The Anglo-Burmese army "attacked the east and attacked the west" and feinted to attack Ren'anqiang to attract the attention of the Chinese side, but in fact, they took advantage of the division of the Second Route Army in the north to brazenly launch a counteroffensive northwest of Mandalay.

Its troops contracted the line by night, and the troops attacking by Ringanqiang disappeared overnight and retreated back to Mandalay. The troops fighting the Chinese army on all sides set up blocking positions at night, and as the main force advanced rapidly in the direction of Jinwu in the northwest, it was equivalent to leaving behind the Chinese troops who were encircled and suppressed on several sides.

The swiftness of its action and the strange arrangement of its arrangement are simply a stroke of genius, which instantly changed the offensive and defensive situation of the entire Mandalay situation, and the British and Burmese troops turned over and turned against the guests.

In a jungle area northwest of Mandalay, the radio station of the British-Burmese Army Headquarters, which had been set up improvised, was busy.

Olivee looked at the Anglo-Burmese commander General Dannatt's eyes full of admiration, in fact, almost all British staff officers were like this: "Report to the commander, our troops behind our palace have exchanged fire with the Chinese who have caught up in Mandalay." ”

Admiral Dannatt looked at the map, his expression was very focused, and he thought for a while: "Order the troops, rely on the favorable terrain to resist steadily, and not to entangle with the other party for too long." ”

Olife was surprised: "Why? The troops in the rear could have held out longer. ”

Admiral Dannatt said, "In the words of the Chinese, it is said: Do not fall in love with war. Although our infantry firepower is far inferior to that of the Chinese, the defending side is naturally advantageous, and there is certainly no problem in resisting for a while. However, if the Chinese use this time difference to arrange artillery positions for intensive fire coverage strikes, the blocking troops will suffer heavy casualties. Our constant resistance is to make it impossible for the other side to establish a solid and effective artillery position. They want to bite our troops. Attack quickly, then we will have to fill our machine gun holes with human lives. ”

Major General Olife suddenly realized and said with admiration: "The commander is wise, which makes his subordinates admire it very much." ”

Admiral Dannatt said bitterly: "This is all what I read from the traditional Chinese military books and then summarized in combination with reality. Since the government decided to target China and a war with the Chinese has become a foregone conclusion, I have also begun to watch some traditional Chinese art of war, which is really amazing and unbelievable. I even wondered why such a great nation could be conquered by thousands of musketeers. ”

Olife smiled bitterly and said, "Maybe it's the cowardice of the Manchu government?" Or they lack a good leader. ”

Dannatt sighed and said, "yes." Now they will dare to underestimate the Chinese. That's idiocy. China now reminds me of the words of Napoleon. This lion was still awakened in the end, damn the Japanese, let such a terrible country find their leader - Li Bufan. You know? With the power of our British Empire, we are not afraid of even the historical 'whip of God' Arathi. But now China's leader Li Bufan. It's even more terrible than Arati. He's simply the 'Hand of God', oh no. He is God. I can't imagine the miraculous changes in China except God, and the military capabilities he showed made countless of our so-called 'famous generals' seem to be primary school students. In this war, we are so embarrassed that we are simply lost dogs. ”

Olife said solemnly: "Commander, you praised the Chinese too much, didn't your counterattack also make the Mandalay Battle carefully planned by the Chinese go to waste?" ”

Admiral Dannatt smiled wryly: "It's just a fluke." We should be glad that the sudden outbreak of war has not fully put the military deployment of the Chinese, otherwise we have no chance at all. Major General Olife, my dear Chief of Staff, I hope that if you have the opportunity, you must seriously study the art of war of the Chinese, you are a genius, and your achievements in the future will far exceed mine. ”

Olife replied: "Yes, the Commander's cultivation grace, Olife must not dare to forget." ”

A staff officer quickly ran over and said, "Report to the commander, our army's forward troops have exchanged fire with the Chinese on the front line of Banmao. ”

Admiral Dannat and Olivee nodded, looking at the map, and the resistance was to be expected.

Oliver measured the distance a little and said in a deep voice: "Ban Mao is about one hundred and fifty kilometers away from Myitkyina, Major, please confirm the strength of the other side in the front line." ”

The staff officer responded.

Admiral Dannatt smiled and said, "Oliver, what do you think?" ”

Oliver smiled and said, "Commander, I was wondering how many troops the Chinese would arrange for Myitkyina to be stationed, I think at most one division." ”

Admiral Dannatt smiled and said, "We thought of going together." In the words of the Chinese, it is 'the same as what the hero sees'. ”

Soon, the staff officer flew and reported: "Report to the commander, chief of staff, the front line replied, the Chinese are well defended, and it is expected that no less than 10,000 troops will be invested." ”

Dannat and Olife smiled at each other: "Ten thousand, that's great." ”

Admiral Dannatt said proudly: "To explain the Chinese art of war, this trick is called 'luring the snake out of the hole'." ”――

The gunfire on the front line of Ban Mao was like a sifting of beans.

The Kunming garrison division rushed to Banmao on a hurried march and immediately chose an open hilly area in front as a defensive position to rush to repair the fortifications. They were only halfway through the fortifications when the Anglo-Burmese forward troops arrived, and in a hurry the two sides immediately began a fierce battle.

In order to speed up the march, the forward units of the Anglo-Burmese army did not carry heavy weapons, and attacked the hilly positions in the open area, and suffered heavy casualties under the machine-gun fire of the Kunming garrison division. The frontal attack was unfavorable, and the British and Burmese troops wanted to rely on the superiority of their forces to fight in a roundabout way, but they did not expect that the defense line of the Kunming Garrison Division was properly arranged, and they were all attacked head-on.

The Anglo-Burmese army could have interspersed operations on a larger scale, and then, fearing that it would affect the operational deployment, insisted on letting the troops gradually advance and shoot at the Chinese side.

The equipment of the Kunming Garrison Division is actually the standard equipment of the British army integrated in China, and the weapons of the two sides are almost the same, and the firepower is almost the same. After all, even the 47th Army has not completed the redressing, which round will get the garrison division to change its outfit first?

Due to its proximity to the border, the garrison division in Kunming was almost as trained as the regular army, and it was really well-trained, and it did not suffer at all in shooting. Several British attacks were repulsed.

As a result, the garrison division also made up its mind and quickly sent a telegram to the Nanjing Ministry of National Defense.

In the Nanjing Ministry of National Defense, Li Bufan, Li Huashan, and Duan Qirui and Xu Shuzheng, who rushed over, were anxiously waiting for news, and the originally planned plan for the "Mandalay Siege and Annihilation" had gone wrong, and it would be chaotically run by hundreds of thousands of troops from the other side, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

"The Kunming garrison division called and successfully blocked the Anglo-Burmese army in Banmao, and the Anglo-Burmese army organized four charges, all of which were repulsed."

Duan Qirui and Xu Shuzheng both breathed a sigh of relief, and Li Bufan frowned and said, "Are they all repulsed?" How many casualties did the opposing side have? ”

Li Huashan said: "According to the telegram, about three thousand. ”

"That's not right!" Li Bufan's heart tightened, and he immediately shouted, "Immediately call the Kunming garrison to inquire in detail about the scale and frequency of the other party's attack." ”

"Yes!" Li Huashan responded and immediately went to do it himself.

Duan Qirui was surprised: "Is there something wrong?" ”

Li Bufan said in a deep voice: "Of course it's not. At the beginning of the siege of Mandalay, the Anglo-Burmese army attacked Ringanqiang, which was the initiation of the charge of the whole regiment, which was continuous, and it was not counting casualties and costs. They broke through to the northwest and wanted to seize time to capture a military stronghold like Myitkyina, how could it be an attack of this magnitude? If it were you, what would you do? ”

Xu Shuzheng said in a deep voice: "It's really wrong. If I were in such a situation, and I had found out that the firepower of my garrison division was not strong, then I would definitely do whatever it took to storm at all costs, at least without giving the defenders a chance to breathe. ”

Li Bufan snorted coldly and said, "That's right. From this point, I suspect that the other party has divided the troops, it seems that the foreign devils have read a lot of our military books, and even the 'Ming Xiu Plank Road Darkness Chen Cang' knows, and will use it. It's just that to this extent, it's not enough to be qualified to 'get an axe'. ”

Soon, Li Huashan came back and said: "Report to the commander, the three attacks of the British and Burmese troops are all at the regimental level, but they are separated by half an hour, and they are currently repulsed and rested." This is the specific situation of the battle, which is stated on the telegram. He pulled out a telegram.

Xu Shuzheng sneered on the spot: "Rest? Their group of lost dogs, still have time to rest? Commander-in-Chief, you are not mistaken. ”

Li Bufan nodded and said: "Telegraph to the Kunming Garrison Division, send a team to collect and collect from the left and right deep and longitudinal, and report immediately if there is a situation." At the same time, the Myitkyina side was ordered to pay attention to strengthening the defense, and the secret outposts must be arranged to radiate 10 kilometers to the southeastern perimeter. ”

"Yes!" Li Huashan responded to the order.

Xu Shuzheng said with a straight face: "The first division of the 47th Army has dared to rush to Myitkyina, and our distance is two hundred and thirty kilometers, and it is a road. The distance of the other side is more than 300 kilometers, and the attack force they sent is on a small road, and it is impossible to be faster than us in any case. ”

Li Bufan said lightly: "When people are desperate, nothing is impossible. Moreover, the early arrival of the troops, the early arrangement, and the early rest and recuperation can ensure that nothing goes wrong. ”

Under the direct telegram order of the Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese side quickly began to make arrangements, and at the temporary headquarters of the Anglo-Burmese Army northwest of Mandalay, General Dannatt was also walking back and forth, anxious.

Suddenly, Dannatt shouted: "The interspersed troops must move faster. ”

Olife said in surprise: "Commander, the forward has already passed through the area of Banmao, and the speed is already very fast. ”

Dannatt muttered, "Not fast enough. Tell the troops in front of them, leave the soldiers who have fallen behind, and the three thousand who run the fastest will be rewarded with a hundred pounds each, and the military pay will be increased by three levels. It was necessary to ensure the fastest possible arrival and capture Myitkyina before the arrival of Chinese reinforcements. ”

"Yes!" Olife answered the order and immediately asked the staff officer to quickly convey the order, but he still hesitated, "Commander, is it necessary to do this?" ”

Dannatt said in a deep voice, "Of course. At this very opportune time, we must also learn the tricks of the Chinese -- there must be brave men under heavy rewards. Hopefully, it's in time. Even so, his heart still seemed inexplicably uneasy (to be continued......