PFC Chapter 39: Defense of Imphal (8)
Chapter 39: Defense of Imphal (8)
On the 21st, the sky was overcast, seemingly foreshadowing the impending battle. The Japanese 33rd Division's offensive along the southern front of Imphal appeared exhausted, but a large force of 1 to 1 men, under cover of artillery fire, launched a diversionary attack. Meanwhile, Japanese troops across the Dongdun River bombarded the New st Brigade's positions in a bluff attempt to distract them.
East of Imphal, the New 22nd Division encountered a fierce attack from the Japanese 18th Division. Commanded by Lieutenant General Shinichi Tanaka, the division comprised three infantry regiments and other attached units. Despite suffering some losses in previous battles, it maintained a strong fighting capacity. In contrast, the New 22nd Division faced immense pressure, as it not only had to withstand enemy attacks but also cope with adverse weather conditions and complex terrain.
As time went on, the Japanese gradually broke through the New 22nd Division's defenses, and the situation became increasingly critical. Division Commander Liao Yaoxiang was terrified, knowing that if his defenses collapsed, the entire battle would be affected. So, he urgently mobilized the reserve forces and personally led them into the front lines.
In the fierce battle, soldiers from both sides engaged in a desperate struggle. With tenacious fighting spirit and outstanding tactical skills, the Japanese repeatedly attacked the defenses of the New 22nd Division. The New 22nd Division, relying on its sturdy fortifications and dense firepower, stubbornly resisted the enemy's attacks. The battlefield was filled with smoke, flames, and the shouts of killing and the roar of gunfire intertwined, deafening.
At this critical moment, the soldiers of the new 22nd Division displayed unparalleled bravery and tenacity. Disregarding their own safety, they bravely fought the enemy in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat. Many soldiers were seriously wounded, yet they remained at their posts, risking their lives to defend the dignity and honor of the nation. Meanwhile, Liao Yaoxiang, commanding the troops with unwavering determination and flexibly employing various tactics, effectively orchestrated a counterattack, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese.
The Japanese army launched an offensive from early morning until 4 p.m., and continued to attack at noon. Despite the utmost efforts of Liao Yaoxiang and the soldiers of the New 22nd Division, some key positions were still captured by the Japanese. The New 22nd Division was forced to abandon the southern areas of Homalin and Modu and concentrate its forces on defending Yingduo and Kajialuo, protecting the northern expeditionary force's evacuation route. In this way, the main force of the Japanese 18th Division and the troops of the 33rd Division on the eastern front met up. The Japanese troops attacking Imphal no longer needed to resupply from the improvised roads opened on the western front, allowing the Japanese to allocate more mobile forces to attack Imphal and the surrounding areas!
Sun Liren and his men were immediately informed of the battle situation and made new arrangements based on the changing circumstances. First, through Chief of Staff Martin, they contacted the US and British Air Forces, requesting them to focus on seizing partial air superiority in the Japanese-occupied areas. They deployed their air forces to strike Japanese supply lines, bomb bridges and key roads, and disrupt Japanese troop movements. Subsequently, Yang Hong and Strang planned a counterattack against the Japanese, preparing to launch a surprise attack at night east of Imphal, on the east bank of the Dongdun River, to break through the Japanese defenses in that area and seize advantageous terrain. According to their estimates, the Japanese 18th Division would inevitably approach from this point, and the Japanese offensive against Imphal would shift to the east.
Yang Hong and Strang's plan was incredibly detailed and specific. They intended to combine the remaining two tank battalions and one mechanized infantry battalion of the 113th Tank Brigade, along with the bulk of the 1th Regiment, and the 114th and 82nd Regiments of the new 214st Brigade, to form a powerful assault group. This assault group's mission was to force a crossing of the Dongdun River, attack the remaining forces of the 33th Regiment on the east bank, and completely defeat them. They would then circle around to the rear of the rd Division and attack its attached artillery and supply units.
Such an operation would effectively weaken the offensive capabilities of the Japanese 33rd Division. This would relieve the defenders of Imphal and strengthen the defenses on the west bank of the Dongdun River. At the same time, the troops occupying the east bank would be prepared to jointly counter the attack of the Japanese 18th Division. This plan, which fully considered the troop distribution and tactical advantages of both sides, was both feasible and strategic. If successfully implemented, it would have a significant impact on the war situation.
That night, under cover of darkness, the Chinese and British armies first quietly crossed the river with a battalion from the 114th Regiment, occupying the riverbank and mudflats. Subsequently, the entire 114th Regiment crossed the river and quietly occupied the weakly defended area east of the river. Subsequently, with the help of the direct engineering company, two battalions of the 114th Tank Brigade crossed the Dongdun River using a temporary pontoon bridge and advanced to the core of the Japanese defenses on the east bank. Following them, the infantry battalions of the 214th Brigade and various units of the 113th Regiment immediately launched a surprise attack on the defending forces of the Japanese th Regiment, capturing the enemy positions in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, a part of the th Regiment quietly circled behind the Japanese troops and secretly approached the Japanese artillery positions.
"Attack!" With Cai Yong's order, more than ten mortars and infantry guns of the 113th Regiment launched an assault on the Japanese artillery positions. Countless shells landed on the Japanese artillery positions, blowing them apart and leaving them in ruins.
"What? The artillery was attacked?" Okazaki Seizaburo was also confused when he received the news. Where did the Chinese army come from? This was the third time the 33rd Division was attacked, and this time the artillery was attacked first!
This is a disgrace to the 33rd Division! Okazaki was cursing the artillery unit when the duty staff officer came in with a report that the 214th Regiment's position east of Dongdun River had been attacked.
"Why didn't you report it earlier?!" Okazaki frantically questioned the staff officer on duty. Just when the staff officer wanted to explain that this was a report just sent by the 214th Regiment, Sakurai, who had lost his mind, was like an enraged beast. He suddenly drew the sword beside him and cut the staff officer in half with one stroke!
The Chief of Staff, who had hurried over to see his men being killed, flew into a rage, questioning Okazaki's reason for the indiscriminate slaughter and threatening to report the incident to the 15th Army headquarters. Sakurai's adjutant immediately grabbed the Chief of Staff and explained the situation to the two.
Seeing that the situation was critical, the chief of staff also knew that this matter needed to be handled calmly. Regardless of Sakurai's presence, he immediately ordered his adjutant to notify the commander of the 214th Regiment to concentrate troops to counterattack. At the same time, he ordered the nearby cavalry regiment, engineering regiment and headquarters guard to immediately support the artillery and counterattack the Chinese army's attack.
Okazaki, awakening from a dream, ordered the 213th Regiment to dispatch a battalion to counterattack the encircling Chinese troops. He also ordered the captain of the battalion of the 214th Regiment defending Dongdun River to be subjected to military court!