The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 204: Temple Calculation (Part )

Tan Zhijie, standing in front of the sand table, had no idea what was going on in Zhang Chi's mind, and continued to speak seriously:

"The Japanese 55th Division deployed in the Lashio area has suffered repeated heavy losses under General Hao's attacks. Currently, there are less than 6000 troops left, completely trapped in the Lashio area, and they pose little threat. As long as logistics are smooth, General Hao can easily divide his troops and advance westward."

Hao Yi has the Infantry Training Division and the 7th Armored Division under his command, both of which are the elite of Zhang Chi's elite.

First, a regiment of the Japanese 55th Division stationed in Bamao was eaten up in one fell swoop, and then more than 7000 Japanese soldiers of the Gu Shui Detachment, which was heading north to support the battlefield in western Yunnan, were surrounded by Hao Yi's troops in two groups. The Japanese lost nearly 6000 soldiers and a Major General Gu Shui.

Zhang Chi closed his eyes and thought, quickly calculating the possibilities of troop deployment in his mind.

He opened his eyes, his gaze swept across the sand table like lightning, and said softly, "Give Hao Yi an order to leave some troops to monitor Lashio, and transfer the main force to the east of Mandalay to form a pincer attack on Mandalay."

"What about the situation in western Yunnan? Has there been any new progress in the past few days?"

Tan Zhijie shook his head:

"All the positions near Tengchong have been taken, but the old Japanese soldier Honda Masazai is determined to defend Songshan to the death. Even if we have heavy artillery and bunker-buster bombs, it will not be easy to deal with these small Japanese soldiers in Songshan."

Zhang Chi didn't have a good way to deal with the Japanese in Songshan.

Although with his help, the casualties of the troops attacking Songshan were much less than in history, due to the terrain, it would take more time to completely eliminate all the Japanese.

Fortunately, the two armies have joined forces, and the opening of the Stevenson Road to traffic is just around the corner.

Zhang Chi snorted lightly: "If Honda is willing to drag it out, then let him drag it out."

His eyes flashed with disdain, then turned cold. "Since the Japs in Songshan have lost all their long-range firepower and can no longer threaten the Stevenson Highway, we can appropriately reduce our forces in western Yunnan."

The Guards Brigade returned to Myitkyina with Zhang Chi, and Bai Minghui was left with only the 2nd and 4th Infantry Divisions, the 102nd Artillery Brigade, and the Armored Training Division in western Yunnan.

"Inform Bai Minghui to transfer the 4th Infantry Division and the 102nd Artillery Brigade back to Pegu. Leave the 2nd Division to continue the siege of Songshan, and the Armored Training Division to monitor and control the Stevenson Highway."

Zhang Chi did not call back his trump card - the armored training division, but left it on the border road to maintain deterrence against the White Party.

One must be on guard against others, and Zhang Chi doesn't dare to bet that the top leaders of the White Party won't go crazy.

He still has a lot of belongings in his residence in Chuncheng, and the materials he handles there every month are worth tens of millions of dollars.

The reason for leaving the Armored Instructor behind was to tell those White Party bosses not to rashly reach out, because if they dared to, Zhang Chi would chop off their claws without hesitation.

----

Zhang Chi stood in front of the sand table, his eyes calmly scanning every mark on the sand table, looking at the jagged contact lines between the enemy and us (the battle line map is in the author's words and book friends circle at the end of the chapter), and his inner planning and decision have quietly taken shape.

"Nearly five infantry divisions, one armored division, two artillery brigades, one motorized brigade, plus a Marine regiment and boat unit, a total of nearly 140,000 troops."

Zhang Chi did a rough calculation and said, "Well, the ratio of our forces to the Japanese is 2:1. This is enough for us to initiate an offensive and have a head-on battle with the Japanese."

Zhang Chi patted Tan Zhijie on the shoulder:

"Brother Zhijie, please take the trouble to come up with a few offensive plans based on these troops. The initial goal is to liberate Shijie and Mandalay and try to consume as many of the enemy's effective forces as possible."

Although Zhang Chi's words were polite, Tan Zhijie could still tell who was the king and who was the lesser king. He stood at attention and saluted, his voice resounding and powerful: "Serving Your Majesty is not hard!"

Lowering his saluting arm, Tan Zhijie cautiously asked:

"But I suggest that all units take a break first. This offensive began in early November, and the units have been engaged in combat for two months now. Both the combat personnel and various vehicles are nearing their limits."

Zhang Chi also knew that the battle rhythm couldn't be too fast, especially since there had to be a proper buffer period between large-scale attacks. He nodded:

"Alright, then let the soldiers rest and recuperate. At the same time, we must also do a good job of maintaining the equipment to ensure that no mechanical failures will affect the battle in the future."

His eyes moved from the sand table to Tan Zhijie and added:

"The Spring Festival is approaching, so don't skimp on supplies. Let's ensure the soldiers have a good New Year on the front lines and maintain morale."

Zhang Chi looked at the entire sand table, thinking that the Japanese had probably launched the Battle of Central Henan in April 1944, firing the first shot in a series of battles in Henan, Hunan and Guangxi. He decided to find something for the Japanese to do to attract their attention.

"Specific battle deployment, with the end of February as the milestone. We'll try to launch the Battle of Mandalay before March. How about that?"

This time point is not only the most favorable opportunity, but also can deal a fatal blow to the Japanese in Pegu before they have fully recovered.

Tan Zhijie puffed out his chest and flattered him: "Commander, you are wise!"

------

Elsewhere, in a building in Yangon, a meeting was underway.

The Japanese Southern Army is summarizing and studying how to fight next.

However, unlike Zhang Chi who was full of confidence, the Japanese generals in the conference room all looked gloomy.

Since November 1943, the Allies had launched a series of dazzling attacks that caught the Japanese off guard.

Just like a boxer in the ring, the Japanese were completely disoriented by the opponent's swift and continuous left and right hooks, and were already in a daze after a round of quick attacks.

In terms of military strength, nearly 3 Japanese soldiers were lost, including wounded and killed.

Strategically, the Stevenson Road was opened, and the strategic goal of blocking the Qian Kingdom completely failed.

The advantages gained from a series of military achievements in 42, including the attack on Pearl Harbor and the raid on Southeast Asia, are disappearing.

Even with the cessation of sea transportation, the Southern Army fell into a strategic disadvantage.

Lieutenant General Honda Masazai, commander of the 33rd Army, was trapped in the Matsuyama Fortress, while Lieutenant General Mutaguchi Renya, commander of the 15th Army, was still clamoring to advance westward to Sindhu and attack Wei to save Zhao.

Kimura Heitaro, the commander of the Pegu Front, was having a headache. He looked at the generals and officers in the meeting room who were silent and asked loudly:

"Everyone, please come up with a reliable solution, otherwise we will all die without a burial place!"

除了前线的几个师团，木村兵太郎手里还剩下第 2 、第 15 、第 31 三个师团，外加独立混成第 72、 第 105两个旅团。

This batch of reinforcements had just arrived from the mainland, giving Kimura Heitaro the confidence to counterattack instead of going directly to Siam by land.

Mutaguchi Ren'ya, who was sitting at the bottom, rolled his eyes and was the first to raise his hand and speak: "We can't just passively defend, we must attack westward, the locust army must attack!"