Theoretically speaking, Stilwell's plan for the Battle of Mandalay was possible to succeed.
Because at this time the total strength of the British-Burmese Army, the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the US Army was close to 200,000, but the Japanese army used to attack Burma only had four divisions: the 18th, 33rd, 55th, and 56th, of which the 55th
, the 56th Division was still a three-unit division. The total strength of the Japanese army was less than 100,000, and the Allies had an absolute advantage in terms of strength.
The Allies had the upper hand in terms of military strength, and the combat effectiveness of the Allied forces seemed to be theoretically stronger than that of the Japanese.
In terms of individual weapons, the Fifth Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force is a truly mechanized army. The Sixth Army and the Sixty-sixth Army are also elite divisions that have emerged from the flames of war. In addition,
Having newly accepted the ordnance provided by the British, its combat effectiveness has been greatly improved, and is not inferior to the most elite field divisions of the Japanese army.
Although the British-Burmese Army has been frightened by the Japanese, they still have three divisions plus several *** brigades, with nearly 100,000 troops. Moreover, one of the three main divisions of the British-Burmese Army is a tank and armored division.
, In addition, the British-Burmese army must comprehensively surpass the Japanese army in terms of artillery caliber, quantity and performance.
In terms of hard power, the only area where the Allies do not have an advantage is perhaps the Army Air Force. The Japanese Army Air Force has been flying and fighting on the Chinese battlefield for four full years. Its flight experience and actual combat capabilities are far beyond those of the US and British Air Forces. Chennault's
Although the Flying Tigers won their first battle, their scale was too small to turn the situation around.
However, in terms of soft power, the Allied forces were at an absolute disadvantage compared to the Japanese army!
The Japanese army has an efficient and effective command system. Most of their officers and soldiers have been fighting with the Chinese Army on the Chinese battlefield for four full years. Whether it is the command ability of senior officers or the tactical literacy of grassroots officers and soldiers,
They have reached the highest peak in history, and it can be said that the military is at its peak.
However, the British and Burmese troops among the Allied forces had completely lost the confidence and courage to fight the Japanese army decisively.
The worst thing was that the Allied command system was fragmented and had overlapping powers. Stilwell was technically the chief of staff of the China-Burma-India Theater and the supreme commander of Burma, but in fact he could not command Du Yuming's China Expedition.
army, let alone Alexander's Anglo-Burmese army, the command of the Allied forces was completely in disarray.
Stilwell ambitiously wanted to severely damage the Japanese army in Mandalay, but reality shattered his dream.
As soon as the Japanese forwards appeared near Mandalay, the British and Burmese troops on the western front fled without a fight, and did not even say hello to Stilwell, the nominal supreme commander, before retreating.
The Chinese Expeditionary Force was caught off guard by the British, and the situation in Mandalay suddenly took a turn for the worse.
At this time, the Japanese 18th and 55th Divisions attacked Mandalay from the east, the 33rd Division detoured from Yan'anqiang to the west, and the 56th Division also with the help of the Burmese people, within a few days
After completing a long detour of thousands of miles, the surprise attack on Lashio was successful, which immediately cut off the Chinese Expeditionary Force's retreat route back to China through the Burma Highway.
What's even more frightening is that a large amount of U.S. supplies aiding China were accumulated at the Lashio Railway Station. Before they could be rushed back to China, they were now all at the advantage of the Japanese army.
Lieutenant General Masao Watanabe, commander of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army, couldn't help but be overjoyed when he saw the mountains of supplies at the Lashio Railway Station. He immediately sent a victory telegram to the Southern Army Headquarters and the Japanese Army Base Camp: Our division started in Lashio.
, the traffic on the Yunnan-Burma Highway has been cut off, and a large amount of American aid supplies and equipment to China have been seized.
After the fall of Lashio, seeing that the three Japanese armies were about to encircle the Chinese Expeditionary Force, Chairman Chiang panicked and urgently ordered Du Yuming to lead his troops to retreat to Myitkyina, an important town in northern Myanmar. Du Yuming faithfully carried out Chairman Chiang's military order.
Despite Stilwell's firm opposition, he insisted on leading his troops to retreat to Myitkyina.
However, the Chinese Expeditionary Force's plan to retreat to Myitkyina soon aborted.
At the end of September of the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941), the 56th Tank Regiment of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army, after obtaining a large amount of fuel and thousands of trucks accumulated at Lashio Railway Station, immediately followed the example of the German army in northern Myanmar.
They used blitz tactics in the jungle and drove more than 500 miles north in two days to seize Myitkyina before the Chinese troops.
After the fall of Myitkyina, all roads leading back to China for the Chinese Expeditionary Force were blocked by the Japanese army.
At this time, General Du Yuming, known as the "Huangpu Tiger General", was already in chaos. In his opinion, there were only two ways to survive before the Chinese Expeditionary Force, either to withdraw to India or to abandon heavy equipment.
They had to cross the Foreigners Mountain to return home, but Chairman Chiang’s telegram to General Du was to bring the expeditionary force back home no matter what!
Jingxing County, 39th Army Headquarters.
After the Communist Party's southward plan began, the North China battlefield fell silent.
The new commander of the North China Front, Shunroku Hata, did not launch the Battle of Luliang Mountain in the end, because a large number of elite veterans from the North China battlefield had been transferred to the Southeast Asian and Pacific battlefields. At this time, although the designations of the Japanese divisions remaining in North China had not changed, the division's subordinates
The infantry regiment has been mobilized to a complete mess.
In view of this situation, the Japanese army's strategy in North China has shifted from offense to defense.
After the Japanese army moved to defense, the Eighth Route Army became active again on the battlefield behind enemy lines. The Eighth Route Army headquarters quickly dispatched a large number of armed work teams to carry out work in the occupied areas. With the hard work of the Eighth Route Army commanders and fighters, several base areas were finally reopened.
, the Eighth Route Army finally gained a firm foothold on the battlefield behind enemy lines.
However, Yue Weihan's 39th Group Army had no plans to go east out of Tumen.
The 39th Group Army has more than enough to hold on to the Taihang Mountains, but it is wishful thinking to defeat the main force of the North China Front Army, which has a field heavy artillery brigade and an aviation regiment to assist in the Jizhong Plain. In this case, the wisest choice is to concentrate on the production of arms and fully expand the army.
Prepare for a full-scale counterattack in the future.
But now, Yue Weihan couldn't sit still.
The Japanese army went south earlier than in history, and the Chinese Expeditionary Force also entered Burma to participate in the war earlier than in history. However, the final result did not change much. Even the process was similar. The Chinese, American, and British Allied Forces were ultimately defeated. The Chinese Expeditionary Force
It seems that the army will inevitably embark on the road of no return on Savage Mountain.
Such a result is definitely not what Yue Weihan wants to see.
The expeditionary force is the elite among the army, and Du Yuming's Fifth Army is even more ruthless among the elite.
The equipment level of the Fifth Army was considered luxurious for the Soviet Union at that time. The Fifth Army owned more than 80 Soviet-style T-26 tanks, more than 100 German-made armored vehicles, and more than 400 American-made Ford trucks. Each division was equipped with them.
There are mountain artillery or field artillery battalions, and the artillery regiment directly under the army is equipped with 24 150mm caliber field heavy howitzers!
The armor strength and artillery firepower of the Fifth Army were beyond the reach of even the 39th Group Army.
Until the end of September in the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941), the 39th Army had no decent artillery.
The artillery regiments of each division only have 60 mortars in addition to heartless guns. Niu Dagen's artillery brigade still uses Japanese field guns and infantry guns. Yue Weihan finally bought more than 200 75mm caliber guns from the United States through Helen.
The American howitzer was intercepted by the Japanese at Lashio Railway Station before it could be rushed back to China.
When the news came, Yue Weihan really cried without tears. He spent a total of 5 million US dollars to buy these more than 200 howitzers from the United States. Now they are so cheap, ***, who should Yue Weihan turn to for comment? However,
Compared with these cannons, Yue Weihan was obviously more concerned about the fate of the 100,000 officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force.
If the cannon is gone, you can still buy it from the United States, and the U.S. government will provide strong assistance.
But if 100,000 officers and soldiers of the Indo-Burma Expeditionary Force died in Savage Mountain, it would definitely be an unbearable huge loss for China's war of resistance. How long and how much energy would it take to recruit and train a hundred thousand troops again?
And the cost? Moreover, no matter how well-trained the troops are, they cannot compare to the old troops who have been on the battlefield and seen blood!
No matter what, the expeditionary force cannot go to Savage Mountain, it must not go to Savage Mountain!
Amidst the rapid footsteps, Colonel Liu Xin and Zhao Xinyi walked in one after another, and immediately stood at attention and saluted at the same time.
Yue Weihan waved his hand and said to Liu Xin: "Liu Xin, immediately send a transoceanic telegram to Helen, asking her to do whatever it takes to create a coup and force the US government to put pressure on the National Government through the crackdown.
Chairman Chiang immediately replaces the commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Force. Du Yuming is out, I am up!"
"Yes!" Liu Xin stood at attention and immediately took the order.
Yue Weihan really didn't think too much about the choice of commander to save the expeditionary force.
In this world, if even Yue Weihan, a time traveler, can't save the expeditionary force, then really no one can.
Yue Weihan then said to Zhao Xinyi: "Comrade Zhao Xinyi, please immediately send a message to Yan'an, Chairman Mao, and Mr. Zhu, saying that I intend to lead an expedition to Burma. Firstly, it can save the country and the nation from danger, and secondly, it can take the opportunity to expand the international presence of our party and army."
After our group army departs, Li Qinglong’s Tumen Fortress Guard Brigade will continue to be stationed!”
Yue Weihan did not dare to make his own decisions on such a big matter as leading an expedition to Burma.
This is no longer a simple military incident. In a sense, it is already a political incident.
However, Yue Weihan absolutely believed in Chairman Mao. From Chairman Mao's perspective, it was impossible for him not to see the huge benefits to the CCP of the 39th Group Army's expedition to Myanmar. After the 39th Group Army arrived in Myanmar, it could directly receive assistance and equipment from the United States, and it was of great significance to go abroad to fight the war.
It is so important that it can easily gain the full support of the people in the rear areas and overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.
More importantly, Yue Weihan will be able to openly contact the United States as a communist.
Yue Weihan believed that as long as he consciously weakened ideological differences, or even directly described socialism as "state capitalism," and in addition the Chinese Communist regime was far more clean and efficient than the Nationalist government at the time, the U.S. government's consistent policy
Realism means that even if we do not give up on the national government, we will definitely provide strong assistance to the Chinese Communist regime.
Historically, the U.S. government has made proposals to abandon the national government and directly aid the CCP.
In addition, after Yue Weihan led the main force of the 39th Army to leave, Li Qinglong, who stayed in the Taihang Mountains, could leave the KMT at the appropriate time. Li Qinglong is now just a major general and brigade commander. Even if he leaves the KMT and joins the Eighth Route Army, he will not be able to join the Eighth Route Army.
It would cause too much trouble, so that the Eighth Route Army could successfully take over the Taihang Mountain base area.
With the backing of the Taihang Mountain base and the assistance of the United States, the Eighth Route Army will definitely be stronger than in history.
If Yue Weihan's 39th Group Army and the Indo-Burmese Expeditionary Force can continue to consume the Japanese army in the Southeast Asian battlefield and force the Japanese army to continuously draw elite veterans from North China, Central China and even the Northeast battlefield, they may not have to wait until 45 years to become more powerful than the same period in history.
The Eighth Route Army will be able to launch a full-scale counterattack on the battlefield behind enemy lines.
Of course, all this is just a hypothesis. Whether Helen can launch a counterattack in the United States and whether the U.S. government will put pressure on the Nationalist government due to public pressure are unknown. Even if these two points are realized, Commissar Chiang
The commander also gave in, and Yue Weihan had no absolute certainty to turn the tide and change the fate of the India-Burma Expeditionary Force.
After all, the India-Burma Expeditionary Force is not the 39th Group Army. After all, it is not a force led by Yue Weihan!
Even if Chairman Chiang dismissed General Du Yuming against his will and re-appointed Yue Weihan as Commander-in-Chief of the Indo-Burmese Expeditionary Force, and then Yue Weihan parachuted to the Burmese battlefield by plane in the shortest possible time, it might not be possible to immediately turn the tide of the war around, because Dai Anlan
, Sun Liren and other division commanders may not be able to obey Yue Weihan's command.
Although Yue Weihan has outstanding military exploits, his foundation is really shallow.
Looking at the entire ***, almost all generals with senior positions and above are Yue Weihan's Huangpu seniors. In terms of age, Yue Weihan is the absolute junior among *** generals. These Huangpu seniors and big brothers really have no grudges.
To accept the command of Yue Weihan, a junior and younger student?
Taking a step back, even if Dai Anlan, Sun Liren and others could accept Yue Weihan's command without any grudges, it would be extremely difficult for Yue Weihan to immediately reverse the situation on the Myanmar battlefield.
At this time, the Japanese army had basically completed the occupation of Myanmar. The railways, highways, major cities and strategic strongholds in Myanmar had basically fallen under the control of the Japanese army. In addition, the people of Myanmar were obviously more welcoming to the Japanese army.
The Japanese army and the Indo-Burmese Expeditionary Force, which appear as liberators, are already struggling in Myanmar.
However, it is impossible for the 39th Group Army, Yue Weihan's direct unit, to arrive in Myanmar in a short time!
It can be imagined how difficult it would be for Yue Weihan to lead the India-Burma Expeditionary Force to complete an absolute counterattack in such a desperate situation.
However, no matter how difficult it is, Yue Weihan is not afraid! Even though he knows that going to Myanmar is dangerous and his life or death is uncertain, Yue Weihan is not afraid. As the saying goes, as a man, there are some things that must be done.
As a soldier, you must bear some responsibilities. For the sake of the 100,000 elites of the India-Burma Expeditionary Force, why would Yue Weihan hesitate to die?