Cross the Songhu battlefield and rise to become the most powerful warlord

Chapter 511 Command Level Meeting

511 Command Level Meeting

"But, Commander, Your Excellency.

We have no reinforcements, so we can reach Loikaw and Toungoo as soon as possible."

At this time, the Japanese chief of staff next to him also poured a basin of cold water on Shojiro Iida.

It was a good idea that Shojiro Iida did not want to lose Toungoo.

However, the actual situation now makes it difficult to achieve.

Once Toungoo was lost and occupied by the Expeditionary Force, the supplies of the four Japanese divisions on the front line would be cut off.

Not to mention the subsequent battles, how will the Japanese fight?

Just how to withdraw the tens of thousands of Japanese troops from the Mandalay front is a problem.

Iida Shojiro's face turned pale, and he immediately said, "Send a message to the 18th Division, and ask them to send back a regiment."

"It's too late."

"Then send a message to the garrison at Loikaw and the garrison at Toungoo.

Tell them to hold their positions until reinforcements arrive.

Stop this Chinese army that is infiltrating."

"There are only 500 defenders in Loikaw, but there are about 1,000 in Toungoo.

But most of them were vassal troops and baggage troops.

I’m afraid we won’t be able to stop the elite troops sent by Ye Qingshan to infiltrate us.”

"Baga, we have to defend it even if we can't."

Shojiro Iida was also angry at being repeatedly undermined by his chief of staff, and he shouted loudly.

He was facing the south at the time and couldn't find any other Japanese troops, so he quickly went to provide support.

The nearest Japanese invaders are two hundred kilometers away.

"Hi!"

When the Japanese chief of staff saw Shojiro Iida's angry look, like a tiger waiting for its prey, he responded tremblingly.

I dare not continue to sabotage.

It’s a pity that the Japanese reinforcements have not been sent out yet.

Around five o'clock in the afternoon, the Japanese chief of staff hurriedly brought new bad news.

"Commander, the fortification has been lost.

The armored battalion of the Chinese army's infiltration force took seven hours to rush to Leigu.

Our garrisoned troops were unable to stop them."

The Japanese chief of staff said with a sad face.

"idiot!"

Shojiro Iida roared, but there was nothing he could do.

Once Loikaw was lost, Toungoo was basically undefendable.

This is something the Japanese cannot stop at the moment.

Because Zhao Dongsheng's mobile regiment was moving too fast, the Japanese reinforcements had no time to rush over to reinforce.

After Toungoo was lost, their nearly 100,000 troops in Mandalay were surrounded by the expeditionary force.

The encirclement that happened to the expeditionary force in the past has now happened to them.

Now, Shojiro Iida is in trouble.

The expeditionary force's hasty retreat in Mandalay might happen to them.

"Commander, would you please send a message to our divisions on the Mandalay front and ask them to withdraw immediately?"

The Japanese Chief of Staff suggested.

"Baga, now our divisions in Mandalay have to retreat.

What should be done with the more than 5,000 troops from the two regiments of the 56th Division trapped in Bhamo and Myitkyina?

Are we going to abandon them?"

Iida Shojiro questioned loudly.

The Japanese chief of staff suddenly fell silent.

If the more than 5,000 elite Japanese troops trapped in Bamao were to be abandoned, not everyone would have the courage to make this decision.

“But if we don’t withdraw, Toungoo will be captured by the Chinese army.

They completed the encirclement of our divisions around Mandalay.

At that time, the situation would be very bad for our 15th Army."

After a moment, the Japanese chief of staff said worriedly.

At this time, it was a test for the Japanese commander. He had to choose to take drastic measures and immediately order the main Japanese force in Mandalay to abandon Mandalay and quickly retreat south.

Try to bring the army out before the expeditionary force's encirclement is completely completed.

Or choose to continue fighting the expeditionary force in Mandalay.

If the Japanese commander chooses the former, the main force of the Japanese 15th Army will most likely be able to be saved.

At most, they would lose some troops during the retreat, and also lose the hard-won territories such as Mandalay.

There shouldn't be a major rout like the expeditionary force's retreat.

But in this way, the 5,000 elite Japanese troops of the 56th Division trapped in Bamao were completely finished.

If the latter is chosen, the war will continue.

The Japanese army has been cut off from retreat and has lost its supplies, making it very difficult to fight the rest of the battle.

After a moment, Shojiro Iida made a decision.

"Send a telegram to the 33rd Division and ask them to send an elite force south to defend the Yenangyaung line.

We can't let the Chinese army take this place away again.

Let our logistics troops open up the road that goes north from Yenangyaung to Mandalay.

Open up a second supply line."

After Shojiro Iida finished speaking, the Japanese Chief of Staff understood that the old Japanese man Iida was unwilling to admit defeat.

I don't want to end this battle in such an embarrassing way.

He ultimately chose to continue fighting with the expeditionary force around Mandalay.

"Hi!"

The Japanese Chief of Staff responded.

The armored battalion that captured Leigu continued to advance towards Toungoo without stopping.

This was a standard rapid infiltration and roundabout tactic carried out by a small-scale armored force.

And, very successful.

If nothing goes wrong, the armored battalion will be able to reach Toungoo by dawn tomorrow.

By then, capturing Toungoo would completely reverse the war situation in Myanmar.

The stalemate that had just formed between the Expeditionary Force and the Japanese around Mandalay was quickly broken.

*

*

Just as the mobile regiment was moving rapidly southward, successively capturing Taunggyi and fortifying its base, Ye Qingshan also arrived at the new Allied headquarters on the evening of the 18th.

"Deputy Commander Ye, you are finally here."

Luo Zhuoying personally led people to greet them.

"Commander Luo, we meet again after parting in Jinling."

Ye Qingshan looked at Luo Zhuoying and said with a smile.

“Haha, yeah.

I never thought that after the battle in Nanjing, you and I would have the opportunity to work together."

Luo Zhuoying also felt a little emotional.

"Let's go, Deputy Commander Du and his men have arrived and are waiting for you.

Before I take you to see General Stilwell tomorrow.

The senior commanders of our expeditionary force, let’s meet first.”

"Ah."

Ye Qingshan nodded slightly.

After a while, Ye Qingshan followed Luo Zhuoying to his command post. Stilwell was not there for the time being.

"Wait a moment. I have sent someone to notify Deputy Commander Du and the others."

After nine o'clock in the evening, Du Yuming, deputy commander of the Expeditionary Force and commander of the Fifth Army, Gan Lichu, commander of the Sixth Army, and Zhang Zhen, commander of the 66th Army, also rushed over.

At this time, the five of them were the highest-ranking generals in the expeditionary force.

Among the other four people, Ye Qingshan had only met Luo Zhuoying. It was the first time that Ye Qingshan met the other three, including Du Yuming.

"Haha, Deputy Commander Ye, I've heard a lot about you."

Du Yuming greeted Ye Qingshan with a smile, very politely.

"Deputy Commander Du, you're too polite."

A few people greeted each other, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then quickly got to the point.

"This time, the five of us met mainly to determine the issue of the command of our expeditionary force."

Luo Zhuoying spoke first.

(The picture has been sent, please give me a gift! The ugly handwriting has nothing to do with me, I will never admit that I wrote it.)