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Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Rebirth of the war years Volume 1 On the Songhua River Chapter 1095 The Siege of Mandalay
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- Chapter 1095 Siege of Mandalay
The British army could arrive from Mandalay to Yegan and Indo in two hours at most if they marched mechanized, and in more than five hours if they marched on foot. However, the Japanese army invading the north could arrive in cars, It would take more than six hours to get there if we ran on two legs, and the Japanese army during World War II had not yet reached the level of mechanization. .
But when the British army arrived listlessly at Ye'an and Indo, a regiment of the 133rd Division, the Japanese vanguard, had already established a position here. Speaking of which, the British Chief of Staff Francis sent a combat group to defend , when I set out from Mandalay, I didn't have enough confidence in my heart. These British troops were driven all the way to Mandalay from Thailand and southern Myanmar by the Japanese.
Now, they were ordered to go back to fight the Japanese army. From the commander to the ordinary soldiers, they finally escaped with great difficulty. Even those who were unwilling to do so, it took more than three hours just to assemble the troops in Mandalay. , hesitantly got into the car, being suspicious all the way, and the car drove like an ox cart. From Mandalay to Yegan and Indo, it was a fifty-kilometer journey, which took six or seven hours, and the Japanese 1133rd Division The vanguard wing of the regiment, relying on its two legs, ran in front of the British and occupied Ye'an and Indo.
A regiment of more than 4,000 troops faced tens of thousands of troops from two British-Burmese divisions, three brigades, and two tank regiments. They were not afraid at all. What did the two division commanders do when the British troops arrived? The attack was launched and the noise lasted for more than an hour. The listless British soldiers, opposite Ye'an and Indo, were busy watching the Japanese soldiers frantically building fortifications.
At about two o'clock in the afternoon, the British army was in the beginning of the offensive to retake Ye'an and Indo. With two tank regiments as the forerunners, they covered the shrinking British soldiers and headed towards the Japanese positions.
Several tanks were blown up, and the Japanese soldiers were beaten by light and heavy machine guns and 38-type rifle bullets. More than a hundred people were killed and injured. This led to the British army's first attack, and the entire line collapsed. The British army ran back in chaos. The soldiers did not listen to the commander's greetings at all. Such an effect surprised all the Japanese soldiers who were preparing to fight. .
Another attack failed, leaving hundreds of corpses behind. After several rounds of pushing and fighting, tens of thousands of British troops and more than a hundred tanks were defeated by more than 4,000 Japanese soldiers. With light weapons, they attacked one after another. After being repulsed, at around four o'clock in the afternoon, the main forces of the Japanese 113th Division and the 97th Division arrived.
The cannon was set up and it was fired hard at the British troops gathered on the opposite side. The British troops were knocked unconscious at that time, and the position began to become chaotic. The British soldiers who had withdrawn all the way had experience and knew it as soon as they heard the sound of the cannon. , the large Japanese troops came up, who still had the intention to recapture Ye'an and Indo, and if they were not defeated at the right time, they already deserved the reputation of being called elite by Alexander.
In fact, the Japanese troops who rushed to Ye'an and Indo only numbered more than 50,000, while the British troops had more than 70,000, and their weapons and equipment were twice as powerful as those of the Japanese. As long as you have the courage, you can launch a counterattack and kill the two The division's Japanese troops were completely sure to be defeated at the front lines of Ye'an and Indo. However, the strange thing was that more than 50,000 Japanese soldiers launched a full-line assault against more than 70,000 British troops.
The ferocious and fierce attack of the Japanese army frightened the British, and they immediately retreated in a hurry. Taking advantage of the victory of the Japanese army heading north, they bit the British and refused to let go. They chased and beat them all the way, and got mixed up with the British army. The battlefield As they approached Mandalay step by step, the Japanese army could not defeat the British, and the British army could not get rid of the Japanese. They became entangled in two situations.
The British troops who lost their fighting spirit and were eager to escape and run back to Mandalay were beaten so hard by the Japanese that they couldn't even fight back. Behind the rolling battle group, only three days' journey away, was the main force of hundreds of thousands of Japanese Southeast Asia Expeditionary Forces. , the black pressure came over, and Francis issued one order after another, ordering the British troops to block attacks step by step, and to fight and retreat.
Strangely enough, the British seemed to be suffering from "Japanese phobia". None of the troops could bear this important task. They just focused on running to Mandalay. Two days later, the war finally burned to the outskirts of Mandalay, and Of the more than 70,000 British troops sent to Ye'an and Indo, only more than 50,000 troops rolled and crawled back to Mandalay. The Japanese troops who pursued them lost only a few thousand people. .
Francis disobeyed Alexander's military orders, and the Yegan and Yinduo defense clusters he organized were defeated. He ran back to Mandalay with many soldiers and armor removed, and finally heard the "rumbling" sound of the Japanese artillery. Mandalay was completely The city fell into panic. The British ruled the Indochina Peninsula for decades and fought a battle that stunned the world. The British Empire lost no face in Asia.
At this time, the Japanese troops surrounding Mandalay only numbered more than 50,000 people in two divisions, and the British and Burmese troops in Mandalay City numbered more than 400,000. If the British had the courage and courage to fight again,More than 100,000 people can drown the Japanese army. Francis can no longer organize even a small-scale counterattack to change the current passive situation.
But the British were completely panicked. An atmosphere of despair and terror spread like a plague among the British soldiers. Just as Francis reported the dangerous situation in Mandalay to Alexander, some British commanders were already secretly Discuss and contact the Japanese about surrender. Can such a unit still fight?
For two whole days, the more than 400,000 British and Burmese troops in Mandalay did nothing. They neither had the guts or courage to devote all their strength to a full-scale counterattack against the Japanese army, nor did they build defenses around Mandalay. Francis was at his wits' end and his troops were out of control.
Almost all the British have pinned their hopes on the outcome of their commander-in-chief, General Alexander, and his party, waiting for reinforcements to fall from the sky to relieve the British siege. Perhaps, since the Opium War, they have not looked at China seriously. The British have never been so eager for the Chinese to come to them as soon as possible and block the Japanese bullets for them.
Even if they did not make preparations to hold on and did not have the courage to break through, the tens of thousands of Japanese troops in Myitkyina became a high-voltage line that the British did not dare to touch. If the British troops continued to retreat unswervingly, the 190,000 remaining troops in the temple might not be able to survive. It could stop the more than 400,000 British and Burmese troops who were determined to escape, but during this period, Alexander did not issue a clear order to the troops.
In this way, with the British in the city in chaos and disoriented, the most precious two days passed, and the British did nothing. This is really the strangest phenomenon in the history of world wars. More than 400,000 soldiers were killed by 50,000 Surrounded by many Japanese troops, they were in a posture of waiting to be killed.
Two days later, the main force of Japan's Southeast Asia Expeditionary Force appeared on the Ya'an and Indo lines, merged into one line at Kyaukme, and rushed towards Mandalay like a flood. Immediately, an encirclement of Mandalay was formed, with more than 400,000 troops The British-Burmese army became the turtle in the urn, and the British finally suffered a catastrophe. They paid the due price for their cowardice and avoidance of war, and for their harm to others and not self-interest.
General Ito Genzaburo, commander-in-chief of Japan's Southeast Asia Expeditionary Force, stood proudly on the hillside north of Kyaukmei. Under his feet were countless Japanese troops rolling forward. Through the telescope, Mandalay could already be seen. Outline, at this time, Ito Yanzaburo was prouder than ever. There were at least a dozen commanders at the imperial theater level.
But which one created his own brilliant record, encircling more than 400,000 enemy soldiers at the cost of no more than 10,000 casualties. In a few months, he swept across the Indochina Peninsula and attacked the British like a tornado and a strong wind. It was so smooth that I was a little surprised. This rich land was in my hands and belonged to the territory of the Japanese Empire. This sense of pride in opening up new territories made Ito's eyes warm.
Major General Nitta, the chief of staff of the dispatched force, looked at his commander with reverence. It was undeniable that the commander was a genius. With such a record, even those guys in the navy could not catch up. The commander was destined to remain in the annals of the empire forever. Of course, there was an element of luck in this. A senior staff officer ran over with a telegram. Nitta waved his hand to stop him. He didn't want his men to disturb the general's wandering mood at this time.
After reading the telegram, Nitta asked respectfully: "Commander-in-Chief, the frontline troops called to ask if they would immediately launch a full-line attack on the British in Mandalay? I think that our Imperial Japanese Army troops are now so powerful. Ruhong, with high fighting spirit, it should be an easy task to occupy Mandalay and eliminate the British. Therefore, I personally think that we should immediately order the troops to attack Mandalay! "
General Ito Genzaburo smiled enigmatically, shook his head slightly, and said: "Nitta-kun, the ancient Chinese art of war is sometimes more powerful than cannons and machine guns. The British have lost their fighting spirit and attack immediately. This will make the British in despair continue to fight and cause unnecessary casualties to the troops. If the order is given, all troops will immediately form an encirclement around Mandalay and build positions. They will not attack. I will use the strength of the troops to suppress the situation and destroy it. The British will to resist.¡±
In fact, Ito was too cautious and overestimated the fighting will and morale of the British. If the Japanese army attacked Mandalay immediately, the more than 400,000 British and Burmese soldiers in the city would definitely not be able to hold on for a day. The Japanese Just wait to capture a lot of prisoners and accept surrender!
Chief of Staff Nitta, after listening to Ito's eloquent remarks, did not doubt the Commander-in-Chief's decision at all. Just as he was about to leave, Ito stopped him again and said: "Nita-kun, you know that there is a plan in the ancient Chinese art of war. Is it called a soldier who conquers the enemy without fighting?" Nitta shook his head blankly. Why did the commander-in-chief ask such a strange question? What else can the inferior Chinese people learn from us, the generals of the Japanese Empire?
Ito Yanzaburo smiled reservedly, and said gently to the confused Chief of Staff Nitta: "Nitta-kun, go and convey my order!" You will witness a miracle.
(To be continued)
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