Chapter 447: Japanese Army 33rd Division

It will take some time for Mandalay Airport to be fully repaired.

However, temporarily just getting the runway ready for P‑38 fighter aircraft is a matter of a day or two.

As airport repairs and fighter deployment advance together, Mandalay's defense will become impregnable.

Just as Jiang Anguo and Dai Anlan were discussing, a soldier from the intelligence unit hurried over, his expression urgent as he handed over a telegram and reported in a rushed tone.

"Commander, Captain Dai, intelligence has arrived! Our reconnaissance plane discovered that the Japanese Army 33rd Division had previously marched to the vicinity of the southern bank of Muga, apparently massing troops to approach Mandalay. However, after possibly learning that Mandalay had fallen and the 18th Division had been annihilated, division commander Yingjing Shengsan has already led the 33rd Division southward, preparing to withdraw to Ren'ankiang."

Jiang Anguo took the telegram, skimmed it quickly, his brows briefly furrowed, then relaxed slowly, and said calmly, "Just as expected. Yingjing Shengsan is indeed pragmatic; knowing that Mandalay is already firmly in our hands, staying at Muga South Bank would not only fail to retake Mandalay but could also lead to his forces being encircled and annihilated, so he decisively withdrew to Ren'ankiang."

"It's a pity, though; if he dared to come to Mandalay, we would certainly carve a piece of meat off the 33rd Division."

"But Ren'ankiang's strategic position is far inferior to Mandalay's; why would Yingjing Shengsan choose to withdraw there?" Dai Anlan's face showed a hint of doubt as she asked, "Logically, even if he doesn't attack Mandalay, he should stay at Muga South Bank to tie down our forces."

"You've forgotten what Ren'ankiang has."

Jiang Anguo looked up at Dai Anlan, his tone tinged with understanding, "Ren'ankiang has abundant oil resources, which for the Japanese Army are more important than Mandalay's strategic position. The Japanese Army's operations in Myanmar cannot do without oil supply; aircraft, tanks, and vehicles all require oil."

"Mandalay is important, but if they lose Mandalay they can still rely on Ren'ankiang's oil to continue resisting; however, if they lose Ren'ankiang's oil, their forces in Myanmar would become a heap of scrap metal, unable to fight further."

In fact, the Japanese Army has struggled to restore Ren'ankiang's oil because when the British withdrew from Ren'ankiang they blew up most of the oil fields.

Dai Anlan suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly, "You're right; I had overlooked that. Ren'ankiang's oil is the lifeline of the Japanese Army in Myanmar, and Yingjing Shengsan's withdrawal to Ren'ankiang is to safeguard their oil supply line, preserving their last sliver of hope in Myanmar."

Dai Anlan hadn't expected this, which is understandable; after all, the Fifth Army she belongs to is arguably the first mechanized unit, yet fuel is counted on the fingers, and most of it is imported.

Consequently, unless absolutely necessary, tanks are not deployed; everything is extremely precious.

"There's more than that."

Jiang Anguo paused, then continued, "Our reconnaissance plane also discovered Japanese positions at Pingmana. Based on the plane's scouting and intercepted telegram analysis, the forces stationed at Pingmana are remnants of the Japanese 56th Division, specifically the 113th Regiment led by Songji Xiuzhi. Moreover, intelligence shows that Japanese activity at Pingmana has been unusually frequent lately, with frantic construction of defensive works, trench digging, and shelter reinforcement, apparently preparing for a prolonged hold."

The only thing Jiang Anguo didn't understand was why the 113th Regiment, instead of moving north to reinforce Mandalay, was building fortifications at Mandalay.

However, he also knows that the current Japanese 113th Regiment, commanded by Songji Xiuzhi, is the very person who later constructed the Songshan defensive works.

Jiang Anguo, who is somewhat familiar with Pingmana's terrain, said, "Pingmana sits at a higher elevation, enjoying a natural geographic advantage—easy to defend and hard to attack. If Songji Xiuzhi truly turns it into a solid defensive stronghold, we may have to pay a heavy price to capture Pingmana."

Dai Anlan's expression grew solemn as she said slowly, "Pingmana's terrain indeed suits the construction of defensive works, and it serves as a crucial junction linking Mandalay and Ren'ankiang. With Songji Xiuzhi stationed there, he can build fortifications while possibly awaiting reinforcements, aiming to tie down our forces and simultaneously protect Ren'ankiang's oil supply line."

Jiang Anguo gave a slight nod, a flash of complex emotion in his eyes, and said softly, "Speaking of which, I still recall that the Expeditionary Force originally planned to engage the Japanese in a battle at Pingmana."

"At that time, we had already drafted a detailed operation plan, the troops were in place, and with Pingmana's high ground offering geographic advantage, we could rely on the terrain, concentrate forces, and deal a heavy blow to the Japanese."

"But we didn't expect our ally the British to flee at the last moment, secretly abandoning the Western Front defensive sector and withdrawing on their own, which left the Expeditionary Force's flank completely exposed to the Japanese 33rd Division, putting us in a situation of being attacked from front and rear."

"It was precisely because of the British betrayal that our Pingmana Battle was forced to end, ultimately ending in failure and costing us considerable casualties."

Jiang Anguo's tone carried a hint of regret and a trace of anger, "Those British only cared about their own interests, completely ignoring the safety of their allies. At the crucial moment they abandoned us, rendering all our prior preparations futile and leaving us on the defensive."

Dai Anlan also sighed, her voice full of helplessness, "Indeed, the Pingmana Battle was originally our chance to turn the tide on the Yunnan‑Myanmar front, but the British's cowardice and selfishness squandered it. Now the Japanese are regrouping at Pingmana, building fortifications, and Songji Xiuzhi's ambitions are considerable; we must stay vigilant and avoid repeating the past mistakes."

Tonggu to the Pingmana area can be described as a canyon; Tonggu lies in the middle of this canyon, while Pingmana is the canyon's outlet.

We only need to hold this outlet, stall until May, drag the Little Devil's troops into the rainy season, and then we can ensure northern Myanmar remains in the Expeditionary Force's hands.

"Rest assured, this time we will never let the British hold us back again," Jiang Anguo's gaze hardened.

"I've already tasked the intelligence unit and reconnaissance planes to closely monitor the Japanese movements at Pingmana, ascertain their force deployment and fortification status, while also keeping an eye on the Japanese 33rd Division at Ren'ankiang to prevent mutual support. Once the Engineer Battalion finishes repairing Mandalay Airport and William's squadron is successfully transferred over, we will immediately devise a response plan: either launch an offensive to crush the Japanese at Pingmana, or hold Mandalay, biding our time to thoroughly crush Songji Xiuzhi's ambitions."

"Additionally, see to it that ground forces use the time to rest, replenish supplies, treat the wounded, and reinforce Mandalay's defensive works, preparing for any Japanese counter‑offensive."

Jiang Anguo added, "Although the Japanese have been temporarily set back, their strength remains no small matter; we cannot afford any laxity and must be fully prepared to firmly seize the initiative in the battle."

Dai Anlan nodded heavily, responding in a deep voice, "Yes, Anguo! I'll arrange it at once. This time we must hold Mandalay, capture Pingmana, drive the Japanese completely out of Myanmar, and avenge all fallen comrades!"