latelenovela Chapter 239: The Remnants of the Division
Chapter 239: The Remnants of the Division
Lieutenant General Sadaichi Takeuchi, commander of the 55th Division, who had fled into the deep mountains and forests, stood on a rugged rock. The mountain wind whistled through the valley under the setting sun, making his silver hair flutter.
His fingers were clutching the heavy list of remaining troops, his face ashen.
The shocking figures on the paper were like scars of defeat engraved into his heart.
“第 55 师团步兵团司令部长官上田智也少将失踪，残余63人。步兵第 112 联队残余643人，第 143 联队残余429人，第 144 联队残余794人。”
From right to left, every time his eyes swept across a column of data on the report (Japanese books were written vertically and read from right to left), Takeuchi Sadaichi's eyebrows furrowed more and more.
He looked down at the miserable remnant troops in the valley. The 55th Division, once known as the "Chrysanthemum Light", was now a bird with broken wings, having lost its former sharpness and majesty.
The faces of the soldiers huddled together were filled with fatigue and fear.
Their uniforms had long faded and were even tattered. Several soldiers were weakly chewing on dry rations that were as hard as stones. Occasionally, someone would stop and look around with a complicated expression, as if secretly wondering how many days they could survive.
Continuing to check the report, he sneered and said in a hoarse voice:
"The 55th Cavalry Regiment has 129 men remaining, 21 mounted horses, and 9 pack horses. Oh, can this still be considered a cavalry regiment? I'm afraid it's not even as good as an infantry squadron."
“山炮兵第 55 联队残余192人，四一式75山炮2门，两百多人就伺候2门火炮？”
"The 55th Engineer Regiment and the 55th Quartermaster Regiment together have a total of 319 remaining people, 14 luggage carts, and some logistical supplies..." Seeing this, Takeuchi Sadaichi's eyes went dark.
The fleeing troops are trapped in the mountains and their logistical supplies are cut off. They won't really be reduced to eating raw "Taijun Sashimi", right?
"There are a total of 121 people remaining in the medical team, the Fourth Field Hospital, the sick horse factory, and the epidemic prevention and water supply unit..." At the end of the report, there are several attached units that are called medical but are actually biochemical units.
Since the Anmin Army had generally conducted chemical defense training, the sick horse factory and epidemic prevention and water supply units of the 55th Division did not actually play a big role.
The remaining chemical weapons and ammunition in Lashio City were photographed and archived as evidence by the Security Army and then destroyed. This group of troops was completely useless.
Takeuchi Sadaichi secretly decided in his heart that once the food was gone and he really wanted to eat "Taijun Sashimi", he would start with these useless people.
Standing in the deserted mountains, Takeuchi Sadaichi looked up at the fiery red setting sun hanging in the sky and sighed again.
More than a year ago, the Japanese invaders in Pegu were so high-spirited that they successively captured Mandalay, Lashio and Myitkyina, drove the Qian Kingdom Expeditionary Force into the Wild Man Mountains, and forced them to flee into the primeval forest.
Now the situation has changed. The 55th Division, which once had nearly 15,000 Japanese soldiers, was beaten by the Anmin Army and only two or three of them were left. Now there are less than 3000 Japanese soldiers following Takeuchi Sadaichi, and supplies and ammunition are extremely scarce.
The key point is that after capturing Lashio, the left-wing group immediately began to advance towards the east side of Mandalay along the Lashio-Mandalay railway. Takeuchi Sadaichi did not dare to lead his troops to move closer to the friendly forces in Mandalay.
On the contrary, he only dared to flee southeastward with his troops through the mountains, hoping to be supported by friendly Siamese forces.
The direction he fled to was a very famous triangle area in the future.
"Report!" A scout came running from the corner of the mountain road, his face covered in dust, and he knelt on one knee, panting.
"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, we've discovered traces of an ambush by the Anmin Army on the mountain road ahead. They appear to have deployed snipers and artillery on high ground, and there are obstacles in the valley blocking access!"
Takeuchi Sadaichi's face turned pale, and he asked coldly, "How many enemy troops are there?"
"I estimate there are no more than 200 people, but the terrain is difficult and they have an absolute advantage." The scout's tone was filled with suppressed fear.
"200 people? You look down on us like that?"
Takeuchi Sadaichi's initial reaction was anger, but when he looked around, he saw the fear on the faces of the defeated soldiers around him, and he fell silent.
After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath, as if to suppress the anger in his chest.
He turned to look at his adjutant, his tone dejected, "Pass the order down. Immediately organize the engineers to open a new path. Scouts continue to survey the surrounding terrain. If there are any more enemy ambushes, report immediately."
"Yes." The adjutant saluted and hurried away.
-----
At night, in the quiet forest, a deafening sound of artillery fire suddenly came.
Then, countless flares pierced the darkness, illuminating the entire valley like daylight.
Takeuchi Sadaichi was immediately awakened from his reverie. He strode out of the tent and shouted, "Enemy attack! All troops, move to defensive positions!"
Deep in the mountains and forests, the snipers of the Security Army hid among the treetops, their rifle scopes reflecting the faint moonlight.
A gunshot rang out, and a Japanese soldier in the distance fell down. Blood splattered on the ground, instantly dyeing the bushes red.
Immediately afterwards, countless gunshots rang out one after another, like the whispers of death.
Takeuchi Sadaichi went to the front line in person and scanned the enemy's firepower points with sharp eyes.
He understood that the enemy before him was not only familiar with the terrain but also well-trained, and each of their strikes was precise and deadly.
"Let the mountain artillery suppress the high ground firepower point!" He shouted to the artillerymen beside him, "Don't waste any shells!"
The muzzle of the mountain cannon slowly turned, the roar exploded in the valley, and the shells exploded into balls of fire on the mountainside.
However, the agile snipers of the Security Army had already evacuated the site and quickly moved to another hidden spot to continue shooting.
"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General!" the adjutant came running to report, "We must evacuate! The enemy's firepower is too strong. If we persist, we will be wiped out!"
Just a small force of less than a few hundred people, the Anmin Army, which went into the mountains to pursue the enemy, relied on recoilless rifles, snipers, and mortars to defeat the remnants of the 55th Division without any chance of fighting back.
Takeuchi Sadaichi looked at the burning battlefield in the distance, and a trace of struggle and unwillingness flashed in his eyes.
He was silent for a moment, then finally waved his hand and gave the order: "Retreat! Split up and break out, as many as can survive will be counted!"