Chapter 480: Counterattack on the Golden Triangle (3)

Opposite them, Lv Guoquan was stunned.

"Take the initiative… break through…" Lv Guoquan chewed those words over and over, his heart pounding violently.

He watched Jiang Anguo's confident, spirited demeanor, and glanced at the stark disparity of forces on the map; the balance in his mind began to sway.

Indeed, war sometimes is a gamble of courage.

If we keep hiding in Da Qili to wait for death, we'd simply be at the mercy of others.

Better to follow Jiang Anguo's suggestion: take the initiative; perhaps we can carve out a new world.

The Jeep accelerated, its engine's roar turning into a charge's trumpet.

Lv Guoquan inhaled deeply, suppressing the turmoil within; he snapped his head toward Jiang Anguo, the shock in his eyes fading, replaced by a kindled fighting spirit.

"Good!" Lv Guoquan roared suddenly, breaking the silence, his gaze becoming unwavering.

"Division Commander Jiang, I, Lv Guoquan, am with you! You have the resolve, I won't hold back! Since you dare to strike, I'll accompany you across the Lock River to deal with those Thai devils! Let them know the Chinese Expeditionary Force isn't to be trifled with, and my 93rd Division is no soft target!"

Lv Guoquan was now somewhat blindly following.

Mainly because Jiang Anguo's string of battles had been spectacular.

Crucially, he wasn't foolish; they were already sending weapons, ammunition, supplies, even fighter‑bombers from the sky.

It was clear they were powerful; staying behind such a person, even snagging a bit of credit, was worthwhile.

"That's right!" Jiang Anguo's mouth lifted into a bright smile.

He patted Lv Guoquan's shoulder, his tone passionate, "Division Commander Lv, just watch me! Lead our troops to smash straight through their defensive line!"

At the command, the Jeep sped toward the Lock River.

The previously heavy atmosphere ignited instantly, the convoy like a coiled dragon, charging into the heart of Da Qili's plains.

On the north bank of the Lock River, wind swept dust and battlefield smoke, howling past.

Jiang Anguo's and Lv Guoquan's Jeep arrived first at the frontline position, its wheels crushing a ground littered with shells and rubble.

When the Jeep halted, the two immediately swung the doors open, moved to a rise, and Jiang Anguo lifted his binoculars, gazing toward the plain across the river.

In the distance, the bodies of Thai soldiers were visible, especially the massive elephant carcasses, unmistakable; the Expeditionary Force troops couldn't clear them quickly.

On the position, the wails of Thai soldiers could still be heard; the Thai "Burma Expeditionary Force" had long withdrawn.

No one tended to those wounded soldiers.

Yet the Expeditionary Force soldiers still had to shelter those Thai people.

Jiang Anguo said directly, "Yao Quanyi, handle these Thai prisoners."

"Yes, Commander!" Yao Quanyi shouted.

Lv Guoquan offered no objection, nodding toward the troops of the 93rd Division behind them.

Soon the Thai prisoners held by the 93rd Division were handed over to the 201st Division, to the Independent Regiment.

Scattered gunfire came from the rear.

"So, Division Commander Jiang, you killed them all?" Lv Guoquan asked in disbelief.

Jiang Anguo nodded, "Leaving them serves no purpose; kill them."

He didn't want any Thai people to survive on this land, even as prisoners.

At this moment, the 273rd Regiment had successfully linked up with the Reinforced Camp, and the Independent Regiment Jiang Anguo brought had fully arrived; the three forces quickly assembled, all Expeditionary Force soldiers following the Independent Regiment, crossing the Lock River, spreading out in a line on the south bank to form a solid offensive formation.

The soldiers, clad in neat uniforms, weapons in hand, stood tall with resolute eyes.

Though they had endured a long trek and early fierce battles, fatigue marked their faces, yet an unstoppable vigor still radiated.

Like a pack of coiled tigers, ready to pounce on the enemy at any moment.

Behind the position, on an open clearing, Shi Xiaomao crouched beside a 105mm howitzer, gently caressing its barrel, eyes full of reverence.

That howitzer was his treasure, also the core of the Independent Regiment's artillery battalion.

Shi Xiaomao didn't understand: the Regiment Commander—oh, now it should be the Division Commander—why could they always pre‑arrange the artillery before each battle?

Now Shi Xiaomao was accustomed to it; the howitzer moved faster than their artillerymen.

The howitzer was already at the front of the position, while their artillerymen were still scrambling behind.

At this point Shi Xiaomao was the artillery battalion commander of the Independent Regiment; in Germany he dealt with artillery daily, and after returning to serve, discovered there were virtually no guns at home for him to use.

But after joining the Expeditionary Force, especially after meeting the Division Commander, he had access to every kind of gun; in Lashu he even used a mm Howitzer and an American 155mm howitzer.

German, American, Italian, French—he'd handled them all.

That's far more experience than studying abroad in Germany.

He even treated each gun as a brother; he knew every gun's performance and every component's location like the back of his hand.

He gently brushed dust off the barrel, fingertips tracing the cold tube, a hint of pride curling his mouth.

This was the Da Qili operation.

Jiang Anguo equipped the Independent Regiment solely with 105mm howitzers, opting against larger 150mm or 155mm guns; Shi Xiaomao understood the deeper meaning better than anyone.

On the Asian battlefield, the 105mm howitzer is already considered heavy artillery.

Its firepower suffices to destroy enemy positions and suppress fire, whether against Japanese Army fortifications or Thai Army temporary camps.

Switching to a 150mm caliber howitzer might seem more powerful, but it's ill‑suited to Myanmar's complex terrain.

First, transport: Myanmar is mountainous and jungle‑filled, with rugged, narrow roads.

Large transport vehicles struggle to pass; the mm Howitzer's massive size and weight demand huge manpower and resources to move to the front.

It could even be intercepted en route, making it unprofitable.

Secondly, the shells are heavy—a 150mm round weighs seventy to eighty jin, extremely labor‑intensive to haul, especially with Myanmar's supply difficulties.

Secondly is the weight of the shells; a single mm Howitzer shell weighs about seventy‑eighty jin, moving it is extremely labor‑intensive, and Myanmar battlefield supply is difficult.

Soldiers already expend great stamina, let alone lugging shells.

Soldiers' physical consumption is already high, let alone moving ammunition.

Artillery not only have to operate cannons but also transport shells; over time their stamina simply cannot be sustained, and instead it reduces artillery efficiency.

Jiang Anguo is very clear: although there is the WarSystem as support, allowing an Exchange for sufficient weapons and equipment, the complexity of the Myanmar battlefield destined that they could not conduct multi‑front operations.

Now the Expeditionary Force, although holding the advantage, still suffers consumption of troops that is as astronomical as a celestial number.

Ammunition, food, medicine—each requires a constant supply; if they equip cannons of too large a caliber, it only adds supply pressure pointlessly, which in turn hinders operations.

Especially since the east‑west front exceeds five hundred kilometers, yet for such a front the Expeditionary Force has fewer than one hundred thousand troops.