Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 466: The Pearl Harbor incident broke out and the Japanese army swept across Southeast Asia; the Supreme Command: No need to wait for the British!

Zhao Pengcheng was filled with emotion: "This is a main force regiment. Commander Yu said it would be transferred to another regiment?"

At this time, he had just sent away Tang Ji, the chief of staff of the Yu Division.

Chu Yunfei smiled and said, "Since they can be dispersed, there is no need to worry too much. At least they can replenish some of the troops, or even use them as a supplementary regiment. They will not be affected in any way. Huang Baitao is taking advantage."

The two were chatting.

Stilwell arrived soon. He looked very excited and opened his arms to give Chu Yunfei a big hug: "Long time no see, my old friend."

Chu Yunfei laughed and stepped forward to greet him.

The two hugged each other symbolically, and Stilwell sat aside at Chu Yunfei's suggestion.

"I was very worried when I heard that you were assassinated in my country. Chu, I am really glad to hear that you are okay."

"Thank you Mr. Stilwell for your concern. I am now well again."

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries.

So we went straight to the point and talked about the key points.

"The damn Japanese do not hide their ambition to dominate Asia"

"The Ministry of National Defense has made some predictions about Japan's invasion plan. They are likely to attack the Philippines and occupy British Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and other countries, and on this basis, they are trying to sign a ceasefire agreement with us.

"We" judge that the Japanese attack will focus on seizing islands at sea and even landing operations, but many people in China still believe that the Japanese army cannot threaten our homeland, so they are unwilling to intervene in the war. "

Americans also need an excuse for war, and the lame president also needs to give an explanation to the people.

The outbreak of the Pearl Harbor incident was the key to the Americans' reasonable intervention in the war and the American people's common hatred of the enemy.

Stilwell then added: "Although the army reorganization plan we agreed on earlier could not be implemented smoothly, after our efforts, the number of equipment of the original thirty US-equipped infantry divisions was reduced to six US-equipped infantry divisions. As the war progresses, we will further promote the relevant plans."

The decrease in quantity is expected, after all, it is free.

Even if the gift was just a thousand rifles, Chu Yunfei would be happy to accept it.

If he doesn't give it to him, Chu Yunfei can't say anything.

There is indeed something to this story in the United States.

There are some people who don't feel pain unless they are hit with a stick.

There is nothing much to say about Shancheng. If we can fight for it, we will fight for it. If we can't, there is nothing we can do.

Song Ziwen and the United States have already held several rounds of negotiations.

Knowing that the Japanese army was about to attack Southeast Asia, the Americans only provided 30 million US dollars in supplies.

Stilwell did not wait for Chu Yunfei to ask, and immediately continued to explain: "The design and development of the 75mm mountain gun you mentioned earlier was completed last year, and it has been mass-produced.

We named it the M1A3-75mm howitzer. We made corresponding improvements to the M1A1 howitzer, not only using high-strength alloys to reduce the overall weight, but also extending the service life of the barrel.

It can be transported by draft horses or jeeps.

The combat weight of the M1A3-75mm mountain and field gun is kilograms.

If it is broken down for transportation, an artillery combat team of twelve people and two pack horses are sufficient to maneuver, which is very convenient.

The maximum range of this M1A3-75mm howitzer will also reach meters, and the rate of fire can reach a maximum rate of fire of five rounds per minute. "

"So what about the military trade price?" Chu Yunfei asked the most critical question.

The biggest improvement of the M1A3 is its weight reduction, which reduces the burden on artillery crews.

Then the cost will naturally increase.

Chu Yunfei knew exactly how much money Shancheng had now, or even whether it had any money at all.

Stilwell seemed to have anticipated that Chu Yunfei would be concerned about such a question. He laughed and said, "For the sake of our common friendship, we will provide 72 mountain guns, tractors, and rounds of artillery shells free of charge to support this expedition."

The two were talking.

The confidential clerk brought a telegram and handed it to Zhao Pengcheng.

Chu Yunfei glanced at them and said jokingly, "The war is imminent, old commander, are you asking me to appoint some generals?"

It’s no problem for Wu Ziqiang to come. Chu Yunfei immediately put a √ on his name.

Qian Bojun? No, he should stay in the Second War Zone honestly, and the Sixth Army will definitely be handed over to him.

Zhang Fugui, Pang Junming, Wu Sizhong and Chen Zejun all refused.

After arriving, there was not even a suitable command position.

"Alright, thirty battalion and company-level officers will be enough. Any more will affect the operations in the Second War Zone."

Zhao Pengcheng took the telegram and glanced at it: "Gao Zhiqian, Ping Zhiheng, Kang Huojian"
-

On December 1941, 12, the Japanese army attacked Pearl Harbor.

On the night of December 12, Japan declared war on Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and other countries.

Before this incident broke out, the Japanese army launched a war operation to land in Malaysia.

And launched surprise attacks on US military airports and naval bases in the Philippines.

Just one wave of attacks destroyed the US heavy bombers and more than one-third of the fighter jets parked at the airport.

December 10th.

The Japanese army bombed the British task force in the waters near Guam.

The battle lasted for about several hours.

The British task force's cruisers HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk.

While the Japanese were frantically humiliating Britain and the United States during the war, their war allies were already struggling in the cold winter in Moscow.

The small border town of Zenda also raised its combat readiness level again because of the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia.

Large amounts of war supplies were piled up at the border.

Many combat troops are gearing up for battle.

In the soldiers' view, since Britain and the United States have declared war on Japan.

They should be able to cross the Huitong Bridge into Myanmar, defend the Yunnan-Burma Road, and fight the Japanese to the death.

But the reality is not what they thought.

The training and reorganization work continues, and the training of new recruits and rehabilitation of veterans are also in progress.

Outside Zenda, there is a comprehensive training ground.

Li Ula had already changed into the grass-green second lieutenant uniform of the Central Army.

After two months of tactical training and assessment, he successfully became a platoon leader.

Compared to the previous sad look.

Today, his eyes are bright and full of longing to fight in Burma.

"Li Wula, what the hell did the higher-ups say? When are we going to go south to fight the Japanese?"

Li Wula turned his head to glance at Mi Long and said, "We haven't reached an agreement yet. Britain won't let us in yet."

"What the hell? Haven't the Japs already started attacking? Why haven't we reached an agreement yet? Can they defeat the Japanese?" Zhang Milong scratched his head, finding it a little unbelievable.

"I heard from my superior that it's probably because those damn British guys are worried that we won't leave Burma."

"What's so good about that place?" Zhang Milong scratched his head.

"The crops there can be harvested three times a year!" Snake Butt smiled and said, "You can harvest three times a year in the Northeast?"

"We have black soil, which has a high yield. You Guangdong people know nothing!"

Zhang Milong was unwilling to admit that his hometown was inferior to others. He emphasized: "You know what black soil is? That place is extremely rich. One acre of land can feed you idiots."

The defeated soldiers were discussing with each other.

At the same time, many officers who had just arrived in Yunnan were also getting familiar with the officers and soldiers under their command.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

Zenda Command Center.

"The Sixth Army and the 93rd Division are heading towards Cheli, and a reinforced regiment of the 49th Division is heading towards Wanding. The Fifth and Sixth Armies have received telegrams and are mobilizing their troops to prepare for combat in Burma."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly, and then asked: "When will the new eleventh set off, and where will it go?"

"We haven't received any orders yet. I heard that the negotiations are still going on. The British have not yet reached a consensus with the headquarters on entering Burma."

"The Japanese intention is very clear, which is to destroy the bases of Britain, the United States, the Netherlands and other countries in Southeast Asia, and use this as a springboard to attack Burma and Yunnan and defeat us in one fell swoop."

"At the same time, it can also prompt Yindu to break away from Britain, which is of great strategic significance. At this time, perhaps we should not care about the feelings of the British and take the lead in entering Burma to repair the fortifications."

Huang Baitao sighed helplessly: "The Shancheng side is currently carrying out the so-called 'Allied East Asian Counterattack Plan'. This matter has been handed over to the Military Command. It is still unknown what they can plan."

"The Japanese army has a total of fifty divisions, most of which are still deeply involved in the domestic battlefield. The number of troops that can be mobilized will never exceed fifteen divisions."

Chu Yunfei was quite confident: "We have every chance to seize the initiative and lead our troops south to defend the Yangon line. Once the Japanese army makes progress in Singapore and other places, they will certainly choose to attack Burma with all their strength. If we wait until the Japanese army officially launches an attack and then choose to go south, then from a time point of view, it will definitely be too late."

Three days later.

Chu Yunfei once again informed the officers who came to Zenda of the above views.

Including Lin Wei, Du Yuming and others all agreed with Chu Yunfei's point of view.

But at the same time, they also brought some bad news.

One was that the Japanese army launched the third Battle of Changsha.

Wang Yaowu's 74th Army, which was originally scheduled to be transferred to Yunnan for an expedition, was removed from the established expeditionary force combat sequence.

At the same time, there is also bad news. The information they had received before was true.

Today, the Thais have become true allies of the Japanese.

Even if the alliance between the two sides was forced by the Japanese with bayonets!

The Japanese 1941th Army (formally established on December 12, 8, the day the Pearl Harbor incident broke out), its main force, the th Division, is currently gathering on the Tak-Mae Sot line.

In other words, the Japanese combat force deployed on the Thai-Myanmar border was actually only one 55th Division, and that was all!

There is actually only one road available between Myanmar and Thailand.

Just to the north, there is a road called Chiang Mai-Shan State, which points to the direction of Mandalay.

Lin Wei put down the teacup in his hand and spoke slowly: "According to our investigation results, the troops deployed by the British in Myanmar are few in number and of poor quality. Many of them are locals and have no so-called fighting spirit at all."

Hou Teng (member of the inspection team) "Yes, we are worried that once they are at a disadvantage, they will most likely choose to surrender."

While talking.

A telegram was sent again from Shancheng.

Sun Ming looked embarrassed and handed the telegram in his hand to Chu Yunfei: "The situation has changed."

Chu Yunfei just glanced at them, and said, suppressing his anger: "I just received an order from the headquarters to suspend mobilization. The specific content of the Yunnan-Burma Road Defense Agreement is still under discussion."

"We are totally unprepared for transportation and communications in Myanmar. If we leave it all to the unreliable British, I think this will be a real hidden danger."

"Based on the current performance, they are not worthy of our trust at all."

Lin Wei nodded and clearly supported Chu Yunfei's idea: "Yes, once Yangon falls, we will have to conduct offensive operations to retake it from the Japanese garrison, which is not our advantage."

Shang Zhen, the leader of the inspection team who had been silent, also spoke up at this time: "Based on the current international situation, whether it is the Philippines, Malaysia, or even Singapore, which is praised by the British as the Crown Pearl of the East, it is unlikely to be able to hold on."

"The British army's combat effectiveness is too poor. Once there is a risk of being surrounded or attacked from the flank, they will retreat or even surrender. This battle may not be so easy to win. Even if we fight in Burma, we must be more careful of the British."

Chu Yunfei nodded slowly.

The biggest opponent of the Expeditionary Force during its first campaign in Burma was not the Japanese army, but the so-called allies.
Before the carefully constructed defense line of the Fifth Army could be put into use, the British troops on both wings had already retreated to the rear.

They didn't even think about the consequences of their retreat. In other words, they didn't care that the expeditionary force would be in danger.

Just as everyone was discussing how to enter Burma to fight.

Higher-ups were also engaging in difficult negotiations on the timing of entering Burma to fight.

Everyone suddenly heard a roar from the sky, followed by an air raid sirens.

"Is it a Japanese fighter plane?"

"Since they occupied Thailand, they have started a large-scale bombing campaign against Rangoon and the Burma Road."

"With Thailand as a forward base, they can bomb our southwestern hinterland at any time, which is not good news for us."

Under the escort of security personnel including Zhao Pengcheng.

A group of officers hid in the underground air-raid shelter and continued to discuss in a low voice the detailed plan for the battle in Burma.

None of the generals showed any panic; bombing and shelling had become commonplace for each of them.

After all, the Japanese bombs did not fall on the small border town of Zenda.

"No bombing, interesting. Could it be that the Japanese army's bombing target was Kunming?"

"Didn't they say that a group of American volunteer air forces to aid China secretly entered the Kunming Airport?"

"Then this time it should be their time to show their power!"

Chu Yunfei smiled and said, "I heard it's called the Flying Tigers, that's interesting."

Shang Zhen smiled and complimented, "Flying Tiger, Feihu, even the Americans just copied others' names."

Over Kunming.

The Volunteer Air Force took off to fight.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire city's citizens, the air battle lasted for more than an hour.

Nine Japanese bomber formations were shot down and damaged, but only one fighter plane of the Flying Tigers was damaged
That night.

Local politicians in Kunming could not wait to organize a celebration banquet. This was the first time since the outbreak of the Pacific War that the Japanese army suffered a setback on the battlefield, even if it was just an air bombing.

This volunteer aviation team named "Flying Tigers" was awarded a big red flower for bravery by representatives of the people.

Time flies.

The Fifth Army and the Sixth Army assembled on the Yunnan-Myanmar border were ultimately unable to enter Burma smoothly.

In the blink of an eye, another month has passed.

Chu Yunfei looked down at the newspaper in his hand.

The title is [Flying Tigers, one battle to fame! ]

Simple and convenient.

Because the calculation of the Flying Tigers' combat achievements was done by these Americans themselves, and there would be a reward of $500 for shooting down a fighter plane.

False reporting of military achievements was quite prevalent when the Japanese first entered China to fight.

During this period at the end of 41, they shot down dozens of Japanese fighter planes in just one month, with only a few sporadic losses themselves.

Even the British Royal Air Force, which was flying outdated fighter planes, suffered a heavy blow.

In the Rangoon air battle, it was claimed that fifty Japanese fighter planes were shot down, but in reality...
Regardless of the authenticity, the Shancheng government is willing to pay for this fake fighter plane, and the people also need such a victory before they can mention it, so Chu Yunfei can't say much.

"Report."

"Come in." Chu Yunfei put down the newspaper in his hand and looked at Sun Ming who was smiling: "Any good news?"

"Yes, the headquarters has just issued a military order to mobilize the expeditionary forces, and the Fifth Army, Sixth Army, and Eleventh Army will enter Burma first in that order."

"Oh? The Englishman agreed?"

"No, it was the headquarters that decided not to wait for the British." Sun Ming smiled and then took the initiative to explain: "Director Lin and others jointly compiled a strategy for the Burma operation, which was approved by the headquarters. The Yunnan military advisory group will also go to Burma with the expeditionary force headquarters to command the operation."

(End of this chapter)