Chapter 228: Savage Mountain

Du Luming was not worried about Luo Zhuoying, and at the same time called Chongqing, really asked Chiang Kai-shek for instructions.

On May 7, Luo Zhuoying replied: "I learned at 9 o'clock on the 6th, what I saw was very appropriate, and I was particularly brave and admirable. Judging that the enemy first occupied Ba Mo or Myitkyina, and there were few, as long as the people's hearts were firm, the troops were gathered, and the people acted quickly, they would be able to break through the dangers and difficulties, and open up the back road, which could solve the danger of Longling and Baoshan, and Commander Shu would have to worry about both.

The main force should be quickly assembled along the railway to Nam Pa and Woo To, and should first send strong troops to occupy Jesha and Nam Pakistan and send cadres to continuously search for the situation in Ba Mo and Myitkyina. ”

On the same day, Chongqing sent a telegram from Chiang Kai-shek: "Commander Du and Commander Luo, our army should immediately move to Myitkyina and Pianma, and do not hesitate to stop."

Chiang Kai-shek's warrant was also issued to the General Staff Group to transfer Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying, and after Du Yuming convened the division commanders and the chief of staff to discuss, he decided to retreat to the border in accordance with Chiang Kai-shek's order.

The Japanese army occupied Myitkyina, an important town in northern Burma, on 8 May, and Du Yuming continued his northward advance from Winto to the set goal of leading his troops back to China.

The Japanese 55th Division divided its forces into pursuit, and sent planes to bomb along the way to prevent the 5th Army from retreating.

The units of the 5th Army marched with difficulty in the encirclement and interception of the enemy. After the cadres of the 96th Division arrived at Yindao on the same day, they were transported by car to Mon Gong, west of Myitkyina, to prepare to cover the assembly of the main force of the army.

The new 22nd Division has also reached Denwinto. Stilwell and Lo Cheuk-ying have been getting farther and farther away from the troops since they left Mansi on 5 May. On 8 May, Du Yuming sent Chief of Staff Luo Youlun to chase after him for 60 miles (nearly 100 kilometers) and sent men to continue the pursuit, but he never found it. Du Yuming then led his troops to continue northward.

On May 10, the headquarters of the 5th Army arrived at Yindao, and the 96th Division was expected to reach Menggong on the same day, and the main forces of the new 22nd Division and the new 38th Division were advancing rapidly towards Yindao. The 56th Division of the Eight Mohamo Enemy had entered Jessa and forced its way across the Irrawaddy River, where it had an encounter with the 113th Regiment of the New 38th Division, which was serving as the flank cover of the 1st Army.

Due to the continuous increase of enemy troops, the 113th Regiment was unable to prevent the enemy from crossing the river on a wide front and cutting off railway and road communications.

In view of the urgency of the situation, Du Yuming ordered: "With the aim of quickly breaking away from the enemy, the army will change to the area west of the Manmi Railway and move towards the line of Mengguan and Daluo."

At this point, the Chinese expeditionary force in the middle of the Burma battlefield was divided into three parts, avoiding the railway, and retreating north through the Savage Mountains to Myitkyina and Pianma.

Du Yuming led the first unit directly under the army, the new 22nd Division, and all units under the headquarters of the commander of the expeditionary force to transfer from Mansi to Daluo to Xinpingyang.

After leaving Mansi on the 13th, he broke off the road and trekked through the primeval forest. At this time, the rainy season had come, and everywhere the troops passed through were lofty mountains and mountains, and the dense forests were empty. The mud is slippery and difficult to walk, and it is all guided by the compass, and the sappers open the way forward.

Troops are slow. It is especially difficult for vehicles and horses to pass. The troops had to destroy and discard the general bulky equipment first, but the artillery, vehicles and portable application equipment were still willing to be bulky. arrive

On the 14th, the vehicle and artillery were burned. Carry important parts and communication equipment to continue north. Due to the deserted people on the march, the difficulty of provisions, coupled with mosquito bites and insect bites, poisonous snakes and beasts are rampant; The streams were full of rocks, the officers and men were hungry and tired, the epidemic was epidemic, and many men, mules and horses died.

It was expected to reach the vicinity of Katama before the heavy rainy season. However, most of the feasible roads along the way were blocked by the enemy, and they had to use small forces to contain the enemy to cover the transfer of the main force, so it was tortuous and time-consuming.

The guerrilla detachment, which was the rear of the army, also received a telegram from Dai Anlan at this time: "Brother Ziwen, I have now decided to break through to the north, there are many difficulties in the north, please follow the military seat and withdraw to the Indian side, be sure to take care of yourself, the children of Guizhou have experience in crossing the mountains, and your teaching team has opened my eyes, so please help take care of my Fifth Army Robe Ze when you protect yourself, and the seagulls are respectful."

The first part of the teaching team was led by Zhang Zhang to go to Tangji to support Dai Anlan, but due to the urgency of the war, he did not return to the team.

After listening to the telegram in the heavy rain, Zhang Ziwen immediately ordered a call back: "Our department can still protect itself, Commander Du is my commander, and the Fifth Army will fight with us, and we will definitely assist each other when we have spare strength." Please treat Brother Dai well to my teaching team, and my little brother will be grateful. ”

After saying that, Zhang Ziwen continued to advance towards the northwest mountains, although the blockade of the Japanese army was not strong, but a large force behind it immediately caught up, wanting to bite tightly, so he could only avoid the Japanese troops.

Since entering Burma, because of the hot weather, most of the guerrilla detachments are single-clothed, and after the heavy rain begins, the children of Guizhou immediately build straw shoes on the spot, not only not afraid of being blistered, but also able to move forward quickly in the rain, the only thing that is silent is that there are too many mosquitoes in the forest, and the straw sandals will be bitten by mosquitoes in the south of the barefoot, and there are many Burmese snakes, so many brothers have been bitten in the past few days.

In addition, the herbs are different, the western medicine is myrrh, Mr. Long has no choice, and Tang Song is helpless, and finally these brothers can only amputate their limbs, but in the heavy rain, after the amputation, these brothers are infected and die.

As a last resort, the partisan detachment had to wear socks and straw sandals, so the situation was much better.

As soon as the heavy rain stopped a little at noon, Wang Yi in front of him ran straight back.

"Brother Wen, the flash flood broke out in front, the first battalion has retreated, and is trying to find a way to bypass the river, and the front is also in contact with the new 22nd Division, they are sixty miles ahead of us, they are also blocked by the flash flood, and the military headquarters of the Fifth Army is in front of them, and now they have lost contact."

Zhang Ziwen didn't pull out the map either, because the maps of the same ancient times were not accurate, let alone in this savage mountain.

"You and Tang Song each sent people to scatter to find a place to cross the river, and the various departments rested on the spot, cut down trees, and equipped to build a pontoon bridge. The fourth battalion was tasked with vigilance. Lu Wenqing, you send someone to find Sun Liang for me. ”

Wang Yi braved the heavy rain to run north, and Lu Wenqing sent people to the rear of the team to contact the artillery battalion, because the artillery was too heavy, and it was very difficult for the artillery battalion to march with the help of the fourth battalion with the help of mules and horses.

Zhang Ziwen entered the temporary command post set up by the guards, took out the extremely inaccurate map, marked a drink in the blank space, and put another map with a very different difference to wait for an accurate reply.

Xiao Luo saw Zhang Ziwen playing with his paintings, put the map into the tube, and said to Zhang Ziwen with a smile: "Commander, you are Zhuge Liang, the saved British canned food is enough for us to get out of this forest."

Zhang Ziwen shook his head, according to Du Luming's calculations, he could walk through this rainforest, but he calculated it on a map that had no credibility, and it was difficult for flash floods to break out in the rainy season.

Now it is not a wise choice to break through to the north or to fight the Japanese guerrillas in the back, but it is wise to go west?