Chapter 91: Day 24

Song Yu, Specialized Strategy, Jiang Anguo's Chief of Staff.

Wang Fei, Specialized Support, Jiang Anguo's aide.

Likewise they are two battalion‑level officers; Jiang Anguo is also on his first march and battle, and has no experience.

He treated himself as Zhuge Liang, even more Zhuge Liang than Zhuge Liang, taking on all affairs, big and small.

Therefore he also exchanged for a small team for himself, with two battalion‑level officers assisting him in meeting the operational needs against the Independent Battalion.

The ten companies previously stationed at Lashu, totaling 1,600 soldiers, have the task of defending Lashu.

And after Jiang Anguo's first company arrived at Lashu, subsequent transport vehicles also entered Lashu, bringing in the weapons and equipment of those ten companies, quickly receiving arms and ammunition, and also changing attire, swapping the Myanmar uniforms for military uniforms.

In an instant, they changed from Myanmar civilians into Expeditionary Force troops.

And their identities are mostly Myanmar Chinese.

Such a background can also be explained.

And the ten companies were divided into five battalions, each battalion having 320 men, one battalion commander, and no deputy battalion commander.

The six battalions at Lashu each received a battalion commander from Jiang Anguo; each commander leads a 40‑person unit, exactly one platoon, all drawn from the Guard Company.

Coordinate the six battalion officers in managing the soldiers under them.

Although called coordination, in practice it is supervision, to prevent actual desertion on the battlefield.

The New 28th Division and the New 29th Division, indicated by the "New" in their names, are clearly composed of fresh recruits, whose combat morale is terribly low.

They are fundamentally unfit for front‑line positions; that would not only endanger them but also jeopardize Jiang Anguo's own troops.

As a result, the battalion‑level officers Jiang Anguo exchanged have almost all been assigned, and Jiang Anguo's sense of dread returns.

His Guard Company originally had 500 men—yes, a 500‑person Guard Company, which is nearly the strength of a battalion.

Now nine battalions have been allocated, each battalion commander leading a platoon of soldiers, i. e., forty men.

Jiang Anguo's current Guard Company truly is a Guard Company, with exactly 140 men remaining. Thus Jiang Anguo, as a single battalion commander, possesses this powerful Guard Company.

Even a regiment commander rarely has a Guard Company at the company level.

The last remaining battalion commander is Gao Yaguang, Specialized Transport.

Precisely because of Gao Yaguang's specialization, Jiang Anguo appointed him as the transport company commander of the Independent Battalion of the 200th Division; in reality, the rank is company commander.

Jiang Anguo is only a Colonel battalion commander and has no authority to appoint a Major.

"Yaguang, your mission is heavy," Jiang Anguo said to Gao Yaguang.

"Commander, please assign the tasks," Gao Yaguang said, standing before Jiang Anguo. Gao Yaguang is thirty‑three, slight and thin, not tall.

Jiang Anguo nodded, "Yaguang, your first task is to transport all lightly wounded Expeditionary Force personnel back home; you will take a radio, contact Chanda, and send them to Chanda."

The seriously wounded are all lying down!

"Second task: organize the manpower and transport all Lashu supplies back inland, first to Wandian—no, to Mangshi instead; notify the officials of Mangshi and Baoshan, and fully move the supplies to Baoshan's rear area."

The southwestern border gate of Wandian, the frontier line—transporting there would indeed save a lot of time and manpower.

However, Jiang Anguo feels it isn't very secure, so he still opts to transport one more stop further back, namely Mangshi.

"Yes, Commander."

April 24, 9:40 a. m.

After assigning all the 200th Division officers, Jiang Anguo met with all the defending units at Lashu; for convenience, he reorganized the six battalions of the New 28th and New 29th Divisions into the Lashu Defense Force.

Of course, it's merely a change of designation, from the First Battalion to the First Battalion of the Lashu Defense Force.

At the same time he told them he would send personnel into their units to assist everyone in defending Lashu.

"I know what you're murmuring inside, but the war has come to this point. Do you see the map behind me?" Jiang Anguo shouted.

The battalion and company commanders below looked up and saw it was a map of the Expeditionary Army Staff Corps; the staff corps hadn't taken the map when they left.

Fortunately for Jiang Anguo, Lin Yi also cross‑checked the map.

"If Lashu falls, as you have seen, Lashu is the starting point of the Dian‑Mian Highway, where hundreds to thousands of tons of supplies are stockpiled. We could retreat, but if those supplies fall into Japanese hands, the Japanese could stride boldly into Yunnan."

"Moreover, they would move north from Lashu to attack Bamo and Myitkyina; that would endanger the Expeditionary Army's Fifth Army and its headquarters far out in Mandalay."

Everyone began to show emotion; fearing death in war is normal.

"Therefore, I hope everyone can unite as one, conduct a solid defensive battle at Lashu, and also you need not worry excessively; before the Japanese Army attacks Lashu, I will issue ammunition so that everyone can use the time to train." Upon learning that most of the troops in these six battalions are new recruits, Jiang Anguo realized a major incident was looming, which is why he did not send them all to the front lines.

Jiang Anguo gave a brief address, then said, "Gather your troops; I will have my aide Lin Yi take you to see the military strength of the 200th Division, also to boost morale before battle. The Japanese are just a shoulder and a head, nothing to fear; see, my 200th Division can stand toe‑to‑toe with a Japanese division, so what are you afraid of?"

"Moreover, you have seen the terrain of Lashu, right?"

Everyone nodded; becoming a battalion‑ or company‑level officer requires bravery in combat, but also a certain amount of intellect.

"We are on the defense, and here at Lashu the mountains are high and the terrain treacherous. With just a company or a battalion's strength, as long as we block the passes, even if a Japanese battalion comes, we will make it a one‑way trip for them."

"Alright, I won't nag any longer; everyone go check out our weapons and equipment first," Jiang Anguo said.

Lin Yi immediately led everyone out of Jiang Anguo's command post; now the Expeditionary Army's Staff Corps command post at Lashu has become Jiang Anguo's command post.

Pre‑war mobilization is essential; even if Jiang Anguo's efforts are imperfect, letting these soldiers see that they have tanks and artillery should boost their confidence.

"Meng Fanle, inform She Pigu to prepare meals for four thousand people at noon, prioritizing the Defense Force comrades," Jiang Anguo said.

"Yes, battalion commander," Meng Fanle replied.

"Xiao Si, go inform the troops and tally everyone entering our camp," Jiang Anguo estimated that Lashu's strength exceeds six battalions.

No matter how you look at it, it exceeds four thousand people, and even during this period soldiers keep trickling back from the front—scattered troops, or perhaps routed troops.