Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 476 Fatty Qiu started to lick, but got a cold shoulder. (Subscribe)
British Prime Minister Churchill sat at the head seat at the long table.

The cigar burned slowly between his fingers, with smoke rising.

It couldn't hide his extremely serious and even gloomy expression at the moment.

He listened in silence as the military intelligence officer finished reading the main points of the war report, the ash from his cigar falling quietly without him noticing.

He raised his bloodshot eyes, his gaze as sharp as a searchlight, shooting straight at John Deere beside him.

His voice was low, with his unique, unquestionable tone: "General, tell me, use your most calm and professional judgment."

"If, I mean if, we mobilize three of our most elite, fully staffed infantry divisions to the Burmese battlefield to fight against the Japanese 55th Division, can we win?"

John Dill, who was named, was obviously prepared for this question. He straightened his back, met the Prime Minister's gaze, and said in a serious and cautious tone: "Mr. Prime Minister, based on the extremely limited intelligence we have sent back from Burma, if the battlefield conditions are relatively fair, our most elite infantry division may still have a certain advantage in heavy firepower configuration, air support coordination, and overall command system."

John Deere was the British chief of staff in those years.

Today, he is the chief British representative to the Anglo-American Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting in Washington.

The reason why I set out to return to London.

It was also to personally convince this stubborn fat old man in front of him.

Although John Deere is not well-known, he made a significant contribution to the British Army during World War II.

Promoted the home defense plan, rebuilt the armored forces, and coordinated the reorganization of the troops after the Dunkirk evacuation.

However, when he went to the United States as a "link" and tried to persuade the U.S. Army Chief of Staff Marshall to implement the "Europe first, Asia later" plan.

I encountered some setbacks that shouldn't have happened.

Under the influence of Stilwell, Marshall was more inclined to end the war in Southeast Asia first, eliminate the relatively weaker Japanese, and then consider other things.

This made John Deere quite dissatisfied.

He was exhausted from mediating and coordinating.

Neither Roosevelt nor Churchill were easy to deal with.

Even though Germany was extremely powerful, they still quarreled over some "trivial" matters.

John Dillard paused and said, "From a purely tactical perspective, our chances of winning may be as high as 60%. But..."

There was a clear reservation in his tone. "If we want to completely surround and annihilate the main force of a Japanese division with good equipment and fighting spirit in such a short time like the Chinese did, Mr. Prime Minister, it would be extremely difficult to do it with our current army's combat effectiveness."

"Based on some of General Wavell's previous reports and the current battle situation, the Chinese army's battlefield resilience, mountain mobility, and determination and efficiency in implementing encirclement and annihilation tactics seem to far exceed our previous assessments."

"A 60% chance of winning, but no complete annihilation." Churchill repeated this sentence slowly, and the cigar in his mouth seemed to have lost its taste.

He pressed the cigar hard into the ashtray, making a dull sound. Finally, a heavy sigh could not be suppressed and escaped from his fat but now particularly tired chest.

He rubbed his temple with his hands, with obvious regret on his face: "We, we really did, completely underestimated our Chinese allies!"

His voice was hoarse and almost self-reproachful: "We are too immersed in the glory of the former empire and underestimate the potential of all non-white armies!
We also completely ignored General Wavell's repeated warnings from the Far East!

China is a fully awakened tiger, its fangs and claws are quite sharp, I even suspect that it can already tear its opponents to pieces!"

He recalled Wavell's telegrams advocating strengthening Burma's defense and seeking closer strategic cooperation with China, but not allowing the expeditionary force to enter.

At the time, these suggestions were not given due attention in London.

Churchill's original intention was to have the Expeditionary Force assist in defense, not to have it lead the war in Southeast Asia.

"It now seems that Archibald's (actually Wavell, as Churchill liked to call him) judgment was completely correct! The facts have proven it."

He looked around at the silent people at the conference table and said in a heavy tone, "This Chinese army is by no means as weak as we imagined!

This country is far greater than we ever imagined.

They already have what it takes to become a significant force on the battlefield in Burma.

It even has the ability to dominate the direction of the battle in some areas!
Gentlemen, we must immediately and comprehensively reassess our strategic deployment in the entire Far East!
Otherwise, we will lose the entire Far East!"
-

Joint Command

Inside the headquarters, the brief bustle following a resounding victory had subsided.

The only sound in the air was the rustling of a pencil on a map and the occasional ticking of a telegraph machine in the distance.

Chu Yunfei was leaning over a large table covered with Myanmar military maps. Under the bright light, he was meticulously drafting a commendation document.

It was obviously a commendation document requesting merit for the newly formed 38th Division and other participating troops.

General Stilwell walked over to him with his hands behind his back and looked at him silently for a while. There was no expression on his slightly thin but powerful face, but there was a hint of subtle complexity in his eyes.

He watched Chu Yunfei skillfully prepare to sign his name on the document sent to Shancheng.

"Chu." Stilwell finally spoke. His Chinese with a heavy accent seemed a little stiff, but his meaning was clear: "This document is to be presented to the "Generalissimo" in Shancheng, right?
Why should it be issued in my name instead of yours or other Chinese generals? Wouldn't it be more reasonable and more weighty for the generals who actually commanded the battle to celebrate the victory and commend the achievements? "

Chu Yunfei stopped writing and looked up.

He gently put down the pen in his hand, spread his hands, and said in a relaxed but pointed tone: "General Stilwell, you probably forgot my current 'prominent' status, the head of the senior military advisory group stationed in Yunnan."

Head of the Advisory Group.

The emphasis on these words makes the irony self-evident.

"In the final analysis, I am just an advisor without military power." He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Nominally, I am the 'chief' advisor, responsible for coordinating the overall situation and making plans, but in reality, I am doing a more difficult job."

Stilwell was silent for a moment.

Of course he understood the subtle dissatisfaction and sarcasm towards the existing command system in Chu Yunfei's words.

Stilwell himself was also a victim of this complex command system.

His situation was even more embarrassing than Chu Yunfei's.

There is nothing that can be done about this, but the situation will soon improve.

He did not argue with Chu Yunfei on this issue, but took out a telegram he had just received from the folder he carried with him.

"Speaking of the question of command." Stilwell placed the telegram in front of Chu Yunfei and said calmly, "A new telegram has just been sent from London."

“The harsh realities of the Burmese battlefield finally forced our British allies to make some adjustments.

They formally proposed that they would like to temporarily transfer the wartime command of the British Burmese Army's 1st Division, the British Indian Army's 17th Division, and the valuable 7th Armored Brigade, which are still fighting in Burma, to our joint command for unified combat dispatch.

"Transfer of command? Are you sure you mean the transfer of command of the Burma theater?"

Chu Yunfei was stunned for a moment. When did this Fatty Qiu change his personality?

His eyes fell on the telegram from London, and he quickly glanced through it, and couldn't help smiling.

"In this way, we will have enough suitable troops to test the Japanese defense line and cross the rainforest that represents death."

"It just so happens that the rainy season has arrived. Their marching speed and combat effectiveness are also good references. We can gain a lot of experience from them."

Chu Yunfei stood up quickly and walked to the huge battle map.

Look east of Yangon and towards the rainforest-covered areas of Thailand.

"We can use these British and Indian troops to repeatedly test the true strength and weak links of the Japanese defense system in all directions."

"See which hilltops they are defending with all their might, and which defense lines are just bluffs that can be easily broken open with a single strike."

He turned around, looked at Stilwell, and continued, his tone as calm as if he was discussing the weather: "We can even order some of them to risk crossing those dangerous and disease-ridden tropical rainforests when the rainy season arrives." "If the number of non-combat casualties is acceptable, we can also directly cross the rainforest and attack the Bangkok area."

Chu Yunfei did not hide his true thoughts and plans on how to use non-expeditionary forces.

Chu Yunfei said firmly: "General Stilwell, you and I both know that our most important strategic goal at present is to hold back the main force of the Japanese army in the Burmese battlefield and pin them down here!"

"We can neither allow them to easily withdraw and transfer to the Pacific, nor can we allow them to mobilize more troops to the domestic battlefield."

"And to achieve this goal, bloodshed and sacrifice are inevitable."

Stilwell nodded slowly: "I understand, this is war, there is nothing we can do about it. I'm glad we can reach a consensus."

These cold yet realistic words, which were almost a showdown, echoed quietly in the headquarters.

Sun Ming and others silently turned their heads to look at this strange yet familiar throne.

Yes, although it is the first time to betray an ally, the people who died are not Chinese.

In addition, this is not the first time that the British have cheated them, so psychologically speaking, they have no burden at all.

"Sun Ming."

"Have!"

"Draw up a border supply plan. The combat force is planned to mobilize three infantry divisions and four engineering battalions to attack Bangkok from the Biaoguan line. Please note that the combat plan must involve an air support plan."

Sun Ming was startled and said suspiciously, "Your Excellency, once the rainy season begins, there will often be heavy fog in this damn place of Myanmar. Even those Americans can't provide much help."

Chu Yunfei smiled and reminded: "Plans are plans, changes are changes, it doesn't matter if you don't use them, but you must have plans, do you understand what I mean?"

Stilwell and Chu Yunfei walked out of the command center and had a preliminary exchange of views on the ownership and use of British military command.

How to use it, how to grasp the scale, and how to ensure success.

The two of them have common topics.

Chu Yunfei didn't kill all the British, but he was definitely seriously injured.

Just got back to headquarters.

Sun Ming walked forward quickly.

Holding a newly translated telegram in his hand, there was an indescribable weirdness in his expression.

"Your Excellency, General," Sun Ming saluted Chu Yunfei and Stilwell respectively, "I have received another telegram from London, which was forwarded via the British Indian Army Headquarters in Calcutta. It is specifically addressed to you two, and the sender is General Wavell."

Chu Yunfei reached out and took the still-warm telegram, and Stilwell moved closer out of curiosity.

In stark contrast to the previous telegram on the transfer of command, which was carefully worded and purely official, this telegram, signed personally by Field Marshal Wavell, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, was filled with an almost exaggerated enthusiasm and was full of extremely gorgeous compliments.

In the telegram, Wavell first expressed his "warmest congratulations" and "highest respects" to the "glorious victory" achieved by the Chinese Expeditionary Force in the Biaoguan area in the most solemn diplomatic language, and praised the Chinese soldiers for their "unparalleled courage and indomitable fighting will in the face of powerful enemies" and their "excellent tactical qualities" displayed on the battlefield.

Then he changed the subject and expressed his "complete trust" in General Stilwell and General Chu Yunfei, and "eagerly expected" that under the leadership of the two "outstanding commanders", the British and British Indian troops would be able to "sweep away the previous haze, fight bravely, and contribute to the final victory of the Allied forces in the Burma battlefield."

What is particularly striking is the amount of ink and paper that went into the telegram.

Chu Yunfei himself was praised tirelessly and even blatantly.

Such as "Plan strategies within the headquarters and win battles thousands of miles away", "See through the fog of battlefield, command with confidence, and use troops like a god".

"He is well versed in the essence of Eastern military tactics and is indeed one of the most outstanding strategic commanders to emerge on the battlefields of the Far East."

All kinds of compliments were given to me one after another, as if they were free of charge.

Is this a word that the proud general could use?

Ha ha!

Chu Yunfei read through it quickly, and a smile appeared on his usually calm face: "Haha, quite interesting."

"It seems that our British Prime Minister who is far away in London seems to have guessed our plan to occupy the port of Yangon and control the war in Burma alone."

"Sir, the British seem to mean that they already know that you were the one behind the scenes planning and even directly involved in the command of this Biaoguan siege campaign?"

"But at our headquarters, your specific movements, command level, and degree of involvement have always been treated as top-level confidential information. Logically, there is no way that any information could have leaked out! How could they..."

"Keep it a secret?" Chu Yunfei smiled and waved his hand, interrupting Sun Ming's question full of technical confusion: "Sun Ming, don't underestimate our teammates, and don't underestimate our allies."

"We completely wiped out the main force of a complete Japanese division! With such a great result and such a big commotion, do you think we can still keep it secret from all parties?"

He paused and patiently explained, "My command style, the tactics I am used to using, and when and where I like to set traps for the enemy."

"These things may not be obvious once or twice, but after many battles, especially such distinctive victories, the Japanese suffered such a huge loss, lost many soldiers and even the division commander died at Biaoguan. How could they not rack their brains to figure out who had caused them such a huge setback?"

"Since they guessed that I might be behind this, they would use all their intelligence resources to investigate and verify it."

"The Japanese offensive has slowed down in the past two days, and their intention to retreat may be based on this."

"And if they make a move, will the British intelligence system be a mere decoration?"

"Whether it was through intercepting Japanese communications, their own latent intelligence network, or even the Allied internal intelligence sharing mechanism, it was normal for them to receive relevant information or to come to similar conclusions through independent analysis."

Chu Yunfei smiled, and said as if it was a matter of course, "So, London has now sent such an 'enthusiastic' telegram praising me to the skies.

On the surface, it is to congratulate the victory and express respect.

I'm afraid the deeper purpose is not only a test after confirming my ability, but also a preemptive show of goodwill."

"After all, they just 'entrusted' us with the command of tens of thousands of British and Indian troops. There's nothing strange about it. It's just routine operations in politics and war."

After listening to Chu Yunfei's analysis, Sun Ming suddenly realized.

He secretly sighed that he had only considered simple military confidentiality, but ignored the intricate intelligence game and political considerations among the various forces in such a war.

Thinking of this, Sun Ming couldn't help but curse.

Damn, after fighting abroad, the internal struggle is more intense than before.

And the level of opponents is also rising sharply.

Whether it was the British, the Americans, even Prime Minister Churchill, Wavell, the British Indian Commander-in-Chief, or even Stilwell, each had their own demands.

For Chu Yunfei, who is caught in the middle, how to balance the interests involved is also a big art.

Sun Ming learned from Chu Yunfei how to train and lead troops as well as command combat at the regiment, battalion, and company levels.

Later, after being transferred to the staff position, he learned how to formulate combat plans at the army and division levels. After further studies at the Army University, he basically acquired a certain degree of strategic thinking.

But on a battlefield like Myanmar, it is still not enough.

Otherwise, why did the expeditionary force suffer such a terrible defeat in the first expedition?
Just by showing off its strength, the expeditionary force would be invincible even without supplies from Britain, the United States and other countries.

However, in many cases, we cannot just consider the combat effectiveness of the troops when fighting a war. In many cases, there are more considerations.
These are what Chu Yunfei wanted to give to Sun Ming, and also the reason why he sent Zhao Pengcheng to supervise the battle at Biaoguan instead of letting Sun Ming do so.

Zhao Pengcheng's ability and position are not enough to touch such deep things, but Sun Ming is just right.
"Then, Your Excellency, how should we respond to the British's overtures?"

Chu Yunfei smiled slightly and emphasized: "We are not British. Churchill's praise does not have much practical meaning to me. Shancheng will not remove my position as the head of the advisory group just because of Downing Street's opposition."

"We should fight however we should fight."

(End of this chapter)