The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Just after the 1st Battalion withdrew from Tonggu City, the Japanese heavy artillery regiment began a covering bombardment of the area occupied by the Chinese army in Tonggu. The entire urban area east of Tonggu was shrouded in violent explosions and flames shot into the sky!

"That was a close call!" Huang Wei secretly sighed and immediately ordered Pu Zhengsong to take advantage of the time when the Japanese heavy artillery attacked to load and fire the six unscrupulous cannons and send all the remaining flying mines to the Japanese troops on the opposite bank!

"Boom-boom-boom--" Continuous and violent explosions fell on the positions of the advance team of the Japanese 56th Division. The Japanese army was stunned and quickly fled the positions on the opposite bank. Huang Wei took the opportunity to order all the troops to force a crossing of the Xitang River and march north along the east bank of the river!

Pu Zhengsong led the repair shop and the guard squad to retreat. After all the flying mines were launched, Pu Zhengsong and others dismantled the launch barrels and placed explosives. After everyone came to the river, they detonated these meritorious launch barrels, then crossed the river in a cool manner and left with the main force!

The next morning, a furious Hiroshi Takeuchi entered the ruined city of Tonggu. The battle lasted 13 days, and the Japanese 55th Division lost its major-general infantry commander, seriously wounded a regimental commander, and several battalion and company-level officers, totaling 4614 dead and 3088 wounded—almost half the division's total. Of these, 36 officers above the rank of second lieutenant were killed, a rare defeat for the Japanese army.

The 200th Division also suffered heavy losses. The 598th, 599th, and divisional units alone lost over 2100 men, with over 500 seriously injured. Dai Anlan was also in a very heavy mood. There was still no news from the 600th Regiment, and this was a concern in his heart.

.......

On the 30th, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, back in Chongqing, had received news of the 200th Division's successful withdrawal from Tonggu. According to the Expeditionary Force's statistics, the Japanese 55th Division had likely suffered heavy losses in the battle and was unlikely to participate in further operations in the near future. The only Japanese forces left for the offensive were the 18th, 33rd, and the still-encroaching 56th Divisions. Chongqing saw this as a prime opportunity to engage the Japanese, attempting to teach them another lesson. Meanwhile, the newly formed 22nd Division, after breaking out from the 200th Division, established a forward position west of Yedai with a battalion, providing cover for the main force's establishment of successive resistance positions on both sides of the Swa River. That same day, upon discovering the Chinese Expeditionary Force's shift north of Tonggu, the Japanese 15th Army Headquarters immediately ordered the 55th Division to integrate a reinforced regiment with a regiment from the 18th Division and launch a powerful northward assault.

Inspired by the 22th Division's success, Liao Yaoxiang of the newly formed 200nd Division immediately ordered Zhang Zhen's 64th Regiment and Gao Jiren's 65th Regiment to build fortifications and organize resistance along the route. They inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese in areas like Shagaya and Siwa, preventing them from rapidly advancing northward. Simultaneously, Liu Shaofeng, commander of the 66th Regiment, was deployed to conduct maneuvers, seeking opportunities to lure and annihilate a portion of the Japanese forces. As expected, a squadron from the reorganized 55th Reinforced Regiment of the 144th Division made another rash advance and was surrounded and annihilated by the 65th and 66th Regiments. The 144th Regiment was frightened and remained cautious for the next few days.

On April 4, part of the Japanese 1th Division occupied Prome, exposing the flanks of the expeditionary forces north of Tonggu. Part of the 18th Division immediately moved in that direction to establish defensive positions to prevent the Japanese army from infiltrating and detouring from this area.

On April 4, the Kuomintang Supreme Military Council appointed Luo Zhuoying as commander-in-chief of the First Expeditionary Force, reporting to Stilwell and the British Pacific Theater Commander. After occupying Toungoo, the Japanese continued their northward advance along the Toungoo-Mandalay line, with two regiments of the 2th Division and one regiment of the 18th Division, supported by aircraft, tanks, and artillery. Simultaneously, the Japanese deployed the 55rd Division in the west and the 33th Division in the east, providing support on the eastern and western flanks in an attempt to encircle and annihilate the Expeditionary Force and British forces in northern Burma.

On the 5th, the 22th and 64th Regiments of the New 65nd Division successively blocked the Japanese 18th and 55th Divisions, slowing the enemy's advance. That same day, Luo Zhuoying arrived in Lashio with Chiang Kai-shek by plane and met with Stilwell and others to formulate and deploy a battle plan based on the current Japanese military situation.

On the 6th, Chiang Kai-shek arrived at Meimiao and personally announced that he had granted Stilwell full command of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and decided to deploy the 55th Army into Burma. The Japanese, using the newly reinforced 56th and parts of the 22th Divisions, launched fierce attacks on the expeditionary force from the northeast. The 66th Regiment of the newly formed 200nd Division, along with parts of the 16th Division, engaged in guerrilla warfare to halt the enemy. The fighting continued until the evening of the 600th. During this time, Huang Wei's 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 600th Regiment, along with its subordinate units, returned to their units. With this exceptional reinforcement, the Japanese offensive in the northeastern direction made no progress.

However, the British forces on the western route were in disarray. Commander-in-Chief of the British Burmese Army, Alexander, had already decided to abandon Burma entirely and retreat to India. Completely disregarding the coordinated battle plan with the Chinese Expeditionary Force, the British Burmese Army abandoned Pyay on April 4 and Aramy on April 1. During this time, they even requested that the Chinese Expeditionary Force take over the defenses of Shaswar and Magway to cover their retreat.

The Japanese 33rd Division launched a fierce attack along the Irrawaddy River toward Yenangyaung, pursuing the British troops like a hungry wolf and attempting to quickly capture the oil fields near Yenangyaung. Their goal was not only to seize the oil fields but also to cut off the British retreat after capturing Yenangyaung. Simultaneously, they coordinated with the 18th, 55th, and 56th Divisions in the east and center to encircle and annihilate the British and CEF forces in Burma.

On the 14th, the Japanese 33rd Division's Aramoto Unit passed through south of Yenangyaung and arrived at Magway, launching an attack on the British troops outside Magway; the 215th Harada Regiment captured Keguwa, Satdan and other places, and the 214th Sakuma Regiment made a detour to the north of Yenangyaung.

On the 15th, Slim, commander of the British-Burmese 1st Corps, ordered the bombing of the Yenangyaung oil fields. On the 16th, the main force of the Japanese 33rd Division swiftly penetrated multiple British defenses, launching a swift attack. That night, Gao Yan's Battalion of the 214th Regiment, like a ghost, circled behind the British forces and launched a surprise attack. One unit captured the crossing on the north bank of the Bin River, while another routed the British-Burmese forces on the south bank, blocking the British forces near Yenangyaung from fleeing north. Faced with such a dire situation, Alexander pleaded with the Expeditionary Force to send troops to rescue them. Sun Liren of the New 38th Division volunteered to support the British forces at Yenangyaung.

On the 17th, the Japanese 213th Aramoto Regiment captured Magway and cut off the road from Magway to Yenangyaung. The Japanese 214th Regiment, led by Colonel Sakuma, aggressively approached Yenangyaung from the northeast, reaching approximately 5 kilometers east of Yenangyaung. The 1st Division of the British Burmese Army and a tank battalion were unable to evacuate, leaving approximately 1 men trapped in the desert northeast of Yenangyaung.

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