The War of Resistance: From Overseas Chinese Mechanics to King of Nanyang

"Let this gas cylinder cannon prioritize bombarding the Japanese strongholds to open up a path for our soldiers to charge! The rest of the troops, get ready. Once the strongholds are destroyed, launch an immediate assault and take over all the outer defenses of Lashio in one fell swoop, giving the Japanese no chance to catch their breath!" Zheng Tingji was capable enough to be appointed as an infantry commander, so when he saw the great role of the gas cylinder cannon, he immediately made a decision and adjusted the tactics.

"Yes!" the staff officer replied immediately.

On the front lines, the officers and soldiers of the 200th Division witnessed the shocking scene of gas cylinder cannons bombarding and flattening the Japanese stronghold. Their already high morale reached its peak at this moment.

Previously, they were all eager for revenge, determined to "take two Japanese devils down with them even if they die." Even when faced with the Japanese army's strong fortifications and dense firepower, they dared to charge at all costs. However, deep down, they still had a sense of insecurity—without heavy weapons, it would be too difficult to attack, and the casualties of their brothers would only increase.

But things are different now. Those seemingly simple gas cylinder cannons are as powerful as regular heavy artillery. The strongholds that the Japanese army relied on are as fragile as paper in front of them and are no match for them.

The soldiers' faces were filled with high morale, and their tone was full of confidence.

Soon, the second wave of bombardment began. Booms resounded one after another, and one Japanese stronghold after another collapsed amidst fire and smoke. The firepower of light and heavy machine guns gradually thinned out, and a gap appeared in the defensive line. One after another, calls for help from the Japanese troops at the front line reached the command post.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the headquarters of the Japanese 15th Army in Yangon was very oppressive.

Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida sat at his desk, clutching the telegram for help sent by Masao Watanabe tightly in his hand. His brows were furrowed, and his face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

He looked at the contents of the telegram over and over again, feeling incredulous.

Lashio was besieged by the expeditionary force?

And the one that launched the attack was actually the 200th Division?

This was beyond his imagination. If it weren't for Watanabe Masao's handwritten signature at the end of the telegram, he would have thought it was a fabricated intelligence by the enemy to disrupt the Japanese army's deployment.

"Wasn't the 200th Division defeated?" Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida muttered to himself, his tone full of doubt. "Dai Anlan is seriously injured and unconscious, the troops have suffered heavy casualties, and all their heavy weapons have been lost. How could they suddenly appear in Lashio and even dare to launch an attack? Could there be some mistake?"

This is intelligence that has been personally verified by the intelligence department.

It's no wonder he had such thoughts; the whole thing was just too bizarre.

All Japanese troops believed that the 200th Division had suffered heavy losses in the ambush and was already a defeated and disorganized force, only able to flee in disarray. It was in no way capable of launching a large-scale offensive, let alone daring to raid the strategic town of Lashio.

If the communications officer hadn't repeatedly confirmed that the telegram's coding and signature were flawless, he would never have believed the news.

Even so, Shojiro Iida was stunned for a while before he could barely accept the fact, but he still fell into thought.

That is, Watanabe Masao requested in the telegram that the 18th Division be transferred to aid Lashio. However, such a decision was not made lightly and must have been carefully considered.

"What do you think of Watanabe-kun's request for reinforcements?" Shojiro Iida looked up, his gaze sweeping over the staff officers in the headquarters, and asked in a slow, deliberate tone, "Should we allocate troops from the 18th Division to support Lashio? How many would be appropriate?"

He knew that Lashio was a logistical hub that absolutely could not be lost, but the deployment of the 18th Division was equally important to the overall situation and could not tolerate any mistakes. He had to listen to everyone's opinions before making a decision.

Major General Haruki Isayama, the Chief of Staff, spoke first. He was responsible for the daily affairs of the headquarters, formulating operational plans, coordinating the joint operations of various divisions and regiments, and always considered issues thoroughly.

"Commander, reinforcements will definitely be sent. Lashio's strategic position is far too important. If it is lost, the supply lines to the front-line troops will be cut off, and the consequences will be unimaginable. However, I think we should not withdraw too many troops, so as not to affect the overall battlefield deployment."

Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel Seiji Moriya immediately echoed, his tone firm: "That's right, the Chief of Staff is correct. The General Staff is planning to move the main force of the 18th Division forward to the Myitkyina area, preparing to completely cut off the retreat route of the main force of the Expeditionary Force. If too many troops are drawn from the 18th Division to reinforce Lashio at this time, it will inevitably affect the deployment in the Myitkyina direction, and this would be missing the best opportunity to annihilate the main force of the Expeditionary Force."

"I think that drawing on a maximum of two large teams should be more than enough."

"The reason is that Lashio still has more than 2,000 garrison troops. Although most of them are second-line troops such as engineers and supply troops, the 200th Division has long lost its heavy weapons and is just a remnant. With Lashio's defensive fortifications and these 2,000 garrison troops, it should not be a problem to stop the 200th Division's attack. Sending a small number of troops to reinforce it is enough to stabilize the situation."

Both of their words made perfect sense, and Iida Shojiro nodded, then fell into deeper thought.

They're right, reinforcements must be sent, but not too many, otherwise we'll end up neglecting one thing for another.

If two battalions were drawn from the army and combined with the original two thousand garrison troops of Lashio, relying on the strong fortifications, it should be more than enough to hold Lashio.

Just as he was about to make up his mind and issue the order to send two battalions to reinforce Lashio, the communications staff officer who had gone out earlier suddenly stumbled into the headquarters, his face ashen, his voice trembling as he said, "Commander! Urgent telegram from Lashio! Extremely urgent!"

"Read it!" Iida Shojiro's heart sank, and he said coldly.

"The 200th Division, using heavy artillery and fierce firepower, has completely destroyed all the outer positions of Lashio. The defending troops have suffered heavy casualties, and the defensive line is on the verge of collapse!"

"Division Commander Masao Watanabe urgently requests reinforcements, pleading with headquarters to immediately dispatch a large number of troops to aid Lashio, otherwise Lashio will surely fall!"

"What?!" Shojiro Iida suddenly stood up, his face full of disbelief. He snatched the telegram and looked at its contents over and over again.

The 200th Division actually has heavy artillery?

Did it also destroy all the outer positions of Lashio?

How is that possible!

The staff officers in the headquarters were all stunned, looking at each other with bewilderment and shock on their faces.

Previously, they believed that the garrison of Lashio was enough to hold off the 200th Division, which had lost its heavy weapons. But now, the enemy has heavy artillery, and the situation has been reversed in an instant. Lashio is on the verge of falling!

"Commander, the situation is critical! The 200th Division is reinforced with heavy artillery, and the second-line defenders of Lashio are simply unable to withstand it. If a large number of reinforcements are not sent, Lashio will definitely be captured!" Major General Haruki Isayama said immediately.