readx; On February 16, 1942, Rangoon was in an emergency, and at the request of the British army, the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered Burma to fight. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

On the day of the expedition, the scene was so spectacular, the lineup was so mighty, and the spirit was so high!

There was cover in the air from the aircraft of the allies. The wheels are rolling on the ground and the motors are thundering. Thousands of vehicles of all kinds, such as tanks, artillery trucks, ammunition trucks, infantry transport vehicles, ambulances, communication vehicles, baggage trucks, and British red-headed trucks that came from Burma to assist in transporting troops, were like steel dragons, along the Yunnan-Burma Highway, out of Baoshan, across the Nu River, through Longling, Yuemang City, and went straight to Guomen Wan Town.

The scale and quality of this mechanized unit that suddenly appeared on the Yunnan-Burma Highway were unprecedented in the history of Chinese warfare. The 5th, 6th, and 66th armies in the expeditionary force are all the elite of [***].

In particular, the 5th Army is China's first mechanized army and the trump card of aces. Not long ago, in the Battle of Kunlun Pass, a brigade of the army was completely annihilated, which can be described as a prestige. Going to Burma, the British specifically pointed the generals of the 5th Army. The chariots and cannons that rumbled away were all new types of equipment aided by the Soviet Union and the United States in recent years. Chiang Kai-shek once held this old book tightly in the palm of his hand and was easily reluctant to use it.

Now, on the international battlefield, the commander-in-chief gritted his teeth and shook out!

However, it is somewhat strange that the 26th Division, which was the first to enter Yunnan, did not become the first unit to enter Burma.

What the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, Gao Fei, was thinking there, at least no one can know yet

Western Yunnan is a land of affection, with simple folk customs and advocating martial arts. When the common people heard that the Chinese [***] team went abroad to fight, they were greatly encouraged. For many years, Chinese people have only been bullied inside their own homes. Now, step out of the country and go to Myanmar to fight devils. China also has today!

When the troops set out on the expedition, the people of all nationalities heard the wind and gathered on both sides of the road to make a magnificent march for the officers and men of the expedition. According to the customs of the local people, the local head people put incense cases at the intersection and built an altar, which was presided over by the priest and killed and sacrificed. As soon as the military vehicles stopped, men, women, and children of all ethnic groups rushed up to offer rice wine, toast camellia, hand out paper cigarettes, and reward officers and soldiers.

Along the way, there were crowds of people and jubilants. The officers and men who set out on the expedition were full of enthusiasm and high morale. On the way to the march, the passionate battle song of the expeditionary force flew out:

"Guns, on our shoulders, blood, in our chests. Go to Myanmar and go on the international battlefield! ”

Although Commander-in-Chief Chiang could not personally do anything about the expeditionary force, his huge portrait represented the commander-in-chief himself as a soldier and soldier: standing on the huge portrait at the head of the Wan Town Bridge, Commander-in-Chief Chiang was majestic and stood up to the sky. He wore riding boots and a sword at his waist. The black mantle on his shoulders is like a battle flag fluttering in the wind. Facing the wolf-smoked jungle to the south, his exaggerated right hand waved in the air and pointed straight ahead. Under the giant arm, there are two lines of big characters:

Expel the Japanese and recover Burma!

Under the blazing gaze of Commander-in-Chief Chiang, the officers and men of the Chinese expedition drank the last glass of Zhuangxing wine offered by the local people, and then marched out of the country majestically. Tanks, artillery, and automobiles, one after another, rushed onto the wooden bridge of the Wan Town River and drove into the territory of Burma.

In February, the war was still far from the south. Spring in northern Myanmar is bright and peaceful.

Wildflowers are blooming everywhere, and cattle graze on the hillsides. Tall palm trees sway beautifully in the spring breeze, imposing stupas shine under the blue sky, and wisps of cooking smoke rise from the bamboo building. From time to time, the affectionate singing of girls and young men could be heard in the col.

In the beautiful and magical foreign land, the Chinese Expeditionary Force is galloping southward at full speed. Farmland, villages, ancient trees, Buddhist temples, flashed in front of you. When passing through the bustling towns, the local overseas Chinese, dressed in colorful clothes, waved small flags to welcome them, boxes of cigarettes, bags of candy, bouquets of flowers, raindrops fell on the car, and the slogan of "welcome the Chinese expeditionary force to Burma to fight" echoed in the sky over Burma. The exotic, heroic march made people rush with passion and enthusiasm, and the officers and men even forgot that they were going to meet the sound of artillery.

For the Chinese Expeditionary Force, however, Burma is a battlefield that is both strange and fraught with danger. However, the [***] team is also an army that completely lacks foreign combat experience. Since Genghis Khan of the Yuan Dynasty, the Chinese [***] team has not fought a single battle abroad and fired a single shot.

The 200th Division of the Fifth Army, as the vanguard of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, set off from Baoshan to enter Burma.

The most difficult task fell on Dianlan. This battle-hardened tiger general stood on a hill, observed his troops, sang the majestic military song of "muzzle outside, aim at the enemy", and generously marched westward. The morale of the troops is an important guarantee for defeating the enemy. The 200th Division entered Burma with high morale, and Dai Anlan should be comforted. However, he always frowned, looking worried.

The reasons are manifold.

First of all, the British promised to send a car to transport the 200th Division, but they did not fulfill their promise, the military situation was urgent, and they could not wait any longer, so the 200th Division had to move on to its own conditions. If they have not fought side by side, they are so untrustworthy, how can they expect tacit cooperation on the battlefield?

Secondly, Dai Anlan remembered: On February 1, Chiang Kai-shek explicitly stipulated that the Sixth Army's troops entering Burma would be under the command of Gan Lichu, commander of the Sixth Army, because at that time, the Peng Bisheng Division of the 49th Division under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Army was ordered to defend the Yunnan-Burma Road, and at the end of 1941, at the request of the British, they went to Lashio. In fact, it was an expedient measure to cover up the British side's backtracking. Chiang Kai-shek naturally understood the reasoning very well. In order to dispel the concerns of the British side, on 2 February, he also issued an explicit decree that the Sixth Army would be under the command of the British side after entering Burma; On 15 February, it was again explicitly stipulated that the Fifth and Sixth armies would enter Burma to fight under the unified command of Commander Du Yuming; Commander Du Yuming was under the command of General Hu Dun of the British Army.

Dai Anlan held that the two armies are fighting side by side, and the two sides should consult on the combat plan and military deployment, and each side should have the right to put forward opinions, and handing over command to one side is a subordinate relationship, and the other side can only accept orders and has no right to put forward opinions. To be more precise, even if the battle plan and deployment were drawn up by the British army, the British army of course only acted in consideration of its own interests, and the interests of the Chinese expeditionary force were not guaranteed.

For this reason, he once put forward his opinion to Du Yuming. However, Du Yuming just shrugged helplessly and didn't say anything. In that case, what can he do to change the situation?

When I think of these things, it is like a shadow hanging over my heart, and in addition to melancholy, I can't help but blurt out:

"The wind is sluggish and the water is cold, and the strong man will never return once he is gone!"

Zheng Tingji, who was standing on the side, heard the division commander actually reciting such ominous words, and couldn't help but look at Dai Anlan in surprise and said: "Division, the troops have embarked on the journey, and their morale is very strong, and they will be able to eliminate the Japanese in one go and return triumphantly, so there is really no need to worry too much about the division." ”

Dai Anlan suddenly realized that he had lost his words, and when he saw Zheng Tingjian again, he looked uneasy, and regretted it even more. In order to hide his mood, he deliberately pretended to be heroic, and looked up to the sky and laughed: "At the beginning, Jing Ke assassinated the King of Qin, and he was determined to die to strive for success, so he made such bold words, can we win the expedition without the determination to die?" You see what kind of hospitality the common people are sending off their children, we don't fight for victory with the determination to die, how can we say goodbye to Jiangdong fathers! You and I are soldiers, don't be superstitious. ”

Zheng Tingjian said sincerely: "The master's majesty is touching, and his subordinates are willing to be the forerunner!" ”

The 200th Division was ordered to enter Burma at the same time, and its mission was to take over the British army at the Tonggu defensive line.

The troops crossed the Nu River through the chain bridge Huitong Bridge, and then entered the Burmese territory through Songshan, Longling, and Wan Town. Follow the highway via Xinwei to Lashio, and then take the train via Xibao, Meimou, Mandalay, Mithra, Huangbei, Yangmidian, Kaidanggang, Pingmanna, and Yedasi to Tonggu. After such a march, we arrived at Tonggu on March 8, 1942.

After entering Burma, the troops were warmly welcomed by overseas Chinese in various parts of Burma. Hundreds of thousands of overseas Chinese scattered throughout Myanmar, when they saw the Chinese Expeditionary Force entering Burma, they shed tears and raised their arms and shouted slogans, and donated all their purchases to the Chinese Expeditionary Force. Wherever there are overseas Chinese living there, slogans will be posted. They volunteered to serve as guides and interpreters for the troops, briefing them on the situation and complaining about their grievances. Because they live in Burma, live a life under the fence, and are bullied, they expect the Chinese expeditionary force to raise the prestige of Burma, so as to improve the status of overseas Chinese; Drive away the Kou and be able to live and work in peace and contentment.

The commanders of the Chinese Expeditionary Force at all levels received the overseas Chinese who came to welcome them, thanked them for their hospitality, comforted the overseas Chinese, and resolutely said that they must drive the devils out of Burma and restore the peaceful environment in Burma. The soldiers were inspired by overseas Chinese, and their fighting spirit became even higher.

Dai Anlan said to Deputy Division Commander Gao Jiren with great emotion: "The strength of the country directly affects the status of overseas Chinese abroad. The Father of the Nation fought all his life, and wrote in his will: 'It is necessary to arouse the people and unite the nations of the world who are waiting for me on an equal footing, and the revolutionary purpose of the Father of the Nation has not yet been achieved in the decades since the National Revolution. Now that I see overseas Chinese, I feel even more that my generation of Huangpu students has a great responsibility. ”

Gao Jiren also sighed: "Yes, the subordinates also feel ashamed of the overseas Chinese, and this time to fight in Burma, we must show the prestige of the Chinese and grow the ambition for the overseas Chinese!" ”

However, when the troops arrived in Tonggu, they were not welcomed by overseas Chinese, and when they saw the British and Burmese troops, they were all panicked, and the 200th Division wanted to slip away as soon as they arrived. Dai Anlan solemnly proposed: First, the position fortifications must be explained clearly; 2. The situation against the enemy will be described in detail.

At Dai Anlan's insistence, Hu Dun reluctantly came forward to handle the handover procedures with Dai Anlan.

The British general, who was quite arrogant at first, said to Diane: "I have nothing to say. The supplies in the warehouses here have been delivered to you, and if you look at the positions and fortifications, I will send an officer and a car to take you around. We have other tasks to do, we cannot stay here for long, and we are leaving today. ”

Dai Anlan said quietly: "The request I just made is to act according to the minimum routine of our army's handover of the defensive ground, and our army will only be defeated and fled, and will not hand over the defensive ground according to the convention, of course, your two armies may have different routines, I am willing to respect the regular practice of your army handing over the defensive ground, if your army's routine is so simple. Then I can't ask for too much. ”

Hu Dun's face was red when he said this, and he had to put down his shelf and change his tone: "Ah, General Dai, please don't misunderstand, I really have too many things, please forgive me." Dai Anlan smiled: "I didn't ask General Hu Dun to personally handle the transfer to me, just send an officer of the same rank to talk." ”

"Oh no, no, I'll do it myself."

Although Hu Dun's attitude changed and he was willing to handle the defense of the situation, it still did not go smoothly. Because Hu Dun and several generals around him were not only unfamiliar with the terrain of Tonggu, but also could not even figure out how many fortifications there were around Tonggu and where they were located, they finally found a military map, and under the leadership of several junior officers, they found the fortifications one by one. Because although the British army has retreated to the same ancient number, it has not deployed defenses. Hu Dun had the idea that the Chinese expeditionary force would arrive first, and they would surrender and withdraw; When they arrived, they abandoned the city and fled. More precisely, the British did not intend to resist at all.

During the inspection, Dai Anlan was surprised to find that Tonggu was already an empty city, and the people had already fled, and he could not expect to find the local people to understand the situation. What disturbed him even more was that none of the British [***] senses could accurately describe the enemy's situation. For they did not resist to this point, but fled from the wind. These circumstances made Dai Anlan sensitive to the critical situation, so he made arrangements while watching during his rounds, ordering all troops to immediately enter defensive positions and prepare for battle.

Hu Dun could see from Dai Anlan's expression that he was holding back the fire in his belly and was about to explode; From the deployment, it can be seen that Dai Anlan is indeed an experienced and resolute general, and his awe arises spontaneously. He said to Dai Anlan:

"General Dai, I'm sorry I'm sorry if you think that you don't have the conditions for defense, you can not take on the task of receiving the defense, and the responsibility is up to me, I will explain to your Chairman Jiang."

Dai Anlan looked at the gentlemanly British general in front of him, and he really wanted to slap a few big mouths and yell at him: Fuck, are you calling leading troops to fight? Lao Tzu shot you! However, he endured it, just shook his head and smiled bitterly: "General Hu Dun, we [***] people are strictly disciplined. Chairman Chiang ordered our troops to be deployed in Tonggu, and we must hold on to it at all costs. ”

"If you ask for anything, I'll do it as much as I can."

"Unfortunately, I only have one request: I must know where he has been. How many troops are there? How much more time can I have for careful deployment and fortifications? But you can't do that. ”

Hu Dun felt that it was too embarrassing, so he had to bite the bullet and say: "One thing General Dai can rest assured is that I will order the Anglo-Burmese troops on the front line to hold out for three days, so that the general has enough time to deploy defenses." ”

Dai Anlan smiled: "From the situation in Tonggu, you can see the front-line situation you are talking about, and frankly speaking, I don't have any illusions." ”

Hu Dun always felt oppressed in front of Dai Anlan, but he couldn't get up, and he felt that it was better to leave as soon as possible. So he said: "I also went to Tonggu last night, so I don't know much about the situation here. I heard that General Du Yuming has arrived in Meimou, and I am going to talk to him, and I can't stay for long. ”

"Please!" Dai Anlan put the "Get out!" to his lips. Swallowed back.

As soon as Hu Dun's car drove away, the British and Burmese troops boarded the car one after another, and the so-called "busy like a lost dog, anxious like a fish that has slipped through the net", did not even have time to say a word of farewell, and ran away.

Dai Anlan immediately called a meeting of commanders above the group.

Judging by the attitude of the British, it is said that Kou is close at hand, and there will be a fierce battle with the ancient times. It was also the first time that the Chinese Expeditionary Force had entered Burma to confront the Yuekou, so we had to be fully prepared and not have any illusions. Everyone has seen the situation in Tonggu, and if you have any ideas, please let us know at the meeting. ”

Zheng Tingjian pointed out sharply: "It can be seen from the attitude of withdrawing the British army from the same country: they asked the Chinese expeditionary force to enter Burma, not to fight side by side with us against the Yuekou, but to use us as a shield so that they can retreat calmly!" ”

Several regiment commanders also expressed their indignation.

Dai Anlan waved his hand and said, "Don't complain, everyone. In fact, we know that it is a trap, and we have already fallen into the trap, even if we beat Hu Dun violently, we cannot give up our position without a fight, as they did. The so-called once it comes, it is safe. I am determined to fight the Emperor in Tonggu, and I don't need to say anything else. This is the first battle fought by the Chinese Expeditionary Force abroad, and it can only be fought well, not broken, so I ask everyone to meet the battle with the determination to die. ”

Lin Chengxi, the commander of the cavalry, stood up and spoke: "Now the enemy situation is unknown, and it is a blind man's battle; The flanks of our army are empty, and the backup has not yet arrived, and it is a lone army that goes deep, which is taboo for soldiers! ”

Li Shuzheng, commander of the engineering regiment, also stood up to speak: "The ancient fortifications are not perfect, and there are many places that must be reinforced, otherwise it will be difficult to resist the attack of the Yuekou. ”

Dai Anlan waved his hand irritably, "Sit down, sit down!" We have arrived in Lashio and are setting up a headquarters. The new 22nd and 96th Divisions soon came into motion. The Sixth Army came one after another, and the Sixty-sixth Army will also arrive one after another and enter the battle, with a total strength of no less than 100,000. The fortifications were not strong and could be reinforced while fighting. In short, the current conditions are like this, the war must be fought, and nonsense will not help. We can only settle for the ugly and settle with the current conditions to the end! ”

Dai Anlan said, and glanced at the chief and deputy commanders of several infantry regiments sitting there. However, they lowered their eyes one by one, obviously refusing to express their position, Dai Anlan couldn't help but slap the table and shouted:

"What, are they bears? Is this like the soldiers of the 200th division who came down from Kunlun Pass? Did the commission send us here to ask us to hide under the umbrella of foreigners and pose for me to see? Whoever is vague immediately brings it up, I will send a special car to send him back home! ”

(To be continued)