noffsinger Chapter 725 Attack again
Chapter 725 Attack again
The operational plan for counterattacking Burma proposed by General Mountbatten, commander of the Allied Forces in Southeast Asia, was roughly to have the Chinese Army in India launch a counterattack against the Japanese troops in Burma from the northwest corner of Burma, coordinated by the Chinese Expeditionary Force in China, and at the same time launch an attack on the Japanese troops in Burma from north to south.
In October 1943, in order to coordinate the war situation against the Japanese army in China and the Pacific region, the Chinese Army Headquarters in India formulated an operational plan to counterattack northern Burma, code-named "Anakim". The goal of this operational plan was to ensure the opening of a highway from Kunming, China to Ledo, India, that is, the construction of the China-India Highway and the laying of an oil pipeline.
The specific combat plan was that the Chinese Army in India would set out from the border town of Lido between India and Myanmar. After crossing the border between India and Myanmar, it would first occupy the area east of the Xinpingyang and Tanai River, establish an offensive starting position and a logistics supply base, and then cross the cross-country mountains. With powerful firepower and outflanking tactics, it would break through the defense lines of the Japanese troops stationed in Myanmar in the Hukawng Valley and the Mogaung Valley, seize Myitkyina, a key place in northern Myanmar, and finally open up the Yunnan-Burma Highway in Yunnan Province.
On October 24, 1943, the New 38th Division and the New 22nd Division of the Chinese Army in India, with the cooperation of part of the British and American troops, crossed the Naga Mountains towards the Hukawng Valley and launched a three-pronged attack on the Japanese troops stationed in northern Myanmar.
On October 29, the 112th Regiment of the newly formed 38th Division of the Chinese Army in India captured Xinpingyang, the largest Japanese stronghold in the Hukawng Valley, and also captured Keningbian, Lasujia, Wananguan and other strongholds, successfully opening the northern gate into the Hukawng Valley.
In early November, after Xinpingyang was occupied by the Chinese Army in India, the commander of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Shinichi Tanaka, urgently dispatched the 56th Regiment of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army to counterattack Xinpingyang. However, the counterattack force of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army was repelled by the Chinese Army in India, and the two sides formed a confrontation.
In December, Commander Sun of the newly formed 38th Division of the Chinese Army in India personally led the 114th Regiment to reinforce. After seven days and nights of fierce fighting with the Japanese troops, the troops of the newly formed 38th Division wiped out the Japanese troops in the Yubang stronghold and won a great victory in Yubang.
On November 1, 1943, Stilwell, the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Army in India, ordered the troops of the newly formed First Army to occupy the intersection between Daluo and the Dalong River and the Danai River, and to cover the construction of the Allied airfield in Xinpingyang and the China-India Highway along the line to Xia Lao Ka.
In January 1944, the 55th and 56th Regiments of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army retreated to the line from Daro to Taibaijia in the Hukawng Valley, while the New 38th Division and the New 22nd Division of the New First Army of the Chinese Army in India also launched an attack to the south in two directions. On February 1, the New 38th Division captured Taibai Ka and continued to advance towards the Talon River.
In March 1944, the Japanese troops stationed in Burma began to attack Kohima and Imphal in India. In order to contain the Japanese troops in northern Burma and support the British army's operations, the Chinese government, at the request of the Allied Southeast Asia Theater Command, urgently airlifted two divisions of troops to India in early April to receive American equipment, and then immediately launched a counterattack in northern Burma.
Lieutenant General Shinichi Tanaka, commander of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army, had previously changed his defensive deployment and ordered the troops on the front line to retreat, concentrating their forces in the Mengguan and Waluban areas in the center of the Hukawng Valley, preparing to lure the Chinese troops stationed in India to attack Mengguan, where the headquarters of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army was located, which had strong fortifications and dangerous terrain.
At the same time, Lieutenant General Shinichi Tanaka, commander of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army, ordered his troops to make a detour from the right wing to the flank of the attacking Indian Army, preparing to completely annihilate the attacking Indian Army in one fell swoop. This was also to cover the Japanese 15th Army's attack on Imphal, India. As long as the Japanese 15th Army's attack on India went smoothly, it would completely destroy the entire combat plan of the Chinese Army in India and the Chinese Expeditionary Force to counterattack northern Myanmar and open up land transportation between China and India.
However, Lieutenant General Shinichi Tanaka, commander of the 18th Division of the Japanese Army, was still using the old almanac to assess the combat capability of the Chinese army. Now, after reorganization and training, and fully equipped with American weapons, the Chinese troops stationed in India are no longer what they used to be.
The Chinese Army in India used the newly formed 22nd Division to be responsible for the main attack and the two regiments of the newly formed 38th Division as the support, forming a pincer attack on the Japanese Army's 18th Division's guard forces in Mengguan. After the battle began, the newly formed 22nd Division of the Chinese Army in India, under the command of Division Commander Liao, made the officers and soldiers of the Japanese Army's 18th Division feel the baptism of superior firepower.
The newly formed 22nd Division of the Chinese Army in India fully utilized its advantages in weapons and equipment, and used artillery and various other heavy weapons to launch a fierce attack on the defensive forces of the Japanese 18th Division, and occupied Mengguan on March 5. Then the Chinese Army in India continued to attack southward rapidly without stopping with the newly formed 22nd Division.
On the other hand, the newly formed 38th Division of the Chinese Army in India set out from Taibai Ka on February 9 and launched a long-range roundabout attack to the east. It successively captured more than 30 Japanese strongholds occupied by the Japanese, including Qingnan Ka, Magao, Lashu Ka, etc., successfully entered the area south of Waluban, and smoothly completed the comprehensive encirclement of the Japanese 18th Division.
The newly formed 22nd Division and the newly formed 38th Division of the Chinese Army in India occupied Mengguan, surrounded and annihilated the main force of the Japanese 18th Division, and seized a large number of military flags, passes, a large number of documents and various weapons from the subordinate units of the Japanese 18th Division.
In April 1944, the New 22nd, 38th, 30th and 50th Divisions of the Chinese Army in India and the United States army began a joint siege of Myitkyina. After successfully conquering Myitkyina, the participating units of the Chinese Army in India rested for two months.
At this time, the 14th Division, the 50th Division, and the newly formed 30th Division had all been airlifted to the front line of the counterattack in northern Myanmar. The Chinese government's troops entering Myanmar to fight had reached the scale of five divisions. In order to facilitate the combat command of each unit, the Chinese government also expanded the New First Army of the Chinese Army in India into two armies, the New First Army and the New Sixth Army.
Among them, the New First Army of the Chinese Army in India was composed of the New 30th Division and the New 38th Division. The former commander of the New 38th Division, Sun, was promoted to commander of the New First Army. The New Sixth Army of the Chinese Army in India was composed of the New 22nd Division, the 14th Division and the 50th Division. The former commander of the New 22nd Division, Liao, was promoted to commander of the New Sixth Army. The former commander Zheng of the New First Army of the Chinese Army in India was the deputy commander-in-chief of the Chinese Army in India.