Chapter 40 Chapter Thirty-Nine

In May 1944, during the rainy season, the Nujiang Gorge stood steeply in the mountains of western Yunnan. The plainclothes reconnaissance team of the Chinese Expeditionary Army has been secretly smuggling under the guidance of the local mountain people. ——The officers and soldiers of the expeditionary army climbed the steep slopes of the river to inspect the terrain. Thousands of carpenters and boatmen built large rafts day and night. More than 4,000 Chinese engineers trained by the US military opened up several ferry crossings. The boats have arrived, and the forced crossing training of all units of the expeditionary force on the Lancang River has been completed.

In the seventh year of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War, in order to maintain the international aid channel in the rear, the Chinese side uncommonly tilted its heavy troops to a corner of the country, and assembled a main army of 400,000 people in western Yunnan. Or the combat capability ranks first in all the theaters of the Anti-Japanese War in China. Compared with this, the Japanese army that penetrated into the western part of China's Yunnan Province appeared weak and weak: the 56th Division of the Japanese Army, which was responsible for the defense of western Yunnan, confronted the Chinese army after attacking the Nu River in April 1942 , When the division is full, its strength is more than 20,000.Although the Japanese army successively transferred troops from the 18th, 2nd, and 53rd divisions, they were generally on the scale of a regiment, so that the total strength of the Japanese army defending in western Yunnan was only about 68,000.

History has finally reached such a moment: the unscrupulous long-distance drive of the Japanese army when it invaded China's territory is no longer there, and the Chinese army has finally seen the scene of the Japanese army's desperation. On April 13, 1944, the Chongqing Military Commission decided that the part of the expeditionary force attacking the Japanese army west of the Nujiang River should be counterattacking the Indian army in northern Burma. On the 17th, Wei Lihuang, Commander of the Expeditionary Force, issued a combat plan, the main contents of which are: first policy

1. The expeditionary force should be stationed in the Indian Army to attack Myitkyina and open up the Sino-Indian Highway. With the 20th Army Group as the attacking force, cross the river between Lichaiba and Shuanghong Bridge, and attack Tengchong as the target. 2. The Eleventh Group Army is the defensive force responsible for defending the left (east) bank of the Nujiang River; Each of the Thirteenth Divisions sent a reinforced regiment across the river to attack, and it was registered for the battle of the 20th Army. 3. The preparations for the attack must be completed before the end of April.Attack start timing, another order.

Second Guidance Essentials A. Preparation for attack 1. The preparations for crossing the river attacking army are as follows: (1) Frontline Corps: under the cover of the garrison, marched straight to the area between Lichaiba, Menggudu, and Shuanghongqiao, preparing to cross the river and attack. (2) The second-line corps: assembled in the Caojian area, ready to participate in the battle with the progress of the first-line corps. (3) Artillery unit: deploy three mountain cannons and one regiment of heavy mortars (less than one battalion), first enter the position in the attacking crossing area, and prepare to cover the forced crossing.

(Engineers, reconnaissance, communications, transportation, food and fodder, ammunition, military depot input, military depot sanitation, etc.) B. Attack implementation 1. The guerrilla battalion of the first line division of the defensive troops first crossed the river; secondly, the reinforced regiment of the newly formed 39th division began to forcibly cross at Huiren Bridge; again, the reinforced regiment of the second army attacked Gunnong; and then attacked The army's first-line corps suddenly began to forcibly cross the front of the planned attack. 2. The reinforced regiment of the Second Army stopped immediately after attacking the enemy's bridgehead on our shore, but still made a false crossing to deceive the enemy.The reinforced regiment of the newly formed 39th Division marched towards Olive Village to attract the enemy troops near Tengchong after forcibly crossing the Huiren Bridge.The troops in the special guerrilla area, after the attack on Tuojiao, part of them went west to guard, and the main force marched towards the Chashan River (north of Mingguang) and Mingguang south, threatening the back of the enemy in Tengbei, and assisting the attacking army in the attack.

3. The first-line corps of the attacking army, before starting to cross the river, made every effort to covert operations, and used the main force to carry out forced crossings at the crossings between Lichaiba and Shuanghong bridges. The line of Guan and Jiangju Street attacked and advanced.Another small part is to cross the river near Xilangdu (north of Lichaiba), drive out the enemy in front of us, and detour the side of the bridgehead.After attacking the strongholds of Qiaotou Street and Jiangju Street with the first-line corps, the second-line corps joined in the expansion of the battle. One part marched towards Mingguang, and the main force made a turnaround to advance towards the line of Gudong Street and Jiangju Street. .At this time, we must keep the focus on the left wing. After occupying Gudong Street and Jiangju Street, we must rectify the situation and prepare to attack Tengchong.

4. Artillery unit. After the infantry unit successfully crossed the river, the Sixth Army’s mountain artillery battalion was returned to the organizational system and left on the bank of the Nujiang River. The rest followed the attacking army across the river. (Operation plans for engineers, communications, military depots, etc. omitted) 8. If the enemy concentrates its main force to meet our attacking army, our attacking army should immediately engage the enemy in a decisive battle.At this time, the defenders, the reserve force of the 71st Army, the main force of the 88th Division and the newly formed 39th Division of the Sixth Army should join in with all their strength. Advance radially to attack Tengchong to surround and annihilate the enemy in the Tengbei area.If the main force of the enemy crosses the river from Huitong Bridge, Sanjiangkou or Gunnong to attack, our defending troops should try their best to stop them and contain them so as to make the attacking army's operations easier.

9. After the attacking army has successfully crossed the river, the tactical method must use more infiltration tactics, and must first sweep away the enemy's field troops outside its stronghold, and then attack each of the enemy's strongholds separately. (Military divisions, corps missions, etc. omitted) Knowing through radio interception that the Chinese Expeditionary Force was about to launch a large-scale counterattack, the Japanese army immediately realized that this would be a fierce battle related to the life and death of the Japanese army in western Yunnan and even northern Myanmar.The 56th Division, responsible for the frontline defense of the Nujiang River, strengthened the fortifications of a series of defensive support points such as Wadian, Tengchong, Songshan, and Pingjia from north to south, making them strong enough to withstand direct hits from medium-caliber artillery. And in each stronghold, supplies that can last at least three months of fighting and living are stored.In order to ensure the Burma Road, the Japanese army erected spare piers in advance at the main river crossing points along the way, and stockpiled materials for erecting the entire bridge.The Japanese army also expanded the road along the Longling-Tengchong-Wadian line, and conducted detailed reconnaissance and surveys of the crossings of the Nujiang River and the terrain at the foot of the Gaoligong Mountains, supplementing and revising the combat maps in their hands.

The defensive deployment of the Japanese army is as follows: the headquarters of the 56th Division is stationed in Mangshi, the artillery part of the 113th Regiment respectively guards the front lines of Lameng, Songshan, Dabazi and Huangcaoba, and the 148th Regiment respectively Guarding the front lines of Tengchong, Qiaotou, Mamianguan, Wadian, and Jiangju, the Divisional Search Wing defended Gunnong in Burma, the Divisional Engineer Wing guarded Longling and nearby areas, and the First Brigade of the 146th Wing defended Pingjia and Xiangda lines, the main force of the regiment is to prepare troops for the counterattack of the division; the first brigade of the 14th regiment of the 18th division guards the front lines of Pianma, Tuojiao, Mingguang, and Gudong; the 20th division of the second division The Second Battalion of the Ninth Regiment and the Search Wing of the 53rd Division guarded the road between Zhefang, Wanding and Lashio in Myanmar, and also served as the mobile reserve of the division.

After entering Yunnan from Tibet, the Nu River flows through a plateau at an altitude of 3,000 meters, and cuts through a deep valley among the mountains. The river flows swiftly from north to south.If the officers and soldiers of the expeditionary army wanted to counterattack the Japanese army in western Yunnan, they had to go down to the deep valley first, cross the rushing Nujiang River, climb the steep cliffs towering on the river bank, and enter the rolling Gaoligong Mountains. Guarding the various mountaintop strongholds. On the morning of May 11, more than 20,000 officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force assembled on the east bank of the Nujiang River began a large-scale forcible crossing at 12 crossings along the 150 kilometers of the Nujiang River.To the north, the 594th Regiment of the 198th Division of the 54th Army of the 20th Group Army first used rafts to rush through the rapids at the Lichaiba and Sunzudu Ferries, and climbed the steep rock slope at the foot of Gaoligong Mountain on the west bank of the Nujiang River. , with the cooperation of the guerrilla battalion of the second preparatory division that was ambushing there in advance, they quickly captured Bangwazhai and guarded in the direction of Beizhai Gongfang.Then, along the Nujiang River from north to south, the main forces of the 198th Division of the 54th Army were at Menggudu and Shuijingdu, and the 36th Division was attached to the 346th Regiment of the 116th Division of the 53rd Army. Ferry, Mengsedu, Mianjiadu, Dashabadu, Longtandu forcibly cross the Nu River.Due to careful preparations and concealed actions, by dawn on the 12th, all units of the first-line corps of the expeditionary force successfully crossed.In response to the operations of the 20th Army Group, the 39th Division Reinforced Regiment of the 11th Group Army quickly captured Hongmushu after Huiren crossed the river; The Sixth Division and the Ninth Division joined forces to attack Pingjia Street after Yu Hanguaidu forcibly crossed.Due to the confidentiality of the operation and the decisive attack, the Japanese army only left a small number of troops to defend Pingga, and most of them shrank to Mangshi in the northwest.In the lower reaches of the Nujiang River, near the border with Myanmar, the reinforced regiment of the newly formed 33rd Division has successfully crossed the river, and has begun to advance towards the rolling attack in Myanmar. ——The troops of the Chinese Expeditionary Force were divided into multiple "combat groups capable of fighting independently and self-sufficiently within a few days", using high mobility, they were distributed to the Japanese defense line in the vast area west of the Nu River, from Pianma in the north to Gunong in the south Carrying out a rapid and deep penetration. On May 13, Chiang Kai-shek called Roosevelt: Hearing that Rinzun has recovered, I am very relieved.The Chinese Expeditionary Force has completed its forcible crossing of the Salween River yesterday (this refers to the Nu River in Yunnan, China, which is called the Salween River after it flows out of the country and enters Myanmar). In response to the benefit of the Allied Forces in the India-Myanmar battle, I hope that your Excellency the Deputy.However, China was originally a poor and weak country. In addition to today's seven-year war of resistance, its hardships and hardships are more difficult than those of other allies. Your Excellency must be well aware.Moreover, the Chinese battlefield, on the one hand, is fighting on the Henan Plain, the center of the battlefield, when it is developing on a large scale; on the other hand, it wants to fight simultaneously on the Salween River. The situation is more difficult than in the past, and I hope that your Excellency will understand this hardship.Chiang Kai-shek. After the 198th Division of the 54th Army crossed the river, they successively conquered Dazhai and teahouses. After that, the officers and soldiers stood in front of the dangerous stronghold of Beizhai Gongfang on Gaoligong Mountain. The 14th Division of the Japanese 56th Division The second brigade of the Eighth Regiment defended tenaciously with its strong fortifications, and the attack of the 198th Division was frustrated.The division stranded a small number of troops to monitor the front, while the main force bypassed Hokusai Kobo. With the support of aviation and artillery fire, on the 16th they captured the Mamian Pass and the bridgehead behind Hokusai Kobo, cutting off the Japanese defenders of Hokusai Kobo. retreat.Twenty-one days later, the 198th Division launched several attacks on Bei Zhai's public house. Due to repeated attacks, the two sides formed a stalemate. After the 36th Division of the 54th Army and the 346th Regiment of the 116th Division attached to the division crossed the Nujiang River, they launched an attack on the Japanese troops in the direction of Dajianshan, Tangxishan, and Jixinshan. The Japanese 56th Division The 3rd Battalion of the 148th Regiment defended desperately. The officers and soldiers of the 36th Division once attacked Dajianshan, but were counterattacked by the Japanese.On the third day of the battle, the 20th Army ordered the main force of the 53rd Army to cross the river to take over the attack mission. The Fifty-third Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force is the old department of the Northeast Army.When the army was strong and strong, it had four infantry divisions and one cavalry division, with a strength of 60,000.After the Xi'an Incident, Chiang Kai-shek downsized the Northeast Army, leaving only two divisions under the designation of the 53rd Army.The all-out Anti-Japanese War broke out. The 53rd Army participated in the Pinghan Road Operation and the Wuhan Battle, and was registered for the two Changsha Battles commanded by Xue Yue.In 1943, the whole army was incorporated into the expeditionary force sequence.The current army commander is Zhou Fucheng, under the jurisdiction of Zhao Zhenfan's 116th Division and Zhang Yuting's 130th Division. After the 53rd Army crossed the Nujiang River, the 116th Division captured Tangxishan and Dapingzi Highlands.When the 130th Division attacked Datangzi and Masui Mountain, the Japanese army resisted with fierce firepower by virtue of the dangerous mountain situation.Division commander Zhang Yuting sent the 389th Regiment to join the attack, and finally occupied Masui Mountain in the south on May 24, but Datangzi in the north was still fighting hard.In order to respond to the operations of the 130th Division, a battalion of the 347th Regiment of the 116th Division inserted into the Japanese army's back.On the 26th, the 130th Division finally captured Datangzi. Nanzhai Gongfang to the south of Datangzi is a dangerous stronghold of the Japanese army near the main peak of Gaoligong Mountain, with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters.It was raining continuously, and the 53rd Army advanced from Datangzi and Tangxi Mountain to Nanzhai Gongfang. The road was full of steep and steep slopes, and some sections had a slope of more than 80 degrees.The steepness of the mountain made the supply of food, fodder and ammunition a problem.The U.S. military liaison officer took it for granted that it could be solved by relying on strong airdrop capabilities, but the Gaoligong Mountains were full of wind, rain, and clouds, and the pilots couldn't find where the troops climbing between the cliffs were; Most of the supplies also fell into the abyss.And relying on the limited transportation of local caravans simply cannot meet the needs of the troops. The 53rd Army, with the 346th Regiment of the 116th Division as the right wing, attacked Nanzhai Gongfang; with the 130th Division as the left wing, it attacked Jiangju Street west of Nanzhai Gongfang.On the steep mountain road, the third, fourth and sixth regiments were unable to launch firepower, and the officers and soldiers continued to launch upward attacks, each time retreating under the suppression of the Japanese firepower.While the frontal troops attacked again and again, a death squad from the 346th Regiment climbed the cliffs for two days, and finally detoured to the back of Nanzhai Gongfang to launch a surprise attack.The Japanese troops in Nanzhai Gongfang were caught off guard and retreated hastily.On June 11, the Nanzhai public house was captured by officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force. At this time, the officers and soldiers of the 130th Division had arrived near Jiangju, west of Nanzhai Gongfang.This is a very large cottage, and the Japanese army, which has been entrenched for two years, has built extremely strong fortifications.The commander of the 130th Division was prepared to face the Japanese army. Not only was he afraid that he would not be able to fight, but he was even more afraid that if the Japanese army sent reinforcements, the whole division would be in a desperate situation. In addition, when they crossed the Gaoligong Mountain, many officers and soldiers fell ill due to cold and hunger. After much hesitation, he decided to retreat.When Commander Zhou Fucheng learned about it, he immediately withdrew Zhang Yuting's position as division commander and ordered Deputy Division Commander Wang Lihuan to take over the command of the division commander. He led the 130th Division to attack Jiang Ju immediately, and sent the 116th Division to come for reinforcements. The two divisions of the 53rd Army, the 116th Division and the 130th Division, had exhausted the provisions carried by the officers and soldiers. The clouds and mist in the Gaoligong Mountains made it impossible to contact the planes that attempted to drop them. There is no one in the area for a hundred miles, so they can only rely on digging wild vegetables and bamboo roots for food.Gaoligong Mountain is one of the mountains with the largest vertical drop in southwest China. It is sultry on both sides of the Nujiang River at the foot of the mountain, but the temperature at the top of the mountain is only a few degrees, and it can even drop to zero degrees Celsius at night.The forest is densely covered, the cold rain is swaying, and the officers and soldiers wearing thin military uniforms have empty stomachs. Although everyone is issued with American-style raincoats, they still face the threat of death from cold and hunger.What's more, with the condescending Japanese firepower overhead, and the slippery and steep cliffs and mountain roads underfoot, the troops had to rely on great courage and will every step forward.The main force of the 148th Regiment of the Japanese Army went from north to south, and the 113th Regiment from south to north, flanking the 53rd Army that attacked Jiangju.The two divisions of the 53rd Army fought hard until June 21, and finally captured Jianggen. In the direction of Beizhai Gongfang, the 198th Division of the 54th Army was still unable to attack for a long time.On June 9, the main force of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army came for reinforcements, and Mamian Pass and Qiaotou were once again occupied by the Japanese.The 54th Army ordered the 36th Division to attack Qiaotou mainly to assist the 198th Division in another attack on Hokuzhai Gongfang. The 2nd Division of the Sixth Army Reserve was also ordered to come for reinforcements.Between the steep cliffs rising from the bank of the Nujiang River, both sides of the mountain road are covered with Japanese bunkers. The attacking troops of the expeditionary force continued to destroy the bunkers while climbing hard. The American rocket launchers and flamethrowers equipped by the officers and soldiers played a role , Under the bombardment of rockets and the flames of flamethrowers, the Japanese army was driven out of the bunker and fled for their lives in the forest.When approaching the Hokusai Kobo stronghold on the top of the mountain, the officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force received an order: evacuate for 1,000 meters and wait for the air force to clean up the Japanese army.The officers and soldiers withdrew to the jungle on the north side of Beizhai’s public house, lit a bonfire, cooked clothes, and then heard the roar of fighter planes from the US Fourteenth Air Force: nine reconnaissance planes circled over the Nu River first, and then flew towards the Kobo Hokusai swooped down and fired, and at the same time fired colored tracer bombs to indicate the target. Then the bombers came, and tons of aerial bombs poured on the bunker occupied by the Japanese army. The violent explosion shook the mountains. The high ground soared, and the officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force on the ground cheered. The Japanese army who escaped from the stronghold could only use the mountains and trees and the ruins of the bunker to resist. This is an indescribably desperate situation.They were conscripted from far away Japan, and they never expected to die on the high mountains in southwestern China that even the vast majority of Chinese people rarely visit.The sight on the high mountains made them shudder: on the Gaoligong Mountains in the clouds, women and children of the Chinese Nu, Lisu, Miao, and Dulong ethnic groups can be seen everywhere leading the way for the officers and soldiers of the expedition, transporting supplies and wounded; young people holding hunting guns , crossbow arrows and iron forks, together with the officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force armed with American weapons, they pursued them mercilessly.The hunt lasted for three days, and the Chinese soldiers and civilians cleared out all the remnants of the enemy in the bunkers on both sides of the rugged mountain road—"What was left was enemy corpses and dead horses everywhere, and the plasma mixed with human blood and horse blood was mixed with the blood on the mountain path after the heavy rain. mixed with the soil and formed a foul-smelling, dark-colored mud." After the 20th Army of the Expeditionary Army launched a full-scale attack, the Chongqing Military Commission decided to send all the troops of the Expeditionary Army to counterattack in Western Yunnan, considering that the Chinese troops stationed in India had already begun to attack Myitkyina, and it was difficult for the Japanese army in northern Myanmar to deploy troops to reinforce western Yunnan.And on May 21, an order was issued for the main force of the expeditionary force to take the opportunity to cross the river, violently expand the results of the battle, and attack Tengchong, Longling and Mangshi across the board. On the 22nd, Song Xilian, Commander-in-Chief of the Eleventh Army Group, which had been converted from a defensive force to an attacking force, issued a battle plan: first policy In order to attack Longling and Mangshi, the group army decided to use the main force from Huiren Bridge to the crossings in the Qidaohe area, cross the Nujiang River, focus on the right wing, and encircle and attack Longling and Mangshi. Second Guidance Essentials 1. The attacking forces must be assembled in the vicinity of Panzhihuadu, Junzhaidu, Gepuchang, and the east side of Pingka (Qidaohe) 30 days before, and prepare to attack. 2. At the beginning of the attack, first use a powerful unit to cooperate with the artillery on our shore at Huitong Bridge to attack Lameng and Songshan to attract the enemy's attention to this area, and then use the main force to go straight to Longling and Mangshi. The joint efforts of the artillery, surrounded and attacked. 3. After the attack is effective, advance to Wanding and Jiugu (the above two places are both in the southwest of Mangshi) with one part; the main force is temporarily assembled in Longling and Mangshi for rectification. Division of the Third Corps and Mission Actions 1. The 71st Army (less than the Search Battalion) is attached to the Mountain Artillery Battalion of the 5th Army and is a right-wing attacking army.Now the main force of the 88th Division near Pingga will assemble near Daxuechang once the Second Army arrives and hand over the Second Army's positions in the area.For the rest of the army, as soon as the task of defending the river is handed over to the 82nd Division and the 17th Regiment of the newly formed 39th Division, the main force of the army will go to the vicinity of the Panzhihuadu and Junzhaidu ferries, and a part to the vicinity of Gepuchang The regional assembly must be completed before May 30 (but one should be sent first to occupy cover positions on the left (west) bank of each ferry).After the order to cross the river is issued, we should immediately use a reinforced infantry regiment to attack Lameng and Songshan first with the help of the artillery on the Huitong bridge and our bank, and then attack Longling directly with the main force, but special attention must be paid to the vigilance on the right side. Right step configuration. 2. The Second Army (one regiment owed to the newly formed 33rd Division and the 9th Division) is the left-wing attacking army, and one part (reinforced regiment to replace the 88th Division) should be sent first to coordinate with the 1st Army near Pingga The 76th Division strengthened the regiment, quickly wiped out the remnants of Pingjia, and indeed occupied it.The main force of the army should start from the current assembly area on the 20th, and arrive at the southeast of Pingga before May 30th. After the attack order is issued, it will attack Mangshi.However, attention must be paid to disrupting the communication between Mangshi and Zhefang to prevent enemy reinforcements. 3. The combat situation of the two attacking armies: the line connecting Daheidu, Daxuechang, Dashuihe, Qihebian, Zhuba, Fangmaqiao, and Dadingbai. The line belongs to the right. 4. The newly formed 39th Division (less than the 7th Regiment) should reorganize slightly in the current position, continue to attack the enemy of the mahogany tree, and after the mahogany tree is occupied, it will attack Tengchong.The 17th Regiment of the newly formed 39th Division, and the attached Search Battalion of the 71st Army, and a company of the Mountain Artillery Battalion of the 6th Army will replace the newly formed 28th Division, Zilai Gongdu (including), Passing through Huiren Bridge to one of the Wuming Rivers (not included) south of Paishidu, the river defense is limited to completion before May 26.The above is under the command of Commander Huang Jie of the Sixth Army, and the headquarters of the army should be moved to the vicinity of Pupiao immediately. 5. The Zhang Zhenwu Department of the original Kawa Mountain Guerrilla Detachment was reorganized into the Headquarters Special Forces. Before May 30, they must gather near Yuhao and wait for orders to cross the river. attack. 6. The newly formed 33rd Division and a regiment of the 9th Division are attached to a part of the Mountain Artillery of the Second Army. Except for a feigned attack and rolling, the main force adjusts its equipment and sticks to the established position. Special emphasis must be placed on it The area around Sifangjing. 7. The 10th Artillery Regiment (two battalions) and the mixed battalion of the 7th Artillery Regiment are under the command of Hu, the commander of the 10th Artillery Regiment. That is to say, on the bank of the Huitong Bridge, the selected positions are ready to shoot at various points in Songshan: Lameng , before May 30th, enter the position and complete the preparations. When the troops under the 71st Army (the main force of the 28th Division) attack Lameng and Songshan, they will shoot at various key points to support the troops. battle. 8. The group army command post is scheduled to advance from Baoshan to Baiwang (Baidu) on May 29. The Eleventh Group Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Army faced the Japanese army, and it was the main force of the 56th Division of the Japanese Army with Longling as the core of defense.There are two strongholds along the way to Longling: Songshan on the Yunnan-Burma Highway in the north and Pingga on the Kangmang Highway in the south, among which Songshan is the strongest.The main force of the 146th Regiment of the Japanese Army defending between Songshan and Longling, after occupying Songshan in 1942, drove a large number of local laborers to surround the core position of Songshan with the support of the engineering unit of the 56th Division A series of permanent fortifications were built, and the large bunkers were all made of rough wood and heavy steel plates, and the soil covered on them was more than three meters thick, which could withstand the bombardment of heavy artillery and aerial bombs. According to the plan of the Eleventh Group Army, starting from May 29th, the main force of the Seventy-first Army will be attached to the newly formed 39th Division of the Sixth Army. , Huoshidi, Daheidu, Qidaohe and other ferries forcibly crossed the Nu River on a large scale.By June 2, all troops had successfully landed on the west bank of the Nu River.The group army headquarters learned that the rear of the Japanese army was empty, and decided to attack Lameng and Songshan with one part, and the main force was directed at Longling and Mangshi. Judging from the Eleventh Army's combat plan, Song Xilian tried to capture Pingjia, Xiangda and Zhen'an Streets with two armies first, and then conquer Longling and Mangshi.If successful, the Matsuyama Japanese army in the north will retreat because the rear supply line is cut off.Therefore, in the direction of attacking Songshan, he only invested the 82nd and 83rd regiments of the newly formed 28th Division, and assigned the 84th regiment of the division to the 88th Division to attack Longling. up.Later facts proved that the Chinese Expeditionary Force had underestimated both Longling and Songshan's enemy situation. When the two regiments of the newly formed 28th Division crossed the river, two American howitzer regiments and a mountain artillery battalion with hundreds of artillery pieces bombarded the other side of the river. There were also nine American bombers in the sky to assist in the battle. to any resistance from the Japanese army.After crossing the river, there is a steep mountain road that is difficult for people and horses to walk. Fortunately, under the heavy artillery fire of the expeditionary force, a squadron of Japanese defenders could hardly support them. They had retreated from the frontier Zhuzipo position to Lameng. The officers and soldiers of the 12th regiment were able to climb the bamboo slope without a fight.As soon as they came up, they saw Yindeng Mountain standing in front of them. The barbed wire outside the Japanese fortifications on the mountain gleamed at sunset. Yindeng Mountain is a hill shaped like a bell. There is a slope of about 30 degrees at the top of the mountain, followed by a steep slope of more than 60 degrees.The trees on the slope have been cut down by the Japanese army, but the steep slope is still densely forested.The large number of bunkers built by the Japanese army on the top of the mountain, although they have been bombarded continuously by heavy artillery and violently bombed by fighter planes for several days, do not appear to be seriously damaged. Yinshan mountain is a barrier for the Japanese army in Songshan. The Japanese troops on several mountains near Matsuyama could provide fire support to Yindeng Mountain from different directions. On June 4th, the 82nd and 83rd regiments built temporary fortifications in Zhuzipo, and the Shanpao Battalion directly under the army also caught up and set up positions, preparing to launch an attack on Yindeng Mountain the next day.However, something happened in the middle of the night: at about 23:00, platoon leader Li of the 7th Company of the 82nd Regiment led a team to patrol along the path in the grass in front. the chest of a Chinese soldier.The moment the soldier fell to the ground with a yell, Platoon Leader Li subconsciously wanted to help him up, but he felt a bayonet stabbing him, and he flashed and opened the safety of the submachine gun at the same time.The opponent's gun fired first, and two fingers of one hand were broken.Platoon leader Li poked the muzzle of the submachine gun directly at the opponent's chest, fired a series of bursts, and then directed the patrol to fire together.After a fierce gun battle, the Japanese army dropped six corpses and disappeared into the darkness.Platoon Leader Li specifically checked the body of the Japanese soldier who stabbed the Chinese soldier to death, and identified it as a sergeant from the epaulets. This situation made the Chinese officers and soldiers realize that the attack after dawn must be a bloody battle. On the 5th, the two regiments of the newly formed 28th Division, with the help of heavy artillery and bombers, launched attacks on Yindeng Mountain and Lameng at the foot of the mountain respectively.The 83rd regiment rushed into Lameng Street after a fierce battle, and the Japanese retreated.The 83rd Regiment defeated several Japanese counterattacks and cut off the road leading to the dam.Later, when the 82nd regiment attacked Yindeng Mountain, it encountered fierce fire resistance from the Japanese army.The third battalion of the vanguard rushed to the foot of the mountain and began to climb the steep slope. The dense forest on the steep slope was full of hidden Japanese shooters. The third battalion had to open the way with intensive shooting in all directions, and continued to advance regardless of casualties.When advancing to the junction of the steep slope and the gentle slope, since the trees and thatch on the gentle slope were cleared by the Japanese army, the main position of the Japanese army was clearly visible on the bare hilltop.The artillery bombardment of the expeditionary force began to extend, and the two companies of the third battalion launched their first charge under the cover of machine guns, but as soon as the soldiers jumped out of the ridge line, they were intercepted by cross-fire nets from the south, north, and west.There were no hidden objects on the gentle slope, and dozens of soldiers fell on the bare slope in an instant.However, the interception by the Japanese army exposed a hidden firepower point that the Chinese army had not discovered in advance, and the artillery immediately corrected the shooting.In addition to the Shanpao Battalion, the howitzers on the other side of the Nujiang River also joined the bombardment of Yinshan Mountain, and the Japanese positions were filled with gunpowder for a while.After the bombardment, the 82nd Regiment organized three consecutive charges, causing more than a hundred casualties, including the commander of the machine gun company. The attack did not make any progress until dark.The officers and soldiers can only dig trenches on the ridge line very close to the top of the mountain, preparing to fight after dawn. Something happened again at midnight: around 24:00, the Japanese army sneaked to the rear of the 82nd Regiment's ridge line trench, stabbed two Chinese sentries to death, and then touched the position of the third company of machine guns.Nie Zhengrong, the squad leader of the third machine gun company, was stabbing to death from behind by the Japanese army as he was loading his own machine gun.His screams alarmed the platoon leader Wang Baocheng. The platoon leader Wang was trying to check the situation when Wu Junchen, the deputy company commander with rich combat experience, fired his gun.The Japanese army rushed forward screaming, and the six heavy machine guns of the three machine gun companies quickly fired. The dense machine gun bullets made the Japanese army unable to parry.The Japanese army on the top of the mountain rushed down to try to respond, but was intercepted by Chinese officers and soldiers.When the ridge line finally calmed down, the Chinese officers and soldiers immediately rescued the wounded, and at the same time counted the corpses of more than 30 Japanese soldiers by the trenches. On the 6th, the 82nd regiment used rocket launchers and flamethrowers, and dozens of light and heavy machine guns covered the infantry to charge in turn.The Chinese officers and soldiers once rushed to the top of the mountain, but soon retreated to the ridgeline again under the counterattack of the Japanese army.On this day, dozens of officers and soldiers of the Eighty-two Regiment suffered casualties. On the 7th, the 82nd Regiment once again attacked Yindeng Mountain with two battalions of troops. After destroying several Japanese bunkers, they rushed to the top of the mountain again. Unexpectedly, they were counterattacked by the Japanese army again.In this way, what was gained was lost, and what was lost was found again. The Japanese army would not put down their weapons as long as they had a breath. At the last moment, they used hand grenades to kill the Chinese soldiers who charged over.The officers and soldiers of the Expeditionary Army who charged towards the top of the mountain also encountered a scene that made them feel at a loss: when the Japanese soldiers in a bunker were exhausted, a group of women with disheveled hair rushed out of the bunker. The officers and soldiers of the Expeditionary Army once heard Said there were camp prostitutes on the Japanese positions-these women howled and threw grenades at them.The Chinese officers and soldiers were also surprised to find that the bunkers built by the Japanese army were so strong that even if they were directly hit by a large-caliber howitzer, they could not be damaged. The log with a diameter of more than one meter and the steel plate with a thickness of two centimeters, so the interior of the bunker was not damaged much, and the living facilities were well-equipped. There is a 40-50 meter traffic trench on the top of Yindeng Mountain. It is the only place where the Japanese army can hide when they are avoiding the heavy shelling.Hundreds of corpses of officers and soldiers of the two armies have been lying here, and the traffic trench has been stained black with blood.Due to the continuous counterattack of the Japanese army, there was no time to dispose of the corpses, and the number of corpses increased every day. The weather was hot and the corpses rotted.This situation lasted for half a month, until the Japanese army on the Yindeng mountain position was wiped out in such consumption. While the new twenty-eighth division was fighting in Yinshan Mountain, Wang Lingyun's second army captured Pingxia and Xiangda; The 84th Regiment of the 28th Division began to advance towards Longling.The Eighty-Fourth Regiment crossed Xiangda, inserted into the Huada Ridge between Longling and Mangshi, defeated the resistance of the two Japanese squadrons, and occupied Fangmaqiao, an important point on the Longling-Mangshi highway; the 87th, 1st After the 88th Division arrived near the outskirts of Longling on June 10, they launched a fierce attack on the outer Japanese positions, and their forwards gradually approached the city of Longling. The solid walls of the Japanese army at Longling, the tenacious will to fight, and the abundance of supplies all exceeded the expectations of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.Those strongholds outside Longling City that had not yet been conquered were still fighting on their own despite being isolated and helpless.It was drizzling and cloudy, food, fodder and ammunition were consumed enormously, and airdrops were a drop in the bucket. The transportation of supplies from the ferry along the Nu River along the narrow mountain roads was extremely difficult, and the supplies could hardly support the needs of tens of thousands of officers and soldiers.As a result, the Seventy-first Army's attack on Longling gradually weakened. In order to secure Longling, the key point on the Yunnan-Burma Highway, the Japanese army sent 1,500 officers and soldiers from Tengchong to the south along the road from Tengchong to Longling for reinforcements. The forward had already crossed the Longchuan River.The 87th Division was ordered to meet the enemy. After the fierce battle between the two armies, both sides suffered heavy casualties.On the 15th, the Japanese reinforcements mobilized heavy artillery to attack the blocking position of the 87th Division again, and the 255th Highland held by the 205th Regiment was broken through.Master Zhang Shaoxun, who personally supervised and led the battle, saw that the battle situation was deteriorating, "sincerely fearing that it would be irreversible, he committed suicide in anger, and the bullet came out from his left breast and left rib."Commander Zhang was sent to the rear to be treated by US military doctors, and Huang Yan, the deputy commander of the 87th Division, acted as the division commander.At the same time, more than 600 Japanese troops from Mangshi also came to Longling for reinforcements. The 84th Regiment of the newly formed 28th Division blocked it at Fangma Bridge south of Longling. The regiment's blocking position was never lost, and some Japanese troops still broke into Longling City. In addition to the 113th and 146th regiments of the 56th Division, the Japanese troops assembled near Longling received the 119th regiment of the 53rd Division and the 1st Division of the 2nd Division. Reinforcements from the 29th Regiment.The Japanese army began to launch a counterattack against the 71st Army.Despite receiving reinforcements from a regiment of the Second Army, the combat situation of the 71st Army was still grim. They had to wipe out the outlying strongholds of Longling and block the reinforcements from the Japanese army. Lingcheng launched an attack, but retreated steadily under the impact of the Japanese army.At the critical moment, the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force mobilized the Eighth Army of the Reserve.The Honorary First Division of the Eighth Army quickly advanced and joined the battle of the Seventieth Army. The Chinese and Japanese armies faced off again outside Longling City. The Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Army believed that one of the reasons for the stalemate in the battle at Longling was the continuous reinforcement of the Japanese troops in Tengchong, while the 148th Regiment of the Japanese Army stationed in Tengchong was shrinking its defensive line due to its weak strength.Therefore, Wei Lihuang decided to fight Tengchong first.六月二十二日，卫立煌命令位于滇西战场北面的第二十集团军主力，迅速向西推进到固东至江苴一线，然后南下对腾冲实施攻击。 第二十集团军部署： 一、第五十四军（欠第一九八师），附预备第二师，及重迫击炮一营，于二日前到达顺江街及其以东地区，再沿顺江街、腾冲道，逐次驱逐敌之警戒部队，先攻占宝凤山、来凤山，再协同第五十三军，对腾冲实施包围攻击。在攻击前进时特应对西警戒，并与第五十三军切取联系。 二、第五十三军附重迫击炮一营，须立即派兵一部，占领杭猛山，向酒店以南一带高地进出；其余各部队，应于二十六日以前，在干榨山、打豆山、龙川江右岸地区发起攻击，沿打豆街、观音寺，向蜚凤山攻击；再以一个团，沿龙川江左岸南下，渡过龙川江后，随军主力之进展，向飞凤山攻击，攻略各该处据点后，再协同第五十四军，包围腾冲，攻击而占领之。攻击前进时特应对左侧注意警戒，右与第五十四军切取联络。 三、第一九八师，为集团军预备队，先在瓦店集结，俟第五十三军挺进后，再进至江苴街待命。 腾冲，旧名腾越，位于高黎贡山西麓，东为龙川江，可通保山、大理，西为大盈江，可通密支那、八莫，北连片马、泸水，南临龙陵、芒市，锁钥滇缅，四通八达，是贯穿川滇、西出印缅的交通重镇。始建于明代的城墙，下部是巨石、上部是巨砖，高八米、厚四米，方圆周长四千米，蛇立五百年仍坚固无比。城池坐落于狭长的盆地中，飞凤山于城东，来凤山于城南，宝凤山于城西，高良山于城北，为天然环城屏障，诸山中以能俯瞰全城的来凤山最为险要。 一九四二年五月十日，日军进占腾冲。经过两年的苦心经营，城外高地地堡密布，城垣和街市处处设防，腾冲已变为一座具有纵深防御空间的坚固堡垒，而且是滇西日军最大最坚固的据点。守城的日军大部为从江苴、明光等处南撤下来的第五十六师团第一四八联队主力，另外加之第十八师团第一一四联队残部，总兵力约二千余人，由第一四八联队联队长藏重康美大佐指挥。 一九四四年七月二日拂晓，雨雾弥漫，远征军第二十集团军的两个军五个师，向腾冲外围日军据点发起进攻。左翼第五十三军先后攻克飞凤山和五八三〇高地，右翼第五十四军攻占蜚凤山和五一三八高地。战至七日，腾冲城外日军的据点基本被攻克，只有预备第二师攻击的来凤山仍处于两军激战中。 来凤山是高黎贡山余脉，由五座山峰相连呈笔架形，中间的山峰高出腾冲城墙一百多米。山峰由坚硬的岩石构成，陡坡直上直下，光秃秃的无林木。日军在五座山峰上都筑有坚固堡垒，每个堡垒之间有堑壕相连，山腰的一条隧道直通腾冲城内。这里是日军外围防御的重点，若要攻下腾冲必先攻占此山。 预备第二师四团由团长吴心庄指挥，攻击西南面的两山；五团由团长李颐指挥，攻击西北面的两山；六团由团长方诚指挥为预备队，只待左右两团攻击成功后，一举拿下中间的主峰。攻击开始后，左右两山的日军火力凶猛，陡峭的山岩上没有任何遮蔽物可利用，主峰上的日军火力可向两翼支援射击，同时日军利用四通八达的堑壕不断实施短促出击，预备第二师的攻击屡屡受挫。 十六日，第二十集团军总司令霍揆彰召集军长和师长们开会，决定加大对来凤山的攻击力度，命令预备第二师和第三十六师，配属山炮和重迫击炮各一个营，继续对来凤山实施攻击；另派第一一六师和第一三〇师的两个团，配属山炮和重迫击炮各一个连，肃清来凤山东南部日军据点。连日大雨，美军的战机无法配合作战，远征军加强兵力后的攻击依旧没有进展。 二十六日，天晴了。 中午时分，美军的三十架轰炸机、二十七架战斗机，对来凤山和腾冲城实施了猛烈轰炸。第二十集团军也集中其一百多门火炮猛轰来凤山日军阵地，一天之内发射的炮弹多达五千余发。在惊天动地的爆炸声中，来凤山上日军的堡垒一片火海。预备第二师官兵随即发起总攻，奋力向山上攀登，用冲锋枪、手榴弹和火焰喷射器扫荡残破工事里的日军。六团团长方诚亲率特务排冲到日军堡垒的射击死角，首先攻占了那条通往腾冲城内的隧道，然后把炸药包、爆破筒、火箭弹和手榴弹一股脑地塞进了主峰上的日军地堡里，六团官兵在随即响起的震天的爆炸声中蜂拥而上。主峰上日军的侧射火力威胁解除后，左右山峰的攻击部队连续肃清日军多个地堡，残余的日军开始向腾冲城收缩，来凤山被远征军官兵攻占。 腾冲已是一座孤城。 日军第五十六师团师团长松山祐三给腾冲守军指挥官藏重康美下达的命令是：死守到最后一个人。 二十七日，第二十集团军总司令霍揆彰下达攻击命令：第五十四军附重迫击炮一营，攻击腾冲城南门、西门和北门，预备第二师负责固守城南面的来凤山；第五十三军第一一六师附迫击炮一营和军直属山炮营，攻击东门，第一三〇师担任外围警戒。 八月二日，远征军对腾冲城的攻击开始。 清晨，远征军的各种火炮向城内发射了三千多发炮弹，美军的六十多架战机同时对城垣实施了轮番轰炸。中午，第三十六师和第一九八师从南北两面同时发动冲击，官兵们先用炸药包破坏城墙，用火箭筒和火焰喷射器扫清城垣上的日军火力点，然后扛着竹梯强行登城。日军的火力极其凶猛，拼死封堵城垣突破口，首先登城的第三十六师一〇七团二营二连，因后续部队上不来而陷于苦战，连长刘恩宪阵亡。第一九八师在城垣东北角的攻击，在日军的火力压制下很难接近城垣，只能冲到距城垣二百米处构筑工事。第一一六师在东门的攻击也不顺利，连续攻克城垣边的四座地堡后，攻入东门外的帮办衙门。三四八团官兵利用美军战机在东南角炸开的一道十米宽的缺口冲上去，日军在反扑时施放了毒气弹，双方在狭窄的缺口处混战一夜，日军不断向缺口反击，三四八团誓死不退，同时用炸药再次扩大缺口，四日天亮时缺口已被扩大到五十米。 四日，美军战机的轰炸更加猛烈，把西南城垣也炸开一个缺口，第三十六师和第一九八师官兵乘势突入。一〇七团二营的数十名官兵组成敢死队与反击的日军死战，后续的两个连拼死增援，终于占据了缺口处日军的两处地堡，但日军的侧射火力十分猛烈，缺口处的中国官兵无法进一步扩大战果。 腾冲城垣之坚固，日军防御体系之完备，令远征军官兵激战两天终是没能攻破腾冲城垣。日军在城垣上构建了三层火力网，每隔几米就修筑一个碉堡或机枪掩体，城墙的中部和底部也开凿了无数射击孔。腾冲城垣的东、西、北三面地势开阔，攻击部队接近城垣十分困难。——日军破译了远征军第五十四军军长方天的电报：“连日经数次肉搏攻击，大量伤亡，并未奏效，希空军配合攻击，将城墙炸出突破口以便突入。”同时，方军长还要求空运两万枚手榴弹来。 来自天空的炸弹和地面的手榴弹是日军最怕的。 果然，八月五日晨，美军战机又一次飞临腾冲上空。十五架B-25轰炸机专门向城墙俯冲投弹，轰炸持续了整整一天，把腾冲城墙炸出十个大小不等的缺口。但是，向缺口冲锋的中国官兵在日军严密火力网的阻击下依旧伤亡惨重。 六日，美军一下子来了三十二架战机，继续对腾冲城垣实施不间断轰炸，这一次把南城楼炸塌了。第三十六师官兵不顾侧射火力带来的伤亡强行攻击，一〇七团一部在南城楼缺口处登城，一〇六团在西南缺口处登城，日军一次次地反击，最后骑兵连加入了战斗，终于巩固了突破口。 伤亡惨重的第三十六师被预备第二师替换下来。 腾冲城内的日军到了山穷水尽的地步。 日军缅甸方面军从曼德勒机场起飞了四架运输机，在四架战斗机的护航下，试图给腾冲城内守军空投弹药和食品，但无论是缅北还是滇西，制空权已不在日军手里。日军的八架战机刚刚飞临腾冲上空，便遭到美军战机的拦截，两架战斗机首先被击中栽到来凤山上起火燃烧，运输机急忙把物资扔下来想逃走，结果不但大部分物资未能投在城里，四架运输机连同剩下的两架战斗机全部被美军击落。 至此，中国远征军第二十集团军对腾冲城的攻击已持续一月有余。 日军区区两千人，火炮和机枪数量有限，且粮弹供给中断，面对的是中国军队装备精良的两个军和美军航空兵的全力作战，无论从哪方面讲，腾冲日军覆灭的下场已定。但是，谁也没想到，在城垣已经残破，中国官兵占据着多处城垣缺口的情况下，从八月十日起，腾冲城内残存的日军竟仍固守城池达一个月。 十一日，城外的中国官兵开始向城内挖掘地道。 美军的运输机不断地运来弹药和给养。 十三日，腾冲城内的日军大祸临头了：二十四架美军战机对城内进行了大规模轰炸，数枚重磅航空炸弹直接命中了位于城东门的日军指挥部，指挥官藏重康美大佐等三十二人被当场炸死。 得知城里的日守军没有了指挥官，第二十集团军总司令霍揆彰下令再次总攻。 但是，直到十八日，中国官兵的攻击还是没有进展。 接替藏重康美指挥的是太田正人大尉。 十九日，第二十集团军发起第三次总攻：第五十四军第一九八师、第三十六师、预备第二师和第五十三军第一一六师，分别肃清城外残敌，同时从四面进攻城垣。当晚，第一九八师五九四团在南门外秘密设置了重机枪掩体，百余名官兵潜伏在事先埋好炸药的城垣下。攻击开始后，五九四团的二十挺重机枪一起开火，城垣下的官兵引爆了炸药，腾冲城南门附近被炸开了两个缺口，后续部队立即向缺口处冲锋。下午，第一九八师和预备第二师之间的城垣被攻占。二十日拂晓，第一一六师三四六团在城东门成功登城。预备第二师一部从城西城垣突入市区，先后攻占东岳庙、电报局和督办公署。接着，第一九八师五九三团和五九四团以及第三十六师也突入市区。接下来的巷战进行得异常残酷，日军在每一条街巷、每一座房屋，每一个屋顶和每一处拐角都设置了交叉火力，中国官兵每前进一步都要付出生命代价。 美军的战机已能从腾冲机场起降。 而在中国军队发动的第三次攻击中，美军的战机已对腾冲城共计投下了一万五千枚炸弹。 第一一六师搜索连代理连长蔡斌回忆： 我们和一九八师打进南门街，共同围攻秀峰山日军据点。这时满街全是正在着火冒烟的残梁断柱，破砖烂瓦都是烫的，一下雨砖瓦还会“嗞嗞”作响。到处是枪声，到处是敌我双方官兵的尸体，三五个躺在一起的也不少。新鲜的红血和凝固的黑血混在一起，红血消在黑血上，手榴弹一炸，苍蝇就成堆地飞起来，发泡的尸体上全是蛆。我在上海、武汉都和日本鬼子干过，但没有像在腾冲时这么惨烈。 腾冲日军进行的是决死之战，那些只剩一只眼、一只手、一只脚的伤兵仍心甘情愿地在战场上作战。太田正人向师团发去战报说，腾冲守军已经无所顾忌，唯独“渴望得到手榴弹”。 巷战进行了半个多月后，腾冲依旧还有半个市区在日军手里。而一个消息令人格外焦灼：日军第三十三军正在调集兵力准备进行一次大规模反扑。 蒋介石发来电报称：国军名誉沉浮即在今日。 第二十集团军总司令霍揆彰三十日下令：“饬即迅速攻克腾城，兹特规定自明（三十一）日起，限五天内将各该军攻击区域内之敌肃清，并将每日进展情形具报。如有观望不前，或借故推倭，不能如限肃清，致使外敌增援，影响整个计划者，各该军长、师长应负贻误之责。” 三十一日，巷战中的日军被逐步压缩。 但是，十天之后，城内的残留日军依旧在抵抗。 九月九日，蒋介石的电报又到了：“腾冲必须在九月十八日国耻日之前夺回。” 十日，十架日军战机冒险飞来企图挽救危局，当即被美军战机击落了四架，其余仓皇而逃。 腾冲城内由太田正人指挥的日军只剩下七十人，收缩在东城一角面临着末日。——“市区的惨状远非野战，逐次被追到城内东北角的守备兵，在瓦砾中忍耐着城墙倒塌声和火焰喷射器的火焰，仍以超人的毅力继续死斗。” 下午四时，第五十三军第一三〇师攻占东门城楼，推进到东门大街，第一一六师主力推进到东城垣内的文家巷和李家巷；第五十四军预备第二师攻克李家巷北面的龙王庙和南面的李家塘，第一九八师推进到距东城垣不足百余米处。 十一日，几十个日军由东城垣缺口处跑出，向城东的饮马河附近逃窜，当即被中国官兵阻截，未被打死的残敌又跑回城内。 十二晚，太田正人认为，最后的时刻已经来临，他向军司令官和师团长发出了诀别电报：“我等辜负军、师团长官期待，深感歉憾，现已焚毁军旗，准备全体一齐冲入敌阵。” 第二天，太田正人大尉带领残部进行自杀式反扑，全部战死。 边陲名城腾冲，一九四二年被日军占领，两年后已成一片废墟。 而中国远征军对一座小城的收复战，竟然伤亡了上万名士兵和上千名军官。 远征军第二十集团军战后报告： ……于马（二十一日）晨开始向城内之敌攻击，我预二师、一九八师、三十六师、一一六师各主力奋勇直前，由南面城墙下城，突入市区，激烈巷战于马展关。惟城内人烟稠密，房屋连椽，大都坚实难破。且顽敌家家设防，街巷堡垒，星列棋布，尺寸必争，处处激战，我敌肉搏，山川震眩，声折江河，势如雷电，尸填街巷，血满城沿。嗣以各部损失惨重，而各级预备队既早用罄，又无援兵以济急难，不得已将原任南甸、腾龙桥阻敌增援之一三〇师调入腾城，聊增实力。苦战二十余昼夜，所赖将士忠勇，克敌致果，业于九月十四日将困守腾城之敌全部歼灭。青白之旗乃复飘扬边陲重镇，万民鼓舞，同声庆幸。综合自渡江起，至克服腾冲止，所历大小战役四十余次，共生俘敌军官四员，士兵六十余名，营妓十八名。毙敌少将指挥官及藏重康美大佐联队长以下军官一百余员，士兵六千余名。卤获野山炮七门，步兵炮六门，迫击炮十门，重机枪十九挺，轻机枪四十七挺，步、骑枪千余支，汽车十余辆，有、无线电机二十五部，及其它军用品无算，我亦伤亡官佐一千三百三十四员，士兵一万七千二百七十五名。 腾冲之战结束后，军民于城西南一公里处的来凤山北麓修建了一座国殇墓园，将战死在这片边陲之地的近万名将士遗骸安葬在这里。 年年岁岁，国殇墓园内花树繁茂。 一九四四年春，在缅甸北部，中国驻印军官兵也在争夺着一座小城，这就是缅北重镇密支那。 密支那是缅北日军最重要的战略基地。这座位于伊洛瓦底江西岸的小城，是贯穿缅甸南北铁路干线的终点，自此放射出去的公路四通八达，这里还是缅北重要的行政中心、交通枢纽和物资集散地。小城四周被山的包裹，中间是一个灌木丛生的小平原，伊洛瓦底江环绕流经城东和城南，城西和城北各有一个小型机场。 密支那对于盟军来讲万分重要：如果将其占领，不但可以打通中印陆路交通，“驼峰航线”也能得以拓宽，美军的大型运输机可降低飞行高度，从而增加安全系数。密支那也是缅北日军的生死之地：一旦丢失，入侵中国云南境内的第五十六师团将陷于孤立，伸向缅甸南部的主要交通线将暴露在盟军面前，日军在整个缅北和滇西将失去立足支撑点。 四月中旬，根据史迪威的命令，由中国新编第三十师八十八团、第五十师一五〇团和美军“第五三〇七团”组成的中美混合突击队，已经开始秘密南下。这是中国战争史上第一支，也是迄今为止唯一的一支中美联合作战部队：第一纵队，代号K纵队，由新编第三十师八十八团、新编第二十二师山炮四连和美军“第五三〇七团”三营组成，指挥官是美军上校肯利生；第二纵队，代号H纵队，由第五十师一五〇团、美军“第五三〇七团”一营和山炮一个排组成，指挥官是美军上校亨利；第三纵队，代号M纵队，由美军“第五三〇七团”一部和三百多名缅甸克钦人组成，指挥官是美军上校马基。——美军“第五三〇七团”初到缅甸时有三千多人，经过不断的作战消耗，现实际兵力只有一千四百人左右，所以，所谓中美混合突击队，作战主力还是中国驻印军官兵。 中美混合突击队从塔奈河以东出发，在克钦人的带领下，穿越悬崖陡立、森林密布的库芒山，官兵们常常要在连羊肠小路都没有的绝壁上攀登，每天只能艰难地向南推进几公里。五月六日，K纵队抵达密支那日军前哨据点雷邦隘口，并对据守在这里的日军一加强中队发动进攻。隘口狭窄，日军居高临下，中美官兵采取两翼迂回的战术，激战三天将雷邦攻下。十二日，K纵队进抵丁克路高附近，美军一营与日军第一四联队第二大队遭遇，结果被日军包围。驻印军新编第三十师八十八团赶到后，向包围美军的日军猛攻，十三日下午美军解困。留下八十八团三营在丁克路高掩护后，K纵队主力继续向密支那前行。十四日，H纵队抵达密支那外围的升尼；第五十师一五〇团一营切断孟拱至密支那的公路后，团主力于十六日