The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Mountbatten came to his senses and whispered with Wedemeyer. After listening to the opinions of senior generals at the army group level and above, they finally decided to follow Chief of Staff Wedemeyer's plan and divide the entire operation into two fronts, north and south. The southern front would be directly commanded by Chief of Staff Wedemeyer, while the northern front would be led by Zheng Dongguo, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. The decisive battle point on the southern front was also changed. A flexible and dynamic strategy was adopted, with Aizawl as the center to encircle and annihilate the enemy!

After the meeting, Sun Liren took the initiative to propose to Wedemeyer that he personally lead the new 28th Division to defend Idgan, and the 1st Army Group would be led by Yang Hong to fight west of Aizawl.

After careful consideration, Wedemeyer agreed to his request. By then, the 1st Army's former deputy commander, British Major General John Strang, had been transferred, and the Chief of Staff, American Major General Martin Hughes, was clearly unqualified for the position. The British Army had already revealed that the 1th Brigade, part of the 7st Army, would soon be expanded into the th Tank Division and transferred to mainland Britain. At this point, Yang Hong's appointment as deputy commander was a well-deserved decision.

Soon, a new appointment came down, and Yang Hong was appointed deputy commander of the Allied Far East 1st Army and commander of the new 38th Division.

On February 1943, 2, General Masamitsu Kawabe, commander of the Japanese Burma Area, issued the order for the Second India Operation. The 17st, 15nd, and 1st Divisions of the Japanese 2th Army, with Imphal as their starting point, launched a three-pronged attack into eastern India. The 31th and 28rd Divisions of the Japanese 18th Army, venturing from northern Burma, launched an offensive into northeastern India. Simultaneously, the Japanese 33rd Division conducted a feint along the Arakan Bay coast, attacking Idgaon and tying down the Allied First Army.

On the 18th, the Japanese 2nd Division penetrated deep into India from the Kuiben and Stern lines, and fought with the 18th and 34th Divisions of the British Indian 36th Army that had been defending there before. The 31st Division advanced to Imphal, broke through the resistance of the British Indian 11th and 37th Divisions, opened the Indochina Highway line, and began to move north.

In northern Myanmar, the Japanese 33rd Division was hit hard by the Chinese army as soon as it was deployed. Both sides adopted an offensive posture, like two ferocious beasts, fighting fiercely on the vast battlefield.

Due to geographical constraints, both sides launched small-scale, multi-front assaults in northern Myanmar. Through the vast tropical jungles and thickets, both sides carved paths and established advantageous offensive positions. The countless creek mouths and valleys along the upper reaches of the Chindun River became battlefields.

Huang Wei ordered all battalions to temporarily hold their rocket launchers in combat. He also coordinated with US engineering units to expedite the construction of a road from Ledo to the frontier area controlled by the US in northern Myanmar. Both sides employed small-caliber mountain artillery, infantry guns, mortars, bazookas, and grenade launchers as supporting firepower, with company-level (and squadron-level) engagements as the primary focus. The engagements were deployed in multiple locations, resulting in some casualties on both sides.

In the Grape Valley of northwestern Myanmar, Qin Shi received an order from the Indian Army Headquarters to organize various detachments to march south and attack the Japanese supply and transportation lines on multiple fronts. At this time, an urgent report from Lashio interrupted his plan.

This was reported by Translator Chen of the Lashio Garrison Command, who risked his life to report it. It turned out that the Japanese army had secretly moved the 18th Division to northwest Myanmar, intending to cross the mountainous region of northwestern Myanmar from the Grape Valley, launch a surprise attack from the north along the high mountainous region between China, India, and Myanmar, and attack northeastern India, thereby destroying the Sino-American base in the Ledo region and severing the Hump Route!

This Japanese plan also revealed the base of Qin Shi and his guerrilla column. Qin Shi currently had approximately 7000 men, and even with the newly established local self-defense forces, there were fewer than 2 men. Facing a main Japanese division of nearly men, coupled with the disparity in equipment, a head-on confrontation would undoubtedly prove difficult.

While reporting to the Indian Army Command, Qin Shi also convened a meeting of key personnel to discuss countermeasures.

Upon hearing that the Japanese 18th Division was approaching, the crowd stopped chattering as usual, and instead wore a stern expression. They hated the 18th Division, one of the executioners of Nanjing, to the core, but with the First Guerrilla Column's current strength, it was no match for the enemy. For a moment, no one dared to speak rashly or offer any advice.

Unable to defeat them but unwilling to give up, especially on the base they had worked so hard to build, this was what everyone was thinking about the most. As the deputy commander, Zhou Hu was obviously the most reluctant to give up Grape, which he had painstakingly built and was his greatest contribution to the team.

The new chief of staff Luo Bing and commander Qin Shi were not thinking about whether to give up Grape, but how to stop the Japanese army's roundabout action on the northern line as much as possible and strike a powerful blow to the enemy!

After receiving Qin Shi's intelligence, Zheng Dongguo and Merrill quickly summoned Liao Yaoxiang and Huang Wei to discuss a response plan overnight. The initial plan called for the new 22nd Division to move north to defend the area north of Ledo, establishing defensive positions in the northern mountains near India.

At the same time, we must find ways to support the First Guerrilla Column, allowing them to slow down the advance of the Japanese army and destroy the roads opened up by the Japanese army.

The biggest concern now was what method of support to adopt. Airdropping supplies was a sure thing, but parachuting troops was clearly not an option. Without rigorous training, parachuting into the mountains was clearly a death wish. The best solution now was to bolster Qin Shi and his men's firepower, allowing them to hold their ground in the mountains of northern Myanmar and delay the Japanese 18th Division!

Huang Wei thought for a moment and said, "It would be best to send over a batch of 107mm rocket launchers. I suggest drawing some from each division."

Merrill waved his hand. "There's no need to draw troops from the various divisions. Chittagong just received 40 107mm 9-barrel rocket launchers. We can order the Air Force to immediately arrange for an airdrop of grapes. But will Qin Shi and the others be able to use them in such a short time?"

Huang Wei smiled and said easily, "General Merrill, don't worry about this. As long as we send it over, I guarantee that Qin Shi will be able to use it better than us!"

Huang Wei's expression grew serious again, and he said in a low voice, "We definitely can't hold Putao. Losing Putao will make it difficult for the guerrilla column to resupply. Furthermore, my biggest worry is that the Japanese will use Putao as a logistics base, which will further enhance their offensive on the northern front."

Merrill thought for a moment and offered a sound suggestion. "I don't believe Qin Shi only has Grape as his base. As you Chinese say, a rabbit has three burrows. He must have a plan! This time, let's invest a bit and provide all the resources at once."

Zheng Dongguo added: "After receiving the supplies, have Qin Shi and his men quickly move to the mountainous area to block the route the Japanese troops must take."

Liao Yaoxiang added, "Grapes must not become a supply base for the Japanese army! There's only one solution. Bomb it, bomb it hard!"

Huang Wei was secretly laughing. He didn't need to say this out loud; the old foxes all understood. He was just worried about his brothers, the Third Brother (Qin Shi) and the Ninth Brother (Luo Bing). Your mission is arduous. You must persevere and stay safe!