Chapter 501: The Situation of Both Sides

The wind in Mandalay, carrying a faint scent of gunpowder, blew over the Expeditionary Force's camp and into the hastily erected Expeditionary Force command post.

Jiang Anguo stood at the command post's window, gazing at the endless string of camps in the distance, his face showing no surprise at all.

As expected, just as he had anticipated, the supreme commander in Chongqing began another round of actions, issuing an urgent order overnight with harsh wording that left no room for objection.

The core of the order was simple: have the Expeditionary Force's 200th Division, st Division, and the newly arrived 93rd Division in Mandalay immediately move south, launch a full assault on Yangon, and ensure the Dian-Mian Highway is opened soon to restore China's material transport route with the outside world.

The order completely ignored the actual conditions of the units; the 200th Division and the st Division had just endured several fierce battles, their soldiers exhausted and in dire need of rest and resupply.

The 93rd Division, after a long trek and just arriving in Mandalay, had not even fully settled its camp, let alone giving any of the three divisions a moment to catch their breath.

Even more subtly than the order itself, the atmosphere shifted as the Expeditionary Force's command post moved back to Mandalay with the order's issuance.

Du Yuming, who was in Myitkyina, also boarded a transport aircraft and rushed to the front line.

He was the Expeditionary Force commander officially appointed by Chongqing, the nominal supreme officer commanding all Expeditionary Force troops.

But when he stepped into the Mandalay command post and sensed the atmosphere, he was stunned, an indescribable awkwardness instantly enveloping the entire command post.

Du Yuming knew in his heart that, although he was the Expeditionary Force's commander-in-chief, now he found himself unable to command any division at all.

This sense of powerlessness had already been starkly evident when he arrived in Mandalay yesterday and inspected the 200th Division's camp.

The 200th Division, as the Expeditionary Force's most elite unit, had always been Du Yuming's pride and a force he had personally raised, subordinate to the Fifth Army.

But when Du Yuming entered the 200th Division's camp, he was still shocked by the scene before him.

The former 200th Division, though elite, had been limited by insufficient equipment, yet the current 200th Division had long since been reborn, truly deserving the label "elite".

Inside the camp, rows upon rows of neatly arranged 75mm infantry guns stood in order.

What thrilled him even more was that the camp's corner also deployed twelve 105mm howitzers, their barrels brand‑new and imposing.

These were genuine heavy‑firepower beasts; whether for breaching or fire support, they could unleash tremendous force.

Du Yuming circled the artillery, eyes fixed, and even felt a hint of greed, unable to resist the urge to ask Dai Anlan for a few pieces to bring back and reinforce his forces in Myitkyina.

But the next second, he snapped back to reality.

Although nominally the 200th Division remained under his Fifth Army, since the Expeditionary Force's main force withdrew from Mandalay and began dispersed operations, the division had little substantive connection to him.

The 200th Division had continuously operated independently, from the Tonggu counter‑offensive to the later Mandalay counter‑offensive.

Each battle caught the enemy off guard, each time turning defeat into victory in a dire situation, ultimately achieving perfect results.

The division's combat power had long exceeded his expectations, and Dai Anlan had already matured into a commander capable of handling matters alone.

The present 200th Division was no longer a unit he could move at will.

Du Yuming knew in his heart that the current Mandalay situation seemed to have reverted to the layout before the first Mandalay Battle.

The Expeditionary Force massed its troops, preparing for a decisive battle against the Japanese Army.

But only he knew there was a fundamental difference between the two.

In the first Mandalay Battle, the Expeditionary Force appeared to have sufficient manpower, yet suffered chaotic command and poor coordination, ultimately forced to retreat in disarray, leaving endless regret.

Now, although the Expeditionary Force is again gathered in Mandalay, it is a completely different story; its combat power, equipment level, and morale have all made a qualitative leap.

The comparative strength of both sides seemed similar to before, yet in fact had quietly changed.

Reviewing the Japanese Army's invasion of Myanmar, initially the Japanese deployed only the rd Division and the Fifty-five Division, hoping to swiftly capture Myanmar and cut the Dian-Mian Highway with those two units.

What the Japanese did not anticipate was that during the attack on Tonggu, the Fifty-five Division met fierce resistance from the 200th Division, progress stalled, losses were heavy, and they could not break through the Tonggu Defensive Line.

To seize Myanmar quickly, Southern Army commander Terauchi Hisaichi had to urgently pull forces from other fronts, transferring the 18th Division and the 56th Division into Myanmar to bolster the offensive.

Both units were Japanese elite, especially the 18th Division, dubbed the "King of Jungle Warfare", with formidable combat power that had once swept across the Southeast Asian theater.

Yet even so, the Japanese could not achieve their aim.

Jiang Anguo appeared on the Myanmar battlefield; the Japanese 18th Division was utterly annihilated in Mandalay, the main force of the 56th Division was also wiped out, leaving only a handful of remnants scattered in southern Myanmar, unable to form any effective offensive force.

As of now, the total Japanese force in Myanmar numbers about 50,000, mostly remnants of the rd Division and the Fifty-five Division, plus the remaining troops of the 56th Division, and a small contingent of auxiliary units drawn from the Thai Army.

These units not only lacked manpower, their equipment was also heavily depleted, especially heavy weapons, and morale was low; most soldiers carried fear and no longer possessed the earlier swagger.

The Japanese Army primarily held the cities of Yangon and Ren'ankiang.

Meanwhile, the Expeditionary Force held a clear numerical advantage.

At present, the fully staffed and combat‑ready units gathered in Mandalay, aside from the 200th Division and the st Division, consist only of the 93rd Division led by Yu Shao.

These three units were all elite forces of the Expeditionary Force.

Especially the 200th Division and the st Division, forged through numerous battles, possessed fierce combat power, fine equipment, and soldiers whose morale was sky‑high.

Beyond that, Lv Guoquan's 96th Division stationed at Jingdong still maintained full combat capability, with ample manpower and complete equipment.

However, Jingdong lies on the Myanmar-Thailand Border, a crucial point for repelling Thai Army attacks, making its geographic position highly significant.

The 96th Division must hold Jingdong, unable to transfer troops to support Mandalay, and can only fully defend against Thai Army movements, preventing them from seizing the opportunity to move north and threaten the Expeditionary Force's flank.

Nevertheless, regarding the Da Qili direction, Jiang Anguo has already positioned his own troops for defense, and the Thai Army dares not advance north lightly; still, as a precaution, the 96th Division cannot be moved easily.

Just the Expeditionary Force's strength in Mandalay already exceeds 40,000 men, and if Du Yuming's remaining Fifth Army units stationed in Myitkyina and Bamo are added, the total usable force in Myanmar surpasses 60,000.

Whether in troop numbers or unit integrity, the Expeditionary Force holds an absolute advantage.

More importantly, the morale gap further gives the Expeditionary Force the upper hand.

Since the 18th Division was completely annihilated, morale throughout the Expeditionary Force has surged to its peak.

The 18th Division, once a Japanese elite that inflicted massive casualties and pressure on the Expeditionary Force, has now been utterly destroyed, erasing the previous humiliation.

It also gave the soldiers hope of victory; each one is eager, itching to completely crush the Japanese Army in the upcoming battles and retake Myanmar.

In contrast, the Japanese, after the 18th Division's destruction, suffered a heavy blow, with thick fear permeating the troops.

The Japanese soldiers, having witnessed the elite unit's annihilation, lost their original fighting spirit; most are anxious, and many have already entertained thoughts of fleeing.

The disparity is simply too great; the Japanese, once marching triumphantly, now face a terrifying Huaxia army on the Myanmar battlefield.

They know clearly that the current Expeditionary Force is no longer the unit that could be bullied at will; continued resistance will only lead to total annihilation.

Du Yuming stood before the command post's map, watching the deployment of both sides' forces, his heart a mixture of emotions.

He knew the Expeditionary Force now held an absolute advantage; with proper command and smooth coordination, a southward assault on Yangon and opening the Dian-Mian Highway would not be difficult.

What makes him helpless is that, although he is the nominal Expeditionary Force Commander, he cannot move any unit; the 200th Division follows Dai Anlan's orders, while the 201st Division only looks to Jiang Anguo.

The only formation he can command in Mandalay is the 93rd Division's Yu Shao detachment, but for a single division he does not think he has the ability to counterattack Yangon.

Watching all this, Du Yuming feels full of helplessness and embarrassment.