The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 107 The Strange Indian Army

"Boom—boom—boom—"

At a hidden high-level command post on the Aizawl front, multiple Japanese 155mm heavy howitzer shells exploded dozens of meters in front of the observation post. Mountbatten and other senior commanders of the Southeast Asia Theater used artillery scopes and other observation devices to calmly observe the movements of the Japanese positions more than 10 kilometers away.

At that moment, Lieutenant General Wilson, commander of the British Indian 18th Army, was passionately recounting how his troops had cleverly used their defense in depth to resist the Japanese attack. He spoke eloquently, as if he could already see the dawn of victory. In his eyes, the Japanese attack seemed so weak and fragile, so vulnerable that it could not withstand a single blow. He firmly believed that at General Mountbatten's command, the troops of his 18th Army would launch a swift counterattack like a tiger descending from the mountain, crushing the Japanese forces in one fell swoop, advancing to Imphal and retaking lost Indian territory.

Wedemeyer privately shook his head at Yang Hong and other Chinese and American officers. The carefully prepared plan to lure the enemy deep into their territory and then annihilate them was actually ruined by this British knight of noble blood, who used the mentality of World War I and the arrogance and stubbornness of the British.

In reality, senior Allied officers, including Wedemeyer, were speechless, yet unable to refute his claim. After all, Wedemeyer had indeed used numerous trenches to halt the repeated attacks of the Japanese 31st Division, inflicting heavy casualties—at least 3000. The 18th Army's losses were fewer than 2000, and it maintained firm control of the battlefield.

The Japanese have abandoned large-scale offensives and are now resorting to a relentless barrage of heavy artillery, a display of bravado. The battlefield east of Aizawl is now undergoing a larger-scale construction of trenches, bunkers, and other defensive measures, a classic example of World War I warfare replaying itself in the East.

Faced with the stubborn and recalcitrant commanders who repeatedly defied orders, Wedemeyer was helpless. Mountbatten, though displeased, felt that Wilson's tenacious defense of his position was a rare and impressive feat for the British Indian Army. Mountbatten had no choice but to summon senior officers from the southern front to assess the situation.

General Wilson continued to explain his tactical experience to the Allied high-level officials. At the climax, he even shamelessly commented on the Soviet Union's failure in the Battle of Stalingrad and belittled the Soviet army's combat effectiveness without reservation.

Wilson continued, "Mr. Earl (referring to Mountbatten), Chief of Staff Wedemeyer, and colleagues, I believe that the Allies should take advantage of the 18th Army's opportunity to block the Japanese on the Aizawl front to outflank and encircle the Japanese. On the front, the 18th Army will dig offensive trenches to further pressure the Japanese and force them to increase their forces to defend against our counterattacks. In this way, the siege on both sides will achieve greater results!"

A US military staff officer entered and handed Wedemeyer a report, which Wedemeyer took a quick look at. It was a report on new Japanese troop movements, clearly indicating a retreat. The current force was believed to be the 31th Regiment of the 124st Division. The main forces of the 31st Division, including the 58th and 138th Regiments and tanks, had withdrawn and their whereabouts were unknown. The main forces of the 1st and 2nd Divisions had retreated to the Imphal area.

Wedemeyer stepped forward and handed the intelligence to Mountbatten. Seeing Wilson was still speaking, he interrupted and asked, "General Wilson, how long do you think the 18th Army's defense can hold off the Japanese?"

Wilson was confused by Wedemeyer's sudden question. He paused for a moment and said, "Mr. Chief of Staff, I believe that the Japanese army cannot break through the 18th Army's defense. Now we should discuss counterattacks and encircle and destroy the Japanese army."

"According to the latest intelligence, the only Japanese force facing us is the 31th Regiment of the 124st Division, consisting of approximately 4000 men. If the 18th Army launched a counterattack now, General Wilson, how long would it take to defeat the Japanese forces facing us?"

Just as Wedemeyer finished speaking, more than ten Japanese grenades landed not far away, sending a cloud of dust and dust rushing into the command post through the observation port. Despite his heroic words, Wilson knew deep down that without the cover of the trenches, the 10th Army's strength would be impossible to break through the Japanese positions supported by heavy artillery.

Mountbatten didn't give Wedemeyer a chance to embarrass Wilson. He gestured to Wilson, who was about to respond, and said calmly, "A newly formed unit of the 18th Army has done a remarkable job of withstanding repeated Japanese attacks here! The Japanese are retreating, proving that our defense is effective."

Walker, commander of the 14th Army, had suffered losses at the hands of the Japanese before. He worriedly said, "The Japanese army's sudden retreat is not their habit. Could they have some new plans?"

Mountbatten was obviously thinking about this question as well. He looked up at everyone present, and his eyes finally fell on Yang Hong in the corner. Mountbatten had known from previous battles that the Allied First Army led by Yang Hong was definitely the main force on the southern front.

Mountbatten walked up to Yang Hong and asked kindly, "General Yang, what do you think of the sudden withdrawal of the Japanese army?"

Yang Hong laughed inwardly. This was clearly an attempt to smooth things over and avoid embarrassment for all parties. So, after a moment's reflection, Yang replied softly, "Commander Mountbatten, Chief of Staff Wedemeyer, until we understand the Japanese intentions, the Allies would be best served by strengthening their frontier positions, concentrating their mobile forces, and being ready to respond to any new Japanese offensive."

What Yang Hong said was as good as nothing, but everyone, including Mountbatten and Wedemeyer, already knew that the previous plan of luring the enemy deep into their territory and annihilating them had completely failed.

On the same day, Heitaro Kimura also convened a meeting of senior officers of the 15th Army with the rank of major general and above at a hidden command post in Imphal. Colonel Yukata Tashima, the chief of staff of the 15th Army of the Japanese Army who was responsible for formulating combat plans, was explaining to the senior Japanese officers present the intelligence on the various Allied forces and their bases collected by the Special High Technology Bureau and other intelligence departments.

After Duodao finished his explanation, Major General Hideyoshi Obata, Chief of Staff of the 15th Army, stood up at Kimura's signal, walked to the large map in front of the conference room, and pointed to Rajendpur, south of Imphal. He said, "East of Silchar and Aizawl is a region of mountains and hills, with many rivers originating there. The terrain is steep and rugged, making it unsuitable for large-scale mobile operations. It was precisely because of this that part of the 18th Division took advantage of this terrain during the First Battle of Silchar, quietly opening a retreat route and safely withdrawing to Imphal."

Obata Hideyoshi continued, "This time, the Special High Technology Department and the Military Operations Department secretly organized a task force to conduct a quiet survey along the route. They found a detour through Rajinderpur into Silchar. The 1st and 2nd Divisions' Engineer Regiments have already entered the area and are working to open a simple road to facilitate the passage of our large-scale mechanized forces!"