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

Colonel Mikichiro Sato stood in a semi-underground shelter filled with dust and ammunition boxes, his hands shaking constantly.

His strong heart, which had been baptized by countless battlefields, could not stop beating violently at this moment, like a war drum beating on every nerve of his.

Could it be that Hill 33 will become his burial place?

The two squadrons deployed in the village were completely defeated by the enemy.

The two squadrons deployed on the highway were almost completely wiped out by the enemy's tanks equipped with 105 heavy guns.

Fierce artillery fire had been bombarding Hill 33 where he was, and nearly a battalion of troops had been turned into dust under the enemy's powerful firepower.

The successive bad news made his vision dark.

The roar of the M4A3 (105) tank's engine was like the whisper of the devil, approaching step by step.

The elite infantrymen who were once the pride of the Fuso Locust Kingdom now fell in a pool of blood, completely unable to withstand the attack of the enemy's mecha troops.

"Retreat...We have to retreat..."

He suddenly realized that only by abandoning the high ground and fleeing to the south could he perhaps preserve the remaining troops.

However, when he tried to give the order to retreat, he received even more fatal news.

"Report to His Excellency the Colonel, the reverse slope position on the south side of the hill has also been bombarded by enemy mortars. We are surrounded!"

The flanking forces of the 2nd Regiment had already blocked his retreat route to the south, cutting off his retreat and successfully encircling the 146th Regiment on Hill 33.

This was not the end. Farewell telegrams came from the rear baggage train - the baggage train of more than 500 people stationed in a small village along the river was completely wiped out, and his ammunition and food supplies were gone.

The Japanese's temporarily modified wooden-hulled motor boats, which were only equipped with Type 92 heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, were no match for the PTF-7 patrol speedboats that Zhang Chi purchased from the system. They were all thrown into the water and fed to the fish under the strafing of 40mm Bofors and 20mm Oerlikon.

The remaining logistics and supply soldiers on the shore only wished their parents had not given them two more legs. They were first strafed by the speedboats on the river with their horizontal anti-aircraft guns, and their average height decreased by 30cm.

After escaping, it was hunted in the rainforest by the LVT-A1 amphibious tanks that had landed on the shore of the amphibious mechanized company.

The continuous bad news was like a heavy hammer, shattering Sato Mikichiro's last bit of composure.

His breathing was rapid and cold sweat kept dripping down his face.

He suddenly pulled the signalman beside him over, his face ferocious, and almost roared:

"Send a clear telegram to Division Headquarters, the 15th Army Headquarters, and the Southern Army Headquarters, requesting tactical guidance and air support! Quick!"

"In plain text?" The communications soldier stood there in shock for a moment.

He knew how dangerous it was to invent a code telegraph on the battlefield, as the enemy could easily intercept the information and grasp their action plans.

But Colonel Sato had lost his composure and slapped the communications soldier hard in the face.

"Didn't you hear me? All I need now is time, time! No time to code in the code book, go send the message!"

Sato Mikichiro's voice was hoarse and his eyes were bloodshot, like a trapped beast, roaring madly in despair.

The atmosphere in the command center seemed to be pushed to the limit, and everyone's eyes were filled with helplessness and fear.

-----

Lieutenant General Matsuyama Yuzo, commander of the 56th Division, paced angrily in front of the command table, his sharp eyes scanning the urgent distress telegram.

Sato Mikichiro's urgent report was like a powder keg that ignited a fire. He flew into a rage.

He slammed the table and roared, "We're isolated deep in the enemy territory, our baggage train and rear guard have been completely wiped out, and we're surrounded by the enemy on a small hill only 33 meters high. And we're still using clear text to send messages? Has this guy Mikichiro lost his mind?"

In the Fuso army, disobeying orders, rebelling against superiors, and acting on one's own are not problems, but the prerequisite is to be able to win. Only the victor is not blamed.

Now Sato Mikichiro insisted on his own way and advanced quickly, and was surrounded, which naturally made Matsuyama Yuzo very angry.

You should know that after the establishment of the "Lameng Garrison", Sato Mikichiro's 146th Regiment was the last mobile force in his hands.

A staff officer picked up the telegram, looked at it, and said respectfully:

"Twelve heavy tanks equipped with 105mm cannons? Dozens of large-caliber artillery pieces? If what Mikichiro said is true, this is no longer an ordinary Qian Kingdom army. We must strike hard, Your Excellency, Division Commander."

Matsuyama Yuzo twitched his nose and said in a mocking tone:

“整个密支那算上辎重兵联队也只有不到5000守军了，九一式105mm火炮不过6门，75火炮不过12门。现在的问题是敌人万一对我们出重拳又该如何应对？”

"What about Mikichiro's request for help?"

Songshan was silent for a moment, his face gloomy.

He wanted to say those cruel words in his heart: "If you can't save me, commit seppuku and wait for death."

But as the division commander, he knew that things were not that simple. Sato's request for help was not just a matter of personal life and death, it was more related to the honor of the entire Fuso Locust Country.

Since the war broke out in Southeast Asia, large tracts of colonial territories of European powers have been easily acquired by the Southern Army. Could it be that the first regiment to be completely wiped out on the Southeast Asian battlefield will be under his command?

Thinking of this, Songshan almost saw the reserve bench waving at him.

-----

At the same time, Terauchi Hisaichi was pacing nervously in the Southern Army Headquarters, his eyes revealing deep worry.

As the supreme commander in charge of the entire Southeast Asian operations, he originally thought that this three-way siege plan would be an easy victory.

According to intelligence, the guerrilla force in the mountainous area north of Pegu consisted of only a few thousand people, a dozen tanks, and a dozen artillery pieces. Apart from the troublesome speedboats that came and went like the wind, they should have been a cooked duck.

But now the situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse. The cooked duck not only flew away, but even turned into a big goose and besieged the entire army in the north of Pegu.

The situation, which quickly spiraled out of control, directly disrupted all his plans.

The 1st Guards Division, which served as the Southern Army's general reserve, was withdrawn after a tour and completion of its training.

The entire Pegu is currently in a state of insufficient military strength.

Terauchi Hisaichi is currently playing the trick of using nine pot lids to cover ten pots. If another fully equipped regiment is eaten, the eight pot lids will not be able to cope with ten pots in any way, and by then the situation in the entire Pegu will be shaky.

(This was the case with the Japanese in North China in the later period. Due to insufficient manpower, they could only retreat to large cities, and their "iron wall encirclement" strategy failed.)

“催促第 18、33 两个师团加快进军，为 146 联队解围。18 师团的部队距离 146 联队只有3天的路程，告诉巳吉郎大佐，坚守3天即可。”

He gave his orders to his staff in a deep voice, his voice filled with deep anxiety. He knew that if Mikichiro's troops could not hold out until reinforcements arrived, the entire battle situation would collapse completely.

"Order the 5th Air Division's attack planes (the Japanese bombers' name) to take off immediately and support the front line."

"Also, notify Lieutenant General Takeuchi Hiroshi of the 55th Division stationed in Yangon to be ready. He may be needed to support Myitkyina at any time."

The mobilization of Takeuchi Hiroshi's troops was also a risky move. After all, Yangon is the capital of Pegu and a vital stronghold. Losing Takeuchi Hiroshi's defense would likely bring more risks to the entire defense line.