Hearing the more the two of them talked, Iida Shojiro's face darkened a little, and finally he couldn't help but remind him in friendship: "Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, in the Mawlamyine area, there are extremely strong and powerful mountain fortresses, there are Bilu Island defensive fortresses, and Motama City mountain fortresses, and there are more than ten large-caliber coastal defense guns in the coastal and riverside areas at the mouth of the Salween River.

This iron triangle defense system alone can effectively prevent the Imperial fleet from going up the Salween River estuary, and it is not easy to break through the defense line along the river head-on without the fire support of the Imperial Navy fleet and without a sufficiently powerful landing fleet! After a pause, Shojiro Iida continued: "The Americans have assisted a large number of American weapons and equipment, and the Asian People's Liberation Army is no longer what it used to be, not only the infantry has powerful automatic firepower, but also a large number of artillery and armored corps.

If the troops crossing the river are unable to transport the tank troops across the river, even if the infantry can break through the defense line along the river, they will not have the ability to annihilate the Burmese defenders and break through! "Well, that's really noteworthy!" At this time, Kimura Hyotaro answered: "Based on all aspects of intelligence, the Asian Liberation Army has concentrated more than 30 artillery regiments on the Salween River defense line and the Mawlamyine defense line, most of which are 105mm or even 75mm caliber howitzers, and there are also many 155mm caliber howitzers and larger-caliber fortress guns and coastal defense artillery. ”

"Compared with the 150mm caliber heavy guns equipped by the Imperial Army, the 155mm caliber howitzers and larger-caliber fortress guns equipped by the Asian People's Liberation Army are not only longer ranged and more accurate, but more importantly, the rate of fire is also faster, because the lethality is much greater." "In addition, the 5th Army of the Shandong Army and the Shandong Army have armored corps, and the total number of tanks and combat vehicles of all kinds is not less than five armored regiments!

It is said that there are not only Sherman tanks newly aided by the United States, but also heavy tanks with thicker armor, which are extremely strong in defense and firepower, and pose a great threat to the Imperial Army, and the Imperial Army must pay enough attention to it. "Iida-kun, Kimura-kun, you don't have to worry, it's not the same now!" Umezu Mijiro waved his hand disapprovingly and said: "First of all, this time the Imperial Japanese Air Force has fully mobilized two flight divisions and more than 2,000 combat aircraft!"

As long as the Imperial Air Force firmly controls the air supremacy of the entire Burma battlefield, the artillery and tanks equipped by the Asian Liberation Army will be live targets, and as many people will die! Their stupid decisive battle with the Imperial Army in the Plains will have no other effect than to increase consumption and add another burden to the already burning eyebrows of the US government. However, Iida Shojiro still said with great anxiety: "However, Your Excellency Commander, according to intelligence, the Americans have newly assisted a large number of the most advanced P-38 Lightning fighters and P51 fighters.

Coupled with the air force units of the Asian Liberation Army and the American Air Force led by the American Chennault, it is expected that the total number of Burmese combat aircraft in the current Burma battlefield will not be less than 600! It is very difficult for the Imperial Air Force to take advantage of these two new American fighters, and I am really worried that the Imperial Air Force will not be able to firmly control the air supremacy in the Burma battlefield. "In addition, the Myanmar Air Force adopts defensive operations and guerrilla operations, and it is completely possible to rely on the timely and accurate early warning of ground radar stations to take the lead."

Therefore, even if the Imperial Air Force has a numerical advantage, it will often be very passive and suffer a lot when fighting the Burmese Air Force, and we must take this into account. As a person who has come over, Shojiro Iida still remembers the unprecedentedly huge and tragic aerial decisive battle two months ago, and he can't forget the terrifying scene of the Imperial Air Force being shot down and crashed that day! Until then, Iida Shojiro had always thought that the Imperial Japanese Air Force was invincible, and as soon as he went out, he could kill the poor Burmese Air Force without leaving a single piece of armor.

However, in fact, the Japanese Air Force was unable to gain an advantage, and in the end it could only rely on its numerical superiority and more than double the loss to fight with the Burmese Air Force. "Iida-kun, this time is really different from the last time!" Umezu Mijiro frowned slightly, he really didn't want to hear these frustrating words, and said with great confidence: "This time, the empire has two flying divisions, as long as the imperial air force is ready, it can still occupy an absolute overwhelming advantage of 3 to 1 on the battlefield in Burma!"

At that time, the Imperial Air Force could easily seize air supremacy in Burma, and the artillery and tanks of the Asian Liberation Army would still be targets, and the hundreds of kilometers of defense along the river would be a big joke. With the cooperation of the Imperial Air Force, the Imperial Army only needs one round of forced crossings to break through their defenses! ”“……”

Shojiro Iida really didn't know what to say, he didn't think so at the beginning, but reality taught him to be a man, and too idealistic inference would only make him pay an unbearable price of casualties. 、

Although I would like to continue to give a friendly reminder, so that His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief who is on the rise can be sober up and pay enough attention to Jiang Qiang and the Asian Liberation Army in Burma! But when the words came to his lips, Iida Shojiro could only swallow the words back in the end. Because he knew very well that Umezu Mijiro had just arrived in Myanmar, and he was full of ambition and ready to show his skills, and it was very inappropriate to say these words at this time!

If there is a repeated "noise", not only will it not play the role of persuasion, but it will make Umezu Mijiro disgusted with him, suspecting that he is afraid of being beaten and instigated! "This time, His Majesty the Emperor and the base camp were determined to settle the war in Burma, and concentrated the most elite army units of the Japanese Empire, and sent a strong air force and naval force to cooperate with the battle.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is the first time that such a situation has occurred since the outbreak of the full-scale war between Japan and China. Umezu Mijiro said: "Therefore, in this battle of Burma, our Burmese army has an absolute advantage, as long as we don't make low-level mistakes in command, it is very difficult to lose." But in any case, the lion fights the rabbit with all its might, and all armies and departments must be prepared for battle in advance, and remember not to take it lightly!" After a pause, Umezu Mijiro swept everyone with a sharp look, and said murderously: "This battle is related to the national fortune of the empire for a hundred years, and the Burmese army can only win and not lose!"

Whoever makes a mistake because of a low-level mistake will commit suicide to thank His Majesty the Emperor! "Hello!" "The Great Japanese Empire will win!" When it came to this, where could old devils such as Kimura Hyotaro and Anda Twenty-three still say half a word, and they all slammed down on the leader's life.

After setting the tone and finishing the opening remarks, Umezu Mijiro continued: "There is an old saying in China that says well, the three armies go first before the grain and grass are moved, and some preparations can be started before the various departments have arrived. For example, unplugging the radar network at the front of the Myanmar army,......"

General Headquarters of the Southern Dispatch Army. Idle for a while, Shouichi Terauchi once again stood in front of the map to appreciate the "great achievements" of the Southern Army. On the huge map, all areas of Southeast Asia, except for Burma, have been covered by the Rising Sun Banner of the Japanese Empire, and all of them have become the occupation areas of the Japanese Empire.

Even on the Australian mainland, more than half of the maps are now planted with the Rising Sun flag of the Japanese Empire. After looking at it for a long time, Terauchi Shouichi pressed the Australian continent on the map with his hand, looked back at the chief of staff of the Southern Army, Tsukada Tsukashi, and said: "Imamura-kun's ability is still very good, at present, more than half of the Australian continent has been captured in just two or three months, and there are only more than 100,000 British and Australian troops left to resist stubbornly in Cook, Warburton, Kalgoorlie and other places. "Hello!"

Tsukada nodded, and then said in a deep voice: "However, judging from the battle report, the situation on the battlefield in Australia cannot be completely calmed down in the short term. Because the RAF airfield is deep in the depths of the Tuao continent, it is difficult to completely destroy it. As a result, the airstrips that the 16th Army rushed to repair along the coast, as well as the naval aircraft carriers that fought together, were all facing a direct threat from the Royal Air Force.

The Imperial Air Force's delay in opening the situation in turn affected the army's offensive efficiency and advance speed, and the situation in the Australian battlefield was not optimistic. Terauchi nodded and said, "Well, due to the results of the Hawaiian battlefield, the Philippine battlefield, as well as Malaysia, Borneo and other battlefields, we have underestimated the difficulty of capturing Australia. The early inference is too optimistic! "yes."

Tsukada nodded and said, "The Australian knot is actually a continent of more than 7 million square kilometers!" Its size is by no means comparable to that of small islands such as Hawaii, the Philippines, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula. Terauchi Shouichi grinned: "But fortunately, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean have been controlled by the Imperial Navy, and the Anglo-Australian coalition forces have completely lost foreign aid and supplies, and they will only get weaker and weaker." The defeat of the British and Australian armies is ironclad, there is no suspense, and the fall of the whole of Australia is just around the corner!

Once the whole of Australia was conquered, the territory, population resources, and mineral resources of the Great Japanese Empire could be greatly enhanced again! When the time comes, we can concentrate our efforts on going back to solve the war in Burma and the Chinese battlefield, and the Japanese Empire will be able to sit back and relax! ”

Speaking of this, Terauchi Shou set his eyes on Myanmar, the only piece of the Southeast Asian battlefield that had not yet been planted with the Rising Sun Flag, and said with regret: "It's a pity that we started a month late, otherwise this place would have been the territory of the empire a long time ago, and it would not have gotten to this point today!" "Terauchi Shoichi sincerely regretted and regretted that although he had formulated an offensive strategy from the very beginning, he had made Burma a military target that had to be captured, and he had paid enough attention to it, sending the strongest Guards Division and the 33rd Division, which had been strengthened into a division of the first division, and also equipped with a division of supplementary troops.

But in the end, it was because of the fear of being attacked by the British Royal Fleet and the Royal Air Force that the pace of the attack on Burma was slowed down. As a result, such a hesitation made Jiang Qiang unknowingly exploit a big loophole, and in just one month, he not only drove the British forces out of Nanyang, but also increased the troops in Burma at the fastest speed and built a series of strong fortifications.

The 15th Army, which had taken a step forward later, bumped and bumped along the way, first the 55th Division was bruised in the small city of Yecheng, and then the Guards Division and the 33rd Division were attacked by the special forces of the Asian People's Liberation Army for a long time in the jungle area crossing the Thai-Burmese border, and they were covered with bruises.

It was not easy to get out of the scalp-numbing jungle area, but the 15th Army had to face the elite troops of the Asian People's Liberation Army (PLA) who had been recuperating for a long time and relied on strong fortifications. As a result, the head was once again broken and bloody, and the infantry combat unit of the 33rd Division was almost wiped out directly! Even the 3rd Flying Division was so badly wounded that it could no longer maintain air superiority and continue its wrenching bombing of Burma.

Even later, the initiative in the war completely fell into the hands of Jiang Qiang of the Asian People's Liberation Army, and the 15th Army had to retreat to the Thai-Burmese border, and was forced to turn from offensive to defensive! So for the only big defeat in this Southeast Asian battlefield, Terauchi Shouichi has a deep grudge! In addition, Terauchi Shouichi was also exhausted by Jiang Qiang's calculations in Tianjin, and at this time he also became cautious and gave Umezu Mijiro a chance.

He has been urging the 16th Army to solve the Australian battlefield as soon as possible, and free up his hands as soon as possible. In addition, Terauchi Shouichi also repeatedly asked the base camp to send more reinforcements, and it was best to transfer the veteran division, in order to be able to save the shame and rescue the not very decent defeat!

At this time, the base camp gave him a big surprise, and he actually sent an additional 400,000 imperial soldiers in one go, and there were as many as 7 old A division regiments alone, accounting for more than half of the total reinforcements! However, what made Terauchi Shouichi extremely aggrieved and so angry that he vomited blood was that the Burma Theater was directly promoted to a general army at the same level as the Southern Dispatch Army!

In other words, the war in Burma is no longer under the jurisdiction of the General Headquarters of the Southern Dispatch Army, and the success or failure of the war in Myanmar has nothing to do with Shouichi in his temple! In other words, if Umezu Mijiro really fights and conquers Myanmar cleanly, then Terauchi Shouichi will not be able to be ashamed in his life and rewrite this disgraceful "stain" in his military career!

Shouichi Terauchi, who was bent on promoting to the rank of field marshal of the Japanese army with his brilliant achievements and resume, was extremely depressed, and even once had the idea of hoping that the Burmese Front's offensive would be frustrated, and then he would take command! "Yes, our opponents are too cunning!"

Thinking of the bad things before, Tsukada was in a bad mood, and then said viciously: "This time the base camp has made up its mind, the empire has concentrated the superior forces, and it will definitely be able to calm the war in Burma in one fell swoop, and even annihilate the Asian Liberation Army with Jiangqiang!" After a pause, Tsukada Tsukashi gritted his teeth and said: "If we can kill that hateful Chinese commander Jiang Qiang on the battlefield in Burma, it would be great, and the Great Japanese Empire would have one less confidant!" ”

Terauchi Shouichi was a little upset when he heard this, and asked a little unhappily: "Tsukada-kun, do you really think that the Burmese army can really quell the war in Burma cleanly and neatly with the momentum of destroying the withering and decaying this time?" "Isn't that so?" Tsukada-kun was slightly stunned, and clearly heard the meaning of Terauchi Shouichi's words, and after thinking silently, he said in pieces: "500,000 elite imperial imperial troops, plus two flying divisions and a powerful imperial task force, can the 500,000 Chinese expeditionary force in Burma still turn the sky upside down?" ”

Shouichi Terauchi said softly: "I don't hope that the Burmese Front can cleanly capture Burma and cut off the last international lifeline of the Chinese government." I would have preferred that Jiang Qiang would have died in Burma, this hateful Chinese commander had caused too much damage to the Great Japanese Empire that would be difficult to heal! However, from the analysis of various past war examples, this hateful Chinese commander will never do a loss-making business, since he is still holding on to Burma, then he must have a hole card in his hand that we don't expect! ”

Tsukada said with some unconvinced: "I admit that our opponents are very strong, have extremely keen strategic vision, and will always play incredible results!" But in the face of absolute strength, all skills are in vain! I really don't believe that Jiang Qiang can still hold Myanmar this time! ”

"Are there still fewer famous generals in the empire planted in Jiang Qiang's hands? Wasn't it enough for the Great Japanese Empire to suffer at the hands of Jiang Qiang? Haven't you heard the ancient Chinese proverb that an arrogant soldier will be defeated? Terauchi Shouichi frowned, originally just casually raised the bar before, emphasizing that it was not that he was incompetent and could not get the final word about Myanmar, but that the opponent was too strong. But at this time, hearing that Tsukada was so blindly confident, Terauchi Shouichi suddenly had a bad feeling, and said in a deep voice: "If Umezu-kun thinks the same as you, I'm afraid that the Great Japanese Empire will suffer a big loss in Burma!"

Myanmar is mountainous and densely jungled, many areas are easy to defend and difficult to attack, and are not suitable for large-scale ground operations, even if the empire has the advantage of crushing troops, but if you are blindly confident, do not carefully study the opponent's layout to make effective countermeasures! The Imperial Army can easily take serious damage, not to mention that our opponents have an elusive special forces unit that is extremely good at jungle warfare! What's more, the empire can increase its troops, the Chinese government can also increase its troops, and the Nationalist government has already tasted the sweetness of American aid, and the chairman will not easily give up the Yunnan-Burma highway!

If the Burmese front's offensive is frustrated, the Nationalist Government and the Americans will surely spare no effort to support Burma when they see hope! "Hai, Your Excellency Commander!" After these words, Tsukada was deeply ashamed, and then he realized that he was really a little too blindly confident, and he didn't think about it in terms of viciousness. After a pause, Tsukada asked softly, "Your Excellency Commander, do you want to give General Umezu a wake-up call?" ”

"Wake up? What do you want to tell him? What can we offer him to defeat the enemy? Shouichi Terauchi shook his head slightly, if the Burma theater was still under the jurisdiction of the Southern Dispatch Army, then he could send a telegram as the commander-in-chief to warn and admonish.

However, Umezu Mijiro is also a general of the Japanese Army, and now he is still the commander of the general army on an equal footing with him, and there is no subordinate relationship at all. If you have any information, means, or strategies that can determine the outcome of the battle, then you can report it to Umezu Mijiro. However, if it is only out of concern to make a friendly reminder, it will undoubtedly make Umezu Mijiro think that he is doubting his basic judgment ability, and not only will it not work, but it will form a grudge for no reason.

There were these concerns in his heart, but Terauchi Shouichi would not say it clearly, but instead sang in a high-pitched voice: "Umezu-kun is a rare famous general in the empire, he can take care of the Kwantung Army in an orderly manner in a short period of time, and completely eliminate the bad atmosphere of the following grams.

Then, I believe that this time Umezu-kun will be able to lead the Imperial Army of Burma to achieve the final victory! The chariot of the Great Japanese Empire is unstoppable, and the Yamato nation will eventually become the greatest and noblest nation in the world! "Hello! It must be like this! Tsukada hurriedly paused, not daring to say any more nonsense, because he also reacted, and the proposal just now was really a bit stupid!

Jeres Seaside Fortress. After the 55th Division of the Little Devil attacked Yecheng for two days in a row and ran into blood, the helpless Devil Division Commander Shi Benyin San could only defeat Yecheng and make a detour to Mawlamyine to join the Guards Division! Since then, the smashed, undercooked seaside fortress of Yecheng has become a chicken rib in the eyes of the Japanese, and they really want to pull out this thorn in the flesh of the eye that was set at the forefront.

But the little devil calmed down and calculated, but found that it was not cost-effective at all, if he wanted to conquer this well-built mountain fortress, even with the full cooperation of the Imperial Air Force and Navy, at least three or four thousand people would have to die. So back and forth, although the seaside fortress of Yecheng fell into the occupied area for several months, there were no little devils to make trouble from beginning to end.

And why Jiang Qiang has always let the troops stick to this fortress, the main purpose is not to disgust the devils, but to operate this place into an "eye": several radar stations have been set up above the fortress to monitor the movements of the Japanese air force and navy, so as to make timely responses. After Umezu Mijiro took office as commander-in-chief of the Burmese Dispatch Army, after seeing this very prominent and conspicuous "eye" on the map of Myanmar, his first reaction was to be very surprised and puzzled.

Saying that the new official took office with three fires, Umezu Mijiro decided to put the first fire on the seaside fortress of Yecheng without thinking about it, and decided to divide a wing of elite troops from the Japanese troops who had just arrived in the Burma theater to pull out this thorn in the eye. After lunch on this day, Yang Ruifu, commander of the 7th Regiment of the 3rd Brigade of the Asian Liberation Army, He Wuxiang, deputy commander of the regiment, Wan Lianqing, commander of the first battalion, and Lu Hongxin, commander of the second battalion, were idle for a while, so they sat together for a tea party!

After Wan Lianqing picked up the kettle and poured water for Yang Ruifu, he said with a smile: "Tuanzao, I heard that this time the little devil is going to move seriously with our Asian People's Liberation Army, and he will use a full 500,000 army to attack Myanmar!" Hehe, such a big battle, our group always stays here and drinks the northwest wind, how boring! Do you want to send a telegram to our master, so that we can also go and fight the little devils! ”

Lu Hongxin hurriedly seconded: "Yes, I've been idle here for two or three months, and the brothers are about to fade out of their mouths, it's boring to wait and drink like this!" Yang Ruifu picked up the teacup and took a few sips of tea comfortably before scolding with a smile: "Don't you get cheap and sell well, eat and drink well every day, so you will be treated badly?" At most, the event venue is a little limited! ”

Wan Lianqing pursed his lips and said, "Tuanzuo, we didn't mean that!" We are a bunch of toilers, and we can't afford to be idle! The brother troops are all sharpening their knives and preparing for war, but we have been idle like this, and we feel so uncomfortable! The division will definitely bear the brunt again, our regiment has always fought tough battles, isn't that what? ”