On the outer defensive positions, the soldiers calmly responded to the frantic attack of the Japanese army, and the dense rain of bullets was fired at the enemy. The Japanese army launched an attack with armored fighting vehicles, but in less than an hour, all five armored fighting vehicles were destroyed by rockets, and the Japanese army was so frightened that they no longer dared to let the armored fighting vehicles rush ahead. The Japanese armored combat vehicles were basically garbage in front of the rockets, and once hit, they would be blown open with a large hole, and then burst into a pile of scrap metal.

The first day of the battle was very fierce, the Japanese army paid nearly 1,000 casualties for their arrogance and fainting, and did not break through a single position.

If the commander of the Japanese division, Takeuchi, had been more sober and carefully analyzed his opponent, perhaps he would not have suffered greater losses. The next day, a dazed Takeuchi ordered the 143rd Wing to go into battle on the left flank. The three wings of the Japanese army launched a joint attack on the left, center and right, in an attempt to take the outer positions in one fell swoop and eat all the Chinese defenders in the outer positions.

In the headquarters of the Tonggu Division, Chief of Staff Gao Jiren put down the phone and said: "Division commander, the Japanese army has invested in a heavy attack, and the pressure on the 600th regiment is very great, so the regiment commander requests artillery support. "Since the Japanese army has adopted a group charge, I think it's time for the artillery to speak. Ordered all artillery to prepare, and after 10 minutes concentrated fire on the frontal Japanese army, taking him by surprise.

The 200th Division itself had 6 mountain guns, plus 8 cannons acquired from the British, and now had 14 cannons in its hands, including two 105mm heavy guns. At this time, the Japanese attacked fiercely in three directions, and the pressure on the positions of the 600 regiment increased sharply. In the face of the Japanese approaching step by step, the defensive position was loosened. At this moment, a dense number of shells fell on the heads of the Japanese troops in the center, and the smoke of the explosion covered the battlefield, and the Grim Reaper was flying. The Japanese troops in the middle suffered a sudden blow, and the Japanese troops attacking on both flanks immediately retreated when they saw that the situation was not good.

The 112th Wing, which was attacking in the middle, was hit again, and the Japanese soldiers who rushed in front were not as fast as the shells. Coupled with the heavy rain of bullets, swaths of Japanese troops were knocked to the ground.

The heavy artillery bombardment served at least one brigade of Japanese troops, and the 112th Wing was almost disabled in the two-day attack. In this round of attack, the Japanese army ate the thigh, and did not organize another offensive until dark. That night, Dai Anlan considered that the outer positions were too sudden and the pressure of the Japanese army to attack from both flanks was too great, so he ordered the 600th Regiment to retreat to Tonggu and concentrate his forces to defend the core position.

Dai Anlan didn't know that the Japanese 55th Division paid the price of 3,000 casualties in the two-day battle. The Japanese command gave the order to stop the offensive, because the Japanese understood that the Chinese army defending in Tonggu was the 200th Division, the most elite unit of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.

At this time, the Japanese 56th Division arrived in Yangon, and the commander Shojiro Iida ordered the 71st Division to stop the attack on Leikau and immediately reinforce the 55th Division. At the same time ordered the 56 division, which landed in Yangon. Succeeding the 71st Division, the Japanese army continued to attack Leikao, and the Japanese army aimed to capture Leikao, and then capture Toshiba, and continue to encircle and annihilate the Chinese army in Tonggu.

The next day, the Japanese did not attack. In the evening of the same day, a wing of the 71st Division of the Japanese Army arrived at the front. On the third day, the 71st Division of the Japanese Army replaced the 112th Wing and served as the frontal attack in the center, and the 55th Division was responsible for the attack on both flanks.

Unaware that the 200th Division had abandoned its outlying positions, the Japanese launched an artillery bombardment in a step-by-step manner, and the infantry launched an attack after the artillery fire was extended. When the Japanese soldiers cautiously rushed to the position, there was still the shadow of the soldiers of the expeditionary force. Annoyed and angry, the Japanese army quickly approached the city, and the next battle was staged in the core position of Tonggu. The 71st Division of the Japanese Army is worthy of being a first-class division, and its combat effectiveness, combat quality, and combat experience are obviously higher than those of the 55th Division. Even if the Japanese Army's Division A went into battle, in the eyes of the officers and men of the 200th Division, there was nothing to fear.

In the face of the strong combat effectiveness of the 200 divisions, the Japanese army did not dare to use a group charge, but used an oppressive approach. The Japanese army frequently dispatched bombers to bomb in turn, and in coordination with the ground offensive, bombed for several days in a row, and the ancient city was almost in ruins. However, the tunnel fortifications built by the 200th Division were very strong, and the effect of the Japanese bombing was not great. On this day, the 71st Division of the Japanese Army came up with another wing to replace the 143rd Wing of the 55th Division and continued to maintain a strong attack. Although the 71st Division was strong in combat, it was still unable to break through its position, and the battle entered a state of scorching.

At the Japanese Army Headquarters in Yangon, Commander Shojiro Iida walked around on the ground with some irritability after listening to the report on the battle situation in Tonggu. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Order the 33rd Division to speed up the attack, and the Tonggu flank must be exposed." "He knew in his heart that it would be difficult to break through the enemy's lines with a frontal attack, and that he had to use a roundabout outflank." Your Excellency, General, the 33rd Division reports that the headquarters has broken through the despicable defensive line! Iida Shojiro's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said: "Order the 71st Division to attack head-on on the Tonggu line, the 55th Division to outflank on the west side, and order the 56th Division to quickly capture Leigu." ”

The rapid breakthrough of the British defense line on the Western Front lifted the spirits of Shojiro Iida and decided to eat the 200th division in Tonggu.

Dusk came, and the battlefield fell silent. The Japanese army fought under the ancient city for 4 days and did not capture a single piece of land. Gao Jidao, chief of staff of the division headquarters: "Division commander, the casualty statistics have come out, and in the four days of high-intensity combat, our department suffered more than 3,000 casualties. The 71st Division is worthy of being the first division of the Japanese army, and its combat effectiveness is indeed strong. "The Japanese army is a three-dimensional attack, battle losses are inevitable, and the casualties of the Japanese army are greater, this is the pride of my 200th Division," Dai Anlan said correctly, the Japanese army fought at high intensity for more than 10 days, and the 200th Division was the first time that the casualties were less than the Japanese army.

The key is that after more than 10 consecutive days of fierce fighting, the 200th Division did not break its bones. "Report, call from the military department!" Dai Anlan finished reading the telegram report: "Good news, the 66th Division of the 38th Army arrived in Pingmanna, ordered our troops to retreat to Pingmu, and blocked the Japanese army step by step. ”

"The bad news is that the Japanese on the Western Front have broken through the despicable defensive line, the British army has been routed, and our flanks are completely exposed, so it is meaningless for our troops to continue to block at Tonggu. The troops were ordered to alternately cover the retreat after dark. Not a single wounded person should be left behind. "The order to retreat was issued, and the wounded, military supplies, and ammunition were loaded and left first, and the troops were all on foot. When the 599th Regiment left the Tonggu Division, the time had already entered midnight. The Japanese army did not notice it at all, and the next day, according to the battle plan, the Japanese army outflanked the 55th Division from the west on a large scale, and the 71st Division attacked frontally.

The Japanese army fought on the Tonggu front line for 10 days and learned the strength of the 200th Division. When the Japanese saw a good opportunity to encircle the 200th Division, they did not expect the 200th Division to retreat quietly. The Japanese army immediately launched a frenzied pursuit, and the revenge mentality also made the Japanese army crazy. The 71st Division pursued along the road, and the 55th Division pursued along the railway on the western side. The 71st Division advanced less than 10 kilometers along the road before being blocked, and when the Japanese were ready to make a big move, the enemy troops blocking the opposite side were gone. The soldiers of the 71st Division of the Japanese Army were most afraid of fighting like this, and they suffered on the way to Legaku. The biggest headache for the Japanese army was the anti-infantry mines planted along the way.

The explosion of this mine is not powerful, but it can maim soldiers. What the Japanese army feared most was that the soldiers would be wounded, and the wounded soldiers would not only consume a lot of manpower and material resources, but also affect the morale of the soldiers. The 71st Division had to halt the pace of progress under the frequent resistance of the 200th Division. It is also strange to say that although the 55th Division of the Japanese Army is weak in combat, it can adapt to this method of operation.

The advance of the 55th Division along the railway line seems to have performed the hearty pursuit of the British army, and it is progressing smoothly. They suffered a great loss under the same ancient city, so they were eager to take revenge. When the 55th Division was advancing in high spirits, it was intercepted by the 22nd Division at Dagon. Combing the 5th Army, its combat effectiveness is the weakest is the 96th Division, and although the 22nd Division is inferior in weapons and equipment to the 200th Division, its combat experience is not inferior to the 200th Division.

Liao Yaoxiang had some rules in the war, and he ordered the blocking troops not to fight hard with the Japanese army, but to make full use of the terrain and features to block the Japanese army, slow down the advance of the Japanese army, and lead the Japanese army to Pingmanna step by step. At this time, the 96th Division was already deployed in Pingmanna, and the 38th Division also arrived in Pingmanna. The 4 main divisions were concentrated in Pingmanna, and it was completely possible to fight the Japanese army in Pingmanna.

Its operational deployment was as follows: the 200th Division dragged the Japanese 71st Division, and used the 22nd, 96th, and 36th Divisions to first eat the 55th Division of the Japanese Army, which had been heavily damaged. A small number of troops were used to block the Japanese army in order to drag the Japanese army down. At this time, at the military headquarters of the 5th Army of Drifting Shell, Du Yuming was full of confidence, the Japanese army was taking the bait, and he seemed to see the spectacular scene of the Battle of Pingmanna.

At present, the 55th Division has suffered heavy losses in Tonggu, the Japanese 71st Division is only half of the men, and the Japanese 56th Division is advancing towards Leigu. Du Yuming has four integrated divisions in his hands, three of which are elite troops, and the total strength of more than 50,000 people is completely ready to fight the Japanese army. At this time, the atmosphere in the military headquarters was peaceful, and Du Yuming stood in front of the map to check the advance of the Japanese army. "Army commander, the Japanese 71st Division is advancing slowly, and the Japanese 55th Division is really desperately attacking, whether to concentrate the main force on the 55th Division first." The Chief of Staff made a proposal.

"The 55th Division of the Japanese Army was heavily damaged by the 200th Division, and we will take the 55th Division of the Japanese Army. Let the 200th Division drag the Japanese 71st Division, and concentrate the 22nd, 38th, and 96th Divisions to beat him hard in Xinyang. Order Liao Yaoxiang to stop blocking and let the Japanese army advance to Xinyang as soon as possible. "Report, the 22nd Division called, and the Japanese 55th Division suddenly stopped the attack, and the situation is unknown." "Report, the 200th Division called, its main force was safely withdrawn to Pingmu, and the blocking force of the headquarters reported that the Japanese 71st Division stopped attacking, and the situation is unknown." When Du Yuming heard this, he hurriedly walked to the sand table.

The chief of staff said: "The 55th Division is in this position, and the 71st Division is in this position. Could it be that the Japanese discovered our intentions? "Report to the command immediately!" By this time, the headquarters of the expeditionary force had been relocated to Mandalay, making it easier to command the decisive battle of Pyongmanna. The main point of Lashio only left a regiment of the 28th Division of the 66th Army, and the main force of the 28th Division was the key point of the Mandalay and Lashio railway line. The 29th Division was transferred to the west side of Mandalay as a guard, and the 36th Division remained as a guard unit to defend the Expeditionary Force Command. At this time, Lashio's forces were empty.

After the headquarters arrived in Mandalay, Ouyang Jian didn't seem to care about the battle ahead, and Bai Chongxi and Stilwell were in charge of commanding the battle. Since the headquarters moved to Mandalay, Ouyang Jian has hardly appeared at the headquarters, but personally commanded the 36th Division guard troops, took over the defense of Mandalay, and asked Zhang Zhipeng, the commander of the 36th Division, to pay close attention to the movements of the British army. In fact, Ouyang Jian knew in his heart that the Japanese army would learn that the headquarters of the expeditionary force had been relocated to Mandalay, and the troops at Lashio were empty. When Stilwell asked the headquarters to be relocated to Mandalay, Bai Chongxi did not agree.

But Stilwell was very stubborn and actually alarmed Lao Jiang. Lao Chiang personally called and demanded that Stilwell's command be respected and that the headquarters of the expeditionary force be moved to Mandalay. Stilwell's reason is very good, the headquarters of the expeditionary force is located in Mandalay, which is the greatest encouragement to the soldiers on the front line. In particular, the 200th Division inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese army in Tonggu, and the morale of the expeditionary force was high. Bai Chongxi himself also thought that the battle of Pingmanna would be won with one blow, so he did not continue to stop it.

The battle situation seemed to be proceeding according to the deployment, and at this time, Ouyang Jian walked into the headquarters, and Bai Chongxi stepped forward and said: "Du Yuming reported that the Japanese 71st Division and 55th Division suddenly stopped attacking, and the situation is unknown. ”

Ouyang Jian knew in his heart that the Japanese army headquarters must have seen the emptiness of the troops at the Lashio point, so he ordered the Japanese 55th Division and the 71st Division to slow down the attack, and wait for the Japanese 18th Division to go ashore to enter the battle. The purpose of the Japanese army is to mobilize the eastern forces of the expeditionary force and create conditions for the 56th Division to directly attack the strategic point of Lashio. The Japanese army attempted to cut off the expeditionary force's retreat and wipe out the main force of the expeditionary force west of Mandalay.

Ouyang Jian was aware of the Japanese army's intentions, but Bai Chongxi and Stilwell did not know the mystery. Now that the time is not ripe, Ouyang Jian had no choice but to explain: "The Japanese 71st Division and 55th Division are attacking continuously and are extremely tired. The Japanese army stopped attacking, probably because they saw me concentrating four main divisions in Pingmanna. The Japanese are not fools, and since the Japanese have stopped attacking, we don't have to worry. As soon as Ouyang Jian's words fell, a combat staff officer brought by Stilwell held a telegram in his hand: "General Alexander's urgent telegram!" ”