PFC Chapter 678: Fame Abroad
Chapter 678: Fame Abroad
The two Type B divisions of the Japanese Army suffered heavy losses, but they did not dare to give up the pursuit and could only hang on from a distance, hoping that the follow-up troops would arrive. Now they were really afraid that the Expeditionary Force would turn around and attack them again.
On the expeditionary side, the 200th Division and the New 38th Division were still responsible for covering the rear. In order to block the Japanese mechanized troops and large-caliber artillery, they would blow up the road every time they traveled a certain distance, and would not let go of the bridges.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the team passed the Irrawaddy River Bridge. Hundreds of kilograms of explosives were detonated, completely blocking the threat to the retreat. More than a dozen planes flew away. The reason why the British Air Force did not participate much in the battle was to protect the bridge. In the mountains on both sides of the bridge, plane wreckage could be seen everywhere, as if telling of the fierce air battle before.
After crossing the river, they were temporarily safe. As long as the Japanese army did not detour from the south, they did not have to worry about the pursuers behind them. The wounded of the 200th Division and the New 38th Division were finally treated. The Expeditionary Force did not have many doctors, and the medical level was limited. They could only deal with lightly wounded soldiers, but were helpless when faced with seriously wounded soldiers.
There are many military doctors in the British army, and they finally put aside their pride at this time. They know very well that it is not absolutely safe yet, and if they want to retreat safely, they have to rely on the Chinese Expeditionary Force.
There was no shortage of doctors among the press corps and missionaries, and they all participated in the treatment. Lucy, a reporter from the United States, was very busy and had performed more than ten operations. There was still a long line behind her. All those who could enter Lucy's tent were seriously injured. These people had originally not had any hope, and some even kept urging their comrades to abandon them, leaving behind a few grenades and leaving them to fend for themselves. Watching the wounded being carried out one by one, the seriously injured outside the tent had hope in their eyes.
Chen Feng felt much more relaxed when he learned that the expeditionary forces had all broken out of the encirclement and crossed the Irrawaddy River.
The Japanese high-ranking officers were almost going crazy. The attack on the baggage train caused too much damage. If those shells had been transported up, the expeditionary force and the British army would never have escaped so easily.
The commander of the Allied Forces, Shojiro Iijima, was furious when he heard the news. There was no news from the two encirclement and suppression regiments. This was definitely not a simple guerrilla force, but most likely a secret force of a certain country or organization. It was this mysterious team that caused the Imperial Japanese Army to lose a heavy artillery regiment, two infantry regiments and hundreds of tons of ammunition. They must be wiped out.
The two Type B divisions of the Japanese Army turned around, the bridge was bombed, and the river was turbulent. They could only stare blankly in the dense forest on the east side of the river. They had to rely on searching for rafts to cross the river. Not only was it risky, but by the time they completed the crossing, it would be too late.
The two divisions still have nearly 30,000 troops. Their mission is to search from north to south. The two southern regiments set out from Yangon and entered the Pegu Mountains to search from south to north, making sure to encircle the mysterious forces inside the Pegu Mountains.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the expeditionary coalition forces set out again after resting. The news had spread and caused an uproar around the world.
The incident quickly escalated. Yenangyaung, this inconspicuous place name in the country of thousands of pagodas, instantly became popular. The telegrams flying all over the sky were full of words such as the 200th Division, the New 38th Division and the Chinese Expeditionary Force.
The Chinese Expeditionary Force could have retreated back to China, but in order to rescue the 7,000 British troops and journalists and missionaries from all over the world, they bravely moved forward, changed their route back home, and attacked the Japanese troops in Yenangyaung without hesitation. Facing the encirclement of three Japanese divisions, they fought a classic blocking battle and counterattack, wiped out more than 10,000 Japanese troops, and completed the redemption of the British troops and journalists and missionaries.
The British tasted the sweetness of the Expeditionary Force and summed up this battle. If their own troops had not withdrawn too quickly, the bilateral alliance would have had a chance to stop the Japanese army. Upon learning that the Expeditionary Force would evacuate with their own people, the higher-ups instructed that the Expeditionary Force soldiers must be treated well, and they would have to be the main force in the future counterattack against the Japanese army.
As November approaches, the temperature in Mengshan is dropping sharply. A few days ago, it was still a bit hot at noon, but now it is cool and still a bit cold in the mornings and evenings.
The pear tree in front of the door has begun to shed its leaves. There was a lot of fog in the morning, and it seemed as if water droplets were condensing in the air, making it chilly everywhere.
"Captain, the Pegu Regiment sent an urgent telegram saying that approximately 30,000 Japanese troops have entered the Pegu Mountains from the northern region and are searching towards the south. There are also two regiments at the southern end. They are slower than the Japanese troops in the north, but they are searching very thoroughly."
Chen Feng was pulling at the cucumber rack. There were still a few juicy little cucumbers. They hadn't changed in several days. They must have been unable to withstand the killing effect of the autumn frost.
"Retreat!"
"ah"?
Li Yunyan was stunned. Wang Hanqiang was ready to use the terrain to kill a large number of Japanese soldiers, so why should he retreat at this time?
"Call back. Hide the weapons and equipment. Take away everything that can be taken away. Use the cover of darkness tonight to retreat to the Shan Plateau. Set up a base there and wait for the counterattack of the British army and the expeditionary force. In the next period of time, you can attack southward. If there is a chance, infiltrate Malaysia and Singapore. Learn the language there. Everyone must not only know it, but also be proficient in it. Try to join the Holy Spear Regiment across the sea as soon as possible."
Li Yunyan finished taking notes and was still looking at the captain. Chen Feng hardened his heart and twisted off a tender cucumber. Since it couldn't grow big, it shouldn't be wasted.
"Captain, I'm not waiting for cucumbers, that's all"?
"Ah! That's all! Just send it like this, Wang Hanqiang and Lu Feihu will understand."
Li Yunyan was speechless. She washed the cucumber, munched on it, and went into the house.
Malacca is the future water throat. It is meaningless to just occupy the west side. We must also have a foothold on the east side. However, we cannot do it now. We have to look for opportunities. The best time is to counterattack the Japanese army.
Wang Hanqiang was a little confused when he received the telegram. Everything was ready, but the captain ordered a retreat. Was he afraid of the loss of the two Pegu regiments?
After reading the telegram, Wang Hanqiang lit a cigarette and thought silently. He almost realized that the captain was playing chess again and he was an important chess piece. Well, the captain never made a mistake. He had to believe in the captain and obey the captain's orders anytime and anywhere. Wang Hanqiang would never forget the captain's kindness. If Chen Feng had not appeared, he might not be able to avenge his sister now.
On the evening of November 11, the first and second regiments of Pegu evacuated. The supplies and ammunition that could not be taken away were hidden very secretly. Even if the Japanese army sent 3 people to search the mountains, they might not be able to find them. To be on the safe side, the two regiments gave the Japanese a surprise attack when they were about to enter the Shan Plateau. They sneaked into two small towns that the Japanese army had just occupied. Wherever they passed, there was no grass left. Not only did they kill two battalions of Japanese soldiers, they also looted all the ammunition and supplies they carried. Most importantly, they robbed more than mules and horses.