klisemfg Chapter 198 Calculation
Chapter 198 Calculation
渡边正三这个缅甸方面军司令官可以说是目前日军方面军司令官一级中最差的一个了，曾经号称大日本帝国第一方面军的缅甸方面军，现在仅有两个军（第15军和第28军）、5个师团（第18、33、53、54、127师团），还有7个独立旅团、7个守备队，诸多独立大队。兵力看起来还是很庞大的，大约有20多万。
Watanabe was well aware that the 18th and 33rd Divisions were essentially the same level as the Security Divisions, with the 53rd and 54th Divisions being the primary combat force. The 127th Division, newly transferred from Japan, was also in a similar situation. Watanabe actually planned to withdraw the 53rd Division from Mandalay and replace it with the newly arrived 127th Division. He planned to concentrate the main forces of the front in Lower Burma, centered around Rangoon, as a last resort for a final stand.
The fall of the Mengbang and Nansang lines in less than a day completely disrupted his plans. He had originally intended to draw key personnel from the 18th and 33rd Divisions and various security brigades to reinforce the seven garrisons. He also planned to withdraw troops from independent battalions, except those in key strongholds, to defend key cities and facilities (such as oil fields and copper and iron mines). The Chinese guerrilla forces had surprisingly managed to capture the eastern fortress in less than a day. Watanabe sensed that the 7rd Division on the Mandalay line was in grave danger.
Watanabe immediately ordered the 127th Division north to take charge of key railway hubs and arterial routes southward, including Pyinmana. He also ordered the 18th Division in Magway and the garrison at the Yenangyaung oil field to hold positions along the roads and railways, strengthening the defense of key points. He also ordered the 33rd Division in Toungoo to move north to Loikaw, reinforcing the eastern border with Thailand, a vital area of the region. Simultaneously, he concentrated the 54th Division and several surrounding garrisons and security brigades to strengthen defenses along the Malay Peninsula, while the coastal guard withdrew to ensure the defense of key points.
Watanabe personally called Takeda Kaoru and appointed him commander of the front line in the direction of Mandalay, placing all troops on this front under his command. With the 28th Army headquarters now effectively ineffective, Watanabe even promised Takeda Kaoru that he would nominate him for the position once the Mandalay battle was over. He also hinted that if the situation deteriorated, he would prioritize the retreat of the main force of the 28rd Division southward, as he did not want to lose another major unit.
Liao Yaoxiang was also dispatching troops. A division of the new 22nd Army, moving south, had already reached the outskirts of Mandalay and was currently clearing out the surrounding Japanese security strongholds and attacking the iron mines at Wangse. Three divisions of the 6th Army were dispatched to western Burma, preparing a major detour to attack Yenangyi and the surrounding area. They would then move south to attack Magway, completely severing the Japanese's vital oil fields and other resources in Burma.
Liao Yaoxiang's reason for sending Qin Shi's army to launch a flanking attack from the east was obvious: to deny the Japanese 53rd Division a chance to escape south. As long as Qin Shi captured Taunggyi and then advanced westward along the railway line, seizing Kalaw, Dashi, and Meiktila, and severing the Manyang railway line, the Japanese 53rd Division would be trapped. Liao Yaoxiang knew that the Japanese had not yet come to their senses, believing that the 1st Independent Army was still the guerrilla force they had imagined, with no offensive capabilities. Therefore, their reaction would be slow. By the time Qin Shi and his men captured this area, the 53rd Division would be unable to react.
What is not known is that the commander of the 54th Division of the Japanese Army, Takeda Kaoru, was not a fool. He placed the 128th Regiment in Taunggyi early in the morning to prevent the Chinese army from making a roundabout attack in the east and cut off his retreat. However, he did not expect that the attack power of Qin Shi's guerrilla army was so strong. He originally wanted to send reinforcements to assist the defense of Nansang and Mengbang, but the two places were lost as soon as the reinforcements arrived.
He quickly ordered Koizumi Kazuaki to recruit the security forces and the Burmese Independence Army on the Taunggyi front to reinforce the defense of Taunggyi, especially the railway line. At the same time, he secretly ordered him to transfer the main force of the 128th Regiment westward to defend the railway lifeline.
After capturing Mengbang, the Luo Bing 1st Division advanced relentlessly along the highway toward Hebang, engaging the Japanese that evening in fierce fighting outside Hebang. At that point, the Japanese had assembled in Hebang the former Hebang Security Squadron, a reinforced squadron of the 128th Regiment withdrawn from Mengbang, and the former Mengbang Security Battalion. This included a mountain artillery unit and a direct-fire unit, totaling more than seven squadrons. Add to this the various bunker positions deliberately established by the 7th Regiment, and the fighting in Hebang became intense. The Luo Bing Mountain Artillery Battalion bombarded fiercely, its rockets streaking like bursts of rapid fire, shrouding Hebang in a hail of artillery fire, and the night was illuminated by the blaze of explosions.
Qin Shi smiled happily when he heard the news that Luo Bing was fighting with Bang. This was the result he wanted. Old Liao, you are so unkind! I know your little tricks, but you want me to block your way. You want to eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks? No way!
He ordered the 2nd and 3rd Divisions, as well as their subordinate units, to utilize the characteristics of guerrilla warfare and adopt a forced march. They immediately passed through the dense forest and headed northwest. He anticipated that the commander of the Japanese 53rd Division, Takeda Kaoru, was no fool and would secretly advance south along the railway and highway. "I will intercept you in Wendun and Misha beforehand. My 1st Independent Army is about to feast!"
Working day and night, the two divisions of the 1st Independent Army, along with their direct subordinate units, reached Wendun and Misha in just one day and one night, ahead of Takeda Kaoru's 53rd Division. However, he did not immediately capture the two areas. Instead, he set up an ambush in the mountainous forests along the railway and highway between the two areas, leaving even the highway and railroad undamaged. He ordered each unit to dispatch reconnaissance teams, disguised as guerrillas, to lightly harass surrounding Japanese security and garrisons, while also gathering intelligence and closely monitoring the movements of Japanese trains and vehicles along the route. He was waiting, awaiting the large force of the 53rd Division's southward escape.
As expected, upon assuming command of the Mandalay front, Takeda Kaoru immediately followed Watanabe's instructions, deploying all Japanese security and garrison forces near Mandalay to the front lines. He even forced an entire Burmese Independence Army corps (approximately 53 men) stationed in Mandalay to defend frontline positions and strongholds. He then left the 119rd Division's search and engineering regiments, along with a heavy artillery battalion, in Mandalay. He secretly ordered Colonel Keiji Suzuki, commander of the Infantry Regiment, to lead the 151th and 119st Regiments, along with the artillery regiment, south in two separate routes. The artillery supply train and the 151th Regiment advanced along the railway, while the st Regiment advanced along the highway.