Chapter 68: Failed March

Inside the command room, the lights were dim.

Liao Yaoxiang paced back and forth several times.

"Lashu is our rear; according to this Brocade Bag, the Japanese Army intends to attack Lashu, but without sufficient supplies, trying to slip from Taunggyi directly into Lashu is clearly impossible," Liao Yaoxiang said, using his own subjective view to analyze the Japanese situation.

A Japanese Army division comprises nearly twenty thousand men, requiring huge daily supplies; if supplies are transported along the road, the Japanese cannot keep up.

Moreover, the Japanese advance on Taunggyi and the encirclement of Lashu never considered their own logistics.

All supplies are to be sourced locally, and the Japanese 56th Division does exactly that.

The Japanese truly have a spirit of self‑sacrifice, just like on the Malay Peninsula, where forty to fifty thousand Japanese forced over a hundred thousand British troops to surrender.

When the British signed the surrender agreement, Shan Xia Feng Wen ordered his men to fire a few cannons to intimidate the British, but that was all the ammunition they had—less than ten rounds per man.

It is this Bushido Spirit, or perhaps the fearless charge, that gave the 56th Division the title "Jungle King".

Dai Anlan does not believe the Japanese will attack Lashu from Taunggyi.

"Report," the soldier who had been monitoring the radio said.

"Read," Dai Anlan said.

"Beimu fell, the British retreated to Ren'ankiang; headquarters ordered our army to fall back to Tazi, and Mitie La to build defensive works."

Dai Anlan and Liao Yaoxiang stared at each other; Liao Yaoxiang, angry, cursed, "The British are shameless, retreating again and again, and this time they've exposed our flank."

Beimu's loss caused the Expeditionary Force's failure to engage the Japanese at Pingmana; the Japanese could simply swing around Beimu, cutting off the Expeditionary Force's rear.

Therefore, the 200th Division and the New 22nd Division had to retreat.

"Taunggyi, Taunggyi," Dai Anlan once again stood before the map, examining it carefully.

He finally could connect everything: the Expeditionary Force deployed the Senary Army on the Eastern Front because they feared the Japanese and Thai forces would come over the Thai‑Burma border; thus they committed three divisions to defend such a vast area.

"Jian Chu, once we withdraw from Pingmana, Chen Mianwu's troops must also retreat, and their retreat direction is Taunggyi."

Liao Yaoxiang felt uneasy and said, "Can a single division really hold Taunggyi?"

In fact, not to mention Liao Yaoxiang, Dai Anlan also doubts whether a division can hold Taunggyi; after all, the Senary Army consists of fresh troops, unlike the Fifth Army, which was built upon the 200th Division.

One must know that everyone is terrified of the Japanese; without a hundred thousand troops, they dare not fight the Japanese.

Yet a single Japanese regiment dares to launch an attack on the Chinese Army.

The three divisions of the Expeditionary Force that fight best are the 200th Division, the New 22nd Division, and the New 38th Division, and each has combat missions.

Looking at the New 22nd Division and the 200th Division, they can match the Japanese evenly, but it is also the soldiers risking their lives—blade, gun, and blood—to carve out those battle records.

"Even if we cannot hold it, we must hold it; otherwise not only is the main force of our Expeditionary Force in danger, even Tengchong, Baoshan, Kunming would be unprotected, and that would truly cause trouble. Jian Chu, you and I will jointly telegram headquarters, asking Commander Du to reinforce the Taunggyi Frontline, guarding against a Japanese surprise attack," Dai Anlan could only arrange it this way.

Soldiers, obey orders.

Dai Anlan does not dare, nor does Liao Yaoxiang; Jiang Anguo wrote too plainly, do not heed the command center.

This is an impossible matter; Dai Anlan does not dare, and Liao Yaoxiang dares even less!

When the British abandoned a position on the Western Front, Dai Anlan and Liao Yaoxiang could only organize troops to retreat toward Tazi.

Jiang Anguo stared at the road before him, bewildered, "Why did no one tell me that from Lashu to Taunggyi there is only a road, no railway?"

Indeed, he also made a big mistake.

His plan was to follow Sun Liren to Mandalay, so he could also take part in the Ren'ankiang rescue, not only to criticize the British but also to boost his own prestige.

It was mainly about rank; Jiang Anguo was eager to advance.

But he did not expect Sun Liren had already rushed to Mandalay, and the Principal never appeared again; only on the eighth, he saw an aircraft take off toward Yunnan, which Jiang Anguo assumed must be the Chairman's plane.

"Xiao Si, bring me my map," Jiang Anguo said to the Xiao Si behind him.

"Yes, Battalion Commander," Xiao Si hurriedly took the operational map from his backpack.

Jiang Anguo pulled a measuring tape from his pocket and marked on the map: Lashu to Ren'ankiang, four hundred kilometers straight line!

Just kidding!

If we walked now, the daylilies would be cold!

"Battalion Commander, what do we do now?" Lin Yi stood beside Jiang Anguo; now Lin Yi is a staff officer of Jiang Anguo's Independent Battalion, one of the staff.

He led the forces of three companies, boarded a Transport Vehicle, and set out for Taunggyi; he wanted to stab a Japanese soldier there, but it seemed he wouldn't make the time.

Not only would he be late, but if he ran ahead of the Japanese 56th Division, his small contingent wouldn't even be enough for a single Little Devil division to notice!

The three companies Jiang Anguo took on this operation are:

6th Company Changshan (defense), 7th Company Jinjian (jungle), 8th Company Quanzong (mountain).

Jiang Anguo used his own Transport Vehicle to move the troops, not occupying any train, and since no train was available, no one blocked his unit.

Moreover, under Jiang Anguo's name, he was also going to support the 200th Division.

"We... no, first return to Lashu; this is just a drill for you, everyone performed well, the operation was swift," Jiang Anguo gave a crooked excuse and brushed it off.

There was no choice; he had time to go to Ren'ankiang and also time to rendezvous with the main force of the 200th Division.

His reason for not going was simple: he didn't know when the Japanese would capture Lashu, only that it would be by the end of April, and within a few days they'd have reached Western Yunnan.

Jiang Anguo dared not act; he feared that if his troops moved, the entire rear would be left empty, and so far the New 28th Division and New 29th Division have not even been seen.

Lashu's strongest defense turned out to be the 200th Division's tank regiment, a regiment without any usable tanks.

Of course, this march cannot be called a failure; Jiang Anguo called it live‑fire training, and he was quite satisfied with the results.

It's a stretch, but Jiang Anguo decides.

You ask why Jiang Anguo cannot leave his own unit; fear of death is not the main reason, but his rank issue—he can only exchange up to a Battalion Commander level officer, i. e., only to Battalion Commander.

But his unit already numbers 3,511 men, exceeding the strength of a regiment.

A Battalion Commander leading a regiment obviously causes problems; indeed, system officers can fulfill Battalion Commander duties well, but cannot perform a Regiment Commander's tasks—growth is required, and besides time, that growth comes from killing enemies.

If Jiang Anguo were promoted to Regiment Commander, he could then exchange for a regiment‑level officer.

Perhaps this is the limit the system imposed.

"6th Company, 7th Company, place all carried supplies onto the 8th Company's vehicle. 8th Company, you will take these supplies to Mandalay and must deliver them to the 200th Division commander Dai Anlan. Additionally, you have another mission: do everything possible to evacuate the wounded from Mandalay, and speed is essential," Jiang Anguo issued the final order.

"Yes, Commander, I guarantee to complete the mission." Company Commander Quan Zong of the Eighth Company jogged to Jiang Anguo's side.