On the west bank of the Irrawaddy River, the headquarters of the Fifth Army.

In the war room, Dai Anlan and Liao Yaoxiang are discussing the situation in Mandalay.

Dai Anlan said to the map: "The two main regiments of the Baoshan Division have been airlifted to Mandalay, with the addition of this new force, the Sixth Army should not collapse in a short time, but the Guards Division and the 31st Division that have rushed to reinforce the army will also rush to Mandalay, and the outcome of this battle is still unpredictable." ”

Liao Yaoxiang nodded and said: "Judging from the current situation, Yue Weihan clearly wants to complete his work in one battle, and completely annihilate the main force of the Southern Army in the first battle of Mandalay, but is it possible to achieve this campaign goal with only the 39th Group Army, the Sixth Army and our Fifth Army?" Isn't that a bit whimsical? ”

As soon as the words fell, there was a sudden rumbling of cannon outside the war room.

"Well, where did the cannon sound come from?" Dai Anlan frowned when he heard this.

"The sound of artillery seems to be coming from the east bank of the Irrawaddy River." Liao Yaoxiang said.

As soon as he finished speaking, the chief of staff of the new 22nd Division, Shi Linxian, suddenly strode in and reported to Dai Anlan: "The military seat, the general seat has sent an urgent battle report from Mandalay, and the Baoshan Division has launched a strong attack on the 55th Division of the Chinese Army on the western front of Mandalay, and its operational goal is to tear open the river defense on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River and take our army across the river. ”

"What? The Baoshan Division launched a strong attack on the Yue army!? Liao Yaoxiang lost his voice and said, "I heard me right, right?" ”

"Crazy, this guy must be crazy!" Dai Anlan's face also became extremely embarrassed in an instant, "The situation in Mandalay is so grim, with the strength of these two regiments, it is not enough to strengthen the defense, this guy actually dares to take the initiative to attack the army?" He really thought that the 55th Division of the Yue Army on the other side of the river was muddy and paper-paste? ”

Just as the two looked at each other, Cruise, the secretary of Sir Smith, the Governor of Britain and Burma, and Miss Avril, a Reuters war correspondent in Burma, broke straight into the war room.

Liao Yaoxiang could understand simple English, and immediately said angrily: "Mr. Cruise, please pay attention to your words, otherwise I can only ask the guards to expel you from our army station." ”

Seeing that Liao Yaoxiang's face was a little ugly, Cruise snorted and stopped talking.

Reuters reporter Miss Avril hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Dear General Liao, please forgive Mr. Crews for his rude behavior just now, but we are eager to know what happened to the shelling just now. Is there a fierce battle on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River? Also, was this battle under the direct command of General Yue Weihan? ”

"I'm sorry, no comment." Liao Yaoxiang frowned and replied coldly.

Liao Yaoxiang was in a very bad mood this time, so he didn't want to say anything at all, because he and Dai Anlan were very optimistic about the Baoshan Division's initiative to attack, Yue Weihan's subjective will was good, but the war has always been cruel, and with only two [***] regiments going to attack an elite division of the Yue Army head-on, even the most elite Baoshan Division will definitely be defeated.

However, Dai Anlan and Liao Yaoxiang's bad mood did not last long, and only a little more than an hour later, the shocking news came from the other side of the river through the airwaves.

In the sound of hurried footsteps, the division rushed into the war room and said to Dai Anlan: "Military seat, the Baoshan Division has just broken through the defense line of the 143rd Infantry Wing of the Yue Army from the front, and has taken advantage of the situation to tear open the defense of the Yue Army on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, and now, the Baoshan Division is tearing the defense line of the 55th Division of the Yue Army to the left and right flanks. ”

"What!?" Dai Anlan was taken aback when he heard this, and lost his voice, "Break through head-on!?" ”

"It can't be!" Liao Yaoxiang was also surprised, and said in disbelief, "The Baoshan Division airlifted to Mandalay is only two infantry regiments, there are no armored units, and there are no field heavy howitzers, even if they are equipped with American-style guns, it is absolutely impossible to break through the defense line of the 143rd Infantry Wing from the front in such a short period of time!" ”

"Master, this matter is true." Shi Linxian said urgently, "You better go to the riverside observation post and have a look." ”

Dai Anlan and Liao Yaoxiang glanced at each other, and then quickly walked out of the war room, boarded their respective jeeps and went straight to the observation post on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River.

", it's true!" Liao Yaoxiang instantly clenched his fists.

"Yue Weihan, it's really surprising." Dai Anlan was also in turmoil.

"It's surprising that there is also the Baoshan Division." Liao Yaoxiang's excited mood gradually calmed down, and he said in a deep voice, "I thought that the ability of the Baoshan Division to fight was only a political propaganda need plus good luck, but today, I finally believe that the reason why Yue Weihan and his Baoshan Division were able to crisscross North China was not just because of good luck. ”

"yes, I can't accept it." Dai Anlan also muttered, "I really didn't expect that the two regiments of the Baoshan Division would really be able to break through the defense line of the 55th Division of the Yue Army from the front!" ”

"What's more, the Baoshan Division also tore open the east bank of the Irrawaddy River!" Liao Yaoxiang struck the knot fiercely, and continued excitedly, "Now the bridge erection operation of the engineer regiment will not be disturbed in any way, and in two days at most, the pontoon bridge will be erected in advance, and our army will be able to cross the river to participate in the war!" ”

As the words fell, a quarrel suddenly came from outside the observation post.

Dai Anlan walked out to take a look, but it was Avril, a British female reporter, who chased her to the riverside, this woman deserves to be a reporter, and she really has the stubbornness to not give up if she doesn't achieve her goal, seeing General Dai Anlan, Avril hurriedly asked for help: "General Dai, I am a war correspondent, and I officially apply to you for a war interview." ”

Dai Anlan immediately waved his hand and motioned for the guards to let him go.

Avril twisted her waist into the observation post, and immediately said to Dai Anlan: "General Dai, just now by the river, I seemed to see the blue sky and white flag of [***] raised on the other side of the river, I want to ask, has the [***] on the other side of the river broken through the defense of the Yue army?" Does this mean that the mechanized units of the Fifth Army will soon be able to cross the river? ”

"That's right." Dai Anlan pulled the military uniform on his body and said solemnly, "History will remember this day!" ”

"Will history remember this day?" Avril sniffed something strange from Dian's unusual wording, and immediately asked, "General Dai, do you mean that today's battle on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River will be a turning point in the Battle of Mandalay and the entire war in Burma?" Can I understand it that way? ”

"It could also be a turning point in the whole World War II!" Liao Yaoxiang, who had just walked out of the observation post, suddenly answered.

"Oh my God, the turning point of the whole World War II!?" Avril's seductive little mouth suddenly opened into an O-shape.

Seeing Avril's surprised appearance, Rao is Liao Yaoxiang and Dai Anlan, two iron men, couldn't help but feel a little shaken.

………… Mandalay, 49th Division Headquarters.

Li Yulong, commander of the Baoshan Division, strode into the war room, immediately stood upright, and reported to Yue Weihan: "General, the 5th and 6th regiments have successfully completed their combat missions and have now been transferred to defense on the spot. ”

"Hmm." Yue Weihan bowed his head lightly when he heard this, but his gaze did not take his eyes off the sand table.

On the sand table, the east bank of the Irrawaddy River has been planted with the small red flags of the Baoshan Division, faintly connected with the Fifth Army on the other side of the river, and further north, several small red flags representing the divisions of the 39th Group are advancing rapidly along the Yunnan-Burma Highway towards Lashio, and about five days later, these small red flags will be able to advance along the Lashio line.

However, the Guards Division and the 31st Division of the Japanese Army in the south have also advanced to Rangoon.

Looking at the overall situation, the situation of the two armies fighting a strategic decisive battle in Mandalay has basically taken shape!

The strategic intention of the Yue Army is obvious, that is, to eliminate the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the 39th Group Army through the Battle of Mandalay, so as to completely cut off the Yunnan-Burma Highway and the air corridor over Burma, cut off the connection between the National Political Axe and the outside world, so that the National Political Axe can no longer obtain any material supplies from the United States and British allies, and finally force the National Political Axe to surrender on its knees!

The strategic intention of the Chinese Expeditionary Force is also obvious, that is, it wants to solve the main force of the Southern Army in one fell swoop through the Battle of Mandalay, and clear the way for the next stage of counteroffensive in Southeast Asia.

This battle is of great significance to both sides!

Moreover, the top leaders of both sides have realized that this battle is very likely to become a strategic turning point in the Southeast Asian theater, and if the Chinese army is defeated, it will have to take a defensive position in the Southeast Asian theater, and it will be impossible to switch from defense to offensive again for at least two years, and if the Chinese expeditionary force is defeated, the consequences will be even more serious than in history.

As far as the national political axe and the Chinese nation are concerned, this battle can only be won, not defeated.

It is completely conceivable how much pressure Yue Weihan should be carrying?

Although Yue Weihan's face looked calm, as if everything was already under his control, no one knew that he was actually more nervous than anyone else.

………… Yangon, known as the army headquarters.

On this morning, the office of Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida, commander of the 15th Army Corps of the Chinese Army, welcomed two guests, who also carried the rank of lieutenant general on their shoulders, and they were none other than Lieutenant General Nishimura Takuma, the commander of the Japanese Guards Division, and Lieutenant General Kotoku Sato, the commander of the 31st Division.

When the two main forces of the Baoshan Division were airlifted to Mandalay and tore open the river defense on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River this morning, more than 60,000 people of the Guards Division and the 31st Division also rushed to Yangon, and in this way, together with the 55th Division and the 56th Division, which were fighting fiercely with the Sixth Army in Mandalay, the strength of the Burmese army was once again restored to about 100,000 people!

Among them, although the 31st Division is a third-class division with a three-wing system, its combat effectiveness is very strong!

Because the soldiers of the 31st Division are all young reserve soldiers, and they have fought to the death with [***] on the Chinese battlefield for four full years, their fighting will and military quality are not inferior to the old devil soldiers of the permanent division, and the 31st Division is also equipped with a tank search wing, and its armored strength far exceeds that of ordinary permanent divisions.

However, compared to the Guards Division, the 31st Division is insignificant.

The Guards Division was one of the first seven veteran divisions to be formed after the Meiji Restoration.

The soldiers of the Guards Division were originally from the three hardcore royalist domains of Satsuma, Choshu, and Tosa, so from the beginning of its formation, the Guards Division existed in the name of the Emperor's Praetorian Guard.

During the reign of Emperor Taisho (Kahito), the Guards Division began to draw elites from the remaining permanent divisions to enrich its infantry and cavalry wings, and from the Kanto region to form artillery, engineers, and baggage wings.

During the reign of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), the 1st Cavalry Brigade and the 4th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade were successively incorporated into the Guards Division.

So far, the Guards Division has become one of the only four super-organized divisions in the army, and the other three permanent divisions and regiments that are also attached to the cavalry brigade and the field heavy artillery brigade are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd divisions, and the wartime strength of these four super-formed divisions can even reach an astonishing 40,000 people.

When the Southern Army was formed, the base camp of the army incorporated the 4th Tank Wing into the battle sequence of the Guards Division.

Historically, only the 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade and the 1st Guards Infantry Brigade and the field heavy artillery brigade and cavalry brigade directly under the division did not go out to Southeast Asia.

With such an invincible elite army entering Myanmar, the old devil Iida Shojiro can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Nishimura-kun, Sato-kun, it's been a hard journey." Iida Shojiro and Nishimura Takuma and Sato Kotoku respectively quarreled, and then said with some embarrassment, "It is said that you have come from afar and traveled tiringly, and you should rest in Yangon for a few days, but there have been some small changes in the battle in Mandalay, and the Guards Division and the 31st Division may have to go north immediately." ”

"Iida-kun, do you and I still need to be so polite?" Nishimura waved his hand and said with a smile, "Besides, it is also the duty of my generation of soldiers to expand the territory of the empire and make contributions to His Majesty the Emperor, so why do you need to say more?" Since the war in Mandalay is tight, Sato-kun and I will not stay in Yangon for longer, so we will lead our division north. ”

"Nishimura-kun, Sato-kun." Shojiro Iida suddenly bowed deeply to Nishimura Takuma and Sato Kotoku, and then said solemnly, "The battle of Mandalay is related to the victory or defeat of the Burma war, and it is also related to the success or failure of the southward strategy, so I will entrust it to the two of you, please both of you must win this battle for the empire and His Majesty the Emperor!" ”

Nishimura Takuma and Sato Kotoku hurriedly bowed in return, and Nishimura Takuma replied with great seriousness: "Iida-kun, please rest assured, the Great Imperial Army is invincible, and it is even more impossible for the Guards Division to be defeated by the Chinese people, and the final winner of this Battle of Mandalay must and can only be the Imperial Army!" ”

(To be continued)