Chapter 194: Nyang Xipi, Well Done!

"Whew!"

Jiang Anguo put down the binoculars; he could finally catch his breath.

Speaking of the deep rear at Lashu, he was merely waiting for the Japanese Army, continuously on the defense.

Even though there were shortcomings, he still had time to prepare, and could even redeploy troops from Lashu.

Defense and offense feel different, but he knew both required blood as the price to achieve final victory.

Especially now that he was the attacker, he knew that even his numbers and firepower far surpassed the Japanese at Tonggu.

Before the battle began, he received no intelligence, not even knowing how many Japanese troops were stationed at Tonggu; he could only guess the Japanese garrison strength at Tonggu based on their operational movements.

Precisely because there was no intelligence, he chose to launch a surprise attack on Tonggu.

A frontal march in broad daylight, the main force marching.

Relying on the Tonggu Fortress that Dai Anlan had built while defending, even with over ten thousand of his own men stationed here, they might still not be able to break through Tonggu.

Of course, Jiang Anguo possessed an artillery advantage even stronger than that of the Japanese.

If it weren't for the combat experience at Bamo and Myitkyina, Jiang Anguo wouldn't have dared to attack Tonggu so lightly because of Jiang Fei's death.

His original intention was merely to pursue the Japanese 56th Division, and having already achieved the operational objective, he also successfully captured alive the Japanese division commander Watanabe Masao and the 146th Regiment's Jin Gang Zong Si Lang.

It can be said that the Independent Regiment's achievements constitute the largest force on the Myanmar battlefield.

The counterattack at Tonggu differed from the earlier fights; Bamo and Myitkyina were small‑scale battles, whereas the pursuit of the Japanese 56th Division and its defeat occurred in Myanmar's rainforest.

Watanabe Masao's plan of fighting to fund further fighting was flawless; had Jiang Anguo not appeared, Watanabe Masao would have still achieved his operational goal.

A brawl and a war are completely different matters.

In a brawl, you see the opponent's eyes, feel the wind of his fists, and you are responsible for your own honor and pain. In war, Jiang Anguo faces a cold map, and each order he gives represents dozens or hundreds of living people.

You cannot see their eyes, nor hear their heartbeats, yet every word you utter decides whether they will see tomorrow's sun.

When he just issued the "General Attack" order, his voice was so steady and unquestionable.

Only he knew that his palms were drenched in cold sweat and his heart was nearly leaping out.

Each of his decisions would bring to the soldiers below…

…life or death.

He lifted his head and looked toward Tonggu.

The noon sun was blindingly bright.

The sun rose.

The gunfire in the city gradually thinned, replaced by soldiers' cheers and battle cries.

"We won!"

"We won the fight!"

"Oh!"

That was the sound of victory.

The medicated‑patch banner atop Tonggu's high ground was kicked away by an Expeditionary Force soldier, and the victor's flag rose slowly.

Especially the th Division, whose pent‑up frustration began at Tonggu, and breaking through that gloom also occurred at Tonggu.

Now that they have retaken Tonggu, it can be said they have wiped away past shame.

Jiang Anguo was thinking when Dai Anlan came in from outside with a group of officers.

"Anguo, we won!" Dai Anlan grasped Jiang Anguo's shoulders with both hands and gave two heavy pats.

It was clear she was truly delighted; the pats were anything but light.

Jiang Anguo nodded, "Execute the second order: transport all lightly and seriously wounded to Tonggu Airport."

No one understood what Jiang Anguo meant.

"Anguo, what does that mean?" Dai Anlan asked.

"Oh," Jiang Anguo said, looking at the crowd, "the thing is, Tonggu Airport has already been seized by us, and it's sunny now; in a moment I will arrange transport aircraft to send them directly to Lashu."

"I see!"

"Anguo, what do we do next?" Dai Anlan asked.

Indeed, what comes next? All other fronts are losing, yet the Expeditionary Force's th Division at Tonggu has won twice.

Although the first victory was achieved, faced with Japanese reinforcements, the th Division can only withdraw from Tonggu.

This time seems the same: the th Division and Jiang Anguo's Independent Regiment are like nails driven into Tonggu, yet Japanese reinforcements are also coming from Mandalay and the Western Front.

Jiang Anguo stepped to the map; Tonggu, won, is won, but he must stay calm.

Dai Anlan was right; what comes next, Jiang Anguo hadn't even considered, because Jiang Fei's death made him decide to pursue the 56th Division.

Now the 56th Division, its commander Watanabe Masao captured by us, the whole division is essentially shattered, barely a tenth remaining.

The key is Jiang Anguo also eliminated the Japanese 55th Division's 144th Regiment, and Nan Sai Zhengxiong was also killed.

"Hold, or retreat!" Jiang Anguo tossed the question out.

Chief of Staff Zhang Zhige, standing behind Dai Anlan, said to her, "Division Commander, either we first counterattack Tonggu and secure it, then report to Chongqing first."

"Right, regarding this, I think we still need to report to the Principal, after all we......"

Zhang Zhige was correct; after all, they dispatched troops to attack Tonggu without higher approval, which means unauthorized deployment—a grave taboo!

Yes, they had not received the order to attack Tonggu; this amounts to defying a military command.

The chance to counterattack Tonggu? Nonsense; before victory, there is no such chance.

After the Expeditionary Force's main body withdrew from Mandalay, Officer Du, together with orders from Chongqing, changed the directive to hold northern Myanmar, defend Lashu, Bamo, and Myitkyina, rather than launch an offensive.

Sure enough, after this was reported.

"Nyang Xipi, how could Anlan be so reckless, how many losses did the th Division suffer?" the Principal said angrily.

The th Division could be said to be the Principal's prized unit, of course, the entire Fifth Army as well.

Dai Li said calmly, "Principal, the th Division lost just over two thousand, the Japanese Army suffered over three thousand dead, and captured over six hundred."

In fact, the Expeditionary Force's casualties were not high; they were fewer than five hundred.

That's right, we achieved a 1‑to‑6 record; this result was like at the start of the war when the Little Devil chased the Huaxia army, but in Tonggu it was exactly the opposite.

Under the first wave of artillery fire, the Tonggu defenders lost about forty‑five percent.

As for why it was reported this way, the main reason was to make the higher‑ups see that we suffered great losses.

"What, the battle results are so brilliant." The Principal could not believe his ears, and, excited, rose from his chair.

Dai Li nodded. He hadn't believed it at first, but he didn't think Dai Anlan would deceive the Principal. Speaking of it, Dai Anlan was from the Huangpu Third Period, Dai Li from the Sixth Period, and Dai Anlan was senior to Dai Li.

"Nyang Xipi, unbelievable!"

"Anlan, well fought! Well done!"

The Principal's brow finally relaxed; with that, Dai Anlan's crisis was considered resolved.

"Yunong, what's going on? The th Division wasn't in Lashu; why did it counterattack Tonggu?" the Principal sat back down and asked.

Dai Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Principal, here's the situation: earlier Officer Du of the Fifth Army had already reported that the th Division was not in Lashu. According to intelligence investigations, the th Division's Independent Regiment went to chase the Japanese Army's 56th Division, and the th Division followed later. It's unclear why they went to Tonggu; perhaps aircraft appeared."

"Jiang Anguo that kid, chasing the 56th Division," the Principal, though a master of command, did not think an Independent Regiment could chase a Japanese Division; it was simply insane, too crazy.

"They, an understrength division and an Independent Regiment, defeated the Japanese, killed so many, and also captured Tonggu," the Principal felt somewhat incredulous.

Dai Li nodded and said affirmatively, "Principal, I am confident you are not mistaken; Teacher Dai's side should not act rashly either."

"Indeed, Anlan is my student," the Principal tapped the table, "I suppose he wouldn't deceive me. Since Tonggu has been taken, can we have the Fifth Army launch an offensive on Mandalay from Myitkyina and Bamo, and have Anlan's th Division move northward, forming a joint encirclement of the Japanese forces in Mandalay?"

It must be said that the Principal's idea was bold, surpassing Jiang Anguo's counterattack on Tonggu.

The Principal's thinking often discards all external factors, that is, human external factors.

Du Yuming also received Dai Anlan's good news and laughed, "Excellent! Excellent!"

He repeated "Excellent" several times.

But the second telegram that arrived later, from Chongqing, made him unable to laugh.

"Commander, what does this mean?" Everyone saw Du Yuming's complexion change and hurriedly asked.

"Principal," Du Yuming slowly set the telegram down, "the plan is to conduct a new engagement in Mandalay: the Fifth Army moves southward from the north, the th Division moves northward from the south, to encircle the Japanese in Mandalay."

"What?"

"Since when has the Principal become so formidable?"

In the Expeditionary Force Fifth Army command center, everyone's expression varied; the most feared situation had arisen.