Chapter 527: Lightning Strike Yangon (1)

The horn for the southward march to Yangon has already sounded.

It was just as Du Yuming was deploying the grand army's advance plan.

The st Division's meteorologists, hailing from Dongzhi, Mandalay and Lashu, after many days of round‑the‑clock watch and data analysis, finally brought an uplifting piece of news.

After repeatedly cross‑checking multiple data points such as air pressure, precipitation and wind direction.

It was confirmed that from July 23 to July 26, the southern part of Myanmar will experience a brief spell of alternating sun and clouds.

The continuous rain will briefly pause, and the muddy roads will receive some relief.

This is precisely the optimal moment for the Expeditionary Force to advance swiftly and launch a surprise attack on Yangon.

At this moment, Jiang Anguo's st Division had just arrived at Tonggu; the troops, without time to rest, immediately threw themselves into pre‑battle preparations.

Forty kilometres south of Tonggu lies Biao guan, the temporary base of the Expeditionary Force's main units; Du Yuming, Stilwell and the commanders of each division are holding an emergency operations meeting here to discuss the concrete deployment for the southward move to Yangon.

Tonggu is now extremely desolate; when we counter‑attacked Tonggu, the artillery roared, flattening the ancient city completely.

The crucial point is that the Little Devils also left a force, but upon seeing the Expeditionary Force seize Pingmana, they immediately destroyed the existing fortifications and the airfield, then withdrew entirely to Yangon.

Jiang Anguo promptly convened a war council in Tonggu; three days are extremely precious.

The atmosphere in the operations room was tense; a massive map of southern Myanmar hung on the wall, red arrows marking the Expeditionary Force's advance route, while Yangon was heavily encircled—there the Japanese 55th Division was stationed, serving as the Expeditionary Force's final crucial barrier to the southward push.

If Yangon can be captured, the Dian-Mian Highway can be opened, and a continuous flow of supplies will be transported inland via the Dian-Mian Highway.

Jiang Anguo briskly walked to the map, his gaze fixed on Yangon, then abruptly turned and asked in a resonant voice, "How many kilometres to Yangon?"

Sitting nearby, Second Regiment commander Hu Dali rose instantly, replying respectfully yet urgently, "Division commander, Tonggu is exactly 240 kilometres from Yangon; if we take the main road and encounter no large‑scale Japanese obstruction en route, the advance speed can increase dramatically."

Everyone knew that the division commander convening this war council signaled a hard battle was imminent.

Jiang Anguo gave a slight nod, his eyes scanning the room before settling on Tank Regiment commander Zhang Bing, and he called in a deep voice, "Zhang Bing!"

"Present!" Zhang Bing instantly rose from his seat, upright and resolute, his voice firm and his eyes full of fighting spirit.

His tank regiment, the elite Tank Soldiers of the st Division, is well‑equipped; having earned distinguished honors in the Mandalay campaign, they are now fully prepared for immediate deployment.

Jiang Anguo stepped forward, his gaze sharp on Zhang Bing, and said without doubt, "I give you three days; relying on this favorable weather, can you lead the tank regiment to reach outside Yangon?"

When his words finished, the operations room fell silent; everyone's eyes focused on Zhang Bing, and even Du Yuming and Stilwell couldn't help showing a look of concern.

They all understood that the tank regiment is the key to a Yangon raid; if it can swiftly breach the Japanese defensive line and reach outside Yangon, it will create perfect conditions for the subsequent main force's attack.

Zhang Bing quickly calculated in his mind: 240 kilometres in three days means an average of 80 kilometres per day; with good road conditions, sufficient fuel, and the tank regiment's mobility, the mission is entirely feasible.

He lifted his head, his gaze steadfast as he looked back at Jiang Anguo, and shouted, "Commander, rest assured! As long as fuel supplies are ample and there is no large‑scale Japanese main force blocking us, I guarantee that within three days the tank regiment will definitely reach outside Yangon and carve an attack corridor for the army!"

"Good! That's the spirit we need!"

Jiang Anguo slammed the table, his voice soaring, "Relay my orders: the tank regiment must assemble all its men immediately. I will personally equip you with the latest Sherman tanks, each fully stocked with ammunition and fuel, ensuring flawless execution!"

"In three days, I want to see your tanks appear on the position outside Yangon, catching the Japanese 55th Division off guard!"

"Yes, Commander!" Zhang Bing shouted, turned and hurried out of the operations room, immediately delivering the orders and gathering the tank forces.

Soon after, a thunderous roar of engines echoed outside Tonggu's camp; brand‑new Sherman tanks rolled slowly out of the base, their tracks crushing the ground and kicking up clouds of dust, the orderly column resembling a steel dragon, its momentum awe‑inspiring.

Behind the tanks were fuel trucks, and further back the transport vehicles carrying infantry.

Jiang Anguo stood by the window of the operations room, watching the departing silhouettes of the tank units, his gaze resolute.

He knew clearly that the remnants of the Japanese 55th Division were holed up in Yangon; unless they were preparing to retreat, a stubborn defense of Yangon would make a rapid capture genuinely difficult.

But he trusted his soldiers even more, trusted the power of the Sherman tanks, and believed that this hard‑won favorable weather would surely create a miracle.

Three days are enough to reach Yangon.

The Sherman tanks' tracks rolled over Biao guan's dirt road, emitting a heavy "creak‑creak" sound; each tank was laden with ammunition and fuel, the Expeditionary Force insignia on the hull gleaming in the sun, and the crew members poked their heads from the turrets, eyes steadfastly fixed toward Yangon.

This tank unit sped along, its speed constantly above thirty kilometres per hour, the wheels raising clouds of dust into the sky,

forming a long gray‑yellow barrier behind it; from a distance it looked like a surging steel dragon, unstoppable.

Jiang Anguo also later boarded a Jeep, following the st Division southward to Yangon.

The roar of the steel torrent grew nearer, shaking the ground with a faint tremor.

The Sherman tanks forged ahead, followed closely by military trucks loaded with the st Division's infantry; their wheels kicking up a sea of yellow dust that turned the afternoon sunlight into a hazy amber.

The st Division moved so fast it caught up with the Expeditionary Force's main body.

The Expeditionary Force's leading main units were initially startled, their previously leisurely march suddenly halting.

Soldiers instinctively gripped their rifles and edged toward the roadside, some even raising their guns to aim rearward, faces full of alertness.

Had the headquarters not previously warned that the st Division would spearhead the advance, they would have surely mistaken this rushing armored column for a flanking Japanese assault and would have immediately taken up combat positions.

A soldier from the 93rd Division at the front of the column, watching the tanks and trucks roar past, couldn't help shouting, "Hey! Where are you rushing off to!"

Amid the swirling dust, the st Division soldiers inside the truck braced the side panel, straightened their backs and shouted back, their voices drowning the engine roar: "To Yangon! Straight to the heart of Yangon!"

"Why are you in such a hurry to fight, running so fast?" another veteran of the 93rd Division brushed dust from his face, laughed teasingly, though inside he felt full of envy.

The young soldiers of the st Division were each invigorated, showing no sign of fatigue but brimming with soaring fighting spirit; they raised their fists and shouted, "If we lag, there'll be no Little Devils left to fight! This southward strike on Yangon is destined to belong to our st Division!"