Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 491 There is another good news (please subscribe)

Northern Myanmar, temporary headquarters of the newly formed 12th Army.

The air is humid.

Army commander Wu Ziqiang stood in front of the map, brows furrowed, examining the land that was about to become a battlefield.

He had just finished inspecting the basic training subjects for the first batch of recruits. He had both expectations and a heavy pressure on this hastily formed new army.

Chu Yunfei specifically went to the headquarters to ask for the command authority.

Hand this force over to him, Wu Ziqiang.

Obviously, high hopes were placed on him.

He must not let down your trust.

Acting Chief of Staff Sun Ming held a stack of documents in his hand, and his expression was equally solemn. He said, "Regarding the Burmese Independence Army that infiltrated our rear, the relevant intelligence has been basically collected."

Wu Ziqiang turned around and walked to the marching stool opposite Sun Ming and sat down. He took the document handed over by Sun Ming and asked, "What's the situation?"

"How much have these Burmese people accomplished with the support of the Japanese?"

"How big of a threat will it pose to us in establishing a base in northern Myanmar and ensuring the safety of the Burma Road?"

"The chief's name is Ba Mo. He studied in the UK in his early years. He is a typical politician and has a certain political reputation in Myanmar."

"The Japanese saw this in him and made him the head of Burma's 'interim government'.

This man was ambitious and strongly advocated the so-called "Greater Burmaism", trying to use the power of the Japanese to get rid of British colonial rule and establish an independent Burmese country.

He is very good at persuading people and has considerable appeal in some parts of Myanmar, especially among those groups dissatisfied with British colonial rule.

Wu Ziqiang snorted coldly: "Another Wang Zhaoming-style character who recognizes the enemy as his father! How much can this pseudo-regime, which is supported by the bayonets of the invaders, do?"

Ba Maw is more like a political symbol. What we should be wary of is the pseudo-Myanmar Defense Minister called Aung San. According to the intelligence we have collected so far,

Sun Ming's tone became serious: "This Aung San, formerly known as Aung San, was a student leader of Yangon University in his early years. He later went into exile in Japan, received strict military training, and participated in the establishment of the so-called 'Burma Independence Volunteer Army', which is the predecessor of the current Burma Independence Army.

This man is young, has military talent, and is highly regarded by the Japanese Southern Army.

Although the "Burma Independence Army" under his command was far inferior to the regular Japanese troops in terms of equipment and training, and even inferior to our ragtag troops, they were familiar with the terrain of Burma.

He is good at jungle guerrilla warfare and is regarded as a 'hero of national liberation' by some Burmese people. Such an opponent is actually very difficult to deal with."

While listening, Wu Ziqiang carefully flipped through the documents in his hands, which recorded the approximate strength of the Burmese Independence Army, its areas of activity, its main leaders, and their coordination with the Japanese army.

“Is it any wonder that they were able to take advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, infiltrate our rear, harass our supply lines, incite the local population against us, and act as spies and guides for the Japanese?”

Wu Ziqiang pondered for a moment, and then slowly added, "In other words, this so-called 'Burma Independence Army', although called 'independence', is actually a running dog force similar to the puppet army."

"That's right." Sun Ming confirmed, "They are the ones who have been active in northern Myanmar these days.

Our intelligence shows that the Japanese army has officially incorporated it into the combat sequence some time ago. In addition to cooperating with the front line, its main task is to eliminate the resistance forces in the occupied areas and infiltrate, sabotage and collect intelligence in the rear of northern Myanmar. "

"It is particularly noteworthy," Sun Ming pointed to several red areas on the map, "These areas are where the Burmese Independence Army is most active, and they are also the core areas where we plan to establish logistics bases and settlements in the future.

They have a certain mass base here and have even established some secret contact points and strongholds.

These Burmese independence troops lurking in the rear are likely to be like venomous snakes, giving us a fatal blow at a critical moment. "

After hearing this, Wu Ziqiang's expression became even more serious.

He naturally knew why Chu Yunfei asked him to form the new 12th Army and station it in northern Myanmar.

In addition to serving as the strategic reserve of the expeditionary force.

Another important task of his was to clear the rear, ensure the absolute safety of the lifeline of the Burma Road, and establish a solid rear base for the expeditionary force.

And this Burmese Independence Army will undoubtedly be one of the biggest obstacles for them to achieve this strategic goal.”

"Bamo Aung San" Wu Ziqiang silently recited these two names, with a cold light in his eyes: "Although it is just a training exercise, and the opponents are also weaker, but isn't this a real anti-guerrilla combat training? Commander Chu is far-sighted, and I'm afraid there are other deep intentions."

Sun Ming was silent for a moment, and did not dare to speculate: "Chief Chu also mentioned that although Aung San is currently a pawn of the Japanese, he is also a nationalist at heart.

His cooperation with the Japanese was more of a mutual benefit.

In the future, as the war situation changes, we can take advantage of the contradictions between them and do something with them.”

"The Japanese can promise to let them be independent, and we can also promise to let the Burmese be independent"

"In addition," Sun Ming added, "Commander Chu also mentioned that Aung San Suu Kyi is also a nationalist, and cooperation with Japan is a mutual benefit. In the future, we may be able to take advantage of the conflict between him and the Japanese army." These words vaguely revealed Chu Yunfei's usual far-reaching layout.

Wu Ziqiang pondered for a moment and said, "I understand."

"You must immediately organize the General Staff Office and formulate a detailed plan for clearing out and counter-infiltration operations against the Burmese Independence Army based on the existing intelligence."

“We need to understand their troop deployment, activity patterns, command system, and how they connect with the local population.”

"At the same time, we must strengthen confidentiality education and ideological screening within our newly formed 12th Army to prevent the infiltration of the Burmese Independence Army. There are many border residents among our new recruits."

"Yes! Commander!"
-
After the general offensive
The war situation was not as optimistic as both sides had expected.

Both the expeditionary force and the Japanese army felt the other side's desire to win.

They spared no effort and seized every opportunity for offensive and defensive transitions.

The battle situation was extremely tense. Chu Yunfei, who habitually wanted to control everything, controlled the entire battlefield.

He had exhausted his physical strength and energy to the extreme.

The offensive of Sun Liren's newly formed 38th Division did not go smoothly.

The sudden heavy rain slowed down their recommendation.

As a last resort, Sun Liren could only leave behind most of the combat troops to maintain the fragile supply line.

Luck sometimes favors our daily lives.

What's more, this is Myanmar, a place with unpredictable weather and quite disgusting terrain.

Under such circumstances, it was more of a battle than a decisive battle.

It is better to say that it is a fight to the death, a fight to the death about the future of both countries.

Within the joint command headquarters.

In the spacious operations room, a huge combat map of the entire Myanmar occupied the entire wall.

The map was densely marked with the latest enemy and friendly situations. The blue arrow representing the Chinese Expeditionary Force had achieved a brilliant partial victory in the direction of Mindang.

But on the entire front line, the red arrows of the Japanese army were still intertwined, forming a dangerous balance.

Stilwell was pacing in front of the map with his hands behind his back and a frown on his face.

His blue eyes were filled with deep worry about the current war situation.

The continuous rain made his mood as damp as the weather.

It also caused the offensive on the entire battlefield to fall into a state of stagnation.

Although the Japanese tanks and armored vehicles were unable to advance further, they served as fixed artillery positions.

This caused a lot of trouble to the attacking troops. Chu Yunfei was sitting next to the sand table at this moment, holding a copy of the latest weather report and logistics supply statistics in his hand.

Although his expression was calm, there was a gleam of worry in the depths of his eyes.

It's different from fighting in North China.

Myanmar's unique tropical rainforest climate and long rainy season have brought many unexpected difficulties to command operations.

Even he could only prescribe the right medicine for the disease. Although his reaction speed was faster than that of the Japanese army, the impact on the war situation at that time could be said to be negligible.

Zhao Pengcheng held the telegram in his hand and walked quickly towards Chu Yunfei: "Fifth Army Battle Report..."

Stilwell stepped out and snatched the message from Zhao Pengcheng. After reading it carefully, his tone was full of anxiety and helplessness: "Chu, this damn weather!

It has been raining for almost four days in a row!

The roads were as muddy as swamps, our trucks could hardly move, the efficiency of material transportation was pitifully low, and even the Fifth Army was running out of ammunition! "

The Fifth Army is the first-order supply force in the expeditionary force's combat sequence.

They all ran out of ammunition, not to mention the other troops.

"Because of the rainy season in Myanmar, the take-off frequency of the Japanese aircraft has indeed been greatly reduced, which has alleviated the air pressure on our ground forces to a certain extent.

This is the only good news. But we can't make full use of our artillery advantage! You know, our 105mm howitzers and those 75mm mountain guns are powerful weapons to suppress the Japanese firepower in clear and dry weather.

But now?

The shells could not be transported up, the observation conditions were extremely poor, and the artillery positions were muddy.

Even transfer and concealment became a big problem. In order to forcibly support the front line, there were even several explosions, resulting in heavy casualties! "

Stilwell scratched his messy blond hair in annoyance: "We have the advantage of artillery fire, but we can't fight. This battle is so frustrating!

The Japanese army was also affected by the rainy season.

But they seem to be better at small-scale infiltration and harassment in this environment.

Our defense is stretched too thin.

The Japanese army was weak in many areas and was obviously planning to launch a counterattack against us.

If we continue to fight like this, the situation will be disadvantageous to us!"

Chu Yunfei waved his hand and continued, "I just received the guidance on the next phase of operations from the headquarters."

Stilwell perked up and asked hastily, "Oh? Are there any new instructions from the Chairman?"

"Would they agree that we could take advantage of the lull in the rainy season to launch a limited, general offensive to improve the current stalemate?"

Chu Yunfei shook his head slightly, his expression showing no signs of emotion: "The headquarters' opinion is to maintain the battle line, repair the Yangon Port, and wait for follow-up assistance to arrive."

"Maintain the front? Wait for assistance?" Stilwell frowned even more tightly, with obvious dissatisfaction in his tone: "Chu, with all due respect, this is too conservative! We just won a great victory in Mindang, and our morale is high!

Although the rainy season restricted our movements, it also restricted the Japanese!
Why can't we seize this opportunity, continue to take the initiative, seize some key strategic points, further reduce the Japanese army's space for activities, and create more favorable conditions for subsequent larger-scale counterattacks? "

He pointed to several locations on the map: "For example, here, here, and here! These are the weak links in the Japanese defense line. If we can concentrate our superior forces and launch a few quick assaults during the lull in the rain, it is entirely possible to achieve unexpected results!"

Chu Yunfei listened patiently to Stilwell's analysis and slowly said, "The headquarters' considerations also make sense."

He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the location of Yangon Port: "Although Yangon Port is in our hands, the destruction caused by the Japanese army before its withdrawal was extremely thorough, and the port facilities were severely damaged.

The High Command believes.

The current priority is to concentrate all possible engineering efforts and resources to repair the Yangon Port.

Only by restoring the handling capacity of Yangon Port as soon as possible can we ensure that the large-scale aid materials promised by your country, especially those heavy equipment and urgently needed industrial equipment, can be successfully landed and transported to the front and rear. "

"As for 'maintaining the front line'." Chu Yunfei turned his gaze to the interlaced defense lines of both sides: "The headquarters means that for most of the rainy season, we should focus on consolidating the existing positions and consuming the Japanese army's manpower.

Avoid launching large-scale offensive operations without absolute certainty, so as to avoid unnecessary losses under harsh natural conditions.

After all, our troop replenishment and logistics pressures are equally huge."

"And 'waiting for the arrival of follow-up assistance'." Chu Yunfei's tone carried a subtle hint of meaning: "It does not only refer to weapons, equipment and supplies."

"More importantly, the follow-up combat troops in the country are being intensively trained and mobilized.

As well as the larger military advisory group and technical support team promised by the United States.

Only when our overall strength, especially our technical arms and logistical support capabilities, have been fundamentally improved.

Only then can we launch a real strategic counterattack and completely defeat or even annihilate the Japanese Southern Army."

"Mr. Stilwell, you know in your heart that it's not that we are unwilling to take the initiative to attack, but that we can't destroy them in one fell swoop. Such a tug-of-war will only waste our elite soldiers meaninglessly."

As Stilwell listened to Chu Yunfei's explanation, the anxiety on his face did not completely subside, but there was a hint of understanding in his eyes.

In fact, he already understood the specific meaning of what Chu Yunfei had relayed.

It is likely that it was not just an order from the High Command.

This approach of "saying one thing" (conveying the command of the headquarters) and "doing another" (actually it is also one's own strategic considerations).

Stilwell has gained some experience from his cooperation with Chu Yunfei.

After all, once Chu Yunfei finds out that the headquarters’ ideas are not in line with his wishes, he will definitely not obey orders.

If you think about it from this perspective.

It is obvious that their "allies" have been competing for aid supplies from the very beginning.

Now they want to defeat the main force of the Japanese Southern Army in one battle.

His appetite grew bigger and bigger, and Chu Yunfei was no longer satisfied with the sporadic aid arriving in Yangon.

Instead, they are urgently seeking massive aid to support a large-scale, sustained offensive.

And these things are indeed on the way.

"Okay, Chu." Stilwell sighed, his tone somewhat helpless: "I understand the caution of the headquarters.

Repairing the Port of Yangon is indeed an urgent task.

However, we cannot completely give up the initiative.

I suggest that this be done while maintaining overall front stability.

We should encourage all units, especially those with strong combat effectiveness such as the 200th Division, the newly formed 38th Division under Sun Liren, and the newly formed 22nd Division under Qiu Qingquan.

Taking advantage of the rainy season, we actively launched small-scale offensive operations for the purpose of harassment and reconnaissance.

It can not only maintain the combat status of the troops, but also constantly create trouble for the Japanese army, not giving them a chance to breathe and adjust calmly. "

"I have ordered the commanders of all armies and divisions to organize small, elite units to harass the Japanese supply lines and outposts, provided that the defense lines are secure.

Although the rainy season restricts the movements of our large forces, it also provides natural cover for the infiltration and guerrilla warfare of small forces.

Also, there is good news.”

(End of this chapter)