Chapter 220: The Great Victory of Ren'an Qiang

After Sun Liren took office, he also sent political workers to Sixiang to carry out Yichuan and provide relief to refugees. Send troops to sweep the streets. Restore traffic. After a week of hard work, the market gradually recovered and the people's morale began to settle down, making Mandalay a relatively stable place in the chaos of the whole of Myanmar at that time.

The new 38th Division stationed in Mandalay was tasked with responding to the east and west of the front line. April

On the 14th, after receiving an order from the Expeditionary Force Commander's Department, Deputy Division Commander Qi Xueqi immediately led the 113th Regiment to Chokpadang. Due to the problem of soldiers and garrison, the 113th Regiment could only mobilize more than 1,200 troops and went straight to Ren'anqiang.

On the morning of April 15, when Alexander held a routine coordination meeting with Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying in Meimiao, he proposed that the Chinese Expeditionary Force should only reinforce one regiment, and the strength was too thin, and it was difficult to achieve the mission of relieving the siege, and asked for additional troops to be sent to help.

Luo Zhuoying, the defeated general of the Battle of Nanchang, adhered to his usual style, and despite the increasingly urgent situation in Pingmanna, he still ordered the 112th Regiment of the New 38th Division to go to Natmanke, north of Ringanqiang.

The garrison was tasked by Deloitte. Only two battalions of the 114th Regiment were left to serve, and the 1st Battalion of the regiment remained in Lashio to guard the airfield, and on the 17th, the two regiments arrived in the designated area. Prepare to report on the British army on the Western Front and cover the right flank of our 5th Army in the center.

In the early morning of 17 April, the main force of Sakuma's troops had cut off Ringanqiang from the north and south

Highway. A brigade occupying the ferry crossing on the north bank of the Bin River was also repulsed, with more than 10 vehicles there

tanks of more than a thousand British troops. He set up an ambush on the east, north, and south sides of Ringanqiang, and surrounded the Anglo-Burmese 1st Division and the 7th Armored Brigade, which had retreated from Magway one after another.

The British retreat to Anqiang numbered more than 7,000 men and had a large number of tanks, artillery and automobiles, and the enemy was no more than a reinforced wing. There is no difference in strength between the two sides. However, the British army that retreated from the road was frightened, and the Japanese army was in full swing.

After the British army was surrounded, they were even more frightened and frequently cried for help. The enemy's troops took advantage of the undulating terrain of Ringanqiang to set up positions to prevent the British from breaking through.

The commander of the 33rd Division, Sakurai Seizo, learned of the success of the surprise attack of Sakuma's troops, and ordered Araki's troops and Harada's troops to advance at the same time, intending to concentrate all the division's forces and destroy the British troops surrounded in one fell swoop.

At 11 o'clock on the 17th, Lieutenant General Slim, commander of the 1st Anglo-Burmese Army, ordered to arrive at Qiao first

The 113th Regiment of the New 38th Division of Ke Hodang immediately rushed to the aid of the besieged British army in Ringanqiang. Vehicles were sent to transport the regiment north of the Bin River, and then marched south on foot to prepare for the attack overnight. He also sent 12 light chariots and 3 guns of the British army to support the 113th Regiment.

The commander of the alien division, who had rushed to the front from Mandalay, personally led the 113th Regiment to attack. Slim also went with him to coordinate the actions of the Chinese and British troops, and the rescue of the soldiers was like fighting fires.

The 113th Regiment arrived at the north bank of the Bin River on the evening of the 17th, entered the attack position 5 miles (about 8 kilometers) from the river, and launched an attack on the enemy on the north bank of the Bin River at dawn on the 18th.

But it was stopped by the enemy on the south bank. At this time, Slim received a wireless call from Scott, the commander of the besieged Anglo-Burmese 1st Division, asking for help: "The division has been cut off from drinking water and food for two days, and it is extremely difficult, and the soldiers cannot maintain it. It is bound to collapse. ”

Slim urged the 113th Regiment to cross the river and attack immediately. Commander Sun Wenren reconnoitred on the spot. It was found that the south bank of the Bin River was higher than the north bank, and the enemy army was condescending and waiting for work. Our army does not have many troops, and it is on the back attack.

If the hasty advance attack is frustrated. The Japanese army immediately saw through the weak strength of the reinforcements. In this way, not only will it be difficult to solve the danger of the British army, but the 113th Regiment may also be in danger. Therefore. Division Commander Sun decided to suspend the attack during the day, first reconnoiter the enemy situation and terrain in front of him, and then use the night to adjust the deployment of our army, and then launch an attack at dawn the next day. Slim expressed his admiration for the careful deployment of the Sun Jing people.

But more anxious to free their own troops. Keep urging Sun Liren to launch an attack as soon as possible, and he can't wait until tomorrow. Sun Liren repeatedly explained the stakes and asked him to call and inform the Scott agent that he had to endure for another day. Slim was hesitating. Scott made a second emergency call saying that the besieged troops had reached the last moment and could no longer endure a moment. Slim changed color suddenly. Sun Liren asked Slim to tell Scott. Your division has endured for two days, and in any case it will hold out on to this last day, and the Chinese army will certainly be by 6 o'clock tomorrow morning. Completely free your master from the system. ”

Scott's anxious question of "whether he is sure" came from the phone, and Sun Liren replied categorically: "Chinese army." Even if I fight to the last man, I must rescue your army from danger:" This is a promise. Slim, who was standing on the side, was also greatly moved when he heard this, and held Sun Liren's hand tightly, thanking him for this solemn "gentleman's agreement"!

At 18 o'clock on the 18th, Sun Liren gave the order to attack at dawn the next day.

Early morning of April 19. The white belly of the fish in the east had not yet appeared, and the brothers of the 113th Regiment quietly passed through the Japanese positions in the darkness before dawn and suddenly launched a fierce attack. In order to confuse the enemy, division commander Sun Liren ordered to set fire to the Japanese position, blow the trumpet of the charge, and harass it with small detachments, so that the enemy could not judge the reality of our army.

By dawn, the main attacking force on our left flank had completely captured the enemy's first-line positions. The Japanese army resisted on the one hand, and organized a counterattack on the other, and the position was lost three times and won three times. Under the cover of mountain artillery, mortars, and light and heavy machine guns, the attacking troops repeatedly charged and killed the Japanese until they engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Zhang Qi, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, led the 8th Company to make a detour from the left side, was shot several times, fell to the ground and shouted with all his might: "Brothers, kill!" until they died.

The officers and men of the 3rd Battalion were encouraged by the battalion commander. Rushing one after another until the end of the flow finally stepped forward, and rushed to the oil field in one go.

Oil pipes, oil tanks, and oil drums everywhere ignited in the sound of gunfire. The fire dragon flew with the roar of the oil.

In the ravines, on the oil fields, the enemy and the enemy fought in a fierce fire. The clothes of the officers and men of the 113th Regiment were soaked when they waded across the river. In the fire war, on the contrary, it took advantage.

Division Commander Sun commanded the troops to seize the commanding heights and Shangfeng Mountain, and seized the initiative on the battlefield. At 14 o'clock, the battle captured the 501 heights and the oil field area, and routed the enemy's main force.

By 17 o'clock, all the Ringanqiang oil fields were recovered, and the Japanese 33rd Division left more than 1,200 corpses in this fierce battle, and more than half of the thousands of combat soldiers of the 113th Regiment were also killed or wounded. The battlefield was littered with piles of corpses.

During the battle, more than 500 captured British officers and soldiers, American missionaries and journalists were first rescued from danger, and more than 100 British baggage vehicles captured by the Japanese army were recaptured and returned to the British side. Then more than 7,000 infantry, cavalry, artillery and chariot troops of the British army, more than 100 horses, all retreated from the left flank to the north bank of the Bin River under the cover of the 113th Regiment.

Qi Xueqi looked at the barefoot British soldiers and said to Sun Liren: "It is impossible to fight such a battle if you give the equipment to the worst local army, these tanks are more than twice as many as those of the Fifth Army, it is really a waste."

Sun Liren did not refute, and turned his head and walked south in the rain.