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Yanagawa Heisuke looked at Masanobu Tsuji with annoyance, and Shunroku Hata's words were clearly very dissatisfied with himself. But he couldn't come up with a good solution for a while, the French army in Siem Reap had been replaced by the fourth division of the Chinese Marine Corps, and they also controlled the airfield, and through air and land transportation, the strength of the troops had increased to nearly 10,000 in two regiments in three days. Although the mainland faction regards China as a mortal enemy and keeps clamoring for a decisive battle, the speed of digestion of Nanyang resources is far lower than expected, so they are not willing to fight a decisive battle so early.

Therefore, he immediately changed his tactics and asked Baiwu Harukichi to change from offensive to defensive, and cooperate with the 114th Division and the Chariot Regiment to contain Siem Reap. Let Shiro Yamazaki lead the 55th Wing to ride over the Biandan Mountain Range, take Preah Vihear to attack Kampong Dong, and cut off the retreat of the 4th Marine Division of the Chinese Marine Corps. He also sent a telegram to the 29th Division, asking them to intensify their attack on Champasak and contain the defenders, while sending troops to attack the rear by a detour to the downstream Monkong. When Uemura Toshimichi learned of the telegram, he immediately led the 38th Wing led by Suenaga Tsunetaro to also ride a bicycle downstream to Monkong.

Just when the Japanese army sacrificed the silver wheel tactic of winning the battle of Malaya and sent two wings to set off on bicycles, the only dirt road leading to Champasak, the 2nd Marine Division of the Chinese Marine Corps also staggered through the pouring rain.

The road was opened by a battalion of Type 37 "Sea Serpent" amphibious tanks painted in olive green camouflage. This is a light amphibious tank specially developed for the Marine Corps, weighing 15 tons, resembling the famous PT-76, using a 70 mm rifled gun of the L35 type, and the turret shape is similar to that of the Type 25. The rear is fitted with hook-shaped air vents and the chassis is a simpler spring-balanced suspension (similar to the M4 chassis). Behind it were more than two hundred "Lizard" and "Otter" amphibious armored trucks with 44 and 6x6 chassis, respectively. The former is a modification of the Hangang Grand Jeep, and the latter resembles a dukw. With a weight of 6 tons, it can carry 16 soldiers or a 105 mm light howitzer, and can also be used for artillery tractors, air defense vehicles, self-propelled mortars, self-propelled recoilless guns, etc., which is very suitable for rainforest areas with poor transportation and dense water networks, so after the start of the war, the general assembly of the three amphibious armored vehicles was placed in Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, and the troops were delivered at a rate of 500 units per month.

Division commander Zhang Liansheng sat in the "lizard hunting", wearing a long-sleeved rainforest combat uniform of the same color as the car, and a rubber raincoat on the outside. Like a soldier, he held a cigarette in his mouth, looked at the pouring rain that never seemed to stop, and his face was sad. Since the rainy season in the southeast peninsula is from May to October every year, the torrential rain has not stopped since landfall from Da Nang.

The heavy rain not only slowed down the troops. He also smashed the Chambasse road into potholes, and without firing a single bullet, his division lost twenty-seven tanks and trucks, all of which were stuck in quagmire or floods and had to be temporarily abandoned. The soldiers who walked were even more miserable than the soldiers in the car, and many showed signs of dangerous ulceration after their feet were soaked in water for a long time. So the soldiers had to take turns to ride in the car. Make sure your feet stay dry for a while.

"How much longer?" Zhang Liansheng from Zhejiang is very unaccustomed to the climate here, and always feels as if there is a fire in his stomach and nowhere to vent.

"Come on, division commander, look, there is Pugao Mountain in front of you. Looking at the map, there should be ten kilometers left. ”

"How is it ten kilometers again? It is only 270 kilometers from Da Nang to Champasak, and this car can run 350 kilometers with a full tank of fuel, and 130 kilometers even if it is rainforest off-road. But do you calculate, how many times have we refueled? Zhang Liansheng was a little angry.

The staff officer pointed to the rainforest and dirt roads, and the corners of his mouth were bitter. Patting the foggy odometer on the car: "Regiment commander, those guys from the staff department calculate the distance in a straight line." You see. Even the detour we ran was almost 500. ”

"Bastard!" I don't know whether to scold the staff or the weather, Zhang Lian threw away the cigarette butt angrily.

The staff officer shrunk his neck, but fortunately, the last part of the road was higher and there was no standing water, so the speed of travel was much faster. After passing through a grange, the Pugao Mountain Highlands finally appeared in front of everyone. The minaret of the Wapu Temple on the mountainside is like a lighthouse guiding the way forward.

"Divisional commander, we're at Champasak." Seeing the barricades set up by the French army, the staff officer jumped out of the car first and called for a guide and interpreter.

Champasak was once the ancient capital of the Champasak Kingdom and the most important ferry port in the Central Mekong River Basin. Crossing from west to east, you can climb the Bolovin Plateau to overlook the entire Quang Nam Plain, threatening Da Nang and Hue, so the strategic location is very crucial. After the Japanese Siam entered the palace, it was once occupied by two infantry divisions of the Siamese army. But don't look at the humiliation of the French army in the French battle, in fact, the French army's combat effectiveness is still very good, facing two Siamese divisions, with less than 2,000 soldiers to recapture this strategic location. However, as the Japanese army reached the opposite bank, the French army gradually lost the enemy, so a puppet army division was transferred to try to rely on the high mountain heights to defend it.

When the 2nd Division arrived, it had been raining heavily for three days. The swelling water of the river made it impossible for the Japanese 29th Division to cross the river, so it was almost impossible to hear people in the silence of the position.

The French soldiers were very happy with the arrival of the Marines to support, and soon opened the deer barn to let them go. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Liansheng made a gesture to the guard company. In addition to taking over Champasak, he was also ordered to disarm the French here. Because after the surrender of France, all restraints have disappeared, so naturally there is no need to be polite.

The roaring sound of engines soon attracted the probes of the French and Vietnamese puppet troops, and soon thousands of troops gathered around the troops. "Sir, He Hai, commander of the reconnaissance company of the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Airborne Division, reports to you." After Zhang Liansheng arrived with his guard company and officers, the commander of the airborne reconnaissance company, who had taken the lead in coming to support, came to greet him with dozens of judges.

"This is Colonel Prid, and he's in charge of the defense of the area." He Hai pointed to a bearded judge in his fifties to introduce Zhang Liansheng.

"Hello, I'm Plider, and I'm glad you're here." Colonel Priede was very happy that reinforcements were finally available, but his hand was only halfway stretched out when the guard company behind Zhang Liansheng suddenly raised his gun and aimed it at the French officers and soldiers present.

"What are you doing here?" The eyes full of submachine guns made Colonel Priede and the officers tremble, and several French soldiers were just about to draw their guns, but they were pushed to the ground by the guards who had already released them. Seeing that the Chinese division commander was so unreasonable, and that he was about to disarm himself without saying a word, Priede was as angry as if he had eaten a fly. His eyes bulged and he shouted angrily, "You are a crime!" I am a colonel in the French Army. ”

Even He Hai was surprised and asked, "Sir, who are you?" ”

"There is no more France!" Zhang Liansheng waved his hand to interrupt He Hai and pulled the translator over: "Tell him about the current situation." ”

The interpreter hurriedly recounted the surrender of France, and the requirement that foreign troops not participate in the attack on Germany and its allies. Due to the lack of information and the urgency of the war, Colonel Pride and the officers had no idea that their country had surrendered. One or two widened their eyes: "I don't believe it, you guys are slandering!" It's a slander against France! ”

"Colonel Pride, I have been authorized. To avoid conflict, you must order your troops to disarm immediately! Zhang Liansheng was too lazy to explain. Looking at the angry judges around him, he said, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you and your soldiers, we will escort you back to Da Nang." ”

"It can't be, it can't be! I want to contact Saigon now! Colonel Prieter still didn't believe it. In order to make him die, Zhang Lian brought the radio station. Ten minutes later. Saigon's reply made Plide and everyone shut up.

It is not difficult to disarm, not to mention that the French army, which has suffered heavy casualties, has not much heart to fight, and the armored vehicles and artillery of the second division alone are enough to keep their mouths shut, and even the Annam puppet army has been repatriated. However, they will not be disbanded, and they will be handed over to the Military Intelligence Agency when they arrive in Da Nang.

Taking advantage of the handover, Zhang Liansheng asked about the situation nearby. "The Japanese pontoon bridge was washed away, but when the Siamese army retreated. The ferries on all sides have already been driven to the opposite bank, so I expect the Japanese to attack again when the weather clears. Under He Hai's introduction, Zhang Liansheng gradually understood the situation. Colonel Pride's stall is still intact, at least taking advantage of the rainy season to prevent the Japanese from crossing the river. There were also dozens of 75-mm rapid-fire guns left and well-established anti-tank positions along the coast, that is, the air defense was poorly done.

"What about the Japanese troops on the other side? Is there any movement? ”

"The terrain on the other side is low, and we are afraid of flooding, so we have receded five miles away. However, there was a silver wheel army in the morning. Went south. ”

"Silver Wheel Troops?" Zhang Liansheng was stunned.

"Actually, it's the bicycle troops." He Hai hurriedly explained. Bikes don't look inconspicuous, but they're definitely better than trucks in this environment. And he can also copy the path, so Zhang Liansheng immediately became alert: "How long have you been walking?" Why not pursue? ”

"About two hours." He Hai was a little annoyed and said, "Sir, this area is full of primeval forests, and the nearest place to cross the river is Mengkong, which is 55 kilometers downstream. We didn't have boats, we were all snatched by the Japanese, even if there were tanks to open the way. He glanced at the armored battalion in the distance: "At least 200 kilometers around!" Sir, I think it's better to wait for the brother troops to intercept it. ”

"Stop it! All the way over, there is not even a decent road, how can you stop it? Zhang Liansheng scolded, trotted all the way back to the command post with He Hai, and after finding the location of Meng Kong on the map, he asked without raising his head: "Are there any mines in the river?" How long does it take to get to Moncon by bike if you're leading a group? ”

"It's a flood season, and there's no way to place explosives." He Hai was very puzzled, he didn't know what Zhang Liansheng was going to do, so he calculated in his heart: "The environment on the other side of the strait is similar to ours, even if you have to make a detour by bicycle, it is estimated that you can get there in six to seven hours." ”

"That's enough!" Zhang Liansheng slapped the table and excitedly called the guards: "Go, inflate all our rafts and tie them to both sides of the tank and armored car." Tell Battalion Commander Huang again, refuel him for half an hour, and set off immediately after half an hour. He Hai thought that Zhang Liansheng hadn't heard clearly, and was about to use a tank to forcibly open a way in the rainforest, so he hurriedly stopped: "Sir, there are a lot of smoke miasma and swamps in the rainforest, and you can't get through." ”

"Who said I was going to walk the rainforest?" The corners of Zhang Liansheng's mouth were crooked, and even the fire brought by the weather was mostly gone.

Half an hour later, when He Hai and Zhang Liansheng arrived at the river, they found that the entire 20 "sea snakes" with inflatable rubber rafts strapped to both sides, 40 "otters" and 12 "lizards" were already full of soldiers.

"Sir? Are you going to drive through the river? ”

He Hai was surprised to see the first "sea snake" rushing down the slope into the muddy Mekong River