Chapter 227: Defeat and retreat

The headquarters of the 5th Army and the main forces of the new 22nd and 96th Divisions moved from Kyaukxi to the vicinity of Mandalay by car and train on the evening of the 26th, and all arrived at 10 o'clock in the evening of the same day.

On the 27th, when Luo Zhuoying gave the order for the Battle of Mandalay, the 1st Division of the New 22nd Division confronted the enemy at Wending (Wensuo), 30 kilometers north of Tayang. At that time, the situation of the war was that most of the British troops on the Western Front had retreated west of the Irrawaddy River under the cover of the new 38th Division, and were continuing to disperse towards India.

The 6th Army on the Eastern Front was retreating east of the Salween River, and the 20th 0th Division was still out of Tangji to pursue the enemy on the Relem side, and the vanguard of the enemy's 56th Division had already reached Xibao.

Lashio was in an emergency, and the main forces of the expeditionary force were scattered, making it difficult to form a decisive battle.

On the 28th, the Japanese 18th and 55th Divisions advanced to Kyaukshi and threatened Mandalay, and the 56th Division also drove to Mandalay by rail after occupying Xibao.

At this time, Luo Zhuoying could no longer care about the "Battle of Mandalay" and issued a combat order at 5 p.m. that day:

"1. The Route Army first used the main force of the 6th Army and the 65th Army and the 200th Division to break through the enemy advancing towards Lashio, and the 5th Army Maoli connected with the British army and delayed the enemy from the front;

2. 5th Army (owes 200th Division. Attached to the new 38th Division) deployed most of the division: The 96th Division crossed the Irrawaddy River to the west, took the train to Myitkyina for training, and was responsible for guarding the area. The new 22nd Division and one regiment of the New 28th Division defended the right bank of the Nizhai River south of the whole country, and after striking at the enemy, they retreated one after another.

The new 22nd Division retreated to Sinka, about 40 miles (about 64 km) north of Mandalay, and then crossed the right (west) bank of the Irrawaddy River, where it was tasked with rejecting the enemy advancing northward. The first regiment of the new 28th Division retreated to the Meimiao side, preparing to return the division's structure and cover the division's flank;

When the new 38th Division divided its regiment along the left (east) bank of the Irrawaddy River and near Mataga north of Mandalay, covering the retreat of the new 22nd Division and crossing the river, the main force of the division was on the right bank of the Irrawaddy River. The British army deployed in the association and delayed the enemy. As a last resort, the Rakji was a regiment along the east bank of the Michiarwady River. After withdrawing the 28th Division on the Nova (China) Wa (Mandalay) route, it crossed the west bank of the Irrawaddy River.

3. The main forces of the 6th Army and the 66th Army (the 38th Division and the 200th Division) were responsible for attacking the enemy who had broken through to Lashio and holding Lashio with one division. The 5th Army was based on Myitkyina, the 66th Army was based on Bamo, and the 6th Army was based on Cheri and Fohai.

After the Japanese army was blocked by our new 22nd Division near Kyaukxi, it concentrated its infantry, artillery, and tank forces and began to storm the position of the new 22nd Division at dawn on the 29th.

The new 22nd Division concentrated its artillery fire and fiercely returned fire, repelling the 2nd Brigade (Star Brigade) of the 112th Infantry Wing of the 55th Infantry Division of the enemy, which had advanced to the front of the position.

The Star Brigade collapsed completely. The avant-garde of the 18th Division also retreated, and there was chaos. At 10 a.m., the 18th Division moved back to attack the flank of the 114th Wing with the 55th Wing, and the 3rd Brigade of the 114th Wing moved back to attack the flank. The 55th Wing advanced to the bridge northwest of Kyaukxi and lost the strength to attack.

The 1st Tank Wing, which had detoured from both sides of Kyauk, also failed to capture the bridge first, and the bridge was blown up by the defenders.

On the 30th, the Japanese concentrated their forces and prepared to cross the river. On the morning of 1 May, the 55th and 114th Wings began to attack across the river and occupied Kyaukxi.

At 5:25 p.m. on the same day, the Japanese army entered the city of Mandalay. The Chinese expeditionary force has already withdrawn from the city. The new 22nd Division was holding back the enemy forces in Kyauk.

On 30 April, Law Cheuk-ying ordered:

"1. Lashio has fallen, and Xibao has not defended. The enemy has the possibility of attacking Zhugu (Mogu) and threatening the left flank of our 5th Army; 2. Troops directly under the 5th Army. Vehicles should be quickly transported to Ruibao (Ripple) and the areas north of it, and armored troops should be dispatched immediately to guard the Meimiao side; The main forces of the new 22nd Division and the new 38th Division should be transferred to the north as soon as possible. ”

On the same day, Chiang Kai-shek sent a telegram to Luo Zhuoying and Du Yuming: "I hope that the vehicles and heavy weapons will be transported directly from Kasa (Jiesha) to Wan Town, and the order must be transferred to the expeditionary force by the most urgent means!" Can you hope for a reply? The wounded soldiers were also repatriated from the road ahead of schedule. ”

Lin Wei immediately transferred to Luo and Du, and Du Yuming's deployment that day was: "Each sent an infantry company, and coordinated with a mechanized artillery company, should immediately gallop to Feitun and Madaya, and strictly guard in the direction of Mogok, and send the 83rd Regiment of the New 28th Division to Mogu to block the enemy."

To cover the safety of the left side of the army, and to cover the retreat of the new 22nd Division with a company of anti-aircraft artillery. The 96th Division first opened Nanba to the west of Jiesha to tidy up. The 200th Division was ordered to assemble near Jessa via northeast of Tangji and northeast of Mandalay. The rest of the troops were on standby. ”

Subsequently, Du Yuming immediately led the troops directly under the army to transfer from Mandalay to Chegang via Ruibao.

On 1 May, all units of the Chinese Expeditionary Force withdrew to the area west and north of the Irrawaddy River.

Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying had led the personnel of the Commander's Headquarters of the Expeditionary Force the day before to transfer from Ruibao to Kamporo (Gambaro), and then to Yindao (Indo), and then through Mansi on foot to the west, completely separated from the 5th and 66th Army.

On May 2, both flanks of the 5th Army were threatened by the enemy advancing north along the Irrawaddy River, and Du Yuming issued a retreat order at the Chegang Army Headquarters: "In order to safely break away from the enemy and prepare for the subsequent battle, our army intends to retreat to the north along the vicinity of the Manmi Railway, and the new 38th Division should immediately begin to move to Ruibao, occupy positions on its east-west line, connect with the British to strangle the enemy, and cover the retreat of the main force of the army, and a battalion on the left (east) bank of the Irrawaddy River should be covered."

After the retreat of the new 22nd Division, it should immediately break away from the enemy in one fell swoop, quickly move to the south of Mandalay, cross the right (north) bank of the tributary of the Irrawaddy River, and move to Ruibao. ”

On 3 May, the rapid troops of the enemy's 56th Division, which was advancing westward from Xibao, fought fiercely with the 1st Division of our new 22nd Division under the cover of tanks, and the 96th Division had already crossed Ruibao and moved to Nanba.

The new 38th Division was also being transported by the Manmi Railway. By 4 May, the main force of the 5th Army had reached Gambaro and Chegang, waiting for the vehicles to be transported north.

On the same day, the enemy's 55th Division was ordered to "attack and destroy the local enemy in the direction of Sagaing, Ripple, and Jinning with its troops"

On the 6th, he received an order that "the 55th Division must continue to carry out the tasks ordered before, and it must also clear the enemy from the Montmiit side and the eight Mo sides along the banks of the Irrawaddy River."

On the way north from Chefeng on the 6th, Du Luming suddenly received an urgent telegram from Luo Zhuoying at 10 o'clock on the same day, saying that the position in the north of Wan Town had been shaken, and the plan of the army (including the new 38th Division) to move to Myitkyina should be changed to Bangping about 100 kilometers southeast of Imfar (Imphal) in eastern -----India via Wentuo (Wenhua) and Indo (Yingduo). He immediately sent his troops to Jesha and Namba to cover the army's movements. ”

Then he received a telegram at 7 o'clock on the same day: "Because the enemy occupies Wancho, there is a possibility that we will occupy Bamo first: because of the collision north of Shengnamba in front of the Manmi Railway, the British railway workers and personnel were ordered to withdraw twice last night, and the transportation was stopped, so our army decided to go west. First assemble near Bang Binh, and then deal with the camera: 3. The army is divided by force, and the troops are facing south on the front of the railway to block the enemy and cover

In addition to protecting the safety of our vehicle troops, another section was used to cover the northeast guard near the Yindao, and the main small was to advance from the Wento shortcut to Bangban. ”

Du Luming connected Luo Zhuoying's second telegram, and while complying with the deployment, he urgently telegraphed Luo Zhuoying;

"The defeat of our army into India will be despised by the Indians, and they will move to Myitkyina and fight to the death with the enemy who has committed the secret at the time of the war. Shengke can save a corner of northern Myanmar. If you lose, you will retreat to Tengyang. When it is not publicized. ”

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