noffsinger Chapter 162 The determination to fight back
Chapter 162 The determination to fight back
Luo Bing led the 3rd Detachment eastward, reaching the mountainous area north of Nanbang. Although Luo Bing intentionally exposed his tracks to the enemy, the Japanese did not pursue him. The signalman brought a report from the 1st Detachment that they had contacted the main force of the rd Column and had eliminated some Japanese security forces in the process, but mainly eliminated puppet troops such as the Burma Independence Army.
All signs indicated that the Japanese army was in a general retreat in northern Burma. Luo Bing halted his troops and immediately set up a radio station to send a message to the guerrilla commander, Qin Shi.
Qin Shi received Luo Bing's telegram, which, combined with Commander Zheng Dongguo's report on the southern Yunnan battlefield, revealed that the Second Corps had already captured Tengchong and was launching offensives toward Ruili, Wanding, and other areas. It was expected that it would not take long to drive the Japanese out of southern Yunnan! Zheng Dongguo instructed Qin Shi and the guerrilla army to closely monitor the Japanese army's movements while cooperating with the First Corps. He sensed that the Japanese army seemed to be retreating in an orderly manner from southern Yunnan.
Qin Shi immediately realized that the Japanese 33rd Army in northeastern Myanmar might be trying to escape. In addition to Luo Bing's report of the sneak attack on the Japanese 53rd Division's barracks, he immediately sent a telegram to Commander Zheng Dongguo and reported his analysis.
After receiving Qin Shi's telegram, Zheng Dongguo realized that the Japanese army might be deliberately abandoning southern Yunnan and northeastern Myanmar. If the Japanese army abandoned northeastern Myanmar, then the 33rd Division and the 18th Division in northern Myanmar would certainly not be able to hold on, and the Japanese army would most likely abandon the entire Upper Burma.
He immediately issued instructions to Liao Yaoxiang's First Corps, ordering the Indian Army to counterattack with all its strength and to hold back the Japanese troops in northern Burma, especially the 18th Division, one of the Nanjing executioners, and not to allow it to escape!
At the same time, he passed directly over Qin Shi and issued an order to Luo Bing, ordering him to temporarily command the Second and Third Guerrilla Army columns and launch attacks and sabotage operations along the former China-Burma Highway in northeastern Myanmar to prevent the Japanese from escaping as much as possible. Zheng Dongguo intended to launch a major offensive in northern Myanmar, intending to defeat and annihilate the Japanese heavy forces in northern Myanmar!
The First Route Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force began to exert its strength, and the situation on the battlefield rapidly shifted. The Chinese army began to closely follow the Japanese army, preventing them from maneuvering in an orderly manner. Roads and Japanese strongholds in northern Burma were subjected to various attacks. Guerrilla forces, partisan groups, and even some spontaneous ethnic minority resistance groups mobilized, continuously harassing and disrupting enemy facilities and troop movements. Areas where the Japanese had a small garrison suffered increasingly severe attacks. Some strongholds could no longer hold out and were forced to concentrate in nearby towns. Along the Lao-Burma Highway, several roads were severely damaged. The brigades responsible for security, and even the 203rd Division, were scrambling to deal with the enemy's relentless sabotage.
At Japanese Burma Area Headquarters in Rangoon, Watanabe Shozo was closely monitoring the situation in northern Burma. As the theater commander, he hadn't yet made up his mind to carry out the Southern Army's final orders. He was deeply displeased with his distant cousin (Watanabe Masao), who had secretly contacted Army Headquarters, under the pretext of needing experienced troops on the home front, and had the 33rd Army directly transferred from the Burma Area. Watanabe Shozo considered this a shameful act of desertion. He used the uncertain situation in northern Burma as an excuse to cling to Watanabe Masao, determined to hold him captive. He also wanted to make a final stand.
The loss of northern Burma coincided with his retirement from active service, and someone had to shoulder the responsibility. As commander of the Burma Front, Watanabe Shozo couldn't shirk it. This was why he decided to hold Watanabe Masao hostage. Even if he failed, he had to take someone else with him.
As for the 28th Army in northern Burma, the old ghost Mutaguchi Ren'ya and Watanabe Masamitsu were obviously not optimistic about it. The 18th Division, the former permanent division, was in a state of panic now. It was being chased and beaten by the Chinese and had almost lost half of its troops. It also affected the 33rd Division, preventing the division from retreating south in an orderly manner, making their plan to strengthen the China-Burma defense fail.
Watanabe Shozo knew that if northern Burma was lost, the so-called absolute defense perimeter of Central and Lower Burma would become a joke. He had no idea what was wrong with the Imperial Headquarters, which always made such nonsensical decisions. If he were the commander of the headquarters, he would either abandon Burma completely and concentrate troops in Malaysia, Vietnam, and other places to fight a decisive battle with the Allies. Or he would hold Burma to the death. As long as the Allies were unable to open the Sino-Indian Highway and the Chinese army could not receive major reinforcements, the Empire would still have a huge advantage in fighting on the mainland.
Unfortunately, Watanabe didn't know that the Japanese military headquarters was already on the decline. In the Pacific battlefield, the Japanese army no longer had the ability to launch even one attack. Now they could only defend with all their might. According to the Imperial Military Headquarters, they must ensure the defense of the absolute defense circle, such as Burma, New Guinea, etc., which would eventually be abandoned.
Luo Bing met with the commander of the Third Column and learned of its current situation. While nominally comprised of six detachments, the actual strength of the Third Column was less than 1 men. Of course, this did not include the Chan Democratic People's Army, primarily composed of Chan ethnic armed forces. According to Huang Wei and his team's plan, the Chan ethnic group would ultimately be barred from armed forces, and no one, including the Chongqing government, would grant them designations. At this point, the Chan ethnic group's use of their units under the name of the Third Column was a sign of Qin Shi turning a blind eye. To combat the Japanese now and control the Burmese army in the future, they would need armed forces such as the Chan, Wa, and Kachin ethnic groups. Once the deployment was complete, these armed forces would either be assimilated or eliminated as rebels.
Luo Bing called together the commanders at the detachment level of the Third Column. These were all Chinese or overseas Chinese. Luo Bing felt very cordial when he saw them. After talking with everyone one by one and understanding their difficulties, Luo Bing waved his hand and the large amount of supplies that the US Air Force had just airdropped were allocated to each detachment. The massacre of Chinese and overseas Chinese by the Japanese army and the Burmese Independence Army this time made many Chinese and overseas Chinese see the situation clearly. Many people asked to join the guerrilla army. Luo Bing asked each detachment to accept them openly and set up each detachment according to the regimental level system. The regimental level system at this time was not the early regimental level system. According to the new military system of the Flower Planting Family, a standard regiment was almost equivalent to an early brigade, with at least two to three thousand people. If technical arms were included, the number would reach about 4000.
Qin Shi was quickly informed of the expansion and battles of the Second and Third Columns. He beamed with joy, and with the prospect of becoming a father soon, his face was always adorned with satisfaction. Deputy Commander Zhou Hu, however, had a tough job. He was responsible for the designation of the new units, the rostering of personnel, and reporting. Although a new Chief of Staff had been ordered to take over his duties, he had yet to arrive, forcing Zhou Hu to shoulder the responsibilities of the guerrilla army's staff. It was safe to say that no one in the guerrilla army headquarters was busier than Deputy Commander Zhou Hu!