Chapter 67: Pingmana

A professional does professional work.

In warfare, Jiang Anguo is an amateur; in reconnaissance, he is also just an amateur.

Cartography—yeah, he can read a map, but asking him to draw one is another matter.

Harder than climbing Yellow Mountain.

"Commander." The soldiers obtained via System Exchange all like to call Jiang Anguo "Commander," but it doesn't affect their loyalty to him.

Jiang Anguo nodded, "Chen Xiao, your mission is to, within seven days, thoroughly scout the small road on the west side of Lashu and the small road on the southeast side."

"Additionally, our rear route, the Dian-Mian Highway, you must also fully investigate which spots can host defensive positions. It must be done quickly; time waits for no one."

"Understood, Commander."

Similarly, after spending 850 points, a Reconnaissance Company was exchanged; Chen Xiao, whose specialty is a scout.

It can greatly enhance scouting effectiveness. In fact, he also forgot that in ancient campaigns there were scouts ahead of the main force, but now, on Jiang Anguo's march, there are no scouts at all—just reconnaissance troops.

That's because up to Lashu, it is still within the Expeditionary Force's area of control.

Otherwise, whether Jiang Anguo's unit can safely reach Lashu becomes a question.

"They really were careless." The Japanese moved so fast that Jiang Anguo wondered whether Taunggyi had been lost; it shouldn't have been that quick.

The intelligence he intercepted from the battlefield so far shows no sign of the 18th Division, which is a Class A Division; this indicates how much the Japanese Army values the Myanmar front.

Another reason is the Allied Forces' superiority in manpower and the gap in weapons and equipment.

Chen Xiao deployed the Reconnaissance Company: the first platoon to scout the small road west of Lashu, the second platoon to scout the eastern road, and the third company to turn back and examine the Dian-Mian Highway.

Chen Xiao himself took the remaining troops south along the Lashu road to check the situation.

Pingmana.

Dai Anlan's th Division and Liao Yaoxiang's New 22nd Division are counterattacking the Japanese Army; the Expeditionary Force Headquarters plans to win the Pingmana Battle.

At this point both of them have lost hope; the Japanese moved too fast, and the British on the Western Front retreated straight to Ren'ankiang.

Beimu was once again seized by the Japanese, leading to the failure of the Pyinmana Battle and turning it into the Pyinmana Counterattack Battle.

One could say the Expeditionary Force Headquarters thought it very simply: a Single Line Long Snake Formation to engage the Japanese on the Tonggu Front Line in a major battle.

And on the Western Front and Eastern Front, they snipe the invaders.

The British on the Western Front didn't retreat quickly, but they offered no resistance; they can't be said to be fast because they've already lost and are trudging along slowly.

Another issue is the huge discrepancy in reports; the British' dishonesty caused the Expeditionary Force Headquarters to receive false signals repeatedly.

"Senior, do you think we can open a Brocade Bag and take a look?" Liao Yaoxiang recalled that the battalion commander had given him three Brocade Bags, and now they happened to be at Pingmana.

Speaking of combat power, the New 22nd Division and the th Division are truly not weak; they stubbornly hold back the Japanese offensive.

It's not just their own combat power; the terrain advantage on the Tonggu Front Line—high mountains and jungles on both sides—makes it clearly difficult for large forces to cross.

Even the Myanmar contingent that brought the Japanese to try to seize Yong'ke Gang Airport at Tonggu only numbered a little over a thousand—a single battalion's worth.

Liao Yaoxiang had also examined the first Brocade Bag; it was the one he requested from Dai Anlan, but neither of them understood why the Japanese 18th Division hadn't appeared.

That's right, the 18th Division; currently the Western Front has the 33rd Division, the central Tonggu Front has the 55th Division, and part of the 56th Division.

No telegram showed any news of the Japanese 18th Division appearing.

Even so, it made the two of them cautious; their two divisions never exceeded twenty thousand troops in total, and now, after fighting to this point, each division has only about fifteen thousand soldiers left.

There are essentially no heavy weapons—only 60 mm and 80 mm mortars, plus the eight tanks Dai Anlan had at the end. After several days of fierce fighting, the twelve tanks Dai Anlan brought out of Tonggu have now lost four.

There's nothing they can do; the Japanese still have air superiority, and Dai Anlan cannot position tanks at the front of the line. Only when the Defensive Line is about to collapse does Dai Anlan send the tanks forward.

After days of combat, Dai Anlan looks weathered, yet his eyes remain sharp and his mind stays clear.

He pulled the Brocade Bag marked with "Ping" from his pocket and said, "Looks like it's Pingmana."

Liao Yaoxiang also came over; the two glanced at the paper's contents and looked at each other.

Abandon the battle, hold Taunggyi firmly, and do not obey the command.

"This." Liao Yaoxiang couldn't believe his eyes; he understood the front part, but disobeying the command—soldiers are supposed to follow orders.

"Let's go, look at the map first." Dai Anlan felt confused inside but remained calm and approached the map.

Soon the two found Taunggyi, but no matter how they looked, Taunggyi wasn't a major city. Of course, the Expeditionary Force also set up defenses there—the Temporary 55th Division of the Senary Army.

The Senary Army's Defensive Line stretches five to six hundred kilometers from Jingdong to the Tonggu Front Line, with only three divisions. This is the true Single Line Long Snake Formation, not placed on the front but arrayed along the flank.

This leads to the Senary Army's insufficient garrison strength, while the 56th Division concentrates forces to defeat enemies one by one.

The loss in the Tonggu Campaign caused the Expeditionary Force's Temporary 55th Division to retreat to Pingmana's left wing, still facing the Japanese on the Eastern Front; the Temporary 55th Division is led by Colonel Chen Mianwu.

Chen Mianwu, a graduate of Baoding Military Academy's sixth class, Army University's eleventh class, and a cavalry instructor at the Whampoa Military Academy Chaozhou Branch.

From this one can see the Chairman's emphasis on Myanmar and the Dian-Mian Highway.

Most Expeditionary Force officers come from Huangpu Military Academy.

"Why is the Japanese Army attacking Taunggyi?" Liao Yaoxiang wondered.

Dai Anlan frowned; even as artillery roared outside, the Japanese gave the Expeditionary Force no time to rest.

Is Taunggyi's location important? Taunggyi has no railway—indeed, it has none. Its only route is a road leading to Xibao.

The Yangguang Railway runs the north–south line: Yangon, Tonggu, Mandalay, and then on to Lashu.

The Japanese Army's usual habit is to advance along railway lines.

"Lashu." Dai Anlan stared intently at Lashu.

"Lashu." Liao Yaoxiang repeated the name; Lashu—every Expeditionary Force soldier knows it, because their first overseas operation began at Lashu.