rear for now; charging into battle is definitely the th Division's strong point!

Dai Anlan looked at the spirited young man before him, recalling his own awkward days of splitting a single shell in half.

At that time, the Kunlun Pass campaign was not very suitable for tank use; the terrain of Kunlun Pass also wasn't ideal for tank charges.

Dai Anlan said, "Everyone return and prepare; during Lashu we already rehearsed countless Infantry‑Tank Coordinated Operations. This time fight well and showcase the th Division's might."

Dai Anlan couldn't even imagine—if on the home front his division had this equipment, he would dare to single‑handedly challenge a Japanese division.

After entering Myanmar, the firepower was already well arranged; if other allies had a few mortars it would be good, let alone howitzers, which they had never even seen.

Jiang Anguo turned to the crowd again, his voice raised an octave, full of rallying fire: "Brothers! The reason we dare counter‑attack here is that the devils are in disarray! After the battle of Lashu, their 56th Division was leaderless, its commander Watanabe Masao captured alive by us! Now the Nan-sai Detachment holding Tonggu is a lone force! They think we are broken troops, so we will use these guns and tanks to show them what Huaxia soldiers' revenge looks like!"

With the th Division disappearing from Lashu and the 56th Division commander Watanabe Masao missing, possibly captured.

The Japanese Army's intelligence agency for the Southeast Asia theater, the Southern Bureau.

Based on integrated intelligence, it was judged that the th Division might be a defeated force trailing the 56th Division toward Tonggu Direction.

As a precaution.

In the Japanese Army's Mandalay direction, a change was made: Takeuchi Hiroshi's 55th Division did not rush to Mandalay but stayed behind.

After learning of the Expeditionary Force's movements, the Fifteenth Army commander Iida Shojirou immediately ordered Takeuchi Hiroshi's 55th Division to move south to defend Tonggu Direction; he wasn't afraid of the Expeditionary Force's counter‑attack, just didn't want the hard‑won achievements to be tarnished.

Sakurai Seizo's 33rd Division left a portion of troops to guard British prisoners, while the rest moved toward Tonggu Direction.

"Division commander, what shall we do with so many prisoners?" Chief of Staff Colonel Ikeda Hanjiro worried that the tens of thousands of British‑Myanmar prisoners might cause trouble after the Japanese main force withdrew.

Sakurai Seizo laughed, "The British are like rats; leave a battalion to guard them, their weapons are already surrendered, just give them a meal every two days, no need to feed them too much."

As for the British prisoners, Yingjing Shengsan is not worried at all; those who shouted the Geneva Convention have long been secretly dealt with, gone to meet their God.

The more the uproar, the more the Japanese Army, from top to bottom, enjoys it, treating the British prisoners like playthings.