Chapter 30 Chapter 29 Long Live the Motherland
After the Chinese expeditionary force withdrew from Tonggu, the situation in southern Myanmar became more critical.Alexander, the commander-in-chief of the British Burmese Army, claimed that the oil refining equipment in Yangon had been transferred to Renangqiang, and the British army was prepared to desperately defend the Renangqiang oil field, and asked the Chinese expeditionary force to cooperate in operations. ——The British, who were terrified in the face of the Japanese attack, were capable of fighting but did not even defend Yangon, the capital of Myanmar. Who would believe that they would desperately defend an oil field in western Myanmar?Previously, in order to reinforce Tonggu, the main force of the Chinese Expeditionary Force had transported chariots and heavy artillery southward along the railway, and if they agreed to the British request, the equipment would have to be brought back.Nevertheless, the Chinese side agreed, firstly because of Stilwell's order; secondly, the Chinese believed that since they were on the same battlefield, the "friendly army" would fight to the death, and it was unreasonable not to cooperate.
The Chinese Expeditionary Force formulated a plan for the Battle of Binwena to cooperate with the British Army.
On the afternoon of March 31st, Du Yuming issued a combat order:
1. The enemy in front of us is the main force of the 55th Division and seems to have an attempt to advance northward.The army decided to use a powerful part to use the east-west line of the Swa River (southern side of Swa) and the narrow forest area to the north to resist the enemy, occupy the position in Binwenna with the main force, destroy the enemy with firepower, and turn to the offensive , encircle and destroy the enemy.
2. After the new 22nd Division covered the transfer of the 200th Division, it immediately took part in occupying Leda and swore to maintain contact with the enemy, and the main force occupied the Swadongxi line to deny the enemy.If the enemy is too superior to oppress, we should resist one by one with a wide front, stick to the position on the right (west) bank of the Swa River, attract the enemy in front of the position, overwhelm the enemy with firepower, and deal an annihilated blow.If the enemy surrounds and attacks the rear of our side with one part, we should face the battle calmly, and use chariots and artillery fire to control the mobile forces to attack and destroy them. The lines of Tuo and Meifeit are closely guarded.
3. The right side detachment is located near Maji crotch and south of the desert river to search for the enemy's situation.
4. The 286th Regiment of the 96th Division, after the newly formed 22nd Division occupies the position, moves to the vicinity of Yeni to build fortifications. establish.At the same time, in order to worry about the opening of the Maoqi Highway, the enemy may enter and leave Taunggyi and threaten our back, so the temporary 55th Division was ordered to gather the main force near Heihe in addition to mobilizing a regiment to open Zaze. Fight on different sides, and quickly destroy the bridges of the Moltke Highway, block the enemy in the narrow road and destroy them.
Stilwell was still furious over Du Yuming's disobedience.Du Yuming once clearly told the British Governor of Burma: "The American general thought he was in command, but in fact, there is no such thing. We Chinese believe that the only way to get Americans to fight is to let them have several commands in writing. They have nothing to do, we are in charge." Stilwell's anger was echoed by Chiang Kai-shek.Chiang Kai-shek asked Luo Zhuoying to replace Lin Wei as the head of the staff group, and at the same time replaced Wei Lihuang, who had not yet arrived, as the commander-in-chief of the first expeditionary army.
Chiang Kai-shek comforted Stilwell and said:
I have decided to send Luo Zhuoying to follow the general's order to command the Fifth and Sixth Armies and other troops fighting in Burma. Luo Zhuoying is older and more experienced than Commander Du. If the general has orders, he can inform General Luo at any time. He transferred Commander Du and other military officers to execute it.This method has two advantages: First, the general does not need to have direct contact with the commanders of each army, so as to maintain a good impression with them.Second, on the one hand, General Luo can obey the general's order, and on the other hand, he can actually supervise the execution of this order.Commander Du is a man with a youthful vigor and a strong ability to handle affairs, but he is also too stubborn.Today, General Luo communicates with the generals individually, and thoroughly understands the general's intentions at any time, and then transfers orders to the various armies. It is more free for the generals to contact each army individually, which can reduce the chance of misunderstanding... When Lin Weiwen was at Yu's side, the military command efficiency was quite strong , but when he is not on the other side, Biheng cannot make a decisive decision.General Luo is a well-trained soldier who can do what General Lin cannot.If the general agrees to this method, I will order General Luo to take the first flight to northern Burma in the next few days to prepare...
Stilwell "finally got a good night's sleep."
On April 2, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling flew to Memyao, Myanmar, where they presided over a meeting of senior generals of the Fifth and Sixth Armies of the Chinese Expeditionary Army, demanding that the main force be concentrated in a decisive battle with the Japanese army on the front line of Binwen. Before Luo Zhuoying officially took office, Du Yuming is still in charge of combat command.On the 6th, Chiang Kai-shek held talks with Stilwell and Alexander. In particular, he asked the British army to stick to Alan Mew, north of Pyay, to ensure the safety of the left wing of the Chinese Expeditionary Force at Pingwen.
However, before Chiang Kai-shek could finish his words, bad news came one after another: the British abandoned Prome on April 1, and Alamy on April 7.The British army ignored the combat plan of the Chinese Expeditionary Force at all, and instead asked the Chinese Expeditionary Force to attack Shaswa and Magway westward from Pingwenna, so as to replace the British troops stationed there and let them continue to retreat. The actions made the so-called Battle of Pingwena even before the start of the Chinese Expeditionary Force was already in danger with its flanks wide open.
On the day the British army abandoned Alan Miao, Chiang Kai-shek and Stilwell had a conversation with the main generals of the expeditionary force.Chiang Kai-shek explicitly told them to obey Stilwell's orders "without dissent"; and that Stilwell "has the right to promote, dismiss and punish" anyone in the expeditionary force.But soon, Stilwell became more and more angry because of his extreme disappointment: the Chinese-style big seal representing power sent to Stilwell turned out to be "Chief of Staff of the Confederate Army" engraved on it, not what he said. Hope for the "Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese Aid Army".At the same time, the Chinese side did not send him any documents giving him the right to reward and punish.Stilwell finally understood that in the eyes of the Chinese, "chief of staff" actually meant "advisor" rather than commander.
What angered both Stilwell and Chiang Kai-shek was the British's broken promises:
Shi: Yu told General Alexander last night that the British army must dig deep trenches and build strong fortifications, just like the Chinese army did.
Commissioned seat: If the British army encounters the enemy's flanking action, it may retreat at any time. We must plan ahead.When the enemy comes and we retreat, a small group of enemy troops can force the British army to retreat without firing a single shot.If the British side is determined not to retreat, and is ready to fight to the end, or at least, as the Chinese army was fighting against the ancients, if they confront one place for a while and are determined to hold out for two or three days, then we can draw up a plan.The British side said that it will do its best, but this statement cannot be used as a guarantee of definite certainty.They defended a place and retreated after a day, which can be said to have done their best.For example, if the British army retreats before the Chinese army reaches Tangdewenyi (Dongdingji), what will happen?That's why the British army must first make up their minds and stand on the front line before we can make plans.If there is still the possibility of the British army retreating, we must assume that this situation will come and formulate measures, so as to avoid temporary embarrassment and dilemma.
Shi: In the last meeting between Yu and General Alexander, he claimed that the British army would hold certain areas.However, I have lost confidence in the promise of the British side. General Alexander still has to pay attention to the problem of the British army not retreating. He must stop this retreat, otherwise it will be disgraceful.
Commissioner: But if the British army still retreats, what will we do?
Shi: We must defend Mandalay and Taji, and use Tangji and Laika to defend the outskirts of Mandalay.
Commissioner: If the enemy attacks before the completion of the Mandalay fortification, how should we deal with it?
Shi: We should urge the British army to make at least one counterattack against the enemy. This will give us time to complete the fortification of Mandalay.
Commissioner: Needless to say, the British counterattack, if the British can defend the location they chose, I will be satisfied enough.
After this helpless conversation with Stilwell, Chiang Kai-shek received bad news about the British: Mandalay was bombed indiscriminately by the Japanese army, causing many casualties, but the British refused to allow Chinese and American Red Cross rescue People went to the rescue - as the colonial masters of Burma, the British must not let the Burmese have the idea that the Chinese and Americans are better than the British. The method they adopted was to prevent the Burmese from contacting the Chinese and Americans .
Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling went to Mandalay to inspect together, and saw "human and animal corpses, rotting and messy, filling the streets, or piled up in burned houses."Chiang Kai-shek ordered the corpses to be quickly collected and disinfected, so that the officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force here should not be caught in the plague; Song Meiling even asked Alexander about this matter, and Alexander denied that the British side refused the Chinese Red Cross medical staff to enter Mandalay.
The British have become almost rascals.
Chiang Kai-shek wrote to Roosevelt: "I have never seen such a miserable, unprepared, chaotic and collapsed situation as the Burmese battlefield in my entire life."
Immediately afterwards, Stilwell also wrote to Marshall, informing that the situation in Burma was completely unexpected, because the British had decided to abandon Burma, and they had many troops. scenario. ——"The British would rather sacrifice Burma than owe Chiang Kai-shek any favors, nor promise that the Burmese nationalists could change their status after the war."
The confused Allied forces did not know that the Japanese were making an ambitious battle plan.
At this time, the 200th Division of the Fifth Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Army had moved from Tonggu to the north of Binwena; the 96th Division was building fortifications in Binwena; Moving in the direction of Heihe and Taunggyi, one of the battalions took over the position of the British army in the Maoqi to Leigu area west of Tonggu to Binwenna; the new 38th Division, the vanguard of the 66th Army, has arrived mandalay.After abandoning Pyay and Alamyx, the British army continued to retreat north-by-west.The Japanese army has crossed Pyay and Magway and is advancing rapidly in the direction of Renangqiang.
On April 3, the Fifteenth Army of the Japanese Army formulated a plan for the Battle of Mandalay - the "enemy army" mentioned in the plan basically did not refer to the British army.The Japanese believed that the British in Burma were not even enemies, but just a group of fleeing refugees.After the Japanese army prepared to defeat the Chinese Expeditionary Force, it rushed directly into the territory of Yunnan, China:
Our army cut off the enemy's retreat in the Lashio area with an elite corps, and marched towards Mandalay with the main force along the Tonggu-Mandalay Highway and the Irrawaddy River area, surrounded the two wings of the enemy's main force, and overwhelmed the enemy in the west of Mandalay and the Irrawaddy River area. And annihilate the enemy; then, capture and annihilate the remnants of the enemy west of the Lashio, Bhamo, and Jiesha lines.At the same time, without losing the opportunity, one of the elite units pursued the front line of the Nu River.
In order to buy time for the Battle of Binwena, the newly formed 22nd Division blocked the Japanese 55th Division in the Swa Valley south of Binwena to delay its advance.
After the 200th Division withdrew from Tonggu, the new 22nd Division was ordered by Du Yuming to start action.On March 31, the main force of the 66th regiment of the division carried out a feint attack on the Japanese army south of Nanyang Station to cover the main force.Its 64th regiment moved to Shajiaya to occupy the position in the north of Nanyang, and the 65th regiment went to the Swa position.After completing the cover task, the 66th Regiment also moved to Ye Daxi, south of Swa, to occupy the position.The newly formed 22nd Division deployed longitudinally along the road from Tonggu to Binwenna, preparing to build positions on the north and south banks of the Swa River to resist successively.From Swaa to Pingwenna in the north, there is a narrow road with dense mountain forests on both sides.The tactics adopted by the Chinese officers and soldiers are: a combination of echelon equipment, alternate cover and ambushes on both sides.They planted a large number of mines and bombs on the narrow road, just waiting for the Japanese army to enter the narrow road. When the mines and bombs were triggered, the ambushes on both sides poured out violently. The snipers killed accurately under the cover of dense forests. The counterattack forced the Japanese army to stop on this road.
From April 1st to April 4th, the 55th Division of the Japanese Army and the new 22nd Division confronted each other between Nanyang Station and Ye Daxi. The two sides had only small search battles and intermittent artillery battles.On the 5th, with the help of planes, heavy artillery and tanks, the three regiments of the 55th Division of the Japanese Army rushed towards the position of the 64th Regiment of the newly formed 22nd Division. The two armies fought fiercely for a whole day. The attack was thwarted, and the 64th regiment suffered heavy casualties.In the evening, division commander Liao Yaoxiang led the 64th regiment to bypass the front of Ye Daxi's 66th regiment, and retreated to the north of Siwa to occupy the position.After that, Commander Liao returned to the 66th Regiment position at the forefront.
In the Swa Valley, the Japanese army encountered Liao Yaoxiang, a tough opponent.
Liao Yaoxiang, commander of the new 22nd Division, was born in a farming family in Hunan. At the age of 19, he graduated from the cadet team of the Sixth Brigade of the Third Division of the Army and was admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy. In 1930, he was sent to France Army University study abroad.Six years later, Liao Yaoxiang returned to China and served in the Teaching Corps of the Central Military Academy. He personally experienced the fall of Nanjing and escaped by hiding among the corpses.In March 1938, based on the 200th Division, the Military Commission of the Nationalist Government expanded the mechanized army into the 22nd Division, with Qiu Qingquan as the division commander and Liao Yaoxiang as the deputy division commander.In the Battle of Kunlun Pass in Guangxi in December 1939, the newly formed 22nd Division fought tenaciously with the Japanese army. Especially after the division commander Qiu Qingquan was injured, Liao Yaoxiang, acting as the division commander, commanded the whole division to attack Kunlun Pass. The night of Shangyuan in 1940.Because of his exploits at Kunlun Pass, Liao Yaoxiang was promoted to commander of the new 22nd Division at the age of 36.
On the 6th, the Japanese army launched an offensive again.In addition to infantry, two artillery battalions, a tank battalion and a large number of fighters were dispatched.The position of the 66th regiment was in bitter battle all day long, four Japanese tanks were destroyed, and more than 100 officers and soldiers below the battalion commander were killed in the 66th regiment.In the evening, Chinese officers and soldiers launched a night attack, killing nearly 200 Japanese soldiers and taking 49 prisoners.On the 7th, the Japanese army besieged the newly formed 22nd Division from three sides, concentrated heavy artillery bombardment, and attacked from the flanks. The Ye Daxi position of the newly formed 22nd Division was broken through, and the 66th Regiment, which suffered huge casualties, fell to Sri Lanka. The tile position shifted.
On the 8th, Chiang Kai-shek, who was watching the battle situation, began to feel uneasy.Judging from the western, central, and eastern routes of the Japanese attack, the three directions were evenly used, and each direction corresponded to a division. It is difficult to judge where the main attack direction is.Compared with the Chinese Expeditionary Force, the West Road where the British Army was located could not have any hope, but Ren'an Qiang, where it was stationed, was a strategic point.At the same time, the location of the Sixth Army defending the East Road is also crucial, because it is the closest to Lashio, the key point on the Burma Road.As for the middle road, Chiang Kai-shek still doesn't know how much troops the Japanese army will invest.All in all, the Chinese Expeditionary Force had too few troops, and if it wanted to gather superior forces along any road, it would involve the lateral movement of troops, and the battle at Binwena depended on whether the central road was the main direction of the Japanese army's attack.
On the 9th, information came: the Chinese army captured a Japanese soldier, and learned from his statement that the Japanese army in the middle road was the entire 55th Division, and they had strengthened the support of mountain artillery, field artillery, howitzers and other heavy artillery. Japanese forces had begun to infiltrate the flanking battlefields.Then, more important information came: the 18th Division of the Japanese Army also came up.This information was obtained thanks to an intelligence officer named Ma Yushan from the Fifth Army of the Expeditionary Army.Ma Yushan disguised himself as a Burmese and sneaked into the headquarters of the 55th Division of the Japanese Army to carry water and do odd jobs.One day, he found a map with the number and location of the troops on the desk in the Japanese headquarters. He searched for an opportunity to hide the map on his body and sneaked back to Binwenna overnight.
After looking at the map, Du Yuming learned that the Japanese reinforcements were the 65th and 142nd regiments of the 18th Division, as well as a battalion of mountain artillery and a battalion of heavy artillery.
On the 11th, the 18th Division of the Japanese Army arrived at the battlefield and joined the attack on the new 22nd Division.The new twenty-second division fought a fierce battle with the Japanese army.In the evening, the main force of the newly formed 22nd Division was transferred to the second-line position. The Japanese army pursued it closely. Resist one by one.On the 16th, under the cover of the 96th Division, the newly formed 22nd Division withdrew from the battlefield and moved west of Binwenna.
Du Yuming called Chiang Kai-shek:
At dawn on April 10, the enemy's 55th Division on the Siwa side began to attack Liaoshisiwa's position with multiple planes, more than 20 guns, and two tanks as cover. Blazing artillery fire and aircraft bombed again.Our officers and soldiers suffered heavy casualties, but they were still able to resist bravely and hold firm. Until the 16th of this month, we have resisted one by one according to the army's planned plan, and moved to a new position in the mountains southwest of Pingmanna (Binwenna).In the past week of fighting, more than 2,500 enemies have been killed and wounded, and I have suffered more than 1,000 casualties of officers and soldiers below the battalion commander.
The new 22nd Division of the Chinese Expeditionary Force stubbornly resisted the Japanese army for 18 days, resisting the fierce attack of the Japanese army with cannons and tanks alone.Due to the correct tactics, it not only dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army and wiped out thousands of enemies, but also attracted the main force of the Japanese army to the battlefield preset by the Chinese Expeditionary Force.With their bravery and tenacity, Chinese officers and soldiers have created a model of Chinese-style "resistance one after another".
At this time, the units of the Chinese Expeditionary Force participating in the Battle of Binwena had arrived at the designated location according to the scheduled plan.
However, the situation suddenly deteriorated.
Crisis occurred simultaneously on the east and west wings of the battlefield.
On the west wing, the British army urgently called for help, saying that they were surrounded by superior Japanese troops in the north of Ren'anqiang, and asked the Chinese Expeditionary Force to rescue them.
Pursuing the British along the west road was the 33rd Division of the Japanese Army.On April 14, the division easily defeated the resistance of the British army and successively seized places such as Shaswa and Dongdunzhi. The British army immediately abandoned the important stronghold of Magway and retreated northward to Renangqiang.On the 17th, the British army abandoned the Renangqiang oil field they claimed to defend to the death, and retreated again.The British repeatedly stated that they wanted to hold their ground, but in the end they couldn't even talk about being defeated. They fled almost without seeing the shadow of the Japanese army, but they made the Chinese army hold their ground again and again.For this reason, Chiang Kai-shek was extremely angry, thinking that the British were "shameless".
However, after all, the friendly army cannot ignore death.
The commander-in-chief of the Chinese Expeditionary Force ordered the newly formed 38th Division, which had just arrived in Mandalay, to rush to the place where the British army was besieged.
The new thirty-eighth division of the Chinese Expeditionary Army is a direct line unit of the Central Army, which was originally the Tax Police Headquarters of the Ministry of Finance of the Nationalist Government.After the Battle of Songhu, it was adapted into the current designation in 1941, belonging to the Sixty-sixth Army of the Army.After joining the ranks of the expeditionary force, the newly formed 38th Division traveled from Xingyi, Guizhou for half a month to Anning, Yunnan, and entered Burma on March 27.On April 7, the main force arrived in Mandalay.After the bombing of Mandalay, the city was full of rubble and corpses. The division commander Sun Liren received a warrant from Chiang Kai-shek to appoint him as the commander of the Mandalay garrison.Immediately, the entire city of Mandalay was plastered with Commander Sun's notice:
During the period when the commander was ordered to guard, to protect this land, Ansmin, where his responsibilities lie, Zite made an agreement with the people of the whole city on four matters: 1. Those who set fire will be killed without mercy; Four, those who spread rumors to confuse the public and disturb the law and order will be killed without mercy.The lives and property of the rest of the monks are under the protection of this Commander.
Sun Liren's task was to defend the city of Mandalay, and he did not expect to take care of the affairs of the British.However, when the British army abandoned Magui in the south of Ren'an Qiang, Sun Liren was ordered to send the No. 112 and No. 113 Regiments, led by deputy division commander Qi Xueqi, to the Kyaukba East in the north of Ren'an Qiang for defense. , On the one hand, it is also to protect the safety of the western flank of Mandalay-this is beyond the responsibility of a city defense commander.However, when the 113rd Regiment arrived at Kyaukpadong, Shi Lin, head of the First Army Corps of the British Burmese Army, came to the headquarters of the 113th Regiment and gave Liu Fangwu, the head of the 113th Regiment, a combat order issued by him:
To Colonel Liu, the head of the 113th Regiment: Please send your regiment to the Pingqiang area.There, you will join Commodore Antis, who will assist you with all his tanks.Your task is to attack and eliminate the enemy forces two kilometers north of the flat wall.
Commander Liu Fangwu did not immediately carry out the British order. He reported the situation to Commander Sun Liren, and Sun Liren asked Luo Zhuoying for instructions.The decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force was: the 113th Regiment was led by deputy division commander Qi Xueqi to rescue the British army, and the main task of the newly formed 38th Division was to defend Mandalay City.However, almost all the troops have been transferred to rescue the British, so what kind of garrison commander is he?Sun Liren was unwilling to sit and guard the empty city, so he asked Qi Xueqi, the deputy division commander, to stay behind, and went to the front line to command the battle himself.
At midnight on the 16th, the 33rd Division of the Japanese Army overtook the right side of the retreating British Army and arrived five kilometers east of Ren'anqiang.At this time, the 17th Division of the British and Indian Army and other troops fled to Kyaukpa East, but the 1st Division of the British and Burmese Army and the 7th Armored Brigade had not yet withdrawn from Magway to Renangqiang.The 214th Regiment of the Japanese Army immediately advanced to the northeast of Ren'an and Qiang, occupied the Tungang position near the road intersection, and then rushed to the north of the Bin River with a brigade, completely cutting off the retreat of the British army to the north.Together with the 213th Regiment which occupied Magway, the 33rd Regiment of the Mountain Artillery and the 33rd Regiment of the Engineers, the Japanese 33rd Division surrounded the British.The British army, which was divided into two halves by the Bin River, tried to break out of the siege, but was blocked by the Japanese army.The 215th Wing of the Japanese Army is also rushing towards Ren'anqiang.
The besieged First Division of the British Burmese Army and the Seventh Armored Brigade not only had a strength of 7,000 soldiers, but they were also well-equipped, but they had no choice but to ask the Chinese Expeditionary Force for help.
The 113th Regiment of the Chinese Expeditionary Force was indeed brave.After Liu Fangwu accepted the task, he immediately ordered the deputy head Zeng Qi and the tank captain of the British army to reconnaissance and open the way ahead, while the main force of the regiment marched towards the Binhe River.In the early morning of the 18th, the second battalion of the 113th regiment was on the left, the first battalion was on the right, and the third battalion was the reserve team. With the support of twelve British tanks and three artillery pieces, they launched a fierce attack on the Japanese positions.After fierce fighting until the afternoon, the Japanese army was forced to abandon their positions and waded to the south of the Bin River.
When the No. 113 Regiment fought fiercely with the Japanese army, the British army in the encirclement took advantage of the situation to break through, but they made no progress after a day of hard work.Scott, the commander of the 1st Division of the British Burmese Army, once again asked the regiment commander Shi Lin for help, saying that his men were exhausted due to lack of drinking water. If they did not get drinking water, the officers and soldiers would collapse.Therefore, I requested to give up all heavy weapons and break out that night. ——The reason why the British gave up the battle was very strange. It was not a lack of ammunition, nor too many casualties, but a lack of water to drink.
Sun Liren, commander of the new 38th Division, rushed to the front line.
After the Japanese army was driven to the south bank of the Bin River, the British urged the Chinese expeditionary force to cross the river and attack, but Commander Sun Liren refused. The reason was that the terrain on the south bank of the river was very high and the terrain was exposed. The Japanese army will find that our army has only one regiment in strength. Not only will it not be able to rescue the British army, but the 113th regiment will also be in danger of being encircled and wiped out.Sun Liren decided to stop attacking during the day and launch a surprise attack in the early hours of the next day.However, Shi Lin, head of the First Army Corps of the British Burmese Army, insisted that the Chinese army attack immediately, on the grounds that Commander Scott in the encirclement could not hold out overnight.Sun Liren still asked the British army to persevere.During the debate, Commander Scott called again for help, saying that his troops had reached their last moments.Sun Liren said that Scott's troops have endured for two days, and they have to endure for another day anyway. The Chinese Expeditionary Force will rescue them before 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.Commander Scott was skeptical about this, and Commander Sun Liren said categorically: "The Chinese army, including me, even if we fight to the last man, must rescue your army from danger." This sentence moved General Shi Lin greatly. , he shook hands with Sun Liren solemnly, "thinking this is a gentleman's agreement."
Prior to this, the British had never kept their promises to the Chinese.
In the Chinese army, Commander Sun Liren is one of the few hardline generals with a high level of education and a combination of Eastern and Western cultures.He studied at Tsinghua University and Purdue University in the United States, both of which studied civil engineering; he later entered the famous Virginia Military Academy in the United States to study military affairs, and graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1927.After returning to China, he started his long military career as a corporal in the National Revolutionary Army.The reason why he was selected by Minister of Finance Song Ziwen to serve in the Tax Police Headquarters has a lot to do with his Western education background.During his tenure as the head of the Tax Police Headquarters, he created a set of training courses that were completely different from other Chinese troops, called "Sun's Exercise Code". The Chinese army is superior.In the Battle of Songhu, he almost died when he led his troops to fight, and was wounded in as many as thirteen places all over his body.In the Battle of Wuhan, he was honored with military exploits twice, and he was outstanding in the Chinese army.When his unit was reorganized into the new thirty-eighth division, he deservedly served as division commander at the age of forty-one.
On the night of the 18th, Sun Liren and Shi Lin worked together to study the attack deployment for the next day.Sun Liren advocated attacking from the left wing, because the right wing not only exposed the terrain, but also faced the river with its back; but Shi Lin insisted on attacking from the right wing, saying that if they attacked from the left, the British troops in the encirclement would be vulnerable to artillery fire.In the end, Sun Liren obeyed Shi Lin's proposition and issued an attack order that night:
1. The situation of the enemy in front of us has not changed, and we are still holding on to the highlands on the left (south) bank of the Binhe River. The British First Division is still surrounded by the enemy in the northeastern area of Ren'an and Qiang.
2. The division continued to attack at 5:30 in the morning of tomorrow (19th) with the aim of defeating the enemy in front of it and rescuing the British army.
3. The 113th Regiment attacked the enemy in the oilfield area at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, focusing on the enemy's left flank.
4. The British Artillery Corps (three cannons) used part of its firepower to assist the first line on the left of the 113th Regiment to attack the enemy on the left bank of the Bin River, and used the main firepower to support the attack of the main force of the first line on the right.
5. The British tank convoy will attack along the road with all its strength, and cooperate with our main force to attack.
At 4:30 in the morning on the 19th, the 113th Regiment quietly crossed the Bin River and launched an attack on time at 5:30.Without any air force to assist in the battle, only with the support of three British artillery pieces, the officers and soldiers of the Chinese Expeditionary Force charged bravely and quickly captured the Japanese position in front of them.The Japanese army counterattacked desperately, losing three positions and gaining three positions. The two sides repeatedly charged and killed, and the battle was extremely tragic.Sun Liren's attack can be described as extremely thrilling: the troops he commanded were only about a thousand at best, and the Japanese army was at least several times more powerful than him.The Japanese army never figured out how many Chinese troops had come. Based on their past combat experience, they naturally believed that if the Chinese army did not have several times its strength, they would not dare to launch such an offensive.But this time is an exception, this is Sun Liren's troops.The Japanese army retreated gradually, and the sound of the guns faded away. When the officers and soldiers of the Chinese Expeditionary Force captured the main stronghold of the Japanese army, Highland 501, they saw the terrified British army in the encirclement.The Chinese officers and soldiers first released more than 500 American missionaries, journalists and British prisoners captured by the Japanese army, and then appeased the 7,000 British officers and soldiers who were almost collapsed.The Chinese officers and soldiers returned to them the more than 100 vehicles and more than 1,000 military horses they had seized, and then escorted them to withdraw from the left flank to the north bank of the Binhe River.
The 113th Regiment under the command of Sun Liren had a total of 1,121 officers and soldiers. In this operation to rescue the British army, 204 were killed and 318 were injured.
The "Ren'an and Qiang Victory" not only caused a sensation in the whole country, but also attracted the attention of the whole world.
After the war, King George VI awarded Commander Sun Liren the Order of the British Empire.
However, the medal cannot compensate for the lives of hundreds of young Chinese officers and soldiers.
The British survived, but for the Battle of Binwen, the western flank of the British army had completely collapsed.
Then came critical news from the flanks of the Eastern Front.
The Japanese Fifteenth Army ordered the 56th Division, which was attacking northward from the East Road, to advance to Leigu before April 10, and then set out from Leigu to advance along the road from Laika to Lashio.Accordingly, the combat plan of the 56th Division is: "First capture the provisional 55th Division that has gone out to the south of Leigu, and then go northward beyond this place. Then try to encircle Hobang and Taunggyi from the east. The enemy, we must drive the enemy back beyond his retreat route, attack again, and then advance rapidly towards Lashio."
Since the Sixth Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered Burma, it has been responsible for the eastern defense with an extremely wide front.When the Fifth Army was fighting Tonggu, in order to protect the flanks of the battlefield, the Sixth Army would temporarily form the 55th Division and one regiment to advance to the Maoqi and Leigu areas east of Tonggu.However, with the fall of Tonggu, the passage from this area through Maoqi, Leigu, Taunggyi, Leliem to Lashio, the most important node on the Burma Road, was tantamount to opening to the Japanese army.
In order to reach Leigu 20 days ago, the 56th Division of the Japanese Army launched an attack on Moltke on the 6th. A company of the expeditionary force resisted tenaciously and retreated to the Kemabi position.In order to ensure the safety of the eastern flank of the Binwenna Battle, the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force ordered the second regiment of the 55th Division to advance to Leigu, and the third regiment to build fortifications in Taze and Taunggyi; the 29th regiment of the 93rd Division The Seventh Regiment was transferred to Hebang, east of Taunggyi, and deployed defense in depth along the road.At the same time, the 93rd Division and the 49th Division were ordered to carry out diversionary attacks on the Japanese troops in front of them.
On April 9, after the Japanese army increased its strength, it stormed the Kemabi position, and the Chinese defenders resisted.On the 11th day of the battle, the position was destroyed by the Japanese army, and the Chinese officers and soldiers retreated to the north of the Tuchong River.On the 12th, in order to strengthen the solid defense, the temporary fifty-fifth division reinforced the third regiment to the second regiment.However, before the troops had finished deploying their defenses, the Japanese army rushed to the Tuchong River and divided into left and right lanes to lay siege to the Chinese defenders' positions.The provisional fifty-fifth division and one regiment desperately defended and started a tug-of-war with the Japanese army. After the Japanese army reinforced a regiment, the Chinese defenders were outnumbered and retreated again.The Japanese army formed a fast team of tanks and cars to advance towards Leigu, and fought fiercely with the second and third regiments who were building fortifications.While attacking from the front, the Japanese army drew out a regiment to surpass the Chinese defenders from the left flank and directly attacked Enkuidang, which was only ten kilometers away from Leigu.The provisional fifty-fifth division began to suffer from the enemy, and lost contact with the Sixth Army headquarters.On the 20th, Army Commander Gan Lichu ordered the road from Leigu to Hebang to be destroyed in view of the irreversible situation, and then led the army headquarters and troops directly under the army to withdraw to Hebang.Leigu fell.
The overall situation at this time is: the British army has retreated to about 200 kilometers to the right rear of Binwenna, and a big gap has been opened on the west side of the battlefield; The Japanese army approached Binwenna, and the 96th Division, which was responsible for the frontal blocking, fell into a hard fight. ——Although the deployment of the Binwenna battle was basically completed, the expeditionary force was in a disadvantageous situation surrounded by enemies on three sides, especially the Fifth Army in the middle, which was likely to be outflanked by the Japanese troops from the east and the west.
The so-called Binwen battle will never go ahead as planned.
For this reason, Lin Wei put forward two opinions: one is to continue to carry out the Battle of Binwena, and strive to break through the Japanese army all the way to solve the crisis situation of the expeditionary force; Redeploy operations.Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying accepted the second opinion, and immediately issued an order to abandon the Battle of Pingwenna:
1. The enemy with less than one division is advancing northward along the Ayeyarwady River, and its leader has crossed the Bin River and is advancing towards the Chokba Party.Dong Dunzhi is still in the hands of the British army.The Chokba Party and its northwest region have a regiment of our newly formed 38th Division to delay the enemy. The British army in this area has no combat effectiveness.
2. The main force of the Fifth Army should first gradually gather towards Meiktila (Mektila) and Piaobei, and leave a part in the area around Binwena to carry out persistent resistance and cover the main force of the army.
3. The 66th Army should guard Mandalay and send a battalion to Minjian for alert. The two regiments sent by its newly formed 38th Division should gradually join forces with the Chokba Party to delay the enemy.
It can be seen from this order that Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying dispersed the Fifth and Sixty-sixth Armies of the Expeditionary Army on the more than 300-kilometer-long Pingwena-Mandalay road, and neither The formation was not a defensive deployment, so Du Yuming firmly opposed it.Du Yuming believed that they must either continue fighting at Binwen, or fully retreat to Taunggyi and Memyau. They must not disperse their forces and be defeated by the Japanese army one by one.Du Yuming quarreled fiercely with Luo Zhuoying on the phone, and finally Luo Zhuoying ordered Du Yuming to execute it.After Du Yuming reluctantly issued an order to the troops, he went to meet Luo Zhuoying in person at the back of Piao, emphasizing again: If we abandon the battle of Binwen, we must concentrate our forces to preserve the two major gates of Lashio, namely Taunggyi and Memyao, and we should not fight again. Planning for the Battle of Mandalay.Luo Zhuoying was noncommittal.
At this time, the British in the west began to shout again, claiming that their Chokba party had discovered more than 3,000 Japanese troops and asked the Chinese Expeditionary Army to send troops to destroy them.Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying believed the words of the British and immediately ordered the 200th Division to go to the Chokba Party north of Ren'anqiang.However, the search team sent by Du Yuming reported that there was Sun Liren's new 38th Division in the direction of Ren'anqiang, and no enemy was found near the Chokba Party.But Stilwell and Luo Zhuoying still believed that the intelligence of the British was accurate.杜聿明认为，即便仁安羌方向有情况，东枝的安危也比英国人重要，如果这样作战出了问题他不负责任。罗卓英表情尴尬。史迪威突然冒出一句话：“中国军队吃饭不打仗吗？”杜聿明怒火中烧：“我吃的是中国饭，而不是英国饭！”指挥部里顿时气氛紧张。杜聿明坚持派骑兵再度前往乔克巴党，结果得到的报告是：在乔克巴党，只有大批英军正在新编第三十八师的掩护下撤退，根本没有见到英国人所说的三千多日军。这下，杜聿明决定亲自去眉谬，向中国入缅参谋团陈述，走到半路，消息传来：史迪威和罗卓英改变命令，让第二〇〇师去东枝方向了。
无论怎样表白要和中国人并肩作战，自私懦弱的英国人撤离缅甸退守印度已成定式。早在英国人请求中国远征军解救被围的英缅军第一师时，印缅战区总司令韦维尔就给英缅军总司令亚历山大写信，要求他“与中国军队保持密切接触”，以保证英军撤往印度的道路畅通。亚历山大随即撤销了英军配合中国远征军进行曼德勒会战的计划。然后，他试图说服史迪威和罗卓英，将中国远征军调往英军所在的乔克巴党方向。对于英国人驱使中国远征军掩护其撤逃的部署，连日本人都看得十分清楚：“亚历山大上将将他的部队关在伊洛瓦底江的弯曲地带，根本未考虑使之背水布阵，只是按曼德勒地区事实上已经形成交通上的隘路和必须防卫钦敦江河谷及瑞波的两条道路而考虑。他在训令中明确了缅甸军团在伊洛瓦底江南岸，不使之直接参加曼德勒地区的防卫。”
英国人的所有承诺都是彻头彻尾的谎言。
就在远征军指挥部为英国人是否可靠而争吵时，一直在中路彬文那的正面阻击日军的第九十六师，在第二〇〇师和新编第二十二师的配合下与日军死缠硬磨。当面日军为了攻占第九十六师的阵地，用尽各种办法，包括和缅甸德钦党人混编成便衣队，潜入第九十六师的两翼，造成中国官兵的很大伤亡。可是，当戴安澜和廖耀湘的部队都进入了阵地，“军炮兵团及战车防御炮营、粮弹交付所、野战医院等都推进就绪，各部官兵均抱有必胜信念，摩拳擦掌准备将敌人主力吸引于彬文那正面，予以沉重打击后，即向敌人东西两面出击，一举歼灭敌军”时，第九十六师接到了第二〇〇师和新编第二十二师要走的消息：
……现我右翼英军、左翼第六军战况紧急，我第二〇〇师、新编第二十二师须先援马格威，转赴棠吉救援。第九十六师应争取时间阻敌，不必作坚决的决战……
两翼部队被抽调走后，日军趁机占领了两翼，正面的攻击更为凶猛，且缅甸德钦党人也更加肆无忌惮，中国远征军官兵饱尝了土著游击队的古怪战术：
入夜后，德钦党十余人偷至二八六团阵地，破坏铁丝网，被我预设警铃察觉，立被击退。旋又化装难民，乘牛车四辆，企图混入我阵地，亦被悉数擒获。又有一部爬至二八七团第一营阵地边缘，装鬼叫，声如哑獐。适该营营长林狮巡查至此，大声喊道：“那是日本鬼子，快打，快打！”守兵一开枪，即闻一阵沙沙之声，滚向乱草坡下去了。遗尸三具，均为缅人。
第九十六师师长余韶打电话给杜聿明，报告部队已经三面受敌。杜聿明同意第九十六师立即撤退，但须将军部存在彬文那的炮弹同时撤回。第九十六师撤退时，日军的步兵和骑兵紧追不舍，官兵们必须不断地停下来阻击，因此一路下来伤亡很大。
与第九十六师师长余韶一样气闷的，还有解救了英军的新编第三十八师师长孙立人。按照孙师长的计划，待一一二团和一一四团抵达后，他要率领全师向当面日军发动攻击，努力把战场西面的战局稳定住。但是，他接到了英军送来的命令，大意是：中国第五军部队已从彬文那撤退，这严重影响了英军右翼的安全。鉴于中国军队给英军造成的困难，新编第三十八师要继续掩护英军转移。更令孙立人愤怒的是，由于英军的不战而逃，经过血战一场攻占的仁安羌竟被日军再次占领，且现在他还要根据远征军司令长官部的命令，作为英军的后卫掩护他们继续向西北方向撤逃。
日军得到第十八师团的加强后，制订了全面围捕中国远征军的部署。四月二十日，日军第十五军下达作战命令：
一、决定以一个兵团切断腊戍方面敌之退路，同时以主力部队沿央米丁——曼德勒公路及伊洛瓦底江地区向曼德勒方面突进，包围敌主力之两翼，压向伊洛瓦底江歼灭之。
二、第五十六师团应沿乐可（垒固）——莱卡——腊戍道路地区向腊戍方面突进，切断敌军退路。预定独立第五十六步兵团沿央米丁——敏丹——南曲依道路前进，回归师团长的指挥。
三、第十八师团应在进入央米叮咚侧地区后向曼德勒方面突进，切断敌主力的退路，并捕歼之。
四、第五十五师团应在进入央米丁西侧地区后，向曼德勒西南地区突进，将敌军主力压向伊洛瓦底江歼灭之。
五、第三十三师团应经敏建附近向曼德勒方面突进，捕歼敌主力。
另外，应以一部急进八莫，切断八莫及杰沙附近敌之退路。
一九四二年四月二十日，是中国远征军入缅作战的转折点：这一天英军丢弃整个西部战线向印度撤逃，而日军第十八师团主力从战场东部的泰缅边界方向斜插而入，攻击矛头直指腊戍。
日军第十八师团是战斗力极强的甲种师团。作为侵华日军的主力部队，登陆杭州湾参加淞沪会战，登陆大亚湾占领广州，登陆钦州湾直扑南宁，登陆闽江口攻占福州。太平洋战争爆发后，第十八师团从马来半岛登陆，占领新加坡，迫使英军全部投降。第十八师团插入战场的方向，是中国远征军第六军防御的宽大正面，因为兵力配置被极大地稀释，这里成为远征军防御最薄弱的方向，无法设想中国第六军如何才能同时抵抗日军两个师团的联合攻击，而这个方向恰是距离中国边境和滇缅公路重要中转站腊戍最近的地方。如果这个方向崩溃了，不仅中国远征军满盘皆输，滇缅公路和中国云南也将处于日军的刀锋之下。
可是，就在东部战线的崩溃近在眼前之时，中国远征军的指挥官们——无论是美国人史迪威还是中国人罗卓英——依旧热衷于策划没有任何前景的曼德勒会战。
占领了垒固的日军第五十六师团先头部队分成两路，一路由和榜以东向雷列姆，一路由和榜向西经东枝，两路并进，在坦克和飞机的支援下沿着公路向北急促推进。
东枝，也称棠吉，是整个战线的重点枢纽，也是中国远征军第五军和第六军的接合部。日军一旦攻占东枝，向西可以攻击第五军的侧背，向北可以击溃第六军直取腊戍。显然，中国远征军必须立即集中兵力确保东枝。为了应付危局，远征军司令长官部决定分兵两路在东面阻击日军：一路由第六军参谋长林森木指挥和榜附近的部队，对日军实施阻击，而军长甘丽初率领部队在雷列姆附近构筑防御工事；另一路由第第二〇〇师师长戴安澜率部由密铁拉东进，增援并固守东枝。
但是，第六军的防线很快就垮了。
第六军参谋长林森木指挥的兵力不足一个团。二十一日上午十时，日军先头部队击溃中国守军的一个步兵连，攻占和榜，双方在和榜东侧阵地展开了拉锯战。二十二日，和榜中国守军阵地被日军的炮火摧毁，官兵连夜后撤至孟邦阵地。二十三日中午，日军一面攻击孟邦阵地，一面从阵地的两翼迂回。二十四日，日军增援部队抵达，对孟邦发起了全力攻击，中国守军支撑不住，参谋长林森木带领残部突围向北退至猛昆。军长甘丽初指挥的军部和直属部队防守的雷列姆也同时陷落。占领了雷列姆的日军以十辆坦克和四百多辆汽车分路迅速北上。甘丽初军长原有在公路上阻击日军的计划，但是日军攻势凶猛，第六军部队只有一路向北退到孟囊（今孟瑙），在孟囊还没有站住脚，迫于日军的追击再向孟休方向撤退。自此之后，甘军长带领的这批人马开始在泰缅边境附近游弋。参谋长林森木带领的残部得知孟囊陷落后，继续向北撤退寻找退回云南的道路，他们在日军的后方东躲西藏，走了一个多月才得以脱险。
在第五军第二〇〇师方向，戴安澜师长命令骑兵团打头阵，一个营的榴弹炮和部分装甲车随主力向东枝进发。此时的东枝已经混乱不堪，当地的部分缅甸人在日军的煽动下到处纵火，劫掠华侨，破坏交通和通信设施。二十三日，骑兵团赶至距东枝尚有六公里处，获悉东枝已经被日军占领。第二〇〇师迅速制订了收复东枝的作战方案：六〇〇团在火力支援下正面攻击；五九八团在左、五九九团在右实施两翼包抄。二十四日拂晓攻击开始，激战到中午，第二〇〇师先后攻克了东枝的西、南、北三面高地，一个营的中国官兵甚至冲进东枝街市与日军展开了巷战。
就在东枝收复有望的时刻，中国远征军指挥系统再次发生混乱：远征军司令长官部电令戴安澜，二十五日必须攻克东枝，然后迅速返回曼德勒参加会战；位于腊戍的入缅参谋团也发来电报，命令第二〇〇师攻克东枝后，向雷列姆的日军实施攻击，截断日军的退路，解救腊戍的危机。
两个命令方向上相互矛盾，戴师长到底该听谁的？
无论如何，必须首先攻克东枝。
二十五日拂晓，第二〇〇师发动猛烈攻势，主力冲进东枝街市，把日军赶到城南的一座小山上。日军曾在重炮支援下数次反击，但都被第二〇〇师击退——东枝附近的日军基本被第二〇〇师肃清。
显然，远征军第五军当前最重要的任务就是一面固守东枝，一面向雷列姆全力攻击，威胁向腊戍推进的日军的后路，以确保战略要点腊戍的安全因为保卫腊戍就是保卫滇缅公路和中国云南边境，这是中国军队入缅作战的根本目的所在。关于这一原则，蒋介石在二十四日的来电中阐述得很清楚：
腊戍。林团长：极机密训令。顷下达史迪威参谋长、罗长官之训令如下：一、国军今后在缅甸之作战指导，应以不离开缅境，而不与敌主力决战为原则；依此原则，以机动作战，极力阻止并迟滞敌之发展；尤以对棠吉、雷列姆北进之敌，须极力拒止其继续前进。二、新二十八师主力可速运腊戍与雷列姆方面。当先以保守腊戍为主，并尽可能求该方面之敌而歼灭之。三、第五军在平满纳方面，应以逐次迟滞敌之前进为目的，施行持久抵抗，但亦不可过久胶着于一的战斗，致招过甚之损失。四、为应将来状况之演进，第六军应准备以景东车（里）佛（海）方面，第五及第六十六两军主力，以密支那与八莫方面，为后方补给联络线。右四项除分令外，仰即知照为要。蒋中正手启。
蒋介石强调的原则是：一、无论英国人逃向哪里，只要出了缅甸境就不管了，中国远征军的作战范围只在缅甸；二、腊戍的安全是压倒一切的；三、中国远征军不要轻易地与日军打阵地攻守式决战，要机动灵活，以避免中国军队伤亡过大；四、一旦腊戍丢失后，应该把八莫、密支那一线确定为远征军的后方。
但是，远征军司令长官部的最新命令是：第五军军部和直属部队北返曼德勒参加会战，第二〇〇师单独向东攻击雷列姆。——这并不符合蒋介石制订的原则，但是，位于腊戍的参谋团却表示遵令。
史迪威和罗卓英为什么要在根本不具备条件的情况下坚持曼德勒会战？有史料分析说，组织曼德勒会战的出发点就有掩护英军安全的嫌疑。可此时亚历山大已经下令英军向印度撤退，英国人准备抢在日军追上来之前渡过伊洛瓦底江。那么，即使是为了英国人，此刻曼德勒会战计划也应该改变了，可史迪威和罗卓英还是坚持置东枝于不顾，命令第五军北返曼德勒，似乎是专门为掩护英国人的安全而在部署作战。——如果真是如此，中国远征军入缅，其任务岂不仅仅是接应英国人逃出日军的追杀而已？
杜聿明遵照命令将部队西移之后，四月二十六日，第二〇〇师官兵血战收复的东枝再次落入日军之手。日军第五十六师团师团长渡边正夫下令停止所有军需运输，各部队的给养就地解决，以便集中起各联队的四百多辆卡车，利用缴获的七百多桶汽油，以十辆坦克和装甲车为先导，兵分两路对腊戍实施夹击。渡边正夫希望在四月二十九日天长节——日本天皇生日——攻占腊戍。当天，日军先头部队抵达曼卡特，与中国远征军第六十六军新编第二十八师八十二团一营发生了战斗。该营把曼卡特吊桥破坏后，退守西保和南伦，新编第二十八师的八十四团奉命火速增援。下午，在飞机的猛烈轰炸下，日军先头部队逼近西保和南伦，八十四团拼死抵抗，击溃日军装甲车一辆，暂时守住了阵地。第六十六军军长张轸命令新编第二十八师主力死守，同时命令军直属部队特务营、搜索营、工兵营和战防炮营占领腊戍外围阵地。
此时，远征军第五军军部、新编第二十二师和第九十六师还在向曼德勒集结。执意要进行所谓曼德勒会战的远征军司令长官部，仍没有认清形势而迅速调动部队保卫腊戍，致使腊戍城内的中国守军只有第六十六军新编第二十八师的四个步兵营。
日军于战场东部的凶猛突入，令远征军部队的调动陷入混乱。中国陆军第六十六军是刚组建不久的部队，辖由别动队改编的刘伯龙的新编第二十八师、由第十九补充兵训练处改编的马维骥的新编第二十九师和由税警团改编的孙立人的新编第三十八师。远征军准备彬文那会战期间，新编第二十八、新编第三十八师奉命入缅车运曼德勒。孙立人的新编第三十八师去仁安羌方向解救英军后，归属杜聿明直接指挥，刘伯龙的新编第二十八师接替担任曼德勒城防。二十四日那天，罗卓英命令新编第二十八师留下一个团，其余部队全部调回腊戍。军长张轸当时就火了：新编第三十八师不归他指挥，新编第二十九师还在云南境内，再把新编第二十八师主力调走，留下他和军部幕僚以及一个团的部队，如何防守曼德勒？他请示了参谋团的军令部次长林蔚，林蔚却要他跟随部队回到腊戍指挥防御。张军长立即回到了腊戍，罗卓英知道后大发雷霆指责张轸擅离职守。
二十七日，南伦和西保相继失守。
从曼德勒返回腊戍的新编第二十八师的两个半营被日军包围。
中国官兵苦战五个小时，损失过半，残余官兵在特务营的解救下才得以突围。
这一天，罗卓英下达了曼德勒会战命令。
二十八日，由西保出发的日军沿着铁路线折向曼德勒，由南伦向北突击的日军抵近了腊戍外围。在抵抗日军的战斗中，第六十六军直属部队伤亡惨重，特务营连长任作舟、排长董朝翔，参谋科长张致广以及搜索营营长崔照陆相继阵亡。
腊戍即将遭到攻击。
曼德勒的南面和西面也面临日军的威胁。
昨天刚刚下达曼德勒会战命令的罗卓英，仅隔一天又下达了规定各部队如何撤退的命令。虽然对曼德勒会战闭口不提了，但是这个撤退命令依旧不符合实际：
一、本路军先以第六军与第六十六军主力及二〇〇师，击破突入之敌，第五军主力联系英军，由正面迟滞敌人。
二、第五军（欠第二〇〇师，附新编第三十八师）之部署大要应如此：
（一）第九十六师即渡伊洛瓦底江，乘火车至密支那整训，并负责警备该地之责。
（二）新编第二十二师及新编第二十八师之一团，防守曼德勒以南之泥翟河右岸，予敌以打击后，逐次向后撤退。新编第二十二师撤至曼德勒北约四十里之新喀（辛古），然后渡过伊洛瓦底江右（西）岸，负责拒止该方面北进之敌。新编第二十八师之一团，即向眉谬方向撤退，归还该师建制，并掩护师之侧背。
（三）新编第三十八师，除以一团于伊洛瓦底江左（东）岸曼德勒以北之马打牙（马德亚）附近，掩护新编第二十二师之撤退及渡江外，师主力即在伊洛瓦底江右岸，协同英军布防，迟滞敌人，不得已时，逐次沿密（支那）瓦（曼德勒）路线后撤。其在伊洛瓦底江左岸之一团，则在新编第二十二师之后，渡过伊洛瓦底江右岸。
三、第六军及第六十六军主力（欠新编第三十八师）与第二〇〇师，任向腊戍方面之敌之攻击，并以一部固守腊戍。
四、第五军以密支那，第六十六军以八莫、畹町，第六军以车里、佛海，为后方基地。
命令的内容确实有些荒诞：西面的英国人早已撤往印度，何谈与英军一起在“正面迟滞敌人”？东面的第六军已渡过萨尔温江撤离了战场，腊戍方向目前只有第六十六军新编第二十八师和军直属部队在勉强支撑，新编第二十九师还在从国内增援腊戍的路上，第五军之第二〇〇师遵照命令还在雷列姆方向，那么到底应该指望哪支部队“向腊戍方面之敌攻击”并固守腊戍呢？下达如此命令只能有一种解释：无论史迪威还是罗卓英，根本不知道战场上正在发生着什么。
至此，远征军司令长官部策划的同古、彬文那和曼德勒的三场会战，相继泡汤了。
二十八日这天，鉴于腊戍危急，蒋介石紧急指示：宁可放弃曼德勒也要保住腊戍。
但是，位于腊戍的中国远征军入缅参谋团已开始撤离——这些军政大员以每天二百多公里的惊人速度，连续不断地跑了五天，一直跑到距腊戍一千多公里的云南保山才停住脚——奔逃之中的他们根本顾不上其他事情了，由此导致远征军所有部队都没能及时收到蒋介石的这条至关重要的指令。
腊戍，已经暴露在日军面前。
日军连续突破中国远征军毫无章法的防线，以每天近百公里的速度强行推进六百多公里，直逼滇缅公路上堆放着数量惊人的进口战略物资的核心中转站以及保卫中缅边境的重要前沿阵地腊戍。
四月二十九日拂晓，日军出动步兵一个联队，在十门火炮、十架战机和三十余辆坦克的支援