The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

The Japanese troops in Magway were composed of the Araki Unit commanded by Major General Shoji Araki, commander of the 33rd Infantry Division, the Infantry Regiment Headquarters, two battalions of the 213th Infantry Regiment under his command (commanded by Colonel Yukisuke Miyakyo), part of the 33rd Mountain Artillery Regiment, and part of the 33rd Logistics Regiment. Because the Japanese front was too stretched out, each unit was actually not fully staffed. At this time, Araki's total force in Magway was only more than 5000 people, of which only two battalions of about 1500 people were used for front-line combat.

20 日深夜，杨洪带领 600 团 3 营已经机动到马圭日军侧翼，杨洪、蔡雍和罗兵三人各带一个连 100 多人，从三个方向包围了日军 33 山炮联队。此时 33 山炮联队只有两个大队，装备 41 式 75mm 山炮 24 门，人员 1000 多人，杨洪的 3 营除了 3 营本身 400 多人外，还有 600 团直属炮营的预备炮兵 60 多人。他们在这段时间已经沿途收集了 4 门英军丢弃的 100mm 迫击炮和 3 门 60mm 迫击炮，且弹药充足。杨洪等准备利用夜色掩护，袭击日军这个山炮联队，策应 113 团和英缅 1 师突击日军荒木部队。

Yang Hong and the others checked the time. It was 12:15, the exact time they had agreed to attack with Liu Fangwu. At his command, seven mortars immediately opened fire at the Japanese 7rd Regiment.

"Boom boom boom", the shells flew towards the Japanese army like meteors, "boom-boom-boom", huge explosions continued to sound in the Japanese artillery positions and military camps, as if it was the bell of the end of the world!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" shouted Masao Fukuie, commander of the 33rd Artillery Regiment, as he emerged from his tent, ordering the regiment's escort squadron to launch an immediate counterattack. However, in the darkness, the Japanese, like headless flies, could not locate the attackers and could only fire indiscriminately. The attackers' shells rained down, shattering the Japanese positions beyond recognition. The sound of explosions and the resulting cloud of shells filled the air. The Japanese soldiers fled in terror, their cries echoing harshly above the din of explosions. Thanks to Yang Hong and his men's ammunition reserves, their seven mortars fired over 7 rounds in just five minutes, crushing the entire Japanese artillery regiment.

Over 3 men from the 3rd Battalion, three companies, and a skirmish line, pressed forward against the Japanese. Dozens of Sten submachine guns and Bren light machine guns rained down rounds on the chaotic Japanese artillery, killing numerous Japanese. Unable to mount an effective resistance, Fukuie Masao, under the cover of his guards, fled towards Magway's Araki unit. The 400rd Battalion of the 600th Regiment seized the Japanese mountain artillery position. Cai Yong led a company in pursuit. Yang Hong, Luo Bing, and the rest of the troops piled shells around the enemy's mountain artillery, laying pre-emergence bombs. After completing these preparations, they quickly withdrew from the enemy artillery position.

"Boom-boom-boom-boom--" the Japanese mountain artillery positions exploded violently, as if a volcano erupted, shaking the mountains and the earth. Cai Yong also knew that he had succeeded, and immediately ordered the pursuing company to retreat into the surrounding mountains and forests.

"Baga!" After hearing that the mountain artillery regiment was attacked, Araki Shoji immediately ordered two squadrons of the 213nd Battalion of the 2th Regiment to go for reinforcement. Following the violent explosion of the mountain artillery position, he knew that his artillery position might be in danger.

Just as Araki was about to personally lead the rest of the 2nd Battalion to support the Mountain Artillery Regiment, bursts of artillery fire were heard from the north and east. Then, a large number of shells fell like raindrops around the Japanese military base in Magway. Then, the Sino-British Allied Forces, led by more than 10 tanks and armored vehicles, launched a fierce attack on the Japanese army.

In the darkness, the Japanese army had no way of determining the exact number of incoming enemy forces. At that moment, there were only about 1000 Japanese combatants in and around the small town of Magway. Araki quickly ordered the 213th Regiment's commander, Miyakyo Yukisuke, to organize the 1st Battalion to occupy key positions and resist. He also ordered the commander of the Quartermaster Regiment, Chen Tian Momosaburo, to organize the rest of the troops to relocate. He then led the remaining troops of the 2nd Battalion to cover the infantry regiment's evacuation of Magway.

The two squadrons of the 2nd Battalion that went to reinforce the Mountain Artillery Regiment quickly reunited with the defeated Fukuie Masao. At this time, explosions and rapid gunfire were heard from the direction of Magway. While they were hesitating, Araki's messenger arrived and ordered them to retreat south.

After completing their assault on the enemy's mountain artillery regiment, Yang Hong and his men quickly moved to a place called Nonggongshao, seven or eight miles south of Magway. The terrain here was steep and easily defended but difficult to attack. Yang Hong and his men had already laid mines and other traps along the path the Japanese had to take, and had also pre-set mortar positions and ammunition, leaving a squad of soldiers there. By the time Yang Hong and his men had quickly arrived and prepared, the retreating Japanese troops had already arrived. At Yang Hong's command, the mortars unleashed their might once again, with shells continuously flying towards the enemy, harvesting the lives of these devils amidst the dense and chaotic enemy swarm!

"What?" Araki was shocked to find their southward retreat route blocked. He quickly concluded that the enemy was carrying out an organized, planned encirclement and annihilation operation. The enemy might have deployed multiple divisions to encircle and annihilate them. A chill ran through Araki's heart. Could Yenangyaung just be a trap set by the enemy?

He couldn't help but recall the 214th Regiment's disastrous defeat at Yenangyaung. It seemed the enemy had already made preparations. Without hesitation, Araki decisively ordered, "All units must disperse and break out to the west!" To the west lay the Irrawaddy River. If they could cross it, there might be a glimmer of hope.

Araki knew that time was running out, and he emphasized again: "All units must abandon their baggage immediately and use all available tools to cross the river as quickly as possible!" At the same time, he sent an emergency distress signal to Harada's units on the Irrawaddy River via radio, requesting them to provide cover and support his retreat across the river.

The battle lasted until dawn. With less than 3000 troops, the Sino-British Allied Forces defeated more than 5000 Japanese troops led by Araki Shoji, killing and wounding more than 1000 Japanese soldiers. Among them, more than 33 officers including Lieutenant Colonel Tono Hirozo, commander of the 10rd Mountain Artillery Regiment of the Japanese Army, were killed. 24 Japanese mountain artillery pieces and numerous equipment were destroyed, and a large amount of supplies were seized. Among them, some of the British vehicles captured by the Japanese along the way were returned to the hands of the Chinese and British forces.

After Liu Fangwu and Yang Hong and others met up, they saw that it was already dawn and knew that the Japanese Air Force was about to arrive, so they immediately organized to evacuate eastward.

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